Music and Cinema – Page 19

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #26

The twenty-sixth day of songs in this series.

In the last twenty-five days, we have taken up songs of thirteen male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’, Hariharan and Yesudas. We also took up songs of eleven female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali, Sudha Malhotra, Amirbai Karnataki and Kavita Krishnamurthy. We took up a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle in the last post. And lastly we took up a Talat Mehmood song: Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai.

One of the fans commented on these songs, “The songs that you are giving us are everyone’s favourites.” The truth is that songs often remind us of days gone by and fill us with nostalgia both happy and sad.

I am sure thousands of you would identify with the next song. It is from the 1972 Basu Chatterjee movie Piya Ka Ghar starring two who graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) at Pune: Jaya Bahaduri and Anil Dhawan. The song is: Yeh jeevan hai is jeevan ka yehi hai rang roop.

(Poster courtesy: learningandcreativity.com)

Lets start with the movie. First, Raja Thakur made a Marathi movie called Mumbaicha Jawai, which speaks volumes about the title since at that time Mumbai was known as Bombay. Then came Tarachand Barjataya, who founded Rajshri Productions and made many successful movies such as Dosti, Uphaar, Geet Gaata Chal, Jeevan Mrityu, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye, Akhiyon Ke Jharokhe Se, and Maine Pyar Kiya. He produced Piya Ka Ghar and made Basu Chatterjee direct it. The movie brings out the reality, difficulties and travails of staying in a house in Bombay by large families (which is generally the case). Even though the movie depicted this life in 1970s, the scenario would be generally the same even now, if not worse. Let alone there being no privacy for a new couple in the house, there is none outside too. For example, couples in love are often the target of others including the police.

The song brings out this reality and calls it the reality of life, not just the reality of life in Mumbai.

Let me tell you something about the Lyricist of the song: Anand Bakshi and the Composer Laxmikant Pyarelal:

Anand Bakshi was a master lyricist who matched his lyrics perfectly with the emotions of the protagonist. His most common pairing was with Laxmikant Pyarelal with whom he worked in 302 movies. Then, with RD Burman, he did the second highest movies of his career: 99. Amongst the old breed of lyricsts, Anand Bakshi was the only one who penned more than 3000 songs whilst lyricists like Sahir and Sahkeel only penned less than 800.

This song is because of Anand Bakshi pairing with Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Laxmikant Pyarelal made songs and music for 635 movies from 1963 to 1998 when Laxmikant died on 25 May. Nearly half of the movies, 302 to be exact, have been with Anand Bakshi. Anand Bakshi penned more than 3000 songs. More than half of these are with Laxmikant Pyarelal. Just like Anand Bakshi, Laxmikant Pyarelal too tasted resounding success in the very first movie that they attempted: the 1963 movie Parasmani. The popular songs of the movie include: Hansta hua noorani chehra, and Raushan tumhi se duniya. But, the song from the movie that is still everfresh and fondly remembered is this:

Anand Bakshi died on 30 Mar 2002 in Mumbai. However, the songs of Anand Bakshi with Laxmikant Pyarelal kept appearing until the 2011 movie Soundtrack. They had started with the 1964 movie Mr. X in Bombay with super-hit songs: Mere mehboob qayamat hogi, Chali gori pi ke milan ko chali, and Khoobsurat haseena jaane jaan jaaneman. Some of my other favourite songs of the pair from 1965 to 1975 are: Main mujhe apne aanchal mein chhupa le (Chhota Bhai, 1965), Khat likh de saanwariya ke naam babu, Mere dushman tu meri dosti ko tarse, Suno sajana papihe ne (Aaye Din Bahar Ke, 1966), Jab jab bahar aayi aur phool muskaraye, Saat samundar paar se gudiyon ke bazaar se (Taqdeer, 1967), Baahosh habas mein deewana and Nazar na lag jaaye kisi ki raahon mein (Night In London, 1967), Ham tum yug yug se yeh geet milan ka, Sawan ka mahina pawan kare sor, Ram kare aisa ho jaaye, and Mubarak ho sabako sama ye suhaana (Milan, 1967), Mera naam hai chameli, Tu kitani achhi hai O maa, Sang basanti rang basanti aa gaya, and O phiraki waali tu kal phir aana (Raja Aur Rank, 1968), Raat suhaani jaag rahi hai dheere dheere chupke chupke (Jigri Dost, 1969), Bindiya chamkegi, Chhup gaye saare nazaare, Khiza ke phool pe aati kabhi bahaar nahin, and Ye reshmi zulfen ye sharbati aankhen (Do Raaste, 1969), Main raahi anjaan raahon ka, and Rimjhim ke geet sawan gaaye (Anjana, 1969), Saari khushiyan hain mohabbat ki zamaane ke liye (Suhana Safar, 1970), Sharaafat chhod di hamane (Sharaafat, 1970), Sham dhale Jamuna kinaare (Pushpanjali, 1970), Dhal gaya din ho gayi shaam, Haay re haay neend nahin aaye (Humjoli, 1970), Shadi ke liye razamand karli (Devi, 1970), Mujhe tumase mohabbat hai magar main keh nahin sakta (Bachpan, 1970), Achchha to hum chalte hain, Ab aan milo sajana (Aan Milo Sajana, 1970), Agar dilbar ki ruswayi, Khilauna jaankar tum to mera dil, Teri shaadi pe doon tujhako tohfa main kya (Khilauna, 1970), Jaane kyun log mohannat kiya karte hain, Itna to yaad hai mujhe, Mere deewanepan ki bhi koi dawa nahin, and Ye jo chilman hai (Mehboob Ki Mehndi, 1971), Chal chal chal mere haathi, Dilbar jaani chali hawa mastani, and Nafrat ki duniya ko chhod ke (Haathi Mere Saathi, 1971), Sachayi chhup nahin sakti (Dushman, 1971), Aap aaye bahar aayee, Mujhe teri mohabbat ka (Aap Aaye Bhar Aayee, 1971), Haay sharmaayun (Mera Gaon Mera Desh, 1971), Kitna maza aa raha hai (Raja Jani, 1972), Dheere dheere bol koi sun na le, and Ek na ek din ye kahani banegi (Gora Aur Kala, 1972), O manchali kahan chali, Tan man dhan sab hai tera (Manchali, 1973), Aj mausam nbada beimaan hai, Main tere ishq mein mar na jaayun kahin, Motiyon ki ladhi hoon main (Loafer, 1973), Mere dil mein aaj kya hai, Ni main yaar manana ni (Daag, 1973), Akhiyon ko rehne de, Hum tum ik kamre mein band hon, Beshaq mandir masjid tode, and Main shayar to nahin (Bobby, 1973), Gore rang pe itna gumaan kar, Naach meri bulbul ke paisa milega, Ye public hai ye sab janati hai (Roti, 1974), Aadmi jo kehta hai, Phir na kehna Michael daaru pi ke danga karta hai, Nahin main nahin dekh sakta tujhe rote huye, Tumhen jo bhi dekh lega (Majboor, 1974), Chal dariya mein doob jaayen, Doston mein koi baat, Prem kahani mein ik ladka hota hai, and Phool ahista phenko (Prem Kahani, 1975), Man jat yamla pagla deewana (Pratigya, 1975).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM9CHdpk-9Q

Some other favourites of Anand Bakshi with Laxmikant Pyarelal from 1975 onwards are: Aayegi aayegi kisi ko hamari yaad aayegi, Jaaneman kisi ka naam nahin, Ki gal hai koi nahin (Jaaneman, 1976), Ke aaja teri yaad aayi (Charas, 1976), Dream girl (Dream Girl, 1977), O meri mehbooba tujhe jaana hai to jaa (Dharm-Veer, 1977), Koi maane ya na maane (Chacha Bhatija, 1977), Aadmi musafir hai aata hai jaata hai (Apnapan, 1977), Ke mere dil ne tadap ke, Aap ke anurodh pe main ye geet, Aate jaate khuubsurat awara sadakon pe, Jab dard nahin tha seene mein (Anurodh, 1977), Anhoni ko honi karde, O hamako tumase ho gaya hai pyaar, Parda hai parda, and Shirdi waale Sai Baba (Amar Akbar Antony, 1977), Bhor bhaye panghat pe, Chanchal sheetal komal (Satyam Shivam Sundaram, 1978), Main tulsi tere aangan ki (Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, 1978), Ham to chale pardes, Ram ji ki nikali sawari (Sargam, 1979), Ek ritu aaye ek ritu jaaye (Gautam Govinda, 1979), Teri rab ne banayi jodi (Suhaag, 1979), Bane chahe dushman zamaana hamara, and Mere dost kissa ye kyaa ho gaya (Dostana, 1980), Dard-e-dil dard-e-jigar dil mein jagaya aapne, He tumne kabhi kisi se pyaar kiaya hai (Karz, 1980), Hamako bhi gham ne maara (Aas Paas, 1981), Ham bane tum bane ek duje ke liye, Solah baras ki baali umar ko salaam, Mere jeevan saathi pyar kiye ja, and Tere mere beech mein kaisa hai ye bandhan anjaana (Ek Duje Ke Liye, 1981), Khatun ki khdmat mein salaam apun ka (Desh Premi, 1982), Rote rote hansana seekho (Andha Kanoon, 1983), Saari duniya ka bojh uthaate hain (Coolie, 1983), Ding dong O baby sing a song (Hero, 1984), Chitthi aayi hai watan ki chitthi aayi hai (Naam, 1986), Main teri dushman (Nagina, 1986), Mera naam hai Lakhan (Ram Lakan, 1989), Jumma chumma de de (Hum, 1991), Tu mujhe qabool main tujhe qabool (Khuda Gwaah, 1992), Choli ke peeche kya hai, Nayak nahin khalnayak hoon main (Khalnayak, 1993), and Khidaki khuli zara to hangama ho gaya (Deewana Mastana, 1997).

Please enjoy Kishore Kumar sing a composition of Laxmikant Pyarelal on the lyrics of Anand Bakshi a song from the 1972 Basu Chatterjee movie Piya Ka Ghar: Yeh jeevan hai is jeevan ka yehi hai rang roop….

ये जीवन है
इस जीवन का
यही है, यही है, यही है रंग रूप (२)
थोड़े ग़म हैं, थोड़ी खुशियाँ
यही है, यही है, यही है छाँव धूप
ये जीवन है …

(ये ना सोचो इसमें अपनी
हार है कि जीत है ) – २
उसे अपना लो जो भी
जीवन की रीत है
ये ज़िद छोड़ो, यूँ ना तोड़ो
हर पल एक दर्पण है
ये जीवन है …

धन से ना दुनिया से
घर से न द्वार से
साँसों की डोर बंधी है
प्रीतम के प्यार से
दुनिया छूटे, पर ना टूटे
ये कैसा बंधन है
ये जीवन है
इस जीवन का
यही है, यही है, यही है रंग रूप
थोड़े ग़म हैं
थोड़ी खुशियाँ
यही है, यही है, यही है छाँव धूप
ये जीवन है

In the 1967 movie Jewel Thief, there is a dialogue about Bombay being too crowded and hence Tanuja liked to stay in Powai hills. Now, even those places are crowded. Indeed, crowds never leave you all the way to Viraar on the Western side and Panvel on the Eastern side. There is no place to go for a modicum of privacy. There was a time, when one could go to Lonavla to see that quiet and be with one’s partner exclusively. Now, there would be any number of people getting into your love scene.

The movie portrayed the situation in 1972. Forty-six years later, you are always in a crowd anywhere in Mumbai and suburbs. Hence, the strain of the song even more appropriate today than it was in 1972.

इस जीवन का
यही है, यही है, यही है रंग रूप

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #25

The twenty-fifth day of songs in this series.

In the last twenty-four days, we have taken up songs of thirteen male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’, Hariharan and Yesudas. We also took up songs of eleven female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali, Sudha Malhotra, Amirbai Karnataki and Kavita Krishnamurthy. We took up a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle in the last post.

Tonight, we repeat a song sung by Talat Mehmood on the lyrics of Rajinder Krishan and on a composition of Madan Mohan: Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhayi hai.

Once again, the means of tugging at our emotions are to be equally divided between the three who brought this song to us: Rajinder Krishan for the excellent Urdu lyrics (eg, Phir tasavvur tere pehlu mein bitha jayega); Madan Mohan, the ghazal maestro for composing it into a ghazal that made the lyrics reach our hearts directly; and finally Talat Mehmood who was known as the Ghazal King and whose voice’s natral tremor was sought to be copied even by Mohammad Rafi.

As far as the movie is concerned, 1964 Vinod Kumar movie Jahan Ara, Hindi movie makers’ fascination for Mughal themes is really something that should be discussed at great length. The Mughals ruled over us for nearly ten centuries with extraordinary truculence and savagery. Our history is full of the nearly unbelievable atrocities done by each of them on our people: gouging eyes, killing women and children and engaging themselves in their favourite pastime of buggery. And yet, in majority of the movies that we made on them, we remember their great love affairs, romances and the like. From the beginning, when Hindi kings sided with them against their own brethern to usher in Muslim era in the country, and until now, we are obsessed by their generosity and other finer feelings. This obsession has finally made them look human. I wonder if we have shown our own indigenous heroes with such compassion.

Take Shah Jahan, for example, on whom we have made dozens of movies depicting his love for Mumtaz. His first act as ruler was to execute his chief rivals and imprison his step mother Nur Jahan. Upon Shah Jahan’s orders several executions took place on 23 January 1628. Those put to death included his own brother Shahryar; his nephews Dawar and Garshasp, sons of Shah Jahan’s previously executed brother Prince Khusrau; and his cousins Tahmuras and Hoshang, sons of the late Prince Daniyal. This is only a small fact in his life. But, do we have any movies showing his truculence? Nil. We revere his love for Mumtaz and showcase it to the world.

In the 1964 movie Jahan Ara too, we brought to fore what we called a historical failed romance between Shah Jahan’s daughter Jahanara Begum Sahib (played by Mala Sinha) and Mirza Yusuf Changezi (played by Bharat Bhushan). And why did the romance fail? Because, Mumtaz when she was dying, aged 37 (7 July 1631), while giving birth to Shah Jahan’s and her fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum, had postpartum haemorrhage, which caused considerable blood-loss after a painful labour of thirty hours. Jahanara was 17 at that time. Mumtaz, at the death bed, according to the movie’s plot (unsupported by history), makes Jahanara promise that Jahanara would look after Shah Jahan, sacrificing her own love in the bargain.

This scenario maded their love very sad, the kind that makes Hindi movies hit and super hit. Sadness of love also lends itself ably in making songs for the movie and Jahan Ara had some really very beautiful songs:

1.	“Baad Muddat Ke Yeh Ghadi Ayee”	Mohammed Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur
2.	“Main Teri Nazar Ka Suroor Hoon”	Talat Mahmood
3.	“Woh Chup Rahen To Mere”	Lata Mangeshkar
4.	“Phir Wohi Sham Wohi Gham”	Talat Mahmood
5.	“Aye Sanam Aaj Aye Qasam Khayen”	Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar
6.	“Teri Aankh Ke Ansoo”	Talat Mahmood
7.	“Kisi Ki Yaad Mein Duniya Ko”	Mohammed Rafi
8.	“Haal-E-Dil Yoon Unhe Sunaayaa Gayaa”	Lata Mangeshkar
9.	“Jab Jab Tumhe Bhulaya, Tum Aur Yaad Aaye”	Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle
10.	“Tum uda Hokar Hame”	Talat Mahmood
11.	“Kabhi Aankhon Mein Teri”	Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar, Meena Mangeshkar

Rajinder Krishan, the lyricist of the above songs, penned some really memorable songs for this movie as he did for several other movies including Anarkali and Adalat. On Facebook, on my page Lyrical, I pay tribute to the Lyricists of that era and I have already finished my tribute for him. This is available in four parts, as follows:

Needless to say that Rajinder Krishan has penned many a song that tug at my emotions, particularly for this movie.

Rajinder Krishan, Talat Mehmood and Madan Mohan

Madan Mohan and Rajinder Krishan had a great association together. Their songs are certainly amongst the best and most memorable songs of Lata Mangeshkar. In this movie, Madan Mohan took a gamble with Talat Mehmood (even though personally he was very fond of Mohammad Rafi) and it paid off very well indeed.

Madan Mohan was born on 25 Jun 1924 at Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal was working as an Accountant General with the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces. Madan Mohan spent the early years of his life in the Middle East. After 1932, his family returned to their home town of Chakwal, then in Jhelum district of Punjab, British India. He joined the Army as a Second Lieutenant in the year 1943. He served there for two years until end of World War II, when he left the Army and returned to Bombay to pursue his musical interests. In 1946, he joined the All India Radio, Lucknow as Programme Assistant, where he came in contact with various artists such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Begum Akhtar, and Talat Mahmood.

He was very fond of singing, and so in 1947 he got his first chance to record two ghazals penned by Behzad Lucknawi, Aane Laga Hai Koi Nazar Jalwa Gar Mujhe and Is Raaz Ko Duniya Jaanti Hai. Soon after, in 1948 he recorded two more private ghazals penned by Deewan Sharar, Wo Aaye To Mahfil Mein Ithlaate Huye Aaye and Duniya Mujhe Kahti Hai Ke Main Tujhko Bhoolaa Doon. In 1948, he got his first opportunity to sing a film duet Pinjare Mein Bulbul Bole and Mera Chhotasa Dil Dole with Lata Mangeshkar under composer Ghulam Haider (composer) for the film Shaheed (1948 film), though these songs were never released or used in the film. Between 1948 and 1949, he assisted music composers SD Burman for Do Bhai, and Shyam Sundar in Actress and Nirdosh.

As Music Director, he scored his first big break with the film Aankhen (1950 film) in 1950. He was soon to emerge as a music director par excellence especially for ghazals. Indeed, music director OP Nayyar once said about Madan Mohan that two of his ghazals were better than all that OP Nayyar composed. Some of the best songs of Lata Mangeshkar (she fondly called him “Madan Bhaiyya”) were composed by him on the lyrics of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and Rajinder Krishan.

Some of my favourite songs of Madan Mohan are: Aaj soch to aansu bhar aaye, Betaab dil ki tamanna yehi hai, Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakham 1973), Aapke pehlu mein aa ke ro diye, Naino mein badra chhaye, Jhumka gira re, Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saya 1966), Aapki nazaron ne samajha, Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabru, Vo dekho jala ghar kisi ka (Anpadh 1962), Aapko pyaar chhupane ki buri aadat hai, Tere paas aake mera waqt nikal jaata hai (Neela Akash 1965), Agar mujhase mohabbat hai, Main nigaahen tere chehre se hatayun kaise (Aap Ki Parchhayiyan), Ai mere dil mujhe bata de (Bhai Bhai 1946), Ari vo shokh kaliyon muskara dena vo jab aayen (Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai 1967), Baad muddat ke yeh ghadi aayi, Haal-e-dil youn unhe sunaya gaya, Jab jab tumhe bhulaya tum aur yaad aaye, Kisi ki yaad mein duniya ko jhain bhulaye huye, Main teri nazar ka saroor hoon, Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai, Teri aankh ke aansu pi jaayun, Wo chup rahen to mere dil ke daag jalate hain (Jahan Ara 1964), Hamare baad mehfil mein (Baghi 1953), Bainya na dharo O balma, Ham hain mataa-e-kuchcha-e-bazaar ki tarah, Mai ri main kaase kahun, Tumse kahun ik baat (Dastak, 1970), Bairan neend na aaye mohe (Chacha Zindabad 1959), Basti basti parbat parbat gaata jaaye banjara, Chand madham hai aasman chup hai, Dekh tere Bhagwan ki haalat (Railway Platform 1955), Bhooli hui yaado mujhe itna na satayo, Vo bhooli dastaan lo phir yaad aa gayi (Sanjog 1961), Chanda ja re ja re, Main to tum sang nain mila ke (Manmauji 1962), Chhadi re chhadi kaise gale mein padhi, Dil dhoondata hai fursat ke, Ruke ruke se kadam (Mausam 1975), Chhod kar tere pyar ka daaman, Jao hamane dastaan apni sunaayi, Lag jaa gale ke phir, Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim, Shokh nazar ki bijliyan (Woh Kaun Thi 1964), Do dil toote do dil haare, Doli chadate hi Heer ne bain kiye, Milo na tum to ham ghabraayen, Ye duniya ye mehfil mere kaam ki nahin (Heer Ranjha 1970), Ham chal rahe the wo chal rahe the (Duniya Na Maane 1959), Ham pyar mein jalane waalo ko chain kahan (Jailor 1958), Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale, Tujhe kya sunayun main dilruba (Aakhri Dao 1958), Hamse aaya na gaya, Kaun aay mere man ke dwaare, Meri veena tum bin roye, Tu pyar kare ya thukraye (Dekh Kabira Roya 1957), Har taraf ab yahi afsaane hain, Hai tere saath meri wafa main nahin to kya (Hindustan Ki Kasam 1973), Hoke majbuur mujhe usne bhualaya hoga, Kar chale ham fida, Khelo na mere dil se, Main ye soch kar uske dar se, Zara si aahat hoti hai (Haqeeqat 1964), Husn haazir hai mohabbat ki saza paane ko, Is reshmi paazeb ki jhankar ke sadake, Tere dar pe aaya hoon (Laila Majnu 1976), Ik haseen raat ko dil mera kho gaya, Kabhi ai haqeeqat-e-muntazar, Sapano mein agar mere (Dulhan Ek Raat Ki 1966), Ishq ki garmi-e-jazbaat kise pesh karun. Mere mehboob kahin aur mila kar mujhase, Naghma o sher ki saugat, Rang aur noor ki baraat (Ghazal 1964), Jaa jaa re jaa saajna, Jaana tha hamse door, Unako ye shikayat hai, Youn hasaraton ke daag (Adalat 1958), Kabhi na kabhi kahin na kahin koi na koi to aayega, Mujhe le chalo aaj us jagah, Sawan ke mahine mein (Sharaabi 1964), Koi shikwa bhi nahin koi shikayat bhi nahin (Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhaare 1966), Main paagal mera manwa paagal (Aashiyana 1952), Meri yaad mein tum na aasnu bahana (Madhosh 1951), Na tum bewafa ho na ham bewafa hain (Ek Kali Muskaaye 1958), Sapne mein sajan se do baaten, Do ghadi wo jo paas aa baithe (Gateway Of India 1957), Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai (Chirag 1969), Tumhari zulf ke saaye mein shaam kar loonga (Naunihaal 1967), Tu mere saamne hai teri zulfen hain khuli (Suhagan, 1964), and Vo jo milate the kabhi hamsase deewano ki tarah (Akeli Mat Jaiyo 1963).

