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The Best Of Geeta Dutt In 10 Songs

Geeta Dutt is among the few Bollywood artists we love to root for. She stood her own against formidable competition, lived through a turbulent marriage, drowned her sorrows in alcohol and passed away when she was only 42, leaving behind songs that continue to enthrall people to this day. To commemorate her birth anniversary on November 23, I pick 10 songs sung by her. It is not a coincidence that 6 of these songs are by two composers – S.D. Burman and O.P. Nayyar. These two composers showered Geeta Dutt with some of their best tunes and she reciprocated by singing her heart out for them.

Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya (Do Bhai, 1947)

Although Geeta Roy received no training, she was a natural singer. A chance debut in 1946 – when she was only 16 years old – got her noticed by S.D. Burman who was so smitten by her voice that he had her sing six of the nine songs in “Do Bhai”. Her matured singing in “Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya” belied her tender age and her ability to emote with her voice set her apart from her peers.

Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui (Baazi, 1951)

With few big hits and starved of attention due to the enormous success of Lata Mangeshkar, post “Mahal” (1949), the next few years were unremarkable for Geeta Roy. That changed with “Baazi”. S.D. Burman’s faith in Geeta Roy was visible again. She sang six of the eight songs in the film – all solos. The song from the film that transformed her career was “Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui”. Much to Sahir’s horror, S.D. Burman took a contemplative ghazal and transformed it into a foot-tapping cabaret. Geeta Roy sang with oomph, her voice giving expression to Geeta Bali’s come-hither looks. The song was a roaring success and Geeta Roy had arrived. “Baazi” was also a turning point in her personal life. It was during the making of this film that she fell in love with the film’s director, Guru Dutt. They got married in 1953 and Geeta Roy became Geeta Dutt.

Ja Ja Ja Ja Bewafa (Aar Paar, 1954)

While it is true that Geeta Dutt sang some of her best songs for O.P. Nayyar, many don’t realize that Geeta Dutt’s role in O.P. Nayyar’s success was even bigger. After debuting in 1952, O.P. Nayyar couldn’t really make a mark with his music and was about to leave the Hindi film industry. It was Geeta Dutt, who encouraged him and got Guru Dutt to engage him for “Aar Paar”. “Aar Paar” was a spectacular success and it kick-started O.P. Nayyar’s journey to music superstardom. Most of Geeta Dutt’s songs in the film rode on her vocal trademarks but “Ja Ja Ja Ja Bewafa” revealed her underutilized range and power of expression.

Thandi Hawa Kaali Ghata (Mr. & Mrs. 55, 1955)

Geeta Dutt and O.P. Nayyar ruled the music charts for the next few years. With an increasingly self-assured Guru Dutt at the helm, the two artists made some of the period’s most popular music. In an album replete with excellent songs, “Thandi Hawa Kaali Ghata” was the icing on the cake. It is a testament to Guru Dutt’s and O.P. Nayyar’s modern sensibilities that this half a century old song shows no signs of aging either visually or aurally. Aided by legendary cinematographer V.K. Murthy, Guru Dutt’s song shooting capabilities came to the fore in this film. A fetching Madhubala in pigtails, pretty women prancing with umbrellas and choreographed divers in a swimming pool make “Thandi Hawa Kaali Ghata” a visual delight.

Jaata Kahan Hai Deewane (C.I.D., 1956)

Geeta Dutt’s career was closely aligned with her personal life. With “C.I.D”, the two were inextricably tied. Guru Dutt introduced Telugu film actress Waheeda Rehman in the character of a vamp in the film and, in the process, fell hopelessly in love with her. Geeta Dutt sang the songs of “C.I.D.” with gay abandon, with no inkling of the storm that was about to sweep her marriage. The enormous appeal of “Jaata Kahan Hai Deewane” comes into sharp focus when one considers the fact that the song was censored out of the film. Various accounts of the reason behind the censor board’s decision and numerous covers over the years – including one recently, in Anurag Kashyap’s “Bombay Velvet” (2015) – have kept the song alive in public imagination.

Jaane Kya Tune Kahi (Pyaasa, 1957)

“Pyaasa” was a classic that brought out the best in every artist involved in the film. Working with artists like S.D. Burman and Sahir Ludhianvi at their prime, Geeta Dutt recorded some memorable songs for “Pyaasa”. The irony of Geeta Dutt singing “Jaane Kya Tune Kahi” while Waheeda Rehman’s character seduces Guru Dutt’s character on screen is bittersweet.

Mujh Ko Tum Jo Mile (Detective, 1958)

Geeta Dutt’s songs for S.D. Burman and O.P. Nayyar are of such high quality that they overwhelm her work with other music directors. There are many lovely gems in her body of work that do not get attention because of her exemplary work with these two composers. “Mujh Ko Tum Jo Mile”, composed by her brother Mukul Roy, is one such song. Geeta Dutt’s chemistry with another great singer, Hemant Kumar, makes this romantic duet with a hint of waltz a balm for weary souls.

Nanhi Kali Sone Chali (Sujata, 1959)

In 1957, S.D. Burman and Lata Mangeshkar stopped working for a few years due to a misunderstanding. During this period, songs he would have otherwise given to her, went either to Geeta Dutt or to Asha Bhosle. To their credit, both of them grew as singers and made those songs their own. For example, in “Nanhi Koli Sone Chali”, Geeta Dutt imparted playfulness to a simple lori (lullaby) in a style no other singer could have matched.

Na Jao Saiyan Chhuda Ke Baiyan (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, 1962)

The failure of “Kaagaz Ke Phool” (1959) had already taken a huge toll on the mercurial Guru Dutt and sent him in throes of depression. This had put additional strain on a marriage already in turmoil. Amidst reports of Guru Dutt placing restrictions on films she could sing for, Geeta Dutt’s discography shrunk considerably year over year and she found solace in alcohol. From about a hundred songs a year in the late 1950s, she was down to less than 20 songs in 1962. In her husband’s last film with Waheeda Rehman, Geeta Dutt sang only for Meena Kumari’s character. Her angst in “Na Jao Saiyan Chhuda Ke Baiyan”, singing for Meena Kumari’s inebriated character, blurred the line between fiction and reality.

Meri Jaan Mujhe Jaan Na Kaho (Anubhav, 1971)

After “Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam”, Waheeda Rehman decided to move on from Guru Dutt’s films. Already a broken man, his continued depression eventually ended in his death in 1964, allegedly by suicide. Geeta Dutt never really recovered from her husband’s death and died of liver cirrhosis in 1972. In her last film, “Anubhav”, she glowed brightly once again and sang three lovely melodies composed by her brother, Kanu Roy, two of which were written by Gulzar, including the ethereal “Meri Jaan Mujhe Jaan Na Kaho”. She may have left us too soon but Geeta Dutt left us with plenty to remember her by.

[This post originally appeared here.]

The Best Kishore Kumar Songs for Amitabh Bachchan

[This post originally appeared here.]

In the early 1970s, two Hindi film artists came to the fore – Kishore Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan – and ruled Bollywood for the next two decades. They were a mismatched pair. While Amitabh Bachchan was rookie, Kishore had been around for more than two decades. Both were struggling with their careers. As luck would have it, they came to work together a lot and in the years to come and became as identifiable as pair as Mohammed Rafi and Shammi Kapoor were in the 1960s. By the end of the 1970s, they had completely transformed their careers. In the span of a decade, Kishore Kumar recorded more than double the number of songs he had recorded in the previous two decades and Amitabh Bachchan became a superstar.

To mark Amitabh Bachchan’s 73rd birthday on October 11 and Kishore Kumar’s 28th death anniversary on October 13, I pick their ten most memorable collaborations.

