I have been wanting to make this list for a long long time now. Without being partial, prepare a list of all the Hindi film songs that made me instantly hit the rewind button not just once but again and again. While some of these may be part of everybody's list, some are not popular or ones you would hear everyday. But these are songs I have returned to again and again playing them in my mind when no music player was available.
Such a list would have to be arranged chronologically because there is no "greatest" here. All these numbers are equally great. So let this be a listing from the earliest to the latest. And I am sure "the latest" would not mean yesterday or even this year. Hindi film music is on its way to dying out with film numbers copying earlier hit tunes or unabashedly releasing versions of old hit songs.
All the more reason to publish this list today as we are celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema. Several publications have started their own lists and their own polls but no where have I found a forum to let me express my own voice. So without much ado, here goes.
1.
Laakh Sahi Haan Pee Ki Batiyaan
K. L Saigal, Film: Yahudi Ki Ladki (1933),
Music: Pankaj Mullick, Lyric: Agha Hashra Kashmiri
Producer: The New Theatres Ltd.
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| Kundan Lal Saigal |
My partiality is always towards Ghalib and Saigal's rendition of Ghalib's ghazal
Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-dil from this film is the earliest rendition of Ghalib for celluloid that I know of. I request anybody to please let me know if there were indeed any renditions of Ghalib for movies earlier than this film. All that you have to do is look through all the movies between the first Indian Talkie,
Alam Ara (1931) and
Yahudi Ki Ladki (1933). And Saigal's
Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-dil is indeed powerful and conveys the depth of of Ghalib's poetry. The intensity of his voice is pervasive and conveys the poignant meaning of Ghalib's poetry even to someone who does not understand Urdu. One has just to listen to Saigal and instantly "feel" what Ghalib's poem is all about. But leaving partiality aside, I have always listened to this ghazal in silence when I wanted to "experience" Ghalib. I could never work myself through the intricate nuances and the twists and turns of this song. In contrast, I always remember
Laakh Sahi for its grief and inherent suffering and it is a song that instantly comes to my lips. The success of a sad song is in the delight that it gives to the listener, the delight that makes the listener return to it again and again, to simply appreciate its construction, and the finesse with which it weaves emotions into its notes. And
Laakh Sahi and
Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-dil are the earliest Hindi film songs that I can recall. Of course there had been musical hits in the short span between the first song,
De De Khuda Ke Naam Pe (from
Alam Ara, sung by Wazir Mohammad Khan and composed by Ferozshah M. Mistri and B. Irani) released on March 14, 1931 and
Yahudi Ki Ladki. (Refer to
Encyclopeadia Of Hindi Cinema edited by Gulazāra, Govind Nihalani and Saibal Chatterjee, Popular Prakashan, 2003) There was Madan Theatres'
Shirin Farhad (1931) and the magnanimous
Indra Sabha (1932) that had at least 66 songs. Though the film or its soundtrack may no longer be available, we can have an idea of the songs as this film was based on the famous play of the same name by Agha Hasan Amanat written in 1853. It was well known and had 31 ghazals, 9 thumris, 4 holis, 15 songs and two chaubolas and five chhands. This was indeed ready made material for a film and though the music is credited to Master Nagardas Nayak, there would really be little indication that J.J Madan, the producer and director really invested in composing new tunes when this play ( along with its songs) was already functioning and popular in Avadh. (Refer
The Cambridge Guide to Asian Theatre, Cambridge University Press, 1997.) There was Prabhat Fiilm Company's
Maya Machinder (1932) whose
Chhod Aakash Ko Sitaare Zameen Par Aaye (sung and composed by Govindrao Tembe) is very melodious and sweet and one song that I have loved to rewind and play again. There was also Wadia Movietone's
Lal-E-Yaman (1933), and a host of other movies by The New Theatres Ltd. including Saigal's movies,
Zinda Lash,
Subah Kaa Sitara, and
Mohabbat Ke Ansoo (all 1932) and his hits for
Puran Bhagat (1933) including the fabulous and extremely hummable
Avsar Beeto Jaat - written in Bhojpuri, which has lines like
saath mint guzarey gayaa ghantaa, choubis mein din raat. I do not want to belittle their music. But for me Hindi film music started with
Laakh Sahi Haan Pee Ki Batiyan, Ek Sahi Na Jaaye!
Pankaj Mullick is credited as the music director of this film and Agha Hashr Kashmiri as the lyricist but the rendition seems more of a traditional
thumri written as a lady's tale of woe and torment when her lord spends the night at another lady's quarters.
Laakh Sahi is in Brij Bhasha - the dialect spoken around Mathura, and is again a treat for Saigal's listeners. Notice Saigal's impeccable diction of chaste Urdu and his emotional fervor in
Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-dil and contrast it with the persuasive ardor rendered flawlessly by him in
Laakh Sahi and you realize how Saigal could traverse both flavors of Hindustani with effusive ease. The words are brief but convey so much sorrow, one is stuck by the volumes of pain packed into them. Indeed these are all the words contained in the song.
Laakh sahi haan pee ki batiyaan
Ek sahi naa jaaye
Jaaye rahe sauten ghar nis din
Hamaraa jee kalapaaye
Nainaa laal kapol pe ajanaa
Chaal bhayee matawaari
Raat jage kis bairan ke ghar
Kis sauten bharamaaye
Ram
My journey into Saigal's world starts with
Laakh Sahi and so does my journey into Hindi film music.
2.
Kamsini Mein Dil Pe Gham Kaa Baar Kyun
Shanta Apte, Film: Amrit Manthan (1934),
Music: Keshavrao Bhole, Lyric: Veer Mohammadpuri
Producer: The Prabhat Film Company
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| Shanta Apte |
Amrit Manthan was the first Hindi film to celebrate a silver jubilee or 25 weeks run. And that was due to a multiplicity of factors. First the haunting eyes of Chandramohan who essayed the role of Rajguru- arguably the first great villain of Hindi Cinema. Chandramohan's superb acting was aptly supplemented by the use of telephoto lens (a first for Hindi Cinema. Refer
Invis Multimedia's documentary on Amrit Manthan). It also had two superb ghazals written by Veer Mohammadpuri:
Aarzoo-e-dil Hazaar Karne Ke Bhi Kaabil Nahin sung by Sureshbabu Mane and
Kamsini Mein Dil Pe Gham Ka Bar Kyun sung by the beautiful Shanta Apte. It had imposing sets, and great music by Keshavrao Bhole.
This song is special because of its imposing lyrics. (Refer
Smriti's Hindi Film Lyrics page).
Kamsini mein dil pe gham kaa baar kyun
Wah yeh kismat paas gul ke khaar kyun
Why does youth (
kamsini) burden (
baar) the heart (
dil) with sorrow (
gham)?
