Month: November 2021

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

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

We move on to other tributes and memories this month.

Mehfil Mein Meri presents Lata – Non-film songs, for the period 1975 till 1995 in Part III, after having covered 1954 till 1965 in Part 1 and for the years 1966 to 1975 in Part 2.

Shabana Azmi pens note on mother Shaukat Kaifi: ‘You left and everything went wrong’ – Shaukat Azmi has done memorable roles in critically acclaimed films like Salaam Bombay, Bazaar, Umrao Jaan, Heer Raanjha and Haqeeqat.

The Masters: Roshan (14.07.1917-16.11.1967) – Anyone who loves old Hindi film music will find that, inevitably, there will be a ‘Roshan song’ among their favourites

The out of sight genius Hansraj Behl – A tribute to the great Master Hansraj Behl (19 November 1916 – 20 May 1984) on his 105th birth anniversary

Geeta Dutt and ‘haseen sitam’ of her music: Her relationship with Guru Dutt, love of her life and reason for her downfall – Shaikh Ayaz – Would the world of Bollywood playback have been different if she hadn’t died relatively young at 41 in 1972?

Geeta Dutt sings for Chitragupt – a tribute eon Chitragupt’s 104th birth anniversary (16th November) and Geeta Dutt’s 91st birthday (23rd November)

We recall Sounak Gupta lyrically tracing the rise of the skylark from the banks of the Meghna, who continues to enthrall music lovers with her dulcet voice, long after dusk has settled and the river has broken its banks in Eternal Wait: The Story Of The Dark Girl By The Meghna (Geeta Dutt)

Remembering Helen on her 83rd birthday is a song Meghwa Gagan Beech Jaanke – Harishchandra Taramati (1963) – Lata Mangeshkar  – Laxmikant Pyarelal – Pradeepji

Phani Majumdar: A Journey Through Life… – Ratnottama Sengupta pays a glorious tribute to the filmmaker, exploring his life and works and her own personal memories. In the second part of our 2-part Special Tribute to Phani Majumdar, Silhouette presents Ranotama Sengupra’s translation of exclusive excerpts from Eka Naukar Jatri/ Journey of a Lonesome Boat, the autobiography of Nabendu Ghosh where he fondly remembers his Phani Da.

Remembering Faruq Kaiser – In his career spanning over five decades, he wrote around 390 songs for about 115 films. His first movie as a lyricist was Rooplekha (1949) and last movie was Naqab (1989). The latter was released posthumously. He died on 10th November 1987.

Sushmita Sen and Zeenat Aman: Two women, an era apart and always ahead of their time – Known for their grace and poise as well as their talent, Sushmita Sen and Zeenat Aman celebrate their birthdays today. Sushmita turns 46, while Zeenat Aman turns 70.

Remembering the lovable child artiste- Baby Naaz – Born as Salma Baig on the 20th of August, 1944, in Mumbai, she was given the screen name Naaz and as Baby Naaz she went on to become one of the most loved child artistes of the Golden era of our Hindi cinema…Tragically, at the young age of 51, on October 19th, 1995, she succumbed to liver cancer.

Amol Palekar: The relatable boy-next-door who was the antithesis of angry young man – Sampada Sharma – On Amol Palekar’s 77th birthday, here’s revisiting his relatable boy-next-door era in Hindi movies in films like Gol Maal, Chitchor and Chhoti Si Baat, among many others — which portrayed Amol Palekar as the antithesis of big, blustery Bollywood.

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

In the series of articles on Sahir’s Songs of Romance, commemorating Sahir Ludhianvi’s birth centenary,  we now take up Sahir Ludhianvi’s Five Film Association with O P Nayyar.

November 2021 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs takes up Salil Chowdhury and Shailendra’s Songs Fading From the Memory: 1958 to 1960. Till now we have covered the years

1953-1955 in 2018,

1956 in 2019, and

1957 in 2020

Here is a vintage photograph, remembering Satyen Kappu on his 14th death anniversary (27/10) as Ramlal in the movie Sholay (1975), posted on BollywooDirect:

We now move on to posts on other subjects –

What was behind the slow decline of Indian art cinema? – Rochona Majumdar – The first blow to art cinema came with the restructuring of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) at the end of the decade of ‘80s. One unlikely factor: Richard Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’, argues a new study.  Gandhi dovetailed with other changes that were contributing to art cinema’s continuing marginalization through the 1980s. One of these was the boom of India’s televisual and video sectors and the “migration of socially relevant content to television.” It was the arrival of globalization from 1991 onward that completely transformed India’s media ecology.

Songs of women for the women by the women – Our culture has sanskars and rituals from birth till the end of life, all accompanied by women’s songs.

What was the secret of the impeccable tuning between composers Laxmikant and Pyarelal? – Rajiv Vijayakar – A new biography of the Hindi film music hit-makers includes an edited account by long-time collaborator Amar Haldipur.

Songs with Laughter, where the playback singer laughs and sings. Thus, the laughter is not in the background. Sometimes the laughter is in the mukhda or antara. In some others, it is in the interlude. In a few songs there is just a trace of laughter and in others there is whole hearted laughter.

An Actor’s Actor: Book Excerpt – Here is an edited excerpt from the book, An Actor’s Actor: The Authorized Biography Of Sanjeev Kumar (Authors: Hanif Zaeri and Sumant Batra),looking at the making and release of one of Kumar’s finest films, Aandhi (1975).

Around India’s Towns in Ten Songs, songs that are filmed in places far and wide, songs that go beyond the usual tourist attractions. Songs which make you feel you were, for those brief few minutes, in another town.

The Mela Songs, some of which are shot in a mela setting and others which refer to the mela, either literally or symbolically. Songs shot in a mela setting are largely dance numbers – some of them are rather loud, which is what they would be in a rustic setting.

From Bollywood Rewind – Sampada Sharma – Indian Express’s weekly column:

Micro View of Best Songs of 1944 @SoY concluded the micro-view of the song sof 1944 with  My Top Duets and My top music directors

SoY has also presented an exhaustive analysis to arrive at ‘fairtest outome’ for adjudging the Best Music Director spot for the year 1944 in its Best songs of 1944: Final Wrap Up 4, jointly, in favour of Naushad, Khemchand Prakash and Pankaj Mullik.

