Despite the presence of so many great singers in Bollywood that I have been fortunate enough to be able to listen to over the last six decades, the one voice that can spell out L O V E & R O M A N C E better than any other is, undoubtedly that of the most complete singer (Kishoreda & Hemantada included) in Bollywood, Rafisaab.
Just listen to this wonderful, eternal classic and a personal favourite that just oozes l’amour from every syllable, every note. The movie, Teen Deviyan was a wonderful movie for it’s musical score (Sachindev Burmanda) , Dev Anand doing what he does better than anyone else in my lifetime, romancing women (three in the movie, who actually get after him making it difficult for him to choose between them) . https://youtu.be/OaginwwacJI
Rafi saab in the mood is truly unbeatable. I love the endearing persuasion in every word, the entreaty, the request that’s impossible to refuse. Majrooh could write better lyrics than anybody else that would help every Romeo press his suit successfully. This is no exception.
ऐसे तो न देखो के हमको नशा हो जए ऐसे तो न देखो ख़ूबसूरत सी कोई हमसे ख़ता हो जाए ख़ूबसूरत सी कोई हमसे ख़ता हो जाए ऐसे तो न देखो
तुम हमें रोको फिर भी हम ना रुकें तुम कहो काफ़िर फिर भी ऐसे झुकें क़दम ए नाज़ पे इक सजदा अदा हो जाये ऐसे तो न देखो के हमको नशा हो जाए ख़ूबसूरत सी कोई हमसे ख़ता हो जाए ऐसे तो न देखो
यूँ न हो आँखे रहें काजल घोलें बढ़ के बेखुदी हंसीं गेसू खोलें खुल के फिर ज़ुल्फ़ें सियाह काली बला हो जाये ऐसे तो न देखो के हमको नशा हो जाए ख़ूबसूरत सी कोई हमसे ख़ता हो जाए ऐसे तो न देखो
हम तो मस्ती में जाने क्या क्या कहें लब ए नाज़ुक से ऐसा न हो तुम्हें बेक़रारी का गिला हम से सिवा हो जाये ऐसे तो न देखो के हमको नशा हो जाए ख़ूबसूरत सी कोई हमसे ख़ता हो जाए ऐसे तो न देखो
I just love the way Rafi saab dragsout नशा हो जाये, a unique, beautiful way of driving the point home.
Hope you’re as much of a fan of Rafisaab’s oeuvre as I am, Even if you’re not, you’ll certainly become one.
The undoubted music factory and outstanding success that Laxmikant Pyarelal were, they shared lots in common, including a very unglamorous, humble beginning. Both shared an arduous struggle in the mayanagari Mumbai and ended up bumping into one other to forge a very fruitful and extremely productive partnership, one that resulted in musical scores for more than 750 Hindi movies alone. Pyarelal has said in an interview that he was an adept violinist and an expert of sorts in western music. Pyarelal Sharma even wanted to seek greener pastures in the West and wanted to become a regular orchestra player with a renowned group. Laxmikant stopped him and then they started the amazing journey of music for Indian cinema. Laxmikant Kudalkar was so named, as he was born on Laxmi Poojan Day. His father died when he was a child. Because of the extreme poverty he could not complete his schooling. A family friend, who was a musician himself, advised Laxmikant and his elder brother to learn music to help support the family. Accordingly, Laxmikant learned to play the mandolin and his elder brother learned to play the tabla. He spent two years in the company of the well-known mandolin player Hussain Ali. He began organising and performing in Indian Classical instrumental music concerts to earn some money. The two, especially Laxmikant were huge fans of Shankar Jaikishan. Their subconscious imitation had a strange effect: SJ actually changed their orchestration to not sound like LP. In the days of their struggle, the lessons learnt stayed with them for life. Apparently they never turned down any producer or project no matter how small. They also only used the best of artistes and singers. All three of Latadidi, Ashatai and Rafisaab have sung the largest number of songs in their careersfor LP. The relationship was symbiotic. The first movie they composed music for was never released. The first one which saw the light of the day was a fictional story with lots of coincidences and superstition as well as rationality-testing special effects and would appeal to those who love Superheroes, lobotomized kids with Trisomy 21 and Pappu’s piddies, a costume drama called Parasmani made by a man who specialized in such Special Effects films, Babubhai Mistry. The score became very very popular and ensured the duo’s survival and success. Mahipal and Geetanjali were the lead pair. (don’t blame me for this, I didn’t choose them).The film was dubbed in Tamizh with the title Maayamani and released a year later. This is a fabulous, extremely melodious composition in a wonderful raag Yaman Kalyan.https://youtu.be/lJti8tOpG0o
Asad Bhopali wrote the lovely lyrics. What can I say about Rafisaab and Latadidi that hasn’t already been said? They just take you to a different plane with their truly divine singing. One tends to forget all the trials and tribulations of one’s life and mundane existence to reach a beatific state of tranquility. Almost a spiritual experience, this one.
वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए
वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए गम ए जिंदगी के अंधेरे में हमने चिराग ए मुहब्बत जलाए बुझाए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए
आहटें जाग उठीं रास्ते हँस दिए थामकर दिल उठे हम किसी के लिए कई बार ऐसा भी धोखा हुआ है चले आ रहे हैं वो नज़रें झुकाए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए गम ए जिंदगी के अंधेरे में हमने चिराग ए मुहब्बत जलाए बुझाए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए
दिल सुलगने लगा अश्क बहने लगे जाने क्या क्या हमें लोग कहने लगे मगर रोते रोते हँसी आ गई है ख्यालों में आके वो जब मुस्कुराए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए
वो जुदा क्या हुए ज़िन्दगी खो गई शम्मा जलती रही रोशनी खो गई बहुत कोशिशें कीं मगर दिल ना बहला कई साज़ छेड़े कई गीत गाए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए
Stay blessed, folks and take care during the summer. The heatis well and truly, on. Hydrate yourselves and protect your body.
Mohammad Rafi, AshaBhosle and O P Nayyar formed a fabulous creative team. They brought in effervescent, joyous music unlike anything heard before. O P Nayyar was struggling to make a name for himself in the initial days. He got introduced to Geeta Dutt who liked his music and insisted that her husband, Guru Dutt give him a break. That he duly did, O P Nayyar became famous and a brand in his own right, and his initial phase has Geeta Dutt. Soon he discarded her and zeroed in on Ashatai. He was so smitten by Ashatai’s charming voice, he virtually didn’t have any other woman sing for him, until after the break up (Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye)
In his heyday, his mention on the billboards as music director was enough to ensure a modicum of success and he monetized this, becoming the first music director to demand six figure fees and get it, too. Many producers and (non)actors benefited. Shammi Kapoor’s floundering career was salvaged by Tumsa Nahin Dekha, meant to boost Ameeta. This is one prime example of the music saving one actor who would probably have not made it to the screen had it not been for an accident of birth and not succeeded (to the extent he did) had it not been for the music. https://youtu.be/r-ePM6XRr7w
The movie, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina was produced by Sashadhar Mukherjee with his son Joy (who always failed to give me any, he was the progenitor of Weapons of Mass Destruction: you need to see just one clip with him carrying an acoustic guitar to realize what I mean), Sadhana Shivdasani in the lead and directed by Raj Khosla. The film has music by O. P. Nayyar.
Shot extensively in Kashmir, that meant the ace lensman, Fali Mistry could stun us with a visual treat. With that and the pretty Sadhana, and some great music to boot, the film raked in the moolah by the truckload.
The director Raj Khosla would later cast the heroine Sadhana in three more suspense thrillers: Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967), leaving Joy out and having the movie going public sighing in relief. The circuitous plot has repeated traumatic amnesia for Joy and the mix-ups traumatized the audience. The music and Sadhana kept them coming into the theaters though, and Sashadhar babu had much Joy en route to the bank.
Ashatai‘s bewitching singing and Rafisaab vocally emoting with equal love-lorn lyrics to match meant that this song is a kind of lovers’ anthem. The honey soaked lyrics are by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, who in partnership with Madan Mohangave us so many unforgettable melodies and soulful ghazals.
