Month: March 2021

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – March 2021

Welcome to March 2021 edition of IXth Volume of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

We pay our special tribute to Sahir Ludhyanvi on his birth centenary:

Sahir Ludhianvi at 100: Why the poet and film lyricist was the original ‘Angry Young Man’ – Akshay Manwani – With his incisive poetry and plainspokenness, Ludhianvi consistently raised uncomfortable questions and expressed bitter truths.

Remembering Sahir Ludhianvi: Privileged to have sung his lyrics, says muse – Bella Jaisinghani – “Do you know, it was Geeta Dutt and I who originally sang ‘Kabhi Kabhi mere dil mein’ for a Chetan Anand film in 1959-60. It got shelved and I don’t even have a recording. Khayyam Sahab’s tune was nearly the same as the one that was released later’ says Sudha Malhotra.

No other poet expressed separation in the same manner as Sahirsaab: Gulzar – I remember that he was never allowed to leave the stage without reciting his famous poem on the Taj Mahal — ‘Meri mehboob kahi aur mila kar mujhse’ — it was very, very popular with the people.

Sahir Ka Khayal Aaya: Sahir’s Anti-War Poem in a Unique Play – Antara Nanda Mondal – To commemorate legendary poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi’s 100th Birth Anniversary, Delhi-based theatre group Pierrot’s Troupe’s premiered its unique monologue play Sahir Ka Khayal Aaya on March 7 at LTG Auditorium, New Delhi.

Sahir at 100: The ‘pal do pal ka shayar’ who doesn’t fade even 41 years after his death – Unnati Sharma and Shreyas Sharma – his lyrics and poetry still resonate for their philosophical tinge, symbolism & social consciousness.

We now move on to other tributes and memories:

Remembering Indeevar – Part I and Part II pay the tribute to The lyricist on the occasion of his 24th death anniversary.

50 years of Anand: a tribute – Everyone who loves Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand agrees that it is one of the warmest, most life-affirming of Hindi films. As it turns fifty, the dominant memory is of the terminally ill hero, played by Rajesh Khanna, spreading cheer and inspiration, determined to live a badi zindagi (big life) even if he isn’t fated for a lambi (long) one.

50 years of Anand — Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s timeless classic is an ode to life – Unnati Sharma – If director Hrishikesh Mukherjee had had his way, his 1971 classic Anand would have looked a lot different. One of Bollywood’s first superstars Raj Kapoor would have played the title character, and Bengali star Saumitra Chatterjee would have been Dr Bhaskar Banerjee.

Remembering Ninu Mazumdar – the composer and the singer is a tribute to Ninu Mazumdar on his 21st death anniversary (9 September 1915 – 3 March 2000)

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

March 2021 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs takes up Ghulam Mohammed and His Singers: 1943 – 1949. In the month of his death anniversary, we commence an annual series that relives his known and less known songs.

Ghulam Mohammad – A Tribute lists popular songs of Ghulam Mohammed, as a follow-up to Ghulam Mohammad’s rarely heard songs.

On Basu Bhattacharya’s Anubhav: Middle Cinema, meet avant-garde, the first film in Bhattacharya’s ‘marriage trilogy’, the other two being Avishkaar and Griha Pravesh

We will now take up the articles on other subjects:

Amitabh Bachchan and India’s battle to preserve its film heritage – Soutik Biswas – Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, an award-winning filmmaker, archivist and restorer, of the Film Heritage Foundation has been at the forefront of restoring and preserving Indian films efforts.


A still from the 1958 Bollywood drama Night Club, now preserved in the archive

The Perils of Alcohol: Hindi Films’ Moral Lessons and Tips for Women is a list of ‘drunken women songs’, with following caveats:

  • Caveat 1: The woman must be the heroine, not the vamp. That knocked Hoon abhi main jawaan out of the running.
  • Caveat 2: She must truly be drinking, not pretend drinking. (That took care of a host of ‘sharabi’ songs..)
  • Caveat 3: It has to be alcohol, no other forms of intoxication allowed. NoDum maaro dum or Ye aankhen uff yumma.
  • Caveal 4: All songs had to be from pre-80s’ films.

Pick of the list is Aaj ye meri zindagi– Yeh Raaste Hai Pyar Ke (1963) – Asha Bhosle- Ravi- Shakeel Badayuni.

Romancing with ‘Zindagi’ confines the list to the songs in which ‘Zindagi’ is the main subject

Songs that Shun Love – for example Jis Pyaar Mein Yeh Haal Ho – Phir Subah Hogi, 1958 – Md.Rafi and Mukesh – Khayyam; Sahir Ludhianvi

Once Upon A Time – Ye Un Dinon ki Baat Hai is divided into three sections – Pen Portraits, Reminiscences and Perspectives.

On Shadow Craft, a book about the aesthetics of black-and-white Hindi cinema – For anyone who loves black-and-white cinema – and likes the idea of a creative work being encountered in its original form rather than disfigured to meet contemporary tastes – the computer-colourisation of old films is cause for teeth-gnashing.

