Duets(+) of Mukesh: With Male Singers

A tribute to Mukesh on his 99^th Birth Anniversary (b. July 22, 1923 – d.  August 27, 1976)

Films in India, by and large, revolve around different themes of love between a boy and a girl. As such, songs come in very handy as a very strong and direct, easy-to-comprehend, medium to express the different shades of feelings of love. Traditionally, the solo songs occupied the space of prime importance. During vintage era this was more a necessity because the singers were generally actors themselves. Moreover, the recording technology also was in the development stage, which made recording a duet song with two vastly different musical qualities of pitch and timbre of a male and female voice was quite difficult in comparison to the recording of a solo song.

With the playback singers taking over the onus of singing, and advances in the filmmaking and song-recording technologies, the duets started gaining more importance in the film production considerations. Music directors also started taking this genre seriously and started creating duets that stood, almost, at par with solo songs.

Essentially, the duets are categorised as male-female duets, male-male duets, and female-female duets. As can be expected, the bulk of the duets in the films remain male-female duets. Male-male and female-female duets normally remained as duet songs that friends would sing together. However, the traditions of patriotic songs, devotional songs, or dance songs in the greater arena of music also inspired similar male-male and /or female-female songs. The subjects used to vary from manifestation of friendly affection – either positive or negative (jealousy), celebrating the festivities together, sharing of mutual concerns or one teasing/advising/counselling the other. As such, once the choice of subjects and practices of narrating the story evolved over 40s, male-male duets genre also started getting prominence. In the 60s and onwards, with more films being produced with more than one hero, the male-male genre further got more weightage. However, essentially, the core subjects have not changed as materially as that of solos.

In so far as Hindi film songs are concerned, duets of Mukesh constitute roughly 20 % share of his total film songs. Mukesh Geet Kosh also includes duet songs that have some element of chorus in the song, while taking care that these are separately identified. The male-male duets of Mukesh, including those with chorus element, constitute again around 15% of the duets of Mukesh. The male-male duets of Mukesh offer fairly wide-spread range, in terms of subjects of the songs, co-singers, year of the song, and of course, the popularity, to lead me to zero in on this subject for the post to commemorate the 99^th birth anniversary of Mukesh.

Under the broader category of duets, Mukesh Geet Kosh also has separately identified songs that have some actor /actress chipping with Mukesh a line here or there in the song. I have not included such songs here. Mukesh has more than one duet with Mohammad Rafi or Kishore Kumar. I have chosen the one which I like more than other Rafi or Kishore duets. In some cases, I have included a few triads or quartets (with all male or male-female combination), where the context of the narration, or paucity of a right duet, or the need for variety of different subjects or styles or music directors so necessitated. In one particular instance of duet with Talat Mahmood, I have included, rather had to include, an NFS as well.

So here are Duets(+) of Mukesh with Male Singers, generally, in the chronological order of year of the release of the film.

With Shailesh (Mukharjee)

Rab Mere Araj Sun Meri Sharan Ab Teri – Aag (1948) – Lyrics: Saraswati Kumar Dipak – Music: Ram Ganguli

Ram Ganguli has certainly come up with a very different style of composition for a song that is essentially a devotional song.

If we would have strictly followed the chronological sequence of the release of the films, one of the two Mukesh – Mohammad Rafi duets from Chilman (1949) or Thes (1949) would have appeared here. But from the seven Mukesh-Mohammad Rafi duets, the song that liked most happens to be a duet from the film of the year 1958, So that will have to wait for a while.

With G M Durrani

Aise Mein Koi Chham Se Jo Aa Jaye To Kya Ho – Hanste Aansoo (1950) – Lyrics: Shewan Rizvi – Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Here is an exchange of arguments for pros and cons between two friends of locating the bed if a house is built on a given location – one wants to set up his bed at that very doorstep so that when some (a much awaited) beauty comes up suddenly he would not miss it. His friend warns of another extreme possibility of a high-heeled slipper to be awaiting a welcome instead.

Ghulam Mohammad has come up with so lovely enough orchestration for this composition to induce revisits to the song. If we would have seen the film, we may also have come to know what will have happened after the song is over.

I have picked up a triad next because that provides us with a new combination of singers.

With Khan Mastana

KyuN Shikwa Karein KyuN Aah Bharein – Pagle (1950) – with Talat Mahmood – Lyrics: Anjum Rehmani – Music: V G (Snehal) Bhatkar

The friends have gathered to vent their frustration of non-result bearing efforts of their pursuit to get someone to love them.

Pagle had one more triad, with G M Durrani as the third player –

Ye Aaj Kal Ke Laila Aur Majnu – Pagle (1950) – with G M Durrani – Lyrics: Anjum Rehmani – Music: V G (Snehal) Bhatkar

Another song of the youthful frustration when all efforts to woo the ‘fair sex’ fail, which leads to this deep sigh, in the form of

Ye aaj kal ke Laila or Majnu
.. … …
ik haath se dil ko thamate haiN
ik hath se tata kahate haiN

It would be interesting note that Mukesh Geet Kosh has clearly identified the singers for these songs, but HFGK mentions Jagirdar, Agha and Sheri as the singers, who in fact are the actors singing the songs on screen.

With S D Batish

Jaao Sidharo Hey Radha Ke Shyam – Aarzoo (1950) – with Shamshad Begum, chorus – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri / Jan Nissar Akhtar – Music: Anil Biswas

Mukesh and S D Batish do not actually get connected through a triad here. What is treated as triad in the credits on the record N 38386, is in fact a three-piece stage show story wherein the first (penned by Majrooh Sutmapuri) and third part (penned by Jan Nissar Akhtar) are S D Batish-Shamshad Begum duets with chorus and the second part (also penned by Jan Nissar Akhtar) is a Mukesh-Shamshad Begum duet with chorus.

With Kishore Kumar

The Kishore Kumar – Mukesh combination has an interesting aspect too. Except for one triad in 1953, they did not have a proper duet during the pre-Aradhana, what is generally called as, Kishore Kumar 1.0 career phase. Then they had a triad-chorus in Satyakam (1969) the transition year. They had first proper duet in 1971, in what can be considered as Kishore Kumar 2.0. Since then, Kishore Kumar has had one more duet with Mukesh, in 1976. The duo further had one triad each with Sushma Shreshtha (Dharam Karam, 1975) and Dilraj Raj Kaur (Chor Mandali, 1983) as well as a quartet with Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar (Amar Akbar Anthony, 1977)

Lo Mil Gayi Degree Pyar Ki – Maalkin (1953) – with Ram Kamlani – Lyrics: Rajendra Krishna – Music: Roshan

This must rank as the only song where Roshan has used Mukesh in a comedy situation.

However, the real irony of the song being treated as a Mukesh triad comes up only when we listen the full song and find that Mukesh just gets two words – first time just ‘KahaaN Bhai?’ after the first line, Din mein sau sau chakkar kate, in the first interlude stanza and then just ‘Kis ki?’ after the first line, Baithe baithe kismet khul gayi’ of the third interlude stanza!

Haal Chaal Thhik Thhaak Hai – Mere Apne (1971) – with chorus – Lyrics: Gulzar – Music: Salil Chowdhury

I have a very sweet connection with this song.

In our BITS Pilani days, we would have one, just-released, film screened every weekend. Mere Apne was one such film. Since the story is about the restlessness of students (particularly because of paucity of jobs even after proper college education), the film had been obviously very well received in the campus. When you pass near any of hostel block, particularly after dinner time, you will invariably get to listen the whistling used in the song. Also, the cleverly split first line had tremendous popularly as an informal greetings exchange among friends – Question: ‘Haal chaal? Answer: ‘Thik Thaak Hai.’ – obviously, in the lyrical mimic of the song!