O destiny! (
kismat) Why does the thorn (
Khaar) lie close to the rose(
gul)?
Toot jab ummeed hi apnee gayee
Bandh rahaa hai aansuon ka taar kyun
When all our hope (
ummeed) has been broken,
why is this string (
taar) of tears still being woven?
Dil Hua tukde to pehli baar mein
phir bhi teeron ki hai yeh bouchaar kyun
When this heart has been broken by the first hit,
why are you still raining (
bouchaar) arrows at it?
Veer! Iss deewaanagee main hain mazaa.
Log kehte hain isse aazaar kyun?
O Veer! If there is so much joy in this madness(
deewaanagee),
why then, do people call it an illness(
aazaar)?
The ghazal has been beautifully constructed, however to me the wording tends to convey a man's view of a woman's suffering. Veer Mohammadpuri has even inserted his '
takhallus' (alias) in the last stanza
of the ghazal in the tradition of the
makhta. It is to Shanta Apte's credit that she converts the world view presented by this ghazal into a woman's pathos and breathes soul into the meter and lyrical structure of this ghazal.
Shanta Apte was one of the earliest successful heroines of the Hindi film industry. While actresses from the silent era such as Ruby Myers (a.k.a Sulochana - but not to be mistaken with the actress of the 1950s who took the same name) struggled to make it big in talkie films, the new breed of actresses like Shanta Apte worked hard to free themselves from the shackles of their regional upbringing and acquire a pan-India acceptance. These efforts are evident in this ghazal sung by Shanta Apte. While she not only works hard to get her diction right, she also takes great effort to do justice to the meaning of every stanza and her singing is not only correct, it is also impassioned with the right dose of emotion. In those days dubbing your lines in another voice was not an option (available to heroines today). Nor was it possible to lip sync your song. You had to sing on the sets and it would get recorded in the soundtrack. Singing was difficult too for you had to take care your voice doesn't get drowned in the background music being played on the sets!
Shanta Apte not only accomplished all that but she also had wonderful acting skills and had a beautiful photogenic face. She could merge into any character and would deliver the most complex role with the ease of a veteran. She was Hindi cinema's first silver jubilee heroine and she would go on to prove that she could carry an entire film on her shoulders - such was her acting and singing ability.
In this song, her voice appears full-throat and suited to the bass heavy music being played in the background. Contrast that with her numbers in
Duniya Na Mane (1937) and you will realize the extent of her vocal range.
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| Saigal in Lagan (1941) |
3.
Hairat-e-naazaaraa Aakhir Ban Gayee Raanaayiyaan
K.L Saigal, Film: Karawaan-E-Hayaat (1935),
Music: Mihir Kiran Bhattacharya, Lyric: Hakim Ahmad Shuja Pasha
Producer:
This song is special to me as it took me on the journey to exploration of Urdu. On first impression, this does seem like a dead serious song, heavy with meaning and sung in a mysterious manner by Saigal moving from the first octave to the second with relative ease. Its words sounded so powerful and sophisticated and to a person who has grown up on colloquial Hindustani, it does seem deep and sombre and yet mysteriously beautiful like the desert wind.
Hairat-e-nazaaraa aakhir ban gayee ranaayiyaan
Khaak ke zarron mein aati hain nazar gulzariyaan
Jab se dekhaa hai tujhe, ik dard hai dil mein nihaan
Aye sabaa le jaa tuhee un tak meri bedaariyaan
Marhabaa bark-e-jamaal-e-yaar tujhpar benisaar
Marhabaa josh-e-junoon-e-ishq ki ruswaaiyaan
Alvida aye kaafilewaale mujhe ab chhod do.
Meri kismat mein likhi hai dasht ki veeraaniyaan
I did have a mind to use this song to make an impression on my college friends and therefore explored what it was all about. This is how I deciphered it. Readers may please correct me if I may have gone wrong in its literal interpretation.
Hairat-e-nazaaraa aakhir ban gayee ranaayiyaan
Hairat is surprise or awe,
nazaaraa means spectacle, and
raanayi means beauty. So the first line means, "I beheld an awesome spectacle that turned out to be a thing of beauty."
Khaak ke zarron mein aati hain nazar gulzaariyaan
Khaak means dirt, waste, dust, ashes, or simply something negligible or unworthy or at best humble.
Zarra is a speck.
Gulzaar is a garden. So the second line means, "One can behold a beautiful garden even in a speck of dust."
Jab se dekhaa hai tujhe, ik dard hai dil mein nihaan
Aye sabaa le jaa tuhee un tak meri bedaariyaan
Nihaan means hidden or buried, internal, deep, or secret.
Sabaa means breeze.
Bedaar means troubles or torment. So the meaning of this couplet (
Sher) is "From the time I have seen her, a pain has buried itself in my heart. O breeze! please convey to her my suffering."
Marhabaa bark-e-jamaal-e-yaar tujhpar benisaar
Marhabaa josh-e-junoon-e-ishq ki ruswaaiyaan
Marhabaa is a greeting that means hello or welcome.
Bark means abundant, auspicious, blessed, or prosperous.
Jamaal means elegant or beautiful.
Nisaar means to offer or sacrifice.
Josh means zeal or passion, and
Junoon means obsession or insane passion.
Ishq is love and
Ruswaayi is disrepute or obloquy. So this couplet means, "Welcome to my world! O beautiful one, I offer myself to you and welcome all the travails, tribulations, and disrepute that will come my way due to this unstoppable obsession that I have invited upon me."
Alvida aye kaafilewaale mujhe ab chhod do.
Meri kismat mein likhi hai dasht ki veeraaniyaan
Alvida means farewell (in contrast to
Khuda Haafiz which means God be with you or goodbye,
Alvida has a finality about it),
Kaafiila and
Karawaan are used interchangeably although the former means a convoy or fleet of vehicles while the latter means a caravan or a group of travelers and their vehicles going together.
Dasht means desert and
Veeraan means desolate or lonely. So the last couple means, "Farewell! O fellow travelers, leave me here. The desolateness of this desert is my destiny."
In the days when there was no Internet or any ready primers of the language nor any guide,I can leave it to the reader to imagine the brief struggle I had to go through to unravel the language of this song in order to discover its meaning.
The film being part of the early undocumented era of the Hindi talkie has other mysteries too. The film s largely believed to be released n 1935 although there are sources that put it at 1933-34. The music score is credited to Timir Baran although many sources now record Mihir Kiran Bhattacharya as the music director.
The ghazal itself is credited by some to be penned by Agha Hashra Kashmiri but many sources now confirm it to be Ahmed Shuja Pasha. Moreover I cannot confirm the producer of this movie but I think it is most probably The New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta.