Songs of the Unsure/Insecure Lover – for example – Main Tumhi Se Poochti Hun – Black Cat, 1959 – Md. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar – N.Datta – Jan Nisar Akhtar.

In continuation to our tradition of ending 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.

Beta Dar Mat….Aahein Bhar Mat… – Bahi Behan (1959) – N Dutta – Sahir Ludhyanvi

Log Kahte Hain Ke Hum Tum Se Kinara Kar Lein – Bahu Begum (1967) – Roshan – Sahir Ludhyanvi

Qaza Zaalim Sahi..Ye Daawa Aaj Duniya Bhar Se – Laila Majnu (1976) – Jaidev – Sahir Ludhyanvi

Hum Mein Hai Kya Ke Humen Koi Haseena – Nawab Saheb (1978) – C Arjun – Sahir Ludhyanvi

I look forward to your inputs to enrich the contents of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

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.

Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs – March, 2021

Welcome to March 2021 edition of the IXth volume of Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs.

We recapitulate that the 2021 theme for the IXth volume of our Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs is Future of… as the basis for Creating and Maintaining Sustained Success.

Presently, we will first take up A future direction for quality management standards, not for what it notes what is in the store for the next revisions of ISO standards. I have picked up the article for the basis of these revisions, which indicates the new way of looking at the fundamentals of the thinking in the times to come. As such, the edited excerpts show only what is relevant, in general.

The eight future concepts are:

  1. Customer experience is the sum of all perceptions, impressions and reactions that a customer has in a series of activities. It involves everything from initially discovering and researching a product or service, through shopping, purchasing and using the product or service to following up with the brand afterwards.
  2. People aspects are all the factors that impact people’s abilities to perform tasks, their interests (eg motivation and preferences), their differences and relations (individual differences and social behaviour), and how an organisation can enhance performance by getting the best from people.
  3. Change management is identified as a systematic approach to initiate, develop, implement and communicate a transition or transformation in an organisation’s identity elements. These elements include the organisation’s  vision, mission, culture, values, policy, strategy, objectives and/or processes.
  4. Integration – An integrated management system (IMS) integrates many systems and processes into one complete framework, enabling an organisation to work as a single unit with unified objectives. When an organisation integrates management systems it can achieve better alignment between its systems, strategic direction, objectives, and the context of the organisation.
  5. Knowledge management is a discipline focused on ways that organisations create and use knowledge. While this concept itself is not new, there are important aspects that now need to be considered in relation to the use of, for example, big data, machine learning, blockchain, code of ethics, copyrights and intellectual property.
  6. There are several emerging technologies that will impact an organization in the future. The extent of digitisation is constantly growing in organisations. There are many possibilities for companies to use intelligent networking and artificial intelligence (AI) for making decisions based on rapidly changing data.
  7. Ethics and integrity are critical to the organisation’s ability to achieve sustainable success. All company decisions, actions and stakeholder interactions must be aligned with its moral and professional principles of conduct. These principles should support all applicable laws and regulations and are the foundation for the organisation’s culture, values and attitudes.
  8. Organizational culture refers to the collective beliefs, values, attitudes, manners, customs and behaviours that are unique to an organisation. Leadership establishes the organisational identity through the culture it develops and promotes.

These eight future perspectives can be further viewed in the light of Gary Hamel’s seminal work ‘The Future of Management’. The book, co-authored by Bill Green, was published in 2007. His basic tenet is that most of the organizations “by a small coterie of long departed theorists and practitioners who invented the rules and conventions of “modern” management back in the early years of the 20th century. They are the poltergeists who inhabit the musty machinery of management. It is their edicts, echoing across the decades, that invisibly shape the way your company allocates resources, sets budgets, distributes power, rewards people, and makes decisions.

However, “the laws of management are neither foreordained nor eternal”.

“Whiplash change, fleeting advantages, technological disruptions, seditious competitors, fractured markets, omnipotent customers, rebellious shareholders—these 21st century challenges are testing the design limits of organizations around the world and are exposing the limitations of a management model that has failed to keep pace with the times.”

“What ultimately constrains the performance of your organization is not its business model, nor its operating model, but its management model.”

The management innovation has a unique capacity to create a long-term advantage for (the) company, and …. (the management of today) must …. first imagine, and then invent, the future of management.[1]

[Side Note: Management Innovation is defined as “..anything that substantially alters the way in which the work of management is carried out, or significantly modifies customary organizational forms, and, by so doing, advances organizational goals”. ]

In this video, Gary Hamel on the Future of Management, you can view Gary Hamel explaining the concept that he has enunciated in the book.

