Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs: December, 2017

Mohammad Rafi’s Solo Song From The FIRST Film With The Music Director: 1950-1951

To commemorate Mohammad Rafi’s anniversaries, we commenced a series of articles on Mohammad Rafi that essentially tried to bring the solo song of Mohammad Rafi with the music director.  We had planned to take up one five-year slot in a chronological order to bring all the first films in which Mohammad Rafi had had a solo song with a music director. The first slot of 1944 to 1948 was covered in Part I and Part II in December, 2016. We have covered the year 1949 of the 2^nd five-year-slot of 1949 to 1953.

Presently we will take up years 1950 and 1951 of this 1949-1953 period..

 [For the sake for structured documentation, I will be following the alphabetical sequence of Film names in the post.]

1950

Mohammad Rafi had had 29 solos out of 108 songs in 1950. Of the prominent music directors who had now frequenting Rafi more, Hans Raj Behl had 3 Hindi and Punjabi films with Rafi, Husnlal Bhagatram had 5 films and Naushad had 1, which had Mukesh as lead singer. I find only Akele Mein Wo Gabarate To Honge as the only song that is most recognizable solo.

Hum Ishq Mein Barabad Hai – Aankhen – Madan Mohan – Raja Mahendi Ali Khan

Madan Mohan and Mohammad Rafi’s work together which was to open up a class of its own opens the account. The song is filmed on Shekhar.

Saahil Jo Dubo De Kashti Ko.. Saahil Ki Tamanna Kaun Kare – Baawra – Krishna Dayal – Amar N Khanna

Incidentally, this is one of those songs that Mohammad Rafi has lip-synched for Raj Kapoor.

Jalte Deep Bujh Gaye Chha Gaya Andhera – Jalte Deep – Shardul Kwatra + T K Das – M A Taaj

Here is a song that is pleasant to listen to even though cast in sad mood.

Zamana Jo Aankhe Dikhata Hai Zamana Ko Aankhen Dikhata Chale Chal– Man Ka Meet – Shardul Kwatra – Sarshar Shailani

This song is credited to Shardul Kwatra solely, hence taken up in our present list.

Dekho Dekho Paanv Mein Pahen Ke Paayaliya – Janmashtami – Shyam Babu Pathak – Bharat Vyas

The lyrics do seem playful enough, but difficult to guess how the songs would have been filmed.

Naari Tere Jeevan Ki Ye Karun Kahani – Veer Babruwahan – Chitragupt – Anjum Jaipuri

After a few attempts we get a maiden Chitragupt – Rafi solo combination in this song. Apparently there is not much that would make the song to remember for, except that it is to open one more very fruitful partnership in the years to come.

We end the year with 5 music directors who had had a first solo song recorded for Mohammad Rafi.

1951

Year 1951 has 26 solos from a total of 72 Mohammad Rafi songs. The year had Naushad switching over to Mohammad Rafi for background voice of Dilip Kumar and we have some of the top Mohammad Rafi songs in Deedar. Husnlala Bhagatram also has a twin solo for Mohammad Rafi in Afasana – Duniya Ek Kahani Re Bhaiya – which also was quite popular. Shankar Jaikishan has used Mohammad Rafi for special songs in RK’s Aawara, which is also going to be a very notable trend initself.

Dhanwano Ki Dhan Nagari Ki Sun Lo Ek Kahani – Dashavtar – Avinash Vyas – Sagar Hussain

Avinash Vyas was to use Rafi very selectively in his Hindi and Gujarati film music.

Hey Shankar Hey Pralayankar Rakho Mohe Apni Sharan – Hanuman Patal Vijay – S N Tripathi – B D Mishra

S N Tripathi went onto create a few all-time great of Rafi songs, of which most easily remembered are ghazals of Lal Quila or Ye Hai Janam Janam Ke Phere or a Binaca chartbuster Jara Samane To Aao Chhaliye.or Hatimtai’s Parvar Digar-e-Alam.

Suraj Ghoome Chand Ghoome Ghoome Gagan Sara– Ishwar Bhakti – Sonic – Girdhar – Pt. Narendra Sharma – Trilok Kapoor

1951 seems to be the year of Bhakti Sangeet as far Mohammad Rafi is concerned! Mohammad Rafi was known to deliver his best even for new music directors even when he was at his peak.