मैं प्यार का राही हूँ तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ के साए में कुछ देर ठहर जाऊँ तुम एक मुसाफ़िर हो कब छोड़के चल दोगे ये सोचके घबराऊँ मैं प्यार का राही हूँ
तेरे बिन जी लगे ना अकेले हो सके तो मुझे साथ ले ले नाज़नीं तू नहीं जा सकेगी छोड़कर ज़िन्दगी के झमेले नाज़नीं नाज़नीं तू नहीं जा सकेगी छोड़कर ज़िन्दगी के झमेले
जब भी छाए घटा याद करना ज़रा साथ रंगों की उम्र कहानी मैं प्यार का राही हूँ तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ के साए में कुछ देर ठहर जाऊँ तुम एक मुसाफ़िर हो कब छोड़के चल दोगे ये सोचके घबराऊँ मैं प्यार का राही हूँ
प्यार की बिजलियाँ मुस्कुराएं देखिये आप पर गिर न जाएं दिल कहे देखता ही रहूँ मैं सामने बैठकर ये अदाएं हाए दिल कहे दिल कहे देखता ही रहूँ मैं सामने बैठकर ये अदाएं ना मैं हूँ नाज़नीं ना मैं हूँ महजबीं आप ही की नज़र है दीवानी मैं प्यार का राही हूँ तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ के साए में कुछ देर ठहर जाऊँ तुम एक मुसाफ़िर हो कब छोड़के चल दोगे ये सोचके घबराऊँ मैं प्यार का राही हूँ
A wonderful memory and a melody that is so popular through the sixty years after it was released it was requested by a kid brother whose nephew is the currently convalescing Fast Bowler. https://youtu.be/WtP8VL136uI
Have a wonderful day and week ahead, folks. Stay healthy. Hope the monsoon beats the prophecies of the weathermen to prove their (reliable lack of) reliability
Bollywood has made a habit of compartmentalizing actors, actresses, composers and even directors. Imagine what would have happened if a Pran hadn’t stuck to hia firm resolve and not stopped doing villainous roles. We would have surely missed out on a very good actor.
The song for the day is about such a person. He was a handsome, tall, strapping young Engineering student from Andhra Pradesh with dreams of becoming an actor and striking big in Bollywood. He actually according to the popular story sold his books and bought a one way ticket to reach Mumbai. He did get some big banner movies but never could strike a chord as a hero.
Ajit was born Hamid Ali Khan and will always remain something of an enigma to me. Despite possessing all the basic needs to become a famous actor, (& being able to act) he was stuck with indulging himself in villainy. He did act in more than 200 movies in 4 decades.
This is much later when he actually was cast as a hero. The movie Shikari was made by F C Mehra. It was shot extensively in the jungles of Malaysia. The director, scriptwriter and story writer seem to be fans of Hollywood movies. As a result, this film appears to be loosely based on Hollywood films Dr. Cyclops and King Kong.
The resultant plot is quite harebrained and Ajit stars with Ragini , one of the Travancore sisters . The undoubted saving grace is the music by G S Kohli. https://youtu.be/iSyRts04yOE
GS Kohli (Gurusharan Singh Kohli) was born in Punjab in 1928, and was one of the immensely talented music composers of Hindi Cinema.. He was an expert in playing Dholak and many other -chiefly but not only, percussion- instruments. When Dalsukh M. Panchol gave OP Nayyar his first break with Aasmaan in the early 50s, OP Nayyar chose Kohli as his assistant. Kohli remained his assistant till 1968, even after becoming an independent Composer himself and scoring for many movies.
Kohli has contributed significantly in OP Nayyar’s popular films like CID, Mr. and Mrs 55, Aar Paar, Hum sab chor hain, Naya Daur, Mujrim, Do Ustaad and Kashmir Ki Kali.
In 1960 Kohli’s First film as an independent Music Director came along — ‘Lambe Haath’. His second film was Mr.India the next year and then came Faulad, Shikari, Chaar Darvesh, Adventures of Robin Hood, Namasteji, Do Matwaale, Naujawan, Sangdil, Jung aur Aman and Gunda. His last film was Jaalsaaz late in the 60s.
Although Kohli was exceptional as an arranger for OP Nayyar and as a composer, he could not shine as an independent composer in the brutal competition of Bollywood and has only B and C grade movies for music. Only Shikari and Namasteji songs became very popular. The famous songs “Chaman ke phool bhi tujhko” and “ Agar main poochhoon jawaab doge” are from Shikari (early 60s). And how can one forget Mohammed Rafi’s soulful melody “Maana mere haseen sanam” from an unlikely movie called ‘The Adventures Of Robinhood’
अगर मैं पूछूँ जवाब दोगे दिल क्यों मेरा तड़प रहा है तेरे ही दिल में है प्यार कुछ कुछ मेरे भी दिल में ज़रा ज़रा है
बुरा न मानो, तो अपने हाथों ये बिखरी ज़ुल्फ़ें, सँवार दूं मैं हसीन पलकों की छाँव में अब ये सारा जीवन गुज़ार दूँ मैं ये दिल की बातें कोई न सुन ले सनम ज़माना बड़ा बुरा है, अगर मैं ...
नज़र बचा के, अगर मैं जाऊं तो मेरा दामन, ना थाम लेना कोई जो पूछे ये क्या हवा है कभी भी मेरा ना नाम लेना लगा के दिल से रखेंगे हम तो ये दर्द तेरा दिया हुआ है, अगर मैं ...