Bombay To Goa (1972)

This was amongst Amitabh’s earliest films in a lead role. While the film was moderately successful, it is said to have helped Amitabh bag his career-making role in “Zanjeer” the next year. My favourite song from the film is the melodious Kishore-Lata duet “Tum Meri Zindagi Mein”. Unfortunately, the song was not filmed and given the theme of this post, a better pick would be the boisterous “Dekha Na Haye Re”. Amitabh Bachchan was known to be a reluctant dancer and it was Mehmood’s counsel that extracted an energetic performance from him. Kishore Kumar, who also had a cameo in the film, belted out the song in a manner that made this song a staple for travelling groups. Incidentally, the phrase “dole dole dole dole” was a last minute inclusion and was inspired by Amit Kumar’s presence in the studio. “Dole” was Mehmood’s nickname for Amit Kumar.

Abhimaan (1973)

Long before celebrity couple names were in vogue, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri formed a production company named Amiya Pictures. Abhimaan was the only movie produced under this banner. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s thoughtful direction, S.D. Burman’s award-winning score and Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri’s excellent portrayal of a couple weathering a troubled marriage makes “Abhimaan” an evergreen classic. S.D. Burman’s genius can be seen not just in the music he made for the film but also the singers he picked for Amitabh Bachchan’s character. He used Kishore Kumar for just two songs. The first, “Meet Na Mila Re Man Ka” was at the beginning of the film, when Amitabh Bachchan’s character is at the peak of his singing career. The second, a duet with Lata Mangeshkar, “Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh Raina”, appears in the film’s stunning climax in which the singer gets over his insecurity and reconciles with his wife. The songs in between use other singers to portray a conflicted, insecure husband. My pick from “Abhimaan” is “Meet Na Mila Re Man Ka”.

Mili (1975)

“Mili” was S.D. Burman’s last film. He passed away during the film’s making and it was R.D. Burman who recorded the songs for “Mili”. Perhaps because of Dada Burman’s demise, the film’s soundtrack had just three songs. What the album did not have in numbers, it more than made up for in quality. The two Kishore solos are beautiful and achingly poignant. My pick is “Badi Sooni Sooni Hai”.

Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)

“Muqaddar Ka Sikandar” may not be a classic film album but in my estimate, as a child of the 1970s/1980s, it has an important place in the Indian pop culture. Amitabh Bachchan had established himself as the industry’s alpha male and his entry in films had become a thing. In “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar”, his entry was with the song “Rote Hue Aate Hain Sab”. The song, with the stylishly dressed Amitabh Bachchan riding a Bullet on the streets of Bombay, carefree and with wind in his hair, had the theatre crowds in raptures. “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar” was a roaring success at the box office.

Don (1978)

“Don” was another hugely successful film and album for Amitabh Bachchan, Kalyanji – Anandji, Kishore Kumar and Anjaan. While the film has several popular songs, it’s biggest hit, “Khaike Paan Banara Wala”, was ironically added as an afterthought. After the filming was complete, Manoj Kumar, who was director Chandra Barot’s mentor, suggested that the film was too tightly paced and needed a song in the second half to ease the proceedings. It was only then that “Khaike Paan Banaras Wala” was recorded and filmed. Who else could play the gamcha-wearing, paan chomping, bhaang guzzling village bumpkin better than Amitabh Bachchan? Kishore Kumar was as spetacular behind the mic as Amitabh was on screen, going to the extent of actually eating paan while recording the song.

Manzil (1979)

“Manzil” is another example of a small sized package delivering a mean punch. Just three songs from the film – “Tum Ho Mere Dil Ki Dhadkan”, inspired by Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”, sung by Kishore and two solos of “Rimjhim Gire Saawan” by Lata and Kishore – elevate the album as an all-time favorite. “Rimjhim Gire Sawan” has to be one of the top three rain songs in any Indian music lover’s list. Lata Mangeshkar’s version, wondefully shot in a rain swept Bombay, has been a hot favorite on TV for decades. However, when it comes to the song itself, I prefer Kishore’s version.

Silsila (1981)

“Silsila” is one of the several Yash Raj films that deal with love triangles and marital conflicts. What makes this film stand out is the parallels between the real lives of the film’s stars, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha, and the characters they played in the film. The film’s album was a musical treat despite, or perhaps because of, debutant music directors and lyricists. Music directors, Shiv – Hari, comprising of ace santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and the legendary flautist, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, and lyricist Javed Akhtar introduced a fresh perspective and new sounds that were sorely needed in Hindi film music at the time. My Kishore Kumar favorite from the movie, is his romantic duet with Lata, “Dekha Ek Khwab”, filmed in the spectacular tulip fields of Keukenhof.

Yaarana (1981)

After “Abhimaan” and “Manzil”, “Yaarana” was another film that featured Amitabh Bachchan as a singer. Amitabh Bachchan’s dance, dressed in a light bulb studded suit, for “Saara Zamana Haseenon Ka Deewana” may have stolen the show in the film but my favorite is Rajesh Roshan’s tasteful adaptation from Rabindra Sangeet, “Chhoo Kar Mere Man Ko”. Interestingly, the original “Tomar Holo Shuru” was the first ever Rabindra Sangeet song recorded by Lata Mangeshkar.

Bemisal (1982)

Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Amitabh Bachchan shared a special bond. Over the years they formed a very successful partnership with films like “Anand” (1970), “Abhimaan” (1973), “Namak Haram” (1973), “Chupke Chupke” (1975), “Mili” (1975), “Alaap” (1977) and “Jurmaana” (1979). “Bemisal” was their last offering together. At a time when Amitabh’s on screen persona was one of the angry young man pitted against evil villains, his restrained intensity and a female antagonist made “Bemisal” very interesting. “Bemisal” is perhaps an offbeat pick in this list but for me, it deserves a place for two lovely Kishore solos with memorable lyrics Anand Bakshi. My pick – “Ek Roz Main Tadap Kar”.

Sharaabi (1984)

There are two Bachchan films in which Bappi Lahiri knocked the ball out of the park – “Namak Halaal” (1982) and “Sharaabi”. Amitabh’s versatility was in full display as he played a brooding alcoholic in one and a hilarious village boor in another. Kishore Kumar won Filmfare Awards for both films and if I could, I would include both films in the list. For me, what breaks the tie between the two films is a Kishore solo in what is essentially an Asha Bhosle song – “Mujhe Naulakha Pehna De Re”. Kishore makes a grand entry 5 minutes into a rather ordinary song and completely transforms it. My pick from “Sharaabi” – the superb “Manzilen Apne Jagah Hain”, which won Kishore Kumar the Filmfare award.

As with the rest of this series, this list is meant to serve as the beginning of a musical exploration. These lists are not definitive in any sense. If you’re disappointed that your favorite Kishore – Amitabh film or song is not listed in this post, please head here.

Bonus:

Jidhar Dekhoon Teri Tasveer” (“Mahaan”, 1983) is perhaps the only film song that came in versions sung by Kishore Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. This may be musical blasphemy, but I think Amitabh Bachchan’s version is better than Kishore Kumar’s!

 

The Best Duets of Lata Mangeshkar

[This post originally appeared here.]