With Mohammad Rafi

Mukesh and Mohammad Rafi share the maximum number of songs together – 7 duets, 6 duets+chorus, 5 triads – one with Shamshad Begum (Hanste Aansoo, 1950), two with Lata Mangeshkar (Shree 420, 1955 and Ahuti, 1978), two with Suman Kalyanpur (Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, 1966 and Vishwas, 1969), and one with Hemlata (Jaaneman, 1976), and one quartet with Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar (Amar Akbar Anthony, 1977). More important. perhaps, is that the association spans almost the entire career of both of them, with first duet in 1949 (Chilman and Thes) and the last one in 1978 (Ahuti).

I have selected one duet, which I have always relished to listen to.  Just the memory of the song has helped to me ease out any tension coiled in, any time, in my mind.

Phirate The Jo Bade Hi Sikandar Bane Hue ….. Jo Bor Kare Yaar Ko Us Yaar Se Tauba… Jis Pyar Mein Ye Haal Ho Us Pyaar Se Tauba – Phir Subah Hogi (1958) – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi – Music: Khayyam

Mohammad Rafi so lively pulls up his friend’s legs that even the Raj Kapoor’s lady love Mala Sinha cannot hide her smile. Moreover, if you close your eyes, the way Rafi goes with his part you can imagine how Rehman, otherwise an actor who plays serious roles, must be freely acting it out on screen, while lip-synching Mohammad Rafi. Every line Sahir has penned for Rafi’s part is just enough for any friend on the other side to break up the relationship!

With Mahendra Kapoor

For the records, Mukesh and Mahendra Kapoor have three duets, however the third one, from Saathi (1968) – Jo chalaa gayaa use bhul jaa, Naushad has used Mahendra Kapoor  for just a higher-scale line being heard as echo Bhul Jaa… Bhul Jaa, as haunting memory from the past that has to be forgotten.

Of the other two, both composed by N Dutta, one is for Dilli Ka Dada (1962) and the other for Holiday in Bombay (1963). I have selected the latter one.

Ye Hasin Bambai Hamein Jam Gayi …. Holiday Holiday Holiday in Bombay – Holiday in Bombay (1963) – Lyrics: Anjaan – Music: N Dutta.

The reasons I have selected this song will sound quite trivial – one: Mukesh gets to playback for the hero (Shashi Kapoor), two: one gets a virtual tour of Mumbai in the video clip, the third: you get to see a glimpse of now totally forgotten, Lambretta scooter (@4.12) and fourth of course, it has a connection with a 2018 SoY post – Bharat Darshan Songs (2) – Metros.

It would not be out of place to record here that Mukesh and Mahendra Kapoor share a triad with Rajendra Mehta, a famous ghazal singer of 60s/70s.

Mera Rang De Basanti Chola – Shaheed, 1965 – Lyrics and Music:  Prem Dhawan

This would rank as one of the best patriotic songs Hindi films have recorded.

With Manna Dey

The proper duet of Mukesh and Manna Dey, very surprisingly, has come up only in 1976 for the film Das Numbri. Even Mukesh, Mohammad Rafi and Manna Dey triad also came up in only 1973, for Teen Chor. As such, I thought it would be patently safe to fall back upon a quartet and a quintet from the earlier years.

Sathi Re…. Kadam Kadam Se Dil Mila Rahein Hai Ham – Char Dil Char Rahein (1959) – with Mahendra Kapoor, Meena Kapoor, chorus – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi – Music: Anil Biswas

The song is an inspirational song, wherein multiple singers join to playback for corresponding actor on the screen. It being an Anil Biswas composition, the composition and orchestration are ideal, so are the lyrics of Sahir. It is not surprising that the overall outcome is a song that you would like listen, again and again, for its sheer melody.

I am not able to resist the temptation of including a quintet chorus song, so well-known to me, and almost of all of us for that matter, that came up in different light when I listened to it from the point of view of the present article.

Hum Bhi Hai Tum Bhi Ho Dono Hai Amane Samane – Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1961) – with Mahendra Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and chorus – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan

I always admired this song for several stunning features – Shankar Jaikishan and the team for conceiving and executing the rich orchestrion (of particular notice is the violin ensemble piece @ 5.35 -5.52 that so vividly creates the feeling of speed), meticulous details of choreography of Hira Lal, and so creative camera work of Tara Dutt that captures every expression of every actor so lively and the overall direction of Radhu Karamakar – RK’s otherwise default director of photography. Essentially, the song was a chorus song representing dacoits on one side and the reformer (Raju) on the other side.

However, I could now easily see a parallel under-current of a duet too running in the song, beginning with two lines that follow the opening skirmish between Raka and Raju, when Kammo and her friend Bijli charmingly declare Hum bhi haiN (@2.30), to which Raju responds, unwittingly, Dekh lo kya asar kar diya pyar ne. The visuals @0.45 to 0.51, where Kammo longingly eyes Raju, which Raka too does not miss to notice or that fleeting exchange of mutual appreciations @ 1.52 to 2.00 between Kammo and Raju corroborate the implicit germination of soft feelings for each other. The song virtually turns into a duet after the second interlude when Kammo directly intervenes the song with itana sa ye dil tu de de agar sara jag tera ho jaye. (@5.03)

As the songs moves on, the mood of festivity of all so beautifully morphs into acquiescence of love of the two.

We come back to our main track again.

With Talat Mahmood

As we have seen @ #3 here before, Mukesh and Talat Mahmood did get just one triad as early as in 1950. These two may be the only male singers of that period who did not even have one Hindi film duet in their entire career.

Fortunately, three Mukesh – Talat Mahmood NFS duets, composed by Murli Manohar Swaroop, fill up this void. We had had heard one duet, Kisi ko deke dil koi nawa_sanj-e-fughan kyun ho, in the earlier post, Mukesh’s Non-film Hindi Geets and Ghazals.

I have picked up the other one here –

Woh Jo Ruthe To Manana Chahiye …. Zindagi Se Rooth Jaana Chahiye – NFS – lyrics: Jigar Murarabadi + Mirza Ghalib – Music: Murli Manohar Swaroop

To the opening line from Jigar Murarabadi ghazal sung by Mukesh, Talat Mahmood joins by a Mirza Ghalib ghazal line Chahiye achchhoN ko jitana chahiye, ye agar chaahein phir to kya chahiye…  and so forth.

However, we can take consolation that they did have one more song in the Hindi films – an all-male quintet in 1966.

Mujhko Muhabbat Ho Gayi Hai, Bas Muhabbat Ho Gayi Hai …. Anhoni Baat Thi Ho Gayi Hai – Biwi Aur Makaan (1966) – with Joginder, Manna Dey and Hemant Kumar – Lyrics: Gulzar – Music: Hemant Kumar

Normally Mukesh and Talat Mahmood are put at the slow paced, serious film-song-moods spectrum. Another singer, Hemant Kumar also is considered to be the singer of that part of the spectrum. However, Hemant Kumar, the music director, seems to have helped Talat Mahmood switch the role and join him (in the role of the playback singer) in the fast-paced jest-cum-scolding session with that love-infested friend among the ‘five pandav’ friends who have vowed to remain unmarried till everyone gets a job. Talat Mahmood plays back to Keshto Mukhrjee who impersonates a girl along with Biswjeet who lip syncs Hemant Kumar!

I conclude here my part of the choices of Duets(+) of Mukesh with Male singers so as to start pondering over what subject we should take up for the celebration of Mukesh’s 100^th birth anniversary post next year…….

Acknowledgement and disclaimer:

1. Mukesh Geet Kosh, 2020 edition – Harish Raghuvanshi: For the basic data and the information of the songs selected in the present article.
2. The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over these songs which vests with the respective owners.

Reproduction of the article originally published on Songs of Yore on 22 July 2022

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.

Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Male songs – [3] – ‘Other’ Male Singers

This is the third and concluding part of the article – Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Male songs. The previous parts have covered Hemant Kuamr’s solo songs in the voices of Hemant Kumar |Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar |Manna Dey.

