Category: Poems and Lyrics

Raaga Based Song of the Day:Dil jo na keh saka….
Raag Maru Bihag, Tal Kaherava

We recently had, on my Facebook group on music ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne‘, a Fest on Interludes, Preludes and Codas. I mentioned it there that the songs that were repeated in the movie because of nostalgia – good or bad – had very distinctive preludes and interludes so that just by a few strains the song could be recognised. This is one of those songs penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Roshan. Under happier circumstances, in the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat, it was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and lip synced by Meena Kumari to Pradeep Kumar. Later, when she is to be married to Ashok Kumar, Pradeep Kumar sings it in the party in the voice of Mohammad Rafi.

I shall be giving you both the versions.

Today is the third time that I give you a song in this raaga. The first time I gave you a song in this raag was on the 37th day: Tum toh pyaar ho sajna (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #37‘). Naturally, I give you the best song composed in the raaga first. That song in Kaherava tal was from the 1963 V Shantaram movie Sehra. Next I gave you a song in this raaga and Kaherava Tal as the 45th song: Matwali naar thumak thumak chali jaaye (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #45‘). It was from the 1960 Bhappi Sonie movie Ek Phool Chaar Kaante starring Waheeda Rehman and Sunil Dutt. It was penned by Shailendra and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

We have completed ninety-four 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 ninety-fourth post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #94‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1962 Mohan Kumar movie Anpadh starring Mala Sinha and Dharmendra: Aap ki nazaron ne samajha. It is in Raag Adana, Tal Rupaktal.

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 Bhimpalasi – Part II‘.

In the last ninety-four 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, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am repeating Raag Maru Bihag for the third time.

Today’s song is from the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat starring Ashok Kumar, Meena Kumari and Pradeep Kumar.  Lets understand the story-line to see where the two versions of the song fit in the movie. Pradeep Kumar as Ajay is a painting artiste, living a wealthy lifestyle along with his Bombay-based father Dwarkanath (Ulhas). His father wants him to marry Vinita (Shashikala). Ajay not only refuses but also insults her and she swears to avenge this humiliation. He then re-locates to Nainital, rents a cottage from Colonel Bhim Singh, meets with his neighbor’s Governess, Neelima (Meena Kumari), and both fall in love. Neither are aware that Neelima’s employer, Pushpa, would prefer that she marry her London-based widower Civil Engineer brother, Anand (Ashok Kumar), so that she could look after his child, Munni (Baby Irani). After a dramatic and life-threatening hunt, Ajay asks Neelima to be present at their engagement – not knowing that she will not only not show up but also subsequently announce that she is going to marry Anand.

The first time the song is sung is on that Bheegi Raat when Neelima and Ajay have taken shelter at a place and lit a fire. She sings it to him. The second time, he sings at the party wherein she announces the engagement with Anand. Please have a look at the expressions of Shashikala for having taken revenge.

The lyricist of the song was Majrooh Sultanpuri and the composer was Roshan.  On my Facebook page Lyrical I have, in the last few months, put up over a hundred of my favourite songs penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

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 one who kept pace with the changing times.

Roshanlal Nagrath was born on 14 Jul 1917 in Gujranwala, Punjab, now in Pakistan. He began music lessons at a young age and later attended Marris College (now Bhatkhande Music Institute) in Lucknow under the training of Pt. S N Ratanjankar (principal of the institute). In the early 1940s, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, programme producer/music, AIR Delhi, hired Roshan as staff artist for Esraj, the instrument he used to play. Some of you would recall that I covered Esraj or Dilruba on the 50th day and told you that it was an instrument created by the tenth Guru of the Sikhs: Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #50‘).

In 1948, Roshan came to Mumbai to find work as a Hindi film music director and became assistant of music composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar in the film Singaar. He struggled until meeting Kidar Sharma, who gave him the job of composing for his film Neki aur Badi (1949). While it was a flop, Roshan emerged as a player on the Hindi film music scene with Baawre Nain, released the following year. The movie had two really beautiful songs: Khyalon mein kisi ke and Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahin.

Majrooh and Roshan worked together in five movies: Chandni Chowk (1954), Aarti (1962), Bheegi Raat (1965), Mamta (1966), and Daadi Maa (1966).

Amongst their memorable songs are: Hamen aye dil kahin le chal (Chandni Chowk); Aapne yaad dilaya, Ab kya misaal doon, Baar baar tohe kya samjhatye, Bane ho ek khaak se, Kabhi to milegi, and Tere bin laage na jiya (all from Aarti, 1962); Dil jo na keh saka, Aise to na dekho kahin behak jaayen ham, and Mohabbat se dekha khafa ho gaye hain (Bheegi Raat, 1965); Chhupa lo youn dil mein pyar mera, Rahen na rahen ham, Rehte the kabhi, and In baharon mein (Mamta, 1966); Usko nahin dekha hamne kabhi, and Jaata hoon main mujhe ab na bulaana (Daadi Maa, 1966).