Anyways, Hindi film songs have come a long way from this intensely complicated yet intricately beautiful poetry. In 1955 a certain Shailendra wrote, "
Dil Ka Haal Kahe Dil Waala, Sidhee Si Baat Na Mirch Masalaa" and in 1955 a poet going by the name of Sahir Ludhianv wrote, "
Pyar Par Bas To Nahi Hai Mera Lekin Phr Bhi, Tu Bataa De Ke Tujhe Pyaar Karoon Ya Na Karoon"
In 1998 another poet called Gulzar wrote, "
Goli Maroo Bheje Mein. Bheja Shor Katra Hai."
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| RajKumari (Pallo) |
4.
Naahi Aaye Ghanashyam
Rajkumari (Pallo), Film: Devdas (1935),
Music: Timir Baran, Lyric: Kidar Sharma
Producer: The New Theatres Ltd.
Devdas was a gem of a movie made with a surprising maturity that eludes some Hindi movies even today. It's music is well remembered with hits such as K.L Saigal's
Baalam Aaye Baso Morey Man Mein and
Piya Bin Naahi Awaat Chain being played even today.
Devdas made Saigal India's first great star as it was his fifth hit
after
Yahudi Ki Ladki (1933),
Puran Bhagat (1933),
Karawaan-E-Hayaat (1934) and
Chandidas (1934) and was his first real super hit.
Watching this film gives you a glimpse of Saigal's imposing persona,
which was no less than the superstars of today and his unique baritone
voice. His voice was special. It was not the loud theatrical voice that resonated till the last bench. It had the right blend of softness fit for the soundtrack. His was indeed the first microphone ready voice of Hindi cinema.
The film also had two other greats, K.C Dey and Pahari Sanyal. Pahari Sanyal's
Chute Asir toh Guzara Hua Zamaana Tha and
Roshan Hai Tere Dum Se were extremely hummable and showcased his range. K.C Dey's
Na Aaya Man Ka Meet and
Mat Bhool Musafir are superlative gems that demonstrate what a great genius he was. Music like that is created only once and certainly if one were to choose the best Hindi musical of the 1930s or even if one were to list the best Hindi musicals of all time,
Devdas (1935) would most certainly be on that list, such was the strength of Timir Baran's compositions.
I remember that
Devdas was telecast on Doordarshan somewhere around 1986 and I had just purchased our first family tape recorder and recorded its songs by placing it right next to the TV set. However among all these greats, there were two songs that I returned to again and again for their profound sadness and poignant pathos. They were Saigal's immortal
Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahi and Rajkumari's
Naahi Aaye Ghanashyam. While the former is well known and played everywhere. Rajkumari's number is not very well known. This Rajkumari is not the famous Hindi playback singer Rajkumari Dubey but the actress who played Chandramukhi in the film. When I met the great singer Rajkumari Dubey at the function to mark Netaji Subhash Bose's centenary at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1997, I asked her about this song and she told me that this Rajkumari was a different person who was also called Pallo. I also know that she acted opposite Saigal in
Kaarwan-E-Hayaat. Beyond that, I know nothing more of this Rajkumari and like the fictional Chandramukhi, she too seems to have faded into oblivion. But she has left behind her melodious voice in this dreamy paced lovely number that has remained with us I cannot really decide between which is the superior song,
Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahi or
Naahi Aaye Ghanashyam. Saigal has indeed left his soul behind with us in
Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahi but
Naahi Aaye Ghanashyam is a song that I can not only rewind but hum and play in my mind as it has a simpler tune and is therefore a song I can return to with ease.
Moreover the tonal quality of Rajkumari's voice is very like the tanpura that accompanies her in this song and one is immediately stuck at the richness in her voice. It is extremely rare to find a movie where all the main roles are played by talented actors who are extremely good singers as well and all the songs are of a quality that are remembered even after more than 75 years have gone by.
For me, the
Devdas of 1935 will always be special for Saigal and
Naahi Aaye Ghanashyam.
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| Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani singing Main Ban Ki Chidiya |
5.
Main Ban Ki Chidiya
Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar, Film:
Achhut Kanya (1936),
Music: Saraswati Devi, Lyric:
J.S. Kashyap
Producer: The Bombay Talkies Ltd.
While The New Theatres Ltd. had talented singers, Bombay's studios had raw talent that needed grooming. One such example was Ashok Kumar Ganguly, a lab technician at The Bombay Talkies Ltd. who was chosen by the scion, Himanshu Rai to don the hero's make up in what seems to be a desperate attempt at meeting schedules. The film's director was Franz Osten, a German filmmaker of repute who was retained by The Bombay Talkies Ltd. The film's music director was Khorshed Minocher-Homji better known to us by her pseudonym Saraswati Devi and it was Saraswati Devi's job to make Ashok Kumar sing. To minimize the challenge she composed a very simple tune and the lyricist J.L Kashyap matched it with words with such an inherent sweetness that even if a person were to speak them, they would instantly touch the listener's heart. And that is how
Main Ban Ki Chidiya was born.
Saraswati Devi also recorded the first solo playback song for this film.
The song was
Kit Gaye Ho Khewanihar sung by Saraswati Devi herself and
it was her sister who lip-synched it on the screen. This was the second
such experiment in playback, the first being when Nitin Bose, director
of the New Theatres' film
Dhoop Chhaon (1935) persuaded Music Director
R.C Boral to try and see if they could record
Mero Ghar Mohan Aayo
in K.C Dey and Suprobha Sarkar's voices and play the number when the
scene was being enacted and the actors sang. Sound recordist Mukul Bose,
who was Nitin Bose's brother, also contributed immensely to the success
of this experiment. (Refer
Invis Multimedia's documentary on Dhoop Chhaon)
Saraswati
Devi took this experiment further and sang the entire song,
Kit Gaye Ho Khewanihaar herself
leaving no room for special mixing by the sound recordists. She became the first solo playback singer.
Achhut Kanya
was indeed a milestone in Hindi film history. The unique selling proposition (USP) of this song is its simplicity and brevity. Indeed if there was to be a search on the shortest Hindi film songs, this one would surely get nominated.
Main ban ke chidiya ban ke ban ban boloon re
...Main ban ke panchhi ban ke sang sang doloon re
Main daal daal ud jaoon, nahi pakadaayi main aaon
...Tum daal daal main paat paat, bin pakade kabhi naa chhoodon sang sang doloon re
These are just the four lines that make up the entire song. Of course the first two lines are repeated again. But that was all that the song had and even today after seventy five years the tune is still catchy and hummable and can be sung by anybody.