Additional reading:

The Future of Management Gary Hamel: The Future of Management Dr. Liano Greybe

The Future of Innovation Management: The Next 10 Years from Arthur D. Little)

We will now turn to our regular sections:

We now watch ASQ TV, wherein we refresh our viewpoints about–

Skills You Need for the Technical Era

Quality 4.0 is More Than Technology https://asq.realmagnet.land/quality-4pt0-research

Learn About Quality 4.0 https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-4-0

Quality 4.0 Virtual Summit https://asq.org/conferences/quality-4-0

We have taken up one article from Jim L. Smith’s Jim’s Gems this month:

Change Perspective – In life not everything goes as planned or expected, even for the most successful people. But some people take failure very personally. It is our perspective that counts in the long run…. If you want to change your life, you need to first change your belief system. …. Anything that was learned – and our beliefs are learned – can be unlearned and relearned. Then, you will continue to act like yourself, but you will see yourself differently, so your behavior will be different. And when you change your behavior, you change the results. … Bhagwant Buddha preached : “What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.” In other words, change your perspective, and you change your life.

‘From the Editor (of Quality Magazine) – by Darryl Sealand, we have

Speaking the same language – George Carlin once said, “Everybody smiles in the same language.”

In fact, our facial expressions can convey a plethora of information about our emotional state.  .. What is critical is — understanding the communication, whether it is verbal or non-verbal.

March 2021 issue of QualityMag provides insight on moving communication forward in the age of Industry 4.0, in the form of Surface Tools: Speaking the language of Industry 4.0” and “Choosing Your Words Wisely: Help us clear up the confusion of NDT terminology.”

I look forward to your views / comments / inputs to further enrich the theme of Future of… as the basis for Creating and Maintaining Sustained Success.

Note: The images depicted here above are through courtesy of respective websites who have the copyrights for the respective images.

[1] Gary Hamel : The Future of Management

Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs: March 2021

Ghulam Mohammed and His Singers: 1943 – 1949

top-post-markGhulam Mohammed (1903 – 17 March 1968), born in the family of musician in Bikaner (Rajasthan), got his early training from his father, Nabi Baksh, a tabla player and a stage artist. The career of Ghulam Mohammed is littered with ironies of fate that did give him his credit for his creation, but a little too late and far too less.

Every single piece of article written on Ghulam Mohammed would invariably focus on at least one defining characteristic. And yet, the fact that Ghulam Mohammed got to compose music for just 37 films in a career spanning almost four decades does neither tells the full story of his caliber nor it does justice to his talent. As such, in the month of his death anniversary, we commence an annual series that relives his known and less known songs.

We will begin with an overview of Ghulam Mohammed’s career in the form of songs he has composed for different singers. The choice of singers does seem to be a function of the period in which the music for the film is composed. Every song that Ghulam Mohammed created songs with each of this singer had the perfect mix of the singer and of the music director. We have adopted a conscious choice of selecting the songs that can easily be classified as the ones receding from the memory.

Hamida Bano – Ud Ja Re Ud Ja Panchhi Pee Pee Mat Bol – Mera Khwab (1943) – Lyrics: M E Ashq

Ghulam Mohammad got his first break as an independent music director in 1942 for a stunt film, Mera Khwab, released in 1943. However, some sources indicate Banke Sipaahi (1937) as Ghulam Mohammad’s debut film. There does not seem to be unanimity among film historians on this count. This was the period when he was known to be working as an instrumentalist for music directors like Rafiq Ghazanvi, Irshad Ali, Anil Biswas etc. It is further recorded that his first major break that elevated him to the status of assistant was in Sharda (1942; Music: Naushad). Their this relationship lasted till Aan (1953) even after Ghulam Mohammad had charted his own independent course in the meantime. Naushad also paid his tribute to their relationship by completing the unfinished tasks of Ghulam Mohammad swan song film ‘Pakeeza’

Zohrabai Amablewali – Tere Bina O Balam Kaise Kategi Mori Raina Bata Jaa – Mera Geet (1946) – Lyrics: Ramesh Gupta

The film had four music directors – Bal Mukund, Geeta Varma, Shankar Rao Vyas, Ghulam Miyan, Reejram – to compose as many as 16 songs. HFGK has been able to identify only a few songs for their respective composers. Even as we get to read the name is Ghulam MIyan, Cinemaazi confirms that this song is indeed composed by Ghulam Mohammed.

The song has very prominent and distinct use of dholak as rhythm instrument.

G M Durrani – Khel Nahi…Khel Nahi Gir Gir Ke Sambhalana – Doli (1947) – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

The song is set to what is popularly known as Ghoda songs 9 singer rides a horse or a horse driven cart on the screen). The song is set to a fast pace, but runs on a very low octave, indicating that protagonist is deep thoughts as he sings the song during the ride.

Mukesh, Shamshad Begum – Tere  Naaz Uthane Ko Jee Chahta Hai – Grihasthi (1948) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

The song uses a duff (sometimes spelt as ‘daf’, too), another rhythm instrument that Ghulam Mohammed is credited with popularizing in Hindi film songs.