Another very popular Rajinder Krishan – Madan Mohan song from the 1958 Nargis starrer Adaalat

Please enjoy Talat Mehmood sing a composition of Madan Mohan on the lyrics of Rajinder Krishan a song from the 1964 Vinod Kumar (his debut movie as a director) movie Jahan Ara: Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhayi hai….

फिर वोही शाम वही ग़म वही तनहाई है
दिल को समझाने तेरी याद चली आई है

फिर तसव्वुर तेरे पहलू में बिठा जाएगा
फिर गया वक़्त घड़ी भर को पलट आएगा
दिल बहल जाएगा आखिर ये तो सौदाई है
फिर वोही शाम …

जाने अब तुझ से मुलाक़ात कभी हो के न हो
जो अधूरी रहे वो बात कभी हो के न हो
मेरी मंज़िल तेरी मंज़िल से बिछड़ आई है
फिर वोही शाम …

फिर तेरे ज़ुल्फ़ के रुखसार की बातें होंगी
हिज्र की रात मगर प्यार की बातें होंगी
फिर मुहब्बत में तड़पने की क़सम खाई है
फिर वोही शाम …

Why does the song tug at your emotions so strongly? We have a tendency not to visualise songs in their original scenario. Hence, in this case too, the scenario of the song being that of Mirza Yusuf Changezi not being able to come to terms with having lost the love of his life Jahanara Begum for some strange reason, is not the scenario that we remember the song by. We build up our own scenario of separation in love, particularly at the time of Shaam (evening) when shadows fall, heart is saddened, and there is no hope left except the darkness that fills within and without.

There is a beautiful reference to फिर तसव्वुर तेरे पहलू में बिठा जाएगा. This happens to lovers very frequently when they, in tasavvur (khayal or imagination) build up to something that is not real but it appears real to them. I have written a poem about it when I was only sixteen or seventeen. You may read the poem by clicking on: TU.

Every time I listen to the song, I have memories that come flooding in.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #90

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Dil ke jharokhe mein tujhako bithakar….
Raag Shivaranjanii, Tal Dadra

I gave you a song in this Raag in very early stages of this series. In ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #4’, I gave you a song in the same raaga and tal: Laage na mora jiya. That, of course had the genius of Ravi with my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni.

We have completed eighty-eight days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our eighty-ninth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #89’ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1973 BR Ishara movie Dil Ki Rahen starring Rakesh Pandey and Rehana Sultan: Rasme ulfat ko nibhayen to nibhayen kaise. It is in Raag Madhuvanti, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Yaman – Part III’.

In the last eighty-nine days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani and Madhuvanti. Today, I am repeating Raag Shivaranjani.

Raag Shivaranjani is another Raag that belongs to Kafi Thaat. The mood of the raag is Karuna Rasa (pathos) that suited both Shakeel and Ravi very well. However, the MDs who had this as their favourite (both of them as opposed to Bhairavi that was favourite of Jaikishan only) were Shankar Jaikishan. Some of their popular numbers in this Raag are: Awaaz deke hamen tum bulao, Baharon phool barsao, Dil ke jharokhe mein tujhako bithakar, Jaane kahan gaye woh din, and O mere sanam.

Some of the popular numbers of other composers in this raag are: Banake kyun bigada re, Dhak dhak karne laga, Kahin deep jale kahin dil, Mere naina sawan bhaadon, Mujhe kuchh kehna hai, Rimjhim ke geet sawan gaaye, Sawan aaye sawan jaaye, Tere mere beech mein, and Yaad teri aayegi.

Shivaranjani’s Jati is Audhav-Audhav, that is pentatonic in both ascent (Aaroha) and descent (Avaroha);Madhyam and Nishad are the swar that are varjya, Gandhar is Komal. Rest all are shuddha swar. This raag and Bhopali are similar except that in Bhopali, even Gandhar is shuddha whereas it is Komal in Shivaranjani.

The raag is to be normally performed at midnight.

As far as Tal Dadra is concerned I have given you enough already.

The song I have taken for you today is from the 1968 GP Sippy production and Bhappi Sonie movie Brahmachari starring Shammi Kapoor, Rajshree, Pran and Mumtaz. It was penned by Hasrat Jaipuri, composed by Shankar Jaikishan and sung by Mohammad Rafi.

Let me start with telling about Hasrat Jaipuri. Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri formed a team with Shankar Jaikishan. It was the most abiding team of Lyricists with Composer in Hindi movies. Although, Hasrat was a find of Prithviraj Kapoor who introduced him to his son Raj Kapoor, both the Filmfare Awards that he received were both non-Raj Kapoor movies: Andaz starring Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor and Suraj starring Rajendra Kumar. Hasrat Jaipuri was born as Iqbal Hussain in Jaipur, Rajashtan, on 15 Apr 1922. His schooling was entirely in English language and it is only later that he learnt Urdu and Persian. He came to Bombay at the age of 18 years and worked as a bus-conductor, similar to Johnny Walker. His first song was Jiya beqraar hai for the 1949 Raj Kapoor movie Barsaat, the debut film of Shankar Jaikishan.

Before penning lyrics for the songs, he was fond of poetry. Some of his poetry was written for his beloved in Jaipur: Radha including the famous song: Yeh mera prem patr padh kar ke tum naraaz na hona.

As far as my favourite songs of Hasrat Jaipuri are concerned, let me tell you first that what I regard as Lata Mangeshkar’s best song ever: Rasik balmaa, has been penned by him (Please see: ‘My Favourite Songs Of Lata Mangeshkar‘). Some of the others are: Aa neele gagan tale (Badshah, 1954), the title song of my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne (Patita, 1953), Aansu bhari hain ye jeevan ki raahen (Parvarish, 1958), Aaye bahaar ban ke lubha kar chale gaye (Rajhath, 1956), Awaaz de ke hamen na bulao (Professor, 1962), Ajahu na aaye baalma (Saanjh Aur Savera, 1964), Aji rooth kar ab kahan jaayiga, Chhalke teri aankho se (Arzoo, 1965), Rukh se zara naqaab utha do mere huzoor, Gam uthhane ke liye main to jiye jaayunga, Jhanak jhanak tori naaje payaliya, Jo guzr rahi hai mujhape use kaise main batayun, Kyaa kyaa na sahe hamne sitam aap ki khaatir (Mere Huzoor, 1968), Bat itani si hai kah do koi deevano se, Gori chalo na hans ki chaal (Beti Bete, 1964), Bahaaro phool barsaao (Suraj, 1966), Bhanvre ki gunjan hai mera dil (Kal, Aaj Aur Kal, 1971), Chale jaana zara thehro (Around The World, 1967), Chhod gaye baalam mujhe haay akela chhod gaye, Jiya beqraar hai chhayi bahaar hai, Meri aankhon mein bas gaya koi re (Barsaat, 1949), Dekho ruutha na karo, Tere ghar ke saamne ik ghar banayunga, Tu kahan ye bata is nasheeli raat mein (Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, 1963), Dheere dheere chal chand gagan mein (Love Marriage, 1959), Dil ek mandir hai, Ham tere pyaar mein saara aalam, Yahan koi nahin tera mere siva (Dil Ek Mandir, 1963), Dil ke jharokhe mein tujhako bithakar (Brahmachari, 1968), Mere yaar shab-ba-khair, Ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar, Jaa jaa jaa mere bachpan (Junglee, 1961), Duniya waalon se duur, Jhuumata mausam mast maheena, Tera jalwa jisne dekha (Ujaala, 1959), Ehsaan mere dil pe tumhaara hai dosto (Gaban, 1966), Falsafa pyaar ka tum kyaa jaano (Duniya, 1968), Gumnaam hai koi, Is duniya mein jeena hai to sun lo meri baat, Jaago sone waalo. Jaan-e-chaman shola badan pehlu mein aa jaao (Gumnaam, 1965), Ho maine pyaar kiya hai hai kya zurm kiya (Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai, 1960), Ibtidaa-e-ishq mein ham saari raat jaage (Hariyali Aur Raasta (1962), Ichak daana bichak daana (Shri 420, 1955), Ik bewafa se pyaar kiya, Jabase balam ghar aaye (Awaara, 1951), Ik but banayunga tera, Tera mera pyaar amar, Tujhe jeevan ki dore se baandh liya hai (Asli Naqli, 1962), Is rang badalati duniya mein (Rajkumar, 1964), Jaane kahan gaye woh din (Mera Naam Joker, 1970), Le gayi dil gudiya Japan ki, Koi matwaala aaya mere dwaare, Sayonara waada nibhayungi (Love In Tokyo, 1966), Janam janam ka saath hai nibhane ko (Tumase Achha Kaun Hai, 1969), Jiya o, jiya o jiya luchh bol do (Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai, 1961), Kaun hai jo sapano mein aaya (Jhuk Gaya Asmaan, 1968), Kuchh sher sunaata hoon main (Ek Dil Sau Afsaane, 1963), Manzil wohi hai pyaar ke raahi badal gaye (Kathputli, 1957), Maare gaye gulfaam (Teesri Kasam, 1966), Main Ka karun Raam mujhe buddha mil gaya, O mehbooba tere dil ke paas hi hai (Sangam, 1964), Main kahin kavi na ban jaayun (Pyaar Hi Pyaar, 1968), Main piya teri tu maane ya na maane (Basant Bahar, 1956), Mere mehboob tere dam se hai duniya mein bahar (Bhai Bhai, 1970), Meri zindagi mein aate to kuchh aur baat hoti (Kanyadaan, 1968), Mujhako apne gale lagalo ai mere humraahi, Vo chale haan vo chale, Ye aansu mere dil ki zubaan hain (Hamrahi, 1963), Nain se nain naahi milao (Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje, 1955), Pankh hote to udh aati re, Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunaayen (Sehra, 1963), Hai na bolo bolo (Andaaz, 1968), Parde mein rehane do (Shikar, 1968), Pyar aankhon se jataya to bura maan gaye, Tumhe aur kyaa doon main dil ke siva (Aayi Milan Ki Bela, 1964), Rungoli sajaao (Rungoli, 1962), Sau saal pehle mujhe tumase pyar tha, Teri zulfon se judaayi to nahin maangi thi (Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961), Sunate the naam ham jinaka bahar se (Aah, 1953), Suno chhoti si gudiya ki lambi kahani (Seema, 1955), Tere khayalon mein ham (Geet Gaya Pathron Ne, 1964), Teri pyari pyari surat ko (Sasural, 1961), Tujhe pyar karte hain karte rahenge (April Fool, 1964), Tuu mere saamne hai teri zulfen hain khuli (Suhaagan, 1964), Unake khayal aaye to aate chale gaye (Laal Patthar, 1971), Ye kya kar daal tune dil tera ho gaya (Howrah Bridge, 1958), and Ye raat bheegi bheegi (Chori Chori, 1956).

Hasrat Jaipuri’s song Yaad kiya dil ne, in the 1953 movie Patita, starring Dev Anand and Usha Kiran, is the title of my Facebook group for Songs.

Shankar Jaikishan were the best and my most favourite music-duo on several scales such as popularity, the number of Filmfare Awards that they bagged and were nominated for, and their range of compositions from classical music based, jazz, semi classical, piano based, party songs, sad songs, lively and lilting melodies, comic songs and even some foreign tunes. Let alone mukhadas and antaras of songs of their compositions, they paid particular attention to interludes. It is, therefore, not surprising that in addition to their songs, even their interludes became memorable. They hardly ever used the same interlude twice in a song. One of my favourites, when it comes to interludes, is the interlude after the mukhada in the Anaadi song: Tera jaana. Of course, Tera jaana is a piano based, Raaga based (Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava) sad song sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Nutan at the time when she is forced to break-up with Raj Kapoor, her only love, at the behest of her rich father. We must also acknowledge the genius of the arranger Sebastian D’Souza in making this interlude memorable. Have a look:

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

Mohammad Rafi, what can you say about him except that he was God of Songs? There was no singer ver like him and there will never be anyone like him. He brought to the songs a certain adorable personalisation. For example, the songs that he sang for Dharmendra, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Shashi Kapoor, or any of his heroes are so different in each case. When you listen to his songs for Dharmendra, you get that something in the songs that was so typically Dharmendra. Mohammad Rafi was one singer who got into the souls of his heroes and made each song a unique experience. Listen to Main nigaahen tere chehre se hayayun kaise in Raag Darbari Kanada, Tal Dadra in 1964 movie Aap Ki Parchhayian, for example, and you would know that he sang it exclusively and uniquely for Dharmendra. Similarly, his Mere mehboob is exclusively and uniquely for Rajendra Kumar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSDkZyO-4tY

For Dil ke jharokhe mein Mohammad Rafi got yet another Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer (Male) and Shankar Jaikishan got yet another Filmfare Award for Best Music Direction for the movie. Shailendra won another award for the Best Lyricist for Main gaayun tum so jaao. Even though Hasrat Jaipuri didn’t get an award for this song, it has unforgettable lyrics that were so beautifully composed in Raag Shivaranjani that it actually became one of the most memorable songs of that era. In any case, Mohammad Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan made some of their best songs for Shammi Kapoor.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last nine times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Finally, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Tonight we shall learn a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain.

He was born on 29 Apr 1919 in Ghaghwal, Jammu and Kashmir in British India. His mother tongue was Dogri. He became fascinated by the sound of tabla from the age of 12 when he was staying with his uncle in Gurdaspur. He ran away from home to become a tabla player and started training with Mian Kader Baksh of Punjab Gharana.

Allah Rakha began his career as an accompanist in Lahore and then as an All India Radio staffer in Bombay in 1940, playing the station’s first ever tabla solo and elevating the instrument’s position in the process. Soon after, he composed music for a couple of Hindi films from 1943–48. However, he still played as an accompanist, for soloists like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Allauddin Khan, Vilayat Khan, Vasant Rai, Ali Akbar Khan, and Ravi Shankar. The venerable master achieved world renown as Shankar’s chief accompanist during his apex in the 1960s, delighting audiences in the West with his percussive wizardary, not only as an uncanny accompanist with flawless timing and sensitivity but also as a soloist where he was a master of improvisation, a prolific composer and an electric showman. The partnership was particularly successful, and his legendary and spellbinding performances with Shankar at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969 served to introduce classical Indian music to general Western audiences.

Rakha was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982.

Alla Rakha died on 3 Feb 2000 at his Simla House residence on Nepean Sea Road following a heart attack, which he suffered on learning of the death of his daughter, Razia, the previous evening.

Lastly, a word about the movie from where this song has been taken by me. The 1968 movie Brahmachari was produced by GP Sippy and directed by Bhappie Sonie and starred Shammi Kapoor, Rajshree, Pran and Mumtaz. The movie had Shammi Kapoor in the title role. He was an orphan looking after other orphan children from the street. The movie won the Filmfare Award for the best movie that year.

Please enjoy in Raag Shivaranjani, Taal Dadra, Mohammad Rafi sing a composition of Shankar Jaikishan on the lyrics of Hasrat Jaipuri in the 1968 Bhappi Sonie movie Brahmachari: Dil ke jharokhe mein tujhako bithakar…..

दिल के झरोखे में तुझको बिठाकर
यादों को तेरी मैं दुल्हन बनाकर
रखूँगा मैं दिल के पास, मत हो मेरी जाँ उदास

कल तेरे जलवे पराये भी होंगे,
लेकिन झलक मेरे ख्वाबों में होंगे
फूलों की डोली में होगी तू रुखसत,
लेकिन महक मेरी सांसों में होगी
दिल के झरोखे में …

अब भी तेरे सुर्ख होठों के प्याले,
मेरे तसव्वुर में साक़ी बने हैं
अब भी तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ के मस्त साये,
बिरहा की धूप में साथी बने हैं
दिल के झरोखे में …

मेरी मुहब्बत को ठुकरा दे चाहे,
मैं कोई तुझसे ना शिकवा करुंगा
आँखों में रहती हैं तस्वीर तेरी,
सारी उमर तेरी पूजा करुंगा
दिल के झरोखे में …

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
And today, on the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #24

The twenty-fourth day of songs in this series.

In the last twenty-two days, we have taken up songs of thirteen male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’, Hariharan and Yesudas. We also took up songs of eleven female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali, Sudha Malhotra, Amirbai Karnataki and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Tonight, we repeat one each male and female singer. Yes, this a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle. It is picturised on the lead actors of the 1958 Mahesh Kaul movie Aakhri Dao: Shekhar and Nutan. However, the song only brings out their emotions silently; they don’t lip-sync it.

Who would the song belong to more than anyone else? I would say the honours are to be divided between the lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri for coming up with remarkably beautiful words that go straight into your heart; composer Madan Mohan for coming up with a super slow composition in Raag Gara, Tal Dadra, as if he knew that people need to pause and take in the beautiful lyrics; singers Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle who made it look like as if the words don’t come out of the throat but from the heart and finally actress Nutan who came up with better histrionics here than she did in most other similar songs including Anaadi’s Tera jaana. That leaves only Shekhar. But, those who have seen the movie and the song would know that he was actually the weak point.

Lets start with the movie itself. Regrettably, some of the movies having exceptionally beautiful songs were not just weak movies but had weak plots too. Aakhri Dao was one of them. The story was about a misunderstanding between the hero (Shekhar as a car mechanic) and the heroine (Nutan; all we know is she goes to a dance class) which makes them each think that the other is rich. They start loving each other but of course there are circumstances and a villain. Nutan’s dad owes some Rs. 5000 to the villain, which Shekhar tries to repay by asking for a loan first, then by gambling and losing it all and then goes on to steal from none other than Nutan’s dad. Of course npone of this works and he finally agrees to marry TunTun for the meagre amount. The song is sung at the betrothal of Shekhar.

There was another great song in the movie: Tujhe kyaa sunaaun main dilruba tere saamne mere haal hai, which Shekhar actually lip syncs to Nutan. Naturally, she looks as stunned as some of Anil Dhawan’s actresses did. Hindi movies actually excelled in some of the worst guys (in acting) singing some of the best songs (you should listen to the songs lip synced by Manoj Kumar to see this phenomenon). The saving grace is that Nutan is there to render respectability to the song in the same manner Sadhana was there for Manoj Kumar in Lag jaa gale se phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho.

I am merely a beginner in the world of Indian classical music and my interest is limited to its effect on Hindi songs. The raaga that I know least about is Raag Gara though it fascinates me no end. It is another thing that the second of my Raaga based songs of the day was composed in Raag Gara, Tal Kaherava: Unake khayaal aaye to aate chale gaye (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #2’). Raag Gara, of course, boasts of some of the best songs in Hindi movies:

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Mohe Panghat Pe
Bol Mere Nandlala
Deewana Kehke Aaj
Is Paar SaajanTu Kahan Kho Gaya
Unke Khayal Aaye
Kasme Hum Unki
Do Roz Mein
Jab Jab Tumhein
Jo Guzar Rahi Hai
Chehere Se Apne
Guzre Hain Aaj
Aapki Nazaron Ne
Aapki Baatein Karein

Mein To Tere Haseen
Apni Khushi Se
Aaya Koi Khayal
Mera Mann Tera Pyasa
Aise To Na Dekho
Aajkal Humse Roothe
Chhodo Baeeyan Hamari
Aankhon Mein Teri Yaad
Main Nigahein tere
Kabhi Khud Pe
Phir Woh Bhuli Si

Mughal-E-Azam
Bahana
Mulzim
Chori ChoriSingapore
Lal Pathar
Mere Gareeb Nawaaz
Pyar Ki Raahein
Jahanara
Mere Huzoor
Paalki
Dil Diya Dard Liya
Anpadh
Dil Ki Raahein

Sangraam
Kunwara Badan
Tarana
Gambler
Teen Deviyan
Aamne Samne
Tarana
Hamari Yaad Aayegi
Aapki Parchhaeeyan
Hum Dono
Begana

Lata
Lata
Rafi
LataLata
Rafi
Anwar
Mukesh
Lata, Asha
Rafi
Rafi
Rafi
Lata
Lata

Rafi
Lata
Vani Jayram
Rafi
Rafi
Rafi
Aarti
Mukesh
Rafi
Rafi
Rafi

Raag Gara belongs to Kafi Thaat. It is traditionally sung in second half of morning although Bhatkhande didn’t specify any time of the day for this Raaga. Gara is one of the family of Raagas derived from folk melodies and entered classical music in concert with Thumri. The closest resemblance of the raag is to Jaijaivanti, a raag devised by Shri Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs.

The Jati of Raag Gara is Shadhav – Sampurna; in Avroha Rishab is Varjya.

Amongst the songs that I gave you above, the songs that come close to this composition by Madan Mohan are: Ravi’s Deewana keh ke aaj mujhe phir pukaariye and Jaidev’s Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya; both being in the same Tal Dadra.

Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi and Madan Mohan (Pic courtesy: the official site of Madan Mohan)

Madan Mohan brought out the best in Lata’s singing. However, surprisingly, in this song, he has Asha Bhosle accompanying Mohammad Rafi in the duet.