All the episodes of Micro View of Best Songs for 1944 @SoY can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.

In continuation to our tradition of ending the post with a few songs of Mohammad Rafi, which connect with the posts in the present episode, we take up a few less heard songs composed by Roshan:

Kahin Se Unchi Kahin Se Neechi Sadak Zamane Ki – Malkin (1953) – with Kishore Kumar – Rajinder Krishna

Aa Bedardi Balama Preet Ka Karein Hisaab – Chhora Chhori (1955) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Kidar Sharma

Bade Khoobsurat Bade Woh Haseen Hai Magar Kya KarooN Ke Woh Mere NahiN Hai  – Jashan (1955) – with Asha Bhosle – Rajinder Krishna

GunahoN Ka Chirag Kabhi Na Jal Sakega – Agra Road (1957) with Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum – Bharat Vyas

Kadki Tera Nam Hi Clerki – Aji Bas Sukriya (1958) – with Asha Bhosle, Ghulam Mohammad – Farooq Kaiser

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 – November 2021

Welcome to November 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.

Our topic for the discussion for the month is – The Future of Climate Change – with a view to present a broader picture of the issue that has been gaining higher priority at the strategy planning meetings of every (responsible) business.

Climate Change is the defining issue of our time, and we are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly.[1]

A view of the high Norwegian Arctic in 2015. There is alarming evidence that important tipping points, leading to irreversible changes in major ecosystems and the planetary climate system, may already have been reached or passed. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

The Tipping Point | Climate Change: The Facts | BBC Earth

A tipping point is where even a slight amount of warming can move the climate into an irreversible state.

Source: Otto, I.M. (4 February 2020). “Social tipping elements for stabilizing climate by 2050”

Depending on global economic trends, technological progress, geopolitical developments, and most important, how aggressively we act to reduce carbon emissions, the world at the end of the 21st century could turn out to be radically different. Or not….Five future climate scenarios underpin the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report tell radically different stories about humanity’s future.Sup<[2]

The November edition of the Goal of the Month editorial looks at Goal 13 (Climate Action) of the Global Goals

Additional reading:

We now watch ASQ TV, wherein we refresh our viewpoints about World Quality Day (the second Thursday of November) –

Note: This year’s theme is “Sustainability: Improving Our Products, People, and Planet.” The emphasis will be on the importance of quality in sustainability and its influence on environmental, social, and governance (ESG).

Note: I plan to take up THE FUTURE part of this video for discussion in our next episode of December 2021.

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

  • Overcome Your Inner Critic – Beware of the inner critic, which can be a super villain preventing creativity – In the modern world, fear has become insidious; it is quiet but pervasively accepted as existing. One of the most common forms is what might be referred to as the inner critic…Like all faces of fear, the inner critic is a part of each of us that is designed to keep us safe. …If we can overcome our inner critic, new ideas begin to flow freely, and new possibilities emerge…. Successful people discover what matters most to them. Once that becomes clear, they work to replace their inner critic with an inner support mechanism to nurture their efforts.

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

  • Go-To, There When We Need It – The meaning of the imperative go to, four centuries ago, as used in William Shakespeare drama ‘Macbeth’, was “beat it,” now “geddoutahere”….. And in our time, go-to has come to be defined as “a person or thing that may be relied on or is regularly sought out in a particular situation.” It’s not difficult to see how the term came about—the person or thing you “go to” when you need it…. And the term is not limited to people. We may have a go-to tool to get the job done, or even a go-to food when we are feeling blue or want to celebrate.

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] Global Issues: Climate Change

[2] 5 possible climate futures—from the optimistic to the strange  – Madeleine Stone

The Eponymous Principles of Management : The Bannister Effect

It is Only Impossible, Until It’s Possible

It was thought to be impossible to run a mile in under four minutes, until Roger Bannister did it at, in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, on a windy spring day at Oxford on May 6, 1954.[1] Two months later, he raced his great rival John Landy of Australia and won that race, with both men going under four minutes, and within three years 16 runners had gone under the barrier. The current mile world record holders are Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco with a time of 3:43.13, and Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands with the women’s record of 4:12.33.

One would find similarities with the debate whether Alexander Graham Bell should be credited with the invention of (harmonic) phone or should it be Antonio Meucci and Eisha Gray. The Wright brothers failed attempt to fly their aircraft first time on December 14, 1903. Since Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing scaled the Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, many expeditions have subsequently made up to that coveted peak. Now when private journeys into the outer space have becoming a reality, more than six decades after the historic flight on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin is widely celebrated in Russian space museums, with numerous artifacts, busts and statues displayed in his honour. On July 29, 1969, Neil Armstrong climbed down the ladder of the spacecraft Apollo 8 and proclaimed: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” (› Play Audio). But we do not remember that he said at the subsequent press conference that this feat was possible because of the hundreds of peoples’ toils.

All others who repeated these feats have done far better than these first timers. But we remember these first timers, only. Because these and several such first-ever events have changed the perception of human race what it can achieve.

There is a school of thought which believes that once there is a proof that something can be done, it induces the belief that it can be done. Another school of thought who analysed Bannister’s approach proposes that the belief comes before the proof.

We have a system in our bodies called the reticular activating system (RAS) that helps our brains decide what information to focus on and what to delete.

With a clearly defined purpose, a mission, and with living every moment in a state of certainty that you’ll achieve it, you influence what your RAS filters out and what lights it up.  As a result, you pay special attention things that help you achieve what you’re after, things you otherwise would have never noticed.

Below are three select quotes in bold text from Bannister with corresponding  analysis based upon what we know about the energy universe 105 years after Einstein’s relativity theory exposed it.

  • “We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves.”

The heart is a powerful energy centre that drives human beings to perform almost unimaginable acts of bravery, resilience and ingenuity. It also releases hormones as needed.

  • “Without the concentration of the mind and the will, performance would not result.”

Pure consciousness is the state of awareness without any thought processes at all. It is the coveted stage of meditation within the eternal mindfulness of now.