Knowledgeable bloggers inform us that this song was filmed on Pran and Sharda who was the sister of actor of ‘70s-‘80s Vinod Mehra

Mohammad Rafi – Nigahein Milane Ko Jee Chahata Hai – Parai Aag (1948) – Lyrics: Tanveer Naqvi

Composed to a softer, but relatively a fast, ‘qawwali’ style, and set to a soft Mohammad Rafi rendition, this easily the forgotten preceding song with the initial lyrics – Nigahein Milane Ko Jee Chata Hai. Yes, the one with better recall value is one which was used in Asha Bhosle qawwali song by Roshan (Dil Hi To Hai, 1963 – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhyanavi)

Suraiya – Mohe Mera Bachpana La De … Jawani Bhaye Na – Kaajal (1948) – Lyrics: D N Madhok

The orchestration has strong resemblance to what is used in Naushad’s songs. However, this playful song is well-remembered by Suraiya fans.

Sitara Kanpuri – Dil Ki Lagi Zubaan Par Aaye To Kya Karun – Pugree (1948) – Lyrics:  Shakeel Badayuni

‘Pugree’ is the second film that Ghulam Mohammed composed music for the production house All India Pictures, after Doli (1947). All India Pictures perhaps is the only banner that Ghulam Mohammed had under his belt as an independent music director. Other films that followed were: Paras (1949), Pardes (1950), Nazneen (1951), Guahar (9153), Rail Ka Dibba (1953), Laila Majnu (1953), Hoor-e-Arab (1955) and Sitara (1955).

Songs of ‘Pugree’ were resounding success in those days.

Shamshad Begum – Masti Bhari Bahar Ne Masatana Kar Diya – Pugree (1948) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

So ever young Shashikala lip-syncs Shamshad Begum on the screen.

Geeta Dutt – Na Tum Mere Na Dil Mera, Azab Hai Bebasi Meri – Dil Ki Basti (1949) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Ghulam Mohammed had two other solos, two male-female duets and one female-female duets in the film. However, Ghulam Mohammed has also used Lata Mangeshkar for two solos as well.

Lata Mangeshkar, G M Durrani – Do Bichhade Hue Dil Lo Aapas Mein Gaye Mil – Shair (1949) – Lyrics:  Shakeel Badayuni

‘Shair’ was also quite popular album, in the year wherein blockbusters like Andaz or Barsaat or Mahal would have occupied the memory space of the listeners.

It should be interesting to note that G M Durrani is preferred as a playback voice to the male lead, Dev Anand.

Even as I had planned to take up film-wise song later in this series, it would be opportune to listen to two other duets from Shair, for the use of different percussion instruments.

Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar – Ye Duniya Hai Yahan Dil Ka Lagana Kisko Aata Hai – Shair (1949) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Ghulam Mohammed has used ‘matka’ (an earthen clay pot) in this song. Matka was another percussion instrument that is credited to Ghulam Mohammed for being popularly used in Hindi film song.

Playback voice now shifts to Mukesh, possibly because the of the pathos mood of the song

This duet was also a chart buster of those days.

Mohammad Rafi, Shamshad Begum – O More Balma…Kahe Maari Kataar…. Haye… Daiya…. Daiya – Shair (1949) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Since my knowledge of music, and as a natural corollary, that of music instruments, is abysmally limited, I could only recognize a different instrument is used here, possibly a mix of dholak and matka, but do not which one it is!

A few strains of orchestration in the prelude seem to have faint the precursors of orchestration that we got to listen in the music of Pakeeza.

One interesting, and equally very rare as well, trivia to be observed is that Cuckoo is in the spectator’s gallery and enjoying the dance on the stage.

I plan to take up a few more singers in the next episode, before switching over to the usual format of remembering the songs from different films in chronological order.

We will continue remembering Unforgettable Songs that seem to Fading away from our Memories every second Sunday of the month next year too……..

Disclaimer: All images are sourced from net. All copyrights of the respective image remain with the original owner of the image.

Songs of 1945 @ SoY :: Summing Up : MY Top Music Director(s)

The year 1945 has been a year, where I happened to listen for the first time most of the songs that came up in the Micro View.  As such, all the (s0-called) objective or scientific measures that have been deployed for the selection of MY Top Music Directors seem to lose all the rationale that they had supposedly carried.

The only possible solution that appears plausible at this tage is to seek the quantitative analysis of the songs that I have short-listed at the stages of MY Top male solo songs, female solo songs and the duets and see which music directors have composed these songs.

Quantitative view My Top Solo songs of Male Playnack Singers, Solo songs of Female Playback Singers and the Duets –

Music Director Male Solos Female solos Duets Total
Bulo C Rani 1 3 2 6
Govind Ram 2 4 6
Amarnath 2 1 3
Srinath Tripathi 1 1 2
Gyan Dutt 1 1 2
Hafiz Khan 1 1 2
Ninu Mazumdar 1 1 2
G A Chisti 1 1 2
Firoz Nizami 1 1 2

Other than these, Shanti Kumar and Pt. Ganapat Rao have one sons each in Male Solo songs, Datta Koregaonkar, Khemchand Prakash, Dhiren Mitra, Anil Biswas, Arun Kumar, R C Boral have one each in Female Solo songs and C Ramchandra, Naushad, Lal Muahammad have one Duet each in MY respective ‘Top’’ lists.

