Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – December 2019

Welcome to December 2019 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

First, the major events in December 2019:

Shriram Lagoo (1927-2019): Acting legend and rationalist leaves behind a rich and complex legacy – Damini Kulkarni – The legend of the stage and the screen died in Pune at the age of 92 on 17-12-2019

We also take an opportunity to revisit – The Legend of Dr Shriram Lagoo | Tabassum Talkies

A boy called Yusuf – What would Dilip Kumar, who turned 97 on 11-12-2019, say on the identity debate today?

Ten of my favourite Naushad Songs is a tribute to the memory of Naushad who was born on 25 December 1919.

Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore: Exploring the silver screen journey of two beautiful stars – The two share their birthdays besides having shared a wonderful on-screen chemistry.

Happy Birthday Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore! – Here are films featuring the pair – Subhash K Jha recounts, Anupama (1966), Devar (1966), Satyakam (1969), Yakeen (1969), Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968), Chupke Chupke (1975), Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka (1975), Sunny (1984)  as the 8 films the duo have done together.

Also read:

• • • Sharmila Tagore bridged the gap between art and commerce way before the rest
    • Picture the song: ‘Dil Dhoondta Hai’ and the heart that never stops searching

We pick up other tributes and memories:

Shailendra — the Leftist poet and Dalit genius whose lyrics define beauty of simplicity – 14 December marks the 53rd death anniversary of the artist who died at the young age of 43. Regardless of his fame, Shailendra fundamentally remained a “people’s poet” .

From Hindi film music to raga-based symphonies, the remarkable journey of Anthony Gonsalves – Naresh Fernandes – The renowned musician, whose fifth death anniversary is on January 18, merged the Western classical music of his Goan heritage with Hindustani melodies. (Reposting of an Jan 18, 2017 article)

Geeta Dutt – The Artist and Her Art – Geeta Dutt identified artistic “inspiration as the cause of divine fires in the creator, fires which result in his frenzied seeking after artistic perfection”. Sounak Gupta pays tribute to the artist and her art that went way beyond the limits of technique.

The Legends: Geeta Dutt presents a bare handful of songs that showcase Geeta Roy/Dutt’s immense talent,, with as many of the music directors she worked with as possible. A small representative sample form the list –

• • Zara thham jaa tu – Jogan (1950) / Music: Bulo C Rani / Lyrics: Himmat Rai Sharma
  • Saajna din bahure hamare – Khel (1950) / Music: Sajjad Hussain / Lyrics: Aarzoo Lucknowi
  • Ae dil ae deewane – Baaz (1953) / Music : OP Nayyar / Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
  • Har ek nazar – Faraar (1955) / Music: Anil Biswas / Lyrics: Prem Dhawan
  • Tumse nazar mili – Jagir (1959) / Music: Madan Mohan / Lyrics: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
  • Mujhe huzoor tumse pyaar hai – Son of India (1962) / Music: Naushad / Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

I have added Kareeb Aao Na Tadapao – Love Marriage (1959) – Shankar Jaikishan – Shailendra to the list.

The Legends: Geeta Dutt – Part 2 lists Geeta Dutt’s duets with as many singers as can be possible. Let us recall a few rarely heard duets form this list:

• • Lucknow chalo ab rani – with GM Durrani – Sansar (1951) / Music: E Shankar Shastri/BS Kalla / Lyrics: Pandit Indra
  • O haseena sambhal sambhal ke chal  – with Chitalkar – Saqi (1952) / Music: C Ramchandra
  • Nazdeek na aana  – with SD Batish – Bahu Beti (1952) / Music: SD Batish / Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi
  • Ye shokh ada ye mast fiza – with Shaminder – Son of Alibaba (1955) / Music: Sardul Kwatra / Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

Raah Bani Khud Manzil – The Lingering Effect of Hemant Kumar Part 1  – His music spelt class and showcased quality. His deep, resonant, sonorous and haunting voice cast a spell on his listeners. Vasanti Limaye pays a tribute to Hemant Kumar, singer and composer. In Part II, the author explores some of his compositions of merit and his opus as a music director in Hindi films.

Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt rehearse with Rahul Dev Burman, then the youngest music director in 1961 (Pic: SMM Ausaja)[1]

Shailendra Sharma @ Golden Era of Bollywood has posted following memorial tribute posts:

• • The Shenhanshah of Bollywood completes 50 years in…
  • Ameen Sayani is radio, and radio is Ameen Sayani.
  • Raj Kapoor left an indelible impact on Indian cine…
  • Dilip Kumar and His Ten best Performances
  • Happy Birthday to the two of the most charismatic …
  • Choodi (Bangles) Songs of Bollywood

In our series Manna Dey and his contemporary lead actors, the December 2019 episode remembers his songs with Sanjeev Kumar and Rajesh Khanna. We have covered Manna Dey’s songs with main stream lead actors Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Balraj Sahni, David Abraham, Bharat Bhushan and Kishore Kumar, Shammi Kapoor and Guru Dutt, Raaj Kumar and Rajendra Kumar, Prem Nath, Pradeep Kumar and Sunil Dutt; with Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Pran and Joy Mukherjee till now.

[N.B. – All seven episodes of the series ‘Manna Dey and His Contemporary Lead Actors’ can be viewed / downloaded as one file by clicking on the hyperlink.]