Kisiko Iska Pata Ho Na Ho – Jauhri – Pt. Harbans Lal – Tajnath Zaar

For a change, we have a very light song too,

The song has a very interesting second version too:

Poochhiye Na Haal Jee, Palle Nahin Maal Ji – Mukhda – Vinod – Azeez Kashmiri

This is first opportunity when Vinod has been able to use Rafi in a solo (with chorus support) song, that too in a very light situation so tellingly.

Year 1951 also has 5 music directors who scored first solo with Mohammad Rafi. The year, on the whole, seems to be the game turner in the career path of Mohammad Rafi..

We will take up last two years of 2^nd Five-Year period of 1949-1953 in the next installment.

We will continue our search for Unforgettable Songs that seem to Fading away from our Memories every second Sunday of the month……..

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

Fading Memories….Unforgettable Songs: January, 2016

The songs that we have for the present episode, incidentally, presents quite an interesting mix – both in terms of music directors or playback singers or even the year in which these songs were first released.

Harish Raghuvanshi remembers:

All songs of ‘Saawan’ (1959) – Hansraj Behl – Prem Dhawan

As we listen to this anthology, we get to listen to several songs that have faded up in the memory, along with some which remain evergreen…..

For those who would prefer to listen to each song individually, here is the bouquet of these gems to pick and choose from:

• Bheega Bheega Pyaar Ka Sama – Shamshad Begum, Mohammad Rafi
• Tumne Kahaa Chhu, Maine Chhu Liya – Suman Kalyanpur, Mahendera Kapoor
• Hame Kuchh Ho Gaya Jee – Shamshad Begum, Mohammad Rafi
• Dekho Bina Saawan Baras Rahi Badli – Mohammad Rafi
• Meri Ghaghri Nu Ghungroo Lava De – Shamshad Begum, Mohammad Rafi
• Kaanha Chhedo Baansuri – Lata Mangeshkar
• Murli Teri Payal Meri , Tu Gaye Main Nachun Chham Chham Chham – Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor
• Nain Dwaar Se Man Mein Woh Aa Ke Tan Mein Pyaas Jagaye – Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh
• Tumhe Yaad Kiya Mere Dil Ne – Lata Mangeshkar

Bhagwan Thavrani has remembered a wide range of the songs, with equally interesting commentary:

Mere Laadlo Tum to Fulofalo – Sant Gyanenshwar (1964) – Lata Mangeshkar – Laxmikant Pyarelal

This is a wonderful lori with wonderful words and usual Lata magic, still it’s almost forgotten…

There is a second version of this song.. in Mohammad Rafi’s voice

O Mrignayani Chnadramukhi – Rang Birangi (1983) – R D Burman

It’s a classical song by Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande with (perhaps) Arti Mukherjee…but I like the picturisation of the song and wonderful rendering by the Maestro Om Prakash and Chhaya Deviboth actors enact their “seen it all ” feelings in a deft manner and their love for each other shows…and how !  साथ जियेंगे साथ मरेंगे गाते गाते गाना.. ..lyrics is by Yogesh ( or is it Maya Govind ! )..

Saari Duniya Se Poochha – Milan (1958) – Lata Mangeshkar – Hansraj Behl

We all remember this 1958 film MILAN for that divine Lata number हाए जिया रोए, but listen to this one…it is a wonderful tune which all of you might have heard often …just trying to take it out from the shadows of more famous one….!

Jahanwale Tune Ye Kya Jindagi Di Jo Aaj Tak Hua Na – Gule Bakawali (1963) – Mohammad Rafi – Hansraj Behl – Gulshan Bawra

Immortal Rafi … Raag Darbari tune by Hansraj Behl . same Raag as in . हाए जिया रोए

Alvida Jaan-e-wafa – Benazir (1964) – Lata Mangeshkar – S D Burman

This gem is from Bimal Roy’s BENAZIR, a flop and forgotten film of the 60’s. It was directed by an unknown director Khaled. It was a Muslim social featuring Ashok Kumar, Meena Kumara, Shashi Kapoor and Tanuja among others. Music had the unique combination of Sachin Dev Burman and Shakeel Badayuni. The film had famous Rafi solo ‘ Dil Me ek Jaan-e-Tamanna Ne Jagah Pai hai ‘ and a couple of other Lata solos which are excellent yet not very popular. To me, this Lata song takes the cake. It was deleted from the film, hence only audio of the song is available. The lyric is so meaningful and a bit tragic.