Roshan has made many memorable songs based on Raagas. One of his most memorable numbers is in Raag Kalyan, Tal Kaherava, which was penned by Sahir Ludhianvi: Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi wo barsaat ki raat.

This song, as I told you, is in Raag Maru Bihag, Tal Kaherava.

Maru Bihag, as I already told you on the 37th day (Please go through ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #37’) is a very melodious raaga that belongs to the Kalyan Thaat. It is to be sung during the second prahar of the night: from 9 PM to midnight. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampoorna. Maru Bihag is a variation of Raag Bihag in which I gave you the song Tere sur aur mere geet from Goonj Uthi Shehnai that had Shehnai-vaadan by Ustaad Bismillah Khan. In the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Raag Bihagara occurs on 20 pages from 537 to 557 and is similar to its modern version: Raag Bihag.

Some of the other songs composed in Raag Maru Bihag are: Tum to pyar ho sajna (Tal Kaherava), Dil jo na keh saka(Tal Kaherava), Payal wali dekhana (Tal Kaherava) and Radha jaaye na (Tal Dadra).

I have, at various places earlier, told you about the commonest Tal in raagas: Kaherava and I know that by now you know enough about it.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last thirteen 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. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. And then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Finally, we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro.

Tonight, we shall take up the Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar.  She is the daughter of Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Shankar. She is the half-sister of Singer, Song-writer and Pianist Norah Jones who was born to Pandit Ravi Shankar and American Concert Producer Sue Jones.

Anoushka, a London born, started training on Sitar with her father when she was only seven years old. At the age of ten, she started accompanying him for his performances on stage by playing tanpura. Anoushka gave her first public sitar performance on 27 February 1995 at the age of 13, at Siri Fort in New Delhi as part of her father’s 75th birthday celebration concert. For this solo debut, she was accompanied by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

She released her first album, Anoushka, in 1998, followed by Anourag in 2000. In 1999 Anoushka graduated from high school with honors, but decided against university in favour of beginning to tour as a solo artist. Both Anoushka and her half-sister Norah Jones were nominated for Grammy awards in 2003 when Anoushka became the youngest-ever and first woman nominee in the World Music category for her third album, Live at Carnegie Hall. Since then, she has been nominated for Grammy awards five more times, the last time being in 2016.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Maru Bihag Tal Kaherava, first Lata Mangeshkar and then Mohammad Rafi sing a composition of Roshan on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri in the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat starring Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari: Dil jo na keh saka…..

Lata First:

दिल जो ना कह सका
वही राज-ए-दिल, कहने की रात आई

नग्मा सा कोई जाग उठा बदन में
झनकार की सी थरथरी है तन में
प्यार की इन्हीं धड़कती फ़िज़ाओं में
रहने की रात आई…

अब तक दबी थी एक मौज-ए-अरमां
लब तक जो आई, बन गई हैं तूफां
बात प्यार की बहकती निगाहों से
कहने की रात आई…

गुज़रे ना ये शब, खोल दूँ ये जुल्फें
तुम को छुपा लूँ, मूँद के ये पलकें
बेक़रार सी लरज़ती सी छाँव में
रहने की रात आई…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WrSdaDI51g

Rafi Now:

दिल जो ना कह सका
वोही राज़-ए-दिल कहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

तौबा ये किस ने अंजुमन सजा के
टुकड़े किये हैं गुंच-ए-वफ़ा के – २
उछालो गुलों के टुकड़े
के रंगीं फ़िज़ाओं में रहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

चलिये मुबारक ये जश्न दोस्ती का
दामन तो थामा आप ने किसी का – २
हमें तो खुशी यही है
तुम्हें भी किसी को अपना कहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

सागर उठाओ दिल का किस को ग़म है
आज दिल की क़ीमत जाम से भी कम है – २
पियो चाहे खून-ए-दिल हो
के पीते पिलाते ही रहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ANtZ53ygIY

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:

1. 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.
2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
11. 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.
12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
70. On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
71. On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
72. On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
73. On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
74. On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
75. On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
76. On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
77. On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
78. On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
    
79. On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
    
80. On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
81. On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
82. On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
83. On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
84. On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
85. On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
86. 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.
87. On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
88. On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
89. On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
90. On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
91. On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
92. On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
93. On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
94. On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
95. And today, on the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!