Indeed Saraswati Devi had created a gem. She had created a song that didn't need a trained singer, a song and yet had a tune that could be retained by the listeners even if they just remembered the few words that the song had. Saraswati Devi had killed two birds with one stone. She had made a hitherto untrained actor sing, and she had created a song that had instant appeal and recall and was hit material. Here was a song people could play in their mind and sing to their sweethearts. A song need not be exceptional at first impression, it only needs to be recalled. Saraswati Devi had stumbled upon the first mantra for success in Hindi films. A mantra that every music composer has upheld since then.
I need not explain my personal reason for marking this song my favorite. It is a song that immediately comes to my lips when I am strolling through a garden. Indeed anybody who listens to
Main Ban Ki Chidiya, would take the song with them and hum it when they least expect it. Thanks to Saraswati Devi for contributing to the creation of the simple easy to recall song
6.
Ek Bangla Bane Nyaara
K.L Saigal, Film: The President (1937),
Music: R.C Boral and Pankaj Mullick, Lyric: Kidar Sharma
Producer:The New Theatres Ltd.
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| Saigal in The President (1937) |
Had the word superstar been invented in the 1930s it would have been in Kundan Lal Saigal's custody. From 1934 to 1947, Saigal ruled unchallenged. From cinema houses in Kabul to Rangoon, his voice, his persona, and his sublime acting enthralled viewers who lined up to see him, hear him and take him home in their hearts. Saigal's influence on Hindi film music remained long after his death. Singers like Surendra, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, C.H Atma, and Chandru Atma modeled themselves on his singing style.The Saigal effect is indelible.
Ek Bangla Bane Nyaara will never go out of fashion. The first lines written by Kidar Sharma have become a metaphor for every person with the dream of having one's own house. The composition by R.C Boral is equally dream like and heart warming. The matchless rendition by the soothing voice of Saigal is the ultimate pinnacle that this song has accomplished. Indeed
Ek Bangla Bane Nyaara is easily the best remembered Hindi film song of the magical 1930s. Even if you take a poll by asking anybody you randomly meet to name any 3 songs of Saigal, chances are that most listeners would pick
Ek Bangla Bane Nyaara.
This is one of those songs you hear people humming and singing long before you actually hear the original version and can appreciate its beauty. I had heard this song in being sung by bus travelers, rickshaw drivers, uncles, aunts, family friends and so many people including my mother. Then I heard it in Saigal's voice and I felt the Saiigal effect gripping me. This song also made beautiful copy for some ads and has been used in essays and soliloquies. Most people tend to sing it faster than the original song, so you'll be surprised to find Saigal's song to be slower and more melodious. This song has eclipsed the other Saigal song in this film, the superb
Aao Bachchon Main Tumhe Ek Kahaani Sunaaoon, Ek Raaje Kaa Beta Lekar Udanewaala Ghoda which is in the same genre as Amitabh Bachchan's
Mere Paas Aao Mere Doston, Ek Kissa Sunaaon, Ghane Jungalon Men Gujarta Hua Kahin Jaa rahaa Thaa from Mr. Natwarlal (1979). Listen to both songs and note how very similar they are! That was another experiment of including a story narrative that worked wonderfully well. The songs of The President have the word "melody" written all over them.
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| Shanta Apte singing In the World's Broad Field of Battle |
7.
In the World's Broad Field of Battle
Shanta Apte, Film: Duniya Na Mane (1937),
Music: Keshavrao Bhole, Lyric: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Producer:The Prabhat Film Company
In the midst of nowhere comes this beauty composed by Keshavrao Bhole. This also has the diirector V. Shantaram's stamp all over it. After dabbling with intricate costumes, animation, and choreography in
Maya Machinder (1932) and imposing sets, incredible fight scenes, amazing closeups and the use of the telephoto lens in
Amrit Manthan (1934), he wanted to make a film without any background music and he achieved exactly that for this film. So in this song, he had the heroine Shanta Apte play a gramophone record while she sang this number.
The
Psalm of Life is a beautiful poem by H.W Longfellow and is usually known to be part of the church choir's repertoire. (See and hear this
example of such a rendition). But Shantaram wanted this to be a song for going to war. So he started in the middle of the poem, and made the composer create a number in operatic style with the record of a foot-tapping war march playing on the gramophone!
The song restructured from the original poem used these stanzas in the following order
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife.
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
The result is a superb number sung and enacted by Shanta Apte who sings the fast paced operatic style song sitting down next to the gramophone record player. Her accent may be noticeably Indian, but her diction is impeccable and aptly suited for operatic singing. Compare this song with the choir number based on the same poem and you realize the dramatic awe-inspiring effect Keshavrao Bhole, V. Shantaram, and Shanta Apte have created.This is arguably the first Hindi film song in English and the choice of the poem, its deliberate restructuring, and the purposeful choice of the operatic style illustrate how much thought was put into the construction of this scene and its relevance vis'-a-vis the theme of the film. This is a film about a young woman (Shanta Apte) from a poor family forcibly married off to an old man. In the film, Shanta Apte sings this song to her husband's family members that have gathered in the room to illustrate to them her upbringing as well as to invoke every woman to battle her predicament and fight for her rights and her freedom.
The song showcases Shanta Apte's talent as a singer and actress. She was enigmatically beautiful, had excellent dialogue delivery skills, and was sophisticated and educated. She was probably Hindi cinema's first great heroine.
I am sure that like me, you will go through the same experience when you hear this song. You will want to hear it again and again, for Keshavrao Bhole's superlative score and Shanta Apte's out of this world singing.
Beautiful, wonderful, superb, again and again and again.
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| Ashok Kumar in Kangan (1939) |
8.
Koi Humdum Na Raha
Ashok Kumar, Film: Jeevan Naiya (1937),
Music: Saraswati Devi, Lyric: J.S Kashyap
Producer:The Bombay Talkies Ltd.
After Achhut Kanya became a big hit, Himanshu Rai decided to float another movie with Ashok Kumar called
Janmabhhomi and Saraswati Devii got another chance to work on Ashok Kumar's singing.
After
Izzat (1936), it was certain that Ashok Kumar was indeed developing as an actor and his handsome looks were going well with the audience. With
Jeevan Naiya, Saraswati Devi and Ashok Kumar delivered a bombshell - the beautiful
Koi Humdum Na Raha. This song had silence interspersed with melody and rhythm floating in between - an unheard of musical experience till then. Though Saigal had effectively used the poignant pause in
Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahin to brilliantly illustrate an alcoholic's fleeting state between consciousness and delirium; Saraswati Devi used silence as a musical element in this song and placed it at the right places to give it an integral place in the song. One may be tempted to assume that these silences were introduced deliberately in the song, to ease Ashok Kumar's breathing, but listen to this song and you will notice that this element does not coincide with breathing regularity, but instead gives meaning to the lines before it and the lines that follow. The silences dissociate words aptly and yet weave into the song a meaning reflective of the lonely mood and the listlessness that the poetry conveys. And Ashok Kumar carried the song so brilliantly that one is amazed that this is the same voice that gave us
Main Ban Ki Chidiya only two years ago. This is evidence of the tremendous effort that Ashok Kumar put into his work.
