Sahir’s Songs of Romance – One Film Association(s)

This is the year of Sahir Ludhianvi’s birth (March 8, 1921) centenary. As can be expected, there was an avalanche of articles in magazines, newspapers and blogs in the month of March 2021. At first glance, that gave me the impression that everything that needs to be said about Sahir Ludhianvi has been already covered in all these articles. One easily remembers many of his 724 songs, particularly of his most productive decades of 50’and ‘60s, too. As such, I was not able to figure an approach where I can get to know Sahir’s songs, in more details, more intensely, and more systematically.

As I kept pondering through the commemorative articles, two aspects attracted my attention –

• One, apart from the Golden Era music directors S D Burman, N Dutta, Ravi, Roshan, O P Nayyar, Madan Mohan, Khayyam, Jaidev or Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant Pyarelal and R D Burman of second generation, or Rajesh Roshan of the still next generation of music directors, he has worked with many other music directors as well.
• Two, he is generally remembered for his poems of rebel. However, as a lyricist he would certainly have written songs of pure romance as well.

These two aspects have led me to pen the present series of articles under the title, Sahir’s Songs of Romance. I plan to cover all music directors with whom Sahir Ludhianvi has worked in his career spanning from his inception to the world of HFM in 1948 till his passing away, including the films which were either released thereafter or even not released.

I have selected the songs that have different happy forms of expressions of love, whether sublime or mundane. Thus, the songs that have feelings of pathos or bitterness are excluded. I have also chosen not include qawwalis here.

I have studiedly maintained my intervention to the minimum. I have selected as much of the lyrics of first lines of the song that Sahir uses to set the tone of romance in the song. Then, I have also presented the selected lines from each song, which in my view, manifests Sahir’s versatility as poet and as a lyricist. Listening to the YT clip provides the charm of the entire song.

We will begin the series with Sahir’s Songs of Romance, composed by the music directors who had only one film association with Sahir Ludhianvi and then will proceed with ascending numbers of associations.

One Film Association(s)

Sahir Ludhianvi has penned lyrics for 122 films, spanning his association with 31 music directors. Of these 31 music directors, as many as fourteen music directors have had one film association with Sahir. Sahir’ first step into the Hindi Film Music world was in 1948, which, incidentally, happens to be a one film association with music director G D Kapoor. In his most prolific decade, 50s, Sahir had six one-film associations, the highest for any decade. Of these, three films were in 1953 only, just as he was settling into a successful association with S D Burman. 60s have only two one-film associations. The decade of 70s when Sahir had done 26 films, four were one-film associations. 80s has one one-film association. Thus, the present episode also provides us a vintage view of the entire career of Sahir Ludhianvi’s entire carrier.

Here, I have not been able to include any song, composed by G D Kapoor (Azadi Ki Raah Par, 1948), Nirmal Kumar (Lal Nishan, 1959) and Robin Chatterjee (Masoom, 1960). Azadi Ki Rah Par and Masoom had subjects wherein a romantic film had, in fact, no place. Lal Nishan has only one Sahir song, which is a qawwali. As such, the music directors of these films, G D Kapoor, Robin Chatterjee and Nirmal Kumar are not represented in this episode.

Meri NaghmoN Mein …. Un Mastaanaa Aankhon Ki Kahaani Hai, Mohabbat Hi Mohabbat Hai Jawani Hi Jawani Hai – Alif Laila (1953) – Talat Mehmood – Shyam Sundar

Mohabbat meri duniya hai
Mohabbat shaayari meri
Mohabbat mera naghmaa hai
Mohabbat zindagi meri
Mohabbat ke sahaare…
ek nayi duniyaa basaani hai

mohabbat hi mohabbat hai
jawani hi jawani hai……

Kisi Ne Nazar Se Nazar Jab Mila Di…..Meri Zindagi Ha Ha Meri Zindagi, Jhum Kar Muskara Di Meri Zindagi – Humsafar (1953) – Talat Mahmood, Asha Bhosle – Ali Akbar Khan

zubaN se to hum kuchh na bole the lekin,…

nigahoN ne dil ki kahani suna di

.. har ek sans masti me dubi huyi hai….
khuda janta ki kya se pila di

meri taza duniya pe rang aa gaya hai
kisi ne khayalo ki mehfil saza di

Ye Mausam Ye Hawaye Ye Rut Suhani Fir Na Aayegi…. Jawani Mauj-e- Dariya Hai Jawani Jo Laut Ke Na Aayegi – Shole (1953) – Hemant Kumar, Geeta Dutt – Dhaniram

nigahe mila or ek jam lele …

jawani ke sir koi lizam lele….

nigahe mila….

nigaho ke saaye me palti hai duniya….

hasino ke hamraah chalti hai duniya…

hasino ke pehlu me aaram le lo…nigahe mila…..