This approach has resulted in Shyam Sundar, the music director who has given a run away popular albu, Village Girl, being left out of the consideration.

SoY has also presented an exhaustive analysis to arrive at the Best Music Director spot for the year 1945 in its Best songs of 1945: Wrap Up 4. Going by the popular choice, SoY has adjudged Shyam Sundar as the Best Music Director and Bulo C Rani getting special mention.

P.S. All the episodes of Micro View of Best Songs for 1945 @SoY can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.

The Eponymous Principles of Management – Realities at The Other End of The Peter Principle Spectrum

The major impact of publication of the Peter Principle, in the form of a book and it subsequent wider acceptance, was that people started looking at the individual behaviour at a job and the related competence paradigm in very different light.

If there are legions of people who have risen to their level of ‘incompetence’ on one end of the Peter Principle spectrum, at the other end there are as many people who have been stuck in their present groove because they are ‘too competent’.

We will first take up the typical cases which are the outcomes of either the criteria for advancement – laterally or vertically – in a typical organization or the way human ambition tends to satisfy his higher needs of recognition or self-actualization.

  • Some are afflicted by the fear – either of senior management or of the peers – that promoting them vertically or transferring laterally will cause an ‘irreplaceable’ loss of the required competence to handle the complexities of the job. No one would like a ‘necessarily and important’ task to be mishandled by someone who may a be a novice for that job.
  • There could be some who may have chosen to get stuck there, because of their disinclination to leave their comfort zone. Here too, there are different flavours. Some may have become very proficient in handling the tasks and now are not inclined to let go the perquisite of being fortunate to have a job which has now either all ‘known knowns’, or a few ‘known unknowns’.
  • There could be some others whose need for being regarded as ‘such an important person’ would cause them to create situations(s) where they can maintain the status quo. Or, there could be situations wherein the peers or seniors would so strongly feel these persons to be ‘so important’ that they would ensure these persons remain ensconced in their present positions. The people in the older generation may remember the case of great thespian Dilip Kumar, who was ‘typecast’ by the film industry as ‘tragedy king. Playing the tragic role day in and day out in the reel life led to a state of depression in his real life. He was medically advised to ‘plan’ for a mix of ‘light’ films, which then had resulted in the films like Azad (1955) or Kohinoor (1960) or Ram Aur Shyam (1967).

These ‘irreplaceable ones’, or ‘comfort zone seekers’ or ‘very important’ persons would continue to get rewarded (since they do contribute value in that position) till a point is reached where they become ‘too costly’ for the worth of that position in the overall value chain of the business process. That is the time when the luckier ones may be offered an honourable ‘golden handshake (by way of premature ‘voluntary retirement’) and the unluckier ones may get the axe of the downsizing. In the previous century, the external factor that caused such downsizing was the increasing level of automation and now it is the digital technology that has made fast inroads into the (so called) repetitive jobs.

  • There are people who have consciously chosen to remain in certain position. There is one class of people are well aware of their strengths, and weaknesses. They know well what kind of job they will not be able to handle competently. However, there also people who get promoted because of their competence in the present position and immediately being placed in the higher position realize that this was not their cup of tea. The luckier ones can get back to the positions they can competently handle. Remember the case of the ‘great master blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar, who voluntarily relinquished the captainship of the Indian cricket team and chose to concentrate on his strength, the batting. And as is it said, the rest is history.
  • There are people who move from a level of incompetence to a level of competence. These are the people who are chosen for their qualifications and /or experience as a specialist. However, for various reasons, they seem not live up to the expectations. So, they are moved, either laterally or vertically up to a different position. If this movement is by a conscious design where person’s strengths and weaknesses have been objectively analysed with reference to the requirements of the new incumbent position, the person not only performs at a level of competence, but he is also satisfied with his job. I recall here the case of Mike Brearley, the captain of England team from 1977 to 1981.He captained England in 31 tests, with 18 wins and 4 losses. However, his record as a batsman was (rather) modest, having averaged 22.88 in 66 Test innings, without a century.
  • Many a times it is observed that people move from a level where their incompetence is glaring to one where it is not so obvious. It is more difficult to prove a generalist wrong than a detail man [sic][1]. If you need to be convinced on this scenario, please recall ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, a famous story by Hans Christian Anderson.

Another situation is related to the way the organization structure functions ‘when it comes to task delegation of managerial leadership. Here, typically, mangers delegate tasks that they themselves should be completing. In real terms, the managers pass on the task down the hierarchy until it cannot be completed by the person in the last pass off the delegation ladder. This has led to the coining of (so called) Reverse Peter Principle, which postulated as “within a hierarchy tasks tend to be delegated until they have descended to the employees level of incompetence”.[2]

[1] The Inverse Peter Principle – John E

[2] Reverse Peter Principle: within a hierarchy tasks tend to be delegated until they have descended to the employees’ level of incompetence.

