Beautiful Duet Series
I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 23 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.
Last time, I gave you Beautiful Duet #28 – Aankhon mein kya ji, rupahla baadal. So here, then, is the next one:
Song #29
Pyar hua ikraar hua hai, Pyar se phir kyun darta hai dil
Remembering Shankar Singh Raghuwanshi on His Birth Anniversary
In the Raat Or Din Song #59 today: O mere sanam, O mere sanam, I brought out how Shankar Jaikishan were and are never thought of separately. This happened even after Jaikishan left us early (not yet 42 years when he died on 12 Sep 1971) and the name of the Music Director continued being Shankar Jaikishan.
I gave you a song in Raag Shivaranjani, the known favourite raag of Shankar Jaikishan: O mere sanam, O mere sanam. Now, I give you a song that was so favourite with them that movies would have as many as four songs composed in Bhairavi. Jaikishan even named his daughter Bhairavi.
Bhairavi
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. 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.
SJ composed most of the title songs of the movies in Raag Bhairavi. Hence, there was a song: Awara hoon from 1951 movie Awara. This song became an international hit and was also in Raag Bhairavi. Then there was Barsaat mein hamase mile tum sajan from 1949 movie Barsaat, also in Raag Bhairavi. Sab kuchh seekha hamne from 1959 movie Anari and has the title of the movie in the mukhada is also in Raag Bhairavi. Even the song Satyam Shivam Sundaram had the title of the 1978 movie Satyam Shivam Sundaram in it, though composed in Darbari Kanada by Laxmikant Pyarelal after Jaikishan was no more. The song Mera naam Raju gharana anaam had the name of the 1960 movie Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai and was also in Raag Bhairavi. One can safely conclude that it was more of a rule than exception.
This Iconic Song
I can think of only one word to describe this duet: Iconic. Its pull was and is so strong that many other duets are shot as this was: under the umbrella, that is.
It is from the 1955 Raj Kapoor film Shree 420 starring him in the title role with the heroine of 17 of his movies, Nargis opposite him.
It was sung by Manna Dey for Raj Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar for Nargis. Shailendra wrote the unforgettable lyrics:
प्यार हुआ इक़रार हुआ है
प्यार से फिर क्यों डरता है दिल
(कहता है दिल, रस्ता मुश्किल
मालूम नहीं है कहाँ मंज़िल ) – २
प्यार हुआ इक़रार हुआ …
दिल कहे इस मांग को, मैं तारों से संवार दूँ
तुमसे नया संसार लूँ, तुमको नया संसार दूँ
चाँद और सूरज, दीप गगन के
इस धरती पे उतार दूँ
आहा हा आहा हा, आ …
प्यार हुआ इक़रार हुआ …
रातों दसों दिशाओं से, कहेंगी अपनी कहानियाँ
प्रीत हमारे प्यार की, दोहराएंगी जवानियाँ
मैं न रहूँगी, तुम न रहोगे
फिर भी रहेंगी निशानियाँ
आहा हा आहा हा, आ …
प्यार हुआ इक़रार हुआ …
Raj Kapoor was a master of histrionics in limited space (here under the umbrella); he could enact long songs just standing in front of mike; eg, Hamane tujhako pyar kiya hai jitana Kaun karega itana.
She was an actress par excellence. Her role in Mehboob Khan’s Mother India is the most iconic role she ever enacted.
The combination has made this one of the most beautiful duets ever made in Hindi films.
Finally The Song
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy on the Birth Anniversary of Shankar, a beautiful duet from the 1955 Raj Kapoor movie Shree 420 starring Raj Kapoor and Nargis; the song having been penned by Shailendra and composed in Raag Bhairavi by Shankar Jaikishan: Pyaar hua ikraar hua hai….
I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #29.
Please await Beautiful Duet #30- Ye dil deewana hai.