Aaj Kisi Ke Dil Ke Haatho Ne, Dil Ke Taaro Ko Chhed Diya – Savdhan (1954) – Asha Bhosle – Vasant Ramchandra

aaj meri tanhaai apne aap se bhi sharmaane lagi
dil ki dhadkan nagama bankar, hontho par lahraane lagi

jo saahil ko saath baha le
un dhaaro ko chhed diya

har jhokhe se mujhko unake saath ki khushbu aati hai
tanman mein ek thandi thandi aag bikharti jaati hai
jaane kisaki shokh najar ne…

angaaro ko chhed diyaa

Dil Ki Duniya Mein Aa Ke Na Jaana … Tujhe Meri Qasam Na Rulana, Ya Rabba Teri Teri… Yaad.. – Chingaari ( (1955) – Lata Mangeshkar, Unknown male voice – Manohar

aaja pyar ke tarane gaye…
aaja aisa ek jaha basaye

chand ka diya ho
jismein tare loriya sunaye….
sapno ke dole mein jhula jhulaye hamein bag-e- sama

bhigi bhigi rat ye najare
dil ki bat kahte hai sitare
aankho me nur bhar de dil me sarur bhar de

arzu yahi hai meri justzu yahi hai
na ja dilbar na ja ankhyio me aake
o mere dilruba mere dil se
na ja hai ye dil ki dua

Kashti Ka Khamosh Safar Hai, Shaam Bhi Hai Tanhayi Bhi, Dur Kinare Par Bajati Hai Laharo Ki Shahnayi Bhi ….. Aaj Mujhe Kuchh Kahena Hai – Girl Friend (1960) – Kishore Kumar, Sudha Malhotra  – Hemant Kumar

kabse tumhaare raste pe main phul bichhaaye baithi huN
kah bhi chuko jo kahna hai mani aas lagaaye baithi huN

dil ne dil ki baat samajh li, ab munh se kya kahana hai
aaj nahi to kal kah lenge, ab to saath hi rahna hai

kah bhi chuko, kah bhi chuko jo kahna hai

chhodo ab kya kahna hai

Umr Huyee Tumse Miley Phir Bhi Jaane Kyun Aisa Lage Pahli Baar Mile HaiN – Bahurani (1963) – Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar – C Ramchandra

jhum uthaa tan, man me ek aisi baat aa gai
jiski thi lagan, ….
aaj vo milan ki raat aa gai

akele rah gaye, akhiyaan bah gayi

umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyo
aise lage jaise pahali baar mile hai

Chor Hamne Fasaya… Haye…. Ke Bach Na Paya, Aaha…. Pakad Mein Aaya – Bhai Ho To Aisa (1972) – Lata Mangeshkar – Sonik Omi

haye re kabhi nain ghumaye kabhi hoth chabaye
maine iska pyar bhadkane ko sabhi teer chalaye
maiN thi tak mein

kabse fasa aaj sabab se
ho ab to chakha du maja

Ab Se Pehle To Ye Dil Ki Haalat Na Thi…Aaj Kya Ho Gaya … Zindagi Dusaro Ki Amanat Na Thi – Nawab Sahib (1978) – Usha Mangeshkar – C Arjun

apne andaaz par naaz karte the hum

humko apni qasam
gair se baat karne ki fursat na thi

aaj kya ho gaya

Baahon Mein Teri Masti Ke Ghere, Saanson Mein Teri Khushboo Ke Dere – Kala Patthar (1979) – Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi — Rajesh Roshan

khvabo me jisako tanha javani baraso se takati thi,

tu vahi hai

chhune se jisako sine me meri lau jag sakati thi,

tu vahi hai

kuchh khvab mere, kuchh khvab tere

 yun milate jate hai

dil khilate jate hai,

lab gun-gunate hai

sason me teri, khushabu ke dere khushabu ke dere

Ye Aankhein Dekhkar Hum Saari Duniya Bhool Jate Hain – Dhanwaan (1981) – Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar – Hridaynath Mangeshkar

tum apni mahki mahki julf ke pecho ko kam kar do
musafir in mein girkar apna rasta bhul jaate hai

… …..  … …. ….. …. …

bahut kuch tumse kahne ki tamanna dil me rakhte hai
magar jab saamne aate ho to kahna bhul jaate hai

Mohabbat mein zuba chup ho to aankhein baat karti hai

ye kah deti hai vo baate jo kahna bhul jaate hai

With this we come to the end of the present one-film association phase of Sahir Ludhianvi’s collaboration with different music directors. As can be expected, the range of music directors, films and film subjects, is very wide. Even the span of years also spreads over Sahir Ludhianvi’s entire career. Apparently, the duets – one of the most popular and universal formats for expression of romance on the screen – is predominant in the present episode. However, we easily get to feel Sahir’s creativity, his range of words, ease of use of different languages and different forms specific to such languages. 

