The Sculptors of Film Songs – 14 A – Bhanu Gupta

Originally in Gujarati, by Piyush M Pandya

Translated by Ashok M Vaishnav

The world of science is replete with cases where some great inventions happened from the inadvertent errors. One most famous example is that of Penicillin. Sir Alexander Fleming was working on a cure for Pneumonia, rampant during WWI. In 1928, Dr Fleming observed that a particular type of mould growing on a Petri-dish of Staphylococcus bacteria seemed to be preventing the bacteria around it from growing. We know that accidental discovery of the mould as almost cure-all, Penicillin.

However, in the days of full-scale live recording, when one small error would result in a re-take, imagining that such cases in the world of film music composition would have created some unusual pieces may seem to wishful thinking. But, in the case of Bhanu Gupta, such an error did create history.

The rehearsal for Chingari Koi Bhadake (Amar Prem) was in full session. Bhanu Gupta was to play a very specific chord (combination of several notes to played together) on guitar at the very beginning of the prelude. In one such practice iteration, Bhanu Gupta committed an error. A perfectionist that he was, Bhanu Gupta was totally abashed. RD also noticed that error. The recording room went dead silent. After a while RD broke that silence and said that Bhanu (Gupta) will now play that incorrect chord only in the song! In fact, on several occasions later on, he used to say that Bhanu had made the song unique by that “creative” error.

Here is the clip that explains now that famous ‘million-dollar mistake’.

Bhanu Gupta’s first brush with musical instrument was also, an error, error of luck. Because of his working knowledge of Japanese language, during WWII, Bhanu Gupta got the job of translator at a monthly wage of Rs. 400/- to help interaction between Japanese soldiers and the Burmese local traders. As a chance happening Bhanu saw a British soldier playing harmonica (the mouth organ) during his the then visits to the Rangoon Port. He started learning the instrument and mastered it in so short time, that the British soldier gave that harmonica as a gift to Bhanu when his ship sailed out from Rangoon.

While in Burma, for some time Bhanu Gupta was associated with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Worsening political situation of Burma by the end WWII led Gupta family to shift to Calcutta. Since Bhanu Gupta was a qualified oil technologist, he easily got a job at Caltex at Calcutta. While at Calcutta, Bhanu Gupta was drawn towards cricket. He was a very active player at the local cub level. He played some first division  matches in the company Cricket Greats like Pankaj Roy, Bapu Nadkarni, Subroto Guha and Roy Gilchrest,  Bhanu Gupta did keep playing harmonica alongside, but, he was not serious about playing harmonica as a career. However, as it was perhaps destined, Bhanu Gupta’s growing expertise of harmonica started getting him invitations to play the instrument in the clubs of Calcutta. Soon he started getting contacts for playing harmonica at a few leading clubs, tilting the scales in favour of taking over armonica playing as a professional career.

He shifted to Bombay in 1958. He soon started getting a few odd jobs too. Bipin Dutt gave him a first break in the films. Unfortunately, that film sunk. However, C Ramchandra noticed him and offered him a part in his orchestra for his next film, Paigam (1959). Unfortunately (for us), no details of his contributions in the songs or background music of the film seem to be available He then started getting regular work. During one of these recordings, he came across an unclaimed guitar, lying in shambles somewhere in the studio. Bhanu Gupta repaired it, and in due course went on to master guitar too.

Bhanu Gupta was now an accepted name, be it harmonica or guitar. It was Bhanu Gupta who introduced and trained Bhupinder Singh to acoustic guitar. Under his mentorship, Bhupinder so mastered the acoustic guitar that he replaced his senior Dilip Naik in RDB’s team.

Here are some very well-known pieces that Bhanu Gupta has played on harmonica and guitar.

Rahi Manwa Dukh Ki Chinta Kyun Satati Hai  – Dosti (1964) – Mohammad Rafi – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri – Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal

There are many conflicting views on who has in fact played the harmonica in this song. In the clip here, Bhanu Gupta himself confirms that it was he who played these pieces.

This is the original song.

Another very touching harmonica-based music piece, that would come up in our memory, is from Sholay (1974)

R D Burman himself was an ace harmonica player, and has conceived and played several memorable pieces for S D Burman. Here he has handed over the harmonica to Bhanu Gupta.

Bhanu Gupta’s mastery over guitar can also be heard in the title music of Sholay.

Here Bhanu Gupta is recreating that guitar play.

The clip here below narrated Bhanu Gupta’s untold story, in his own words (in Bengali):

We will take up one more song that has Bhanu Gupta’s highly imaginative guitar play.

Dekhiye Sahibo…. Woh Koi Aur Thi Ye Koi Aur Hai – Teesari Manzil (1966) -Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri – Music: R D Burman

How wonderfully the subdued soft melody is created in prelude by the guitar, and then in total contrast, high-octave guitar play resonates in the first and third interludes!

Bhanu Gupta narrates how RDB got the idea for the tune of Musafir Hun Ho YaroN (Parichay, 1972)

Here are some more songs that has Bhanu Gupta’s prominent guitar play:

Ek Chatur Nar Badi Hoshiyar – Padosan (1968)

Tere Bina Zindagi Se Shikwa NahiN – Aandhi (1975)

Aise Na Mujhe Tum Dekho – Darling Darling (1977)

YT has many clips whereat we get to listen how Bhanu Gupta created his well-known guitar pieces across several film songs.

Credits and Disclaimers:

1. 1. 1. The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over these songs, which vests with the respective copyright holders.
      2. The photograph is taken from the internet, duly recognising the full copyrights for the same to either the original creator or the site where they were originally displayed.