From 1945 to now, Lata Mangeshkar‘s career has clocked more than 70 years and more than 5000 songs. Such is her impact in the Hindi film industry and so deep is her discography that it’s very likely that almost every post in this series has one or more songs by her. Given that there are so many facets to Lata Mangeshkar’s songs, this post will cover just one – her duets with male singers. Here are my favorite duets of Lata Mangeshkar with 10 different male playback singers:

Chitalkar – Shola Jo Bhadke Dil Mera Dhadke (Albela, 1951)

Before R.D. Burman, it was C. Ramchandra who experimented with various non-Indian genres of music, drawing influences from jazz and rock n’ roll. In “Shola Jo Bhadke”, he really strayed from the mainstream and went Hawaiian! The thing that really stands out in the song isn’t the melody or even Chitalkar and Lata Mangeshka’s singing, although they’re perfectly respectable. It is the foot-tapping beats. Geeta Bali looks comely performing Hula-like moves and Bhagwan does his own thing with moves that became Amitabh Bachchan’s trademark three decades later.

Talat Mahmood – Seene Mein Sulagte Hain Armaan (Tarana, 1951)

There’s probably more ethereal beauty packed in this song than any other on this list. Anil Biswas’ haunting melody, Talat Mahmood’s whispery voice and Lata’s restrained singing enunciate some lovely lyrics by Prem Dhawan.

Manna Dey – Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua (Shree 420, 1955)

The depiction of a couple sharing an umbrella in a heavy downpour in “Pyar Hua…” is one of the most everlasting images of Hindi films. The chemistry in Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar’s singing is as potent as Raj Kapoor and Nargis’ onscreen chemistry. This was not accidental. Raj Kapoor and Nargis actually enacted the song in the recording room for the singers to get a sense of the song’s mood. In a time when Mukesh had established himself as Raj Kapoor’s voice, Manna Dey bagging a chance to sing for the actor was a stroke of luck for the struggling singer. Mukesh had to walk out of “Shree 420” after recording just two songs because of a contract he had signed for another film, which barred him from other singing assignments till it was released.

Mukesh – Dil Tadap Tadap Ke Kah Raha Hai (Madhumati, 1958)

Bimal Roy signed Salil Chowdhury for “Madhumati” against the recommendation of the film’s star, Dilip Kumar, and the film’s distributors – they did not consider the genius composer to be commercially viable. The high quality of music Salil Chowdhury delivered for the film despite the tremendous pressure on him is awe-inspiring. “Dil Tadap Tadap..”, one of the many gems from the superlative album, was a very clever adaptation of a popular Polish folk song “Szla Dzieweczka” but still a Salil da original and an evergreen classic.

Rafi – Tasveer Teri Dil Mein (Maya, 1961)

The success of Madhumati brought Salil Chowdhury the attention he deserved and offers rained down on him. He composed some of his finest music in the wake of Madhumati. “Maya” was among his best scores from this period. “Tasveer Teri Dil Mein” is an example of how challenging Salil Chowdhury’s compositions could be for singers. In this song at least, Rafi seems measure up to the challenge a little better than Lata. It was around this period that Rafi and Lata had a big disagreement and did not work with each other for a few years. Thankfully for music lover, they resolved their differences and started working together again in 1967.

Hemant – Chhupa Lo Yun Dil Mein Pyar Mera (Mamta, 1966)

Based on Raag Yaman, simply arranged using a cymbal (manjeera), a sarangi (or violin?) and a flute and with lyrics evoking themes like devotion, submission, the temple lamp, sin, offering of flowers, ash (raakh as a substitute for vibhuti?), “Chhupa Lo..” is a deeply spiritual song posing as a romantic ditty. Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics are so powerful that one almost forgets to pay attention to how soulful Roshan’s tune is and how well Hemant da and Lata Mangeshkar have sung it. This 3 minute song is packed with so much goodness that one has to listen to it several times to take in everything it has to offer.

Bhupinder – Beeti Na Bitaye Raina (Parichay, 1972)

“Parichay” was a significant film. It was the first time R.D. Burman and Gulzar worked together. They hit it off both as professionals and friends and a parade of successful collaborations followed. R.D. Burman had earned the reputation as a composer who worked with modern sounds but periodically, with songs like “Beeti Na Bitai Raina”, he proved that he was equally adept at compositions based on classical music. This lovely duet showed how good a singer Bhupinder was. To be able to sing with the country’s premier singer and hold his own was no mean feat. Lata Mangeshkar may have deservedly won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song, but it is Bhupinder and his smooth as silk transition into the song in the middle of the first antara that takes my breath away every time I hear it.

Kishore –  Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi (Aandhi, 1975)

While Lata Mangeshkar treated Mukesh Bhaiya with respect, Kishore Kumar was like the naughty younger brother. Kishore Kumar, on his part, was in awe of Lata Mangeshkar. The story of how he asked R.D. Burman to first record Lata’s version of “Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon” so he could learn from it and then sing his version, is the stuff of legends. This is the most challenging pick for me because Kishore Kumar happens to be my most favourite singer and boy has he sung some beauties with Lata Mangeshkar! Just one film, “Aandhi” (1975), has as many as three lovely Kishore-Lata duets. Thankfully, the personal meaning “Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi” has for me, eases the choice a little.

Yesudas – Aapki Mehki Hui (Trishul, 1978)

With languages and several years separating their singing careers, Lata Mangeshkar sang only a handful of duets with Yesudas. There’s not much to choose from but Khayyam and Sahir Ludhianvi’s “Aapki Mehki Hui” is nice and leaves us wanting for more.

A.R. Rahman – Lukka Chhuppi (Rang De Basanti, 2006)

In my opinion, Lata Mangeshkar’s voice sounded the best in the 1950s. That said, she was the Hindi film industry’s best female singer through the 1980s. She continued to record memorable songs beyond the 1980s but they were few and far between. One of my most favourite Lata Mangeshkar duets from this period is “Lukka Chhupi” with A.R. Rahman. What makes this song really work is that the Lata Mangeshkar gave voice to the grieving, elderly mother played by Waheeda Rehman. We are fortunate to have witnessed two fantastic musicians representing the old and new come together like this.

Here’s a longer list of Lata Mangeshkar’s all-time great songs.

MySwar References

One of the things we love on MySwar is the trivia – the story behind the music and the musicians. We source the trivia from books we read and from the World Wide Web. While we stored these source references, we didn’t have a way to show them to our users. Not anymore. We just rolled out the display of references from which we derive these trivia. Now, you will see a reference link next to trivia items (where applicable). Book references are listed together on one page and other references are listed right there on the song or album page.

Special mention must be made of the Hindi Film Geet Kosh compiled by Mr. Harmandir Singh ‘Hamraaz’. The Hindi Film Geet Kosh, a collection of 5 book volumes cataloguing Hindi films from 1931 to 1980, is not just the source of trivia for MySwar but also the foundation of our data from this period. It’s not a coincidence that it’s listed at the top in our list of references.

The Best of Hasrat Jaipuri

[This post originally appeared here.]

Starting with “Barsaat” (1949), Raj Kapoor’s team consisting of music directors Shankar – Jaikishan and lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri churned out popular scores film after film for over two decades. Unlike Laxmikant – Pyarelal, who had a clear demarcation of responsibilities, both Shankar and Jaikishan composed tunes. A widely accepted thumb rule to identify the composer of a Shankar – Jaikishan song is based on the song’s lyricist – Shailendra wrote lyrics for Shankar’s tunes and Hasrat Jaipuri penned Jaikishan’s compositions. The outlier in this tremendously successful team, Hasrat Jaipuri isn’t celebrated to the extent that Shankar – Jaikishan and Shailendra are.

After Jaikishan passed away in 1971, Raj Kumar’s partnership with this talented quartet disintegrated. This was a huge setback for Hasrat Jaipuri and he was never able to regain his foothold in the film industry. I would argue, however, that the decline in his career post 1971 did not really impact his legacy. Between 1949 and 1971, he had already built a body of work that is worth celebrating. In this post, I pick a few gems from this period of Hasrat Jaipuri’s career.