Jeevan Naiya became a huge hit and Ashok Kumar became a big star with a following all over the country. His name appeared in the legion of stars alongside Prithviraj Kapoor, Pahari Sanyal, Chandramohan, and Sohrab Modi. With
Vachan (1938) and
Kangan (1939) his popularity reached new heights and people began to say he was in the league of Saigal.
The poetry is also refreshingly modern and bereft of the theatrical complexity of songs such as
Hairat-e-nazaaraa Aakhir Ban Gayee Ranaayiyaan. The lines sound as though they were written yesterday by a contemporary poet for a film to be released next week. Indeed the poem uses the vocabulary that our youth can easily identify with today. This may have been the reason why this song was used in another film roughly a quarter of a century later. Indeed such was the powerful effect that this dream of a song,
Koi Humdum Na Raha created that Ashok Kumar's younger brother who was a kid then absorbed the song and it stayed with him for nearly 25 years till he reproduced it word for word and note for note in the song that he sang for his film
Jhumroo (1960). Kishore's version is undoubtedly more sophisticated but it carries nearly twenty five years of improvisation and development that Hindi film music went through between Saraswati Devi's original recording and Kishore's rendition. By the time Kishore Kumar recorded his version, the song would no longer get recorded on the sets but the singer sang in a closed sound proof room and the music played separately so that the singer's voice towered over the music. Various sound effects could be added to the song during mixing and the singer's breathing and other unwanted sounds could also be erased. Notice how Kishore has replaced some of the silences with chimes and added echoes to his voice in some places. The classical base of Ashok Kumar's song is replaced by the violin and western beats in Kishore Kumar's song. This probably was the first version song or re-recorded song of Hindi cinema (if you discount the fact that Surendra re-recorded his own songs) and probably the only instance in the world where the original song was sung by the elder brother and the newer version sung by the younger brother nearly twenty five years apart. Indeed Kishore must have lived and breathed this song. However neither has Saraswati Devi been credited for this score in
Jhumroo, nor was Jamna Swaroop Kashyap given any mention by the producers of the film. Readers can view the title song of the film
Jhumroo on any of the tube sites as that is being played when the credits show up in the film. Saraswati Devi was alive then and so was Ashok Kumar, but I do not know whether they made any statements about their credits being left out.
You may have probably heard the Kishore Kumar version several times but take time to listen to the Ashok Kumar version. It isn't as polished or processed to finesse as Kishore Kumar's version is, but the sound is amazingly refreshing and its rawness adds a rustic flavor to the mood that it creates. Ashok Kumar certainly scored an ace with this song and it has remained with me ever since.
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| K.C Dey singing Teri Gathri Main Laga Chor from Dhoop Chhaon (1935) |
9.
Panghat Pe Kanhaiya Aata Hai
K.C Dey, Film: Vidyapati (1937),
Music: R.C Boral, Lyric: Kidar Sharma
Producer:The New Theatres Ltd.
Krishna Chandra Dey was a name in Bengali theatre even before talking movies made their debut in India. He had his own theatre company and also played a part in Madan Theatres' Bengali talkie films. He was also associated with the New Theatres Ltd. and was also signed up by the Gramophone Company of India for song recordings. He was in great demand in the 1930s. Together with Saigal and Pankaj Mullick, Dey formed the celebrated triumvirate of Hindi cinema of the 1930s
Though he played the role of a blind philosopher in most of his films, he was hero material in
Inquilab (1935) and in
Dhoop Chaon (1934) he played the role of poet Surdas.
Vidyapati (1937) is based extensively on the fables and poetry of the Maithili poet, Vidyapati. The script was written by Qazi Nazrul Islam, who like Tagore, was the doyen of Bengali poetry and music of that era. The songs were written by Kidar Sharma, who had started out as a painter of sets at New Theatres but had now grown to be the first great lyricist of Hindi movies. Indeed it was poets like Kidar Sharma, J.S Kashyap, and Aarzu Lakhnavi who shaped the language of Hindi film songs and separated it from the theatrical poetry that was popular at that time. The language that they created reflected the vocabulary of the masses and amalgamated all lexicons whether they belonged to Urdu, Maithili, Brijbhasha, Avadhi, or simple Khariboli.They created a language that was easily identifiable by the masses whether they were watching the movie in Lahore or Calcutta, Delhi or Bombay, or Lucknow or Patiala.
Pahari Sanyal played the title role of the poet. And his songs such as the melodious
Darshan Huye Tihare Jaage Bhaag Hamaar, the mellifluous
Madhu Ritu Aai Phaagun Ki Sakhi, and the sublime
Ek Din Raadha Ne were hits. So was the superlative
Dole Hriday Ki Naiya sung by Kanan Devi, the singing star of The New Theatres Ltd. Indeed the song
Dole Hriday Ki Naiya Dole sounds like Geeta Dutt singing! Kanan Devi, like Shanta Apte had a superb voice and was a stunning beauty as well as an accomplished actress. I got a chance to watch this movie when it was aired on Doordarshan in the late 1980s and also record the songs on my tape recorder. But the song that went to my heart was K.C Dey's
Panghat Pe Kanhaiya Aata Hai. This song isn't in Maithili at all but in simple Hindi and has nothing spectatcular to narrate except that the child Krishna comes to the river bank and kicks up a storm with his pranks. The song starts with a
doha (devotional couplet),
Aa Hari Charan Mein Safal Hot Sab Pooja, Jab Koi Musafir Andhiyaare Mein Apni Raah Kho Jaata Hai Phir Manmohanya Haath Pakad Kar Usko Raah Dikhlaataa Hai
Though in reality Krishna didn't kick up half the storm that the film did. The story of how the queen of Mithila, Maharani Laxmi (played by Chaaya Devi) falls in love with the poet Vidyapati and how the king Shiv Singh (played by the magnanimous Prithviraj Kapoor) endures it till he is persuaded by Vidyapati's devotee (Kanan Devi) that true love should not seek a positive response. The sweet songs of the film belie the controversial topic of extra marital love that this film deals with. (Refer
Invis Multimedia's documentary on the film Vidyapati) This may have begun the trend in Hindi films where the music department and the screenplay and action separated from each other and a film's songs had nothing to do with the main plot of the film. Though Kidar Sharma did mention that he had to work extra hard to remove the erotic references that Vidyapati's poems had before authoring the songs for the film. (Refer
Vinayak Razdan's blog post about Kanaan Devi's song
Morey Anganaa Mein Aaye Aali)
Like
Devdas (1935),
Vidyapati would also make it to my list of the top Hindi film musicals of all time and even though all songs of the film are favorites, my heart goes to
Panghat Pe Kanhaiya Aata Hai.