In a series on Ravi, SoY has two more articles: Ravi’s ‘other’ female playback singer: Lata Mangeshkar and Ravi’s many-splendoured genius with the ‘other’ singers

Bollywood stars who died penniless – The list includes such stars as Chandra Mohan, Mater Bhagwan, Bharat Bhushan, A K Hangal, Sulochana (Ruby Myers), Cukoo (Moray), Achala Sachdev, Vimi, Nalini Jaywant, Meena Kumari, Parveen Babi. Of course, the list can run into several pages

“Yeh Chaman Hamara Apna Hai” – Sulochna Latkar who recently turned 90 in July stays away from the limelight in the Prabhadevi area which is near Mumbai’s famous Siddhi Vinayak Temple. Film ‘Ab Dilli Door Nahin’s famous song ‘Ye Chaman Hamara Apna Hai …’ was picturised on Sulochna and Master Romi.

December, 2019 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs takes up Mohammad Rafi’s First Solo Song With The Music Director: 1961

This was followed up by the third part of the years 1962 & 1963 of the 4^th Five Year Period of Mohammad Rafi’s maiden solo song with a music director

[N.B. – All three episodes of the 4^th Five Year Period of Mohammad Rafi’s First solo with a Music director : 1959 – 1963 can be downloaded as one file by clicking on the link.

We will now take up the articles on other subjects:

Shades of The Moon in the songs wherein direct help from the moon is sought for different tasks, e.g. Chandrama Ja Unse Keh De – Bharat Milap (1965) – Lata Mangeshkar & Mahendra Kapoor / Vasant Desai – Bharat Vyas  | Chanda Ja Chanda Ja Re Ja – Man Mauji (1964) Lata Mangeshkar / Madan Mohan – Rajendra Krishan

Short review – F-Rated: Being a Woman Filmmaker in India is a wide-ranging publication, by   Nandita Dutta, that tells individual stories while also probing cinematic tropes, trends and viewer demographics. The book comprises of interviews with and profiles of important Indian filmmakers, from veterans Aparna Sen and Mira Nair to Alankrita Srivastava and Nandita Das. In the process, the book presents the preferred themes and working styles of these artists, about the challenges they face as they balance profession with home life or the demands of parenthood – or cope with extra scrutiny, condescension and even sexual harassment.

Ten of my favourite ‘recording studio’ songs on radio, for albums, and so on, in which the ‘singer’ (the actor or actress lip-syncing to the song) is shown singing in a recording studio. Here are a few of the less heard songs from this list –

• • Jeevan ke doraahe pe khade  – Chhoti Si Mulaqat, (1967) – Lata Mangeshkar – Shankar Jaikishan  – Shailendra:
  • Khul sim-sim khullam-khulla  – Biwi aur Makaan, (1966) – Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar & Bula Gupta – Hemant Kumar – Gulzar
  • Apni ada par main hoon fida  – Teen Batti Chaar Raasta, (1953) – Lata Mangeshkar – Shivram Krishna – P L Santoshi
  • Aankhon aankhon mein ho gaye mast ishaare  Khazanchi, (1958) – Asha Bhosle – Madan Mohan – Rajinder Krishna

In the third concluding article, Best songs of 1946: Wrap Up 3, of the on-going series of Best songs of 1946: And the winners are?, Aawaz de kahan hai – Surendra and Noorjehan (Anmol Ghadi, Naushad), and Ek yaad kisi ki yaad rahi – GM Durrani and Shamshad Begum (Shama, Ghulam Haider) have been adjudged joint winners in the duets category.

[N.B. : All the episodes of The Micro View of Best Songs of 1946: Duets can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.]

In the final wrap-up article, Best songs of 1946: Final Wrap Up 4, the SoY Award for the Best Music Director of 1946 goes to Naushad.  And, special mention is made of Ghulam Haider and Hansraj Bahal for their outstanding music in the year.

[N.B. – All the episodes of The Micro View of Best Songs of 1946 can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.

We end the post with a few songs of Mohammad Rafi, each one of which basically has a link with the topics discussed in the present post, we have picked up:.

Lagi Hai Aag Dil Mein – Hulchul (1951) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Mohammad Safi – Khumar Barabanqvi

Main Bhi Jawan Hu Tu Bhi Jawan – Do Dulhe (1955) – with Geeta Dutt – B S Kalla  – Pt. Indra

Zara Si Baat Pyar Ki Zubaan Se Nikal Gayi – Salaam Memsaab (1961) – with Suman Kalyanpur  – Ravi – Asad Bhopali

Sudh Bisar Gayee Aaj – Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962) – with Manna Dey – S N Tripathi – Shailendra

Ghar Tum Bhula Na Doge, Sapne Yeh Sach Hoge – Yakeen (1969) – Shankar Jaikishan – Hasrat Jaipuri [and its Lata Mangeshkar twin version]

Till we met again in 2020, here is wishing all a great, eventful and fruitful 2020.

Disclaimer: This monthly series of posts is my best-effort-based compilation of posts on Hindi film songs that I normally visit regularly. As I record my sincere thanks to all the original creators of these posts, any other posts that I have nor covered herein shows my lack of awareness of existence of such posts and is by no means any disrespect to their work. The copyrights to the posts, images and video clips remain the properties of the original creators.

[1] Additional reference: Geeta Dutt with newer generation of composers @ end of the article

P.S. – All episodes of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music  for 2019 can be viewed / downloaded as a single file by clicking on the hyper link.