“Jiya Beqarar Hai Chhayi Bahaar Hai” (“Barsaat”, 1949)

“Barsaat” was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. After the success of the film and its music, the team of Raj Kapoor, Shankar – Jaikishan, Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri would go on to recreate magic for films like “Awara” (1951), “Aah” (1953), “Boot Polish” (1953), “Shree 420” (1955), “Chori Chori” (1956), “Anari” (1959), “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai” (1960) and many more. In fact, Shankar – Jaikishan, Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri became a team even without Raj Kapoor, with movies like “Daag” (1952),”Patita” (1953), “Seema” (1955), “Basant Bahar” (1956), “Ujala” (1959) and “Junglee” (1961). Of the seven Hasrat Jaipuri songs in “Barsaat”, “Jiya Beqarar Hai” was the most popular. Hasrat’s unpretentious lyrics for the song would become his hallmark. In the long term though, it was this simplicity that took the sheen off his status as a premier lyricist.

“Mohabbat Aisi Dhadkan Hai” (“Anarkali”, 1953)

“Anarkali” was arguably C. Ramchandra’s best film score. The film’s music was so awe-inspiring that even a music director of Naushad’s stature was worried about how his music for the similarly themed “Mughal-E-Azam” (1960) would fare in comparison with “Anarkali”. Rajendra Krishan’s “Yeh Zindagi Usi Ki Hai” was undoubtedly the winner from “Anarkali” but Hasrat Jaipuri’s “Mohabbat Aisi Dhadkan Hai” has also stood the test of time and proven to be an evergreen classic.

“Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan Ho Tum” (“Patita”, 1953)

Shankar – Jaikishan’s mellow tune, Hemant Kumar’s singing and the screen presence of a cigarette-smoking Dev Anand lend a very laidback vibe to “Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan Ho Tum”. The song doesn’t necessarily represent Hasrat Jaipuri’s best in my opinion, but the lyrics go well with the song.

“Nain So Nain Naahi Milao” (“Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje”, 1955)

Vasant Desai’s “Nain So Nain” is another excellent Hemant-Lata duet. This mellow, semi-classical beauty has some lovely aalaaps by Lata and Hemant da that along with a chorus are presented beautifully as vocal harmonies, a concept alien to traditional Indian music. Hasrat Jaipuri excels with some lovely, dialect-infused lyrics. How often do we hear a word like “guiyan” in film songs?

“Rasik Balma” (“Chori Chori”, 1956)

Songs of heartbreak seem to bring out the best from lyricists and so it is with Hasrat Jaipuri’s lyrics for “Rasik Balma”. Despite some uncomfortably high-pitched notes, Lata pulls a stunner in this song. When Shankar – Jaikishan won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for “Chori Chori”, they requested Lata to perform “Rasik Balam” at the award function. Piqued that Filmfare had no award category for singers, Lata refused to perform the song and boycotted the award function. In what became a recurring occurence in the industry, Lata Mageshkar had her way when Filmfare introduced the Best Playback Singer category for the first time in 1958. Unsurprisingly, Lata was the first winner in this category for “Aaja Re Pardesi” (“Madhumati”).

“Ehsaan Tera Hoga Mujh Par” (“Junglee”, 1961)

An important part of Shammi Kapoor’s rise as a superstar was Mohammed Rafi’s voice. The two artists were inseparable onscreen as Rafi skillfully imbued Shammi Kapoor’s onscreen persona into his singing. Some of Rafi’s best songs for Shammi Kapoor were composed by Shankar – Jaikishan and penned by Hasrat Jaipuri in films like “Junglee” (1961), “Professor” (1962), “An Evening In Paris” (1967), “Brahmachari” (1968), “Prince” (1969), “Tumse Achha Kaun Hai” (1969) and “Andaz” (1971), to name a few. Of all the songs that were produced by this team, the one that stands out for me is “Ehsaan Tera Hoga Muhj Par”, a song seething with romantic tension and one in which we get to see Shammi Kapoor’s mellow side for a change.

“Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne” (“Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne”, 1964)

Shehnai maestro turned Hindi film composer Ramlal pulled off a coup of sorts by getting classical singer Kishori Amonkar to sing the title song of “Geet Gaaya Pathharon Ne”. Other than singing for her own compositions for Govind Nihalani’s “Drishti” (1991), “Geeta Gaaya..” was the only Hindi film song sung by Kishori Amonkar. Although there was another duet version of the song with Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor, Kishori Amonkar’s version captured filmgoers’ imagination and was a big hit.

“O Mere Pyar Aaja” (“Bhoot Bungla”, 1965)

“Bhoot Bungla” was R.D. Burman’s second film and despite a superb overall score filmgoers only had ears for Pancham’s adaptation of Chubby Checker’s “Come On Let’s Twist Again” – “Aao Twist Karen”. He would have to have to wait for another year for his first hit, “Teesri Manzil”. Strangely, this was the only time Hasrat Jaipuri wrote for R.D. Burman. Listening to “O Mere Pyar Aaja”, as melodious a Lata-Pancham song as any, one wonders why.

“Bhanwre Ki Gunjan Hai Mera Dil” (“Kal Aaj Aur Kal”, 1971)

Shankar – Jaikishan took a while to warm up to Kishore Kumar as a singer. In the 1950s, the only time they used Kishore Kumar’s voice was when they were composing for a film where he played the lead role. That changed in the late 1960s as Kishore’s popularity as a singer increased. Shankar – Jaikishan’s songs with Mukesh, Rafi and Manna Dey overshadow their work with Kishore, but they did have some lovely songs with him as well. One of my favorites is the waltzy “Bhanwre Ki Gunjan” (“Kal Aaj Aur Kal”, 1971). Hasrat’s simple lyrics and the happy melody make this a very hummable song.

“Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana” (“Andaz”, 1971)

“Andaz” was Jaikishan’s last film. He succumbed to liver cirrhosis after the film’s release leaving Shankar to carry on the Shankar – Jaikishan flag. “Andaz” and it’s music were extremely successful and a big part of their success was Rajesh Khanna’s electrifying, if brief, role in the film, boosted by the exhilarating “Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana”. Hasrat’s happy-go-lucky lyrics, embellished by Kishore’s yodeling and Hema Malini’s giggles, were very popular with the youth of the day and won him his second Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist. Jaikishan’s demise took its toll on both Shankar’s and Hasrat Jaipuri’s careers. Hindi film music would never be the same again.

Bonus: C. Ramchandra performing “Mohabbat Aisi Dhadkan Hai” on BBC.

This superb rendition by C. Ramchandra gives Lata’s original a run for its money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1HHA5S9yo

Here’s a longer list of Hasrat Jaipuri’s most popular songs.

Asha Bhosle: The Ageless Bollywood Diva

[This post originally appeared here.]

Asha Bhosle started her Hindi film career in 1948 and unlike many of her peers who’ve hung up their boots, she continues to work and travels the world giving concerts.

Asha Bhosle’s best songs came under the baton of two men – O.P. Nayyar and R.D. Burman. Long posts could be written for the songs she sang for each of these two legends but given her long and textured career, I thought I’d pick songs she sang for 10 different music directors in this post.

C. Ramchandra – Eena Meena Dika (Aasha, 1957)

Asha Bhosle was relegated to Bollywood’s wastelands for almost a decade after she started her career. The music directors of the time were so enamoured of the voice of her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, that opportunities with big name composers in big name films were few and far between. The point of inflection in her career came in 1957 with O.P. Nayyar’s “Naya Daur” and “Tumsa Nahin Dekha” and S.D. Burman’s “Nau Do Gyarah” and “Paying Guest”. One of the hits of that year was C. Ramchandra’s madcap, rock n’ roll song “Eena Mina Dika”. The songs nonsensical hook lyrics were strung together by C. Ramchandra based on the nursery rhyme “Eeny meeny miny mo” and the Konkani words “maka naka” contributed by his Goan assistant John Gomes. While it pales in comparison to Kishore Kumar’s version, I do enjoy the Asha version.