We wil take up Sahir’s Songs of Romance with two-film association music directors in our next episode.

Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs: December 2019

Mohammad Rafi’s First Solo Song With The Music Director: 1961

To commemorate Mohammad Rafi’s anniversaries, [Born: 24 December, 1924// Death: 31 July, 1980] we commenced a series of articles on Mohammad Rafi that essentially tried to bring the solo song of Mohammad Rafi from the first film with the music director.  Beginning 2016, we have taken up one five-year slot every year, in the chronological order, starting from 1944, the year in which Mohammad Rafi sang his maiden solo song in Hindi Films. Till now we have covered

• • 1^st Five-Year Period : 1944 -1948 ,
  • 2^nd Five-Year Period : 1949-1953, and
  • 3^rd Five-Year period : 1954 – 1958.

We have heard Mohammad Rafi’s maiden solo song with a music director for the first part of 1959-1960 of the 4^th Five Year period in July, 2017.

Presently, we will take up the second part – 1961  – for the 4^th Five Year period. The films appear herein in the alphabetical order of their names.

In our earlier articles we used to take due note of the popular, and not-popular-but-remarkable songs for the years under review for those music directors who have already appeared in the previous Five-Year periods. We have continued with that practice.

As may be expected, in the decade of 60s, we find more songs that went on to become popular, sometimes far more than the more meritorious songs from the same film. Relative longevity was seen to be shortening up. However, this possibly outcome of the changing taste of Hindi Films – as more films went color from B&W format, the element of art in the film was becoming more a special genre, filmmaking had better technical back-end support. Now, films, in general, were the commercial films – set to a few stereotypes and their variations. In so far as the Hindi film music was concerned, ‘60s saw the beginning of the ebb, from the high highs that were scaled till now.

1961

Mohammad Rafi has 71 solo song in 1961.

First, we will note the popular songs for the year for those music directors who have appeared in the previous years.

Shankar Jaikishan –  Aas Ka Panchhi (Char Dino Ki Chhuti Hai); Boy Friend (Dheere Chal .. Ay Bheegi Hawa, Mujhe Apna Yaar Bana Lo, Salam Aap Ki Meethi Nazar Ko); Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, Teri Zulfon Se Zudai); Junglee (Chahe Koi Mujhe Jaunglee Kahe, Aiya Ya Karoon Main Kya Suku, Ehsan Tera Hoga Mujh Par); Sasural (Teri Pyari Pyari Surat Ko, Wallah Yar Lut Gaye Hum) |  Chitragupt – Bada Admi (Akhiyan Sang Akhiyan Lage, Agar Dil Kisi Se Lagay Na Hota)   |Salil Chowdhury – Chhaya (Yaa Kehde Ham Insaan Nahi); Kabuliwala (O Saba Kahena Mere Didar Ko); Maya (Koi Sone Ke Dilwala, Sanam Tu Chal Diya Rasta Mere Bina, Zindagi Hai Kya Meri Jaan) | Naushad – Ganga Jamuna (Nain Lad Jai Hai)  | Ravi – Gharana (Husnwale Tera Jawab Nahi); Nazarana (Baazi Kisine Pyar Ki) | Jaidev – Hum Dono (Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata, Kabhi Khud Pe Kabhi Haalat Pe) | Madan Mohan – Sanjog (Do Ghoont Maine Pee) | Ghulam Mohammad – Shama (Woh Sadagi Kahe Ise Diwangi Kahe) | Khayyam – Shola Aur Shabnam (Jane Ky Dhundhati Raheti Hai) |

We now take a closer look at Mohamad Rafi’s first solo song with a music director for the year 1961. This year, we have three very talented, but not commercially successful music directors, one who succeeded by defying the Hindi Film ‘normal’ of ‘assistants do not succeed’ and two music directors for the South remakes.

In order to err on the safer side, we have included all the solos of the film wherein Mohammad Rafi and a music director have their first solo song.

S Madan

Not accepted well in Hindi Films, S Madan earned big fame in Punjabi films. Many of his songs in Punjabi films have been plagiarized in Hindi films. He assisted Vinod in the early part of his career.

