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 #38 – O shama mujhe phoonk de. So here, then, is the next one:
Song #40
Aaja re ab mera dil pukara
Remembering Jaikishan on His Birth Anniversary 04 Nov
My dad loved parties; both attending and organising. I recall sing-song sessions were always essential parts of those parties. My dad’s younger brother is the only surviving sibling of my dad. When dad organised a party to receive him and his American wife Connie, she sang Ye raat ye chandni phir kahan!
However, in all local parties, the songs that I heard most were Shankar Jaikishan songs. Sad songs were more welcome during those days than happy ones and this song made a sort of Jubilee!
I didn’t know Hasrat Jaipuri at that time; Kishwar Jaipuri behna, do forgive me since I was only a boy of about seven to eight years old. However, we were still aware of Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar and Shankar Jaikishan, the guys who gave us the most popular and memorable songs in Hindi movies.
Of course, I was unaware of Prithvi Theatre. However, in my later life, Prithvi Theatre became an essential part of my off working hours in the Navy. Other than seeing excellent plays there, we used to look forward to Irish Coffee during the Interval with adequate lacing with Whiskey.
We should be grateful to Prithvi Theatre and the doyen of Kapoor family: Prithviraj Kapoor (whose birth anniversary was yesterday) and his son Raj Kapoor for having brought together Shankar Jaikshan for us.
Aah – 1953 Movie
Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat, a 1949 movie, was the first movie of Shankar Jaikishan and the first movie in which Lata Mangeshkar was credited on screen as playback singer (for both Nargis and Nimmi).
What a team leader Raj Kapoor was. Raja Nawathe had worked as an assistant director to Raj Kapoor in Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949) and Awaara (1951). In this movie, Raj Kapoor as the producer, took Raja Nawathe as full fledged director!
Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra divided the nine songs of the movie between themselves and these were composed by Shankar Jaikishan. And what beautiful and unforgettable songs these were:
- Sunate the naam jinaka bahaar se.
- Raja ki aayegi baraat.
- Jaane na nazar.
- Ye shaam ki tanhayiyan.
- Jo main janati unke liye.
- Aaja re ab mera dil puakara.
- Chhoti si ye zindagani.
- Raat andheri door savera.
- Jhanan jhanan jhanan.
This film was a flop because initially the movie was to have a tragic ending (inspired by Devdas) but Raj Kapoor insisted on a happy ending, which killed the movie.
The Song
Fortunately, the sad and melancholic songs didn’t get killed and are therefore among the best remembered songs of Shankar Jaikishan.
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy Lata Mangeshkar and Manoj Kumar singing for Nargis and Raj Kapoor: Aaja re ab mera dil pukara..
आ जा रे
आ जा रे, अब मेरा दिल पुकारा
रो रो के ग़म भी हारा
बदनाम ना हो प्यार मेरा
आ जा रे
हो ओ ओ घबराये हाय ये दिल – २
सपनों में आके कभी मिल – २
मौत मेरी तरफ़ आने लगी
जान तेरी तरफ़ जाने लगी
बोल शाम-ए-जुदाई क्या करे – २
आस मिलने की तड़पाने लगी
आ जा रे …
आपने बीमार-ए-ग़म को देख ले
हो सके तो तू हमको देख ले
तूने देखा ना होगा ये समा – २
कैसे जाता है दम को देख ले
आ जा रे …
I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #40.
Please await Beautiful Duet #41- Dil dhoondta hai phir wohi.