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| Saigal singing Babul Mora |
10.
Babul Mora
K. L Saigal, Film: Street Singer (1938),
Music: R.C Boral, Lyric:Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
Producer: The New Theatres Ltd.
It is my view that "
Babul Mora" must be part of "essential listening" for Hindi film music. It is a song that captures your heart at once for the singing is straight from the heart and the pathos is unparalleled. K.L Saigal, as one writer puts it, did not need any sound effects to spruce up his song nor did he need any orchestration to accompany his singing. He just had to go out there and sing. Which is exactly what he did in this song. He walked and sang this song as it got recorded and the effect is mesmerizing. Saigal, only Saigal can hold audiences spellbound with his acting as well as his singing.
The song emerges from the unfathomed depths of his vocal cords and spreads into the atmosphere like vapor. Words cannot really describe the emotions that this song evokes. Why was this song created? Why is it here? Why has it remained to soothe our tormented nights even after three quarters of a century and why can't it be surpassed even though Jagjit and Chitra Singh made an attempt in
Aavishkar (1974) Even though we know that Bhimsen Joshi's rendition is superior, we do not remember the intricacies of the alaap. The words Babul Mora evoke Saigal's memory and no other. Saigal did not have Bhimsen Joshi's perfection. Saigal had the raw and brazen tenor that pervaded our hearts.
This Thumri in the raaga Bhairavi was written by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and it is widely believed that the metaphor of the bride leaving her parents' home with a sense of separation and longing actually refers to the Nawab's banishment from his beloved Lucknow. Notice how Saigal turns it into his song, his suffering, and his destiny. (Refer
Samakalika's blog posting that also contains Bhimsen Joshi's rendition).
Babul Mora is even more evocative as you watch Saigal move through the street holding a harmonium and pouring his heart out. This song is the first (read earliest) song in my list of the best pictured songs of Hindi cinema.
I am never tired of listening to this song and I have never listened to this song without playing it again every time I've played it.
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| Pankaj Mullick in Doctor (1941) |
11.
Piya Milan Ko Jaana
Pankaj Mullick, Film: Kapalkundala (1938),
Music: Pankaj Mullick, Lyric:Aarzu Lucknavi
Producer: The New Theatres Ltd.
This song holds a special place in my heart as I sang this as part of a musical program that I had organized in 1989.
Kapal Kundala is Bankim Chandra's magnificent 1866 novel and has evoked comparisons to Shakespeare's
Tempest that has the same magical milieu. Many regard
Kapal Kundala as Bankim Chandra's finest novel.
The song composed and sung by Pankaj Mullick also has the magical quality of the hauntingly beautiful narrative. Pankaj Mullick, K.L Saigal, and K.C Dey formed the much touted first triumvirate of singing in Hindi Ciinema and many of the most popular songs of the 1930s have come from their stable. Pankaj Mullick being an extremely gifted composer is also credited with composing some of the most beautiful numbers that Saigal and K.C Dey sang. He is also known for some beautiful non-film numbers such as "
Tere Mandir Ka Hoon Deepak Jal Rahaa and
Mere Hathile Shyaam." Later composers such as Anil Biswas, S.D Burman, and Hemant Kumar have clearly been influenced by his compositions.
Notice how this beautiful voice renders the tenderness latent in the words that describe the anticipation associated with the nuptial night.
Bujhe diye andheree raat,
aankhon par dono haath.
Kaise kate kathin baat
chalke aazmaana
Piya milan ko jaana
Pankaj Mullick was the first Hindi film composer who could be given the label, genius. His style was simple - a burst of melodious singing where notes flow from the lower to the higher levels like a hot spring sprouting from the earth. This flow does not cease and goes on till the very end. So Pankaj Mullick's hallmark is songs that have a continuous pace and incessant rhythm that does not permit even a whiff of breath to sneak out. This simple formula that he applied for most of his songs clicked wonderfully again and again and made his tunes easy to remember and easy to sing. Pankaj Mullick was indeed a burst of energy, a volcano of melodious music and a blazing inferno of warm, soothing, unstoppable music. While most of the songs that he has composed fall into this racy genre, he has composed slow beautifully melodious numbers as well. Most of the film songs he sang were for himself. But the songs that others sang for him were equally famous too. Melody was foremost in his priority. He was an excellent exponent of Rabindra Sangeet and in Rabindranath Tagore's liifetime, he urged for the introduction of tabla in Rabindra Sangeet. Maybe it was his grounding in Rabindra Sangeet that gave him the focus on melody.
Piya Milan Ko Jaana, like most other songs by Pankaj Mullick is the racy unbridled horse running up the slope, scaling the higher notes with ease and not once losing its grip over melody and effusive warmth.
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| Saigal singing Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahin in Devdas (1935) |
12.
Karoon Kya Aas Niraas Bhayee
K. L Saigal, Film: Dushman (1939),
Music: Pankaj Mullick, Lyrics:Aarzu Lucknavi
Producer: The New Theatres Ltd.
Here is another Pankaj Mullick composition, characterized by its freely flowing notes. Saigal has added his soul to it and has created a profound sadness. Indeed anything in Saigal's voice is special. To just listen to his voice flowing with the music is a heavenly experience in itself. But Saigal's singing is special as he is also the actor for his fiim songs and he realizes the tonal quality of each song as well as what the scene demands.
So in the eternal
Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahin, we find him fusing his song with the delirium of an alcoholic and find his song flowing in small spurts interceded by inane laughter that belies the futile grief. Saigal's expression is only matched by the power of his voice that transcends all the intervening years between 1935 and today and reaches out to our heart.
Contrast that with
Karoon Kya Aas Niraas Bhaayee and you recognize the range and depth in Saigal's voice. Here Saigal's voice flows with the song yet stems the tide of melody that the song unleashes. Notice how he takes on a different fervor in the last stanza:
Karnaa hoga khoon ka paani
deni hogi har kurbaani
himmat hai itni toh samajh le
aas bandhegi nayee
kaho naa aas niraas bhayee
Though the tune remains steady on its course to crescendo like a typical Pankaj Mullick tune, Saigal changes the mood of the song from despair to hope merely by through strength of his voice.