Ye Kaisi Deewaar Hai Duniya – Batwara – Lyrics: Majroojh Sultanpuri

The background song epitomizes the division between two brothers.

P Nageswara Rao

Nageshwara Rao was well-known name in Telugu films.

Narayan Ki Isi Murti Se Hoga Govinda – Bhagwan Balaji –Lyrics: Sarswati Kumar Deepak

It seems every remake – dubbed version- of South Indian religious films has at least one song by Mohammad Rafi.

Rahul Dev Burman

When Rahul Dev Burman (27 June 1939 – 4 January 1994) debuted as an independent music director, the Golden Era of Hindi Film music was at its high-sun point. The ecosystem was extremely competitive with high-quality-but-very-popular individual styles of the music directors who had entered the scene in the late second half of the ‘40s./ early first half of ‘50s.R D Burman easily transformed himself from the understudy of his father, S D Burman, into an independent music director, by developing his own distinct style of compositions. Along with Laxmikant Pyarelal, he very effectively carried the baton form the second generation of music directors to the third generation.

Aam Chum Taam Chum – Chhote Nawab – Lyrics: Shailendra

Produced by Mehmood, the film revolved around a mentally under-developed character of Memood. The song epitomizes physically fully-grown-up, but mentally childlike personality of the lead male character, Choote Nawab – The Child Ruler.

Ilaahi Tu Sun Le Hamaali Dua – Chhote Nawab – Lyrics: Shailendra

R D Burman creates a very mature tune in the very first film. Along with all other playful songs, the present song and Lata Mangeshkar’s Ghar Aaja Ghir Aaye demonstrate the depth of versatility of R D Burman’s musical range.

C Arjun

C Arjun assisted Bulo C Rani in his early career. C Arjun’s first Hind film Road No. 303 (1960) had a couple of Mohammad Rafi duets. His Punar Milan (1964) Mohammad Rafi solo Paas Baitho Tabiyat Bahal Jayegi remains one of the best ever Rafi song. But of course C Arjun is more immortalized by his Usha Mangeshkar record-breaking prayer Jai Santoshi Ma (1975)

Ho Gori Zulm Kare Zulf Ka Bikhar Jaana – Main Aur Mera Bhai– Lyrics: Jaan Nisaar Akhtar

Mohammad Rafi is at his playful best in this lively song.

Insaan Kitne Yug Beete Yunhi Rahi Nadaan.. Moorakh Hai Insaan – Main Aur Mera Bhai – Lyrics: Jaan Nisaar Akhtar

This should be background song.

Arun Raghavan

Arun Raghavan is one of the 48 music directors who have composed only one Mohammad Rafi song. As he is a music director of South Indian films, this does not seem to be so stounding statement.

Chali Aaj Rajbhawan Se..Yug Yug Se Anyaya – Mera Suhag – Arun Raghavan – Vinod Sharma

Like other South Indian film remakes in Hindi, Mohammad Rafi gets to sing a background song.

SL Merchant, Shri Ram

SL Merchant, Shri Ram are perhaps more active in Tamil films.

Kaisa Hai Ye Shraap Haye Re..Haye Re Qismat – Sati Renuka – Bharat Vyas

As has been now a well-formed pattern, Mohammad Rafi gets to sing this background song.

Putraheen Ko Pita..Janani Janani Mahima Hai – Sati Renuka –Bharat Vyas

One more background song in a South Indian remake Hindi film.

D Dilip

Known more as assistant to S N Tripathi, then Chitragupt and lastly as arranger to Laxmikant Pyarelal, Dilip Dholakiya took up D Dilip as his pen name when composing independent music in Hindi films. He also was a very accomplished singer. He did sing a few Hindi songs under S N Tripathi and Chitragupt. The only Hindi song that he has rendered under his own baton is Khanke Kangana Khan Khan Re, Chhanake Ghungharu Chhan Chhan Re  – Saugandh (1961) – with Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi in the lead.

Apne Liye Jiye To Zamane Mein Kya Jiye.. Kaun Raha Hai Kaun Rahega – Saugandh – D Dilip – Prem Dhawan

The song is a background song, filmed on Gemni Ganeshan on the screen.

As a special note on Dilip Dholakia – Mohammad Rafi, I succumb to the urge to record here a beautiful Gujarati solo song from this pair – Meethadi Nazrun Vaagi – Satyavan Savitri ,1963)

Since we have far too many song to listen to in the present post, we will take up the last two years – 1962 and 1963- of the 4^th Five Year period in our episode of 15^th December, 2019.

We will continue remembering 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.

N.B. : All episodes for the year 2019 can be seen / downloaded as one file by clicking on Fading Memories..Unforgettable Songs – 2019