Some of my favourite songs of Madan Mohan are: Aaj soch to aansu bhar aaye, Betaab dil ki tamanna yehi hai, Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakham 1973), Aapke pehlu mein aa ke ro diye, Naino mein badra chhaye, Jhumka gira re, Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saya 1966), Aapki nazaron ne samajha, Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabru, Vo dekho jala ghar kisi ka (Anpadh 1962), Aapko pyaar chhupane ki buri aadat hai, Tere paas aake mera waqt nikal jaata hai (Neela Akash 1965), Agar mujhase mohabbat hai, Main nigaahen tere chehre se hatayun kaise (Aap Ki Parchhayiyan), Ai mere dil mujhe bata de (Bhai Bhai 1946), Ari vo shokh kaliyon muskara dena vo jab aayen (Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai 1967), Baad muddat ke yeh ghadi aayi, Haal-e-dil youn unhe sunaya gaya, Jab jab tumhe bhulaya tum aur yaad aaye, Kisi ki yaad mein duniya ko jhain bhulaye huye, Main teri nazar ka saroor hoon, Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai, Teri aankh ke aansu pi jaayun, Wo chup rahen to mere dil ke daag jalate hain (Jahan Ara 1964), Hamare baad mehfil mein (Baghi 1953), Bainya na dharo O balma, Ham hain mataa-e-kuchcha-e-bazaar ki tarah, Mai ri main kaase kahun, Tumse kahun ik baat (Dastak, 1970), Bairan neend na aaye mohe (Chacha Zindabad 1959), Basti basti parbat parbat gaata jaaye banjara, Chand madham hai aasman chup hai, Dekh tere Bhagwan ki haalat (Railway Platform 1955), Bhooli hui yaado mujhe itna na satayo, Vo bhooli dastaan lo phir yaad aa gayi (Sanjog 1961), Chanda ja re ja re, Main to tum sang nain mila ke (Manmauji 1962), Chhadi re chhadi kaise gale mein padhi, Dil dhoondata hai fursat ke, Ruke ruke se kadam (Mausam 1975), Chhod kar tere pyar ka daaman, Jao hamane dastaan apni sunaayi, Lag jaa gale ke phir, Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim, Shokh nazar ki bijliyan (Woh Kaun Thi 1964), Do dil toote do dil haare, Doli chadate hi Heer ne bain kiye, Milo na tum to ham ghabraayen, Ye duniya ye mehfil mere kaam ki nahin (Heer Ranjha 1970), Ham chal rahe the wo chal rahe the (Duniya Na Maane 1959), Ham pyar mein jalane waalo ko chain kahan (Jailor 1958), Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale, Tujhe kya sunayun main dilruba (Aakhri Dao 1958), Hamse aaya na gaya, Kaun aay mere man ke dwaare, Meri veena tum bin roye, Tu pyar kare ya thukraye (Dekh Kabira Roya 1957), Har taraf ab yahi afsaane hain, Hai tere saath meri wafa main nahin to kya (Hindustan Ki Kasam 1973), Hoke majbuur mujhe usne bhualaya hoga, Kar chale ham fida, Khelo na mere dil se, Main ye soch kar uske dar se, Zara si aahat hoti hai (Haqeeqat 1964), Husn haazir hai mohabbat ki saza paane ko, Is reshmi paazeb ki jhankar ke sadake, Tere dar pe aaya hoon (Laila Majnu 1976), Ik haseen raat ko dil mera kho gaya, Kabhi ai haqeeqat-e-muntazar, Sapano mein agar mere (Dulhan Ek Raat Ki 1966), Ishq ki garmi-e-jazbaat kise pesh karun. Mere mehboob kahin aur mila kar mujhase, Naghma o sher ki saugat, Rang aur noor ki baraat (Ghazal 1964), Jaa jaa re jaa saajna, Jaana tha hamse door, Unako ye shikayat hai, Youn hasaraton ke daag (Adalat 1958), Kabhi na kabhi kahin na kahin koi na koi to aayega, Mujhe le chalo aaj us jagah, Sawan ke mahine mein (Sharaabi 1964), Koi shikwa bhi nahin koi shikayat bhi nahin (Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhaare 1966), Main paagal mera manwa paagal (Aashiyana 1952), Meri yaad mein tum na aasnu bahana (Madhosh 1951), Na tum bewafa ho na ham bewafa hain (Ek Kali Muskaaye 1958), Sapne mein sajan se do baaten, Do ghadi wo jo paas aa baithe (Gateway Of India 1957), Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai (Chirag 1969), Tumhari zulf ke saaye mein shaam kar loonga (Naunihaal 1967), Tu mere saamne hai teri zulfen hain khuli (Suhagan, 1964), and Vo jo milate the kabhi hamsase deewano ki tarah (Akeli Mat Jaiyo 1963).

Jhumka gira re, a song from Mera Saya, was also sung by Asha Bhosle on the composition of Madan Mohan

Presently, on my Facebook page Lyrical, I am engaged in covering Lyricist #5: Majrooh Sultanpuri under my Remembering Great Lyricists series. I have kept my favourite Shakeel Badayuni out of this series since I already have a number of articles and tributes on him.

Majrooh is the fifth of our lyricists who was a contemporary of Shakeel Badayuni. Out of all these six (*including Shakeel), three have been from Uttar Pradesh, which says something about that region producing some great poets and lyricists.

Majrooh Sultanpuri was born on 01 Oct 1919 as Asrar ul Hassan Khan in a Tarin Pashtun family, in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father was an officer in the police department, but, preferred to send his son for traditional madrasa (Urdu school) rather than provide him with English schooling.

He tried his hand at being a quack until he was noticed in a mushaira in Sultanpur.

He was a disciple of the great Urdu poet Jigar Moradabadi. When he visited Bombay in 1945 to participate in a mushaira, the director Abdul Rashid Kardar noticed him and invited him to write for the movies. Majrooh turned it down as he looked down upon movies! He was persuaded through his mentor Jigar Moradabadi and then there was no turning back.

Many traditionalists of the Urdu literature, however, felt that Majrooh sold his soul to the Hindi films and that he could have emerged a great poet in the likeness of Ghalib and Jigar.

The takhalus Majrooh means “injured” or “wounded”.

Majrooh was awarded, in 1993, the highest award – Dadasaheb Phalke award – for his lifetime contribution towards lyrics and poetry. He was the first lyricist ever to be given that award. For the film Dosti, that made Laxmikant Pyarelal famous, he was awarded the Filmfare Best Lyricist Award for the song: Chahunga main tujhe saanjh savere.

For someone who didn’t want to join Hindi movies, Majrooh emerged as a natural lyricist, very popular, very romantic and enchanting.

Most of Majrooh’s songs are of Dil vil pyaar vyaar main kyaa jaanu, Baahon mein chale aao, Bangle ke peechhe, Ye raaten ye amusam nadi ka kinaara, and Dekho mausam kyaa bahaar hai. However, some of his lyrics are still comparable to Shakeel’s such as Hui shaam unaka khayaal aa gaya, Woh jo milate the kabhi, Rahe na rahe ham, Chhupa lo youn dil mein pyaar mera, Tu kahe agar jeevan bhar main geet sunaata jaayun, Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na tha, Hamaare baad ab mehfil mein afsaane bayaan honge, and the great song on eyes: Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kyaa hai.

Majrooh’s Teri aankhon ke siwa has some of his best lyrics

Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle sing a composition of Madan Mohan in Raag Gara Tal Dadra on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri a song from the 1958 Mahesh Kaul movie Aakhri Dao: Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale….

र : हमसफ़र साथ अपना छोड़ चले
रिश्ते नाते वो सारे तोड़ चले
हमसफ़र साथ …
आ : हमसफ़र साथ अपना छोड़ चले
रिश्ते नाते वो सारे तोड़ चले
हमसफ़र साथ …

र : रासता साफ़ था तो चलते रहे
साथ हँसते रहे मचलते रहे
मोड़ आय तो मूँह को मोड़ चले
हमसफ़र साथ …

आ : सपने टूटे पड़े हैं राहों में
दर्द की धूल है निगाहों में
दिल पे क़दमों के नक़्श छोड़ चले
हमसफ़र साथ …

र : जब उन्हें हमसे प्यार ही न रहा
रोयें क्या, इन्तज़ार भी न रहा
हम भी दामन को अब निचोड़ चले
हमसफ़र साथ …

What is about the song that grips you so strongly? As I explained it is the overall effect of some very beautiful lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, super slow and emphatic composition by Madan Mohan, excellent rendition by Moahammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle and outstanding histrionics by Nutan. I would like to venture that the starting point of gripping of emotions in this song is lyrics: two stanzas by Mohammad Rafi and one by Asha Bhosle. As I explained elsewhere, Hindi movies never had a female lyricist. Hence, it was left to the male lyricists to imagine the emotions of females too. Look at how well Majrooh did for Nutan here:

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #89

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Rasme ulfat ko nibhaayen to nibhaayen kaise….
Raag Madhuvanti, Tal Kaherava

I gave you a song in this Raag in very early stages of this series. In ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #5’, I gave you a song in the same raaga and tal: Ajahun na aaye baalma. That, of course had the genius of Shankar Jaikishan though in that they mixed elements of their favourite Raag Bhairavi.

Our eighty-eighth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #88’ and the song was a Kishore Kumar song from the 1972 Shakti Samanta movie Amar Prem starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore: Kuchh to log kahenge. It is in Raag Khammaj, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Yaman – Part II’.

In the last eighty-eight days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand and Sohani. Today, I am repeating Raag Madhuvanti.

Madhuvanti belongs to the Todi Thaat. As you must have guessed it Madhu means honey and the raag is as sweet as honey in sringar ras depicting love and romance. It is an Audhav – Sampurna raag. Rishabh and Dhaivat Varjya in Aaroha, Gandhar Komal, Madhyam Teevra. Rest all are Shuddha Swaras. This raag is to be sung at the fourth prahar of the day, that is late afternoon/evening. It is a fairly modern raag. Its earlier names are Ambika and Madhumalati. It is popular amongst musicians, especially instrumentalists. The nearest Raag is Raag Multani. Using Rishabh and Dhaivat Shuddha in Raag Multani, Raag Madhuvanti appears.

The song I have taken for you today is from the 1973 BR Ishara movie Dil Ki Rahen starring Rakesh Pandey and Rehana Sultan and Sulochana Latkar. It was penned by Naqsh Lyallpuri, composed by Madan Mohan and sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Naqsh Lyallpuri was born on 24 Feb 1928 as Jaswant Rai Sharma in Lyallpuri in what became later as Pakistan. Presently, it is known as Faislalbad. Jaswant was interested in literature but his father wanted him to become a mechanical engineer like him. His mother died when he was only eight. His father remarried and their relationship deteriorated even further. In 1946, he moved to Lahore and started working for Hero Publications. After the partition, his family moved to Lucknow and he assumed the pen-name “Naqsh” – meaning an impression, a mark or a print. It was common for Urdu poets to assume their birth places in their names and Naqsh did the same. In 1951 he moved to Bombay and first worked for the Times of India as a proof-reader. Lyallpuri debuted as a film lyricist with the 1953 film Jaggu, writing the lyrics of “Agar Teri Aankhon Se Aankhein Mila Doon”, rendered by Asha Bhosle and composed by Hansraj Bahl.

He was one of those lyricists who wrote real good Urdu poetry and he looked down upon profanity and belittling the language. Some of my favourite songs of Naqsh Lyallpuri are: Ahal-e-dil youn bhi nibha dete hain, Pyar ka dard hai meetha meetha (Dard 1981), Apni zulfen mere shaano pe bikhar jaane do (Taj Mahal 2005), Jaate ho pardes piya jaate hi khat likhna (Jeena Teri Gali Mein 1990), Maana teri nazar mein tera pyaar ham nahin (Ahista Ahista 1981), Main to har mod par tumako doonga sada (Chetna 1970), Raaz-e-dil hamase kaho ham to koi gair nahin, Tumhen dekhati hoon to lagata hai aise (Tumhaare Liye 1978), and Ye mulaaqaat ik bahaana hai (Khandaan 1979).

Yeh mulaqat ik bahaana hai – one of the popular songs of Naqsh Lyallpuri from Khandaan, 1979

He was very fond of singing, and so in 1947 he got his first chance to record two ghazals penned by Behzad Lucknawi, Aane Laga Hai Koi Nazar Jalwa Gar Mujhe and Is Raaz Ko Duniya Jaanti Hai. Soon after, in 1948 he recorded two more private ghazals penned by Deewan Sharar, Wo Aaye To Mahfil Mein Ithlaate Huye Aaye and Duniya Mujhe Kahti Hai Ke Main Tujhko Bhoolaa Doon. In 1948, he got his first opportunity to sing a film duet Pinjare Mein Bulbul Bole and Mera Chhotasa Dil Dole with Lata Mangeshkar under composer Ghulam Haider (composer) for the film Shaheed (1948 film), though these songs were never released or used in the film. Between 1948 and 1949, he assisted music composers SD Burman for Do Bhai, and Shyam Sundar in Actress and Nirdosh.

Some of my favourite songs of Madan Mohan are: Aaj soch to aansu bhar aaye, Betaab dil ki tamanna yehi hai, Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakham 1973), Aapke pehlu mein aa ke ro diye, Naino mein badra chhaye, Jhumka gira re, Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saya 1966), Aapki nazaron ne samajha, Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabru, Vo dekho jala ghar kisi ka (Anpadh 1962), Aapko pyaar chhupane ki buri aadat hai, Tere paas aake mera waqt nikal jaata hai (Neela Akash 1965), Agar mujhase mohabbat hai, Main nigaahen tere chehre se hatayun kaise (Aap Ki Parchhayiyan), Ai mere dil mujhe bata de (Bhai Bhai 1946), Ari vo shokh kaliyon muskara dena vo jab aayen (Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai 1967), Baad muddat ke yeh ghadi aayi, Haal-e-dil youn unhe sunaya gaya, Jab jab tumhe bhulaya tum aur yaad aaye, Kisi ki yaad mein duniya ko jhain bhulaye huye, Main teri nazar ka saroor hoon, Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai, Teri aankh ke aansu pi jaayun, Wo chup rahen to mere dil ke daag jalate hain (Jahan Ara 1964), Hamare baad mehfil mein (Baghi 1953), Bainya na dharo O balma, Ham hain mataa-e-kuchcha-e-bazaar ki tarah, Mai ri main kaase kahun, Tumse kahun ik baat (Dastak, 1970), Bairan neend na aaye mohe (Chacha Zindabad 1959), Basti basti parbat parbat gaata jaaye banjara, Chand madham hai aasman chup hai, Dekh tere Bhagwan ki haalat (Railway Platform 1955), Bhooli hui yaado mujhe itna na satayo, Vo bhooli dastaan lo phir yaad aa gayi (Sanjog 1961), Chanda ja re ja re, Main to tum sang nain mila ke (Manmauji 1962), Chhadi re chhadi kaise gale mein padhi, Dil dhoondata hai fursat ke, Ruke ruke se kadam (Mausam 1975), Chhod kar tere pyar ka daaman, Jao hamane dastaan apni sunaayi, Lag jaa gale ke phir, Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim, Shokh nazar ki bijliyan (Woh Kaun Thi 1964), Do dil toote do dil haare, Doli chadate hi Heer ne bain kiye, Milo na tum to ham ghabraayen, Ye duniya ye mehfil mere kaam ki nahin (Heer Ranjha 1970), Ham chal rahe the wo chal rahe the (Duniya Na Maane 1959), Ham pyar mein jalane waalo ko chain kahan (Jailor 1958), Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale, Tujhe kya sunayun main dilruba (Aakhri Dao 1958), Hamse aaya na gaya, Kaun aay mere man ke dwaare, Meri veena tum bin roye, Tu pyar kare ya thukraye (Dekh Kabira Roya 1957), Har taraf ab yahi afsaane hain, Hai tere saath meri wafa main nahin to kya (Hindustan Ki Kasam 1973), Hoke majbuur mujhe usne bhualaya hoga, Kar chale ham fida, Khelo na mere dil se, Main ye soch kar uske dar se, Zara si aahat hoti hai (Haqeeqat 1964), Husn haazir hai mohabbat ki saza paane ko, Is reshmi paazeb ki jhankar ke sadake, Tere dar pe aaya hoon (Laila Majnu 1976), Ik haseen raat ko dil mera kho gaya, Kabhi ai haqeeqat-e-muntazar, Sapano mein agar mere (Dulhan Ek Raat Ki 1966), Ishq ki garmi-e-jazbaat kise pesh karun. Mere mehboob kahin aur mila kar mujhase, Naghma o sher ki saugat, Rang aur noor ki baraat (Ghazal 1964), Jaa jaa re jaa saajna, Jaana tha hamse door, Unako ye shikayat hai, Youn hasaraton ke daag (Adalat 1958), Kabhi na kabhi kahin na kahin koi na koi to aayega, Mujhe le chalo aaj us jagah, Sawan ke mahine mein (Sharaabi 1964), Koi shikwa bhi nahin koi shikayat bhi nahin (Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhaare 1966), Main paagal mera manwa paagal (Aashiyana 1952), Meri yaad mein tum na aasnu bahana (Madhosh 1951), Na tum bewafa ho na ham bewafa hain (Ek Kali Muskaaye 1958), Sapne mein sajan se do baaten, Do ghadi wo jo paas aa baithe (Gateway Of India 1957), Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai (Chirag 1969), Tumhari zulf ke saaye mein shaam kar loonga (Naunihaal 1967), Tu mere saamne hai teri zulfen hain khuli (Suhagan, 1964), and Vo jo milate the kabhi hamsase deewano ki tarah (Akeli Mat Jaiyo 1963).

One of the most popular songs of Madan Mohan from Woh Kaun Thi

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last eight times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. And finally, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Tonight, we shall take up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma was born to Uma Dutt Sharma on 13 Jan 1938 in Jammu. His father started teaching him vocals and tabla when he was only five. Uma Dutt Sharma did extensive research on Santoor and started teaching his son Santoor by the age of 13. He gave his first public performance in Bombay in 1955, at the age of 17. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is credited with having made Santoor as a popular Indian classical instrument world-wide. He composed the background music for V Shantaram’s Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje in 1956. He gave his first solo performance in 1960.

He has composed music for many Hindi films in collaboration with Hariprasad Chaurasia starting with Silsila (1980). They came to be known as the Shiv-Hari music duo. Some of the movies they composed music for were big musical hits, such as Faasle (1985), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), and Darr (1993).

Fascinatingly, he has played tabla in the song Mose Chhal Kiye Jaye Haay Re Haay Dekho Saiyan Beimaan. While he started his career playing the tabla, Shiva Kumar Sharma had given up the instrument to focus on the santoor. It was RD Burman who convinced him to play the tabla for this song. He did not play the tabla again for any other Hindi film song. He has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.

Lastly, a word about the movie from where this song has been taken by me. The 1973 movie Dil Ki Rahen was produced by Syed Kausar Hussain and directed by BR Ishara and starred Rakesh Pandey and Rehana Sultan and Sulaochana. The film’s print allegedly got damaged as time passed by. Hence, the movie cannot be produced in any viewing format.

Please enjoy in Raag Madhuvanti, Taal Kaherava, Lata Mangeshkar sing a composition of Madan Mohan on the lyrics of Naqsh Lyallpuri in the 1973 BR Ishara movie: Rasme ulfat ko nibhaayen to nibhaayen kaise…..

रस्म-ए-उल्फ़त को निभाएं तो निभाएं कैसे
हर तरफ़ आग है दामन को बचाएं कैसे
रस्म-ए-उल्फ़त को निभाएं…

दिल की राहों में उठते हैं जो दुनिया वाले -२
कोई कह दे के वोह दीवार गिराएं कैसे -२
रस्म-ए-उल्फ़त को निभाएं…

दर्द में डूबे हुए नग़मे हज़ारों हैं मगर -२
साज़-ए-दिल टूट गया हो तो सुनाए कैसे -२
रस्म-ए-उल्फ़त को निभाएं…

बोझ होता जो ग़मों का तो उठा भी लेते -२
ज़िंदगी बोझ बनी हो तो उठाएं कैसे -२
रस्म-ए-उल्फ़त को निभाएं…

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
And today, on the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #23

The twenty-third day of songs in this series.

Happy Birthday KJ Yesudas 10 January

In the last twenty-two days, we have taken up songs of twelve male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’ and Hariharan. We also took up songs of eleven female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali, Sudha Malhotra, Amirbai Karnataki and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Tonight, in order to pay tribute to the singer KJ Yesudas, we take up our thirteenth male singer. This song is dear to me. On the 9th of August last year, I lost my mother. There are a number of songs that I put up as a dedication to her. This is another one. Just like the others, it brings tears in my eyes.

Lets start with the movie itself from where this song has been taken. The 1977 movie Alaap was a Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie penned by Rahi Masoom Raza on a story by Hrishikesh Mukherjee himself. The movie starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Asrani, Farida Jalal, Om Prakash, Chhaya Devi and AK Hangal. Rahi Masoom Raza penned all the songs of the movie except this one (highlighted at #7 below), which was penned by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan’s father. Jaidev composed all the songs:

1.	“Aai Ritu Sawan Ki”	Bhupinder Singh, Kumari Faiyaz
2.	“Binati Sun Le Tanik”	Asrani
3.	“Chand Akela Jaye Sakhi Ri”	Yesudas
4.	“Chand Akela”	Yesudas
5.	“Ho Rama Dar Lage Apni Umariya Se”	Asrani
6.	“Kahe Manva Nache”	Lata Mangeshkar
7.	“Koi Gata Main So Jata”	Yesudas
8.	“Mata Saraswati Sharda”	Lata Mangeshkar, Dilraj Kaur
9.	“Mata Saraswati Sharda”	Yesudas, Dilraj Kaur, Madhurani
10.	“Nai Ri Lagan Aur Meethi Batiyan”	Yesudas, Madhurani, Kumari Faiyaz
11.	“Zindagi Ko Sanwarna Hoga”	Yesudas

Triloki Prasad (Om Prakash) is a rich advocate. He has two sons: Ashok (Vijay Sharma) who is an advocate like him and married to Geeta (Lily Chakravarty) and Alok (Amitabh Bachchan) who is taking time to settle down in Triloki Prasad’s law firm. To add to Triloki Prasad’s misgivings about Alok, he is fond of music and joins Pandit Jamuna Prasad’s (AK Hangal’s) classes. As if this is not enough, Alok spends a lot of time in the slums with a former courtesan named Sarju Bai Banaraswali (Chhaya Devi). Triloki’s counseling his son falls on deaf ears since Alok actually regards Sarju Bai as his mother. Triloki, therefore, works out a plan with one Mr Gupta (Yunus Parvez) to demolish the slums. Sarju Bai is rendered homeless and eventually dies. This song is sung by Amitabh Bachchan in her memory. Jaidev took the lyrics of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, composed them in Raag Bihag (with a lot of mixing), Tal Kaherava and made Yesudas sing it for Amitabh Bachchan.