Ninu Mazumdar : A Trifoliate of Note, Lyric and Sound

Ninu is the family pet name of Niranjan Mazumdar (B: 9-9-1915 | D: 3-3-2000), who has 20 Hindi films to his credit as music director, 28 Hindi film songs in his own voice, one film each as lyricist and as a film director. Ninu Mazumdar was born in a community, which was traditionally more literate in those times. His father, Nagendra Mazumdar, was a dramatist and director of silent film era. Nagendra Mazumdar has also acted in a comedy cameo role in K L Saigal’s classic Tansen (1943). Ninu Mazumdar’s childhood upbringing happened under the guidance of his maternal grandmother at the then Gaikwad princely state Baroda. She herself was a leading social reformist. Here Ninu Mazumdar got his initial training in classical music under Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Ustad Imam Chili Khan.

In 1931, he came to Bombay and settled with parents. Here he met wide-ranging film personalities. His early initiation to Rabindra Sangeet also happened in those years. For some time, he had stayed in UP as well, where he picked up his liking for folk music as well as semi-classical music forms like, Chaiti, Hori, Thumri, Dadra etc. Soon he got his chance to compose music for Hindi films. His involvement in the world of music spanned singing, lyrics-writing, and music composition.  Avinash Vyas, his contemporary in the world of Gujarati Light Music, used call him trifoliate bael (Aegle marmelos) leaf  – स्वर, the (sound) note (the seven notes base of Indian Classical music), शब्द, the word (lyric of a poem) and सूर, the tune

The uncertain nature of Hindi films drove him to pick up invitation to join All India Radio (AIR) in 1954. His creativity fully flourished here. He introduced many budding Gujarati singers to the world of radio, and in the process popularized ‘light’ Gujarati music to the masses. He invited leading Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati poets to lend their poems to the AIR programmes to lend the breadth and depth to the Gujarati Light music. He introduced the concept of chorus singing into Gujarati light music with the help Bombay Choir Group (an association with which Salil Chowdhury also was associated). He is also credit with initiating one of the most popular programmed on AIR – Jaymala. His insatiable urge to learn and experiment led to him to learn Sanskrit after his retirement from a 20-year stint at the AIR service in 1974.

Ninu Mazumdar has composed music for 20 Hindi films, spanning a period of 1942 to 1967. Of these films, the films for which there is no trace on YT are: Masterji (1943) -co-music-director B R Deodhar; Pratigya (1943) – as recorded by Shri Harish Raghuvanshi in his famous Gujarati newspaper column article*- ; Rangile Dost (1944), Gudia (1947); Pul (1947); Ramshashtri (1944); Aflatoon (1950): Azamyish (1952) – except one song.  Ninu Mazumdar has penned songs for ‘Paristan’ (1944) and directed ‘Kuchh Naya’ (1948).

The Singer of His Own Compositions

To commemorate the death anniversary of Ninu Mazumdar, we will listen to his compositions in Hindi films in his own voice, as are available on YT at present.

Haay Haay Haay Haay Dil Ko Le Gaya Chor – Black Out (1942) – Ninu Mazumdar, Rehmat Bai – Lyrics: Wahid Qureshi

The song opens with prelude orchestration based on western music instruments. runs on a fast-western rhythm in the male voice and switches over to a slow waltz rhythm in the female voice. Ninu Mazumdar also easily improvises with scale variations in the second line.

If we have had more songs form this very first film of Ninu Mazumdar digitally available, we would have had enough proof of his intense willingness to experiment.

Main To Lambe Safar Ko Jaaungi, Saiyan Mera Ticket Babu – Kiran (1944) – Unidentified Female and Male Singer

HFGK records female and male singer as Unidentified. However, while uploading the following video on YT, Sadanand Kamath identifies female singer as Leela Chitnis and I would place my bet on the male singer as Ninu Mazumdar.

The song is light-hearted romantic song wherein the female singer enlists he wishlist and male singer agrees to meet that and more.

Pal Bhar Ki Aap Se Pahechan… Kal Se Aaj Suhanaa Lage – Paristaan (1944) – Ninu Mazumdar, Amirbai Karnataki – Lyrics: Ninu Mazumdar, Roopdas

The song rendition is more in the typical vintage era style, but Ninu Mazumdar’s orchestration has his own stamp, So are the skilful variations in throw of words by both singers as they melodiously sing the initial lines in after another. Amirbai Karnataki singing only one word ‘Bhala’, @00.54, with a little extension of the last vowel ‘aa’ is again ample testimony of Ninu Mazumdar’s experimentations. The first stanza opens on a higher scale at a slightly rapid beat and then switches on to an easier paced second line. This is how Ninu Mazumdar has used folk tunes in his compositions.