The end of the spectrum of Hemant Kumar’s solo male compositions presents quite unusual variety of, not-from-the-mainstream, male singers. Except for the first and last song, incidentally in the chronological order, all other songs can also be ascribed to not-so-usual song situations. However, one thing that stands out is the Hemant Kumar’s choice of the singer for the song – he has fully leveraged the singer’s voice quality in the first and the last song, while duly accommodating his compositions to the vocal range of the respective singer in the other songs.

Kavi Pradeep

Pradeepji was essentially a poet, but the beauty is whichever film song is recorded in his voice has become a massive hit.

Aao Bachcho Tumhe Dikhaye Jhanki Hindustan Ki – Jagriti (1954) – Lyrics: Pradeepji

When I look at the song now, I realize how imaginatively the song has been conceived, filmed, composed, and rendered. No wonder, we found the song so enchanting in our school days in the latter half of ‘50s.

Chitalkar

Chitalkar (a.k.a. C. Ramchandra) has very rarely agreed to sing a song for other music directors. However, the mutual rapport that both will have developed while working together for Anarkali (1953) seems to have tilted the scales.

Sunaoon Ik Majnu Ka Haal, Ke Ghar Pe Pakati Na Thi Daal – Lagan (1955) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

The song seems to be street song. Hemant Kumar has packed in all possible variations that the situation for the song seems to have demanded and Chitalkar deftly handles his part of the deal.

Ravi

It is said that Ravi’s original plan was to make a career as a singer, as well. As such, he did pick up every possible opportunity in the beginning of the career. However, he did seem to have finally settled to focus on his music direction career.

Khol Ke Aankhein Dekh Jara…. Dekhi Teri Duniya Duniyawale – Lagaan (1955) – Rajinder Krishna

Whether it is quirk of circumstances or was Ravi’s own choice, but good many of beggar song genre songs that Ravi composed were popular.

Aside:

HFGK records Mohammad Rafi as the singer of the song ‘Dekhi Teri Duniya’ (Lagan 1955). There is a footnote saying that initially the song was recorded in the voice of Ravi.

Therefore, we may surmise that Mohammad Rafi was called in to sing the song with a view to boost the sale of records, and in turn, possibly help the performance of the film at the box office.

Balbir

Balbir (a.k.a. S. Balbir) has had a fairly long active career in the Hindi films. He is said to have sung around 120 songs in the films, but he was so typecast as a co-singer in male-male duet songs that there are hardly a dozen or so solo songs to his credit. To that extent, Hemant Kumar deserves special mention since he has used Balbir’s voice as a standalone singer in the following song, and the duet – O Lili, Yu Tham Ja Mere Aagey Aa Gayi Billi – with Geeta Dutt.

Main Mar Gaya To Likhna Ye Kabhi Mere Afsaane Mein… Arre Hamne To Saari Zindagi Gujaari Kedkhane Mein – Laalten (1956) – With chorus – Lyrics: Shewan Rizvi

Mukesh – In a Version Song

Mukesh apparently did not have solo song composed by Hemant Kumar.

Gori Chori Chori Jaana Buree Baat Hai, Teri Kismat Ki Chaavi Mere Haath Hai – Ek Jhalak (1957) – Lyrics: S H Bihari

Mukesh Geetkosh (Hindi Edition, November 2020) records this as version song, with record number FT21009

Asides:

Here is the song as it appears in the film, in the voice of Hemant Kumar

Anil Kumar

Hardly anything is known of this singer.

Rooh Pyase Hai, Pareshan Hai Oos Raat Ke Baad – Oos Raat Ke Baad (1970) – Lyrics: Gohar Kanpuri

The song is rendered in Mohammad Rafi style.in the credit titles of Oos Raat Ke Baad. The credit of the singer and the lyricist for the title song appears in a separate frame in the credit titles.

This is the video clip of the film. The titles run from the beginning till @2.19 in the clip.

Yesudas

Yesudas was playback voice for many of the songs filmed on Anmol Palekar on the screen., Probably, hence the choice.

Kise Khabar Kahan Dagar Jeevan Ki Le Jaaye – Do Ladke Dono Kadke (1979) – Lyrics: Yogesh

This film is produced by Hemant Kumar’s son, Jayanta Mukherjee. Hemant Kumar, the music director, has easily been able to rhyme in with the NextGen singer in the song.

In this Long Tail of the Other Singers Yesudas is the only exception of being a mainstream playback singer.

On the whole, this representative selection of Hemant Kumar’s male solo songs abundantly endorses the tenet that a music director knows whose voice would justice to the composition.

For the purpose of the debate of deciding whether Hemant Kumar is a better composer or a better singer, we can always have a couple of more of such samples, in the future.

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Originally published on SoY as Hemant Kumar’s Male Playback Singers. This is the edited and improved-on-the-inputs-of-discussions-thereupon version.

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A single file collated version of the three parts of Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Male Solo Songs is available for download by clicking on the hyper link.

 

Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Male songs – [2] – Kishore Kumar | Manna Dey

Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey were the other two mainstream Hindi playback singers for whom Hemant Kumar composed songs when it seemed to the THE choice that was available.

Kishore Kumar

The songs that Hemant Kumar has composed in Kishore Kumar’s voice have two have two essential variants – one is the songs for the films wherein Kishore Kumar was also acting, and the other is where Kishore Kumar has been playback singer to some other actor on the screen.

Here are a few representative songs, each representing a different mood, each one representing three different phases of Hemant Kumar’s career in Hindi films as music director.

Ek Roz Hamari Bhi Daal Galegi – Bandi (1957) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

The opening lines follow a parody form of popular folk lyrics, Kishore Kumar freely improvising his frustrating progress with cooking the food. The couplet ends with Kishore Kumar’s signature style of parodying of some of the classics, K L Saigal’s Panchhi Kahe Hot Udaas in the present case. The song then moves in, providing enough space to Kishore Kumar’s antics.

Aaj Rona Pada Toh Samjhe, Hasane Ka Mol Kya Hai – Girl Friend (1961) – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhyanvi

The song ranks as one the Kishore Kumar classics. Composed with minimal orchestration support, the composition fully brings into play the beauty of Kishore Kumar’s vocal cords.

Gaana Na Aaya Bajana Na Aaya, Dilbar Ko Ana Bana Na Aaya – Miss Mary (1957) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

Here is a song that has all the trappings of Kishore Kumar’s natural mischievous mannerisms. The net effect is that he indeed sounds so out of tune.

Hawaaon Pe Likh Do Hawaaon Ke Naam – Do Dooni Chaar (1968) – Lyrics: Gulzar

The prelude to the song, mainly in the form of base-tone humming and slightly-higher-scale short alaaps by Kishore Kumar sets the pensive mood of the song.

Aside trivia: The child artist in the frame @0.57, subsequently shown strolling with goat cub, accompanying Kishor Kumar in the whole song is Baby Neetu Singh.

Woh Shaam Kuchh Ajeeb Thi – Khamoshi (1969) – Lyrics: Gulzar

This is one song that is enshrined in the roll of honors in the Kishore Kumar’s filmography. In fact, it may not be exaggeration to say that the song helps to lift the mood of the situation – ruefully reminiscing those moments when the protagonist was with his beloved in the present.

Vaidh Ke Palle Pade , Kaise Vaid Ke Palle Pade, Marta Mar Jaaye Rog Se Rogi, Vaidh Se Kaun Lade – Raahgeer (1969)  – Lyrics : Gulzar

This comedy songs is to the tune of the famous prayer Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare.

Manna Dey

Even as Hemant Kumar has used Manna Dey very sparingly, he has fully exploited the flexibility and range of Manna Dey’s singing prowess.

Ek Bade Baap Ki Beti Kal Ghar Ke Munsi Sang Dekha Gul Mil Batiya Karte – Bandi (1957) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

The ‘common men’ are enjoying behind-the-back jibes at ‘bade log’ and their lifestyles.  The song is filmed as a street nautanki performance, and Hemant Kumar too also has composed it as such and then let Manna Dey do the rest of the job.

Rehne Ko Ghar Do – Biwi Aur Makaan (1966) – Lyrics: Gulzar

The song seems to be tailor made for Mehmood’s signature theatrics on the screen.

