Sahir’s Songs of Romance – Three Film Associations

Sahir Ludhianvi was one lyricist who would not hesitate to take up cudgel with  anyone when the matter was the pride of lyrics. He firmly believed in, and even demanded for, the primacy of lyrics, in comparison with a music composition of the song or the delivery of the song by way of singing by a singer. He was the only lyricist in those time, who demanded, and got, royalty for his lyrics. His fight for accepting royalty almost equal to Lata Mangeshkar is already a story laced with several colours in the annals of Hindi film music history. Many of his relationships broke down over this issue – the cases of those with Jaidev or S D Burman are the more known ones. It also remains an almost accepted fact that his association with a production banner or the music director turned out to be the most bankable instrument, as can be seen in the cases of Jaidev or N Dutta, whose careers could never reach the full potentials after their association with Sahir had ended.

Jaidev (B: 3-8-1918 | D: 6-1-1987) and Sahir Ludhianvi, both, had a common period  of their youth spent in Ludhiana. So, when they got together in Joru Ka Bhai (1955) it was expected to a reunion which would be very fruitful. But, the prides of both the talented artists created the situation where the relationship remained soured from the first stage. Fate gave them another chance in Hum Dono (1961). Their work together in this film revived the hopes. But the egos clashed again in the next outing, Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), and the paths separated out. Fate intervened once again in Laila Majnu (1976) when Jaidev took up the unfinished work of Madan Mohan. But that was too late to fill up the chasm of the separation of minds.

Surmai Raat Hai Sitare Hai, Aaj Dono Jahaan Hamare Hai, Subah Ka Intezaar Kaun Kare – Joru Ka Bhai (1955) – Lata Mangeshkar – Music: Jaidev

phir yah rut yah samaaN mile na mile
aarzu kaa chaman khile na khile
vaqt kaa aitabaar kaun kare

le bhi lo ham ko apani baahoN mein
ruh bechain hai nigaaho mein
iltejaa baar baar kaun kare

nayi raat dhalati jaati hai
ruh gam se pighalati jaati hai
teri zulfoN se pyaar kaun kare

Surmai Raat Dhalati Jaati Hai, Ruh Gam Se Pighalati Jaati Hai, Teri ZulfoN Se Payar Kaun Kare, Ab Tera Intezar Kaun Kare – Joru Ka Bhai (1955) – Talat Mahmood – Music: Jaidev

tumko apna bana ke dekh liya
ek baar aazma ke dekh liyaa
baar baar aitbaar kaun kare

ae dil e zaar saugwar na ho
unki chaahat mein beqaraar na ho
badnaseeboN se pyaar kaun kare

Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar Ke Dil Abhi Bhara NahiN – Hum Dono (1961) – Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle – Music: Jaidev

abhi abhi to aai ho, bahaar banake chhaai ho
havaa zara mahak to le, nazar zara bahak to le
ye shaam dhal to le zara, ye dil sambhal to le zara
maiN thodi der ji to lun, nashe ke ghunt pee to luN
nashe ke ghunt pee to luN
abhi to kuchh kaha nahiN, abhi to kuchh suna nahNi

sitare jhilamilaa uthe,
charaag jagamagaa uthe
bas ab na mujhako tokanaa …..
na badhake raah rokna
agar maiN ruk gayi abhi to jaa na paaungi kabhi
yahi kahoge tum sadaa ke dil abhi nahiN bharaa
jo khatm ho kisi jagah ye aisa silsilaa nahiN

adhuri aas, adhuri pyaas chhod ke, adhuri pyaas chhod ke
jo roz yunhi jaaogi to kis tarah nibhaaogi
ki zindagi ki raah mein, javaaN dilo ki chaah mein
kai mukaam aayenge jo ham ko aajmayenge
buraa na maano baat kaa ye pyaar hai gila nahiN

haaN, yahi kahoge tum sadaa ke dil abhi nahiN bharaa

haaN, dil abhi bharaa nahiN nahiN nahNi nahiN nahiN

Maang Mein Bhar Le Rang Sakhi …Anchal Bhar Le Taare Ke Milan Ritu Aa Gayi….Jaegi Tu Un Sang Jo Tohe Lage Pyare, Milan Ritu Aa Gayi – Mujhe Jeene Do (1963) – Asha Bhosle, Chorus – Music: Jaidev

koi chandi ke rath mein aya hai
mere babul, mere babul ki rajadhani mein
maiN use dekhati huN chhup chhup kar
ek halachal si hai jawani mein
tadake ek ek ang sakhi re
aaj khushi ke mare, milan ritu aa gayi

surkh chudaa hai meri baaho me
surkh jodaa mere badan par hai
sab ki nazarein hai mere chahare par
aur meri nazar sajan par hai
machali jaye umang sakhi ri
dhadakan kare ishaare, milan ritu aa gayi

meri doli saja rahe hai kahar
phul bikhare hue hai raahoN mein
phul bikhare hue hai raahoN mein
jinki baho ki arazu thi mujhe
jaa rahi huN maiN unaki bahoN mein
angna lage tag sakhi ri
piya jab banh pasare, milan ritu aa gayi

Raat Bhi Hai Kuchh Bhigi Bhigi, Chand Bhi Hai Kuchh Madhdham Madhdham, Tum Aao To Aankhein Khole Soyi Hui Payal Ki Chham Chham – Mujhe Jeene Do (1963) – Lata Mangeshkar – Music: Jaidev

kisko bataaeN kaise bataaeN
aaj ajab hai dil kaa aalam
chain bhi hai kuchh halkaa halkaa
dard bhi hai kuchh maddham maddham

tapte dil par yu girati hai
teri nazar se pyaar ki shabanam
teri nazar se pyaar ki shabanam
jalate hue jangal par jaise
barakhaa barase ruk-ruk tham-tham

hosh mein thodi behoshi hai
….   ……  ……..   ……. …..
behoshi mein hosh hai kam kam
….   ……  ……..   ……. …..
tujhko paane ki koshish mein
….   ……  ……..   ……. …..
dono jahaaN se kho gae ham
….   ……  ……..   ……. …..

chham-chham, chham-chham

Madan Mohan (B: 25—6-1924 | D: 14-7-1975) was another music director who did justice to the poetry of Sahir Ludhianvi, as can be seen in just one example of radiff[1] kise pesh karuN in the set of three ghazals in the same film, Ghazal (1964), viz.

Nagma-o-sher Ki Saugat Kise Pesh KaruN – Lata Mangeshkar

Ishq Ki Garmi- e-jaazbat Kise Pesh KaruN – Mohammad Rafi, and

Rang Aur Noor Ki Baraat Kise Pesh KaruN – Mohammad Rafi

Each one is as exquisitely penned by Sahir as is composed Madan Mohan.

Chand Madhdham Hai AasmaN Chup Hai, NeeNd Ki God Mein JahaaN Chup Hai – Railway Platform (1955) – Lata Mangeshkar – Music: Madan Mohan

door vaadi mein doodhiyaa baadal
jhuk ke parbat ko pyaar karte hain
dil mein naakaam hasratein lekar
ham teraa intazaar karte hain

in bahaaroN ke saaye mein aajaa
phir mohabbat javaaN rahe na rahe
zindagi tere naamuraadoN par
kal talak meharbaaN rahe na rahe

roz ki tarah aaj bhi taare
subah ki gard mein na kho jaayein
aa tere gham mein jaagti aankhein
kam-se-kam ek raat so jaayein

Jiya Kho Gaya Ho Tera Ho Gaya, Main KahuN To Kaise KahuN, Jiya Kho Gaya – Railway Platform (1955) – Lata Mangeshkar – Music: Madan Mohan

gair hai phir bhii tu mujhko apna lage
terii har baat chahat ka sapna lage

uthate uthate jhukuN, jhukte jhukte uthuN
aur takra gai do nigahein
phul se khil gaye dil se dil mil gaye
jaise milti hai manzil se rahein

mujhko apne pe bhii laaj aane lagii
main akele mein chhup chhup ke gane lagi

Mujhe Ye Phool Na De Tujhko Dilbari Ki Qasam, Ye Kuchh Nahi….Tere HothoN Ki Tajhagi Ki Qasam –  Ghazal (1964) – Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur – Music: Madan Mohan

najhar hasiN ho to jalve hasiN lagte hai
main kuch nahiN huN mujhe husn ki qasam

tu ek saaz hai chheda nahi kisi ne jise
tere badan mein chhupi narm ragini ki qasam

ye ragani tere dil mein hai mere tan mein nahi
parkhne wale mujhe teri sadgi ki qasam

gazal ka lauch hai tu najam ka shabab hai tu
yakin kar mujhe meri hi shayri ki qasam

Unse Nazarein Mili Aur Hijhab Aa Gaya, Zinagai Mein HasiN Inquilab Aa Gaya – Ghazal (1964) – Lata Mangeshkar, Minoo Purushottam – Music: Madan Mohan

bekhabar the umar ke taqaazoN se ham
hamko maalum na tha aise bhi din aayege
aayina dekhe to aap apne se sharamaayege
…..    ……  ……   …… ……
bekhabar the umar ke taqaazo se ham
aaj jaana ki sach much shabaab aa gaya

aankh jhukati hai kyoN saans rukati hai kyoN
in savaalo ka khud se javaab aa gaya

dil ke aane ko ham kis tarah rokate
jispe aana tha khaana kharaab aa gaya

Is Reshami Pazeb Ki Zankar Ke Sadquay … Jisne Yeh Pehnai Hai Us Dildar Ke Sadquay – Laila Majnu (1976) – Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar – Music Madan Mohan

us jhulf ke qurbaN lab-o-rukhsar ke sadquay
har jalwa tha ik shola husn-e-yar ke sadquay

jawani mangati thi yeh hasin jhankar barsoN se
tamanna bun rahi thi dhadakno ke tar barsoN se
…..   ……    ……  …… 
chhup-chhup ke aanewale tere pyar ke sadquay

jawani so rahi thi husn ki rangin panaho mein
chura laye ham unke najani jalwe nigaho mein
….. ……   ……    …… ……….
kismat se jo huwa hai us didar ke sadquay
…       …..          …….  ……        ……..