I put up a song in Raag Bihag, Tal Dadra long time ago: Tere sur aur mere geet (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #7’). Raag Bihag belongs to Bilawal Thaat. However, if Teevra Madhyam is used (Bihag uses both Madhyam, that is, Teevra and Shuddha) then it is more akin to Kalyan Thaat. It is an Audhav-Sampurna Vakra Raag (Rishab and Dhaivat are varjay in the ascent (Aaroha). It is both romantic and celebratory and hence normally used for weddings. It is normally sung during the second prahar of the night (9 PM to midnight).

Kattassery Joseph Yesudas was born on 10th January 1940 in Fort Kochi (Kerala) in a Latin-rite Roman Catholic Christian family to late Augustine Joseph and late Elizabeth Joseph. His father, a well-known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor, was his first guru (teacher). Yesudas recorded his first popular song Jaathi Bhedam Matha Dwesham (music: MB Sreenivasan) on 14th November 1961. He got a break in Hindi movies with the 1971 movie Jai Jawan Jai Kisan. Therefore, in 2011 Yesudas completed 50 years as a playback singer. However, it was the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie, with songs composed by Salil Chowdhury that really made him popular. The song he sang in the movie was: Jaaneman jaaneman tere do nayan. Yesudas has recorded over 70,000 songs and has won scores of accolades including the coveted Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan (2002), Padma Vibhushan (2017) and a record seven National Awards for Best Playback Singer. On 2 Oct 2014, Yesudas sparked a row while speaking at a public function on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi, where he stated that “Women should not wear jeans and trouble others. You should dress modestly and do not behave like men”. This resulted in a number of protests from Women’s Rights and Political organizations, who asked him to withdraw the comment, which he never did.

Some of my favourite Hindi songs of Yesudas are: Aaj se pehle aaj se zyaadah, Gori tera gaanv bada pyaara, Jab deep jale aana, Tu jo mere sur mein (Chitchor, 1976), Chand akela jaye sakhi ri and all the other songs of Alaap that I have given above, Dil ke tukade tukade kar ke (Dada, 1978), Jaaneman jaaneman tere do nayan (Chitchor, 1976), Kya karun sajani (Swaami, 1977), Kahan se aaye badra (Chashm-e-Budoor), Maana ho tum behadd hasin (Toote Khilone, 1978), Madhuban khushbu deta hai (Saajan Bin Suhaagan, 1978), and Shyam ran ranga re (Apne Paraye, 1980).

Chhoti Si Baat (1976) song that made Yesudas famous in Hindi movies

Jaidev Verma, the composer of this song, was born in Nairobi (Kenya) on 03 Aug 1919 and brought up in Ludhiana (Punjab). In 1933, when he was 15 years old, he ran away to Bombay to become a film star. There, he acted in eight films as a child star for the Wadia Film Company. He was initiated into music at a young age in Ludhiana by Prof. Barkat Rai. Later, when he made it Bombay, he learnt music from Krishnarao Jaokar and Janardan Jaokar.

Unfortunately, he had to leave his film career abruptly and return to Ludhiana, due to his father’s blindness, which thrust the sole responsibility of his family on his young shoulders.

After his father died, Jaidev took the responsibility of looking after his sister, Ved Kumari and later got her married. After that in 1943, he left for Lucknow to study under the tutelage of music maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

His songs and music for Mujhe Jeene Do, Hum Dono, Reshma Aur Shera (I have already given you his song in Raag Mand: Tu chanda main chandini for which please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #78’), Prem Parbat, Parinay and Gharonda are well-remembered. He received National Filmfare Awards for Best Music Direction three times: Reshma Aur Shera (1972), Gaman (1979) and Ankahee (1985).

A Jaidev composed song for the movie Mujhe Jeene Do

Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the lyricist of the song lived between 27 Nov 1907 and 18 Jan 2003. was a noted Indian poet of the Nayi Kavita literary movement (romantic upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. Born in a Hindu Awadhi Indian Srivastava Kayastha family, in Allahabad in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, in British India, he was also a famous poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is best known for his early work Madhushala (मधुशाला). Some of his poetic work has been used in Hindi movies, the most popular of which was the Silsila song Rang barse, also picturised on his son: Amitabh Bachchan.

Harivansh Rai’s Rang Barse was used in Hindi movie Silsila

Please enjoy Yesudas sing a composition of Jaidev on the lyrics of Harivansh Rai Bachchan a song from the 1977 Hrishikesh Mukherjee Alaap in Raag Bihag, Tal Kaherava: Koi gaata main so jaata….

कोई गाता मैं सो जाता – २

संस्रिति के विस्त्रित सागर में
सपनों कि नौका के अंदर
दुख सुख कि लहरों में उठ गिर
बहता जाता, मैं सो जाता …

आँखो में लेकर प्यार अमर
आशीश हथेली में भर कर
कोइ मेरा सर गोदी में रख
सहलाता, मैं सो जाता …

मेरे जीवन का काराजल
मेरे जीवन का हालाहल
कोइ अपने स्वर में मदुमय कर
दोहराता मैं सो जाता

कोइ गाता मैं सो जाता …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lg1bLwBjLA

If someone were to ask me which is the number one most memorable song in my life, I would say it is my mother’s Lori (lullaby) to me when I was small. Indeed, for most others too it would be likewise. It was heard by us when we didn’t even know anything about songs, music, raagas and the like. Her singing was the key to opening doors of dreams for us since the Lori would transport us into another world. Lets say if we were to choose between that singing and those by even Bharat Ratnas, without flinching, any of us would choose that.

And even after mother leaves you, the strains of her Lori are sufficient to make you sleep. It would be there until you finally sleep for ever.

You would hardly come across songs that tug at your emotions more.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #22

The twenty-second day of songs in this series.

Happy Birthday AR Rahman 06 January

In the last twenty-one days, we have taken up songs of eleven male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick and Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’. We also took up songs of ten female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali, Sudha Malhotra and Amirbai Karnataki.

Tonight, in order to do something new on the third day of the new year, I shall give you a duet between our twelfth male singer Hariharan and eleventh female singer Kavitha Krishnamurthy. We also jump several decades ahead, more precisely to the year 1995. Less than two years after the infamous Bombay Blasts, after the demolition of Babri Masjid, Mani Ratnam released this movie which based on a love story between a Hindu male and a Muslim female in the backdrop of the Mumbai blasts. Unsurprisingly, the film won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.

The song belongs to its composer Allah Rakha Rahman more than to anyone else. Just as, the other day, we took up Surbahar player Annapurna Devi (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #88‘) who became a Hindu after having been born a Muslim as Roshana Khan, AR Rahman was born a Hindu, Dileep Shekhar, on 06 Jan 1967 (three days later is his 51st Birth Anniversary) and converted to Islam in 1989, at the age of 22. In recent past, no other composer and music director has occupied space in our hearts and minds more than Rahman. Rahman’s films career started with the 1992 Tamil movie Roja, also a Mani Ratnam movie and also starring Arvind Swamy, though with Madhoo and not Monisha Koirala. Roja not just won the National Award for Best Film on National Integration but was later dubbed in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu and Malyalam. In 2009, when AR Rahman won two Oscars (for Best Song (Jai ho)) and Best Original Score (together with Gulzar)(Slumdog Millionaire) many of us felt that the Roja songs and music were better than the Slumdog Millionaire. His first film Roja won him the National Award for Best Music Director. One of the songs from the movie is a favourite: Bharat hamako jaan se bhi pyaara hai. As of 2016, Rahman has garnered four National Film Awards, 15 Filmfare Awards and 16 Filmfare Awards South, a record for an Indian composer.

Some of my favourite Hindi songs of AR Rahman in are: Vande mataram (non-filmy), Columbus Columbus chhutti hai aayi (Jeans, 1998), Anjali Anjali pushpanjali (Tu hi mera dil, 1995), Ai ajnabi tu bhi kabhi, Ik suraj nikala tha, Jiya jale jaam jale, Kar thaiya thaiya, Tuu hi tuu tuu hi tuu satrangi re (Dil Se, 1998), Awaara bhanvre jo haule haule gaaye (Sapney, 1997), Bharat hamako jaan se bhi pyaara hai, Dil hai chhota sa chhoti si aasha, Roja jaan-e-man, Rukmani Rukmani shaadi ke baad, Ye hasin waadian ye khula aasman (Roja, 1993), Chand aaya zameen par aaj garbe ki raat mein (Dil Hi Dil Mein, 1999), Dil se nikalegi naa mar ke bhi watan ki ulfat, Jogiya jogiya ve, Maahi ve maahi ve (Also sung by him together with Sukhwinder Singh, The Legend of Bghagat Singh, 2002), Dholna dholna, Khamosh raat sahami hawa, Mujhe rang de (Thakshak, 1999), Duur kahin ik aam ki bagiya, Mehaki mehaki hain raahen behaki behaki hain nigaahen (Zubeidaa, 2000), Ek ho gaye hum aur tum, Gumsum gumsum gulchup…kehna hi kya, Kuchi kuchi rakamma sun lo tum (Bombay, 1995), Ekla chalo re (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – The Forgotten Hero, 2005), Ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra, Radha kaise na jale, Mitwa O mitwa tujhako kyaa dar hai re, O paalanhaare nirgun aur nyaare (Lagaan, 2001), Haay Rama ye kyaa hua, Ho jaa rangeela re, Kya karen kya na karen kaisi mushkil haay, Tanha tanha yahan pe jeena, Yaai re yaai re jor laga ke naache re, Yaaro sun lo zara (Rangeela, 1996), Jangal mein bole hai koyal ku ku kuu – Kahin aa lage lag jaave, Taal se taal mila (Taal, 1999), Jhuum jhuum naachen ham (Chor Chor), Khamoshiyan gungunane lagi (One Two Ka Four, 2001), Muqaabla muqaabla Laila o ho Laila, Urvashi Urvashi take it easy Urvashi (Humse Hai Muqabla, 1995), Mustafa Mustafa don’t worry Mustafa (Duniya Dilwalon Ki, 1996), O bhanvre dekhi ham deewano ko (Daud, 1997), Piya Haji Ali (Fizaa, 2000), and Ye jo des hai tera (Swades, 2004).

A song from AR Rahman’s Rangeela, composed in Raag Puriya Dhanashri, Tal Kaherava (AR Rahman is as well versed in Raagas as he is in fusion)

Mehboob, the lyricist of this song, was born in Nasik (Maharashtra) on 13th Jul 1953. When he was only seven years old, his family moved to Mumbai for good whereat he received education in English and later in Urdu. He was given a break by Ram Gopal Verma in his 1992 Drohi whose songs were composed by RD Burman. His big break actually came with Ram Gopal Verma’s 1996 movie Rangeela, wherein he worked with AR Rahman and for which he received the RD Burman Filmfare Award for Best New Talent. He went on to work for Bombay, One Teo Ka Four, Thakshak, Daud, Dil Hi Dil Mein, and Yuva. He penned AR Rahman’s popular number Maa tujhe salaam (Vande Mataram).

Now about the singers Hariharan and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Hariharan was born on 03 Apr 1955 in Trivanthapuram in Kerala to Tamil parents. The son of renowned Carnatic vocalists, Shrimati Alamelu and the late HAS Mani (full name : Anantha Subramani ), he inherited his parents’ musical talents. However, he went into the Hindustani music stream and emerged as one of the finest ghazal singers, with his idol being Mehdi Hassan. Initially, he started off being a TV artiste. In 1977 he won the All India Sur Singaar competition and that’s how music director Jaidev gave him break in 1978 movie Gaman. His first song in that movie Ajeeb sa neha mujh par guzar gaya yaaron became so popular that it was nominated for National Award. Gradually, his songs have been featured in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu films. Presently, he is the foremost ghazal singer in India. He was honoured with Padma Shri and he is a two time National Award winner. His association with Lesle Lewis resulted in forming a two member band Colonial Cousins.

Some of my favourite songs of Hariharan are: Bharat hamako jaan se bhi pyaara hai (Roja, 1993), Apni zulfen mere shaano pe bikhr jaane do (Taj Mahal, 2005), Chappa chappa charkha chale, Chhod aaye ham vo galiyan (Maachis, 1996), Dheemi dheemi bheeni bheeni khushbu hai tera badan (1947 Earth, 1999), Gungunaayi hawayen guunshi dishayen (Non-Film, with Alka Yagnik), Haay Rama ye kya hua (Rangeela, 1996), Ham bhool gaye hain rakh ke kahin (Aks, 2001), Ham tumase na kuchh keh paaye (Ziddi, 1997), Jhonka hawa ka aaj bhi (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999), Kabhi chand ki tarah tapaki atthanni si zindagi (Jahan Tum Le Chalo, 1998), Khilli chandini hamen keh rahi (Priyanka, 1995), Likha hai ye in hawayon pe (with Lata Mangeshkar, Darr, 1993), Mil gaye mil gaye dilbar mere (Love Birds, 1996), Mujhe phir wohi yaad aane lage hain jinhe bhulne mein zamaane lage hain (Khumar Barbankwi’s famous ghazal composed by Hariharan and sung by him), Naghme hain shikwe hain kisse hain baaten hain (Yaadein, 2001), Pehle bhi jeete the magar jab se mili hai zindagi (Nida Fazli’s ghazal with Asha Bhosle), Phuulon mein jo khushbu hai kaise wo aayi hai ajuuba (with Sadhana Sargam in Jeans, 1998), Sawan barse tarse dil (with Sadhana Sargam in Dehak, 1998), Sun ri sakhi meri pyari sakhi (Hum Se Hai Muqabla, 1995), Ye duniya ik dulhan (Pardes, 1997), and Youn hi chala chal rahi (Swades, 2004).

Kavita Krishnamurthy was born Sharada Krishnamurthy in a Tamil Iyer family in New Delhi on 25 Jan 1958. Her father TS Krishnamurthy was an employee in Education Ministry. She began her music training upon insistence of her aunt, Ms. Protimma Bhattacharya who enrolled her to Ms. Suruma Basu, who taught her Rabindra Sangeet. She began her formal training in Hindustani classical music under Balram Puri, a classical singer. At the young age of eight, Kavita won a gold medal at a music competition.She was given a break in Hindi movies by Laxmikant Pyarelal who were impressed by her Hindutani Classical singing. To start with she used to dub for Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. But later, in 1980, a song Kaahe ko biyahi was recorded in her own voice for the movie Maang Bharo Sajana. She became famous for Hawa Hawaii and Karte hain hum pyaar in 1986 movie Mr. India. She has been awarded Padma Shri by the government of India and she has won four Filmfare awards so far.

Some of my favourite songs of Kavita Krishnamurthy are: Aankhon ki gustakhiyaan maaf hon, Albela sajan aayo ri, Dholi tharo dhol baaje, Hum dil de chuke sanam (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999), Aaj main ooper aasman neeche (Khamoshi, 1996), Are karte hain ham pyaar Mr India se, Hawa hawaii (Mr India, 1987), Chalon chale mitwa (Nayak The Real Hero, 2001), Ho chhal chhal chhalke in aankhon ki hgagariya (Janam Janam, 1988), Dhol bajane laga koi laut ke aaya hai (Viraasat, 1997), Deewana deewana ye dil tera deewana (with Abhijeet, Jung, 1996), Dil chura liya (with Abhijeet in Qayamat 2003), Dil ne kaha chupke se (1942 A Love Story, 1993), Dola re dola re, Maar daala (with Shreya Ghoshal and KayKay in Devdas, 2002), Ganpati bappa morya (Agnipath, 1990), Har karam apna karenge (Karma, 1986), Jaise ik chand ka tukada (Inteqaam, 1988), Jo main aisa jaanati preet kiye dukh hoy (Batwara, 1989), Koi mil gaya (Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai, 1998), Kuchi kuchi rakamma (Bombay, 1995), Tu mujhe qabool main tujhe kabool (with Mohammad Aziz in Khuda Gawah, 1992), Mera piya ghar aaya (Yaarana, 1995), Nayak nahin khalnayak hoon main (Khalnayak, 1993), Nazaron ke milane se kyun hoti hai halchal (Vishwavidhata, 1997), O baalam kesariya (Bhairavi, 1995), Pal do pal ka ye safar pal do pal ka saath (with Udit Narayan in Hadd Kar Di Aapne, 2000), Raja ki kahani purani ho gayi (with Usha Uthup in Godmother, 1998), Tu cheez badhi hai mast mast (with Udit Narayan, Mohra, 1994), Tu hi tu satrangi re (with Sonu Nigam, Dil Se, 1998), Ye duniya ik dulhan (Pardes, 1997), and Na jaane kahan se aayi hai – ye ladaki (with Amit Kumar in Chaalbaaz 1989).

Hawa hawai, the Mr. India song that made Kavita Krishnamurthy famous, thanks to her mentor Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Before we take up the song, a word about the movie.

Bombay was a 1995 film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film starred Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala as Shekhar Narayanan Pillai and Shaila Bano respectively. The film, made in Tamil (later dubbed in Hindi and Telugu with the same title), is centered on events that occurred particularly during the period of December 1992 to January 1993 in India, and the controversy surrounding the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, its subsequent demolition on 6 December 1992 and increased religious tensions in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) that led to the Bombay Riots. It is the second one of Mani Ratnam’s tiriology on human relations in the backdrop of events that shook India; the first one being Roja in 1992 and third one being Dil Se in 1998.

The Hindi dubbed film had the following songs, all penned by Mehboob and all composed by AR Rahman:

1.	“Hamma Hamma”	Remo Fernandes, Swarnalatha & Suresh Peters	5:10
2.	“Kehna Hi Kya”	K. S. Chithra, A. R. Rahman & Chorus	5:52
3.	“Tu Hi Re”	Hariharan & Kavita Krishnamurthy	7:14
4.	“Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma”	Udit Narayan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, G. V. Prakash Kumar & Sharadha	5:07
5.	“Kuch Bhi Na Socho”	Pallavi, Shubha, Anupama, Noel James & Srinivas	5:53
6.	“Bombay Theme”	Instrumental	5:18
7.	“Aankhon Mein Ummeedon”	Sujatha Mohan & Chorus	2:43
8.	“Apna Zameen Yeh”	Sujatha Mohan, Noel James, Srinivas, Sivanesan, Ganga Sreenivasan, Renuka & Anuradha Sriram	3:28

Please enjoy Hariharan and Kavita Krishnamurthy sing: Tu hi re, tu hi re, tere bina main kaise jiyun….

तू ही रे, तू ही रे तेरे बिना मैं कैसे जियूं
आजा रे, आजा रे, यूं ही तड़पा ना तू मुझको
जान रे, जान रे, इन सांसों में बस जा तू
चाँद रे, चाँद रे, आजा दिल की ज़मीन पे तू

चाहत है अगर आके मुझसे मिल जा तू
या फिर ऐसा कर, धरती से मिला दे मुझको
तू ही रे, तू ही रे तेरे बिना मैं कैसे जियूं
आजा रे, आजा रे, यूं ही तड़पा ना तू मुझको

इन सांसों का देखो तुम पागलपन के
आये नहीं इन्हें चैन
मुझसे ये बोली मैं राहों में तेरी
अपने बिछा दूं ये नैन
इन ऊँचे पहाड़ों से जां दे दूंगा मैं
गर तूम ना आई कहीं
तुम उधर जान उम्मीद मेरी जो तोड़ो
इधर ये जहाँ छोड़ू मैं
मौत और, जिन्दगी, तेरे हाथों में दे दिया रे

आई रे, आई रे, ले मैं आई हूँ तेरे लिये
तोड़ा रे, तोड़ा रे, हर बँधन को प्यार के लिये
जान रे, जान रे, आजा तुझमें समा जाऊं मैं
दिल रे दिल रे, तेरी सांसों में बस जाऊं मैं

आ …

सौ बार बुलाए मैं सौ बार आऊं,
इक बार जो दिल दिया
इक आँख रोये तो दूजी बोलो,
सोयेगी कैसे भला,
इन प्यार की राहों में पत्थर हैं कितने
उन सब को ही पार किया
इक नदी हूँ मैं चाहत भरी आज मिलने
सागर को आई यहाँ
सजना, सजना, आज आँसू भी मीठे लगे

तू ही रे, तू ही रे तेरे बिना मैं कैसे जियूं
आजा रे, आजा रे, यूं ही तड़पा ना तू मुझको
जान रे, जान रे, इन सासों में बस जा तू
चाँद रे, चाँद रे, आजा दिल की ज़मीन पे तू

पल पल पल पल वक्त तो बीता जाये रे
ज़रा बोल ज़रा बोल वक़्त से के वो थम जाये रे
आई रे, आई रे, ले मैं आई हूँ तेरे लिये
जान रे, जान रे, आजा तुझमें समा जाऊं मैं

The song is dear to me because of the intensity of emotions of a lover for a beloved. It reminds me of my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni’s best song with Naushad: Mere mheboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam. Look at the similarity, especially in this stanza:

सामने आ के ज़रा पर्दा उठा दे रुख़ से
इक यही मेरा इलाज-ए-ग़म-ए-तन्हाई है
तेरी फ़ुरक़त ने परेशान किया है मुझको
अब तो मिल जा के मेरी जान पे बन आई है
दिल को भूली हुई यादों का सहारा दे दे
मेरा खोया …

And in both the songs, the lover had seen the beloved only from a distance. Can love get to be so strong between virtual strangers? Are there vibes that are only later converted into lyrics but at that time when they strike the lovers, they are just vibes that cannot be described? And can these vibes make Love become so intense that one feels that one cannot live without seeing the object of love? It happened in 1963 Mere Mehboob, it happened in various other movies after that and in happened in 1995 Bombay.