ये ठंडी ठंडी, मचलती लहरें हमारे दिल को, जला न जाएं उठी है तूफ़ाँ दिल-ओ-नज़र में किसे बचाएं किसे संभालें न चैन तुमको ना होश हमको ये क्या हुआ है ये क्या हुआ है, अगर मैं ...
The lyrics by Farooque Kaiser were set to a very melodious tune in Bhimpalasi. A fantastic duet with Rafisaab and Latadidi resulted from this. Don’t ask silly questions like how did that small transistor pick up All India Radio programs in the jungles of Malaysia. Or what is a hunter who is looking for a giant ape (genetically engineered in the 60s!) doing romancing a beautiful danseuse. Just enjoy the song. https://youtu.be/JXOTDcBOYso
Have a wonderful Sunday, folks. Stay healthy and hydrate yourself.
The Sultan of Soul, born Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone, was better known as Guru Dutt, the name was changed by his parents after an accident in his early childhood, as they thought this would be more auspicious and protect him through life than Vasanth Kumar. He was the quintessential diehard romantic, a trait always visible through his life (& sadly, his death). He started life as a dancer with Uday Shankar’s troupe in Almora as a teenager, but had to leave in a couple of years as he got involved with the leading lady of the troupe. He joined Prabhat Film Company after an unsatisfying job as a telephone operator and a hiatus. He met the 2 who would be lifelong friends with him: Rehman and Dev Anand. Dev Anand and he made a pact while at Prabhat that if Guru Dutt were to become a filmmaker, he would hire Dev Anand as his hero, and if Dev Anand were to produce a film, he would use Guru Dutt as its director. Keeping that promise, the duo made two super-hit films together.
In 1945, Guru Dutt made his acting debut in Vishram Bedekar’s Lakhrani, in a minor role (actually a year before Dev saab). Guru Dutt and Dev Anand actually became friends almost by accident, as the laundry both visited had an ironing man who exchanged their shirts.
After this, Guru Dutt worked as an assistant director and choreographed dances for P. L. Santoshi’s film, Hum Ek Hain, (Dev Anand made his acting debut in the film). After his 3 year contract with Prabhat ended , he took up a job as a freelance assistant with the company’s CEO, Baburao Pai. Guru Dutt once again lost his job after getting involved with the assistant dancer, Vidya, who he eloped with (as she already had a fiancé who sought the help of the police). After this incident, being unemployed, he took to and developed a flair for writing in English and frequently wrote short stories that were published in The Illustrated Weekly of India.
Dev Anand fulfilled his part of the promise and Baazi ( with Dev Anand) marked Guru Dutt’s directorial debut. He also directed Jaal for Dev Anand. Both films were superhits. Differences between Chetan Anand and Guru Dutt meant Guru left Navketan.
He then went and worked with two famous directors of the time: Amiya Chakraborty and Gyan Mukherjee in the late 40s.
Guru Dutt then directed and starred in Baaz.
Though the film did not perform too well commercially, it brought together what would be known as the Guru Dutt team, who performed well in subsequent films.
The team included various filmmakers discovered and mentored by Dutt, including: Johnny Walker, V.K. Murthy (the ace cinematographer who was a master of monochrome photography), Abrar Alvi (writer-director), Raj Khosla (writer, later director), Waheeda Rehman (actress), among others.
His next five films, were blockbusters: Aar Paar ; Mr. & Mrs. ’55 ; C.I.D. (Produced by Guru Dutt but directed by Raj Khosla and starring Devsaab with Shakila, it is considered one of the best crime thriller films ever made in India) , Sailaab(produced by Mukul Roy, Geeta Dutt’s brother, who also scored the music and had Geeta BaliandAbhi Bhattacharyain the lead); and Pyaasa.
Guru Dutt played the lead role in three of these five films.
This song is from Mr and Mrs 55, which saw two very beautiful people starring as the lead pair. Madhubala and Guru Dutt made a wonderful lead pair. The music was by O P Nayyar who owed his big break to Geeta Dutt recommending his name to Guru Dutt, giving him his major success and fame, he did collaborate with Geeta Dutt initially but dumped the latter for Asha Bhosle later.
Listen to this treacly sweet duet oozing romance. Typical interludes for OPN , Rafisaab and Geeta Dutt gel very well. https://youtu.be/-DihGgaozvw
I am sure you’ll agree Guru Dutt and Madhubala make a very pretty pair together. Despite the commercial success of the film, the two never acted together again. It is a conundrum I’ve never been able to solve.
C’est la vie.
Lovely lyrics by Majrooh after coming out of JLN’s jail (talk about Freedom of speech and expression!!)