us jhulf ke qurban lab-o-ruksar ke sadquay

najhar lahra rahi hai jism pe masti si chhayi hai
dubara dekhne ki shauk ne halchal machai hai
…..   ……   …….    ……….  ……
dil ko jo lag gaya hai us ajhar ke sadquay

Ye Diwane Ki Zid Hai…Apne Diwane Ki Khatir Aa – Laila Majnu (1976) – Mohammad Rafi – Music: Jaidev

jahaN mein quais jhinda hai
to laila mar nahiN sakati

ye da’awaa aaj
duniya bhar se
manwane ke liye aa

….  ….. ….. .   ….. …..    ……

tere dar se main khali laut jauN
kya qayamat hai
tu meri ruh ka kaa’aba
meri jaan-e- ibaadat hai

jhabeen-e-shauq ke
sajdon ko apnaane
ki khaatir aa

Sahir’s lyrics also spans over two decades with the common link of 1976 film Laila Majnu However, the subject of the film, Laila Majnu, and support of music of two music directors – Jaidev and Madan Mohan  – who could  truly lend music to his poetry, provide ample opportunity to Sahir Ludhiyanvi to maintain his elements in his lyrics even after the quite transformed period of HFM in the second half of ‘70s.

In the next episode, we will take up Sahir Ludhianvi’s romantic songs composed by R D Burman for four films they did together.

[1] Radiff (Arabic: رديف) is a rule in Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry which states that, in the form of poetry known as a Ghazal, the second line of all the couplets (bayts or Shers) must end with the same word/s. This repeating of common words is the “Radfif” of the Ghazal. (Source: Wikipedia)

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – July 2020

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

We first pay our tributes to Jagdeep who passed away recently:

A still from the movie Meena Kumari Ki Amar Kahani, featuring Jagdeep and Keshto Mukherjee. (Express Archive Photo)

Jagdeep dies at 81: A pictorial tribute to ‘Soorma Bhopali’ – Jagdeep played the lead roles in five films. He was the hero in Punar Milan (1964) and has rendered Pas Baitho  Tabiyat Bahel Jayegi (Mohammad Rafi; Music: C Arjun; Lyrics: Indeevar) on the screen-

‘Bimalda Spread Happiness’ – Jagdeep on Bimal Roy – In an interview with Joy Bimal Roy and Aparajita Sinha, actor Jagdeep had recalled his experience of working with his mentor Bimal Roy, providing rare insight into the master’s personality and his creativity. Following his recent demise, Ratnottama Sengupta rewinds to the year 2005 interview.

Bimal Roy, Jagdeep, Nirupa Roy, Balraj Sahni, Master Ratan Kumar and Sunil Dutt

100 Years of Pran – Gautam Chintamni – You have to be a special kind of villain for parents to be afraid to name their children after you! And yet Pran was so much more than just a villain.

We pick up other tributes and memories:

Mehfil completes 3 years! :  Remembering Mubarak Begum – Part 1  – solos – on her 4^th death anniversary. We pick up her maiden Hindi song here – Mohe Aane Lagi Angdai – Aaiye (1949) / Shaukat Dehlavi – Nakshab Jarchavi and Deep Ke Sang Jaloon Main – Daaera (1953) / Jamal Sen – Majrooh Sultanpuri.

NASEEM BANU: The Maiden Venus of Bollywood – D P Ranagan – Naseem was born on 4^th of July 1916, christened as Roshanara, has acted in around 22 films. We recall her song Zindagi Ka Ssaaz Bhi Kya Saaz Hai (Pukaar. 1939 –  Mir Saheb – Kamal Amrohi) from the article.

The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar: In Conversation With Author Manek Premchand – In a candid conversation with Antara Nanda Mondel, of Silhouette Magazine, renowned film historian, musicologist and author Manek Premchand talks about his latest book The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar, released July 2020. The book looks in detail at specific areas of Hemant Kumar’s work.

Aar Paar, Guru Dutt’s 1954 film that featured authentic, realistic dialogue by Abrar Alvi : Born 1^st July, 1927 – Guru Dutt, Shyama, Shakila and Johnny Walker star in this noirish comedy-thriller with great tunes by O.P. Nayyar.

Akhiyon Ka Nor Hai Tu, Akhiyon Se Door Hai Tu – Sonia Sahani – Born 31-8-1946, Sonia Sahani is known more as the default heroine for “Joha in” films. Here is a song from ‘other’ film – Ajab Hai Yeh Duniya, Ajab Zindagi Hai – Bandish (1969) – Asha Bhosle – Usha Khanna – Aslam Allahabadi

Mammoth Of An Actor – Sanjeev Kumar – Despite having blessed with handsome looks he never aimed for the role of only the “”Hero””, but always gave importance to the script and character; whether it was the leading man, a character artist or a cameo.

Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Guru Dutt’s Muslim social that pioneered the bro code in Hindi films –

A love triangle at heart, the movie provides a compelling look at Muslim life & male friendship, with exquisite music & cinematography.

Madan Mohan: The Pied Piper of Bollywood in Different Moods – ‘In light vein’, ‘Poignant’ and ‘Lilting/Lifting Mood’.

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

• Bollywood Actors as Siblings and also Lovers in Films
• Ek Chatur Naar – The Brain Child of Kishore Kumar
• Prakash Mehra- Who Gave Hindi Cinema a New Defini…
• The Unforgettable Slaps of Bollywood
• Jagdeep – Mera Naam Soorma Bhopali Aise Hi Nahin Hai
• Neetu Singh – Retired Too Early
• The Raga based Bollywood Songs- Raga Bhimpalasi
• ” Fly the Flag”. tells Dev Anand to Chetan Anand
• The Sound of Shehnai in Bollywood Songs
• AMIT KUMAR- Like Father Like Son
• Saroj Khan- The Mother of Bollywood Choreography
• Bollywood’s Obsession With Fair Skin

July 2020  episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs takes up Mohammad Rafi’s First Solo Song With The Music Director -1964 – 1966.  We have selected a five-year slot each as the base review period. Starting from the year 1944, till now we have covered

• 1^st Five-Year Period : 1944 -1948 ,
• 2^nd Five-Year Period : 1949-1953,
• 3^rd Five-Year period : 1954 – 1958, and
• 4^th  Five-Year Period – 1959 -1963

We will now take up the articles on other subjects:

How song and dance made love and desire visible on screen – In an essay in tiltpauseshift: Dance Ecologies in India (Gati Dance Forum, 2016), writer and filmmaker Paromita Vohra makes a case for Bollywood dance as a unique “symbolic language” and a way to simultaneously accommodate hybrid, even transgressive, ideas of pleasure, desire and sexuality.

Anil Biswas and Talat Mahmood – The Deeply Dulcet Combination – Though they worked together on as few as less than 20 songs, they shared such a bond that if Talat Mahmood is mentioned, Anil Biswas immediately comes to mind.- Mukh Se Na BolooN – Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar- Jallianwala Bagh Ki Jyoti (1953) – Anil Biswas – Udhdhav Kumar

‘Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro’ revisited: A timeless tale of a small-time thug dreaming of the big league – Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s 1989 film, starring Pavan Malhotra, is a rare serious examination of the marginalisation of urban Muslims. –

The Curious Case of Rahul Dev Burman – Pancham’s music which ages in reverse order. He began as a matured music composer and his music keeps getting younger as the years pass by : Ghar Aaja Ghair Aaye (Choote Nwab, 1961: Lyrics: Shailendra  – RDB’s first film ) vs. Kuchh Na Kaho (1942 – A Love Story, 1994; Lyrics: Javed Akhtar  – his last film.

Shekhar Kapur’s Masoom is as beautifully relatable as it was almost 40 years ago – Starring Naseeruddin Shah & Shabana Azmi, the movie features some of R.D. Burman and Gulzar’s finest work, & three adorable kids.

Romantic Songs of the Magical Combo – Kalyanji-Anandji and Mukesh – started with Bedard Zamana Kya Jaane (1959) – Naina Ho Jaadu Bhare -Kalyanji’s solo film and Madari (1959) – Dil Lootanewale Jadugar -one of the duo’s initial films; and continued to till Mukesh breathed his last in 1976.

Rajesh Khanna’s Safar is a melancholy meditation on life, death, love and duty – Even before the more famous Anand, the superstar had perfected the role of a dying man who wants to spread joy, but Safar is far darker and less feel-good.

Ten of my favourite ‘This is my work’ songs lists the songs that promote the services being vended by the singer. Here is one example – Kismat phati hui thhi (Ali Baba aur Chaalees Chor, 1954 – Mohammad Rafi – S N Tripathi – Raja Mahendi Ali Khan):

We have commence Micro View of Songs of 1945  with the traditional opening post of Setting the stage. SoY has presented Wrap up-I to present the best male singer for the year 1945.