Bamna Ki Cchhori Dil Le Gayi, Ho Baniye Ka Put Jiya Le Gaya – Main Kya Karoon (1945) – Ninu Mazumdar, Hameeda Bano – Lyrics: D N Madhok

The song is set to Gujarati folk music – Garba- rhythm, but the delivery of the lyrics is very innovatively presented as a light mood song. In the initial line- mukhda- Hameeda Bano literally cuts through the line being sung by Ninu Mazumdar. In the first stanza, Ninu Mazumdar chirps in, almost as counter melody, at every pose by Hameeda Bano. Interestingly first stanza itself comes in seamlessly with the mukhada, without any intervening interlude music as usual.

O Gori Kahaan Chali Us Paar … Chhod Ke Ganv Ki Bahar – Jail Yaatra (1947) – Ninu Mazumdar, Meena Kapoor – Lyrics: Sajjan

Jail Yatra has attained fame more as Raj Kapoor’s one of those initial films where he was not the lead actor. Ninu Mazumdar has recorded songs filmed on Raj Kapoor in Raj Kapoor’s own voice. So the songs that Ninu Mazumdar has chosen to sing in his voice may have been filmed on the Gajanan Jagirdar, who was the lead actor in the film. Ninu Mazumdar is credited with using Meena Kapoor very early in her career.

The song composition is nearer to vintage ear style, but the song does not progress linearly. Every line of the song has some or other variation in the delivery. Ninu Mazumdar once more demonstrates his improvisation skill in the way he has used the folk dance music at the end of the song from 2.18 onwards.

Duniya Sari Jail Re, Jiski Unchi Hai Deewarein – Jail Yatra (1947) – Ninu Mazumdar – Lyrics: Sajjan

The song is basically set to Bengali folks baul styles tune. Ninu Mazumdar, as can now be expected, introduces his own improvisation in the template. The way chorus has been used in the song one such sweet improvisation.

Aayee Gori Radhika Brij Mein Balkhaati – Gopinath (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar, Meena Kapoor – Lyrics:  Surdas

In the glory of the fame that this song has got as the inspiration of Yashomati maiya se bole nandlala (Satyam Shivam Sundaram, 1978), it is perhaps being missed that is was Ninu Mazumdar who introduced the traditional ‘bhajan’ (prayer) music styles into Hindi films through the Surdas and Meerabai bhajans in this film.

Kaare Badar Baras Baras Kar Thak Jaaein Bar Bar, Re Birhan Ke Dware .. Gae Koi Aaj Koi Gaaye Re Malhar – Gopinath (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar – Ram Murti

Ninu Mazumdar has based the song on the folks ritual singing styles of wandering ascetics.

Piya Milan Kaise Jaogi Gori, Rang Roop Sab Jaat Raho Ri – Kuchh Naya (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar, Meena Kapoor – Lyrics:  Meera Bai

Ninu Mazumdar comes up in new style by singing the song in base scale. As a music director, he uses Meena Kapoor in a contrasting scale, to come down athe same scale in the last line, wherein Ninu Mazumdar also joins to end the song.

Kar Ke Singar Chali, Sajan Ke Dwar Chali Chatura Albeli – Part 1 – Teen Tasweeren (1954) – Kaumudi Munshi, Ninu Mazumdar, chorus – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

Kaumudi Munshi**, a trained semi-classical singer, popularly known “Nightingale of Gujarat”, is an established and well-respected name in Gujarati ‘light’ music world. She started as chorus singer in AIR music programmes when Ninu Mazumdar was heading the Gujarati music programmes section. Ninu Mazumdar’s first wife, Shardaben, had passed away a few years back. The professional relationship between Ninu Mazumdar and Kaumudi Munishi got converted in personal relationship and they married in 1954.

This song is also set to a ascetic ritual folk rhythm. Ninu Mazumdar has very easily crafted the tune to a different mood, of a young maid expectantly looking forward to proceeding to her new, in-laws home.

The song has a twin part 2 which is a solo by Ninu Mazumdar. Since we only have an audio clip here, we are not able to ascertain the siutaion in which the song would have been filmed on the screen. However, the Kar Ke Singar Chali Sajan Ke Dwar of female version now becomes Kar Le Singar Chatura Albeli Jaan Hoga Sajan Ke Dwar in the opening line and the song takes a form of well-wishing message.

Dekh Liya Jag Wale Tera Jag Dekh Liya – Teen Tasveeren (1954) – Ninu Mazumdar – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

In song based on wandering ascetic folk song style, Ninu Mazumdar has introduced a novel approach to the orchestration support.

We now have a song in Ninu Mazumdar’s voice, which is technically not his own composition.

Karo Hamein Parnam Karo Jee, Baar Baar Parnam – Manjhu, Ninu Mazumdar, Unidentified voice – Ramshahstri (1944) – Music: G Damle – Lyrics: Qamar Jalalabadi

Kaumudi Munshi’s site records Ramshastri in Ninu Mazumdar’s filmography. However, HFGK records G Damle as the music director for Hindi version of the film (YT has several videos of film’s Marathi version). The names of the singers have been added in addenda of HFGK , Vol. II -1941-1950, signifying that the information was available at a very late stage.