I get goose pimples thinking of this kind of love. When I listen to the song, I get answers to all my silent questions. Even after that it keeps tugging at my emotions.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await tomorrow’s song.

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #21

The twenty-first day of songs in this series on the first day of the New Year 2018.

In the last twenty days, we have taken up songs of eleven male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick and Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’. We also took up songs of nine female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali and Sudha Malhotra.

Tonight, we shall take up a song of our tenth female singer: Amirbai Karnataki and the song is a huge favourite: Vaishanav jana to tene kahiye. This bhajan was penned in the 15th century by Narsinh Mehta in Gujarati. The bhajan brings out how a Vaishnav Jan (Vishnu’s follower) must tailor his/her life

Amirbai Karnataki was born in Bilgi town, District of Bijapur in Karnataka into a middle-class family. She was a famous actress/singer and playback singer of the early Hindi cinema and was popular as Kannada Kokila. This bhajan by Narsi Bhagat (she acted in the 1940 movie with that name) made her very famous, indeed. The Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi became an ardent fan of her singing this bhajan. Amirbai was not just an accomplished actress and singer in Hindi movies, she was well versed in her mother tongue Kannada and also Gujarati in which this bhajan was penned by Narsi Bhagat.

When it comes to her singing, we first of all recall Kavi Pradeep’s rebellious songs, before independence, that she sang together with Khan Mastana. She also acted in the movie. Anil Biswas had composed it: Door hato duniya waalo Hindostan hamaara hai (Kismat, 1943). Other of her songs that I recall are: Chanda des piya ke jaa (Bharthari, 1944), O janewale balamwa laut ke aa, and Rum juhum barase badarva (Rattan, 1944).

(Pic courtesy: sadgurus-saints-sages.com)

Narsinh Mehta, also known as Narsi Mehta or Narsi Bhagat was a Vaishnav bhakat and poet who lived in Gujarat from 1414 to 1481. In Gujarati literature he is known as Adi Kavi (first amongst poets). He was from Junagarh in Saurashtra. He lost his parents when he was five years old. He couldn’t speak until becoming eight years old. He married when he was 15 years old. He and his wife stayed at his brother Bansidhar’s house in Junagadh. However, Bansidhar’s wife (Sister-in-law or bhabhi) did not welcome Narsinh very well. She was an ill-tempered woman, always taunting and insulting Narsinh Mehta for his devotion (Bhakti). One day, when Narasinh Mehta had enough of these taunts and insults, he left the house and went to a nearby forest in search of some peace, where he fasted and meditated for seven days by a secluded Shiva lingam until Shiva appeared before him in person. On the poet’s request, the Lord took him to Vrindavan and showed him the eternal raas leela of Krishna and the Gopis. A legend has it that the poet, transfixed by the spectacle, burnt his hand with the torch he was holding, but he was so engrossed in the ecstatic vision that he was oblivious to the pain. Mehta, as the popular account goes, at Krishna’s command, decided to sing His praises and the nectarous experience of the rasa in this mortal world. He resolved to compose around 22,000 kirtans or compositions.

Vaishnava Jan To ishis most popular bhajan. The bhajan is about the life, ideals and mentality of a Viashnava Jana (a follower of Vishnu). In the Hindu trinity (trimurti) that includes Brahma. Shiva and Vishnu, whilst Brahma is the Creator God and Shiva is the Destroyer of Evil and Transformer, Vishnu is the Preserver or the Protector.

વૈષ્ણવ જન તો તેને કહિયે જે પીડ પરાયી જાણે રે પર દુ:ખે ઉપકાર કરે તો યે મન અભિમાન ન આણે રે. ॥ધૃ॥	वैष्णव जन तो तेने कहिये जे पीड परायी जाणे रे । पर दुःखे उपकार करे तो ये मन अभिमान न आणे रे ॥	vaiṣṇava jana to tene kahiye je pīḍa parāyī jāṇe re, para duḥkhe upakāra kare to ye mana abhimāna na āṇe re	Call those people Vaishnavas who Feel the pain of others, Help those who are in misery, But never let self-conceit enter their mind.
સકળ લોકમાં સહુને વંદે, નિંદા ન કરે કેની રે વાચ કાછ મન નિશ્છળ રાખે ધન ધન જનની તેની રે. ॥૧॥	सकळ लोकमां सहुने वंदे, निंदा न करे केनी रे । वाच काछ मन निश्चळ राखे, धन धन जननी तेनी रे ॥	sakaḷa loka māṁ sahune vande, nindā na kare kenī re, vāca kācha mana niścala rākhe, dhana dhana jananī tenī re	They respect the entire world, Do not disparage anyone, Keep their words, actions and thoughts pure, The mother of such a soul is blessed.
સમદૃષ્ટિ ને તૃષ્ણા ત્યાગી પરસ્ત્રી જેને માત રે જિહ્વા થકી અસત્ય ન બોલે પરધન નવ ઝાલે હાથ રે. ॥૨॥	समदृष्टि ने तृष्णा त्यागी, परस्त्री जेने मात रे । जिह्वा थकी असत्य न बोले, परधन नव झाले हाथ रे ॥	sama-dṛṣṭi ne tṛṣṇā tyāgī, para-strī jene māta re, jihvā thakī asatya na bole, para-dhana nava jhāle hātha re	They see all equally, renounce craving, Respect other women as their own mother, Their tongue never utters false words, Their hands never touch the wealth of others.
મોહ માયા વ્યાપે નહિ જેને, દૃઢ વૈરાગ્ય જેના મનમાં રે રામ નામ શુ તાળી રે લાગી સકળ તીરથ તેના તનમાં રે. ॥૩॥	मोह माया व्यापे नहि जेने, दृढ़ वैराग्य जेना मनमां रे । रामनाम शुं ताळी रे लागी, सकळ तीरथ तेना तनमां रे ॥	moha māyā vyāpe nahi jene, dṛḍha-vairāgya jenā manamāṁ re, rāma-nāma śuṁ tāḷī re lāgī, sakaḷa tīratha tenā tanamāṁ re	They do not succumb to worldly attachments, They are firmly detached from the mundane, They are enticed by the name of God (Rama), All places of pilgrimage are embodied in them.
વણ લોભી ને કપટ રહિત છે, કામ ક્રોધ નિવાર્યાં રે ભણે નરસૈયો તેનું દર્શન કરતાં કુળ એકોતેર તાર્યાં રે. ॥૪॥	वणलोभी ने कपटरहित छे, काम क्रोध निवार्या रे । भणे नरसैयॊ तेनुं दरसन करतां, कुळ एकोतेर तार्या रे ॥	vaṇa-lobhī ne kapaṭa-rahita che, kāma krodha nivāryā re, bhaṇe narasaiyo tenuṁ darasana karatāṁ, kuḷa ekotera tāryā re	They have forsaken greed and deceit, They stay afar from lust and anger, Narsi says: I’d be grateful to meet such a soul, Whose virtue liberates their entire lineage.

The movie Narsi Bhagat was a 1940 Vijay Bhatt movie. Vijay Bhatt later covered himself in glory by making the iconic movie Ram Rajya (1943) Baiju Bawra (1952) and Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959) that had Shehnai Vaadan by Ustaad Bismillah Khan throughout in the movie. The movie starred Vishnupant Pagnis in the title role and Durga Khote as Manekbai. Shankar Rao Vyas was the music director and also composed this bhajan and other songs of the movie.

Lord Shiva showing Narsi Bhagat Ras Leela in Vrindavan

Please enjoy Amirbai Karnataki sing one of the most popular bhajans in Indian culture: Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye….

I don’t think there is another bhajan in our culture that touches the chords of our hearts more than this. Its composition is in Raag Khammaj, Tal Kaherava that I have already told you enough about. I have also told you that since Khammaj employs both Shuddha and Komal Nishad, it is both happy (Shuddha) and has pangs of separation (Komal). Here too, the happiness is in being a Vaishanav Jan and the ache is in empathising with someone who is in pain.

The bhajan is often in the creases of my mind and truly tugs at my emotions.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await tomorrow’s song.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #88

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Kuchh to log kahenge….
Raag Khammaj, Tal Kaherava

Remembering Rajesh Khanna on His Birth Anniversary, 29th Dec

Rajesh Khanna was born as Jatin Khanna in Amritsar on 29 Dec 1942. He died on 18 Jul 2012 in Mumbai. Millions of his fans were saddened by his death.

He was born to Lala Hiranand and Chandrani Khanna but was adopted and raised by Chunnilal Khanna and Leelawati Khanna, relatives of his biological parents. His interest in theatre during his school and college days (in Mumbai) led to his joining Hindi films. Nowadays talent contests are in hundreds. However, during his days, in 1965, Rajesh Khanna was one of eight finalists from more than 10,000 contestants in the 1965 All India Talent Contest, organised by United Producers (BR Chopra, Bimal Roy, GP Sippy, HS Rawail, Nasir Husain, J. Om Prakash, Mohan Saigal, Shakti Samanta and Subodh Mukherji and others had created this organisation and were judges of the contest) and Filmfare.

As a result of winning the talent contest, he won acting in Chetan Anand’s 1966 movie Aakhri Khat and Ravindra Dave’s Raaz. Aakhri Khat was India’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 40th Oscar Academy Awards in 1967.

He soon emerged as a super-star and has record number of movies to his credit that consecutively became super-hits. Indeed, at one time in the seventies, anything that he touched became gold. Heroines lined up to act with him and he made all of them swoon with his irresistible charm. As an example, I do remember this anecdote when I went to see his 1970 movie Aan Milo Sajna with Asha Parekh. This was in Chandigarh where I was studying. When it came to the song: Achha to ham chalte hain, the moment he sang on the screen: “Phir kab miloge?”, hundreds of girls in the hall, in unison responded: “Jab tum kahoge”. Some of this magic has been recorded by his co-star of several movies: Sharmila Tagore.

Rajesh Khanna asking the question: Phir kab miloge? in the famous song Achha to hum chalte hain in 1970 movie Aan Milo Sajna

With his pimpled face and a little obese frame, he still gave the impression of being the most romantic hero that Hindi films ever saw. That was because of the strength of his adorable acting. Many people actually cried when he passed away on screen in Anand and Andaz. He did it so well. All of us loved Kaka (Rajesh Khanna’s nickname) and we couldn’t ever get enough of him.

Rajesh Khanna’s ‘death’ in the movie Anand

To see the comparison between him and the other super-star Amitabh Bachchan, you must see the song: Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye; AB stands there like a school kid in front of a maestro.

To remember him by I shall give you a song lip-synced by him in the 1972 Shakti Samanta movie Amar Prem: Kuchh to log kahenge.

Shakti Samanta is in news these days, more than eight years after his death, for reasons other than what he used to be in news for; which was that he too was considered an alchemist: anything that he touched turned to gold. He made a super-hit movie literally every alternate year. Howrah Bridge, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, An Evening in Paris, Aradhana, Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Amanush, Pagla Kahin Ka, Ajanabee, Mehbooba, Anurodh and Aavishkar are some of the movie that he made.

If SD Burman did wonders for Shakti Samanta’s Aradhana, Sachin’s son Rahul Dev Burman did wonders for Amar Prem songs. Rahul Dev was well versed in both majot genre’s of music: the Western Beat or Pop and the Raaga Based. Here he preferred to compose it in Khammaj, the raaga Bengali composers were and are so much at home, with from Pandit Ravi Shankar himself (Mere to Giridhar Gopal) to Salil Chowdhary (O sajana barkha bahaar aayi), to SD Burman (Nazar laagi raja tore bangle pe, Piya tose naina laagi re and Deewana mastaana huaa dil), and Hemant Kumar (Sakhi re sun bole papiha).

One of my friends, Anand Desain quoted Pandit Bhimsen Joshi: “Anyone who does not listen to RD’s compositions does not know and understand what music is all about……. Look at Kuchh toh log kahenge…. Look how beautifully Kishore has rendered this difficult composition, hats off. Are you aware my dear friend that this song is purely based on Raag Khammaj in the beginning but beautifully dissolves into Raag Kalavati in-between? Brilliantly sung and what voice. We are thankful that Kishore never learned music and hence never ventured into our domain or else we classical singers would have found it extremely difficult to earn our bread and water”. Such was the admiration for Kishore and RD in the music fraternity.

We have completed eighty-seven days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our eighty-seventh post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #87’ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1965 Ramanand Sagar movie Arzoo starring Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana and Feroze Khan: Bedardi baalma tujhako mera man yaad karta hai. It is in Raag Charukesi, Tal Dadra.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Yaman – Part I’.

In the last eighty-six days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand and Sohani. Today, I am repeating Raag Khammaj.

Khammaj, a Shadhav-Sampurna raag (In aaroha Rishab is varjaya) employs both Nishad: ie, Shuddha Ni in Aaroha and Komal Ni in Avaroha. The result is that it is well suited for both types of Shringar Ras: Uttan (Union) Shringar wherein Shuddha Ni is used and Vibralambh (Separation) where Komal Ni is used. Take the bhaav of this song itself: it has both sadness (separation) because people gossip and gossip is malicious. However, the underlying theme of the lyrics is also happy (chhodo bekaar ki baaton mein; that they are together despite the malicious gossip. One should remember Rajesh Khanna’s famous dialogue before the song, addressed to Sharmila Tagore: “Pushpa, I hate tears”!)

Khammaj is the representative raag of the Khammaj Thaat and the samay for singing it is the second prahar of the night: from 9PM to Midnight. Anyone listening to Khammaj or Khammaj based songs would know that the mood is light and enthralling but somewhere hidden in it is the pain (of separation). If one listens to O sajana barkha bahaar aayi, you get the same feelings: heart joyous at rain but full of ache for the lover.

Now, why did Pandit Bhimsen Joshi say that the song starts with Khammaj but dissolves into Raag Kalavati in between? The reason is that both Khammaj and Kalavati belong to Khammaj Thaat. Kalavati is a pentatonic raag (Audhav-Audhav); whereas Khammaj had Rishab varjaya in Aaroha (ascent) only, Kalavati has both Rishab and Madhyam vrajaya in both Aaroha and Avroha. The main similarity is the Komal Nishad found in Avaroha in Khammaj. In Kalavati, it is Komal in both Aaroha and Avroha.

Some of the Hindi films songs composed in Khammaj are:

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O Sajna
Jaao Re Jogi
Khanak Gayo HaayLaage Unki Suratiya
Kaanaha Raadha Hui
Tere Mere Milan Ki Ye Raina
Kuchh To Log Kahenge
Nazar Laagi Raaja
Aayo Kahan Se Ghanshyam
Kaise Din Beete
Kaanha Kaanha
Jeevan Daata
Saajh Savere
Suman Samaan
Kanha Main To
Chhavi Dikhla Jaa
Vaishnav Jan To
Tora Man Badav
Raat Naujawan Jhoomta
Mere To Girdhar Gopaal
Sudh Bisar Gai
Chori Chori Chupke Chupke
Chha Gaye Baadal
Tumhi Mere Sab Kuchh
Bahut Suna Hai Naath
Chaand Akela Jaaye
Kaahe Manwa Naache
Dhal Chuki Shaam
Gauri Gauri Chaand ke
Dheere Dheere Machal
Tore Naina Laagev
Kaahe Kaanha Karat
Hamari Kahi Maano
Ab Ke Saawan Ghar Aaja
Mai Zindagi Ka Saath
Jogan Ban Aayi Hoon
Ye Tanhaai Haye Re
Deewana Mastan Hua Dil
Nain Lad Jaiyen To
Soch Ke Ye Gagan
Mai Ri Mai To Madhuvan Me
Naina Dhoondhe Tohe Shyam
Hum Apna Unhen Bana

Parakh
Aamrapali
Rishte NateMaa Baap
Tumhare Liye
Abhimaan
Amar Prem
Kaala Paani
Buddha Mil Gaya
Anuradha
Shagird
Sharafat
Maadhvi
Kotwal Sahab
Shatranj Ke Khiladi
Shatranj Ke Khiladi
Narsi Bhagat
Ganga Jamuna
Geet Gaya Patthron Ne
Meera
Sangeet Samrat Tansen
Aap Ki Kasam
Chitralekha
Chhote Babu
Adhikaar
Aalap
Aalap
Kohinoor
Anita
Anupama
Mamta
Baawarchi
Dulhan Ek Raat Ki
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje
Hum Dono
Shabaab
Tere Ghar Ke Saamne
Bambai Ka Babu
Ganga Jamuna
Jyoti
Chandralekha
Dil Ki Raahen
Bhanwara

Lata
Lata
LataLata
Asha
Lata, Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Asha
Manna Dey
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Hemlata
Birju Maharaj
Rewa Muhuri
Manna Dey
Asha
Asha
Vani Jayram, Dinkar
Manna Dey
Lata
Rafi, Asha
Manna Dey, Lata
Lata
Yesudas
Lata
Rafi
Mukesh
Lata
Sandhya Mukherjee
Laxmi Shankar
Asha, Usha
Lata
Rafi
Lata
Lata
Asha, Rafi
Rafi
Manna Dey, Lata
Uma Devi
Manna Dey

The song I have taken for you today is from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Amar Prem starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. It was penned by Anand Bakshi, composed by RD Burman and sung by Kishore Kumar.

I have already told you about Shakti Samanta, Rajesh Khanna and RD Burman. Let me tell you a bit about Anand Bakshi. We have already covered Kishore Kumar in Songs That Tug At Your Emotions #3 (Aa chal ke tujhe main le ke chalun),

Anand Bakshi was a master lyricist who matched his lyrics perfectly with the emotions of the protagonist. His most common paired with Laxmikant Pyarelal with whom he worked in 302 movies. Here, he is with RD Burman, with whom he did the second highest movies of his career: 99. Amongst the old breed of lyricsts, Anand Bakshi was the only one who penned more than 3000 songs whilst lyricists like Sahir and Sahkeel only penned less than 800.

Anand Bakshi died on 30 Mar 2002 in Mumbai. However, the songs of Anand Bakshi with RD Burman kept appearing until the 2011 movie Dum Maaro Dum. They had started with the 1965 movie Teesra Kaun. Some of my favourite songs of the pair are: Pyaar ka fasaana bana de dil deewana (Teesra Kaun, 1965), Sharabi sharabi mera naam ho gaya (Chandan Ka Palna, 1967), Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho baalma, Mera naam hai Shabnam, Na loi umang hai, Pyaar deewana hota hai, Ye shaam mastani and Ye jo mohabbaty hai (Kati Patang, 1970), Gulabi aankhen jo teri dekhi (The Train, 1970), Aaj unase pehli mulaqaat hogi (Paraya Dhan, 1971), Chanda O chanda kisne churayi teri meri nindiya (Lakhon Mein Ek, 1971), Dum maro dum, Dekho O deewano aisa kaam na karo, Kanchi re kanchi re, Phoolon ka taaro ka sabka kehna hai (Hare Krishna Hare Raam, 1971), Badha natkhat hai re, Chingari koi bhadake, Kuchh to log kahenge, Raina beeti jaaye, Ye kya hua kaise hua (Amar Prem, 1971), Hawa ke saath saath (Seeta Aur Geeta, 1972), Jaan-e-jaan dhoondata phir raha, Ye jawani hai deewani (Jawani Deewani, 1972), Duniya mein logo ko dhoka kabhi ho jaata hai, Rona kabhi nahin rona, Sun Champa sun Tara (Apna Desh, 1972), Neend chura ke raaton mein (Shareef Badmash, 1973), Main ek chor tu meri rani (Raja Rani, 1973), Jheel ke us paar (Jheel Ke Us Paar, 1973), Panna ki tamanna hai (Heera Panna, 1973), Diye jalate hain, Main shayar banaam, Nadiya se dariya dariya se sagar (Namak Haram, 1973), Bheegi bheegi raaton mein, Ek ajnabi haseena se, Hum dono do premi (Ajnabi, 1974), Chori chori chupke chupke, Karvate badalte rahe, Jay jay Shiv Shankar, Suno kaho kaha suna, Zindagi ke safar mein guzr jaate hain jo mukaam (Aap Ki Kasam, 1974), Do naino mein aansu bhare hain, O manjhi re (Khushboo, 1975), Jab taq hai jaan, Holi ke din, Mehbooba mehbooba, Ye dosti hum nahin chhodenge (Sholay, 1975), Ruk jaana O jaana (Warrant, 1975), Mere naina sawan bhaadon, Parbat ke peechhe (Mehbooba, 1976), Badhe achhe lagte hain (Balika Badhu, 1976), Aise na mujhe tum dekho seene se laga loonga (Darling Darling, 1977), Lallah lallah lori, Suhani chandini raaten hamen sone nahin deti (Mukti, 1977), Aati rahengi bahaaren, Kasme vaade nibhayenge hum (Kame Vaade, 1978), Ham bewafa hargiz na the, Lets do Cha cha cha (Shalimar, 1978), Do lafzon ki hai dil ki kahaani (The Great Gambler, 1979), Swan ke jhoole padhe (Jurmana, 1979), Maine poochha chand se (Abdullah, 1980), Pyaar karne wale pyaar karte hain shaan se, Yamma yamma ye khubsurat samaa (Shaan, 1980), Dekho maine dekha hai ek sapna, Yaad aa rahi hai teri yaad, Yeh ladki zara si deewani lagati hai (Love Story, 1981), Kya yahi pyaar hai (Rocky, 1981), E ri pawan dhoonde kise tera man (Bemissal, 1982), Jab ham jawan honge (Betaab, 1983), and Aur kya ahd-e-wafa hote hain (Sunny, 1984).

Rajesh Khanna and Zeenat Aman enacting Bheegi bheegi raaton mein, an Anand Bakshi – RD Burman creation for 1974 movie Ajnabi, also a Shakti Samanta movie.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last seven times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Finally, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Tonight, we shall learn about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music.