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. Sanjeev Rambhadran has conceived a series of 40 days, 40 songs, 40 music directors to commemorate 40 years of Mohammad Rafi’s passing away. His selection of the music director and the song can be ebest apprcaited by listening to his entire series only. I have picked up 5 representative songs from the first 20 songs. I plan to take other 5 in our December 2020 episode:

Wo Ham Na The Wo Tum Na The – Cha Cha Cha (1964) – Iqbal Quereshi – Neeraj

Kuchh Aisi Pyari Shakla Mere  Dilruba Ki Hai – Naya Kanoon (1965)  – Madan Mohan – Hasrat Jaipuri

Arman Machal Rahe Hai Dil-e-Bequarar Mein – NFS – Jamal Sen – Haquim Yusuf

Hum Apane Dil Ka Fasaana Suna Na Sake – Actress (1948) – Shyam Sundar – Naqshab Jarachvi

Saaqui Ki Har Nigah Pe Balkha Ke Pee Gaya – NFS – Taj Mohammad Khan – Jigar Moradabadi

I look forward to your inputs to enrich the contents of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

Disclaimer: This monthly series of posts is my best-effort-based compilation of posts on Hindi film songs that I normally visit regularly. As I record my sincere thanks to all the original creators of these posts, any other posts that I have nor covered herein shows my lack of awareness of existence of such posts and is by no means any disrespect to their work. The copyrights to the posts, images and video clips remain the properties of the original creators.

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music, December, 2018

Welcome to December, 2018 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

We will take up posts dedicated to commemorate 112^th birthdate of Prthviraj Kapoor.as THE topic for December, 2018.

इस एक्टर को कहा जाता है बॉलीवुड का भीष्म पितामह, एक ही फिल्म में दिखा दी थी 3 पीढ़ी – He acted in a supporting role in India’s first talkie-film Alam Ara in 1931

In an video interview, Sanjana Kapoor on Prithviraj Kapoor and his Theatre Legacy

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Remembering Prithviraj Kapoor on his 111th birth anniversary – was an excellent photo memor by Indian Express

We now move on to other birthday/ death anniversary posts for the month:

It is but expected that Mohammad Rafi is remembered so fondly in the month of his birthday.-

Mohammad Rafi – A God-gifted voice.

Rafi’s best duets by Madan Mohan

Shakeel-Naushad: Classy Confluence, Seamless Flow – 1 – Shakeel Badayuni is considered to be one of the finest romantic poets of the previous century. And Naushad among the monarchs of Hindi film music. When they teamed up, the result was classic! Vijay Kumar pays a tribute to this inimitable confluence with an exploration of the music and poetry they created together.

Remembering my father and the legend Madan Mohan – In response to SoY invitation, Sangeeta Gupta, the eldest daughter of Madan Mohan, joins in contributing a guest article on Madan Mohan’s songs ‘with other singers’ as a touching finale to the tandem series on Roshan and Madan Mohan on SoY.

Happy Birthd  Usha Mangeshkar! And Usha Mangeshkar – II are the posts in tribute to her 83^rd birthday. The former lists her Hindi and Marathi solo songs whereas the latter lists her duets.

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

• Ameen Sayani` – The grand old man of radio
• Om Prakash- Widely Remembered for his Versatile R…
• 50 years of the release of SUNGHARSH
• Raj Kapoor- The fascination of seeing his heroine…
• It was Devika Rani who gave Kohinoor to Bollywood
• Shatrughan Sinha- The Chhainu of Mere Apne
• Sharmila Tagore-The 60s stunner turns 74 today
• Dharmendra -More than just a fine-looking man
• 50 Years of Padosan (1968)
• Let’s look into the Philosphy of Dev Anand

Singer Mohammed Aziz No More , born 2^nd July, 1954, Mohammad Aziz’s maiden Hindi Film song was Mard Tangewaala main hoon

Songs ‘sung’ by people with disabilities: my favourites, lists some superb songs ‘sung’ by people with disabilities to observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

December, 2018 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs is dedicated to Mohammad Rafi’s First Song with a Music Director’s  3^rd Five Year period’s year 1956.. The corresponding post for years 1954 and 1955 was published on 8 July, 2018, and for the solo songs of tears 1957 and 1958 is published on 24 December, 2018. All the three separately posted posts of Mohammad Rafi’s First Solo Song With The Music Director: 1954 -1958 can be accessed at / downloaded by clicking on the hyperlink.

And, now the posts on other subjects:

The ‘Radio Songs’ from Hindi films are the songs that have radio to a major extent. The song can be the one which is being played on radio and is also seen being recorded too.

Chariots of Verse – The older generations rues the Axial Age of our cinema, mainly the middle 1940s to the late 1960s, when cinema and music reached heights of excellence that seem unachievable today. That age was exemplified not just by a wide range of words used, but by the high use of imagery too…Sometimes, songwriters of that time used different words or sentence structures to express essentially the same idea, like he lyrics-writer Anjaan said Teri aankh mein wo kamaal hai (Rafi/Mr India, 1961).. There are many thoughts—more or less of the same kind—that have been offered differently in 3 or more songs, even if it’s sometimes the same poet in two songs. The post engages with such poetic chariots of 3 poems with similar attributes:

The Great Horse Beat Songs of Bollywood resonates in our memories even today thanks to some of the great songs composed on that rhythm.

Musically Yours, 1963: Part 3  – This is Part 3, following up Part 1 and Part 2  in a 4-part series of essays, exploring the Hindi film music of 1963, the year of birth of the writer Monica Kar. In a personal tribute to composers who gave music that makes its presence felt even after 55 years, Monica Kar explores the enduring magic of three composer-duos – Shankar Jaikishan, Kalyanji-Anandji and Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

Ten of my favourite Bharat Vyas songs lists the songs of Bharat Vyas to pay tribute in the centenary year of his birth.

If it’s a Harp, This Could be a Woman – there is a musical instrument that is mostly associated with women, and it’s an ancient instrument too, so for observation’s sake, its history can be studied in some detail. The instrument is called the harp, whose early shape was inspired by the curve of the hunting bow. It now comes in many shapes, but in all of them, it has a charming appearance. The post lists songs featured on women with harp.

Mann Kyun Behka – Utsav – Midnight Musings   Aditi and Vasantsena in Utsav (1985) bonding over their love for Charudutta share their feelings in this duet..

Two of a kind lists humkhayaal thoughts from different minds, which make a subject for a fascinating study, for example:

Jab bhi jee chaahe nayi duniya basa lete hain log
Ek chehre pe kayi chehre laga lete hain log – Lata Mangeshkar – Daag, 1973) – Laxmikant Pyarelal

And, across the border in Pakistan, the wonderfully-voiced Mehdi Hassan had rendered something similar in Saza (1969), to the poetry of Qateel Shifai:

Jab bhi chaahen ik nayi surat bana lete hain log
Ek chehre pe kayi chehre saja lete hain log

Jogi Jab Se Tu Aaya – Bandini – Under The Spell is the song that Love makes its presence felt and before you know it, you are under the spell.

SoY concluded Best songs of 1947: And the winners are? With the concluding piece Best songs of 1947: Final Wrap Up 4 adjudging Naushad and C Ramchandra as joint winners.

Micro View of Best songs of 1947: And the winners are? with the Duets of 1947, All the episodes of The Micro View of Best Songs of 1947 can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.

In our tradition of ending our post with article on Mohammad Rafi or a topical song of his, I have picked up a few songs, each one of which basically has a link with the topics discussed in the present post.

Woh Hum Na The Woh Tum Na The – Cha Cha Cha (1964) – Iqbal Qureshi – Neeraj

Maya Ka Aanchal Jale – Kinare Kinare (1964)– With Usha Mangeshkar, – Jaidev – Nyay Sharma

Baman Ho Ya Jaat – Karigar (1958) – C Ramchandra  -Bharat Vyas

Pihu Pihu Karat Papiha – Baiju Bawra 1952) – Naushad – Shakeel Badayuni

Ankhon Pe Bharosa Mat Kar Duniya Jadoo Ka Khel Hai – Detective (1958) – With Sudha Malhotra – Mukul Roy – Shailendra

I wish that 2019 remains resonant with chimes of success and happiness for you and your family.

P.S.  : All episodes of our blog carnival of articles and posts on Hindi film Songs for the year 2018 can be accessed at  / downloaded from  in single file by clicking Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – 2018.

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – September, 2018

Welcome to September, 2018 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

Our focused topic for the month of September, 2018 is R K Studios, one of the last icons of the Golden Era of Film-making.RK Studios: The final curtain – Madhu Jain – With the Kapoors deciding to sell the iconic studio that was destroyed last year in a fire, a slice of film history has been lost forever – RK Films was in effect a Nargis-Raj Kapoor banner for a few years. Nargis played a much greater role in RK films than is widely known and acknowledged: supervising the lighting on occasion, going into the production details, recognizing the potential of the actress Nadira, giving generously when the money was needed, and much more. She was alongside him through much of their golden years together. They were in sixteen films together, beginning with Aag in 1948 and ending with Jaagte Raho in 1956.

And, now, we take up the tributes in September 2018:

Tere mandir ka hoon deepak jal raha, by Vijay Kumar – Pankaj Mullick’s voice had a clarity and a boom that, I am certain, would have reached the man in the last row of a listening audience, without the aid of a mike…He had the voice of a supreme bhakt!

Happy Birthday Lata Didi presents Lata Mangeshkar’s duets or trios with other Mangeshkar sisters.

Madan Mohan’s tuning with Lata Mangeshkar – For all the shared background and their lofty personal bonding, it has ever remained a mystery for many of music lovers as to why Madan Mohan did not use Lata Mangeshkar’s voice in his first film……

The title of the post – Lata Mangeshkar and S D Burman gave Bollywood many Immortal Songs – is a complete statement in itself.