Samir Dholakia remembers songs –

Beeta Hua Ek Sawan – Shokhiyan (1951) – Lata Mangeshkar – Jamal Sen, as remembered by Mahesh Joshi of Rajkot

One of his melodious but lesser known song…… This song was originally created for film “Shokhiyan “of Kedar Sharma, who introduced him in film. But somehow this beautiful song was not included in that film. After the death of Jamal Sen in 1979 , Kedar Sharma utilized the same in tele film named “Pahela kadam” in 1980.

Here are two songs which were the main subject of Arun Kumar Deshmukh’s posts on Atul’s Song A Day

Samaa Ye Pyaar Ka Bahaar Ke Ye Mele – Baaghi Sipaahi – (1958) – Manna Dey, Asha Bhonsle – Shankar Jaikishan –

This is the 2^nd of Manna Dey – Asha Bhosale duets. First one – Raat Gayi Phir Din Aata Hai – was in 1953 film – Boot Polish. Boot Polish also had triad – Thahar Jara O Jaanewale (Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, Madhubala Zaveri). They went on to record 168 duets till 2005. As against this, Manna Dey – Lata Mangeshkar pair have recorded 106 duets.

Aaja Aaja Aaja Nadiya Kinaare – Raajhath (1956) – Lata Mangeshkar -Shankar Jaikishan – Shailendra –

presented by Helen on the screen

In Four Aces and A Queen, Parag Sankla has presented less remembered songs of Geeta Dutt, by Hansraj Behl, Chitragupt, Bulo C Rani and Avinash Vyas. We have picked up one representative song of each of the music directors mentioned in the article but for which the video links were not provided

Do Roz Ka Jalwaa Hain, Dikhane Ke Liye Hain – Rajput (1951) – Geeta Dutt, Hameeda Bano and Chorus – Hansraj Behl –

An all-female quawaali, indeed a rare one in so far as Geeta Dutt is concerned.

Nadiyaa Kinaare Mora Dera, Mashal Jale Saari Ratiya – Tarang (1952) –

a quartet with Mohammad Rafi, Shamshad Begum, Geeta and composer Chitragupt himself singing a few lines! Between the year 1958 and 1963, this wonderful singer and Chitragupt created as many as fifty plus songs….

Jawaniya Nigodi Sataaye, Ghoonghat Mora Khul Khul Jaaye – Darogaji (1949) – Bulo C Rani – Geeta’s voice could turn so youthful and natkhat…..

Gun Gun Gunjan Karata Bhanwara – Har Har Mahadev (1950) – Avinash Vyas – Gun Gun so creatively succeeds in recreating the humming of the wasp…

K S Bhatia and other readers have been in enriching the post My favourite ‘special’ Asha Bhosle songs by way of quite interesting add-on comments. In fact the avalanche of such songs by all the readers would call for several separate posts to do the justice. We have picked up one song here:

Aap Ki Baaten Aap Ki Kasmen Sab Jhoote – Kala Samunder (1962) – N. Dutta

The discussion also has added a few songs like this one by Suman Kalyanpur as well.

Meri Preet Mera Pyar Bole Aaj Baar Baar – Teerath Yatra (1958) – Suman Kalyanpur – Suresh Talwar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qnkA_d_No4

I had fairly encouraging discussion with Maulika Dersari w.r.t. our December, 2015 episode. While she fondly remembered Zindagi Kitni Khoobsurat Hai, Aayie Aap Ki Zaroorat Hai (Hemant Kumar in 1963 film ‘Bin Badal Brsaat’ ). This one has twin version in Lata Mangeshlar’s voice as well. That led me to search for Hemant Kumar’s duet with Lata Mangeshkar :

Ho Dheere Dheere – Aagosh (1953) – Roshan – Shailendra

We shall conclude our present episode with Mohammad Rafi songs composed by Anil Biswas for ‘Heer’ (1956)

O Khamosh Jamana Hai – with Asha Bhosle – Majrooh Sultanpuri

Le Jaa Uski Duaaen, Jo Tera Na Ho Saaka – Majrooh Sultanpuri

Preet Ka Rogi Ho Ya Jogi, Allah Teri Khair Kare – Rajendra Krishna

We will meet again on 2^nd Sunday of the next month… with more unforgettable songs that have started slipping out of our memory….

If you have such songs to share, you are most heartily welcome…..