Annapurna Devi was born as Roshanara Khan on 16 Apr 1927 in Maihar (a princely state in British India, now in Madhya Pradesh) to Alauddin Khan who was a court musician of Maharaja Brijnath Singh. It was the Maharaja who named her Annapurna. Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod Player that we have already taken up, was her brother. She became an accomplished Surbahar player of the Maihar Gharana founded by her father (For learning more about Surbahar please see Raaga Based Song Of The Day #54). Her father, Alauddin Khan’s sitar student Pandit Ravi Shankar married her; he was 21 years old and she 14 years old at that time. She converted to Hinduism after marriage. Their marriage lasted for two decades. One of the reasons for the breakup of the marriage was because she used to get applauded more than him. After their divorce, she never performed in public again. She took to teaching music. Over the years she has had notable disciples: Hariprasad Chaurasia, Nityanand Haldipur, Nikhil Banerjee, Amit Bhattacharya, Pradeep Barot and Saswatti Saha (Sitar). In 1982 she married her student Rooshikumar Pandya. He died in 2013. In 1977 she was awarded Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilan award. In 1991 she was awarded the highest in performing arts: the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Lastly, a word about the movie from where this song has been taken by me. The 1972 movie Amar Prem was produced and directed by Shakti Samanta and starred Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, Vinod Mehra and Madan Puri. Sharmila Tagore was Pushpa in the movie, forced into become a courtesan by Madan Puri. Rajesh Khanna was Anand Babu. Fed up of the indifferent ways of his own wife, he used to love coming to her and listen to her sing (eg, Raina beeti jaaye). The story when it unfolded made some of our social values stand on their head and the audience just loved the silent love that gradually evolved between the two. This song is the representative of the hollowness of social values (viz: Hamako jo aane dete hain hum khoye hain in rang raliyon mein; hamane unako bhi chhup chhup ke aate dekha in galiyon mein). Superb lyrics by Anand Bakshi.

Please enjoy in Raag Khammaj, Taal Kaherava, Kishore Kumar sing a composition of RD Burman on the lyrics of Anand Bakshi in the 1972 Shakti Samanta movie: Kuchh to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna…..

(कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना
छोड़ो बेकार की बातों में कहीं बीत ना जाए रैना ) – २
कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना

कुछ रीत जगत की ऐसी है, हर एक सुबह की शाम हुई – २
तू कौन है, तेरा नाम है क्या, सीता भी यहाँ बदनाम हुई
फिर क्यूँ संसार की बातों से, भीग गये तेरे नयना
कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना
छोड़ो बेकार की बातों में कहीं बीत ना जाए रैना
कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे …

हमको जो ताने देते हैं, हम खोए हैं इन रंगरलियों में – २
हमने उनको भी छुप छुपके, आते देखा इन गलियों में
ये सच है झूठी बात नहीं, तुम बोलो ये सच है ना
कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना
छोड़ो बेकार की बातों में कहीं बीत ना जाए रैना
कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे …

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
And today, on the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #20

The twentieth day of songs in this series.

In the last nineteen days, we have taken up songs of ten male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman, KL Saigal and Pankaj Mullick. We also took up songs of nine female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali and Sudha Malhotra.

Tonight, we shall take up a song of our eleventh male singer: Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’ and the song is another favourite: Mujhe na sapno se behlaao. I have chosen this non-filmy number over Jagmohan’s Meghdoot song: O varsha ke pehle baadal. By the way, both songs are by the same lyricist Faiyyaz Hashmi and same composer: Kamal Dasgupta.

Jagmohan was born as Jaganmoy Mitra and as a composer and singer earned the title of ‘Sursagar’ (the ocean of notes (music)). The 1955 Gyan Mukherjee movie Sardar has one of his famous songs: Pyar ki talkhiyan jo na seh sakun karun main kya karun? It was sung by Lata Mangeshkar. As far as songs that he sang are concerned, the one from Meghdoot is his most famous one. However, there are the non-filmy songs by the team of Faiyyaz Hashmi, Kamal Dasgupta and Jagmohan. These include:

Dil de kar dard liyaa mai.n ne
Dil ko hai tumase pyaar kyo.n
Ek baar muskuraa do
Maaluum hai mujhako
Mat kar saaj si.ngaar sundari
Merii aa.Nkhe.n banii.n diwaanii
Mujhe Kaamosh rahane do
Niraas me.n aas prabhu meraa
Prem kii nayyaa ko milaa hai prem nadii kaa kinaaraa
Sapano.n me.n mujhako pyaar milaa
Su.ndar ho kitanii su.ndar ho
Tum mere saamane aayaa na karo
Us raag ko paayal me.n jo soyaa hai jagaa do
Ye chaa.Nd nahii.n terii aaratii hai

The Government of India honoured him with India’s fourth highest civilian award: Padma Shri. However, more than the award, Jagmohan has a cult-following and his fans swear by him and the title ‘Sursagar’.

Komol or Kamal Dasgupta was born on 28 Jul 1912 in Kalia, Narail district of Bengal; now in Khulna, Bangladesh. He matriculated from Calcutta Academy, graduated in commerce from Comilla Victoria Government College. He did his doctorate in music from Benares Hindu University in 1943. The subject of his specialisation was Mira Bai. His early inspiration came from his father, Tara Prasanna Dasgupta. He took his first music lessons from his brother, Bimal Das Gupta. Later he studied under Dilip Kumar Roy, Kana Kesta, and Ustad Jamiruddin Khan. He emerged as a versatile musical genius. Raaga and Thumri were the main elements of his music. He was also a singer in Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Tamil. He was a brilliant composer who composed nearly 8000 songs, mostly based on classical music. In 1956 he converted to Islam and took the name Kamal Uddin Ahmed. He married Feroza Begum, a renowned Nazrul Sangeet singer in the same year. Their second and third sons Hamin Ahmed and Shafin Ahmed are lead singers with Bangladeshi Band Miles.He died on 20 Jul 1974 in Dhaka.

Fayyaz or Faiyyaz Hashmi too was born in Calcutta in 1920. His father, Muhammad Hussain Hashmi, was also a poet with pen name ‘Dilgeer’ as well as a writer of stage drama. Fayyaz Hashmi was employed as the resident lyricist by the British-owned Gramophone Company of India from 1943 to 1948. “Fayyaz Hashmi wrote his first verse, ‘Chaman mein ghuncha-o-gul ka tabassum dekhne walo – Kabhi tum ne haseen kalyon ka murjhana bhi dekha hai’, when he was in 7th class.” He wrote his very first full songs that Talat Mahmood sang in 1941 (Sab din ek samaan nahin tha) and the runaway hit Tasveer teri dil mera behla na sakay gi with music composed by Kamal Das Gupta. He is best known for his ghazal: Aaj jaane ki zid na karo. In 1951, he was transferred by his employer, Gramophone Company of India, to Lahore to organise the music scene in Pakistan. There he promoted many talented artists including Farida Khanum (who sang the ghazal Aaj jaane ki zid na karo), Saeen Marna, Saeen Akhtar and Saeen Budha. He died on 29 Nov 2011 in Karachi, Pakistan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBvdIsBmQ6g

The bhaav of these brilliant lyrics by Fayyaz Hashmi is that the lover is not carried away by showing him a dreamworld by his beloved. He wants it to be tangible; something that he can touch and own.

Please enjoy Jagmohan ‘Sursagar’ sing a composition of Kamal Dasgupta on the lyrics of Faiyyaz Hashmi: Mujhe na sapano se behlaao….

मुझे न सपनों से बहलाओ

( दूरी का दुख दिल पे सहूँ मैं
रह के पास भी दूर रहूँ मैं ) -२
छूना चाहूँ छू न सकूँ मैं -२
कौन ये रीत बताओ
है कौन ये रीत बताओ
मुझे न सपनों से बहलाओ

( गंगा से तुम आवो नहा के
केश सुखाओ बाँह फैला कर ) -२
मेरे तमन्नाओं पर छा कर -२
काहे फिर छुप जाओ
तुम काहे फिर छुप जाओ
मुझे न सपनों से बहलाओ

( रोज़ मेरे सपने में आना
नित नित रूप नया दिखलाना ) -२
रोज़ छुड़ा कर आँचल जाना -२
ऐसा ज़ुल्म न ढाओ
तुम ऐसा ज़ुल्म न ढाओ
मुझे न सपनों से बहलाओ -२

The whole world is Maya, they say, a mere dream or mirage. However much we enjoy it, it will always be transient. And yet, there is always this tendency to own, to possess, call something or someone your own, touch and feel. It is only human. This song transports me into that world, the world of earthly love that is incomplete without the physical part. In short, you can’t be married to a dream.

One of my favourite old English songs is Trini Lopez’s ‘What have I got of my own?’ It has matching lyrics to those of Hashmi though Lopez’s came much later in 1976:

What have I got of my own, my own?

What have I got of my own?

The castles I build when I lie in the sand,

Belong to a king in a fairy tale land.

The treasures I find, when I dream in my sleep,

Are gone in the dawn, not a thing I can keep.

What have I got of my own, my o~own?

What have I got of my own?

The stars all belong high in heaven above.

My heart belongs to the one that I love.

The rivers that flow all belong to the sea.

What have I got that belongs to me?

What have I got of my own, my o~own?

What have I got of my own?

I hope someday before too long

My heart will sing a happy song.

I’m tired of being lonely, unhappy and sad.

I wanna have the things that other men have.

What have I got of my own, my o~own?

What have I got of my own?

If I could choose one thing forever to hold,

I know I would never choose diamonds or gold.

Just give me one true love to be mine alone,

Then I’ll have all the things of my own, my own.

What have I got of my own?

My own.

What have I got of my own?

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await tomorrow’s song.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #87

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Bedardi baalma tujhako mera man yaad karta hai….
Raag Charukesi, Tal Dadra

Shankar – Jaikishan again today, in the eighty-seventh post on Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Actually, I should say: the genius of Shankar Jaikishan again. And this time, I have chosen a song from a non-Raj Kapoor starrer. Also, I have chosen a Raaga other than their favourite Bhairavi: Charukesi, that is.

This is the second time I am giving you a song composed in this Raaga. The first was on the 13th day: Bainya na dharo, O balmaa (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #13‘).

The song I have taken for you today is from the 1965 Ramanand Sagar movie Arzoo starring Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana and Feroze Khan. It was penned by Hasrat Jaipuri, composed by Shankar Jaikishan and sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Did you notice what the interludes do to you? The first one is agitated one; it is as unnerving as it should be for Nutan to say good bye to the love of her life. The interlude is like as if someone is playing like crazy on the chords of her heart. There is a calming effect in the second interlude as if the helplessness of the situation and the acceptance thereof have made her numb and increasingly silent; as if hit by chilling waves. Ladies and gentlemen, now you would understand why I use the word genius whilst describing Shankar Jaikishan to you. As they said in 1962: “We have never thought of the public as the ‘masses’, but as individuals who want the best from us.” Tell me how many others have you come across who would go to this extent to give you a musical experience.

Lets try one more. This is the song Ye raat bheegi bheegi ye mast fizaayen in the movie Chori Chori; sung by Manna Dey for Raj Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar for Nargis. It is in Raag Kirwani or Keerwani, Tal Kaherava. The scene is about Nargis having run away from her father (shipping tycoon) in Bombay to be with her lover Pran in Bangalore. On the way, she is helped by Raj Kapoor, a small time journalist. As they are on the run together, there is, for the first time, quite a flux of feelings from both the sides since they appear to be heading towards being lovers. In the first interlude the music helps to bring out how she has no control over her emotions; she is merely a doll or a puppet. The second interlude is renumerative because of contemplating whether she has finally found someone who she can call her own (Main dhuund rahi hoon apne ko). And the third interlude has a little sadness laced with what-if feelings by both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1DZxkiMjRo

Truly, in both the songs that I have given above, Shankar Jaikishan helped by their arranger Sebastian D’Souza find a perfect match between music, notes, compositions, interludes, voice and emotions. These are just examples of the extent to which they used to go in making songs.

Now why did I labour to give you so much about interludes when generally I have been focusing on the raaga, the tal and the lyrics only? It is because you would enjoy the song that I have chosen for you more if you pay attaention to the interludes too. Let me at the outset itself tell you that in Bedardi baalma, the first and the third interludes are repeated. It is rare for Shankar Jaikishan to do so. The complete lyrics of the song are about comparing her (Sadhana‘s) situation now that she is alone and melancholic with the happy past when in the same Srinagar valley, he (Rajendra Kumar) was there with her in loving and romantic togetherness. The first and last interlude both bring out that intense feeling of longing for him when she can’t find him. The second interlude is about her current situation of extreme melancholy with matching lyrics. Shankar Jaikishan were really masters of this art. I am sure many of us remember the first and the last interludes and these help us to feel for her whilst she lays bare her desapondency.

We have completed eighty-six days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our eighty-sixth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #86‘ and the song was a Chhaya Ganguly song from the 1978 Muzaffar Ali movie Gaman starring Smita Patil and Farooq Sheikh: Aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar; a ghazal penned by Makhdoom Moihuddin. It is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Hinch.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Todi‘.

Today’s song has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar on the lyrics of Hasrat Jaipuri and composition by Shankar Jaikishan. As I said, it is in Raag Charukesi, Tal Dadra. The song is picturised on Sadhana in the 1965 Ramanand Sagar movie Arzoo, in his own production.

We have already covered Shankar Jaikishan above.

Let me, therefore, come to Hasrat Jaipuri. Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri formed a team with Shankar Jaikishan. It was the most abiding team of Lyricists with Composer in Hindi movies. Although, Hasrat was a find of Prithviraj Kapoor who introduced him to his son Raj Kapoor, both the Filmfare Awards that he received were both non-Raj Kapoor movies: Andaz starring Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor and Suraj starring Rajendra Kumar. Hasrat Jaipuri was born as Iqbal Hussain in Jaipur, Rajashtan, on 15 Apr 1922. His schooling was entirely in English language and it is only later that he learnt Urdu and Persian. He came to Bombay at the age of 18 years and worked as a bus-conductor, similar to Johnny Walker. His first song was Jiya beqraar hai for the 1949 Raj Kapoor movie Barsaat, the debut film of Shankar Jaikishan.

One of Hasrat Jaipuri’s best: Jhanak jahnak tori baaje payaliya (Mere Huzoor)

A word about the actress, Sadhana, on whom the song is picturised. As I have said many times earlier, some of Lata Mangeshkar’s best songs are picturised on her. These include: Aaja aayi bahar (Rajkumar, 1964), Aa jaan-e-jaan aa mera ye husn jawan, Geet tere saaz ka, Kaise rahun chup ke maine pi hi kya hai (Inteqaam, 1969), Aap youn hi agar hamase milate rahe (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena, 1962), Aji rooth kar ab kahan jayiyega (Arzoo, 1965), Ham

jab simat ke aap ki baahon mein aa gaye, Kaun aaya ke nigahon mein chamak jaag uthi (Waqt, 1965), Jo hamane daastan apni sunayi, Lag jaa gale ke phir ye haseen raat, Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim (Woh Kaun Thi, 1964), Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam (Mere Mehboob, 1963), Mila hai kisi ka jhumka, O sajana barkha bahaar aayi (Parakh, 1960), Nainon mein badra chhaye, Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saya, 1966), Tera mera pyar amar, and Tujhe jeevan ki dore se baandh liya hai (Asli Naqli, 1962).

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last six times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Finally, we shall take up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Today, lets learn a little more about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

The name Bismillah Khan and Shehnai have become synonymous. Single handedly he elevated this simplest of instruments from just being played on weddings to the classical music heights. He was born Qamaruddin Khan on Mar 1913 in Damraon, Bihar. So strong was his passion that he was the third awardee of the highest civilian honour in India: the Bharat Ratna; the third personality to be given the honour after MS Subbulaxmi and Pandit Ravi Shankar. Between 1961 and 1980, the government of India also conferred on him the next three civilain honours: Padma Vibushan (1980), Padma Bhushan (1968) and Padma Shri (1961). And to think that he overcame his religion (Shia) considering music as haraam. When he died on 21 Aug 2006, his Shehnai was buried with him since he used to call it his begum. He was invited by the Indian PM Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to play his Shehnai at the Red Fort in 1947, on the eve of India’s independence. Since then, for a number of years, the tradition of Bismillah Khan’s Shehnai Waadan, after PM’s speech on Independence Day continued. Khan had a brief association with movies. He played the shehnai for super star Dr.Rajkumar’s role of Appanna in the Kannada movie Sanaadi Appanna which became a blockbuster. He acted in Jalsaghar, a movie by Satyajit Ray and provided sound of shehnai in Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959).

Vijay Bhatt’s 1959 movie Goonj Uthi Shehnai came 7 yrs after the success of his another music based movie Baiju Bawra. Everytime Shehnai was played in the movie, it was Ustaad Bismillah Khan playing it.

As I said, today’s song is in Raag Charukesi, Tal Dadra.

Charukesi or Charukeshi is a raaga of Carnatic music. The raaga is called Tarangini in Muthuswami Dikshitar school; he was an early 19th century poet and composer.

Charukesi is also very popular in Hindustani music. The Jati of the raaga is Sampurna – Sampurna, that is all seven swar in Aaroha andAvroha. All swar are Shuddha except Dhaivat and Nishad, which are Komal. The samay for the raag is the second prahar of the morning (9AM to Noon). The mood of the raag is pathos (karuna) and devotion. Some of Hindi films most beautiful songs have been composed in it, such as Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin (that was deleted from some versions of the movie Milan), Akele hain chale aao kahan ho, Bedardi balma tujhko mera man yaad karta hai, Bekhudi mein sanam, Chhod de saari duniya kisi ke liye, Ek tu jo mila, Kisi raah pe kisi mod par, Koi jab tumhaara hriday tod de, Shyam teri bansi pukaare Radha naam, Teri umeed tera intezar and karte hain.

About Tal Dadra, I have already told a number of times.

Lastly, a word about the movie from where this song (ghazal) has been taken by me. The 1965 movie Arzoo was produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar and starred Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana and Feroze Khan. The story revolved around Rajendra Kumar (Gopal) and Sadhana (Usha) meeting in Kashmir and falling in love. He has given his name as Sanju. She reveals to him how she hates the physically disabled. Later, he meets with an accident nad becomes disabled and avoids her, knowing her revulsion. His best friend Feroze Khan (Ramesh), not knowing about what has happened between Sanju and Usha, falls in love with Usha and they are about to be married. And then, it is revealed to her that Sanju and Gopal are the same person. The song came about when Sanju distances himself from Usha and she is melancholic about his absence from her life.

Please enjoy in Raag Charukesi, Tal Dadra, a superb composition of Shankar Jaikishan on the extraordinary lyrics of Hasrat Jaipuri, a song sung by Lata Mangeshkar: Bedardi baalma tujhako mera man yaad karta hai...

बेदर्दी बालमा तुझको मेरा मन याद करता है
बरसता है जो आँखों से वो सावन याद करता है

कभी हम साथ गुज़रे जिन सजीली रहगुज़ारों से
फ़िज़ा के भेस में गिरते हैं अब पत्ते चनारों से
ये राहें याद करती हैं ये गुलशन याद करता है

कोई झोंका हवा का जब मेरा आँचल उड़ाता है
गुमाँ होता है जैसे तू मेरा दामन हिलाता है
कभी चूमा था जो तूने वो दामन याद करता है

वो ही हैं झील के मंदर वो ही किरनों कि बरसातें
जहाँ हम तुम किया करते थे पहरों प्यार की बातें
तुझे इस झील का ख़ामोश दरपन याद करता है

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
And today, on the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

SHASHI KAPOOR – PARDESIYON KO HAI IK DIN JAANA

The whole country must be saying this about him now that at about 5:20 PM today, the 4th Dec 17, he lost his battle with liver cirrhosis at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. He had been ailing for a number of years.

However, ailing and battling for life is not something that we would want to remember him by. The song is one of his most popular songs. However, he wasn’t pardesi (stranger) to winning hearts and minds of his fans.

First, we have to imagine three of a family getting Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award for cinematic excellence. Then we have to consider that since its inception in 1969 when Devika Rani got it, there have been only 47 recipients so far. Prithviraj Kapoor, the doyen of Kapoor family was the third recipient of it in 1971, his son Raj Kapoor received it in 1987 as the 18th recipient, and then Shashi Kapoor, the quintessential romantic boyish face got the 45th award in 2015.

Boyish Charm with Innocence and yet Superbly Romantic

Nevertheless, the very first song that has come to my mind about Shashi Kapoor is from the 1965 Suraj Prakash movie Jab Jab Phool Khile wherein he acted as Raja, the owner of a houseboat in Srinagar. He acted opposite Nanda, the actress that he claimed was the best that he acted with. She was Rita Khanna, in the movie, daughter of a rich man and he was the simple, innocent, sweet-faced and somewhat poor houseboat owner. They fell in love until she moved away with her own people and that’s the time he sang this song in the movie.

Little did anyone know that the mukhada of the song: Pardesiyon ko hai ik din jaana would be so apt at his own demise. It is sad to see him go. Whenever I go to Shimla, I remember both him and Jennifer for the renovation of the famous Gaiety Theatre. My uncle HS Dilgir presented many a play there. My wife and I, whenever we go to Shimla, make it a point to visit the theatre and have lunch in the restaurant there.

Here too, in Mumbai, we used to visit Prithvi theatre frequently during our young days, a legacy of his father that Shashi Kapoor took it upon himself to carry forward.

The song was put together by Anand Bakshi and Kalyanji Anandji and sung by Mohammad Rafi.