The most courageous quote from Bannister, perhaps is:

  • “No longer conscious of my movement, I discovered a new unity with nature. I had found a new source of power and beauty, a source I never dreamt existed.”

The energy vibrations of nature were likely coherent with his own, leading to a complementary energy waveform of greater amplitude or power. This additive strength is commonly witnessed when matching ripples on a pond combine into larger waveforms. Some definitions of samadhi are noted as union with divine power.[2]

One of the best explanations for this phenomenon is the theory of self-efficacy developed by the renowned psychologist, Albert Bandura. According to Bandura (1997), self-efficacy is defined as “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments.”

The self-efficacy theory suggests that individuals with high self-efficacy are more likely to take the most action towards their goals, persist in the face of adversity and push the barriers of what they believe is possible. They are also more likely to tap into states of flow that improve mental and physical performance.

In short, the key difference between individuals with low versus high self-efficacy, is that the latter has a growth mindset whilst the former has a fixed mindset. Followers wait for leaders to show them what’s possible. Leaders break the barriers of what’s possible.[3]

It’s about mind over matter, stepping outside your comfort zone and overcoming mental barriers. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, so move out of it. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.

Elbert Hubbard wrote:  The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.

+                      +                      +                      +

The story of Dr. Roger Bannister’s sub-four-minute mile has a simple lesson for business and life. That lesson is that what others believe to be our abilities and limitations has absolutely no bearing on how high we can take ourselves. What does matter ultimately (and primarily), however, is what we believe to be our abilities and limitations….. that for us to be as successful as we can be, the starting point is that we simply need to BELIEVE.[4]

In other words, what goes for runners goes for leaders running organizations. In business, progress does not move in straight lines. Whether it’s an executive, an entrepreneur, or a technologist, some innovator changes the game, and that which was thought to be unreachable becomes a benchmark, something for others to shoot for. That’s Roger Bannister’s true legacy and lesson for all of us who see the role of leadership as doing things that haven’t been done before.

In fact, two Wharton School professors have analyzed the lessons for business of the four-minute mile. In their book, The Power of Impossible Thinking, Yoram Wind and Colin Crook devote an entire chapter to an assessment of Bannister’s feat and emphasize the mindset behind it rather than the physical achievement. How is it, they wonder, that so many runners smashed the four-minute barrier after Bannister became the first to do it. What changed was the mental model. The runners of the past had been held back by a mindset that said they could not surpass the four-minute mile. When that limit was broken, the others saw that they could do something they had previously thought impossible.”

Most thinking about strategy, competition, and leadership emphasizes the intricacies of business models: revenues, costs, niches, leverage. But mental models are what allow organizations and their leaders to try not just to be the best at what everyone else can do, but to do things that only they can do — which, over time, shows others what it possible. They don’t accept the limitations, trade-offs, and middle-of-the-road sensibilities that define conventional wisdom. In other words, great leaders don’t just out-perform their rivals. They transform the sense of what’s possible in their fields.

That’s what makes icons like Roger Bannister so unforgettable — and so important[5] (to those who feel afflicted by Peter Principle syndrome or The Impostor Syndrome and the likes… .)

[1] Bannister Landy Miracle Mile 1954

[2] Anticipation and the Bannister Effect

[3] The 4-minute mile: Why some people achieve the impossible and others don’t

[4] The Powerful Lesson of 3:59.4

[5] What Breaking the 4-Minute Mile Taught Us About the Limits of Conventional Thinking – Bill Taylor

Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs : November 2021

Salil Chowdhury and Shailendra’s Songs Fading From the Memory: 1958 to 1960

Salil Chowdhury – 10 November 1922 – 5 September 1995 – had had natural attraction towards to folk music and studied inclination towards the Western Classical music. He could also play several musical instruments. In fact, it is said that any instrument that he could lay his hands on he would be able to play it very comfortably. It was the combination of the effect of these music influences that made his compositions always melodious, even when quite complex in the structure. His orchestration was always symphonic with blend of intricate use of the different instruments.

His music never got molded into any pattern. His flair for experimentation always lent his own signature originality to his composition. He was so deeply committed to his personal, social values that he never let his music be driven by the competitive market forces. For him melody was so sacrosanct that strongly believed in composing the tune first and then would want his lyricist to pen lyrics that suit the tune – in metre as well as spirit. Since he was also a poet, he would fine tune his tune with his own (dummy) lyrics. Many a times the official lyricist would love to simply take over Salil Chowdhury’s lyrics as a base to build the lyrics for the song.

It was perhaps the unique skill of Shailendra (B: 30-8-1923/ D: 14-12-1966) to come up with lyrics that fitted the tune and the mood that so easily made Salil Chowdhury comfortable working with him. Coupled with this, it was Shailendra’s knowledge of Bengali language and the earthen-closeness and selection of easy and natural words that Shailendra required to express deep emotions that also would have weighed in building the strong bond between the two. In fact, from the films that Shailendra wrote songs beyond Shankar-Jaikishan quartet team, Salil Chowdhury- Shailendra combination share is almost one third.

To commemorate the memory of Salil Chowdhury, we have been devoting our November episode to Salil Chowdhury’s compositions receding from our memory. We had remembered Salil Chowdhury’s Hindi Film Songs in Other Languages in 2017. We then commenced a series of Salil Chowdhury and Shailendra’s Songs Fading From the Memory, wherein we took up their films together in the chronological order of release for remembering the songs receding from the memory from these films.  Till now we have covered the years

1953-1955 in 2018,

1956 in 2019, and

1957 in 2020

Presently we will take up relatively less heard songs from Salil Chowdhury-Shailendra combination for the years 1958 till 1960. 1958 had only one film Madhumati, 1959 had one song from only one film – Heera Moti- and 1960 had 3 films, Honeymoon, Parakh and Usne Kaha Tha.