Happy 92nd Birthday, Noor Jehan! has a recently updated playlist of Noor Jehan songs.

O Nigahen Mastana – the most romantic songs ever created by any music director, in which female singer simply hums her part.

The One and Lonely Kidar Sharma: An Anecdotal Autobiography and Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal’s ‘S D Burman: The Prince Musician’ are the book reviews.

70 Years ago Dev Anand got his first Hit FilmLata Mangeshkar and S D Burman gave Bollywood many Immortal Songs  as Ziddi, in 1948.

Hats off to Dev Anand – Dev Anand was known for very different hats /caps/headgears in different films, He was also very fond of these in his personal life as well.

Dev Anand’s dreams that couldn’t be Fulfilled  gives us a view of Dev Anand’s unfulfilled projects.

In Memory of Dev Anand’s birthday are the songs that Hemant Kumar played back the screen.-

Guide: A Spiritual Odyssey – Dev Anand’s creative effort reached its apogee in Navketan’s Guide, a film that accommodates more than one perspective. On the occasion of Dev Anand’s birth anniversary (he would have been 95 today), Vijay Kumar relives the finer points of one of the finest Hindi films ever made, exploring its streams and currents of thoughts and views.

G P Sippy- A carpet merchant to the maker of Sholay – G P Sippy had turned a construction magnate and then plunged into filmmaking in 1951 with the Dev Anand film Sazaa and rolling of as many 17 films in his career.

60 Years of Madhumati which was released on 12 September, 1958, swept off a big gate collection and a host of awards.

The Musical Journey Of Asha Bhosle is a tribute to her on her birthday (8^th September, 1933)

Asha sings for Madan Mohan – I and Asha sings for Madan Mohan – II, are the solos songs and duets/trios etc. respectively.

Roshan aur Madan Mohan ki Asha draws some parallels and some not so parallels in the patterns willingness of the use of Asha Bhosle by these music directors.

Messenger of Love and Peace – 7^th September, 2018 is the 40^th anniversary of P L Santoshi. The post lists just a few more of his wonderful songs, with the films and singers mentioned. Let us hear this one – Tum Se Hai Pyar Mujhe Tum Se Hai Pyar – Teen Batti Char Rasta (1953)

King of Ghazal Talat Mahmood with Ghazal Maestros Madan Mohan and Roshan and Best of Mukesh by Roshan and Madan Mohan are the two articles in Soy’s series on Roshan and Madan  Mohan that provide finer insight to the use of these two singers by these two music directors.

That Salil Chowdhry – A Creative Genius is evident from the fact that he was Composer, Music Arranger, Poet, Story writer and much more .

The Masters: Rajinder Krishan is a collection of his songs composed by Madan Mohan, and then a select compilation of his work with other directors.

The Guitar That Sang is the recollections of an elder brother of a nine-year older brother, David Vernon (Verni) Liddle, who was a guitarist who played for some of the greatest hits of Hindi cinema.

Sadhana – One photograph that changed her life!  was published in the famous film paper “Screen” publicizing the Sindhi Film “Abaana”.

Piya aiso jiya mein samaye, by Vijay Kumar – Meena Kumari never looked so beautiful, and so fully subsumed in her role, as in this song. An anticipation of a rendezvous in privacy is writ large on her persona. Shakeel too understood the नज़ाकत of the situation and penned words befitting his stature as the poet of romance. And Geeta sang it effortlessly as if giving voice to her own emotions.

September, 2018 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs is dedicated (Shankar-) Jaikishan and Hasrat Jaipuri’s Songs Fading From the Memory 1955 – 1957

We have two more articles nearer to this subject: Jaiksihan ‘s forte was romantic and western tunes and Hasrat Jaipuri – A Love Letter written in Real Life becomes Immortal in Reel in the form of Ye Mera Prempatra Padhkar……The post lists other Hasrat Jaipuri romantic songs in tribute to him.

And, now the posts on other subjects:

Some of the Great Background Songs of Bollywood – Songs being heard from the background has been a very important genre for Hindi Films. The post has listed many known songs, in alphabetical order.

Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche – Brahmachari – Talk Of The Town – Gossip, the communication spreading through the grape wineyard, is autothermic, and once initiated, by a topic like the one in the preceding article, then is almost unstoppable.

In praise of visible film craft is about the simplistic idea that the elements of filmmaking mustn’t draw attention to themselves.

Royal Singing – It is often observed in popular culture that royals do not sing anything; if they do, many people think they should not be doing so. That’s because the arts—especially the performing kind—are seen as trivial affairs. The post lists some songs that were lip-synched by Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses on Hindi film screen. Actors who portrayed the royals are mentioned too.

Shola Jo Bhadke – Albela – Sparks Of Love – The Cuban percussion at the beginning played by Chic Chocolate warns you of the fire that is about to spread. Geeta Bali herself looking like a luminous spark of that fire, with a Hawaiian lei around her neck, a floral top and a wraparound skirt.

Hindi songs featuring Umbrella, have included the songs where the prop, umbrella is seen throughout the song or at least for a significant portion of the song. Also someone has to handle the umbrella, if it’s just kept there, even if open won’t count for the list.

Badi Der Se Megha Barsa – Namkeen – Withering Woes – There are some who might flaunt that wait when it is over. The show off of that wait you have gone through to your partner might take the romance in your life several notches up. Of course the flaunt is merely a charade to spice up the romance. From here begins the roothna-manaanaa and all the banter. It will also be a treat if this charade of flaunt is in Asha Bhonsle’s voice.

‘Heroine teasing Hero’ songs – Hero ‘Chhed Chhading’ the heroine is a relatively common scenario in Hindi films, but the exact opposite is not that common. No seductive songs are included, as those songs are usually a part of a trap arranged for the hero. So even if it sounds like a teasing song, they don’t count. And, the target should be one single person and not men in general or a group of boys.

Two princes or two paupers? Parvarish, and an identity non-crisis – In view of the SC of India verdict on the Section 377 verdict, the fluidity of identity (sexual and other kinds) assumes a deeper meaning. Here is a reminder of an egalitarian 1950s Hindi film that simply sidesteps the identity question and even lampoons those who get all hot and bothered about it.

Of Trees And Hindi Film Songs – If ecologically, tress provide much needed oxygen, then they also provide a ready nourishment to human love, particularly between a male and a female.

The Ring Given to Suraiya by Dev Anand is still lying in the Arabian Sea – The real story revealed by Dev Anand in his autobiography” Romancing with Life” It was Suraiya herself who threw the ring far into the sea of Bombay only after the last meeting with Dev Anand….It was on the advice of his elder brother Chetan Anand that the actor decided to end his relationship with the actress and concentrate on his film career. While Dev eventually overcame the trauma of a broken relationship and moved on, Suraiya decided not to get married.

Can’t Play Sad Music – One of the world’s most charming musical instruments, the frame drum called tambourine has featured importantly in hundreds of our songs, but yet has unfortunately not been judged in the light it has deserved. This is true not just here, but abroad as well…In India it is called the daffli. Now the daffli also has a big brother called Daff, which is typically a similar frame drum, except much bigger,

The post lists The Songs shot in Shimla or nearby locations

Ventriloquism in Hindi Films is a well-researched post, on an interesting subject.

We continue Micro View of Best songs of 1947: And the winners are? with female solo songs, wherein after having covered solo songs of Suraiya and Geeta Roy,  Shamshad Begum. Rajkumari, Amirbai Karnataki (Part I and Part II) Zohrabai Ambalewali (Part I and Part II), we have now covered Khursheed, Noor Jehan & Kanan Devi, Meena Kumar, Naseem Akhtar and Zeenat Begum, Lalita Deulkar, Sharda Gangul and Mohantara, Paro Devi, Menakabai & Saroj Welingkar, Hamida Bano, Beenapani Mukherjee, Sitara Devi & Lata Mangeshkar in ‘other’ female singers. We have also presented a post that has presented Female Solos that I liked in 1947. We have also moved to Duets of 1947 with those of Mukesh with other female playback singers.

In our tradition of ending our post with article on Mohammad Rafi or a topical song of his, I have picked up one SoY post, one video clip and a few songs that basically have link with the topics discussed in the present post.

The story behind the song”Chahoonga Main Tujhe Saanj Savere” that tells how the song got in from nowhere.

Rsavare Matvare Kajarare Nain Tihare – Holiday in Bombay (1963) – with Balbir – N Dutta – P L SAntoshi

Le Gaya Zalim Ghari Samaja Ke Mera Dhadakata Dil – Bombay Race Course (1965) – Madan Mohan – Rajinder Krishna

Kisi Se Hamne Ye Poochha Mohabbat Kisa Ko Kahate Hai – Garibi (1949) – Bulo C Rani – Rajinder Krishna

O Gawalan Ku Mera Man Teri Chitwan Le Gayi  – Champakali (1957) – Hemant Kumar – Rajinder Krishna

I earnestly seek your suggestions / inputs / criticisms so as to make our Film Blog Festival more interesting and live.

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – July, 2018

Welcome to July, 2018 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

The month of July will now onwards go in records as the month of passing away of (Gopaldas Saxena) ‘Neeraj’.

In Neeraj (1925-2018): ‘I grew so infamous in my time, it will take centuries for me to be forgotten’, Annie Zaidi recalls different aspects of his poetry.