Like every other Pankaj Mullick composition, this tune is catchy and the words penned by Aarzu Lakhnavi (In later years his name was spelt Aarzoo Lucknowi) are easy to remember and yet are reflective, contemplative, and convey the complexity of a man who soliloquizes the conflicting response to his own grief.
Karun kya aas niraas bhayee
diya bujhe phirse jal jaaye
raat andheri jaaye din aaye
mitati aas hai jyot ankhiyan ki
samajho gayi toh gayi
Saigal's singing made even the most complex song look simple and easy to recall. This composition is of the type that one forgets for a long while and it suddenly returns to you when you are, in Wordsworthian expression, truly in
vacant or in pensive mood, when the song flashes upon that inward eye! Karun Kya has stayed with me in that state ever since I first heard it.
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| Dhoe Mahobe Ghat 1939 |
13.
Dhoe Mahobe Ghat
Chorus Film:Pukar (1939)
Music: Mir Saheb, Lyric: Kamal Amrohi
Producer: Minerva Movietone
This very catchy song was in fact a side attraction in the film
Pukar(1939). The real USP of this magnum opus was Sohrab Modi's towering performance and his histrionic dialogue
jugalbandi with Chandramohan. It is said that the blind went to Sohrab Modi's movies just to hear his voice. Sorry for the politically incorrect language here but Sohrab Modi's legends are many and this is one of them. Pukar was produced and directed by Sohrab Modi and he played the stellar role of Sardar Sangram Singh in this movie. Sohrab Modi's Minerva Movietone was famous for historical movies which were larger than life and transported users to an entirely different world that they could only hope to visit in their dreams. His films were the perfect dream machines that gave users full value for their money.
Pukar (1939) was clearly a precursor to K. Asif's
Mughal-E-Azam (1960). It had the same story elements; Mughal emperor, the question of justice, the treatment of the elite and commoners, and the magnanimous decision of the just and wise emperor. These elements endeared themselves to melodrama, thundering dialogue, and imposing sets. And that was the hallmark of this movie. Actors like Sohrab Modi and Chandramohan did not really want to showcase their singing and it was only their strong histrionic acting and dialogue delivery that endeared them to the masses. Indeed
Pukar was a colossal film and remains eminently watchable even today; its suspense, courtroom drama, brilliant cinematography and larger than life sets and characters endures the test of time.
The music was composed by Mir Saheb, himself an imposing composer, who went on to compose hit music for
Sikandar (1941),
Lal Haveli (1944) and
Zeenat (1945). This great composer was far ahead of his time and this is amply illustrated in this beautiful song. The composer has used sound effects for the washer folk thumping clothes against the stones. The rhythm is differently paced for the
mukhda and the chorus. The
antara and the
mukhda blend into each other and seem to carry on a conversation.
Dhoe mahobe ghat is in Bhojpuri and written by Kamal Amrohi, who started his career with Sohrab Modi a year earlier as the story writer of the film
Jailor and who would go on to create magic of his own with films like
Mahal (1949),
Daera (1953),
Pakeezah (1972) and
Razia Sultan (1983). For the last film, where he was the writer and director, he signed Sohrab Modi his mentor, who in reversal of roles, played the wazir-e-azam in the film. Kamal Amrohi created this extremely simple song that is a conversation between a washer man (
dhobi)
and his washer woman (
dhoban). The song showcases the popularity of bhojpuri as the language of Hindi film songs and the music of Uttar Pradesh (then United Provinces) as the base. Composers and producers had realized that this combination was a sure fire recipe for a hit.
The song is a playback song and the cassette released by the then publisher HMV (now Saregama) lists the artistes as "chorus." There have been some Web pages that state that the singers are Sardar Akhtar (who would later on become film maker Mehboob Khan's wife) and Khan Mastana but I do not have a confirmation of these details. Moreover Sardar Akhtar played the washer woman in the song, so if she had sung this song then my surmise is that this song would not have made it to the "50 years of playback singing" collection released by HMV.
When I first heard this song, I was struck by the innocent mirth and the playful glee in this song.
chaandi ki nadiyaa me dhoban ki angiyaa
dhoe re dhoe re mas-mas dhotiyaa
cham-cham chamakegi angiyaa pahan ke
barasenge chunari mein taare gagan ke
O more dhobiya ki pugree puranee
pugree puranee kyun dhoe maharaani
pugree ki chunnat mein angiya lipat gayee
dhubiyaa ki chotee mein raani simat gayee
The last stanza has some connection with the plot of the story as soon after this song ends, an arrow shot in the air by the queen hits the washer man who dies. And now the emperor must decide what judgement should be given and what punishment should be meted out.
You just need to hear this song to appreciate how a simplicity can be a thing of beauty and how an uncomplicated tune and straight from the heart lyrics can be easily picked up by the movie goiing masses and remain with them for years.
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| K.C Dey singing Duniya Rang Rangeeli |
14.
Duniya Rang Rangeeli
K.C Dey, Uma Shashi, and K.L Saigal Film Dharti Mata (1939)
Music: Pankaj Mullick, Lyric: Pandit Sudarshan
Producer: The New Theatres Ltd.
What a song! One person who uploaded a video of this song on YouTube has written that the singers rock. And indeed that is what K.C Dey, Uma Shashi, and K.L Saigal have done. They have taken the song to unscaled heights. This song carries the stamp of Pankaj Mullick - notes progressively racing from low to high octave and the antara, the mukhada, the background music, and the beautiful words fusing into one homogenous harmonious whole.
The words
Duniya rang rangeeli are apt because the three singers infuse color into this song with their symphonious singing. First it is the warm and euphonic voice of K.C Dey that tells us that the world is full of color and is nothing but a beautiful garden where every branch and creeper is enchanted and graced with happiness. Here is a place where magical birds roam freely and pleasant flowers bloom everywhere. Even the sprightly buds effuse joy.
What delightfully magical words! Enough to drive your gloom away.
Duniya rang rangeeli baba, duniya rang rangeeli
Yeh duniya ik sundar bagiya, shobha isaki nyare hain
har daali par jadoo chaaya, har daali matwaari hain
adbhut panchi, phool manohar, kalee kalee chatakeeli baba
duniya rang rangeeli
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| Uma Shashi singing Duniya Rang Rangeeli |
And just when you thought this flowing river of happy notes would go on, the scintillating voice of Uma Shashi merges into the melody just before K.C Dey could finish singing. Her voice is like the spurt of a bubbly stream that flows over the small pebbles of the garden. The beautiful Uma Shashii had an equally beautiful voice. She also had a lovely solo in this film,
Jaag Sajaniya Jaag. She had also acted in the hits
Dhoop Chaon and
Chandidas. She had also acted in the Bengali versions of these films and also in the 1933 Bengali version of
Kapalkundala. Her song with Saigal,
Premngar Man Banaoongi Ghar Mein in
Chandidas (1934) was a hit. Like Rajkumari, Leela Desai, Jamuna and other heroines of the 1930s, she too disappeared into oblivion and there is nothing else that we know of this beautiful star. In this song, it is her dulcet voice that tells us that at every step, hope flashes before us in its many forms and reveals how to resolve our woes. It encourages us with its joyous songs that are sweeter than sugar and the strings that play it are decorated with happiness.