Lets remember Shashi Kapoor by this: Pardesiyon se na akhiyan milaana…(the song as fresh as the freshness of the acting that he brought about in the movies):

परदेसियों से ना अँखियां मिलाना
परदेसियों को है इक दिन जाना

आती है जब ये रुत मस्तानी
बनती है कोई न कोई कहानी
अब के बस देखे बने क्या फ़साना

सच ही कहा है पंछी इनको
रात को ठहरे तो उड़ जाएं दिन को
आज यहाँ कल वहाँ है ठिकाना

बागों में जब जब फूल खिलेंगे
तब तब ये हरजाई मिलेंगे
गुज़रेगा कैसे पतझड़ का ज़माना

ये बाबुल का देस छुड़ाएं
देस से ये परदेस बुलाएं
हाय सुनें ना ये कोई बहाना

हमने यही एक बार किया था
एक परदेसी से प्यार किया था
ऐसे जलाए दिल जैसे परवाना

प्यार से अपने ये नहीं होते
ये पत्थर हैं ये नहीं रोते
इनके लिये ना आँसू बहाना

ना ये बादल ना ये तारे
ये कागज़ के फूल हैं सारे
इन फूलों के बाग न लगाना

हमने यही एक बार किया था
एक परदेसी से प्यार किया था
रो रो के कहता है दिल ये दीवाना

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs9us0xln-M

He was born on 18 Mar 1938 as Balbir Prithviraj Kapoor to his father Prithviraj Kapoor who was not just the doyen of Indian theatre but also of Indian cinema and Kapoor family. He started his acting career as a child artiste. His most memorable performance was in Awaara wherein he played the younger version of Raj Kapoor.

It is not my intention to cover his biography or filmography. Both are really well-known. Today, like the song above, I shall give you songs by which I remember his acting the best.

Shashi Kapoor in Band-Gala, as Cute as Serious

After, giving you the boyish, innocent (even naive), but ever so romantic face of his in Jab Jab Phool Khile, I would like to draw your attention to his acting as a ghazal singer complete with band-gala achkan. He did this in a few movies including Jab Jab Phool Khile. But, for singing a song in a band-gala (achkan) I liked him best in 1968 Mohan Segal movie Kanyadaan wherein he acted opposite Asha Parekh.

This song has the excellence of composition by my favourite duo: Shankar Jaikishan and some really good lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri.

Once again, though elder brother Raj Kapoor relied upon Mukesh as his singing voice, Shammi and Shashi both had Mohammad Rafi singing for them; though some of Shashi Kapoor’s popular songs (like in Sharmilee) have also been sung by Kishore Kumar.

I liked to see Shashi Kapoor in the band-gala. He looked so cute!

Please enjoy: Meri zindagi mein aate to kuchh aur baat hoti whilst thinking of the departed soul….

उनकी ज़ुल्फ़ें उनके चेहरे से हटा सकता नहीं
दिल की बेताबी किसी सूरत छुपा सकता नहीं
कितनी दिलकश हैं मुहब्बत की जवाँ मजबूरियाँ
सामने मंज़िल है और पाँव बढ़ा सकता नहीं

मेरी ज़िन्दगी में आते ( तो कुछ और बात होती ) -२
ये नसीब जगमगाते ( तो कुछ और बात होती ) -२

कई बार मिल चुकी हैं ये हसीं-हसीं निगाहें -२
वो ही बेक़रारियाँ हैं न मिली ख़ुशी की राहें
मेरे दिल से दिल मिलाते ( तो कुछ और बात होती ) -२
मेरी ज़िन्दगी में …

मुझे क्या ग़रज़ किसी से हँसे फूल या सितारे -२
हैं मेरी नज़र में फीके ये जवाँ-जवाँ नज़ारे
अगर आप मुस्कराते ( तो कुछ और बात होती ) -२
मेरी ज़िन्दगी में …

ये ख़ुशी रहे सलामत यूँ ही जश्न हो सुहाना -२
जिसे सुन रही है दुनिया मेरे दिल का है तराना
मेरे साथ तुम भी गाते ( तो कुछ और बात होती ) -२
मेरी ज़िन्दगी में …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUT4Zeiu7mk

Mere Paas Maa Hai – Shashi Kapoor as my Namesake Ravi

This one is not a song. However, it has been voted as amongst the most popular dialogues in Hindi movies. And who was to deliver this dialogue in the 1975 Yash Chopra movie: Deewar? Shashi Kapoor. With this dialogue the difference in the heights of Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor was reversed; suddenly the Big B appeared small and diminutive in front of Shashi Kapoor. His name in the movie was my name. Now that, this year, less than five months back, Ravi, that is me, lost my mother, I can’t help remembering Ravi of Deewar delivering this dialogue with the kind of passion that it deserved. Here is that most remembered dialogue of Shashi Kapoor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KkHkggf_aU

His Charming, Forever Boyish and Even Comical Antics

I saw this movie before I joined the Navy. Shashi Kapoor acted as a young Army officer Captain Ajit in love with Rakhee as Kamini. Little did he know that Kamini, the slick and smart one had a twin sister Kanchan, as innocent as Shashi himself was in Jab Jab Phool Khile. In a bid to get married to Kamini, he accidentally got married to Kanchan and immediately rues it (Kaise kahen ham pyaar ne hamako kyaa kyaa khel dikhaaye). However, later he realises that Kanchan is the good girl and Kamini has a sinister history about her.

This song is sung by him to Rakhee as Kanchan. We would always remember him as this because this suited him the best.

The song was put together by Neeraj as lyricist, SD Burman as composer and singer Kishore Kumar.

Please notice that yellow is the most favourite colour for dresses of actors in the hills; I love it because it is the colour of Sunbyanyname!

Please enjoy Shashi Kapoor with his adorable antics: O meri, O meri, O meri sharmilee….

ओ मेरी ओ मेरी ओ मेरी शर्मीली
आओ ना तरसाओ ना
ओ मेरी ओ मेरी ओ मेरी शर्मीली

तेरा काजल लेकर रात बनी, रात बनी
तेरी मेंहदी लेकर दिन उगा, दिन उगा
तेरी बोली सुनकर सुर जागे, सुर जागे
तेरी खुशबू लेकर फूल खिला, फूल खिला
जान-ए-मन तू है कहाँ
ओ मेरी…

तेरी राहों से गुज़रे जब से हम, जब से हम
मुझे मेरी डगर तक याद नहीं, याद नहीं
तुझे देखा जब से दिलरुबा, दिलरुबा
मुझे मेरा घर तक याद नहीं, याद नहीं
जान-ए-मन तू है कहाँ
ओ मेरी…

ओ नीरज नयना आ ज़रा, आ ज़रा
तेरी लाज का घूँघट खोल दूं, खोल दूं
तेरे आँचल पर कोई गीत लिखूँ, गीत लिखूँ
तेरे होंठों में अमृत घोल दूँ, घोल दूँ
जान-ए-मन तू है कहाँ
ओ मेरी…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M2IYCuvnsY

Shashi Kapoor in My Home Place – Shimla Hills

In the 1973 Manmohan Desai movie Aa Gale Lag Jaa, he had Sharmila Tagore acting opposite him. Now, La Tagore started as a fresh face in the 1964 Shakti Samanta movie Kashmir Ki Kali wherein elder brother Shammi Kapoor wooed her. She had lost none of her girlish charm when Shashi Kapoor wooed her too. If Shammi did it in the freshness of Srinagar, Shashi did it in the freshmess of my home place: Shimla Hills. It was a long wooing. He started in Shimla Skating Rink with the song: Vaada karo nahin chhodoge tum mera saath. Here, in this song, they are at the skiing resort of Kufri but instead of skiing, they are skating there!

The song was put together by Sahir Ludhianvi, SD Burman and Kishore Kumar.

Once again, since it is a song in the hills, yellow colour is prominent.

Please enjoy: Mera tujhase hai pehle ka naata koi….

मेरा तुझ से है पहले का नाता कोई
यूँ ही नहीं दिल लुभाता कोई
जाने तू या जाने न
माने तू या माने न

धुआँ-धुआँ था वो समा
यहाँ-वहाँ जाने कहाँ
तू और मैं कहीं मिले थे पहले
देखा तुझे तो दिल ने कहा
जाने तू या जाने न
माने तू या माने न

तू भी रही मेरे लिए
मैं भी रहा तेरे लिए
पहले भी मैं तुझे बाहों में लेके
झूमा किया और झूमा किया
जाने तू या जाने न
माने तू या माने न

देखो अभी खोना नहीं
कभी जुदा होना नहीं
अब खेल में यूँही रहेंगे दोनों
वादा रहा ये इस शाम का
जाने तू या जाने न
माने तू या माने न

Marriage and Working with Jennifer Kendal

Shashi was as much a theatre man as he was a cinema person. As I said he had keen interest in Prithvi Theatre. In 1956, when he was helping his father as assistant stage manager as well as stage actor, Geoffrey Kendal’s Shakespearean group visited Bombay. He started seeing more and more of Geoffrey’s daughter Jennifer. Subsequently, they married in 1958. His alliance with Jennifer made him act in British and American films, such as for Merchant Ivory productions run by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. Thus, some of the movies that came about were: The Householder (1963), Shakespeare Wallah (1965) (opposite his sister-in-law Felicity Kendal), Bombay Talkie (1970) and Heat and Dust (1982) in which he co-starred with his wife Jennifer Kendal.

In 1978, he set up his production house, Film Valas, which produced critically acclaimed films such as Junoon (1978), Kalyug (1981), 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Vijeta (1982) and Utsav (1984). I saw them all and have Utsav as a VHS cassette still with me for playing on my VCR. In Junoon, Jennifer acted with him in the movie that was based on Ruskin Bond’s A Flight of Pigeons. The movie was directed by Shyam Benegal.

Shashi Kapoor as Javed Khan, Jennifer (centre one of the three ladies) as Miriam Labadoor, Nafisa Ali to her left as her daughter Ruth and Ismat Chugtai (the writer; of amongst others, Garam Hawa) as her mother in the 1978 Shashi Kapoor production and Shyam Benegal directed movie Junoon

Shashi Kapoor Enacting one of My Boyhood Favourite Songs

I was studying in the hill station of Dharmashala (IPL cricket matches are held there these days) when this Nasir Hussain movie Pyar Ka Mausam was released in 1969. Nasir Hussain, of course, had his find Asha Parekh acting in the lead role. Shashi Kapoor acted opposite her. Both of them brought in incredible enchantment in the movie with, for example, Ni sultana re pyaar ka mausam aaya (the title song of the movie). But, the song that I was mad about was Tum bin jaayun kahan. It immediately became my favourite song. I was so enamoured by it that it became the talk of the college. Finally, a girl from my class sang it for me in the college tuck shop. The song had two versions. In the movie the Kishore Kumar version was sung by Shashi Kapoor’s father Bharat Bhushan. Mohammad Rafi sang it for Shashi Kapoor and sang it so well that it is still being thought of as one of the best picturised on Shashi Kapoor. The two others who deserve credit for the song are Majrooh Sultanpuri, the lyricist and RD Burman, the composer.

Please enjoy one of my all time favourites of Shashi Kapoor: Tum bin jaayun kahan….

तुम बिन जाऊँ कहाँ, के दुनिया में आके
कुछ न फिर चाहा कभी तुमको चाहके, तुम बिन …

देखो मुझे सर से कदम तक, सिर्फ़ प्यार हूँ मैं
गले से लगालो के तुम्हारा बेक़रार हूँ मैं
तुम क्या जानो के भटकता फिरा
मैं किस गली, तुमको चाह के …

अब है सनम हर मौसम, प्यार के काबिल
पड़ी जहाँ छाओं हमारी, सज गयी महफ़िल
महफ़िल क्या तनहाई में भी
लगता है जी, तुमको चाह के …

The first line of the first stanza described Shashi Kapoor fully: Dekho mujhe sar se kadam taq, sirf pyaar hoon mein. That’s the way we should always remember Shashi Kapoor: the quintessential lover boy who was not just a gentleman in reel life but in real life too. There is this anecdote about his directorial venture, the 1991 movie Ajooba starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. It is reported that he went around with a stick in his hand so as to maintain discipline on the sets. Within no time, everyone knew that stick and Shashi Kapoor were strangers to each other and that he cared for his cast, crew, workers and junior artistes immensely.

Today evening, we have lost not just a superb actor and producer but Hindi movies great gentleman in Shashi Kapoor.

Aapke paas ab maa nahin hai, Ravi; maa ke paas aap hain.

Go rest in her lap; we shall never forget you.

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #19

Before I begin today, let me tell you about the Annual Navy Veterans Lunch hosted by the C-in-C (West) that Lyn and I attended four days ago, on Sunday the 26th Nov 17 that is. I was pleasantly surprised to know many people access my blog daily for these songs and also those in Raaga Based Songs of the Day series. It also came out that people know me more as Sunbyanyname than my real name. Thank you for your abiding interest, ladies and gentlemen.

The nineteenth day of songs in this series.

In the last eighteen days, we have taken up songs of nine male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman and KL Saigal. We also took up songs of nine female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali and Sudha Malhotra.

Tonight, we shall take up a song of our tenth male singer: Pankaj Mullick and the song is my most favourite: Tere mandir ka hoon deepak jal raha, a bhajan.

Pankaj Mullick was one of the first few of Indian Cinema personalities who was awarded the highest: the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. As a matter of interest, the award was introduced in 1969 and was won by Devika Rani, the first lady of Indian Cinema. In 1970, it went to Birendranath Sircar (founder of two production companies International Filmcraft and New Theatres) followed by Prithviraj Kapoor in 1971. That makes Pankaj Mulick the fourth ever recipient of this award in 1972.

Pankaj Mullick was a composer, music director, one of the earliest playback singers and he also acted in a few movies. He was born in Calcutta on 10 May 1905 and he died on 19 Feb 1978. An important turning point in his life came when, after finishing his studies, he came in contact with Dinendranath Tagore, who was Rabindranath Tagore’s great-nephew. This led to Pankaj Mullick’s lasting interest in Rabindra Sangeet. Rabindranath Tagore, in turn, grew fond of him, and soon Mullick became known as one of the leading exponents of Tagore’s songs.

Some of my favourite songs that Pankaj Mullick either composed or sang are: Aayi bahaar aaj aayi bahaar (Doctor, 1940), Ai qaatib-e-taqadiir mujhe itnaa bata de, Do naina matwaare tihaare (Sung by KL Saigal on his composition in Meri Behan, 1944), Chale pawan ki chaal (an all time favourite from Doctor, 1941, sung and composed by him on Kavi Pradeep’s lyrics), Duniya rang rangeeli baba (Dharmatama, 1938), Jeevan naiya behati jaaye (beautiful song on the lyrics of Ali Sardar Jafri for Zalzalaa, 1952), Karun kyaa aas niraas bhayi (Kl Saigal in Dushman, 1939), Mehak rahi phulwari hamaari (Doctor, 1941 again. Incidentally, Pankaj Mullick also acted in the movie), Main kyaa jaanu jaadu hai (KL Saigal in Zindagi, 1940), Pawan chale zor lahar machaaye shor (again from Zalzalaa but penned by Satya Kumar; it was a Dev Anand starrer), Piya milan ko jaana (an all time favourite of mine from Kapala Kundala, 1939. It was Pankaj Mullick all the way as Lyricist, Composer, Singer and Actor), Ye kaun aaj aaya savere savere (lyrics by Munshi Arzoo, sung and composed by Pankaj Mullick, 1940. He acted in the movie too), Jab chaand mera nikala chhayin thi ghataayen (Non-film, penned by Faiyyaz Hashmi and composed by F Casanovas), Kaun des hai jaana baabu (Mukti, 1937; once again Pnkaj Mullick all the way), and Ye raaten ye mausam hasna hasaana (Non film, another all time favourite).

Piya milan ko jaana, one of my all time favourites of Pankaj Mullick. Song was penned, composed, sung and acted on by Pankaj Mullick in Kapala Kundala, 1939. Leela Desai shared the lead with him in the movie

Not many people know that Pankaj Mullick sacrificed his own interests in favour of KL Saigal. For example, the 1944 movie Meri Behan songs that I have listed above were actually recorded in the voice of Pankaj Mulick and he was already playing the lead role in the movie. Half way through, BN Sircar, the owner of New Theatres (I have already told you above that Sircar received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award two years before Pankaj Mullick) asked Pankaj Mullick to let KL Saigal sing the songs and be the lead actor in the movie. Pnakaj Mullick was more famous than KL Saigal at that time but he gracefully agreed.

The song Tere mandir ka hoon deepak was penned by Pt. Madhur. He was a writer, lyricist and producer. He wrote the following movies’ stories: Tulsidas (1954), Banjarin (1960), Parasmani (1963) and Mahabharat (1965). Some of his popular songs are: Chanda re mori patiya le jaa and Ek baar dharti pe aake dekh Bhagwan (Banjarin, 1960), Duniya ye duniya Toofan Mail, Rona hai bekaar pagli (Song sung by Kanan Devi in Jawab, 1942 on the composition of Kamal Dasgupta), Ho chand chamka andhere mein aaj hai (Humayun, 1945; song sung by Shamshad Begum on the composition by Ghulam Haider), Sanjh bhaye ghar aaya panchhi (Sanyasi, 1945; song composed by Naushad and sung by Shaam Kumar), Suno ji pyaari koyaliya bole (Also from Sanyasi, 1945 but sung by Zohrabai Ambalewali and Amar), and Zaara bolo kyaa logi is dil ka kiraaya (Song sung by Mukesh and Kusum and composed by Firoz Nizami in Us Paar, 1944).

The most popular song penned by Pt. Madhur was picturised on Kanchan Kamini and Manhar Desai in 1960 movie Banjaran and sung by Lata and Mukesh

The bhajan that I am giving you (this is the first song in the series that is a bhajan and a non-film one at that) is sung for Lord Krishna and talks about deep and abiding devotion to Him. In the first stanza, the devotee (Pankaj Mullick) asks the Lord if He is a stranger to the devotee’s ache for Him; if he is new to Him? In the second stanza, the devotee is longing to obtain just one glimpse of Krishna. The third stanza is by far the best. The devotee wants to change his destiny with that of Krishna’s Bansuri (Flute) since she is so close to the Lord.

Curiously, all the favourites of Krishna are in the lyrics of the song: the Kadamb tree in the second stanza, the Jamuna river in the last stanza, and thje Batasha sweet in the first stanza. Naturally, the song has lyrics that have been penned by Pt. Madhur who knew the history well. On top of that, Pankaj Mullick’s singing and composition not just bring out the dard of the devotee but instantly take you to the scenes that Krishna was popular for.

Please enjoy Pankaj Mullick sing on his own composition a non-film bhajan: Tere mandir ka hoon deepak jal raha….

तेरे मन्दिर का हूँ दीपक जल रहा
आग जीवन में मैं भर कर जल रहा, जल रहा
तेरे मन्दिर का हूँ दीपक जल रहा

क्या तू मेरे ददर् से अन्जान है
तेरी मेरी क्या नयी पहचान है
जो बिना पानी बताशा ढल रहा
आग जीवन में मैं भर कर …

इक झलक मुझ को दिखा दे साँवरे, साँवरे
मुझ को ले चल तू गधुम की छाँव रे, साँवरे
और छलिया आ आ आ
और छलिया क्यों मुझे तू छल रहा
आग जीवन में मैं भर कर …

मैं तो क़िसमत बाँसुरी के बाँछता
एक धुन से सौ तरह से नाचता
आँख से जमुना का पानी डल रहा
आग जीवन में मैं भर कर …

Bhajans are and have been my favourite genre of songs. I must be really passionate about this that I have always chosen this over Pankaj Mullick’s Piya milan ko jaana. Lord Krishna is not just our most beloved avatar of God but also close to my heart. There must be something that makes people of all ages, sex, religions and positions in life reach out to Him, long for Him and go through the pain (dard or peedha) of not having a glimpse of Him. I guess amongst various reasons for it, one prominent one is that Krishna as avatar of God is not on a high platform in heavens but lived the life in ordinary human form. All His extraordinary abilities run parallel with his ordinary, humane antics.

The bhajan is my favourite song of this great singer and composer. Another great, Lata Mangeshkar, paid tribute to Pankaj Mullick by singing the same bhajan on Pankaj Mulick’s composition. In the following video, Lata’s tribute starts from minute 3:14:

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await tomorrow’s song.

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #18

The eighteenth day of songs in this series.

In the last seventeen days, we have taken up songs of nine male singers: Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, SD Burman and KL Saigal. We also took up songs of eight female singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Uma Devi (Tun Tun), Suraiya and Zohrabai Ambalewali. Naturally, stage is set up for taking up our ninth female singer.

Tonight, we shall take up a song of our ninth female singer: Sudha Malhotra. After the failed love affair with Amrita Pritam, Sahir Ludhianvi turned to Sudha Malhotra for loving support and she ended up singing many songs penned by him. This is one of them.

Sudha was born in Kurukshetra (now in Haryana) in 1954. Thanks to music director Ghulam Haider who discovered her as a child artiste, she sang her first song for Dilip Kumar starrer Arzoo at the age of 14. The song was milaa gaye nain. She was hailed as the next singing sensation in the country after Lata Mangeshkar. But then, at the height of her career, she suddenly left film industry after her marriage to Giridhar Motwani whose family owned the Chicago Radio Mike Company. Before her marriage she was romantically linked with Sahir Ludhainvi as far as grapevine is concerned. He had approached her for a song in 1959 movie Bhai Bahen. This led to this romantic linkage which was neither denied nor affirmed by the couple. However, the film industry was rife with rumours of his calling on her early mornings, which was chided by the industry as ‘morning alarm call’. She, however, admitted that the attention that he showered on her resulted in her getting unprecedented success. Some of my favourite songs of Sudha Malhotra are: Awaaz de raha hai koi asmaan se (Gauhar, 1953; song penned by Shakeel Badayuni), Ganga ki reti pe bangla chhavay de (Mirza Ghalib, 1954), Hari tum meri raakho laaj Hari (Dekh Kabira Roya, 1957), Kaise kahun man ki baat (Dhool Ka Phool, 1959), Manmohan mein ho tumhi (Kaise Kahoon, 1964; also penned by Shakeel Badayuni), Mohabbat ki dhun beqraaron se poochho (Dil-e-Nadaan, 1953; also penned by Shakeel), and Salaam-e-hasrat qabool kar lo (Babur, 1960).