Neeraj-The great Poet and Lyricist called himself an unfortunate poet which led to his stopping himself from writing film songs and restricting himself to just writing and getting his poems published. The reason that he gave for this was that at least two or three prominent music directors of the Hindi Film Industry for whom he wrote very successful and popular songs, had expired.

Remembering Gopaldas ‘Neeraj’ through songs like ‘Tum Nacho Ras Barase‘ from Sati Nari (1965, Mahendra Kapoor; ), – In 1970 -71, around 14 films were released with Neeraj as a Lyricist and it can be considered as a peak of his career.

RS TV had done an excellent feature on his life, in 2012 – Gopaldas “Neeraj” in Unki Nazar Unka Shahar

And, now, we take up the tributes in July, 2018:

On Gauhar Jaan’s 145th birth anniversary, Google’s endearing doodle

V Balsara, the music director who did not want to remain confined to a studio – On Balsara’s 96th birth anniversary (he was born on 22 June 1922), renowned tabla player Dipankar Acharya and noted music arranger Durbadal Chatterjee speak about working with the multi-faceted musician in Bengali cinema.

Sajjad Hussain, Bollywood’s Loss – D P Rangan pays tribute to Sajjad Hussain on his 23^rd death anniversary (15 June 1917 – 21 July 1995)

Mukesh-who wanted to be like K L Saigal – Many critics derided him as an imperfect singer who had a nasal twang and who would often miss a note or a beat and many a time they had a valid point. His limited vocal range also made high-pitched songs difficult for him. Mukesh proved them wrong.

75 Years(19th July 1943) ago Dev Anand landed Bombay to become Hero in Bollywood – It was in 1945 he got the role in the film Hum Ek Hain which was made in 1946 but released in 1947 after independence.

Chetan Anand: Exploring the Unconventional to Make Landmark Films – Twenty one years ago, on July 7, 1997, Chetan Anand bid farewell. For Silhouette, Peeyush Sharma  pays tribute to the great film maker, the director, writer, producer, actor who dared to explore unconventional subjects that turned into landmark cinema.

Roshan & Madan Mohan: Twin Towers of Rhapsody – In a joint tribute to Roshan on his 101^st birth anniversary (14 July 1917 – 16 November 1967) and to Madan Mohan on his 43^rd death anniversary (25 June 1924 – 14 July 1975). D P Rangan. With annotations by Subodh Agrawal, explores the similarities in the essentially different musical styles.

G S Kohli – A Tribute – His first film was Lambe Haath (1960) – O Deewane Chhokare Raah Meri Na Rok Re’ (Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi); followedby.Mr. India (1961) – ‘Dekha Na Jaye’ (Geeta Dutt). He had great hits – Faulad and Shikari – 1963, form big banners. However he could not sustain that magic in his later films.

Some thoughts upon the death of Zarina Begum (and a few other notes updating past posts) – Zarina Begum, the last disciple of ‘Mallika-e-ghazal’ Begum Akhtar, and the only torch-bearer of Baithak Gana, died of a chronic kidney disease at a private city hospital at around 8 am on 12-5-2018….She ived at Hatha Khuda Baksh area in Old Fatehganj in Lucknow. An old harmonium, a tabla and some old pages and diaries with lyrics in Urdu were her companions in her final days.

Rajesh Khanna-The heartthrob of the young generation of 1970s,  During his career, Khanna played the lead in 74 films that were shown in cinemas for more than 50 continuous weeks (Golden Jubilee Hits) which includes 48 films which ran for 75 weeks (Platinum Jubilee hits) and 22 films that were shown for more than 25(Silver Jubilee hits), but less than 50 weeks.

Musically Yours, 1963 (Part I) – Monica Karpays a personal tribute to 12 music directors who created note-worthy compositions in 1963, the year she was born, and have definitely had a hand in keeping her music-crazy for the past 55 years. As many as 22 music directors gave quality music in that year and many of those creations went on to become immortal in the hearts of music lovers – including this writer.

The earlier Years of Mehmood peeps back into the early struggles of Mehmmod and rise to stardom.

Anand Bakshi – The Juggler of Words got his break writing songs in a Brij Mohan film titled Bhalaa Aadmi (1958). His first song in this film was “Dharti Ke Laal Na Kar Itna Malaal.

Mehfil celebrates ‘First Anniversary’ by selecting songs of some rare combinations of singers and composers. For this purpose, the criteria applied are: Both of them should be contemporary; the number of songs for the pair should not exceed five OR The singer has sung only for a single film with that particular composer. Of the resultant output, we take one example: Dear O Dear – Nagina (1951) – Shamshad Begum – Shanker Jaikishna

July, 2018 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs is dedicated to Mohammad Rafi’s Solo Song From The FIRST Film With The Music Director: 1954 -1955

And, now the posts on other subjects:

The song Khoya Khoya Chaand was written on a piece of cigarette pack foil – What Vijay Anand achieves is a feat which is very rare. Most directors shy away from shooting and showing us more than two verses of a song. Here, his shooting, along with Burmanda’s music and Shailendra’s words, is so perfect that we go through FOUR verses of this song just glued to our seats !!!! That is why Vijay Anand is adored by film-goers and film-makers all over India.

In the Wink of an Eye – A particular film has often achieved an iconic status in which the lead of the film has used her/his eyes, for instance Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, or our every Om Puri in Ardh Satya. Eyes, indeed, convey a gamut of emotions that move beyond the coyness of just doe eyed stars. This essay explores the different ways in which films have used an actor’s eyes. The history of fascinating display on the screen is long and the authors, Amitava Nag and Shiladitya Sarkar, try to articulate what it means to say it all through the eyes.

Songs of ‘Tanhai’ – The loneliness was a very popular theme for Hindi Films up to 60s. The moods of the song ranged from sad to romantic to seductive.

• Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Ek Aisi – Meenar (1954) Talat / C Ramchandra – Rajendra Krishna
• Sham Ki Tanhaiyan Hai – Zarak Khan (1963) Asha Bhosle / S Mohinder – Anand Bakshi
• Tanha-tanha yahaan pe jeena– Rangeela (1965) – Asha Bhosle –A R Rehman

Ornamented for Style – Wearing jewelry is universal and predates recorded history. Even our gods wear ornaments, as is evident from their images. Within India, with its diverse culture, we have so many regional variations and styles of wearing jewelry. Not all ornaments have found a mention in our songs, but many have. The post goes on list the songs,

My Favourite Piano Songs, selected on the basis of 1: The character, who sings the song, should not play the piano. 2: The one who’s playing the piano should be a character from the movie, just a musician won’t fit the bill and 3:  It  should be a solo

Pets and Beyond – Hindi cinema has had so much fun with such creatures too, even some wild ones like elephants and lions. A special mention must be made of an animal that is a rarity in terms of ownership for protection. That honour goes to a mongoose in the film Kohinoor (1960), the animal’s protective nature highlighted at the end of the song Madhuban mein Radhika naache re, when the mongoose lashes out to destroy a snake let loose to kill his owner, Dilip Kumar. The post goes on list some songs that featured a diverse range of creatures. Pets or otherwise, on our screen

In Mythological Frames – Interestingly, it turns out that when it comes to mythological films, songs found in them tend to be so much fun to hear on a repeat basis. Without in any way meaning disrespect to any faith, and looking at the genre just academically, the post lists a few songs from mythologicals, even if not all of them are religious.

Post-drenchings: Ten Songs where getting wet (almost always in pouring, roaring thunderstorms that come out of a clear blue sky) is invariably a precursor to bursting into song. For various reasons.

The reviews of Nargis films continue with Jogan (1950), filmed by Kidar Sharma in just 29 days, with only a one-line idea, inspired  by an English film in which a man falls in love with a nun.

Mat ro maata, by Monica Kar – Why is this song in this movie? To act as a filler? To sway public opinion and emotion? Possibly to tie in the importance of the era in which the movie is shot. Every emotion that is embedded in the song is done with minimal fuss and maximum simplicity. And yet, its effect persists even now.. and will every time we listen to the song.

“The world is being run in brutish ways” – Saeed Mirza on memory in the age of amnesia : “We are so obsessed with our short-term interests that larger contexts get lost. And this is true for both individuals and nations.”

Cineplot has several posts this month. We have picked up two relating to Madhubala. We will, appropriately, cover other posts in our future editions.

Madhubala on the sets of Do Ustad (1959)

The Alarm That Failed (1957)

We continue Micro View of Best songs of 1947: And the winners are? with female solo songs, wherein after having covered solo songs of Suraiya and Geeta Roy, we have covered Shamshad Begum. Rajkumari, Amirbai Karnataki (Part I and Part II) Zohrabai Ambalewali (Part I). SoY has released Best songs of 1947: Wrap Up 2 that sums of the analyses of all other readers relating to female solo songs. Suraiya is adjudged the best female singer for 1947.

In our tradition of ending our post with article on Mohammad Rafi or a topical song of his, I have picked up songs that basically have link with the topics discussed in the present post.

Mat Puchh Mera Hai Kaun Watan – Mr India (1961) – G S Kohli – Anjaan

Isko Bhi Apanata Chal – Nai Umr Ki Nai Fasal (1965) – Roshna – Neeraj

Kuchh Aisi Pyari Shakl Mere Dilruba Ki Hai – Naya Kanoon (1965) – Madan Mohan – Hasrat Jaipuri

I earnestly seek your suggestions / inputs / criticisms so as to make our Film Blog Festival more interesting and live.

Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs: December, 2017

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

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

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

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

1950

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1951

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The song has a very interesting second version too:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – July, 2017

Welcome to July, 2017 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

We will first take up the posts on the anniversaries or eulogies:

One hundred years of Sarat Chandra’s ‘Devdas’ being published as a book (on 30^th June 1917).