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – August 2013

Welcome to August 2013 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

It seems we have a rich fare on dances in this edition.

‘Dances on Footpath’ remembers month of August for the Independence that India earned on 15t August, 1947 by Ten Favorite Songs and/or Dances from The Year 1947.

‘Dances on Footpath’ also has Five Favorite Dances to the Voice of Rajkumari this month, mostly solos, a couple of great duets, half mujras, half street or theater performances, some on familiar visual terrain and some extremely unusual-looking… but all really good dance sequences from the 1940s or early ’50s, featuring the sweet, unmistakable voice of Rajkumari.

In Vyjayanthimala’s Devadasi Dance in Piya Milan (Choreographed by V.S. Muthuswami Pillai),  Minai’s Cinema Nritya Gharana has assembled a vivid analysis and comparison of Devdasi choreography, in the dance song Aaja Kahun Kana   as, different from Bharatnatyam, in Chittoor Rani Padminini dance song by leveraging the Vyjayntimala, the performer and  the choreographer- the hereditary nattuvanar V.S. Muthuswami Pillai, as the common links.

A visit to not-so-regularly-updated blog, ‘A Blog Of My Favourite Vintage Bollywood Stuff’ presents us with Some of my favourite song-dance combinations of the vintage era.

Madhulika Liddle continues to come up with quite interesting themes @ ‘Dusted Off’. We have Ten of my favourite “I am -” songs this month – where the singer introduces himself/herself by name. The “comments” to this post also further enriches the theme.

Dusted Off’’s review of Love in Bombay(2013), – “or 1971, if you go by the year the film was made, not the year the film was released. Or 1974, which was when the censor certificate dates from”, but finally released, in 2013, by sons of Joy Mukherjee after his death – needs a special mention here for the 1971-period songs of Shanker Jaikishan, who had so stunningly teamed up with Joy Mukherjee in “Love in Tokyo” : Maazaa naav ahe Ganpat Rao, Na main boli na woh bola, Saiyyaan saiyyaan,  and Rani Nacho

Shilpi Bose’s ‘Tarun Bose and The World of Cinema’  – Oonche Log (1965)– is an excellent, narrative of the film,  particularly from the point of view of Tarun Bose’s character in the film. Incidentally, “Oonche Log” also takes me back to the days of my first year of college year at Vallabh Vidyanagar (Anand, Gujarat) in 1965-66. We used to hire cycles at ½ a rupee, and make a trip to near-by Anand for a Saturday night show to see the film released on that Friday. We had gone to see Oonche Log for “on-the-screen-histrionic-duel” between Ashok Kumar and Raaj Kumar, but came back highly impressed by the dual bonus of Tarun Bose’s performance and Chitragupt’s music in the film.  Here are those songs to complete that recall:  Jaag Dil-e-Deewana (Mohammad Rafi), Aaja Re Mere Pyaar Ke Raahi Raah Sanvarun Badi Der Se (Mahendra Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar), Haayere Tere Chanchal Nainwa (Lata Mangeshkar), Kaisi Tune Rit Rachi Bhagwan (Manna Dey and Asha Bhosle).

In Coolone160’s Sadhana- an elegant and timeless actress, we have a playlist that presents the multi-faceted theatrical personality of Sadhana.

We have had opportunity to visit a couple of more blogs this month.

We pick up SAMAY O DHEERE CHALO (Rudali – Asha Bhosle – Bhupen Hazarika – Gulzar) from Mukhtar   Sheikh’s My Vision of the Songs as a first sample. We can look forward to regular visits this blog.

Visit to ‘A Blog Of My Favourite Vintage Bollywood Stuff’ also benefited us by way of these gems: A lovely Mohammed Rafi – Suraiya duet from Sanam (1951) and My favourite Rafi songs.

Songs of Yore has kindly hosted the guest article – Forgotten Composers Unforgettable Melodies (8): Avinash Vyas  – by yours truly, in memory of Avinash Vyas’s anniversary on 20^th August.

While presenting Best songs of 1953: Wrap Up 1, AKji has commenced wrapping up the discussions on the different categories for The Best Songs of 1953 @ Songs of Yore. We would take a detailed look at the entire process of review collectively, when we will have all the articles in this series available @ SoY.

I do await your keen observations on the Hindi Film Songs of the Golden Era…….and continue the search for more varied content……till we met again next month……