Dost Kahan Koi Tumsa, Tumsa Nahi Koi Mister – Khamoshi (1969) – Lyrics: Gulzar

This is a typical mandatory song that must be assigned to a comedian in the film. In most the cases, music directors, lyricists and singers have turned such occasions into presenting a song that, at the minimum, ensures that the public in the cinema hall remains seated during the song.

In the third and concluding part, we will take up Hemant Kumar;s Male Songs in the voices of  Other Singers.

Originally published on SoY as Hemant Kumar’s Male Playback Singers. This is the edited and improved-on-the-inputs-of-discussions-thereupon version.

 

Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Male songs – [1] – Hemant Kumar | Mohammad Rafi

Every time the topic of Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Film Songs in Male voice comes up, the discussion usually gets marooned in the question – was he a great composer who also sang well or was he a great singer who also made some memorable music?

This article essentially is a part of the overall portrait of Hemant Kumar as a music director. Therefore, it is incumbent of the spirit of the article that we remain focussed on the first part of the question only and leave the answer to the second part to the judgement of the readers.

The distribution curve of Hemant Kumar’s male solo song compositions is, perhaps naturally, more skewed towards his own songs. However, as a music director, he seemed to be aware of the needs of the situation of the song and those of the market forces while choosing to use the voice of other male playback singers for his male songs.

Talat Mahmood and Mukesh, being nearer his own voice quality, Hemant Kumar perhaps did not seem to have felt much need for solo songs in these voices. Also, the Hemant Kumar did not get to compose music for the films for those heroes for whom thier voices would have been the order of the day. The case of use Manna Dey appears to be beyond discussion in an article like this, in the absence of availability of any major back-up, dependable, reasoning. In any case, Manna Dey was getting almost a similar treatment in the industry. We need to rest with the fact that he was used, very, sparingly.

As such, the tail of Hemant Kumar’s male solo compositions remains skewed in favour of Mohammad Rafi, and then to a lesser degree in favour of Kishore Kumar.

For the purpose of our article, we shall stick to basic tenet that a music director knows which voice would do justice to his composition. Our role is here to cast our net wide across the breadth of Hemant Kumar compositions in the films for which he was music director and dig out all possible male songs on the table. Once done, the selection of songs is so filtered such that picture that emerges presents us a very representative retrospective of the range of Hemant Kumar as a music director.

Hemant Kumar

Hemant Kumar’s compositions in Hemant Kumar’s own voice would easily call for a special, stand-alone, wholesome treatment to have the complete picture over different moods, for different actors and for the lyrics penned by different lyricists. Presently, I have selected songs from three different periods, in three different moods.

Dil Chhed Koi Aisa Nagma, Geeton Mein Zamana Kho Jaaye – Inspector (1956) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

This is a song of pensive mood. Hemant Kumar’s soft, baritone voice ideally suits such moods.

The song has a twin Lata Mangeshkar version as well. The video clip here has both versions.

Sawan Mein Barkha Sataye Pal Pal Chin Chin Barse – Biwi Aur Makaan (1966) – Lyrics: Gulzar

Here is a song that is sheer romance, expressing a strong feeling for belonging with the beloved one when it is raining. The throw of lyric – Sawan Mein – at the very beginning of the song,or scaling up the up the delivery of lyrics midway in each stanza, present the creativity of Hemant Kumar as music director as well as his flexibility in the singing as a singer.

Tumhare Nain Dekh Ke Suna Hai Log Jogi Ho Gaye – Rahgeer (1969) – Lyrics: Gulzar

The poem composed by Gulzar, with long, narrative stanzas, would be a challenge to a music director to yield a melodious song.  For a singer also to sing all these lines without loss of breath is equally an imposing challenge. Hemant Kumar, in the dual role of the music director and the singer, has so deftly handled both the challenges.

Mohammad Rafi

Hemant Kumar’s choice of Mohammad Rafi as a second highest male singer is ample testimony of his true role play of a music director. Hemant Kumar’s solo song compositions in Mohammad Rafi’s voice also is a subject for a separate, full-fledged analysis, as he has used Rafi’s voice from lead actors to character actors; from romantic songs to comedy songs to pathos moods songs to pensive songs, set to a wide range of situations.

Paase Sabhi Ulat Gaye, Dushman Ki Chaal Ke…..Ham Laaye Hain Tufaan Se Kashti Nikalke – Jagriti (1954) – Lyrics: Pradeepji

Being a patriotic song, the initial couplets open on high scale, gradually coning down to the regular singing scale. The tone of the delivery is that of firmness of conviction of a loving, soft-natured, teacher. This is the tone in which the main song begins.

As the song progresses, the message keeps on being more and more intense. Topics like atom bombs reflect the heightened concerns. When it reaches @ 3.50, the teacher tells his wards that the time is now ripe to stop dreaming the idealism or live in the luxuries, as now is the time to go in for a quantum jump to touch the highest of ambition, of firmly and positively unfurling the tricolour of an independent nation from the top of Himalayas all over the world.  As can be expected, anyone will be carried away with these emotions. Song also suddenly jumps up in scale, remains there till the message is clear, and then returns to its normal flow.

Pradeepji has so clearly spelt out the message in his meaningful, crisp lyrics, Hemant Kumar has weaved in the mood of the song at every stage of the song. And who else could do full justice to such a song, other than the versatile Mohammad Rafi!

Ab Mori Binati Suno Bhagwan – Taj (1956) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

This is a prayer song, which has the earnestness in the base tone of the song, but as the new stanza begins, there is a sense of heightened urgency in the request. In the end, this request reaches a crescendo. Since he himself has rendered the other songs, Hemant Kumar seems to have specifically chosen Rafi for this song. Mohammad Rafi very naturally handles these variations.

Phoolon Se Dosti Hai Kanto Se Yaari Hai, Aise Majhe Ke Pyare Zindagi Hamari Hai – Duniya Jhukati Hai (1957) – Lyrics; Rajinder Krishna

This is one of the famous songs among the ‘tonga songs’ genre of Hindi film songs. Hemant Kumar has very innovatively composed interlude orchestration pieces.

Today when I see the video clip, I note that Sunil Dutt is wearing a loud-stripped T-shirt. In those days striped T-shirt was dress code for small time ‘gunda’ or mawaali’ (ruffians or scamps) characters on the silver screen! One may even recall that David was shown wearing such a T-shirt in Boot Polish’ (1954), probably to epitomise that people who live in that kind of surroundings always have indecent ways of living. The film then goes on disprove this beief.

O Gawalan KyuN Mera Man Teri Chitawan Le Gayi – Champakali (1957) – Rajendra Krishna

Even as Mohammad Rafi, perhaps, comes in as default playback singer for Bharat Bhushan, The song is quite atypical for a Hemant Kumar composition.

Yeh Mard Bade Dil Sard Bade, Chalo Ji Maana, Mardon Ka Phir Bhi Ghulam Hai Zamana – Miss Mary (1957) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

Miss Mary, a remake of Misamma in Telugu or Missiamma in Tamil, was a light mood film. It was one of the big box-office grossers in those days. Its songs had also become extremely popular. Hemant Kumar has very deftly made subtle changes in the composition, as compared to the original Telugu or more or less similar Tamil version, which has made the song very melodious while retaining its comedy elements. As a result, it looks more natural that Jamuna could have been induced to dance at the music while relishing the delivery of satire in the lyrics!

Side Notes:

The Telugu version – Telusukonave Chelli (filmed on N T Rama Rao, Savitri and Jamuna)

The Tamil version – Therinthu kollanum penne (filmed on Gemini Ganeshan, Savitri and Jamuna)

Pyari Bole Bulbul, Padosan Boli kauwa….. Kisi Ko Main Chhaila, Kisi Ko Main Hauwwa…– Hum Bhi Insan Hai (1959) – Lyrics: Shailendra

Hemant Kumar has so easily composed this comedy song, which fits Mohammad Rafi like a T.