More on Sarat and Devdas : In The mortals of Devdas by J.N.Sinha: Its admirers have tracked many a character in Saratchandra Chattopadhyay’s life and his novels….On a closer look, Devdas is none other than the author himself, and Paro a young vivacious girl of the same town.”

Roshan at 100: The ultimate playlist, plus the story of the three lives of a single song – Rudradeep Bhattacharjee – The legendary music composer had a golden run during the 1960s, but the foundation was set in the previous decade. – One of Roshan’s most memorable songs from the 1960s is Rahein Na Rahein Hum (Mamta, 1966). It was a reworking of another Lata Mangeshkar song Thandi Hawayein, composed by SD Burman for the film Naujawan (1951). This is fascinating because of various reasons: one, RD Burman himself reworked the tune for one of his famous songs (Sagar Kinare); two, SD Burman himself is said to have been inspired by a tune he had heard being played on the piano in a Juhu hotel; three, Roshan used the tune way back in 1954 in a little-known film called Chandni Chowk in Tera Dil Kahaan Hai.

OP Nayyar-Geeta Dutt: A peerless combination – Ravindra Kelkar pays tribute to Geeta Dutt on her 45th death anniversary (23 November 1930 – 20 July 1972)

On this occasion, we will also take a retrospective look at articles on Geet Dutt @ Silhouette Magazine :

• 10 Most Loved Duets of Geeta Dutt
• Geeta Dutt – The Skylark Who Sang From The Heart
• Eternal Wait: The Story Of The Dark Girl By The Meghna (Geeta Dutt)
• The Language Versatility of Geeta Dutt – A Rare Depth of Feeling
• Four Aces and A Queen
• The Mesmerizing Moods of Jaane Kya Tune Kahi (Pyaasa)
• The Tender Musical Tête-à-tête in Chupke Se Mile (Genius of SD Burman)
• Geeta Dutt – The Singer with the Golden Heart
• Moments with ‘Geetu Pishi’ – Remembering Geeta Dutt
• The Queen of Bhaav Gayaki – Geeta Dutt

The Masters: Madan Mohan commemorates what would have been 93^rd birthday of the music director….He once said that “…the foremost requirement of a song is only one thing;  it should be capable of capturing the interest of the listeners in a short period and sustaining it in the years to follow.” He needn’t have worried; his legacy endures, as timeless as his soul-stirring compositions.

The foregoing post has studiedly avoided Lata – MM songs because the author had already done an exclusive post: An Afternoon Tryst with Madan Mohan and Lata Mangeshkar

The music man and his treasure bag: songs in Aashirwad – a song-sequence series post that remembers Sumita Sanyal on her passing away. [Here’s an earlier piece about the Aashirwad song “Saaf Karo Insaaf Karo”]

Jalaa do yeh duniya: poets and merchants in Pyaasa and Navrang – “when I think of the Pyaasa scene, I also think of a very different sort of scene from a film made two years later – another song that touches on the dilemmas facing a pure artist in a material world, but does it with splendid lightness of touch. That Song is “Kavi Raja”, sung by the film’s lyricist Bharat Vyas, begins with a group of friends – poets as well as poet manqués – coming together for an impromptu little sammelan”.

[Earlier Mint Lounge columns on songs-sequence articles here]

Even in the darkness, he dreamed of lights: A tribute to renowned cinematographer KK Mahajan – Rudradeep Bhattacharjee – On the death anniversary of Kewal Krishan Mahajan, or KK as his friends called him, a look back at his unmatched legacy.

The July 2017 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs was dedicated to Mohammad Rafi’s Solo Song From The FIRST Film With The Music Director: 1949

Here are posts on other subjects as well:

The first duo Husnlal-Bhagatram (1): Their songs for Suraiya, Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi – Having done series on Anil Biswas, Naushad, C Ramchandra, SD Burman and Shankar-Jaikishan, SoY now has taken up the lesser, but no less talented star-duo of Husnlal Bhagatram.

Gaddeswarup’s blog expands the on Husnlal Bhagatram by recalling Satish Chopra’s article ‘The diamond cutters!’, and that famous song Chup Chup Khade Ho from Badi Bahen. Here is the Tamil version of the song Enni Enni Parkka Manam, that was filmed on debutant Vyjayantimala in the film ‘Vaazhkai’ (1949). The film was re-made in Hindi as Bahaar, for which S D Burman had composed the music.

In ‘Ninaithen Vandaai’, MGR and Jayalalithaa are Antony and Cleopatra – Archana Nathan – In ‘Kavalkaaran’, Jayalalithaa’s character revisits the stories of star-crossed lovers and decides her own love story deserves a happy ending.

Is ‘Aapki Yaad Aati Rahi’ from ‘Gaman’ the ultimate separation song? – Nandini Ramnath – In Muzaffar Ali’s debut film, Farooque Shaikh drives a taxi in Mumbai while Smita Patil waits interminably for him. The song is a version of Makhdoom Mohiuddin’s ghazal Aapki Yaad Aati Rahi. Chhaya Ganguli’s masterful rendition of a song that speaks of the pain of a prolonged separation wafts over some of the quietest visuals in the movie. In Gaman, Jaidev’s brilliant soundtrack has one of the greatest laments about life in Mumbai. Seene Me Jalan is the mournful flipside of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil from CID (1956).

Mehfil Mein Meri is a new addition to our blogroll. The blog opens its books with Voice of Dev Anand which has listed some of the songs of Dev Anand by various playback singers

Ten songs picturized in famous gardens, with a rider that song from the same garden would not be included in this post.

Favorite Scenes Showing Kathak Footwork (danced by Gopi Krishna, Sitara Devi, and Roshan Kumari) – I have picked up two songs that are not heard often and one from A Satyajit Ray film:

• Sautan Ke Ghar Na Jaiyo.. – Sitara Devi – Aabroo (1943)
• Aye Bandi Tum Begum Bani – Gopi Kishan and Roshan Kumari – Parineeta (1953)
• Roshan Kumari in Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar

K.N. Singh – My Memorable Roles (1963) –“Every actor knows that doing a long stretch of walking in front of the cameras is the worst possible ordeal for a newcomer. The camera is a harsh, relentless observer—a one-eyed monster all eyes for the smallest gaucherie. And why only an actor? Off-camera, how many men can walk manfully, unself-consciously, in the full gaze of a roomful of watchful people?”

Baghban” directed by A.R. Kardar, is the film Singh rates highest. He played a villain in it “but the violence was not physical but subtly mental.” To this role and film, Singh ascribes his “continuance” in films.

In our series Micro View of Best Songs 1948 @SoY of Best songs of 1948: And the winners are?, we have added the detailed posts on Male Solo songs with those of G M Durrani, Surendra and Other Male Singers.

To end the today’s post with an article on Mohammed Rafi, I have picked up a two Madan Mohan’s (relatively) unheard songs and a video clip of a public performance.

Tribute to Rafi Saheb and Madan Mohan – Singer Khalid Baig

Oonche Oonche Melahonwale – Jagir (1959) – Lyrics: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

Har Sapna Ek Din Toote Is Duniya Mein – an unreleased song

I trust you will always feel free to proffer your suggestions for making this series of posts more lively and informative….

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – July, 2016

Welcome to July 2016 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

Hindi Film Music world lost its two more talented, but not corresponding recognized personalities – Mubarak Begum and Omi (of Sonic-Omi duo). Mubarak Begum made her debut in 1949 and thus saw the transformation of the HFM from vintage era to golden era.  Omi (Omprakash Sonic) of Sonic-Omi music director (Uncle, Manoharlal Sonic and his nephew Omi) duo, who did enter the HFM world at the last phase of the golden era and thus saw the transition for the golden era to the present day HFM world.

Here are the tributes to Mubarak Begum:

• AAJ KE FANKAR- MUBARAK BEGUM- A TRIBUTE TO MUBARAK BEGUM
• CHHAYA GEET- MUBARAK BEGUM, which contains

Ae Dil Bata  Hum Kahan Aa Gaye  – Khooni Khazana (1965) –  S Kishan –  Khawar Zaman
Chaah Karani Thi Chaahkar Baithe – Punarmilan (1964)  – C Arjun – Raja Mahedi Ali Khan
Itne Kareeb Aa Ke Bhi  – with Talat Mahmood – Shagoon (1964) – Khayyam  – Sahir Ludhianvi
Mere Aansuon Pe Na muskara – Morey Man Mitwa (1965)  – Dattaram –Priyadarshi
Hum Haal-e-Dil Sunayenge – Madhumati (1958)  – Ssalil Chowdhary – Shailendra
Mujhhko Apne Gale Laga Lo  – with Mohammad Rafi – Humrahi (1963) – Shankar Jaikishan – Hasrat Jaipuri
Bemurrawat Bewafa – Sushila (1966) – C Arjun – Jan Nissar Akhtar

• Radio Ceylon 19-07-2016~Tuesday Morning~01 Film Sangeet – Mubarak Begum
• Mubarak begum- Documentary by Films Division
• Radio Ceylon 04-06-2016~Saturday Morning~01 Ek Aur Anek – Mubarak Begum with various singers , which presents a quite wide fare of her duet songs :

Hamrahi (1963) – Mubarak Begum & Rafi – Mujh Ko Apnay Galay Lagaa Lo, Ae Meray Hamraahi – Shankar Jaikishan (Hasrat Jaipuri)

