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:
- The Best Songs Of Rajindra Krishan – The Richest Lyricist.
- The Best Songs Of Rajindra Krishan – The Richest Lyricist – Part II.
- The Best Songs Of Rajindra Krishan – The Richest Lyricist – Part III.
- The Best Songs Of Rajindra Krishan – The Richest Lyricist – Part IV.
Needless to say that Rajinder Krishan has penned many a song that tug at my emotions, particularly for this movie.
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).
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.