Side Notes:

In the same year in a Bengali movie, ‘Khelaghar’ Hemant Kumar gave Mohammad Rafi two Hindi songs penned by S H Bihari. One of the two songs had the same mukhda – Pyari Bole Padosan ….

Kehti Hai Mujh Ko Duniya Deewana Nashe Mein Ha

Woh Kaunsi Mushkil Hai Jo Na Ho Sake Aasaan – Maa Beta (1962) – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

Other music directors have often chosen Hemant Kumar’s baritone voice as background song. The song here is about the underlying confidence to overcome the present adversities.  Hemant Kumar easily opts to choose Rafi for his capability to express such feelings even when singing at a lower scale. And once again, as Rafi has been called into the play, why not take the advantage of scaling higher notes to express the surge in confidence!

Mareez-e-Ishq Hoon Aye Jaan-e-Man Meri Dua Lena – Bin Badal Barsaat (1963) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Under the regular circumstances, this could have been a poem recital, but here we have a signature Mehmood comedy song, with all the strappings of Rafi – scaling high scales at the beginning of each stanza and then reverting back to the normal scale, or some choice words, like Mareez-e-ishq being delivered in a different style each time it repeats in song.

Tera Husn Rahe Mera Ishq Rahe, To Ye Subah-o-Sham Rahe Na Rahe – Do Dil (1965) – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi

A song in the praise of the (beauty) of the beloved has emerged as a very distinct genre in the Hindi films. As it so happens, Mohammad Rafi has a virtually a monopolistic presence in this genre.

Prior to Do Dil, Biswajeet had had a string of films under other banners, wherein it was Mohammad Rafi who was his playback voice. Songs from those films had been quite successful too. That, perhaps, has weighed in in the use of Mohammad Rafi for all Biswajeet songs in this film!

In the Second Part, we will take up Hemant Kumar;s Male Songs in the voices of Kishore Kumar, Mannadey and Other Singers.

Originally published on SoY as Hemant Kumar’s Male Playback Singers. This is the edited and improved-on-the-inputs-of-discussions-thereupon version.

 

Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions : Female songs – Bengali female playback singers

We have covered Hemant Kumar’s Female compositions in the form of Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle’s song  and ‘Other’ Singers’ songs previously.

Other than these, he has also chosen to experiment with Bengali female playback singers, like Ratna Gupta, Pratima Banerjee, Aarti Mukherjee, his wife Bela Mukherjee and his daughter Ranu Mukhrtjee, Bula Gupta etc.

Ratna Gupta

Ratna Gupta was the wife of film director, Hemen Gupta.  She has rendered songs only in the films which Hemen Gupta had directed, viz.– Bhuli Nai (1948) in Bengali and Ferry (1954) and Taksaal (1956; Music by Roshan) in Hindi

Yehi Hai Mere Sapno Ka Sansar – Ferry (1954) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

Geeta Bali, with her two children, is on a joy tour to her beautiful world of dreams. Ratna Gupta’s pleasant Bengali-intoned voice adds to the refreshing charm of the situation.

The song also has a sad, twin, version.

In the clip here, we get to listen a soft call of a boatmen to keep pushing the boat – the metaphor for the life – in the voice of Hemant Kumar. The main song is composed on a high scale, to reflect the anguish of Geeta Bali as the moments of her past happy family life flash in her memory.

Pratima Banerjee

Ek Baat Kahu Tumse….. Mehfil Men Tere Husn Ke Diwane, , –  Sahara (1958) – Lyrics: Bharat Vyas

Kamal Barot and Nileema Chatterjee

We have one more just one- off experiment in so far as use of these two singers is concerned.

Main Laal Laal Gujkoonn – Majli Didi (1967) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Neeraj

The song is a children’s song, based on quiz game. Kamal Barot sings lines for a child artist who we can now recognise as Baby Sarika. Nileema Chatterjee sings for a boy, identified as Master Khalid.

Ranu Mukherjee

Hemant Kumar has used Ranu Mukherje’s voice in different moods, in different situations, at different stages of her age.

Nani Teri Morni Ko Mor Le Gaye – Masoom 1960 – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhyanavi

Ranu Mukherjee must be five/six years old when the song must have been recorded. So, the natural childlike discordant notes in her voice can be felt, but otherwise this as virtuoso performance as any professional would have rendered!

Mera Qatil Hai Jee Qatil JavaN Qatil Hai – Farar(1965)  – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi

This is mother of all scoops. Just five years after that childlike innocent song, Ranu Mukherjee comes up with this full-fledged western club song, in an equally virtuoso performance.

Ab To Muskuraiye, Muskuraiye Zara, Aapki Sharatein Gul Khila Chukee – Do Dooni Chaar (1968) – Lyrics: Gulzar

Hemant Kumar’s bag of scoops has still more surprises. Three more years down the line, and Ranu Mukherjee now comes up trump as a lead singer – in a film that is pure comedy, giving playback to a vivacious, mischievous sister-in-law character so lively enacted by Tanuja and, to enliven the lyrics of Gulzar with that correct throw of a given word.

Ranu Mukherjee had two more, equally interesting, solos in the film.

Asides Trivia for the records: Gulzar seemed to have made up his mind to remake this Shakespeare’s play, ‘Comedy of Errors ‘-inspired version under the banner of Bimal Roy Production. He went to onto make a classic, in the form of Angoor (1982).

Bela Mukherjee

It should be redundant to state that Bela Mukherjee is the wife of Hemant Kumar and quite a singer on her own. Hemant Kumar has used her voice for just handful songs which at best can be classified as special situation songs.

Ae Din Dayal Daya Do Hame – Farar (1965) – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi

This is a school prayer song. Hemant Kumar has deftly used voice of Bela Mukherjee for a, boy, child artist

Bula Gupta

There is reference to a name Bula as ‘Baby Bula’ in Ferry (1954). Knowledgeable co-bloggers had identified her as daughter of the director of that film Hemen Gupta. In fact, there is mention of a child duet song in that film, where in this Baby Bula has joined Master Jayant (Hemant Kumar’s son). If we put two and two together, this Bula Gupta seems to be the same person, now a young lady.

Jaam Utha Ke Tod Ke Tauba Pee – Us Raat Ke Baad (1970) – Lyrics: Gulzar

Hemant Kumar has persisted with experimenting with Bengali singers to sing ‘special’ songs. Hemant Kumar has blended use of mid-east string instruments with western instruments in the orchestration.

Aarti Mukherjee

Aarti Mukherjee is a trained singer, who has worked as playback singers more in Bengali films then in Hindi films.

Billi Bajaye Baja, Gaye Chuhiyon Ka Raaja, Nache Bandariya Lahenga Dal Ke– Sahara (1958) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Bharat Vyas

After Aarti Mukherjee won the All-India Murphy Metro Music contest held in Mumbai, in 157, this is her reward. She was in the school in those days, so she gets to sing for the child artist in this song.

Do Do Pankh Laga Ke Panchi Banenge – Rahgeer (1969) – with Hemlata and chorus – Lyrics: Gulzar

It seems the song may have been rendered by some character in the adolescent age on the screen.

Aaj Ki Raat Chargon Ki Raat – Khamoshi (1970) – Lyrics: Gulzar

The film carries a shortened version of the song

Sharon Prabhakar

Love’s Reflections – Love in Canada (1980) – Lyrics: Sharon Prabhakar

Love in Canada is the swan song of Hemant Kumar in so far as Hindi film music is concerned, but his experimental streak is still as alive and as sharp as ever.

Hemant Kumar’s female songs has so many shades that one article by any one person will never be able to do full justice to the subject. If I were to do this article once again, even I may choose some other songs over what I have chosen here. There is always that hope for that next time…..

Originally published on SoY as Hemant Kumar’s Female Playback Singers . This is the edited and improved-on-the-inputs-of-discussions thereupon version

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A single file collated version of the three parts of Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Female songs is available for download by clicking on the hyper link.

Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions: Female songs – ‘Other’ Singers

We have covered Hemant Kumar’s Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle’s songs earlier.

We now move over to the ‘Long Tail’ of the skewed distribution of Hemant Kumar’s female songs. Hemant Kumar has used the ‘other’ known Hindi female playback singers more as an exception only. Raj Kumari had one dance number in Anand Math (1952). Shamshad Begum has two solos and two FF duets, Sudha Malhotra has one solo, one FF duet and one (an iconic) MF duet – that we will take up discussion separately- and Suman Kalyanpur has two FF duets, and Usha Mangeshkar has one solo and two FF duets. We also have a very rare Mubarak Begum, Sulochana Kadam FF duet and a song by a classic trained singer Lakshmi Shankar, as well

Rajkumari

Dil Ka Paimana Hai, Ulfat Ka Hath Hai – Anand Math (1952) – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri

Sheila Ramani is so gracious as lead dancer in this court dance song.

Laksmi Shankar

Kaisi Lagi Karjeawa Mein Katar – Ferry (1954) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

Hemant Kumar has used a classic trained singer for Mujra Song. From the initial dialogue in the clip, it seems that the song is seen by the daughter (Geeta Bali) as her mother has to perform for such mehfils

The song is in two parts. The second part has Geeta Bali singing the song on the screen. The feeling of pathos is very clearly felt in the way song is rendered in this part. The context of this change would be clear only when one has seen the film.

Usha Mangeshkar

Kaisi Lagi…..Jiya Jaye To Jiya Jaye – Ek Hi Rasta (1956) – with Asha Bhosle – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

The song is a duet dance song, so typically planned to celebrate special occasions.

Pyasi Hai Mamata Meri Aaja Dheere Dheere Aa – Maa Beta (1962) – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

Hemant Kumar has so melodiously weaved lathos of mother being away from her offspring in this lullaby.

Shamshad Begum

Hemant Kumar has used Shamshad Begum for four songs, of which a duet, with Ravi, from ‘Daku Ki Ladki” (1954) do not seem to be traceable on the internet

Meri Itni Araj Hai Huzur Se, Pyar Karna Magar Door Door Se – Hamara Watan (1956) – Lyrics: S H Bihari

We have here a classic mujra song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zik26guG66o

Hum Kisi Se Na Kahenge Chup Chup Se Rahenge– Yahudi Ki Ladki (1957) – with Geeta Dutt – Lyrics: S H Bihari

The song is set to what has now become familiar Arabic dance tunes (thanks to n-number of films based on stories from that milieu) to the listeners of Hindi film songs. Both the singers have been accorded freedom to sing in their natural range.

Pyar Jata Ke Lalchaye Mora Balama –- Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – Lyrics: Shailendra

This seems to a mujra-styled dance song. Shamshad Begum is her at vintage best, even in 1959.

Sudha Malhotra

Mujhe Tarke Taaluk Samjaya Jaata Hai – Sahara (1958) – Lyrics: Bharat Vyas

Hemant Kumar has so easily been able to present a signature mujra song – with prominent tabla thaaps (beats),  beginning of the stanza without the support of any instruments and of course the use of most ubiquitous instrument of a mujra music – the sarangi.

Suman Kalyanpur

Suman Kalyanpur is present in only two FF duets. Both the duets are perfectly composed FF duets, but have differently blended the inherent vocal qualities of different singers in the respective songs.

Kabhi Aaj Kabhi Kal, Kabhi Paraso – Chand (1959) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Shailendra

The song appears to be public dance stage show. As such, both the performers are expected to move and sing in perfect synchronisation. Hemant Kumar has achieved this synchronization in the vocal part of the songs by perfectly blending almost similar sounding voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Suman Kalyanpur.

Phulwa Band Maheke Dekho Dali Dali – Ham Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – with Geeta Dutt – Lyrics: Shailendra

Shailendra has captured the two points of views of friends in the song, who seem to be visiting the flower garden – both see different hues in the same settings in which both are present together. Hemant Kumar has enlivened this effect by using two naturally different voices – those of Geeta Dutt and Suman Kalyanpur.

Aside Trivia:

The song seems to have been inspired from Meghla Bhanga Rod Utheche (The Sun Rises in the Clouded Sky) – Tar Aar Par Nei. – Pratima Badopadyay – composed by Nachiketa Ghish, lyrics: Pulak Banerjee

Mubarak Begum, Sulochana Kadam

Bharat Ke Lok Geet (Fashion, 1959) is collection of folk songs from different regions.

The song can be heard by clicking on this link

https://gaana.com/song/bharat-ke-lok-geet

Other than these, he has also chosen to experiment with Bengali female playback singers, like Ratna Gupta, Pratima Banerjee, Aarti Mukherjee, his wife Bela Mukherjee and his daughter Ranu Mukhrtjee, Bula Gupta etc.

We will take up Hemant Kumar’s songs of ‘Other’ (Bengali Female Singers in the next episode.

Originally published on SoY as Hemant Kumar’s Female Playback Singers . This is the edited and improved-on-the-inputs-of-discussions thereupon version

Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions – Songs of Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle

Hemant Kumar (16-6-1920 | 26 September 1989) had already shown flare for music composition from his early childhood. Even though his formal career did commence as a singer, his talents as a composer also did not have to wait longer to get formal recognition. Of course, in so far as Hindi Films is concerned, the first ever film for which he got to compose the music was good eight years after he sang his first film song. He then went on to compose music for 50+ films for next 27 years.

Hemant Kumar’s start as music director in Anadmath (1952) was on a reasonably high note. It soon reached peak with Nagin (1954) and Shart (1954). Both these films had excellent run on box office mainly on the backing of the songs of the film. Hemant Kumar then continued to score at least one musical hit for every two or their films for which scored the music, irrespective of the box office outcome of the film. As it happens with majority of the film songs, the songs from the films that did well on the box office has had longer recall value in the minds of the listeners. These are the songs that have normally cemented the image of Hemant Kumar as the composer in our minds.

The full spectrum of Hemant Kumar’s range as a composer has four distinct shades of grey – his solo songs in his own voice, his songs in the voice of female singers, his solo songs in the voice of other male singers, his own duets and his duets in the voice of other singers.

Presently, we will take up the segment of Hemant Kumar’s female songs to explore breadth and depth of Hemant Kumar’s compositions

In terms of the singers, the solo songs of Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt, in that order, occupy more that 80 % of the female-singers-spectrum of Hemant Kumar’s compositions. Hemant Kumar mostly used Lata Mangeshkar as his lead singer when he did not use Geeta Dutt. Quantitatively and qualitatively, he had still had enough room for using Asha Bhosle’s talent fully. One major impact of this heavy skew in the distribution of the female solo songs was to lead me to explore Hemant Kumar’s musically relatively less successful films to dig out songs of the other female singers. In the process, I had excellent opportunity to listen to many forgotten Lata/Geeta or Asha songs from these films as well.

These deep-sea explorations have resulted into a several large catches of songs of these three singers. I, therefore, have luxury to choose from the less heard songs of the less remembered films to present a different perspective of the rich legacy of repertoire of Hemant Kumar’s female song compositions.

Lata Mangeshkar

Like his other contemporary Bengali music directors, S D Burman or Salil Chowdhury, in the Hindi Film world of that period Lata Mangeshkar was the clear first choice of Hemant Kumar. The natural melody of the Lata Mangeshkar’s voice was a logical and obvious choice for the soft Bengali tone of these music directors.

Hemant Kumar’s compositions in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice, normally, keep being published at regular frequency on several social media. So, I have picked up only one song from an early film and other one from his few of the last films, to present as encompassing as possible range of Hemant Kumar’s female songs

Kahan Se Le Ke Aayi Hai Kaha Majburiya Meri….. Meri Taqdir Ke Mailk Mera Kuchh Faisala Kar De – Shart (1954) – Lyrics: S H Bihari

The song opens with a couplet that epitomises the helplessness of the protagonist. Hemant Kumar deploys short pieces of violin ensemble that accentuates the pathos mood of the song.