Lets turn to Sahir Ludhianvi, the lyricist of this song. Of course, many of his songs were indicative of the situation between him and Sudha Malhotra. For example, this one from 1959 movie Didi. All that one has to do is to ascribe male lines to female and vice-versa and it fits in well with them. It was also rumoured that the Gumraah song Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayen hum dono was indicative of the ceasing of their affair after she married Motwani. But, then, such was the persona of Sahir Ludhianvi that many situations in the movies were supposedly based on his life: Pyaasa, Kabhi Kabhi are two examples. As far as my favourites penned by him are concerned, there are quite a few. However, here is a shorter list: Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo, Tadbeer se bigadi hui taqdeer bana le (Baazi, 1951), Aap aaye to khayaal-e-dil-e-nashaad aaya, Chalo ek baar phir se, Ye hawa ye fiza (Gumrah, 1963), Abhi na jaao chhod kar, Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya, Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya (Hum Dono, 1961), Ashqon ne jo paaya hai (Chandi Ki Deewar, 1964), Ai meri zohra zabeen, Chehre pe khushi chha jaati hai, Aage bhi jaane na tu, Ham jab simat ke aap ki baahin mein aa gaye (Waqt, 1964), Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko (Sadhana, 1964), Baabul ki duyayen leti jaa, Tujhako pukaare mera pyaar (Neelkamal, 1968), Bhool sakta hai bhala kaun (Dharamputra, 1961), Dhadakne lage dil ke taaron ki duniya, Tere pyaar ka assra chahta hoon (Dhool Ka Phool, 1959), Dil ki umange hain jawan, Jeewan ke safar mein rahi (Munimji, 1955), Dukhi man mere sun mera kehna (Funtoosh, 1956), Duniya kare sawaal to hum jawab dein, Log kehte hain tum se kinara kar lein, Sab mein shaamil ho magar (Bahu Begum, 1967), Door reh kar na karo baat (Amanat, 1975), Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi, Maayus to hoon waade pe tere, Na to karvaan ki talaash hai (Barsaat Ki Raat, 1960), Ham aapki aankhon mein, Tang aa chuke hain kashmakash zindagi se ham, Jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan hain, Jaane kya tune kahi, Sar to tera chakraaye, Jaane wo kaise log the jinake pyaar ko pyar mila (Pyaasa, 1957), Husn haazir hai muhabbat ki saza paane ko (Laila Majnu, 1976), Iswar Allah tere naam sabako snmati de bhagwan (Naya Rasta, 1970), Jaayen to jaayen kahan (Taxi Driver, 1954), Jaan-e-bahaar husn tera bemissal hai (Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, 1963), Jise tu qabuul kar le, Kisako khacar thi kisako yakeen tha (Devdas, 1955), Jo waada kiya wo, Paaon chhu lene do, Zurm-e-ulfat pe hamen log saza dete hain (Taj Mahal, 1963), Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai, Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon (Kabhi Kabhi, 1976), Laaga chunari mein daag, Nigahen milane ko ji chahta hai (Dil Hi To Hai, 1963), Maang ke saath tumhaara, Ude jab jab zulfen teri, Ye desh hai veer jawano ka (Naya Daur, 1957), Mehfil se uthh jaane waalo, Phool gendwa na maaro (Dooj Ka Chand, 1964), Mera tujhase hai pehle ka naata koi (Aa Gale Lag Jaa, 1973), Tora man darpan kehlaaye, Chhu lene do naazuk hontho ko, Mere bhaiya mere chanda mere anmol ratan (Kajal, 1965), Mujhe gale se laga lo bahut udaas hoon main (Aaj Aur Kal, 1963), Na tu zameen ke liye hai na aasman ke liye (Dastaan, 1972), Parbaton ke pdho par shaam ka basra hai, Tum chali jaogi parchaayiyan reh jayengi (Shagoon, 1964), Pyaar par bas to nahin hai mera, Raat bhar ka hai mehmaan andhera (Sone Ki Chidhiya, 1958), Rang aur noor ki baraat kise pesh karun (Ghazal, 1964), Teri duniya mein jeene se behtar hai ke mar jaayen, Chup hai dharti chup hain chand sitaare (House No. 44), Thandi hawaayen lehra ke aayen (Naujawan, 1951), Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo (Babur, 1960), and Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan (Jaal, 1952).

Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya is regarded by me as the best lyrics that he penned. It featured in Hum Dono, a movie with double-role of Dev Anand

Perhaps it would be better to go through my posts on Sahir Ludhianvi:

The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – The ‘Magician’ Lyricist And Poet – Part I,
The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – The ‘Magician’ Lyricist And Poet – Part II

Lets turn to the composer of this song: Sudha Malhotra herself. Actually, the music director of the movie was N Dutta who had worked with Sahir Ludhainvi in as many movies as Sahir did with SD Burman before the two broke up in 1957 after Pyaasa. However, N Dutta fell ill during the film’s making and then Suhda Malhotra came forward and helped with this song. Isn’t it a great coincidence that the song was composed by her in the raaga of my home-place: Pahadi and Tal Dadra? She actually made it into a memorable song.

The movie from which the song of this post has been taken is the 1959 movie Didi. The movie was directed by K Narayan Kale and produced by Sadashiv J Row Kavi. This was a remake of an iconic Marathi Movie “Vahininchya Bangadya”. A famous Telugu version also was made in the name of “Vadina Gajulu”. Didi was a story of brother-sister love, but NOT in a tear-tear way but in a very hilarious way. The main roles were done by Sunil Dutt and Shubha Khote(a perinnial sister of the Indian screen). This was also one of the rare films in which the Parsi sisters Honey and Daisy Irani were acting together and both were as boys.

Please enjoy Sudha Malhotra sing (with Mukesh): Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao to ye haq hai tumako, meri baat aur hai maine to mohabbat ki hai….

सुधा: तुम मुझे भूल भी जाओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको
मेरी बात और है मैंने तो मुहब्बत की है

मेरे दिल की मेरे जज़बात की कीमत क्या है
उलझे-उलझे से ख्यालात की कीमत क्या है
मैंने क्यूं प्यार किया तुमने न क्यूं प्यार किया
इन परेशान सवालात कि कीमत क्या है
तुम जो ये भी न बताओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको
मेरी बात और है मैंने तो मुहब्बत की है
तुम मुझे भूल भी जाओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको

मुकेश: ज़िन्दगी सिर्फ़ मुहब्बत नहीं कुछ और भी है
ज़ुल्फ़-ओ-रुख़सार की जन्नत नहीं कुछ और भी है
भूख और प्यास की मारी हुई इस दुनिया में
इश्क़ ही एक हक़ीकत नहीं कुछ और भी है
तुम अगर आँख चुराओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको
मैंने तुमसे ही नहीं सबसे मुहब्बत की है
तुम अगर आँख चुराओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको

सुधा: तुमको दुनिया के ग़म-ओ-दर्द से फ़ुरसत ना सही
सबसे उलफ़त सही मुझसे ही मुहब्बत ना सही
मैं तुम्हारी हूँ यही मेरे लिये क्या कम है
तुम मेरे होके रहो ये मेरी क़िस्मत ना सही
और भी दिल को जलाओ ये हक़ है तुमको
मेरी बात और है मैंने तो मुहब्बत की है
तुम मुझे भूल भी जाओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको

Hindi movie industry has a number of love-affairs in real life that have been as famous and fascinating as some of the others in reel-life. Sahir Ludhainvi’s attraction for Sudha Malhotra was the subject of many rumours after the unrequited affair that he had with Punjabi poetess Amrita Pritam. I not only think of this song as the one about another affair that didn’t fructify. I also think of the most beautiful lyrics of this song that destiny directed that the object of his love should compose since the music director N Dutta fell ill. And Sudha not just sang it with passion but put her heart and soul into composing it in my favourite raaga and dhun Pahadi. The song often gives me goosebumps when I listen to it.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await tomorrow’s song.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #86

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar….
Raag Bhairavi, Tal Hinch

Today is the eighty-sixth post in the series on Raaga Based Songs of the Day. As already planned, I had kept Bhairavi for special treatment until the end after giving you the first song in Bhairavi on the 11th day: Babul mora naihar chhooto hi jaaye (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #11’) I gave you songs in many other raagas and now when we approach our 100th song, I am into repeating some of the important raagas. I have given you a few songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan (Jaikishan had Bhairavi as his favourite raaga). Today, I give you a special one composed by Jaidev.

Before I do, let me reiterate that I am primarily a Lyrics person. My interest in music and raagas is only to the extent of their adding to the emotions expressed through the lyrics. The purists would tell you, with enough justification, that in the Indian Classical Tradition, the instruments were made to express emotions without any lyrics. I agree but it is merely a question of my passion. A painter can do away with both lyrics and notes and tell you that a painting is worth thousands of words and notes. And finally, a spiritual person can do away with all thoughts to merge with his Parmatma: no words, no notes, not even thoughts. One has to search for one’s starting point; my starting point is lyrics and has always been.

Let me, therefore, start with the poet of this great ghazal. His name was Makhdoom Mohiuddin, or Abu Sayeed Mohammad Makhdoom Mohiuddin Khudri. He was born in the village of Andole in Medak district, Hyderabad State on 04 Feb 1908. Most Urdu poets of that era (with the exception of my favourite Shakeel Badayuni) were part of the Marxist political movement in India and Progressive Writers Union. Makhdoom Mohiuddin, indeed, founded the Progressive Writer’s Union in Hyderabad, was active in Marxist movements, and in 1946-47, was in the forefront of Telengana Rebellion against the Nizam of Hyderabad. The then-ruler of Hyderbad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, had issued orders to kill him for awakening people for freedom and the abolition of Nawab (“princely”) rule. He soon earned the sobriquet of Shayar-e-Inquilab (Poet of Revolution) and is honoured as a freedom fighter. He is best known for his collection of poems entitled Bisat-e-Raqs (“The Dance Floor”), for which he was awarded the 1969 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu.

Here is what Mir Ayoob Ali Khan wrote about him in The Times of India (Hyderabad edition) on 16 Aug 2015 in an article titled ‘Makhdoom – Poet of Labour and Love’:

“Several years ago Ali Sardar Jafri made a documentary on Makhdoom. The character of Makhdoom was played by Irrfan Khan and music scored by Jagjit Singh. It gave some insight into the man and his passions but that it was too little. What still lacks is a well-researched book on him, especially in English that narrates his complete story, not bits and pieces that we find in Urdu.”

His ghazals have been used in Hindi films. Some of these are: Ik chameli ke mandve tale (for the 1964 movie Cha Cha Cha), Aap ki yaad aati rahi raat bhar (Gaman, 1978), and Phir chhidi raat baat phoolon ki (Bazaar, 1982).

The ghazal, Aap ki yaad aati rahi raat bhar has a history of its own. Makhdoom Mohiuddin breathed his last on 25 Aug 1969. Faiz Ahmad Faiz, another Marxist revolutionary, another notable member of Progressive Writer’s Union, and recipient of Pakistan’s highest civilian award Nishan-e-Imtiaz, wrote the following in Makhdoom’s memory:

“Makhdoom ki yaad mein”–Faiz Ahmed Faiz

“Aap ki yaad aati rahi raat bhar”
chaandni dil dukhaati rahi raat bhar

The night was haunted by your memories
And the moonlights made my heart bleed all night long

gaah jalti hui, gaah bujhti hui
shamm-e-gham jhilmilaati rahi raat bhar

Restlessly, it flickered at times, at times it didn’t
The flame of sadness kept shining all night long

koi khushboo badalti rahi pairahan
koi tasveer gaati rahi raat bhar

A fragrance kept changing its body all night
And a portrait kept singing all night long

phir sabaa saaya-e-shaakh-e-gul ke talay
koi qissa sunaati rahi raat bhar

And again, in the shades of blossomed tree
A gentle breeze narrated some tales all night long

jo na aaya use koi zanjeer-e-dar
har sadaa par bulaati rahi raat bhar

The chains of the courtyard, with every call,
Sought him, who did not turn up, all night long

eik ummeed se dil behalta raha
ik tamanna sataati rahi raat bhar

A hope kept my heart at bay
And a desire kept burning within all night long

Naturally, Faiz being a more accomplished poet, penned his tribute even better than Makhdoom’s, as many feel. However, the fact is that the original still belongs to Makhdoom.

We have completed eighty-five days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our eighty-fifth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #85’ and the song was a Mukesh song from the 1966 Abhi Bhattacharya (Shailendra production) movie Teesri Kasam starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman: Duniya banane waale kya tere man mein samayi. It is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Pilu – Part I’.

In the last eighty-five days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand and Sohani. Today, I am repeating Raag Bhairavi for the eighth time.

Today’s ghazal has been sung by Chhaya Ganguly on the lyrics of Makhdoom Mohiuddin and composition by Jaidev. As I said, it is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Hinch. The song is picturised on Smita Patil in the 1978 Muzaffar Ali movie Gaman, in his own production.

Incidentally, Jaidev who won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction in 1979 for his work and for the Song Aap ki Yaad Aati Rahi, Chhaya Ganguly won a National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer.

Lets know a little more about them in reverse order. First, the singer Chhaya Ganguly. She is best described by the expression: ‘A Forgotten Voice’. Indeed, this is how The Indian Express described her in an article on 20 Apr 2014 in its New Delhi edition. The occasion was her performance as a part of 21st Ustad Chand Khan Music Festival presented by Sursagar Society in New Delhi. And to think that she actually won the National Award for her singing this ghazal. She could have pushed to remain centre stage for years. But, instead, she chose to remain in the background in a most self effacing manner.

Chhaya Ganguli trained with ghazal singer Madhurani, whom she met through Jaidev, who composed Gaman’s score. She also sang the ballad “Piya Piya” for Jaidev in Trikon Ka Chauttha Kon (1983).

As if shy of her success, Ganguli took a long break from films, returning in 1990 for the Amol Palekar film Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen. The title track, composed by Bhaskar Chandavarkar, captures a great return to form by her.

Her songs in non-film albums include filmmaker and composer Muzaffar Ali’s Husn-e-Jaana (1997) and Paigham-e-Mohabbat (2000). She sang the poems of Ahmad Faraz, Ibn-E-Insha, Nazeer Akbarabadi and Mir Taqi Mir. One of her most popular Sufi songs is “Zihaal-e-Miskin” from the album Husn-e-Jaana. She sings the poetry of Amir Khusro with passion.

Jaidev Verma, the composer and music director was born on 03 Aug 1919 in Nairobi. He was brought up in Ludhiana. At the age of 15 years he ran away to Bombay to become a film star. As a child-star he acted in eight films for Wadia Film Company. It was Prof Barkat Rai in Ludhiana who had initiated him into music. Later, in Bomaby, he learnt music from Krishnarao Jaokar and Janardan Jaokar. Unfortunately, he had to leave his budding films career to return to his family after his father’s blindness. He assumed the sole responsibility to look after his family. After his father died, in 1943 he left for Lucknow to learn music under Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

He started his career in Hindi films after Ali Akbar Khan took him as his assistant for Navketan Films Aandhiyan (1952) and Hum Safar. He was the first music director to have won three National Awards.

Some of my favourite songs composed by Jaidev are: Ab koi gulshan na ujade ab watan aazad hai, Nadi naare na jao Shyam, Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi, Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua deti hoon (Mujhe Teene Do, 1963); Abhi na jao chood kar, Allah tero naam, Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya, Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya (Hum Dono, 1961); Chand akela jaaye sakhi ri, Koi gaata main so jaata (Alaap, 1977); Chale jaa rahen hain mohabbat ke maare kinaare kinaare, Dekh li teri khudayi bas mera dil nhar gaya, Jab gham-e-ishq sataata hai to has leta hoon (Kinaare Kinaare, 1963); Dil ne tadap tadap ke tadpaana sikha diya (Faasla, 1974); Di deewane shehr mein (Gharaunda, 1977); Jaise suraj ki garmi se (Parinay, 1974); Tu chanda main chandini (Reshma Aur Shera, 1971); and Ye dil aur unaki nigaahin ke saaye (Prem Parbat, 1973).

A word about the actress, Smita Patil, on whom the song is picturised. Having been born on 17 Oct 1955 in Poona, she graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India and debuted in Shyam Benegal’s Charandas Chor in 1975. She soon became the favourite of Shyam Benegal. Her performances were often acclaimed, and her most notable roles include Manthan (1977), Bhumika (1977), Aakrosh (1980), Chakra (1981), Chidambaram (1985) and Mirch Masala (1985). Smita Patil was married to actor Raj Babbar. She died on 13 December 1986 at the age of 31 due to childbirth complications. Over ten of her films were released after her death. She won two National Awards for her roles in Bhumika and Chakra and three Filmfare Awards for her roles in Jait Re Jait, Umbartha and Chakra. For the intensity of her acting she was being hailed as a Meena Kumari in the making and then she died at a very young age of 31 years.

And lastly, lets know a little more about the producer and director of the 1978 movie Gaman: Muzaffar Ali. He was born on 21 Oct 1944 in Lucknow. is an Indian filmmaker, fashion designer, poet, artist, music-lover, revivalist, and social worker. Gaman (1978) was his first movie. He went on to direct Umrao Jaan (1981), Aagman (1982), Anjuman (1986), and Jaanisaar (2015). In the last movie he also acted as Meer Mohsin Ali. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2005 and Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award in 2014.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last five times onwards we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. And finally, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Today, we shall take up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

Bhimsen Joshi was born on 04 Feb 1922 in Ron town of Gadag district of Karnataka. As a child itself he was fascinated by music and musical instruments such as harmonium and tanpura. His first music teacher was Agasara Channappa of Kurtakoti, who had trained with the veteran singer Inayat Khan. He learnt raagas Bhairav and Bhimpalasi from him. Bhimsen Joshi next went to Pandit Shyamacharya Joshi, who hailed from Bagalkot. It is through Pandit Shyamacharya that Bhimsen Joshi got his first break. Pandit Joshi had gone to Bombay to record songs for HMV and after recording a few he fell ill, returned to Bagalkot and asked Bhimsen Joshi to continue. This proved a majot breakthrough for Bhimsen Joshi.

He soon emerged as a singer of Khayal and for devotional songs such as Bhajans and Abhangas. If we look at the awards that he won, one can make out his career progression: Padma Shree in 1972, Sahitya Natak Akademi Award in 1976, Padma Bhushan and National Award for Best Male Playback Singer (for the film Ankahee in which Jaidev too won the National Award as Best Music Director) in 1985, Padma Vibhushan in 1999 and India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 2008.

The Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri A.E. Ahmad giving away the Bharat Ratna Award to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, at Pune on February 10, 2009. (Pic courtesy: netindian.in)

As I said, today’s song is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Hinch.

Raagmala painting of Raag Bhairavi (Pic courtesy: Chandrakantha)

Raag Bhairavi is the basic raag of the Bhairavi Thaat. Bhairavi makes use of all the komal swars, Rishabh, Gandhar, Dhaivat, Nishad. When singing compositions in Bhairavi raag, the singers however take liberty to use all the 12 swars. Bhairavi raag is named after the Shakti or feminine aspect of the cosmic life force, which is personified as a consort to Lord Shiva. Bhairavi is a powerful raag filled with devotion and compassion. Its Jati is Sampurna – Sampurna, which means all seven swar (heptatonic) both in Aaroha and Avaroha. I have already told you that in a concert Bhairavi is usually the concluding raaga since it is supposed to cure mistakes of the earlier performances. Hence, if a concert has started at night (which is usually the case), Bhairavi would be played in the wee hours of the morning.

A pleasant sobering atmosphere full of love and piety is created with this raag and one feels so close to the Supreme. Its compositions include several Thumris, Bhajans, Ghazals, Songs etc. Since it is an ocean of immense possibilities the melodic combinations can include all the twelve notes with skill.

I am not giving you again a list of songs composed in Raag Bhairavi as I have already given you this adequate number of times, this being the eighth time I am giving you a song in this raag.

About Tal Hinch, I can do no better than put up the link to a video explaining this:

Lastly, a word about the movie from where this song (ghazal) has been taken by me. The 1978 movie Gaman was produced and directed by Muzaffar Ali and starred Farooq Sheikh and Smita Patil. Farooq Sheikh, the gentlest actor in Hindi movies left us on 27 Dec 2013 at the age of 65 and Smita Patil died young at 31 years on 13 Dec 1986. The film deals with the issue of futility of urban migration, using the story of migrant from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai, who tries to find a foothold in his new life as a taxi driver. Farooq Sheikh as Ghulam Hasan, is from – hold your breath – Badayun in Uttar Pradesh (the town of my favourite lyricist and poet Shakeel Badayuni). He relocates to Mumbai and becomes a taxi driver through his friend Jalal Agha as Lallulal Tewari. He had to leave his ailing mother and wife Khairun (Smita Patil) behind in Badayun. And that’s how this song (ghazal) came about in the movie. With each note, word and each histrionic of Smita Patil the agony of the migration for better life from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai comes through so lucidly.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Hinch: Aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar…

आप की याद आती रही रात भर
चश्म-ए-नम मुस्कुराती रही रात भर
आप की याद आती रही …

रात भर दर्द की शमा जलती रही
ग़म की लौ थरथराती रही रात भर …

बाँसुरी की सुरीली सुहानी सदा
याद बनबनके आती रही रात भर …

याद के चाँद दिल में उतरते रहे
चाँदनी डगमगाती रही रात भर …

कोई दीवाना गलियों में फिरता रहा
कोई आवाज़ आती रही रात भर …

Aap ki yaad aatee rahee raat bhar
Chashm-e-nam muskaratee rahee raat bhar

The night was haunted by your memories
And my teary eyes smiled all night long

Raat bhar dard ki shamma jaltee rahee
Gham ki lau thartharatee rahee raat bhar

The candles of pain kept the night awake
And the flames of sadness kept flickering all night long

Bansuri ki surilee suhanee sada
Yaad ban ban kay aatee rahi raat bhar

Ah, the sweet soulful yearning of the flute
Kept tugging at my memories all night long

Yaad kay chaand dil mein utartay rahay
Chandni jagmagatee rahi raat bhar

As the moons of a memory would set in my heart
The moonlight kept shining like a beacon all night long

Koee deevana galiyon mein phirta raha
Koee aawaz aati rahi raat bhar

A forelorn lover kept wandering the streets
And a voice could well be heard all night long

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
And today, on the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

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