Madhumati (1958)

Salil Chowdhury created his own space with his maiden Hindi film Do Bigha Jameen (1953). His subsequent forays with Shailendra, Naukari (1954), Jagate Raho (1956) and Musafir (1957) were well received as far as the music of these films was concerned, but the much-respected roaring commercial success of the films that Bolywood Hindi film arena required for a music director to be in demand still eluded him. Madhumati was that proverbial deliverance of the destiny. As can be recollected from a book by Bimal Roy’s daughter, Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, Bimal Roy’s Madhumati: Untold Stories from Behind the Scenes (published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd) – an excerpt from which can be read here – till Madhumati finally happened as it was, it was not very smooth sailing for the Salil Chowdhury-Shailendra duo. In fact, had it not been Bimal Roy’s closeness with and faith in Salil Chowdhury, destiny would have taken different turn. Well, the grand success of Madhumati and its music, in the face of extremely intense competition with a huge successful music of an exceptionally large number of other films during 1957 and 1958 can be better viewed form the fact that for the year 1958, Filmfare awards for Best Music Director and Female Singer being bagged by Madhumati (Aja Re Pardesi, Main To Kab Se Khadi Is Paar), Shailendra got Best Lyrics award for Ye Mera Diwanapan Hai (Yahudi) even when Suahana Safar Ye Mausam HasiN was also nominated in the category.

I have been able to pick up only two songs for the present episode, since all other songs continue to remain hugely popular even today.

Hum Haal-e-Dil Sunayenge Suniye Ke Na Suniye, Sau Bar Muskarayenge Suniyre Ke Na Suniye – Mubarak Begum

This gem of a mujra song, in the voice of Mubarak Begum, has only sakhi-

tumhaaraa dil mere dil ke baraabar ho nahin saktaa
wo sheeshaa ho nahin saktaa ye patthar ho nahin saktaa

and the above lines of mukhada in the film, before the extremely agitated hero, Dilip Kumar opens the door of the hall where this dance was being performed and the lady on the dance floor stops, so naturally, in her steps, It is to the credit of director Bimal Roy and editor Hrishikesh Mukherjee that songs to comes to a dead stop, much against the well-established tenet of the hero’s entry to take place only after the whole song has been played out.

The full song is available its audio form

Aside Trivia:

The couplet (sher) used as Opening Couplet (Sakhi) in this song is picked up from a Daag Dehlvi ghazal.

Similarly, the lines of the second stanza

“Ajab Hai Aah Meri, Naam ‘Daag’ Hai Mera
Tamaam Shahar Jala DogeE Kya Jala Ke Mujhe’

Is also ‘lifted’ from the last sher of the same ghazal by Daag Dehlvi

Moreover, Shailendra has used lines Rahega Ishq Tera of the first stanza again as sakhi in the song. Aa Aabhi Ja Raat Dhalane Lagi (Teesri Kasam, 1966; singer: Lata Mangeshkar; music – Shankar Jaikishan)

(This information is courtesy a comment on the post on this song @ Atul’s Song A Day)

Kancha Le Kanchi Lai Lajo, Ban Ko Baato Laltin Lai Baalera  – Asha Bhosle, Sabita Chowdhury, Ghulam Mohammed

The sakhi and repeated use of the same in song is in Nepali language, which probably Salil Chowdhury would have heard.  This is a folksong narrating the tale of a girl who has, in all probabilities, eloped. Shailendra easily takes over from there and weaves in relevant stanzas.

Salil Chowdhury has gleefully set up several experiments in the composition.

Another noteworthy point in this song is use of Ghulam Mohammed, who was a role model of Mohammad Rafi during Rafi’s initial days. Ghulam Mohammed had fallen on bad times by 50s. This song may have been offered to him as gesture of help.

Aside Trivia:

Here is the rough translation of the lyrics of Nepali lyrics, courtesy a comment by Jeta Sankrityayana on this song @Atul’s Song A Day:

(kaanchha ) the young boy took away (kaanchhi) the young girl
(Ban ko baato) along a forest road (laltin lai baalera) after lighting up a lantern…

Heera Moti (1959)

Naach Re Dharti Ke Pyare Tere ArmanoN Ki Dunuya Saamne Hai Tere  – Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Chorus

This was the only song composed by Salil Choudhary in this movie, all the other songs were composed by Roshan. As noted by World of Salil Chowdhury, just before recording of the song,  Roshan, who was on a cultural mission to Russia was taken ill. He sent a telegram to the director Krishan Chopra to advise him to request Salil Chowdhury to compose the Title music and the opening song.

The song seems to be based on folk tradition.  World of Salil Chowdhury notes that It is a great pity that the song “aay re o pousali bataasey (the air of month of Posh is in the winds) “- the original Bengali version of the present song – was never released. This is one of Salil’s earlier compositions from the ’40s during the IPTA days.

Honeymoon (1960)

The film was directed by Lekhraj Bhakri, who is cousin of Manjo Kumar 9 The hero in the film) and brother of well-known lyricist of 40s, Mulkraj Bhakri. He has used Salil Chowdhury in Tongawali (1955) previously.

The film did not seem to have done well at the box office, but all the songs were extremely melodious. Except two songs – Saanj Bhayi Sun Ri Sakhi and Duniya Na Dekhe Zamana Na Jane – all other songs have Bengali version (which can be accessed at Honeymoon (1960) on World of Salil Chowdhury.

Aside Trivia:

Shri Arunkumar Deshmukh notes that this was the last film of Kuldeep Kaur, one of three leading ladies in the film. She died of a tragic death thereafter. Her life story can be read at KULDIP KAUR: A SPOILED RICH PUNJABAN ACTRESS.

Saanj Bhayi Sun Ri Sakhi Man Chhine Kisaki Bansi – Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar

Look at the way Salil Chowdhury has played with flute first in the mukhada and then in the form of dance beat vocals, as well as the opening notes of interlude orchestration, The song has flute as the central instrument, but used as ensemble orchestra pieces.

Aaha Re Magan Mera Chanchal Man Nis Din Gun Gun Kuchh Apni Hi Dhun Mein Gaye – Lata Mangeshkar

On the face of it this a simple stage-show dance song, a situation very frequently used in Hindi films in those days. But with Salil Chowdhury and Shailendra one can expect interesting experimentation. The song composition runs in almost one breath, with Shailendra deftly using the lyrics making that possible for the singer to sing.

Such a composition can perhaps materialize only when melody comes first and the body of lyrics is built around it to result into a piece of beauty.