Mitwa Re Bhul Gaye The Rahein Mitwa – Rahgir (1969) – Lyrics: Gulzar

This song also renders the mood of pathos – caused by the separation of the lovers. Hemant Kumar has used high scales of Shehnai in the interlude, to immediately follow the line wherein chorus also joins the song. The song is classic Gulzar poetry which is always a challenge for the music director. However, Hemant Kumar’s natural bent for melody returns with a complex, and yet a melodious composition.

Geeta Dutt

Hemant Kumar did use Geeta Dutt as lead female voice in his maiden film Anandmath (1952) – 5 songs. He then used her voice as lead singer in only Laalten (1956) – 6 songs; Police (1958) – 6 songs and of course, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1960) – 3 songs. He did keep using her off and on, in solos or duets,  in films like Ferry (1954)- 2 songs;  Samrat (1954) – Songs; Shart (1954) – 2 songs; Bahu (1955) – 3 songs; Bhagwat Mahim (1955) – 1 song; Arab Ka Suadagar (1956) – 2 songs; Bandi (1957) – 3 songs; Ek Jalak (1957) 3 songs; Fashion (1957) – 2 songs; Hill Station (1957) – 3 songs; Kitana Badal Gaya Insaan – 3 songs; Miss Mary (1957) – 1 song; Yahudi Ki Ladki – 5 songs; Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – 2 songs and Duniya Jhukti Hai (1960) – 1 song. If some of the songs are remembered even today, some were lost quickly.

Aa Re Bhanvare Aa, Maheki Meri Man Ki Bagiya – Anand Math (1952) – Lyrics: Shailendra

Since Geeta Bali seems to be on an espionage or a luring mission into the British camps, she resorts to amorous gestures, matching her singing to her physical movements. Geeta Dutt supports such gyrations with matching variations of her singing. Hemant Kumar has so vividly woven an earthy folk-based composition with the situation.

Rangili Rangili Chhabili Rani Nindiya, Aa Mere Raja Ki Ankhiyo Mein Aa – Ferry (1954) – Lyrics: Rajinder Krishna

Hemant Kumar sets the lullaby to a soothing, soft orchestration.

Agar Pyar Mein Muskuraaye Na Hote – Laalten (1956) – Lyrics: Kaif Irfani

Hemant Kumar has set Geeta Dutt’s voice to a tone that exudes pathos, and then goes on to support that with short pieces of orchestrations.

Aaja Zara Mere Dil Ke Sahare – Ek Jhalak (1957) – Lyrics: S H Bihari

I always had an impression that this song is only a duet of Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt. This solo twin version is a find of the work for this episode.

Aside: The song is considered to have been inspired from Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (1955) song.

Koi Door Se Awaaz De, Chale Aao, Chale Aao – Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

After the success of Bees Saal Baad (1960), Hemant Kumar and Shakeel Badayuni again team up here. The deep-from-the-memory, haunting, softly echoing, sound of the song in the voice of Chhoti Bahu draws Guru Dutt to the place where he finds the bangles of the Chhoti Bahu. The film goes into the flash back. (@.4.14 to 5.38 of the film soundtrack). The short, soft, sounds of violin in the background in the following frames speak volumes for Hemant Kumar’s creativity as a composer.

Incidentally, it is in this opening that the Hindi version dramatically differs from the Bengali version of the film.

The present song returns at the end of the film to encapsulates the haunting melancholy of the loneliness of Chhoti Bahu

Asha Bhosle

Asha Bhosle, technically for the most part, did not enjoy the status of a lead singer in Hemant Kumar’s scheme of things. But Hemant Kumar has always done full justice to the range of her voice, in terms of number of songs that he gave to Asha Bhosle, as well in terms of variety of the music content. As a result many of Hemant Kumar -Asha Bhosle songs, like De Di Hame Azadi Bina Khadag Bina Dhal (Jagriti, 1954), Yaad Rakhana Pyar Ki Nishani Yaad Rakhana (Nagin, 1954), Sakhi Ri Sun Bole Papiha Us  Paar (Miss Mary, 1957)  or Bhnwara Bada Nanadan and Saaqiya Aaj Mohe Nend Na Ayegi (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) are respectfully placed in Asha Bhosle’s most respected songs ever.

I have selected a few representative songs here, as a sample of the wide range of Hemant Kumar’s Asha Bhosle songs.

Chalo Chale Maa, Sapno Ke Gaon Mein – Jagriti (1954) – Lyrics: Pradeepji

The song is a twin version song. The first version has strong undercurrent of hope of good tidings to come. Hemant Kumar has epitomised the high hopes by setting the opening scale of each stanza on a high note. The second version has pensive pathos mood. Hemant Kumar reframes the initial high notes of the stanza by extending them over the whole line.

Bade Bhaiya Laye Hai London Se Chhori, Dila Do Hamein Bhi Dulhan Gori Gori – Ek Hi Rasta (1956) – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Hemant Kumar conjures a beauty in the form of a children song. He seems to have taken all care to use only those instruments that are mostly seen being used on the screen in the song.

Hemant Kumar’s ingenuity as a composer is evidenced in the second stanza, wherein the song switches over to qawwali style singing because the lyrics talk about the Baarat (bride’s marriage procession).

The transition from qawwali back to the original marching rhythm is also very deftly managed @ 3.39

An interesting Trivia : @1.00 to 1.5 we get to listen a piece on harmonica which is the theme of another great Hemant – Lata duet from the film – Sanwale Salone Aaye Din Bahar Ke

We fast-forward to the later part of the Hemant Kumar’s musical filmography.

Bin Badal Barsat Na Hogi – Bin Badal Barsat (1963) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Hemant Kumar has chosen to base the  composition of this dance song on a folk tune, but the interlude orchestration has all the elements of a mystery-film song, since there seems to be some hidden story that connects the protagonist (Nishi) on the dance floor with the key spectator– Biswajeet. Asha Bhosle’s delivery of the song is also so composed that the elements of mystery and underlying melancholy of the main protagonist’s feelings remain evident.

Kyun Mujhe Itni Kushi De Di, Ki Ghabarata Hai Dil – Anupama (1966) – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi

Here is a dance song staged on the screen as a party song. Hemant Kumar has again successfully used Asha Bhosle’s voice to blend the two moods, one obvious mood of joy,  befitting what can be seen on the floor and the other a hidden underlying mood of the protagonist (Shashikala) in sync with lyrics of the song

Note: Originally published on SoY as Hemant Kumar’s Female Playback Singers . This part is the edited and improved-on-the-inputs-of-discussions thereupon version.

We will take up Hemant Kumar’s Hindi Song Compositions in Other Female Voices in the Second Part

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – August, 2020

Welcome to August 2020 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

We first pay our tributes to Kukum –

Actor Kumkum passes away at the age of 86, on 26 July, 2020. Kumkum featured in some of the most successful songs in the Hindi films of the 1950s and 1960s.

Here are some articles in a tribute to Kumkum –

And…. Kumkum

Actor Kumkum (1934-2020): The face of ‘Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar’ dies at 86

Yesteryear Actress Kumkum No More

Ten of my favourite Kumkum songs

Seven Favorite Dances Starring or Co-Starring Kumkum

We pick up other tributes and memories:

Remembering Ajit Merchant is a tribute to one of the not-so-favourably treated music directors, who is credited with giving break to Jagjit Singh for playback singing in films vide Laagi Ram Bhajan Ni Lagani Laagi (Bahuroopi, 1969- Lyrics: Venibhai Purohit

Vijeta is the war film with a difference that deserves a rewatch this Independence Day – Govind Nihalani’s gentle coming-of-age movie stars Shashi Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, Rekha and some great footage of MiGs in the sky.