Hemant Kumar – Meri Baat Rahi Mere Man Mein (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, 1962)

It is fascinating to imagine the real-life tension that must have been a part of the music making for “Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam” (1962). Geeta Dutt refused to sing for Waheeda Rehman’s character in the film and was pitted against the singer O.P. Nayyar ditched her for, Asha Bhosle. Given this backdrop, both singers did exceedingly well and proved to be an even match. I picked “Meri Baat Rahi Mere Man Mein” over three excellent songs – “Saqiya Aaj Mujhe Neend Nahin”, “Meri Jaan O Meri Jaan” and “Bhanwara Bada Naadan” – because it was the one song in the film that shows us the somber, more reflective facet of her singing.

Madan Mohan – Shokh Nazar Ki Bijliyan (Woh Kaun Thi, 1964)

Madan Mohan’s affection for Lata Mangeshkar and her voice is well known. Lata Mangeshkar called Madan Mohan Ghazalon Ka Shahzada and Madan Mohan gave her his best compositions. “Woh Kaun Thi” was one film in which this equation was visible. While Lata got four melodic compositions with romantic angles, Asha Bhosle got light, fun, pop songs. Be that as it may, Asha’s “Shokh Nazar Ki Bijliyan” holds its own against Lata’s timeless classics from “Woh Kaun Thi”. This songs demonstrates that while ghazals were Madan Mohan’s sweet spot, he was also quite capable of the kind of rhythmic melodies that O.P. Nayyar was famed for. Asha Bhosle’s vocalizations in the song are charming and the saxophone interludes are wonderful counterpoints.

Shankar – Jaikishan – Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaro (Teesri Kasam, 1964)

This was the toughest pick and bit of a toss-up. Eventually, the song’s rustic beauty and Waheeda Rehman’s winsome screen presence won me over.

Ravi – Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu (Waqt, 1965)

Although not as celebrated as her partnerships with R.D. Burman and O.P. Nayyar, Asha Bhosle’s work for Ravi is substantial and replete with gems. “Waqt”, a superlative album with three solos and three duets by Asha and no songs by Lata Mangeshkar, is a case in point. We must be thankful to Shankar – Jaikishan for declining “Waqt” because B.R. Chopra insisted on Sahir Ludhianvi as the lyricist. Sahir’s words, the simplicity of Ravi’s melody and Asha’s rendition in this song are balm for weary souls.

S.D. Burman – Raat Akeli Hai (Jewel Thief, 1967)

S.D. Burman was another composer who would not look beyond his favorite “Lota” if he had his way (except for the few years in the late 1950s when they temporarily fell out with each other). In “Jewel Thief”, he saved Lata’s voice for leading lady Vyjayanthimala and Asha sang a song each for Tanuja and Helen. My favorite Asha song in the film is the one picturised on Tanuja, “Raat Akeli Hai”. Tanuja’s come-hither moves on screen find superb expression through Asha’s voice as she alternates between the coquette and the sexual being.

O.P. Nayyar – Chain Se Humko Kabhi (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye, 1973)

“Chain Se Humko Kabhi” was the only O.P. Nayyar song for which Asha Bhosle won a Filmfare Award. It was also the last song she would sing for him as she ended her already strained relationship with him. O.P. Nayyar lost his lead singer and his muse and never quite recovered from this setback. The acrimony in their relationship was such that Asha Bhosle did not attend the ceremony to collect the award. What went on behind the scenes is anybody’s guess, but it does feel like the two artists poured the angst of their relationship into this song.

Jaidev – Zahar Deta Hai Mujhe Koi (Wohi Baat, 1977)

There were some delectable Asha Bhosle songs in Jaidev’s limited discography. I included one from “Hum Dono” (1961) in my post on Jaidev. In this post, I include another classic form a lesser-known film, “Wohi Baat”. This may be unfair, but one can’t help but compare the two solo versions of “Zahar Deta Hai”, one by Asha Bhosle and the other by Bhupinder. Considering the fact that Bhupinder was a ghazal specialist and Asha a generalist, I think Asha Bhosle does an admirable rendition of this song. Another thing becomes evident in this song – while most singers peak before they hit their forties, Asha Bhosle continued to get better. With age, her voice gained character and depth.

Khayyam – Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao Jaan, 1981)

Asha Bhosle reinventing herself at the age of 48 was a bit of an accident. Muzaffar Ali had initially engaged Jaidev for “Umrao Jaan” but Jaidev left the project after composing a few songs and Khayyam was brought on board. There are different stories of Jaidev’s exit but one thing is certain – Asha Bhosle would not have been Umrao Jaan’s voice if Jaidev had composed the film’s music. Khayyam extracted some magnificent renditions by Asha Bhosle by asking her to sing at a scale lower than her usual. Khayyam won both the Filmfare Award and the National Film Award for the music and Asha Bhosle won the National Film Award for “Dil Cheez Kya Hai”.

R.D. Burman – Mera Kuchh Saaman (Ijaazat, 1988)

Starting with “Teesri Manzil” (1966), specifically the song “Aaja Aaaja”, R.D. Burman created a new Asha Bhosle avatar – full-throated and completely uninhibited. Through the 1970s, the two moved on from being colleagues to a couple and created some of the most memorable music to come out of Hindi films. Somewhere along the line though, Asha became a victim of her own success with Pancham and got pigeonholed in a slot that became a little predictable. Pancham’s struggle with his career in the 1980s didn’t help. That changed when Pancham came up with an inspired, fresh-sounding score for “Ijaazat” (1988). With four brilliant Asha solos, “Ijaazat” was probably Asha’s best work with Pancham in that decade. It took a Gulzar to challenge and inspire R.D. Burman to give the director his best. My pick is the award-winning “Mera Kuchh Saamaan”.

A much longer list of Asha Bhosle’s best Hindi film songs can be found here.

Patriotic Songs In Hindi Films Before Independence

[This post originally appeared here.]

Patriotism has always been an important theme in Hindi films. Films like Anand Math (1952), Haqeeqat (1964), Shaheed (1965), Upkar (1967), Kranti (1981), Prahaar (1991), Border (1997), The Legend Of Bhagat Singh (2002), Swades (2004) and Rang De Basanti (2006) had strong patriotic themes. There are many film songs capable of inducing nationalistic fervour in the most apathetic of individuals. However, these films and songs were made in an independent India with no oversight from British rule. Imagine the spirit of the film-makers and artists who were involved in patriotic films and songs when India was still under the British rule! In this post, I talk about 5 songs that made exhortations for a free India before 1947.

Ek Naya Sansar Basa Len (Naya Sansar, 1941)

The first song in this list, sung by Ashok Kumar and Renuka Devi, is by a poet who would go on to be called Rashtrakavi – Kavi Pradeep. Pradeep was perhaps best known for writing the Lata Mangeshkar song that moved Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to tears – “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon”. “Ek Naya Sansar” quite explicitly makes a call for a free India, with lines like “..azadi ke preet ke gaane…” and “Aisa ek sansar ke jisme dharti ho azad, ke jisme jeevan ho azad, ke jisme bharat ho azad”. It’s a wonder how the song got past the draconian British censor board. It was this censor board that had forced V. Shantaram to change the name of his 1935 film from “Mahatma” to “Dharmatma”. The British apparently didn’t want films to contribute to the popularity of a certain Mahatma.