Mere KhawboN Mein KhayaloN Chhupe Meet Mere Meri Gali Chalein Aayengein – Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar

Documented as duet, the song, in fact, is a symmetric duet. Sail Chowdhury has used as humming alaap in the interlude pieces. From Salil Chowdhury’s standard, the song is relatively easier one to sing, and as such had gained wide acceptance.

The solo version by Lata Mangeshkar does not seem to have been released on the records, but we have an audio version on YT. Interestingly, the order in which the lyrics have been used in the interludes has been interchanged here. The song was remade by Salil Chowdhury in Bengali for the film Raktaako Bangala (1972), a film produced in Bangladesh.

Duniya Na Dekhe Zamana Na Jane Chalo KahiN Dur Chalein – Dwijen Mukherjee, Lata Mangeshkar

Salil Chowdhury has his own style for the horse-beat Tonga songs. Flute, his favorite instrument, again is the key instrument in the song.

Chhuo Na Chhuo Albele Mere Saiyan Main To Nazuk Badan Chhui-Mui – Mukesh, Sabita Banerjee

In the delight mood  duet, the song opens with first line as if the heroine would be in the trot when she sings the line. This line is played in same way across the whole song.

Tum Jo Mile To Khila Hai Gulab… Piya Tum Tod Na Dena, Khwab Ye Mere Dil Ka….-  Sabita Banerjee

The heroine playfully acknowledging the bud of love germinating is also frequently used situation for a song in Hindi films. Salil Chowdhury brings out that joy in this difficult composition.

Parakh (1960)

Billed as one of the best films directed by Bimal Roy, Parakh (the test of the identity) brings out lighter and satirical side of Bimal Roy’s film-making art. Not surprisingly, Bimal Roy received the Filmfare award as the best director a hattrick with Madhumati and Sujata being the earlier two. The story of the film is written by Salil Chowdhury and the dialogues by Shailendra. The lead male actor, as paired with the heroine in the Hindi film mold is a Bengali actor Basanta Chowdhury (who also went on to become sheriff of Calcutta), but the real hero is Motilal, in the role of a ‘lame’ postman, who lays the script on the screen. He won the Best Supporting (!?) Actor Filmfare award. Parakh was the in the list of 1-core box-office revenue roll for the year 1960. The film was ahead in time in many ways.

The three solo songs, in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar  – O Sajana Barkha Bahar Aayi (Bengali version, an NFS rendered by Lata Mangeshkar), Mila Hai Kisi Ka Jhumka (Bengali version, having the same lyrics in the opening line, in Sabita Chowdhury’s voice), Ye Bansi Kyon Gaaye (Bengali version, also a Lata Mangeshkar rendition NFS, having same opening lyrics) – remain the everlasting highlights from Salil Chowdhury’s baton.

Kya Hawa Chali Re Baba Rut Badli, Shor Hai Gali Gali Sau Sau Chuhe Khake Billi Haz Ko Chali  – Manna Dey

The village postmaster, who finds his life change dramatically when he receives a cheque for Rs. 5 lakhs from a certain Sir J.C. Roy. The cheque comes with a rider – the money would go to the most honest man in the village, someone who would use the wealth for the benefit of the people.

The song represents that search. Salil Chowdhury has fallen back on Bowl folk tradition of rural Begal, but Shailendra gets a clear ground to present his core egalitarian philosophy, as can be seen here:

pahle log mar rahe the bhukh se abhaw se
ab kahiN ye mar na jaye apni khaw khaw se
are mithi bat kadwi lage galiyaN bhali

aaj to jahan ki ulti har ek bat hai … ….  …
are hum jo kahe din hai bhai log kahe rat hai ….. ….
ret me bhi khil rahi hai pyar ki kali

aam mein uge khazur neem mein fale hai aam
dakuoN ne jog liya chor bake ram nam
hosh ki dawa karo miyaN fazal ali

Mere Man Ke Diye… Yunhi Ghut Ke Jal Tu Mere Ladle – Lata Mangeshkar

Salil Chowdhury and Shailendra weave poignancy in the song, so soulfully rendered by Lata Mangeshkar and presented by Sadhana on the screen. Salil Chowdhury has so skillfully used choir chorus in the counter melody as well as in the interlude orchestration music pieces.

Kamal Bose’s catches the song as a classic in B&W cinematography.

Usne Kaha Tha (1960)

Usne Kaha That was a Bimal Roy Production banner film, directed by his one-time assistant in films like Do Bigha Zameen, Madhumati etc, Moni Bhattacharya. The film was cinematic adaption of Chandradhar Sharma Guleri’s renowned Hindi short story by same name[1]. The film adaption somewhere missed out the perfect characterization and development of story plot of the original story. It is actually the tale of love, valor and sacrifice with an underlying melancholy refrain. Set against the rural background of Amritsar and Ambala, it seems the Bengali production unit could neither catch the earthy flavor of the locale of the story nor its nuances of interwoven into the title Usne Kaha Tha.

However, Salil Chowdhury’s melodious music and Shailendra’s appropriate playful lyrics were the redeeming features of the film. Salil Chowdhury exceptionally came up with compositions with natural Punjabi touch, while maintaining his signature symphonic orchestration style.as can be seen in the popular songs, Machalti Arzoo Khadi Baahein ((Lata Mangeshkar) and  Aha Rhimjim Ke Ye Pyare Pyare Geet Liye (Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar)

Chalte Hi Jana Jahan Tak Aaj Ye Rah Chale…   – Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, chorus

Salil Chowdhury blends a tonga song with gay abandon of Punajbi youth. Such a song requires not only power of diction while maintaining the speed of rhythm. As such, having once chosen Mohammad Rafi and Manna Dey, Salil Chowdhury takes the full advantage of the range of their singing and each one is given lines that require rendition in base scale of the higher octave. Salil Chowdhury’s mastery over chorus orchestration also is evident when he makes the chorus also to sing in the similar fashion.