Gogola (1966) – Mubarak Begum & Talat – Zara Keh Do Fizaayo.n Se Aame.n Itnaa Sataye Na – Roy & Frank (Baalkavi Bairagi)

Phoolon Ke Haar (1951) – Mubarak Begum & Devendar Goel – Jhoom Jhoom Kar Door Gagan Pe Badal Kare.n Ishaaray – Hans Raj Bahal (Varma Malik)

Basera (1950) – Mubarak begum & BS Nanji – Dekho Ji Baat Suno, Tum Mujhse Aan Milo– MA Rauf (Sardar Ilham)

Awara Shehzadi (1956) – Mubarak Begum & Shashikant – Karlo Ji Pyaar Karlo Ji Pyaar Dil waalo Pyaar Kar Lo – Nashad (Sartaj)

Patit Paawan (1955) – Mubarak Begum & Sudha Malhotra – Jeevan Ka Tu Ujiyaara Hai, Rakhwaara Bansi Waara Hai – Jamal Sen (Bharat Vyas)

Haar Jeet (1954) – Mubarak Begum & Geeta Dutt – Bechain Hai Betaab Hai Is Dil Ka Fasaanaa Sun Le – SD Batish (Kaif Irfani)

Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare (1966) – Mubarak Begum & Asha – Saaqiyaa.n Ek Jaam Vo Bhi To De – Madan Mohan (Rajendar Krishan)

SoY also had posted An evening with Mubarak Begum on January 5, 2013.  I have selected these two songs from this post:

• Hume Dum Daike Sautan GharJana  – Ye Dil Kisko Dun (1963) – with Asha Bhosle –  Iqbal Qureshi – Qamar Jalalabadi
• Hai Mohabbat Bahut Hi Tumse Mujhe – Teesri Qasam (1966) – with (?) – Shanker Jaikishan

And the tributes to Omprakash Sonic:

AAJ KE FANKAR- A TRIBUTE TO COMPOSER OMI (DUO SONIK- OMI)

We also recollect Omi ji (of Sonik-Omi) in an exclusive interview with Anmol Fankaar and “Sansaar Hai Ik Nadiya” – (Sonik) Omi

We now take up posts that remember the Anniversaries:

Sanjeev Kumar – The Actor Who Rose Above The ‘Hero’ – From among his several costars, ranging from Hema Malini to Sharmila Tagore, from Raakhee to Vidya Sinha, Suchitra Sen to Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar experimented the most with his female lead and bosom pal Jaya Bhaduri (Bachchan). These two superbly talented actors played out all kinds of relationships on screen – husband-and-wife (Koshish), father-in-law and daughter-in-law (Sholay), lovers (Anamika), father-daughter (Parichay), the multifarious 9-character role in Naya Din Nayi Raat, ending up as the doctor and patient who hesitatingly comfort each other on finding that their respective spouses are having an affair (Silsila).

Shankar-Jaikishan’s songs for Mukesh  – Continuing the series on Shankar-Jaikishan, SoY presents the songs composed by them for Mukesh as a tribute to the singer on his 93^rd birth anniversary (22 July 1923 – 27 August 1976). All the songs that are posted present a good panorama of their association.  I have added a few on my art here. Except for ‘Apne Hue Paraye’ song, these songs that immediately popped up, but had remained dormant till the memory was jolted out by this post….

• Woh Zindagi – Sapno Ka Saudagar 1968
• Gunahon Ka Devta  – Title Song
• Koyi Bulaye Aur Koyi Aaaye  – Apne Hue Paraye  1964
• Apni Bhi Kya Zindagi Hai  – Aas Ka Panchhi (1961)
• Yeh Shehar Bada Albela, Yahan Har Taraf HaseenoN Ka Mela  – Singapore [1960]

‘Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega, Mera Saya Saath Hoga’ – The Everlasting Songs of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan – From patriotic to sentimental, from humorous to romantic, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan penned a wide range of songs that were simple yet sublime. In a tribute, we revisit some of those everlasting songs on the extreme end of the spectrum:

• Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan shaheed ho –Shaheed, 1948 – Ghulam Haider / Raja Mehdi Ali Khan / Mohd Rafi, Khan Mastana
• Is duniya mein sabse achchhi cheez hai paisa  – Mehlon Ke Khwab, 1960 – SS Mohinder / Raja Mehdi Ali Khan / Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle

The Music Makers of the Golden Era – Roshan, Anil Biswas, Hemant Humar, Mohd. Shafi, Naushad, Jaikishan, C. Ramchandra and Madan Mohan

‘Rehearsals were Never Easy, Music Sittings were Always Fun’ – Remembering Madan Mohan – Madan Mohan, the creator of immortal melodies and film ghazals, had a fun-loving, outgoing personal side as a gracious cook and host, a wrestling and racing enthusiast, a car freak among other energetic interests – his eldest daughter Sangeeta Gupta in a conversation with Peeyush Sharma.

Orthodox RD Burman – an extremely talented and creative composer with a solid foundation in the orthodox style of composition., a style of composition where there is an emphasis on melody and melodic content in the vocals of the song. We can listen to 30 handpicked songs in his orthodox style in a playlist by clicking LINK TO R D BURMAN PLAYLIST

Tumko Piya Dil Diya Kitne Naaz Se – GS Kohli, the Unsung Music Composer – We have picked up only one song here to simply illustrate the versatility of GS Kohli.

• Pyaar ki raah dikha duniya ko, roke jo nafrat ki aandhi (Lambe Haath, 1960) G S Kohli / Anjaan/ Rafi

We now take a look at posts on other subjects –

My Favourites: Songs of Strangers – in honour of those long-gone days, when pardesis seemed to make frequent trips to far flung villages and find the love of their lives in those unsullied vales, here are some of my favourite pardesi songs.

• Maane na maane na haay balam pardesiya – Jagir (1959) – Lata Mangeshkar – Madan Mohan – Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
• Mohe apna bana ke gaya bhool re pardesi balam – Laxmi (1957) – ? – Avinash Vyas – Qamar Jalalabadi
• Pardesi Ho, Hum Se Rakhiyaa Bandhaa – Gaali (1944) – Manju – Hanuman Prasad, Pt Indra

My Favourites: ‘Where Are You?’ Songs – I have picked up two of the less heard songs from this list to give us the idea about what the subject is about –

• Kahan ho kahan ho mere jeevan sahaare  – Sangdil (1952) – Talat Mehmood –  Sajjad Hussain – Rajinder Krishan
• Main doondhti hoon kahan ho sanam – Shrimati 420 (1956) – Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi – OP Nayyar – Majrooh Sultanpuri

D P Ranagan, in one more of his highly innovatively informative article, Star showers in Bollywood, has presented Hindi Films songs that have featured the stars

Book Review: Dorothee Wenner’s ‘Fearless Nadia: The True Story of Bollywood’s Original Stunt Queen’

In her biography of Hindi cinema’s ‘original stunt queen’, German film-maker and curator for the Berlin International Film Festival, Dorothee Wenner sets out to explore the life and times of this fascinating actress. Fearless Nadia: The True Story of Bollywood’s Original Stunt Queen (Translated by Rebecca Morrison; ISBN: 0-14-303270-4; Penguin Books; 248 pages; Rs 295)

Ten of my favourite Dupatta/Chunri/Chunariya songs – a salwar-kurta (or churidar–kurta) or a sharaara, or even a ghaagra, the dupatta served to drape the upper part of the body: the bosom, at least, but in some cases, even the head. It thus became a symbol of modesty—and, in some instances, an extension of the heart, the feelings of the wearer. More than the saree or any other garment, the dupatta became the theme for songs. (It even gave its name to one really lovely Pakistani film starring Noorjehan). However, this post is really a response-in-kind of “absolutely lovely dupatta” that friend, fellow blogger and soul sister Anu’s gift to the author.

• Gora rang chunariya kaali motiyon waali (Howrah Bridge, 1958)
• Dupatta mera malmal ka rang saleti halka (Adalat, 1958)
• Main toh odhoon gulaabi chundariya aaj re (Humayun, 1945)
• Dupatte ki gireh mein baandh lijiye –(Apne Hue Paraye (1964)

Three Queens of the Indian Drums focuses on some great contemporary female players of Indian drums.

Pakistani Stars endorsing Lux Soap – The first Pakistani actress to endorse Lux Soap was Meena Shorey in 1956

Guru Dutt with his family (1957)

Back row: Guru Dutt with his father, mother and Geeta Dutt. Front row: Guru Dutt’s brother Atma, his wife, sister Lalita and her husband. The children are those of Guru and Atma Dutt.

Autographs of Hindi Film Stars – I and II – and links to the profiles of – Om Prakash, Cuckoo,Nalini Jaywant, Vimla, Kuldeep Kaur, Jairaj, Sajjan and Veera

Biswajeet – Memories – as told to Santosh Sud in1990 – throws light on some very interesting facets of him.

In Micro View of the Best Songs of 1949 @SoY, having covered G M Durrani, Talat Mahmood, Surendra and ‘Other’ Male Playback Singers , Mukesh and Mohammad Rafi’s ever green solo songs, first and second part of  Other Noteworthy Solo songs in the Male Solo Songs category till now, I also declared MY Top Male Solo Songs, choosing Mohammad Rafi as the Best Male Singer for 1949 and his Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki (Dulari, Naushad) as the Best Song. SoY also has released Best songs of 1949: Wrap Up 1, choosing Mukesh as the Best Male Singer and Tu kahe agar as the Best Male Solo.