उधर तुम हसीं हो
उधर तुम हसीन हो इधर दिल जवान है ये रंगीन रातों की एक दास्तान है उधर तुम हसीन हो इधर दिल जवान है ये रंगीन रातों की एक दास्तान है
ये कैसा है नगमा ये क्या दास्तान है बता ए मोहब्बत मेरा दिल कहाँ है ये कैसा है नगमा
मेरे घर में आई हुई है बहार क़यामत है फिर भी क्यूँ करूँ इंतज़ार मेरे घर में आई हुई है बहार क़यामत है फिर भी क्यूँ करूँ इंतज़ार
मोहब्बत कुछ ऐसी सज़ा दे रही है मोहब्बत कुछ ऐसी सज़ा दे रही है की खुद रात अंगड़ाई ले रही है जिधर देखती हूँ नज़ारा जवान है
उधर तुम हसीन हो इधर दिल जवान है ये रंगीन रातों की एक दास्तान है
ये कैसा है नगमा ये क्या दास्तान है बता ए मोहब्बत मेरा दिल कहाँ है ये कैसा है नगमा
सुलगती हैं तारों की परछाईयाँ बुरी हैं मुहब्बत की तनहाईयाँ
सुलगती हैं तारों की परछाईयाँ बुरी हैं मुहब्बत की तनहाईयाँ
महेकने लगा मेरी ज़ुल्फ़ों में कोई महेकने लगा मेरी ज़ुल्फ़ों में कोई लगीं जागने धड़कनें सोई-सोई मेरी हर नज़र आज दिल की ज़ुबान है
उधर तुम हसीन हो इधर दिल जवान है ये रंगीन रातों की एक दास्तान है
ये कैसा है नगमा ये क्या दास्तान है बता ए मोहब्बत मेरा दिल कहाँ है ये कैसा है नगमा
तरसता हूँ मैं ऐसे दिलदार को जो दिल में बसा ले मेरे प्यार को तरसता हूँ मैं ऐसे दिलदार को जो दिल में बसा ले मेरे प्यार को
तेरे ख्वाब हैं मेरी रातों पे छाए तेरे ख्वाब हैं मेरी रातों पे छाए मेरे दिल पे हैं तेरी पलकों के साए की मेरे लबों पे तेरी दास्तान है
उधर तुम हसीन हो इधर दिल जवान है ये रंगीन रातों की एक दास्तान है
ये कैसा है नगमा ये क्या दास्तान है बता ए मोहब्बत मेरा दिल कहाँ है ये कैसा है नगमा
He was born Shamsher Raj Kapoor , the second son of a famous father. His father didn’t believe in giving a leg up to his children, all of whom started with their own shares of struggles but learnt life lessons the way they should be. He started his career after sometime in Ruia College in Mumbai as an extra in his father’s drama company, with a starting salary of ₹50 p.m. Imagine neither of the father-son duo thought this wasn’t the right thing. Over 4 years of hard work led to that salary increasing to ₹300 p.m., a fact that Prithviraj Kapoor, the father would proudly tell his friends and family. He left the theater to seek his place in the Mumbai based film industry.
He made his film debut with the commercially unsuccessful Jeewan Jyoti. He used the family nickname of Shammi Kapoor rather than his given name, also to avoid confusion with his older brother, who had already become a big name by then. Chand Usmani , a Meena Kumari clone of sorts was his first leading lady.
His career floundered with a continuous series of box-office flops for 4 years, he had his lucky breakthrough with Tumsa Nahi Dekha , which actually was made as a (re)launch vehicle for Filmistan head honcho Tolaram Jalan’s protégé Ameeta, but ended up relaunching him instead with a totally different image of a stylish playboy and dancer, and he consolidated this further recognition with Dil Deke Dekho, the movie saw both the teenaged leading lady and the teenaged composer making their debut. The blockbuster hit Junglee , (the debut for Saira Banu) and went on to become one of the most marketable Bollywood stars throughout the 1960s, appearing in a number of highly successful and popular films. To his credit, he was painfully aware of the troubles as a newbie in the industry and was prepared to do something which very fewestablished stars ever did, : share screen space with debutante leading ladies and ensured they started with a hit film in their journey to stardom.
Following his leading role in Andaz , Shammi Kapoor began to appear primarily in supporting roles. Apart from acting, he is widely considered one of the best dancers in Indian Cinema. He is undoubtedly a visionary, seeing the power of the internet and harnessing that in a manner which none of his peers did. Shammi Kapoor was the Founder and Chairman of the Internet Users Community of India (IUCI). He had also played a major role in setting up internet organizations like the Ethical Hackers Association.