Balkhati Sharmati Aaja LehroN Si Lehrati Aaja, Balkhati Sharmati Aaja, – Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, chorus

Here is one song that epitomizes Salil Chowdhury’s versatility. Someone identified as the music director with penchant for Bengali- Assamese folk tunes and Western classical orchestration styles, Salil Chowdhury perfectly creates Punjabi rural atmosphere in the song.

With these songs Salil Chowdhury-Shailendra combination seems to have reached the peak of quality, and range as well as the popularity. On that note, we continue our journey of Salil Chowdhury and Shailendra’s Songs Fading From the Memory….

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.

[1] चंद्रधर शर्मा गुलेरी की कहानी उसने कहा था @ Kahani Suno

The Micro View of Best Songs of 1944 @ SoY : MY Top Music Director(s)

As the journey of (Micro Review of) Best Song of The Year moves forward in its backward count of the years, the challenge of making any sensible statement about My Top Music Director for the year has now become almost insurmountable. I have no idea about how the music of the films was received by the common public or the critics in those years. Nor do I have good enough knowledge of the different elements of film music that I can bank upon to arrive at some basis of the overall quality of music by simply listening the songs for the year, a couple of times during the course of the present Micro Review.

The year 1944 having a couple of films by the music directors who also thrived into the next stage of Golden Era makes even the process of arriving at any judgement more unrealistic, since the present view of picture being seen under the Micro View becomes coloured with the acquaintance of those music directors during my formative years of the cultivation of the taste for the Hindi Film Music. The process is further complicated by the fact that the year 1944 has several songs that have also remained popular enough during my those formative years.

As such, by deploying the various empirical tools that I have been using during the previous Micro Reviews can only help bring into the view the music directors who remained more visible during the Micro View of Best Songs for the year 1944. To that extent, the title of the ‘My Top Music Director’ is also a gross misstatement. I have still retained it only to maintain the consistency of the format of the Micro View exercise.

With these disclaimers, here is the The Music director-wise Quantitative view My Top Solo songs of Male Playback Singers, Solo songs of Female Playback Singers and the Duets, respectively, in no particular order –

Music Director Male Solos Female solos Duets
Subal Dasgupta 1
Khemchand Prakash 1 1 1
Bulo C Rani 3
Husnlal Bhagatram 1 1 1
Pt. Amarnath 2 1 1
Anil Biswas 1 3 1
Mir Sahab 2 1 1
Naushad Ali 1 1 3
C Ramchandra 1 1
G A Chisti 1 1 2
Pankaj Mullik 1 1
Pannalal Ghosh 1
Pt. Govardhan Prasad 1
Firoz Nizami 2 1
Hanuman Prasad 1
Ghulam Haider 2 1
Gulshan Sufi 2 1
Sajjad Hussain 1
Veer Sinh 1
Alla Rakha 1
Gyan Dutt 1

Songs of Yore, in its comprehensive review of music directors,  does a similar exercise for the ‘Best Songs’ in each of the above category and notes that Khmechand Prakash, Naushad Ali , Pankaj Mulik and Mir Saheb get the high share of visibility in the form of songs. .

If we had carried out a similar exercise for the songs, we had listened to in each category during the respective Micro View stage, we may get some more names, with a different score.

However, each of such analyses only present a partial pitcture because the impact that music directors like Bulo C Rani (Carvan) or Husnlal Bhagatram (Chaand), Anil Biswas (Jwar Bhata, Char Aankhein) and the likes would have been able to create is lost with passage of time and is not captured in these skeletal numbers.

In my opinion, this forum has been created not to judge the Best in its apparent dictionary meaning, but to relive the songs of these years in the present times, and thereby get the opportunity not only to refresh our memories but also to widen our perspective of looking at / listening to the film music. With the help of great dedicated and creative efforts of all those who have found out the songs and uploaded them on YT, we have been beneficiaries of getting to listen to these songs.

SoY has also presented an exhaustive analysis to arrive at ‘fairtest outome’ for adjudging the Best Music Director spot for the year 1944 in its Best songs of 1944: Final Wrap Up 4, jointly, in favor of Naushad, Khemchand Prakash and Pankaj Mullik.

P.S.

All the episodes of Micro View of Best Songs for 1944 @SoY can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.

Sahir’s Songs of Romance – Five Film Association

By now in the present series, it is abundantly evident that Sahir Ludhianvi was easily able to blend his poetry with the demands of the situation-based lyrics of Hindi films. As a result, even what could best be described as ‘masala’ fillers situations, his songs retained the watermark of his style of poetry – use of simple but chaste Urdu lyrics from his broad range of vocabulary that his revolutionary thoughts and romantic emotions would call for. As such, he firmly believed that if his lyrics has enough power, the song will work.

O P (Om Prakash) Nayyar – B: 16 January 1926 | D: 28 January, 2007 – though not formally trained in music composed audacious variety of tunes with such rare texture of rhythm and melody that producers were forced to print his name above the names of the stars on the film publicity materials. He so uniquely blended the Punjabi spirit with western music, that in no time he had risen to the ‘rhythm king’ who was one of the highest paid music directors of his time. It is even said that many music directors were coerced by the producers to copy his style, in the hey days of O P Nayyar.

By the time, in 1957, when Sahir and O P Nayyar teamed up for the first time, both had had a rich – in terms of different shades poetry and rhythm-based melody, respectively – legacy, success, and of course the style of their own. However, Sahir Ludhianvi and O P Nayyar association is statistically speaking if Five Films Association, but one of the films, Tumsa NahiN Dekha, has only one song that they have created together because Sahir reportedly developed strong differences with the director Nassir Hussain, However, it was this song that not only powered the success of the film, but also gave Shammi Kapoor his identity and charisma.

Naya Daur, released earlier than Tumsa Nahin Dekha, had all songs on the top of the chart billing. If the O P Nayyar’s signature-to-become horse-beat duet Maang Ke Saath Tumhara or Punjabi folk tune based Ude Jab Jab Jab Zulfien Teri or Reshami Salwar Kurta Jaalidaar, or motivational Saathi Haath Badhana Saathi Re or Johnny Walker song Main Bomabai Ka Babu or  all-time great Mohammad Rafi devotional song Aana Hai To Aa Raah Mein Kuchh Der NahiN Hai had contributed to the roaring success of the film, these songs also brought out hitherto probably hidden qualities of Sahir or O P Nayyar’s repertoire.  I selected the only song that did not become a hit, perhaps because it was finally not included in the film, So, is the case with 12 O’clock, where I have finally chosen the song that perhaps can be considered as relatively less famous.