What effusive words of beauty!
kadam kadam par aasha roop anuroop dikhaati hai
bigade kaaj banati hai, dhiraj ke geet sunaati hai
isaka sur misri se meetha, isaki taar sajeeli baba
duniya rang rangeeli
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| Saigal singing Duniya Rang Rangeeli |
And even as Uma Shashi is finshing her stanza, the baritone voice of K.L Saigal bursts into the song like fireworks lighting up the sky. Saigal's happiness is as endearing as his pathos and his effervescent voice creates wondrous brushstrokes of melody as it gushes into the song. Saigal's voiice is like the warmth of wine. He blissfully narrates to us how the world is a river of gloom through which the raft of life must pass through. Let hope be your oars and your oarsmen to take you to the golden shores that await you, knowing that you will surely wade through these tribulations as your destiny is full of ecstasy. These words and this rich affluent music is indeed the stuff that dreams are made of. As the three voices woo you asking you to participate in this festival of joy called life one wonders whether they are indeed advertising the breezy world of dreams that lies within the darkness of the movie hall.
These are mood swinging words as therapeutic as any anti-depressant!
Dukh ki nadiyaa jeevan naiyaa aasha ke patavar lage
O naiya ke khene vale, naiyaa teri paar lage
Us paar basat hai desh sunehra, kismat chhail chhabeeli baba,
duniya rang rangeeli
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| The trio singing Duniya Rang Rangeeli |
Indeed this song symbolizes everything that the 1930s were all about. Magic! In my view, this was the decade where every composer, every singer, every lyricist, and every director was a pioneer who created something new for the first time and the effect was pure magic. The first trends began here. The language of the Hindi film song was born here and it was everything from fluid English to chaste Urdu and all that lay in between. Everybody from Longfellow to Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, from Sant Kabir to Meera Bai, and from Vidyapati to Ghalib was welcome to enthrall the audiences. And the filmi poets who dared to rub shoulders with these greats were also praiseworthy. From Kidar Sharma, Agha Hashra Kashmiri, and Veer Mohammadpuri to Aarzu Lakhnavi, J.S Kashyap, and Kamal Amrohi, they created the film song as we know it today. The vocabulary of words, experiences, and dreams that audiences would return to again and again was created by these merry band of pioneers who gifted to us the world that Pandit Sudarshan aptly calls,
Duniya Rang Rangeeli!
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| Sardar Akhtar in Pukar (1939) |
15.
Kahe Karta Der
Anil Biswas, Flm: Aurat(1939)
Music: Anil Biswas, Lyric: Dr. Safdar "Aah" Sitapuri
Producer: National Studios
It indeed seems strange that we would be in Anil Biswas' centenary year in 2013. The master composer was an active part of our musical world till 2003 when he departed from this world. Indeed his
Dil Jalta Hai Toh Jalne De was playing in the background in Jogger's Park (2003). Till 1991 he was still composing music for Film's Division (Refer page
184 of Ashok Ranade's Hindi Film Song, Music Beyond Boundaries, Promilla and Co. and
Bibliophile Asia, 2006). He also appeared in a few shows of the TV show,
Sangeet Sitare and the 1998 final of
Sa Re Ga Ma. In the 1980s, a full 50 years after he debuted, he was still composing popular music for TV serials such as
Hum Log (the first big TV sitcom in India. For those of you who still remember its haunting title song - it was an Anil Biswas composition) and
Phir Wohi Talaash. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1986 and also appeared in a documentary with his protege Talat Mehmood. Indeed from the 1930s to 2003, Anil Biswas was an inseparable part of our music.
Anil Biswas began his eventful journey by going to jail whilst being part of India's freedom movement. He then became associated with Qazi Nazrul Islam's theater group. In 1934, he joined the movie producer, Eastern Art Syndicate and assisted in the creation of music for
Bharat Ki Beti and
Baal Hatya. He got his first break as an independent composer in
Dharam Ki Devi (1935) notable for
Kuch Bhi Nahin Bharosa for which he acted and sang. During a brief stint with Golden Eagle Productions, he met Mehboob Khan who was directing
Deccan Queen. Both moved to Sagar Movietone, where he began his memorable association as composer to Mehboob Khan. After the success of
Jagirdar (1937), the trio of hero Surendra, director Mehboob Khan, and composer Anil Biswas never looked back.
Aurat (1939) came after they had tasted a string of successes in
Watan,
Hum Tum Aur Woh (both 1938) and
Ek Hi Raasta (1939)
. Aurat was inspired by Pearl S. Buck's literary classic
The Good Earth. Mehboob created the eternal Bollywood formula of a righteous mother and her good son and bad son. He was to repeat this formula in
Mother India (1957) and it was picked up again in Nitin Bose's
Gunga Jamuna (1961) and Yash Chopra's
Deewar (1975) by which time it had become everybody's property.
The song by Dr. Safdar "Aah" is so simple that anybody can repeat the lines even after listening to the song only once. In that sense it is in the same league as
Chalat Musafir (from
Teesri Kasam 1966) or
Mere Angane Mein (from
Laawaris 1981) a folk type of song that is short, memorable, and easily learned.
Kahe karta der Baraati
Kahe karta der
Jaana hai tohe pi ki nagariya
Kathiin badee hai dagariya
Ho jaye na aber baraati,
Kahe karta der
Kaisa rishtaa kaisa naata
kahe man ko phansaata
Sab hai bharam ka khel, baraati
Kahe karta der
The tune is also remarkable as every note seems to match the simplicity of each word. Anil Biswas proved that he was a trend setter with this song. Not only did it set the trend of
baarat songs in Hindi films but also defined how hit compositions were to be created. All the songs of this film were trend setting and had a unique fresh sound that would mark a major shift from the way songs were recorded till then. Here the voice of the singers towered above the music and stood out from the background. This was Anil Biswas' style and he would use it in film after film.
Aurat was a massive hit and the title role was played by Sardar Akhtar who would go on to marry Mehboob Khan. Surendra, who started of as a Saigal clone, became a major sought after star in his own right after this film. Anil Biswas' haunting song is prophetic or a sign of the times, and seems to be telling destiny not to tarry behind as the new destiny beckons Hindi film music, a new decade that would lay the foundations of the golden age.