Door Hato Ae Duniya Walon Hindustan Humara Hai (Kismet, 1943)

Kavi Pradeep wrote this song during the Quit India movement. “Door Hato” was quite literally a demand for the British to quit India. To avoid objections by the censor board, Pradeep used the line “Tum Na Kise Ke Aage Jhukna German Ho Ya Japani” to make it appear that the song was against the Axis powers of World War II. Anil Biswas’ use of a marching band arrangement, Amirbai Karnataki’s powerful voice and a superb chorus complemented Pradeep’s lyrics and resulted in a hugely popular song.

Hindustan Ke Hum Hain Hindustan Humara (Pahele Aap, 1944)

This was Mohd. Rafi’s first song. Although he had recorded for “Gaon Ki Gori” earlier, the film’s music was released only in 1945. We can sense the young Rafi’s tentativeness, but thanks to some good music by Naushad, inspiring lyrics by D.N. Madhok and the support of a chorus, the end result is quite good. The interesting thing about this song is that while it calls of “India for Indians”, it talks about a common goal across religious divides – something we seem to be struggling with to this day.

Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jay Hey (Humrahi, 1945)

When “Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka…” appeared on screen for the first time, India wasn’t an independent country and the song was yet to be chosen as our national anthem. “Humrahi” was Bimal Roy’s Hindi film debut as director and was a remake of the Bengali film “Udayer Pathe” he had directed the previous year. The song was recorded by the film’s music director R.C. Boral and rendered by a choir. While the original Rabindranath Tagore hymn had five stanzas, the first of which became the national anthem, the film recorded only four stanzas.

Yeh Desh Hamara Pyara Hindustan Jahan Se Nyara (Humjoli, 1946)

I chose this song because it works very well as a symbol of the cost of India’s independence in 1947 – Partition. Composed by Hafeez Khan and written by Anjum Pilibhiti, the song is sung by Noor Jehan, who was one of the Hindi film artists we lost to Pakistan in 1947. By 1946, the writing was on the wall for the British and preparations had begun to grant India independence. Thanks to the political climate at the time, the call for a free India is quite belligerent in this song:

Le ke rahenge hum azadi, Woh din aane wala hai

Jhanda apna saari duniya par lahrane wala hai

As we celebrate independence this year, let’s spare some thought for the artists of the film industry who chipped in with their bit in India’s freedom struggle.

Khemchand Prakash – The Royal Musician of Hindi Films

[This post originally appeared here.]

Khemchand Prakash was one of the giants of Hindi film industry. He shaped and defined Hindi film music when it was still in its nascent stages. In a short career spanning just about a decade, he left behind a legacy that exceeded his output as a music director.

Khemchand had an early start in music. His father, Pandit Govardhan Prasad, was a musician in the royal court of Jaipur and also taught him music. He worked as a court singer and then tried his hand at acting in films before found his true calling in film music. After assisting composer Timir Baran in a few films, Khemchand Prakash debuted as a music director for the film “Meri Aankhen” (1939).

Khemchand Prakash died in 1950 when he was only 43 years old. In this post I discuss in five songs what he accomplished in ten years and how his influence on film music could be felt long after he passed away.

Lo Kha Lo Madam Khana (Street Singer, 1938) 

This song was composed by R.C. Boral, not Khemchand Prakash. Khemchand sang this comic song and appeared on screen for it. The reason I included this song – Khemchand Prakash dances in it. In fact, he was a trained kathak dancer (he does a kathak move in the song) and it is said that it was this skill that helped him imbibe a strong sense of rhythm in his music.

Pehle Jo  Mohabbat Se Inkaar Kiya Hota (Pardesi, 1941)

Early on in his career Khemchand Prakash showed glimpses of his ability to set trends and his penchant to handle the female voice. “Pehle Jo Mohabbat…” catapulted singer-actress Khursheed from relative obscurity to becoming one of the leading female artists of the time. She had been around in the industry for almost a decade when this Khemchand Prakash song launched her into stardom and helped her bag coveted lead roles opposite K.L. Saigal in films that defined her career – “Bhakta Surdas” (1942) and “Tansen” (1943). In a few more years, he would transform the career of another singer and Hindi film music would never be the same again. 

Sapt Suran Teen Graam (Tansen, 1943)

Tansen was possibly the first film to embrace classical music with gusto. Backed by excellent subject matter and K.L. Saigal’s glorious voice, Khemchand Prakash composed songs that became big hits while retaining their authentic Hindustani classical base. As Naushad pointed out in an interview, a remarkable aspect of Khemchand’s music for “Tansen” was the use of Dhrupad, which was the style in which Mian Tansen used to sing, and not Khayal which was more common in Hindi films. The music of “Tansen” set the stage for a phase in Hindi films that borrowed heavily from classical music. At the forefront of this phase was Khemchand’s one-time assistant and admirer, Naushad. In “Baiju Bawra” (1952), Naushad emulated his guru by creating music that was a balance of mainstream and classicism and the film’s success triggered a spurt in films steeped in classical music.

Marne Ki Duaaen Kyon Maangoon (Ziddi, 1948)

Khemchand Prakash is credited with launching the voice that captured the nations imagination for decades to come – Kishore Kumar. He spotted the young Kishore’s singing talent early on gave him his first solo, “Marne Ki Duaaen…” for Ziddi (1948). Although Kishore sang the song in Saigal’s style, his potential was unmistakable. It was a travesty that despite a solid start – a song picturised on a superstar in the making, Dev Anand – Kishore Kumar’s singing career did not really take off after Ziddi. One can’t help but wonder if Kishore may have seen success sooner if Khemchand Prakash had lived longer.

Aayega Aanewala (Mahal, 1949)

If we had to pick one song that had the biggest impact on Hindi film music, many of us would pick “Aayega Aanewala” (music by Khemchand Prakash, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and written by Nakshab Jarchvi). This was the song that made Lata Mangeshkar a household name, a name that would be at the forefront of Hindi film music for the next 60 years or so.

The song was not an accidental success. Khemchand Prakash was among the few composers who heard the tremendous potential in Lata’s voice, when most of Bollywood was unsure if the thin voice of young Lata would appeal to the masses. The song was not just a result of Khemchand’s vision – there was painstaking work involved. In the song’s opening, Lata’s voice was supposed to sound like it was coming from a distance. She was asked to stand away from the microphone and walk towards it as she sang the opening line so that she was at the mike when the second verse started. It took many rehearsals to perfect just the song’s opening.

Such was the song’s success that radio stations were flooded with calls of people trying to find out who the singer was and for the first time, radio stations started announcing the name of artists before playing songs. The song was a precursor to a new genre of spooky songs which included Lata hits like “Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil” (“Bees Saal Baad”, 1962), “Naina Barse Rimjhim Rimjhim” (“Who Kaun Thi”, 1964), “Mere Mehboob Na Ja” (“Noor Mahal”, 1965) and “Mera Saaya Saath Hoga” (“Mera Saaya” 1966).

Sadly, Khemchand Prakash died the very next year after Mahal’s release, when he was still at his peak. Five songs and a few hundred words are just not enough to express his contribution to Hindi film music. I highly recommend that you further explore his compositions.

Jaidev – Quality Over Quantity

[This post originally appeared here.]

Jaidev was one of the most talented composers of the Hindi film industry. Despite his talent and the critical as well as popular acclaim many of his albums received, he wasn’t rewarded with the commercial success or the name recognition some of his peers enjoyed. After more than three decades in the film industry, he had only about 40 films to his credit.