This is a wonderful, romantic duet from one of his films with Mala Sinha, Dil Tera Deewana, which released the same year as the China War. https://youtu.be/0CLLfj7UMdQ
Although the vigorous title track in the movie where the two get soaked in a cloudburst which is a typical Shammi Kapoor song, full of Bollywood mechanisms to suggest more physical intimacy than was shown on film those days (flowers rubbing against one other& so on), I like this one better.
मुझे कितना प्यार है तुम से अपने ही दिल से पूछो तुम जिसे दिल दिया है वो तुम हो मेरी ज़िंदगी तुम्हारी है मुझे कितना प्यार है तुम से अपने ही दिल से पूछो तुम जिसे दिल दिया है वो तुम हो मेरी ज़िंदगी तुम्हारी है
चाहत ने तेरी मुझको कुछ इस तरह से घेरा दिन को हैं तेरे चर्चे रातों को ख़्वाब तेरा तुम हो जहाँ वहीं पर रहता है दिल भी मेरा बस एक ख़याल तेरा क्या शाम क्या सवेरा मुझे कितना प्यार है तुम से अपने ही दिल से पूछो तुम जिसे दिल दिया है वो तुम हो मेरी ज़िंदगी तुम्हारी है
ये दुनियाँ कैसे बदली कुछ भी समझ ना आए क्यूँ कर हुए हो अपने कल तक थे जो पराए दिल की लगन हो सच्ची फिर क्यूँ ना रंग लाए मेरे थे तुम सदा से पर अब क़रीब आए मुझे कितना प्यार है तुम से अपने ही दिल से पूछो तुम जिसे दिल दिया है वो तुम हो मेरी ज़िंदगी तुम्हारी है
मेरी वफ़ा को अब तो तुम आज़माना छोड़ो दिल को चुरा के मेरे आँखें चुराना छोड़ो मुझको बनाके अपना बातें बनाना छोड़ो मैं कब ना थी तुम्हारी लेकिन सताना छोड़ो मुझे कितना प्यार है तुम से अपने ही दिल से पूछो तुम जिसे दिल दिया है वो तुम हो मेरी ज़िंदगी तुम्हारी है मुझे कितना प्यार है तुम से अपने ही दिल से पूछो तुम जिसे दिल दिया है वो तुम हो मेरी ज़िंदगी तुम्हारी है
A typical Shailendra– SJ- Rafisaab-Latadidi product that is so endearing even today. https://youtu.be/7rKX_9IrdwI
Click on this link for the original song.
Have a wonderful day ahead folks, enjoy the fruits of the searing hot summer (pun intended). Stay healthy.
Bollywood throws up these surprises all the time. You’ll see the lead pair giving it all despite their real life relationship being entirely different. The Kapoor clan did this often. Babita and later, Neetu Singh acted with the uncles of the men they were destined to marry. Those who didn’t know of the relationship would never be able to guess by watching the movies. That’s true professionalism.
Look at this song from a late 60s movie, Tumse Achcha Kaun hai directed by Pramod Chakraborty. A typical masala film, in keeping with the times it was made and released. Shammi Kapoor and Babita star in the movie. Shammi Kapoor has caused his kid sister to get blinded thanks to his childhood pranks. He is unable to find employment (JLN/IG times of severely controlled economy and insane taxation rates stifled the Indian industrial situation and led to Government being the largest employer).
Shammi is in dire need of money (at the time a fairly large amount) to cure his blind sister. He later finds employment with the wealthy head of the clan, Lalita Pawar, who despite being a control freak asks him to control her out-of-control granddaughters. A déjà vu of sorts, this has been used multiple times including in Gulzar’s Parichay. Shammi actually succeeds in this, but this being Bollywood, falls in love with Babita. The lady at the time wasdating his nephew Randhir Kapoor who she was paired with in Kal aaj aur kal.
This is of course unacceptable to the authoritarian Grandma who fires him and wants to get Babita married to the perennial kabab mein haddi , Pran. The rest of the plot should be easy to predict for any experienced movie goer.
The music was by Shankar Jaikishan who scored for a number of ShammiKapoor movies. The lyrics were shared by Hasrat Jaipuri (including this one) and Rajendra Krishna . https://youtu.be/uhekV8EJd14
A wonderful duet with Rafisaab and Lata didi (having got over the royalty related tiff). The two have given us hundreds of memorable duets. The composition is pathognomonic of Shankar Jaikishan with typical interludes. The instrumentation and interludes are a dead giveaway.