However, such wide range of subjects for the songs, perhaps catalysed the differences of each one’s highly individualistic nature and pride of their work to surface sooner than later. Sahir went on to become permanent member of BR banner, but O P Nayyar’s association with BR banner ended with this film.

With this prelude, here is my selection of Sahir Ludhianvi’s Romantic Songs in Five-film Association with O P Nayyar, with the films arranged in alphabetical order:

JahaN JahaN Khayal Jata Hai VahaN VahaN TumhiN Ko Pata Hai….. Ye Kab Hua Ye Kyun Hua Ye Kya Hua Mujhe – Bade Sarkaar (1957) – Mohammad Rafi, Geeta Dutt

zulfein hai ke reshami ghatayein hai
aankh hai ke manchali sadayein hai
hoth hai ke patiyaaN adhkhile gulab ki
jism ki hadein hai ya ke bastiyaN hai khwab ki
….    ……   …..   …..   ….. …..

mera har singar hai tere liye
husn ki bahar hai tere liye

Jawani Jhumti Hai Dulhan Banke Ji Banthan Ke, Na Jane Kiske SapnoN Mein …. – Bade Sarkaar (1957) – Asha Bhosle

rut firi gulsan khile
ban gaye naye dil khile
lachke chal man deke taal
kahuN kya main haal kya hai

kaun ye mujhe bha gaya
kispe ji mera aagaya
na jane kiske sapnoN mein
dil ka saj kare mujhpe naj
vo ajib raaj kya hai

Jab Hum Tum DonoN Razi To Kya Karega Kazi, SaiyaN Humse Lada Le Ankhein Mele Ke Bazar Mein – Bade Sarkaar (1957) – Asha Bhosle

kyuN duniya ke pichhe bhage
kuchh nahiN duniya dil ke aage
…  ……    ……   …..   …..
dekh nazara pakad ke hath humara
samajh le dil ka ishara jama le rang zara

le le koi is rut ki nishani le le koi is rut ki nishani
dekh ye ghadiyaN phir nahi aani
…  ……    ……   …..   …..
chhod jhamaila balam kyuN phire akaila
laga hai rup ka maila jama le rang zara

man marzi se reh le pyare
kuchh sun le kuchh keh le pyare
…  ……    ……   …..   …..
jiye jawani o mere dilbar jani
zara kar le man mani jama le rang zara

Ek Diwana Aate Jate Humse Chhed Kare, Sakhi Ri Wo Kya Mange, Jab Bhi Mere Pass Se Gujre Thandi Saans Bhare, Sakhi Ri Wo Kya Mange – Naya Daur (1957) – Asha Bhosle

din dekhe na raat wo
pakde mera hath wo
kabhi sharmauN main kabhi ghabrauN main
samjh na pauN main

teeloN ke us paar se
mujhe pukare pyar se
rashte mein ruk ruk
mud mud chhup chhup
dekhe mujhe tuk tuk haye

Yun To Hamane Laakh HasiN Dekhe Hai, Tumasaa NahNi Dekhaa – Tum Sa NahiN Dekha (1957) – Mohammad Rafi

tum bhi hasiN rut bhi hasiN
aaj ye dil bas mein nahiN
raaste khaamosh hai
dhadakanein madahosh hai
piye bin aaj hamein chadaa hai nashaa

tum na agar bologe sanam
mar to nahiN jaaegein ham
kyaa pari yaa hur ho
itani kyun magarur ho
maan ke to dekho kabhi kisikaa kahaa

Female version in Asha Bhosle’s voice

uf ye nazar uf ye ada
..  ….  …. …. ….. …
kaun na ab hoga fida
zulfein hai ya badliyaN
aankhein hai ya bijliyaN
jane kis kiski aaegi kazaa

Dekh Idhar Ae Hasina June Ka Hai Mahina, Dal JhulfoN Ka Saya Aa Raha Hai Paseena Dekh Idhar Ae Hasina – 12 O’clock (1958) – Mohammad Rafi, Geeta Dutt

sun le kabhi dil ki sada o najani ji na jala
bimar-e-gam huN shafa mujhko de daman se apne hawa mujhko de
—- —-  —-  —– —– —–  —–
hoye main huN madam marina aure fat fat fati na
dur se baat karna pas aana kabhi na, maiN huN madam marina

lakhoN hi jab aahein bharein tum hi kaho hum kya karein
kis kis ke dil ki khabar koi le kis kis ke gam ka asar koi le

mudat se huN barbad maiN shirni hai tu farhad main
ye na samjhana ki ghar jaunga, main teri chokat pe mar jaunga

SaiyyaN Teri AnkhiyoN Mein Dil Kho Gaya, Dil Kho Gaya Ji Mera Dil Kho Gaya – 12 O’clock (1958) – Shamshad Begum

haye re main kahe tujhe tak ke haNsi
tak ke haNsi to tere jal mein faNsi
nazarein churana mushkil ho gaya
dil kho gaya ji mera dil kho gaya

tir tune feinka aisa chalte huye
rah gayi main to hath malte huye
khud ko bachana mushkil ho gaya
dil kho gaya ji mera dil kho gaya

nindiya na aaye mohe kal na pade
jabse ye naina tere naino se lade
ratiyaN bitana mushkil ho gaya
dil kho gaya ji mera dil kho gaya

Pyaar Par Bas To Nahi Hai Mera Lekin Phir Bhi Tu Bata De Ke Tujhe Pyaar Karun Ya Na Karun – Sone Ki Chidiya (1958) – Talat Mahmood, Asha Bhosle

mere khwaabon ke jharokhon ko sajaane waali
tere khwaabon mein kahin mera guzar hai ke nahin
pooch kar apni nigaahon se bataa de mujhko
meri raaton ke muqaddar mein sahar hai ke nahin

kahin aisa na ho paaon mere tharra jaayein
aur teri marmari baanhon ka sahaara na mile
ashq bahte rahein khaamosh siyaah raaton mein
aur tere reshmi aanchal ka kinaaraa na mile