Jaidev Verma was a child prodigy who could play the harmonica when he was only 5 years old. His career in Hindi films started in the 1930s as a singer-actor in a few films. In the mid-1930s he took a break from films and dedicated himself to learning music. Jaidev received formal training from several gurus including the legendary sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. The Ustad was responsible for Jaidev’s return to Hindi films. When the Ustad went to Bombay to work for films, Jaidev accompanied him. He assisted Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in the two films he composed music for – “Andhiyan” (1952) and “Humsafar” (1953). Later Jaidev worked as assistant to S.D. Burman before breaking out on his on with “Joru Ka Bhai” (1955).

In this post, I pick 10 songs from Jaidev’s 10 best film scores.

Hum Dono (1961)

In the 1950s, every Navketan film had S.D. Burman’s music and Jaidev assisted S.D. Burman in most of them. These films were “Taxi Driver” (1954), “House No. 44” (1955), “Funtoosh” (1956), “Nau Do Gyarah” (1957), “Kala Pani” (1958) and “Kala Bazar” (1960).  Jaidev’s persistence and loyalty was finally rewarded in 1961 at the age of 42! When Navkentan was looking to make the music for “Hum Dono”, S.D. Burman was unavailable due to some illness and Jaidev was chosen. Jaidev, powered by Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics, rose to the occasion and how! The fantastic score of “Hum Dono” sounds as fresh today as it did in 1961. Unfortunately, Jaidev had a falling out with Navketan and never worked for them again. My pick from “Hum Dono” is the short, sweet, santoor-kissed “Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai” sung by Asha Bhosle.

Kinare Kinare (1963)

“Kinare Kinare”, starring Dev Anand and Meena Kumari, was one of the bigger films Jaidev got a chance to work in. The film didn’t do well and so it’s music, which had some endearing melodies, went unnoticed. Mukesh’s “Jab Gham-E-Ishq Sataata Hai” is one song I particularly love but my pick is the title song which Manna Dey renders so elegantly.

Reshma Aur Shera (1971)

After “Hum Dono”, Jaidev was relegated largely to B-grade films during the 1960s, with the exception of “Kinare Kinare” (1963) and “Mujhe Jeene Do” (1963). Although, his music rose above the films they featured in, film offers were few and far between. Just when thing were looking very bleak, “Reshma Aur Shera” came along and with it, Jaidev’s first of three National Film Awards for Best Music Direction. Synonymous with the film is the beautifully shot desert song “Tu Chanda Main Chandni”, a richly textured, complex composition with a dash of classical and a smatter of Rajasthani Maand. “Tu Chanda..” is the one of the earliest film songs I can think of that broke away from the standard mukhda – antara song structure. Interestingly, this feature came to become the signature of another genius composer who was also the winner of multiple National Film Awards like Jaidev, A.R. Rahman.

Faslah (1974)

While Jagjit Singh is credited with re-energizing the ghazal genre in the 1970s, I believe Jaidev played an important role as well. Some of the earliest instances of the modern ghazal with light, contemporary arrangements, simple melodies and fresh, young voices can be found in Jaidev’s compositions in the 1970s. Bhupinder, Hariharan, Chhaya Ganguly, Runa Laila and Penaz Masani were among some of the ghazal singers Jaidev mentored and worked with. “Dil Ne Tadap Tadap Ke” from “Faslah” was one such ghazal. My pick from “Faslah” though is another Bhupinder song, “Zindagi Cigarette Ka Dhuan” with some inspiring, if quirky, lyrics by Kaifi Azmi.

Ek Huns Ka Jora (1975)

For a film that sank without a trace, “Ek Huns Ka Jora” had some excellent music. This is the only film in this list that had songs sung by Kishore Kumar and one of only three films in which Jaidev employed his voice. I wonder why given the high quality of their output, which includes the popular, “Yeh Wohi Geet Hai Jisko Maine” (“Maan Jaiye”, 1972). My pick from “Ek Huns Ka Jora” is the Kishore – Asha duet “Pyar Se Tum Mile Mil Gayi Har Khushi”.

Alaap (1977)

“Alaap” is a seriously under-rated album. Jaidev’s robust score for this Hrishikesh Mukherjee film is built on a solid base of bhajans, classical music, Yesudas’ soothing baritone and some fine poetry. Although the film had some compelling acting and story-telling, and is considered one of the finer performances of Amitabh Bachchan, it didn’t do very well at the box-office. Perhaps, the audience was not willing to see the Angry Young Man portray a serious role that did not require him to beat up bad guys. My pick from “Alaap” is Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s “Koi Gaata Main So Jaata”. It is worthwhile noting that Jaidev also set to tune the senior Bachchan’s masterpiece, “Madhushala” (1976), in Manna Dey’s voice.

Gaman (1977)

1977 was a great year for Jaidev (he was 58 at the time!). He produced some great music that year – three of my picks in this list are from 1977 – and to top it off he won his second National Film Award for his score for Gaman. Gaman was short and extremely sweet score. It is said that Jaidev composed all songs of Gaman in one day flat – such was his genius! It is really hard to pick only one song from Gaman but Chhaya Ganguly’s National Award winning rendition of Makhdoom Mohiuddin’s words, “Aapki Raat Aati Rahi Raat Bhar”, is as good a pick as any.

Gharaonda (1977)

“Gharaonda” is another short and sweet score by Jaidev. While it is better known for Gulzar’s award winning “Do Deewane Shahar Mein” and it’s reprise “Ek Akela Is Shahar Mein”, my pick is the “Tumhen Ho Na Ho” which sounds like another Gulzar song but is in fact, written by Naqsh Lyallpuri. The song has some ground-breaking lyrics and the incredibly fresh voice of the Bangladeshi singer, Runa Laila.

Dooriyan (1979)

After “Gharaonda”, director Bhimsain, further explored human relationships in an urban setting in “Dooriyan”. Given the success of “Gharaonda”, he called in Jaidev again but the lyrics for the film were written by Sudarshan Faakir, an inspired choice as it turned out. One of the highlights of the film’s music was Anuradha Paudwal’s singing. In my opinion, this is the best she has ever sounded. The two Bhupinder – Anuradha duets in the film are absolute gems. My pick – “Zindagi Mere Ghar Aaana”.

Ankahee (1985)

“Ankahee” was Jaidev’s third National Film Award winning score. He passed away two years later, a sad, disillusioned man who did not get his due. “Ankahee” was a rare film whose score was dominated by bhajans. Thanks to some great renditions by Asha Bhosle and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Kabir and Tulsidas have never sounded so good on the big screen. My pick – Bhimsen Joshi’s “Thumak Thumak Pag Damak Kunj” which won him the National Film Award for Best Male Singer.

Honourable mentions:  “Joru Ka Bhai” (1955), “Mujhe Jeene Do” (1963), “Wohi Baat” (1977), “Aayi Teri Yaad” (1980) and “Jumbish” (1986).

You can explore more Jaidev hits here.

Anand Bakshi’s Generation-Spanning Work

[Starting this week, we’ll re-publish here the Bollywood Retrospective series published in DNA blogs. This post was originally published here.]

This post is based on a question posed a few years ago on Twitter by film historian Pavan Jha, a passionate follower and chronicler of films and film music. The question – “Name the 5 pairs of father-son composers for whom Anand Bakshi has written lyrics”. It’s a fantastic question because it gives us a sense of how extensive Anand Bakshi’s career was. Anand Bakshi’s long career is indicative of compromises he had to make along the way (quality may have suffered at the expense of quantity) but more importantly, it speaks to his ability to connect with the common man over several generations and his success in adapting himself to changing times.