This led me to approach Shri Harish Raghuvanshi, whose article* mentions this film, Shri Har Mandir Sinh ‘Hamraaz’ of HFGK and Shri Arun Kumar Deshmukh, who has done pioneering posts on Atul’s Song A Day w.r.t. Ninu Mazumdar. Har Mandirji informs that Ninu Mazumdar himself had confirmed to him that he had composed songs for this film with another music director, K. Bhole.

Shri Arun Kumar Deshmukh throws further light on the background of this film. He states that, “Film Ramshastri-44 was originally directed by Raja Nene. During the shooting of the film in 1943, Raja Nene along with Mukhram Sharma, Datta Dharmadhikari and few others decided to quit Prabhat. Keshavrao Bhole was the first MD for this film. He too wanted to quit, but he stayed, completed the work, and then left. This is told by Bhole himself. After Raja Nene left, Vishram Bedekar directed the film, but he too quickly left  and the film was completed by Gajanan Jagirdar as a Director. He was the Lead actor too in it. I do not know who this G. Damle is, mentioned as MD. Ninu might have assisted Bhole in this period.”

The audio version of the song also is very kindly provided by Shri Arun Kumar Deshmukh.

The following are the songs for which I have not been able to locate digital versions. Since, there was enough number of songs already available for one post, I have not troubled knowledgeable sources like Har Mandir Singh ‘Hamraaz’. Harish Raghuvanshi, Arun Kumar Deshmaukh, who already have taken enough pains to provide base material and clarifications even for the present post.

(Note: Subsequent to posting the article, Shri Arun Kumar Deshmukh has sent in audio files of three of the songs in the list herebelow. These files ar now auploaaded along with the respective songs)

Sajan aao chalein kahi door, is neele aakash ke neeche – Black Out (1942) – Ninu Mazumdar, Leela Sawant – Lyrics: Wahid Quereshi

Mauj kare duniya anadi bahar, phoolon se mauj kare – Amanat (1943) – Ninu Mazumdar, Jyoti, Harish – Neelkanth Tiwari, M A

Pujari ab to mandir kholo – School Mater (1943) -Ninu Mazumdar, Chorus – Lyrics: Pt. Indra

  1. Sipahi sipahi ab to bigul baja – School Mater (1943) – Ninu Mazumdar, Chorus – Lyrics: Pt. Indra
  2. Aa Bahar Kar Ke Phoolon Ka Singar – Pul 1947 – Neenu Mazumdar – Lyrics : Rammurti Chaturvedi
  3. Aaye Bhi Nahin Bit Gaye Din Bahar Ke – Pul 1947 – Neenu Mazumdar, Meena Kapoor – Lyrics: Rammurti Chaturvedi
  4. He Ji Dagmag Dole Hamari Naiya, Bichhad Gaye hain – Kuchh Naya (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar
  5. Bahut Rahi Babul Ghar Dulhin Chal Tere Piyu Bulai Hai – Kuchh Naya (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar
  6. Lena Fakiri Phir Kya Dilgiri, Sada Magan Mein Rahena Ji – Kuchh Naya (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar – Lyrics: Meerabai
  7. Koi Saaf Na Dekha Dil Ka, Ye Chola Ban Zilmil Ka – Kuchh Naya (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar
  8. ………Kar Le Singar – Kuchh Naya (1948) – Ninu Mazumdar

Notes:

  1. Rami Dhoban (1953), noted in the filmography of Ninu Majumadar at Kaumudi Mishi’s site**, apparently appears to be an error of memory, since HFGK database records Hiren Bose as music director,
  2. Kaumudi Munshi’s site** also notes that Ninu Mazumdar has sung a duet with Sardar Akhtar in Uljhan (1942, Music: Ramchandra Pal), but HFGK database does not validate this claim. All, except, the 20 songs that he has rendered in his own voice, belong to his early career of 40s. As such, I have not been able to locate the digital version of these songs:

Ninu Mazumdar consciously charted his own course at a time when vintage era music directors like R C Boral, Khmechand Prakash, Pt. Amarnath, Anil Biswas, Ghulam Haider, Feroze Nizami held the sway over the public taste. His compositions in the voices of other singers is also an equally interesting area which we will recall at some other opportune occasion.

Acknowledgements and references:

  1. * Harish Raghuvanshi’s Gujarati article “ઉત્તમ સંગીતના તરફદાર નીનુ મઝુમદાર”
  2. ** Kaumudi Munshi’s website: The Life and Art of Kaumudi Munshi
  3. A pioneering anthology, ‘Gaurav Gurjari: – Nandini Trivedi, Published 2006; Publisher N M Thakkar and Co, Mumbai 400002., e-version  located at com @ hyperlinked title of the book.

The article is first published on Songs of Yore as Remembering Ninu Mazumdar – the composer and the singer.