Eleven Songs That Force Us to Think About the True Meaning of Azadi  – Siddharth Varadarajan – This article was originally published on August 15, 2015 and is being republished with the addition of an eleventh song on August 15, 2020- Humne Suna Tha Ek Hai Bharat – Didi (1959) – Asha Bhosle, Sudha Malhotra, Mohammad Rafi – N Dutta – Sahir Ludhyanavi

Remembering Mubarak Begum – Part 1 focuses on solo songs of Mubarak Begum whereas Part 2 focuses on her duets and triads.

In continuation of the Hemant Kumar Centenary celebrations, Hemant Kumar’s Female Playback Singers goes off the popular songs track to explore less familiar songs

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi — the hit musical comedy that Kishore Kumar had hoped would flop –  Even after more than 60 years, the movie is immensely watchable, thanks to easy-breezy comedy, great chemistry, Kishore Kumar’s energy and S.D. Burman’s tunes.

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

• A K HANGAL- A Class Actor,who was a Freedom Fighter
• Saira Banu – A Devoted Wife
• The Great Ghazals of Khayyam
• The Cinema & Songs of Gulzar
• The First English Song and Kiss in a Hindi Film
• Films Released on the Independence Day(15 Aug 1947)
• Shammi Kapoor- A Natural Dancer
• Vyjaynthimala- The Dancing Queen of Bollywood
• Manmohan Krishna- The Character Actor of the Golde…
• KHEMCHAND PRAKASH- A Forgotten Genius
• Rehana – The first Heroine of Dev Anand
• A Hit Song is a Collaborative Effort
• Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Pyar Ko Pyar Mila
• 60 Years of Mughal E Azam
• Main hoon jhum jhum jhum jhum Jhumroo- One Man Show
• Jaidev-One of the greatest but Unsung
• Seene Mein Sulagte Hain Armaan – An Immortal Song
• Meena Kumari- The Chhoti Bahu of ‘Sahib Bibi Aur …

Chitragupta’s duets for Rafi: Melody Personified continues with the series of well-known music directors, known for his greatest songs: Naushad, SJ, OP Nayyar, SD Burman, Roshan, Madan Mohan and Ravi.

Kishore Kumar and Chitragupt – The Euphonious but Underrated Pair .Kishore Mukar’s songs with Chitragupt may be less in numbers, but was quite profuse in terms of calibre.

Pakeezah is that rare film whose making is as much of a story as the actual plot – Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah took a decade-and-a-half to be made, but is now synonymous with its star, Meena Kumari, who died just after it finally released.

Music and lyrics: ‘Thodi Si Bewafaii’ and the magic of one-off collaborations between Khayyam and Gulzar

August 2020  episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs takes up Shailendra with S N Tripathi, Anil Biswas and C Ramchandra in the Shailendra’s songs with Other Music Directors series. Till now we have covered

2017 – Shailendra and “Other” Music Directors

2018 – Shailendra and Roshan

2019 – Shailendra with Hemant Kumar, Ravi and Kalayanji (Anandji)

We will now take up the articles on other subjects:

Dil Tera Deewana may have starred Shammi Kapoor, but the real hero was Mahmood – Mahmood’s performance in a double role in this 1962 comedy is what holds the film together, even though Shammi Kapoor got all the songs.

Paisa Paisa Paisa – Part 1 presents both side of value of money and Part 2 lists songs that actually mentions currency

Gol Maal, with Amol Palekar & Utpal Dutt, was the perfect foil to the Angry Young Man – Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Gol Maal is a crazy romp that turns the classic trope of twin-themed movies on its head, and features a delightful cameo by Amitabh Bachchan.

Ten of my favourite ‘This is what I sell’ songs lists product sale, in a follow-up to service sale in Ten of my favourite ‘This is my work’ songs.

In the Micro View of Songs of 1945  we have taken up Male solo songs of Golden Era Male Singers..

We end 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. Presently, we remember a few Mohammad Rafi songs which have Kum Kum on the screen.

Lehron Mein Jhool Ke – Do Gunde (1959) – with Asha Bhosle – Ghulam Mohammad – Majrooh Sultanpuri

Beet Gayi Hai Aadhi Raat – Nache Nagin Baaje Bin (1960) – With Lata Mangeshkar – Chitragupt – Majrooh Sultanpuri

Kahiye Kaisa Mizaj Hai Aapka – Salaam Memsaab (1962) – with Asha Bhosle – Ravi – Asad Bhopali

Ham Tujhse Juda Ho Ke – Ek Sapera Ek Lutera (1965)  – Usha Khanna – Asad Bhopali

Khuli Wadiyo Ka Ye Safar Hai – Ayega Aanewala (1967) – Sapan Jagmohan – Naqsh Lyalpuri

We end today’s post with

Awaz Do Hum Ek Hai – NFS – Khayyam – Jan NIshar Aktar

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.

The Micro View of Best Songs of 1945 @ SoY :: Male Solo Songs – Golden Era Singers

For the year it would be interesting enough to classify the male solo songs under three broad categories

• Solo Songs of Golden Era Male Singers – the singers who are easily associated with the Golden Era of HFM
• Solo Songs of Vintage Era Male Singers – the singers who are primarily associated with Vintage Era of HFM, and
• Solo Songs of K L Saigal, who is a class in himself during any era of the Film Music.

We will first listen to the Solo Songs of Golden Era Male Singers.

1945 is easily the year when all the (so-called) Golden Era Male Singers were still a couple of songs old in the Hindi film industry.  As such, their struggle to get establish also can not be said to have started.

Mohammed Rafi

Before 1945, Mohammad Rafi had just one chorus in 1944 and one male-male duet (for the film which was released in 1945). We have four solo songs, form three films to Mohammad Rafi’s account for the year 1945.

Aye Dil Nakaam Tamanna, Ab Jeene Ki Tamanna Chhod De – Hamara Sansar – Pt. Govind Ram – Ramesh Gupta

[Considered to be the first ever solo song recorded by Mohammad Rafi.]

Pyar Karana Padega Hi Ek Din – Sharabati Aankhen – Firoz Nizami – Pt. Indra

Bahut Mukhtasar Hai Hamari Kahani – Sharabati Aankhen – Firoz Nizami – Tanveer Naqvi

Ab Na Been Baja Snehi… – Sharabati Aankhen – Firoz Nizami – Pt. Indra

Haae Re Duniya, Jhoothon Ka Darabar – Zeenat – Meer Sahab –

Mukesh

The first ever solo song of Mukesh was “Dil Hi Bujha Hua Ho To” (Nirdosh, 1941; Music: Asho Ghose; Lyrics: M Neelkanth) as an actor-singer  His first ever song as a playback singer was in the year 1945.

Maana Ke Tum Haseen Ho Ahl-e-Shabah Ho – Moorti – Bulo C Rani – Pt. Indra

Haseeno Ko Haseeno Se Muhabbat Ho Hi Jaati Hai – Moorti – Bulo C Rani – Pt. Indra

Dil Jalata Hai To Jalne De – Paheli Nazar – Anil Biswas – Dr. Safdar ‘Aah’

[Considered as first solo song as a playback singer.]

Tay Kar Ke Badi Door Ki PoorPech Dagariya – Paheli Nazar – Anil Biswas – Dr. Safadar ‘Aah’

Manna Dey

Manna Dey started his career in playback singing in Hindi films with a duet “Jago Aayee Usha Panchi Boley Jago” (Tamanna, 1942; co-singer- Suriya; Muisc : Naushad)with Suraiya which was an instant hit.

Ek Chakori Dev Se Apane – Vikramiditya – Shankar Rao Vyas – Ramesh Gupta

Hement Kumar 

Hemant Kumar had put his first step in Hindi films in 1942 with the song Aankhon Ki Oat Jo Rahta Hai (Meenaxi,- Music: Pankaj Mallik)

(Acknowledgement: Corrections carried out in response to Shri AKji’ s comment. )

Laga Tu Us Se Lau Tu Madadgar Hai – Ban Phool – Biren Mitra -Natrendra Nath Tuli

Thus, we have (just) eleven songs to the account of Golden Era Playback singers for the year 1945. In our next episode we will get the flair of solo songs of vintage era male singers.