The romance and the physicality of the duo while it was outrageous that time, is pretty tepid in the current times as the leading ladies -all collectively getting hot flushes induced hyperthermia- shed clothes and go beyond where the Cabaret artistes of yesteryears stopped. As a result every member of the audience has more knowledge of the groins, thighs and other formerly forbidden zones that earlier were revealed to teenagers only in Anatomy Dissection Halls in Medical colleges. A kind of living Surface Marking Specimen that used to be a shrivelled up mummy when I was in Medical College. These days the directors have breathed life into these mummies which remain, largely, shrivelled up.
Have a wonderful day ahead, folks. The Met Department predicted heavy rains over last week and that meant there would be none. I am amazed at the job which pays handsomely to those who show their competence by clearly making repeated mistakes and rarely getting things right. Have a wonderful weekend
The man was born in a traditional family in Lucknow, where his father was a court clerk. From his early childhood he loved music and would travel to village fairs to attend folk musicians’ performance. He also spent time learning about musical instruments and learnt harmonium repairs. Very soon he became a part of musicians who would sit in front of the screen and play music they’d devised for silent movies. The theater owners would typically hire a team to play a tabla, harmonium, violin and sitar and these guys would come up with their own music for the movie being played on-screen. It was a great way to earn/eke out a living, while pursuing one’s passion for music and also grasp the nuances needed to compose music and develop the ability for creating a background score. He grandly called his troupe Windsor Music Entertainers also dropping one word to name themselves Windsor Entertainers. They would travel afar and he picked up folk music from all these regions: Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra. One such trip met with financial disaster and they had to sell off their theatrical props and even instruments before some kind hearted people helped them get back home. Already smitten by music in the early days of silent movies, when movies found a voice, he was bowled over yet again and left his hometown to seek his fortune in the glitz and glamour of Mumbai , not yet out of his teens. Life in the city that never sleeps was tough and he spent many a month sleeping on the boards outside shops on Broadway. He started assisting Ustad Jhande Khan who taught him classical music and gave him a salary that helped him survive. He also worked as a pianist and became an assistant to Khemchand Prakash at a higher salary. This saved the wannabe musician’s life and he called Khemchand Prakash his guru for the rest of his life.
We know the struggling teenager as Naushad (Ali). Today, 5th May is his 17th remembrance day. His initial years of struggle meant he couldn’t share exactly what he did for a living with folks back in Lucknow. Although he did compose music for Prem Nagar, set in Kutch, the movie was never released and he had to wait till A R Kardar made Nayi Duniya, which gave him credit for his work. Sharda with Kardar saw a teenaged Suraiya lend her voice for Mehtab, but it was Rattan where the music disc sales earned 4 times the production costs of the movie in the first year in royalty alone, that propelled Naushad into the stratosphere. Such was the popularity of this movie, that the musical troupe played songs from Rattan throughout his wedding and baraat, and his father and father-in-law condemned the man who had composed the stuff, while the groom dared not own up to his actions. All during his marriage.
His composition for K L Saigal in Kardar’sShahjehan for the immortal song, Jab Dil Hi toot gaya, was so appreciated by the Superstar, he considered it his personal favourite and insisted it be played continuously during his funeral procession.
The song of the day, from Dulari is a very different composition for Naushad. By then very well known for his traditional compositions with high-end classical notes, he delivered a wonderfully light and soulful love ballad for yet another A R Kardar film, which was yet another hit. The song established the composer as a versatile talent at his time. Suresh and Madhubala are seen in the movie. https://youtu.be/RPNMFQDISIY
A wonderful melody, also a personal favourite of Rafisaab. A timeless classic in the truest sense.
My respect and gratitude to the man who has created such sublime music for generations to savour for the better part of a century. Stay healthy, folks. Stay away from the heat and enjoy the fruits of the summer.
The boy flips big time. Searches for a pick up line, and comes up with an utterly clichéd line that’s as old as the woods. He blurts out “I think I’ve seen you before…”.. Ordinarily such an opening gambit would today be brushed aside and the man cold shouldered.
But this happens in a Bollywood movie that’s so very famous for its musical score, as for the leading lady who launched a few hundreds of millions of ships in the stormy waters of the minds of the legions of utterly smitten and loyal fans that continue to swear by her, using her as a kind of touchstone, the Venus of the inner universe if you will. That incandescent face being present on the screen is enough reason to ignore the almost human halibut on a slab of ice (the male lead who shall remain unnamed).