Here are my picks of Anand Bakshi’s songs for the seven father-son composer pairs he worked with out of the 3000+ songs he wrote for Hindi films:

S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman

Anand Bakshi had debuted in 1958 and proven his mettle earlier with films like “Jab Jab Phool Khile” (1965) and “Devar” (1966), but he had to wait till 1969 for an opportunity to work with S.D. Burman. It is well known that R.D. Burman played an important role in the music of “Aradhana” (1969) – he was credited as Associate Music Director – and one wonders if the younger Burman had anything to do with picking Anand Bakshi for the first time for S.D. Burman. Anand Bakshi went on to work with S.D. Burman in many other films including “Jugnu” (1973), “Prem Nagar” (1974), and “Chupke Chupke” (1975), but couldn’t quite match Aradhana’s success. My pick from Aradhana – “Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera”:

Anand Bakshi’s body of work with R.D. Burman is far richer than that with his father. It contains bona fide classics like “Kati Patang” (1970), “The Train” (1970), “Amar Prem” (1971), “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” (1971), “Namak Haram” (1973), “Aap Ki Kasam” (1974), “Ajanabee” (1974) and “Mehbooba” (1976. I consider “Amar Prem” to be the pinnacle of their partnership. Although I am in awe of the powerful lyrics of “Chingari Koi Bhadke”, my pick from the film is “Kuchh To Log Kahenge” because of the deftness with which Bakshi Saab took a song of compassion and transformed it into an unflattering commentary on society.

Roshan and Rajesh Roshan

Roshan was one of the big-name music directors to work with Anand Bakshi early on in his career but they worked together on just a handful of films. “Devar” (1966) was the only film in which the two enjoyed a measure of success. My pick from “Devar” is “Baharon Ne Mera Chaman Loot Kar” because it’s one of the few songs in which Anand Bakshi challenges the average Hindi film music listener with limited knowledge of Urdu while keeping his trademark simple core intact.

Rajesh Roshan’s only Filmfare Award came in a film for which Anand Bakshi wrote lyrics, “Julie” (1975). My pick though is from a film which came the next year “Tumhari Kassam” (1978).  “Hum Dono Milke Kagaz Pe Dil Pe” belonged to a category of Hindi film songs Anand Bakshi did very well in – the conversational romantic duet. As with other songs in this category penned by him, Anand Bakshi keeps the lovers’ exchange light-hearted, flirtatious, and very real.

Kalyandji – Anandji and Viju Shah (son of Kalyanji)

After almost a decade of a rather unremarkable career, it was Kalyanji – Anandji who gave Anand Bakshi a blockbuster hit record with “Jab Jab Phool Khile” (1965), and almost overnight transformed him into the industry’s leading lyricist. I am not particularly fond of the album but I am clearly in the minority. The film’s music was very popular and with its range of themes and genres, it had something for everyone. My pick from the film is “Ek Tha Gul Aur Ek Thi Bulbul”. Contrived as the situation is, I think Anand Bakshi does a masterful job of telling the film’s story in three verses.

In terms of popularity, “Mohra” (1994) and “Gupt” (1997), would surpass anything else Anand Bakshi wrote for Viju Shah. At the age of 64, Bakshi Saab managed to write something as juvenile (some may say crass) as “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast”. We could see the song’s lyrics as an unnecessary compromise by a senior lyricist or we could marvel at an old man’s ability to read the pulse of a generation far removed. My favourite Viju Shah – Anand Bakshi coming together, however, happens in the lesser heard “Tere Mere Sapne” (1996) with its two outstanding romantic duets “Kuchh Mere Dil Ne Kaha” and “Mere Piya Maine Jise Yeh Dil Diya”.  My pick – “Mere Piya Maine Jise Yeh Dil Diya”.

Chitragupt and Anand – Milind

There isn’t a lot to choose from when it comes to Anand Bakshi’s lyrics for Chitragupt – just six songs from two obscure films “Aadhi Raat Ke Baad” (1965) and “Angaaray” (1975). In fact, I came upon those songs only while writing for this post. My pick is Lata Mangeshkar’s ghazal from “Aadhi Raat Ke Baad” – “Mera Dil Baharon Ka Woh Phool Hai“.

Anand – Milind did 10 films with Anand Bakshi but nothing really clicked. The duo could not really get the best out of the aging lyricist. My pick of this combination is an OK melody but to be honest, I picked it for the resplendent Madhuri Dixit. The song – Kumar Sanu and Sadhna Sargam’s “Kitna Pyar Karta Hoon” (“Phool”, 1993).

Anil Biswas and Utpal Biswas (part of Amar – Utpal)

Anand Bakshi worked with Anil Biswas when he had yet to make a mark and the composer’s career had begun to wane. They collaborated for less than ten songs. My pick is a chirpy, big-band song sung by Geeta Dutt – “Aa Dil Ki Baazi Laga” (“Jasoos”, 1957).

The roles were reversed when Bakshi worked with Amar – Utpal, consisting of Amar Haldipur and Anil Biswas’s son, Utpal Biswas. Bakshi was one of the most sought-after lyricists at the time and Amar – Utpal were struggling. Their first collaboration together, “Shahenshah” (1988), went on to become their most memorable work. My pick from the film is its title song – “Andheri Raaton Mein Sunsaan Raahon Par”.

Shiv – Hari and Rahul Sharma (son of Shivkumar Sharma)

Shiv – Hari worked with Anand Bakshi in 5 of their 8 film albums, including the hit soundtracks of “Chandni” (1989) and “Darr” (1993). My pick is from their last film together – “Tu Mere Samne” (“Darr”, 1993).

Rahul Sharma, a santoor player like his father Shivkumar Sharma, worked as a music director for only one film – “Mujhse Dosti Karoge” (2002). It was perhaps inevitable that he collaborated with the legendary lyricist – “Mujhse Dosti Karoge” (2002) was produced by Yash Raj Films, the banner that trusted Shiv – Hari with as many as 6 films, 3 of which featured Anand Bakshi. Unfortunately, Rahul Sharma couldn’t meet the high standards set by Shiv – Hari. My pick from the film – the lovely duet by Udit Narayan and Lata Mangeshkar – “Andekhi Anjaani Si”.

Nadeem – Shravan and Sanjeev – Darshan (sons of Shravan Rathod)

Nadeem – Sharavan did just two films with Anand Bakshi. Bakshi Saab’s advancing age and the disruption in Nadeem – Shravan’s career due to Nadeem’s legal troubles (he was named accused in T-Series’ Gulshan Kumar’s murder) meant that they didn’t work together after “Pardes” (1997). But what an album “Pardes” was! The film had many good songs and deservedly won Nadeem – Shravan a Screen the award for Best Music Director. My pick is the mellow love ballad sung by Kumar Sanu, “Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain”.

Anand Bakshi’s work for Sanjeev – Darshan came in the last two years of his life when he was a spent force, although still prolific and with the ability to produce a sporadic good song. I’d rather not pick a Sanjeev – Darshan song.

Instead, I will end the post with a song Anand Bakshi wrote for his most significant collaborators, Laxmikant – Pyarelal. About half of all the film songs Anand Bakshi ever wrote were for LP. Theirs was a hit-making team as they churned out one chartbuster after the other – “Do Raaste” (1969), “Aan Milo Sajna” (1970), “Mehboob Ki Mehndi” (1971), “Bobby” (1973), “Anurodh” (1977) and “Karz” (1980) – to name just a few. My pick is “Aadmi Musafir Hai” (“Apnapan”, 1977) which won Anand Bakshi the Filmfare award for Best Lyricist and is an apt song to revisit the beautiful memories the people’s poet left behind.

[Updated on 21/7/2021: The original article featured five father-son pairs who worked with Anand Bakshi. This post adds two more pairs – Anil Biswas and Amar – Utpal, and Shiv – Hari and Rahul Sharma.]