Solo Version – Asha Bhosle

tune khud apni nigahoN se jagaya tha jinhein
un tamannaoN ka ijhar karuN ya na karuN
tune jis dil ko bade pyar se apnaya tha
usko shikwoN ka gunahgar karuN ya na karuN

jis tamanna ke sahare pe thi jeene ki ummid
wo tamanna bhi pasiman hui jati hai
zindagi yuN to hameshaN se pareshaan si thi
ab to kuchh aur bhi viran hui jati hai

Sach Bataa Tu Mujh Pe Fidaa, Arre Kyun Huaa Aur Kaise Huaa; Maar Gayi Teri Baanki Adaa, Yun Huaa Aur Aise Huaa – Sone Ki Chidiya (1958)  – Asha Bhosle, Talat Mahmood

naazaniN main hi nahi hai yahaan laakho hasin
mujhase hi tujhe pyaar kyun huaa
dil pe nazaroN kaa vaar kyun huaa

chand si surat teri, mohani murat teri
…  ….  ….  …..   ….. …   ….
teri dhun mujhe be-sabab nahiN
aur jalavoN mein ye gazab nahiN

shukariyaa, ae meharabaan
mil gaye mujhe do jahaan
…  ….  ….  …..   ….. …   ….
…  ….  ….  …..   ….. …   ….
besaharaa thi tum nahiN mujhe
aaj duniyaa kaa gam nahiN mujhe

On a broader scale Shahir Ludhianvi and O P Nayyar’s association 4 films 1 song-in-a-film may appear to be too short, but there is no iota of doubt that that has given us some of most everlasting romantic (as well as meaningful) melodies

Our journey of Sahir Ludhianvi’s Romantic songs will again change track and switch over Seven Film Associations with Laxmikant Pyarelal and Khayyam (2.0) in the next episode.

The Micro View of Best Songs of 1944 @ SoY : MY Top Duet Songs

At the cost of repletion, I will stae, for the records, that the duets that I have short-listed here are the ones that I liked at the first listening. As such, they are the boutcome of no rational bias of the merit of the different elements of a duet composition and simply bear my own personal bias.

The songs are listed hereunder in no order of preference:

KL Saigal & Amribali Karnataki – Kya humne bigada hai kyun humko satiate ho – Bhanwara- – Kidar Sharma – Khemchand Prakash

Shyam, Zohrabai Ambalewali –  Aaja kahin door chalein  – Pahle Aap – – D N Madok – Naushad Ali

Karan Diwan & Zohrbai Ambalewali – Saawan ke baadlo unse ye ja kaho – Rattan – – D N Madok – Naushad Ali

Shyamkumar & Amirbai Karnati – O janewale baalamwa laut ke laut ke aa   – Rattan – – D N Madok – Naushad Ali

Mukesh and Kusum – Zara boloji, kya logi is dil ka kiraya – Us Paar – Pt. Madhur – Firoz Nizami

Jeenat Begum, Gulam Haider – Sajan Aa Jaa, Rajan Aa Ja, Khelein Dil Ke Khel – Bhai – Khan Shatir Gazanvi – Gulam Haider

Naseem, Ashok Kumar – Chamko Chamko BijaliyaN HaaN BijaliyaN – Chal Chal Re Naujawan – Pradeep – Gulam Haider

Jeenat Begum, G M Durrani – Aaye Hai Balamawa Pyare Pyare Ab Jaage Bhag Hamare – Chand – Qamar Jalalabadi – Husnlal Bhagatram

Vanmala, C Ramchandra – Main Kisse KahuN Apani Kahani, Hai Dard Bhari Meri Kahani – Dil Ki Baat – Ram Murti – C Ramchandra

Parul Ghosh, Manna Dey – Bhula Bhatka Path Haara Main Sharan Tumhare Aaya – Jwar Bhata – Narendra Sharma – Anil Biswas

Leela Sawant, V Bhatkar – Sajan Paas Bula Lo….., Nayanan Bich Basa Lo – Kaliyan – Kedar Sharma – G A Chisti

Malaka Amir Jan, Gulshan Sufi – Meri Uthati Jawani Ki Dekho Dekho Bahar – Mauji Jeewan – Baba Pagal – Gulshan Sufi

G M Durrani, Rajkumari – Chale Prem Ke Desh Pujari – Maya Nagri -? – Veer Sinh

G M Durrani, Rajkumari – Khole Re Kaun….  Mere Man Ke Dwar – Maya Nagri -? – Veer Sinh

Leela Sawant, Lalita Parulkar – Sakhi Ri Ab Ke Sawan Aaye – Kaliyan – Kedar Sharma – G A Chisti

Amirbai, Rajkumari – O I See, Ye Dekho Duniya Ke Rang – Maa Baap – Roopbani – Alla Rakha

Sheela, Rajkumari – Aao Chalein Us Paar Sajani, Kah KaruN Man Mane NahiN – Pattharon Ka Saudagar – Gaafil Haryanvi – Mir Sahab

Shyam Kumar, Mohammad Rafi – Tum Dilli main Aagre mere dil se nikle haye  – Pahle Aap – D N Madok – Naushad Ali

G M Durrani, Amirbai, Hamida – Ham Aage Badhate Jaein, Duniya Peechhe Peechhe Jae Re – Anaban – Pt. Madhur – Gyan Dutt

SoY has presented Best songs of 1944: Wrap Up 3 for the wrap up on duets for 1944. The three duets jointly adjudged as Best for The Year are:

  1.  Saawan ke baadlo unse ye ja kaho – Rattan – Karan Diwan, Zohrabai Ambalewali – D N Madhok – Nausahd Ali
  2. Kya humne bigada hai kyun humko sataate ho – Bhanwara – K L Saigal, Amirbai Karanataki – Kidar Sharma – Khemchand Prakash, and
  3. O jaanewale balamwa, laut ke aa laut ke aa – Rattan – Shyam Kumar, Amirbai Karnataki – D N Madhok – Nausahd Ali