How can anyone not turn cartwheels after looking at the lady
The movie is a milestone of sorts in Bollywood history, Barsaat Ki Raat, with a sublime score by Roshan Lal Nagrath. https://youtu.be/0_pilWUMOFI
The cynosure of all eyes is of course, none other than Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, who we know by her on-screen name of Madhubala. The leading male notionally is Bharat Bhushan (the frozen Halibut in human form and clothes) but who in the audience ever cared for that person, everyone (gender insensitive statement) unabashedly ogled at the lady whose crooked smile lit up a screen every single time. An Orang utan wouldn’t be noticed if it were to be cast in the role, as long as it wore some clothes.
Roshan was a trained instrumentalist of some repute and could play the Esraj and the Sarod very well, as is seen in the introductory notes.
Upon its release, the film unsurprisingly became a blockbuster success, the second highest earner of the year (after Moghul-e-Azam), and one of the highest earners of the decade at the Indian box office, and one of the top hundred highest-grossers of all time (when adjusted for inflation)
Sahir and Roshan are in great form and the movie has the longest song of Bollywood history, sung by Asha Bhosle, Sudha Malhotra, Manna Dey, Shiv Dayal Batish and Rafisaab. With two versions, the title track, Zindagi Bhar na bhoolegi, took top honours in that year’s Binaca Geetmala.
मैंने शायद तुम्हें पहले भी कहीं देखा है
मैंने शायद तुम्हें पहले भी कहीं देखा है
अजनबी सी हो मगर गैर नहीं लगती हो वहम से भी जो हो नाज़ुक वो यकीं लगती हो हाय ये फूल सा चेहरा ये घनेरी ज़ुल्फ़ें मेरे शेरों से भी तुम मुझको हंसीं लगती हो
देखकर तुमको किसी रात की याद आती है एक ख़ामोश मुलाक़ात की याद आती है जहाँ में हुस्न की ठंडक का असर जगता है आंच देती हुई बरसात की याद आती है
जिसकी पलकें मेरी आँखों पे झुकी रहती हैं तुम वही मेरे ख़यालों की परी हो की नहीं कहीं पहले की तरह फिर तो न खो जाओगी जो हमेशा के लिये हो वो खुशी हो की नहीं
The song is an unforgettable melody: Pure, perfect, passion in Pilu.
When Rafisaab is in this mood, I am sure any lady would say “Yes, of course we have met before” and continued to press the suit, given the accompanying words and the sublime serenading that comes along.
Stay happy, folks and do enjoy P L Santoshi’s most famous creation.
I thought of this song after posting the picture couplet of the day. By sheer coincidence, a Senior Professor who had joined our college after we moved into a higher class also thought of the song. I first heard the song at my friend’s place in a school recess. He stayed a couple of apartment blocks away from school and both his father and he were huge fans of the composer. Roshan Lal Nagrath was a wonderful composer, quite unique and extremely melodious at all times. I must always be obliged to Kidar Sharma for firmly supporting Roshan after the Neki aur Badi disaster, and insisting over and above the objections of financiers and distributors when he was making Baawre Nain, and refusing to replace Roshan with a different composer. The music director repaid the debt of faith reposed in him, Baawre Nain was a hit, Roshan’s score was acclaimed and the continuation of his career ensured. He didn’t look back after that recovery. He became the master of melody and somehow got a disproportionately large number of movies called Muslim Socials at the time. He gave us the longest song (in duration terms) an almost unending qawwali that’s still covered by every group of wannabe singers 60 years after it appeared first. This wonderful duet is from Bahu Begum which had Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari in lead roles. The first link is the duet. Unfortunately can’t be posted as an embed. https://youtu.be/Rpq_VRdf9Ss
Based on the myth/folk tale centred around a Bahu Begum manor in Lucknow, the movie was actually based on a story ( & produced) by Jan Nisar Akhtar. Amazingly, despite being an accomplished poet himself, he entrusted the task of writing lyrics to Sahir Ludhiyanvi. A case of mistaken identity figures at the centre of the plot, where Meena Kumari thinks she is getting married to Pradeep Kumar (but is instead about to be wed to Ashok Kumar). The subsequent twists and turns are truly tortu(r)ous to the viewer and Ashok Kumar finally resorts to burning his house and dying in the fire to step out of the way of the lovers who now reunite.
The best part (& saving grace ) of the otherwise utterly painful movie is the musical score. Roshan conjures up classics like this Rafi-Ashatai duet and the amazing, poignant paean Duniya Kare Sawaal by Latadidi. https://youtu.be/Rpq_VRdf9Ss
Have fun folks, enjoy the summer. The Mango season is upon us and this is the time for lots of fruit, dogs day afternoons and for children a break from academics.
Aniruddha Chandorkar 