Then I have taken up Solo Songs of ‘Other Than Lata Mangeshkar’ Female Singers, in which we covered Suraiya, Geeta Roy , Shamshad Begum, Raajkumari, Asha Bhosle, Surindar Kaur.

On Mohammad Rafi’s anniversary we end our present episode with a few of Sonic-Omi’s Mohammed Rafi songs that did not gain ‘high’ popularity:

Haseen JulfoN Ka Rang De Do – Beti (1969) – Shakeel Badayuni

Mere Mehboob Tu Mujhko – Beti (1969) – Shakeel Badayuni

Yeh Dil Nahin Hai – Aabroo (1968) – GS Rawal.

We will take up an exclusive article on Mohammad Rafi in our next Fading Memories.. Unforgettable Songs episode…..

I look forward to receive your inputs for further enriching the contents of the posts…..

Fading Memories….Unforgettable Songs: February, 2016

We are meeting soon after the 26^th January, India’s Republic Day. If we do not get to listen to the patriotic songs from films on such an occasion, then the celebrations would seem to have to remain incomplete. Our friend Samir Dholakia does not disappoint and has very timely remembered

Mere Watan Se Achchha – Ladki (1953) – Lata Mangeshkar – C Ramchandra – Rajinder Krishna

Naresh Mankad also has added up

Main Hoon Bharat Ki Ek Naar – Lata Mangeshkar – N. Sudershan, from the same film.

Harish Raghuvanshi has sent in a gem of the vintage era:

Main To Udas Hoon Magar, Woh Bhi Hai Sogwar kyoon, Unke Bhi Dil Men Dard Hai, Aye Dil-e-Bequarar Kyon – Kamal (1949) – Surendra – S D Burman – Prem Dhawan

The full lyrics of the song are posted @ Main to udaas hoon magar.

Atul’s Songs A Day has posted nine other songs from this film:

• Aaj kathin hai preet dagariya (Kamal)
• Ab raat gayi hai beet re (Kamal)
• Bhaaratmaata zanjeeron mein (Kamal)
• Ik roz bichhadne waalon ka (Kamal)
• Jhoom jhoom ke naache manwa (Kamal)
• Kehne ko hain taiyyaar (Kamal)
• Meri kashti ko mohabbat ka kinaara mil gayaa (Kamal)
• Pyaara pyaara hai samaan my dear come to me (Kamal)
• Toote bandhan tootey (Kamal)

Samir Dholakia remembered Ye Duniya Rahe Na Rahe Kya Pata – Mitti Mein Sona (1960) -Asha Bhosle – O P Nayyar – S H Bihari

Bhagwan Thavrani sees the similarity of this one with Madan Mohan tune which was composed almost 4 years earlier…. Kahin Chal Na Dena – Ek Shola (1958) – Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle

Bhagwan Thavrani also very fondly informs us that his elder brother is even a greater ‘music buff’. They hold long sessions in the evenings, discussing songs around a particular music director, singer, lyricist, era or raag. Here is one song that had come up in one of these sessions, while discussing notable Suman Kalyanpur songs –

Likh De Piya Ka Naam, Sakhi Ri Piya Ka Naam – Saranga (1961) – Saradar Mullik – Bharat Vyas

Here is one more equally poignant VIDAI – farewell to the bride to her new married life – song, composed by Ravi, who, perhaps next to O P Nayyar, has given some of the best songs of Asha Bhosle.

Jaa Ri Sakhi Saj Dhaj Ke – Ghunghat (1960) – Lyrics : Shakeel Badayuni

In a tribute to Mahendra Kapoor, Bhagwan Thavarani states that this duet may not qualify as a vintage corner forgotten melody which needs to be dusted off and presented to all connoisseurs of music…but I’m helpless ! For two reasons – one, I have a personal affinity for this duet…..or perhaps, for some personal reasons hidden in the subconscious…AND then for the Great Helen ! She has no peer as far as dancing is concerned. Just watch body movements….. she displays during each interlude. It’s lightening, killing, intoxicating, maddening and what not !

Chhod Kar Tere Pyaar Ka Daman Ye Bat Den Ke Ham Kidhar Jaayen – Who Kaun Thi (1964) – Mahemdra Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar – Madan Mohan – Raja Mendi Ali Khan

We also take up the opportunity to recall some of the (relatively) for gotten solo songs of Mahendra Kapoor

• Kho Gaya Hai Mera Pyar – Hariyali Aur Rasta (1961) – Shanker Jaikishan – Hasrat Jaipuri

• Tum Kitni Khubsurat Ho – Wahan Ke Log (1967) – C Ramchandra – Shakeel Badayuni

In a tribute to Subir Sen, on his passing away in December, 2015, Samir Dholakia has remembered

Sedin Dujane Dulechhinu Bone, Phulodore Bandha Jhulona Bolo Na Bolo Na – Anubhav (1971) – Kanu Roy

This Ravidra Sangeet song has been rendered in their own style by several other artistes. We have picked up its famous Hindi version Nain Deewane – Afsar (1950) Suraiya S D Burman and Hemant Kumar (Mukhopadhyay)’s Bengali rendition in this clip.

Pandit Ravi Shankar had sang this song along with his rendition on sitar at a London concert in June 2011.

Na Jaane Kyon Hota Hai Yeh Jindagi Ke Saath – Chhoti Si Baat (1976) – Lata Mangeshkar – Salil Chaudhary – Yogesh , which had a beautiful Bengali version Pogol Hawa by Subir Sen

In the 1950s, Sen added a unique romantic touch to hit Bengali songs such as “Monalisa Tumi Ki Bolona”.

We have picked up a few more of his rare (duet) songs from Hindi films:

• Gori Tere Nakhat Naina – Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – with Geeta Dutt – Hemant Kumar – Shailendra

• Dil Leke Jaate Ho Kahan – O Tera Kya Kahana (1959) – with Kamal Barot – Kalyanji Virji Shah – Farooq Kaiser

• Pyar Mein Milna Sanam – Ardhangini (1959) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Vasant Desai – Majrooh Sultanpuri

• Ghar Tum Bura Na Mano – Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) – With Asha Bosle – S Mohinder – Raja Mahendi Ali Khan

We shall conclude our present episode with the journey with Peeyush Sharma through everlasting songs of Mohammad Rafi songs Fifty Years Ago: Films and Music of 1965 that seem to be on the path of oblivion…

• Sab Mein Shamil Ho Magar Sab Se Juda Lagti Ho – Bahu Beti – Ravi – Sahir Ludhyanvi

• Zindagi Ke Mod Pe Jo Koi Rasta Mila, Teri Gali Se Ja Mila – Bedagh – Roshan – Shakeel Badayuni

• Phir Teri Yaad Naye Geet Sunane Aai – Bekhabar – S Mohinder – Raja Mehndi Ali Khan

• Mera Ban Jaye Koi Ye Meri Taqdeer Nahin – Ek Sapera Ek Lootera – Usha Khanna – Asad Bhopali

• Meri Nigaah Ne Kya Kaam Lajawab Kiya – Mohabbat Isko Kahate Hain – Khayyam – Majrooh Sultanpuri

• Hamen Kya Jo Har Su Ujale Huye Hain, Ke Hum To Andheron Ke Paale Huye Hain – Namaste Ji – G S Kohli – Anjaan a.k.a. Lal Ji Pandey

• Kuchh Aisi Pyari Shakla Mere Dilruba Ki Hai, Jo Dekhta Hai Kehta Hai, Kudrat Khuda Ki Hai – Naya Kanoon – Madan Mohan – Hasrat Jaipuri

• Dil Tadpe Tadpaye, Jo Unke Milan Ko Tarse Wo To Na Aaye, Mausam Aaye Jaaye – Poonam Ki Raat – Salil Chaudhary – Shailendra ( Peeyush Sharma notes : Salil was not in favour of taking Rafi for this song. I have personally confirmed this with him during my three meetings with him. After trying out Mukesh and Manna Dey, Kishore Sahu insisted on Rafi, who was summoned to render this difficult number.  And what a job he did!)

• Teri Meherbani Hogi Badi Meharbaani Haye Teri Meherbaani – With Asha Bhosale and Chorus – Raaka – Dattaram – Asad Bhopali

Icing on the cake is this song sent in by Biren Kothari:

Maar Gandasa Mar Jaana – Chhai (1950) – Hansraj Behl, Verma Malik – a Punjabi comic song is from very old classic punjabi movi. Very – very rare feature of the song is PRAN along with SUNDER and KHARAITI on the screen. . .

The song seems to have been inspired on Mohammad Rafi – Ameerbai Karnataki superhit Maar Katari Mar Jaana – Shenai (1947) – C Ramchandra

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

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

The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Male Female Duets : Chitalkar and Other Male Singers with other female singers

We continue with the micro-review of Male Female Duets, as part of our journey through the ‘Best songs of 1950: And the winners are?

Having already covered duets of Mukesh, Mohammad Rafi, Talat Mahamood and G M Durrani, today we will first take up Duets of Chitalkar with

                                                                                  Shamshad Begum

Dil mein kisi ke rahna ho to kiski ijaazat chaahiye – Nirala – PL Santoshi – C Ramchandra

Next we take up some of the duet songs of other male singers

Madan Mohan + Shamshad Begum

Humse na dil ko lagana musafir – Aankhen – Bharat Vyas – Madan Mohan

Bahadur Shorabji Nanji (B S Nanji) + Mubarak Begum

Dekhoji Baat Suno – Basera – M A Rauf

Khan Mastana + Sulochana Kadam

Ambuva Pe Koyal Kali Shor Machaye Re – Dushmani – Kuldeep Talwar – V Ramnath

Continued………..