Raaga Based Song of the Day #18

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Main pagal mera manwa pagal…
Raag Kedar, Taal Kaherava

We have completed seventeen 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 seventeenth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #17’ and the song was a Yesudas song from the 1977 Jaya Chakravarty movie Swamy: Kaa karun sajni, aaye naa balam. It is in Raag Kirwani, 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’.

Raag Kedar is a Raag of the Kalyan Thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system. Being of the Kalyan Thaat, it is easy to guess that it is sung in the evening/first part of night. By the way now that I have told you about the types of Swar, most raagas with Teevra Ma are to be sung at night. It is also easy to guess that the Raag is named after Lord Shiva and hence it occupies a high place in Indian Classical Music.

Some of the popular Hindi films songs that are composed in Raaga Kedar are: Aapki aankhon mein kuchh mehke huye se raaz hain, Aap youn hi agar hamse milte rahe, Beqas pe karam kijiye (that delightful composition of Naushad for Mughal-e-Azam), Darshan do Ghanshyam Nath, Hamko man ki shakti dena, Kanha jaa re, Kisi ki yaad mein duniya ko hain bhulaye huye, Pal do pal ka saath hamara, and Uthaye ja unake sitam.

For the value-added learning for today I have decided to tell you about the Filmi Music or Sangeet and its History, especially Raaga Based Sonngs.

Fimi music or Sangeet includes even non-filmi songs especially if one of the artistes is connected with the Films Industry.

History of the Indian Film music and especially songs coincides with the first talkie film in 1931: Alam Ara. Starting the same time, three major film centres developed in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Bombay became the main centre for Hindi or national movies whereas the other two remained mostly regional.

In the earlier movies, the movies used to revolve around songs. There used to be 10 to 18 songs per movie. In the first decade of talkies, we produced almost 1000 Hindi movies with an average of 10 songs per movie.

The initial filmi music scene was influenced by music maestros such as Pankaj Mullick, RC Boral, and Anil Biswas. During those days playback singing was not in the vogue and many an artiste such as KL Saigal sang live whilst shooting with the musicians sitting in the background and playing. Actors such as KL Saigal, Suraiya, and Bal Gandharva were chosen for their singing ability. You would recall that in Achhyut Kanya both Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani sang their own songs.

Nitin Bose was credited with having introduced playback singing for the first time in his 1935 movie Bhagya Chakra. Even at that, it took time for this genre’ of playback singing to become popular amongst producers and directors. 1940s and 50s saw the advent of independent producers having their own music directors. For example, if you recall, Shankar Jaikishan, were considered the house artistes of Raj Kapoor.

It was bound to happen. Commercial interests of the distributors ensured that ‘masaala films’ based on formulas ( X number of songs, Y number of big actors and Z number of dance sequences) became rampant. Quality suffered. I am fond of saying that at this juncture (1940s to 70s) the quality of films produced was far inferior to the quality of songs and music.

By now, playback singing arrived on  the scene. Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle are some names that come to mind who made good name for themselves in playback singing. Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, SD Burman, Madan Mohan, C Ramchandra thrived as music directors. Naushad Ali was the one reputed to have brought in Raaga based music in the films especially with songs. In his 1952 Vijay Bhatt movie Baiju Bawra he had each one of the thirteen songs based on Raagas. Shankar Jaikishan, and later Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, SD Burman and his son RD Burman, Madan Mohan and C Ramchandra used Raagas to compose filmy music.

It is a fact that not many of them used shuddha raaga based songs but blended their tunes out of mix of two or more raagas. However, it is also a fact that the polularity of their compositions is much more than pure classical music.

Lets get back to the Raaga Based Song of the Day.

It is from the 1952 B Trilochan movie Ashiana that starred Nargis and Raj Kapoor. Lyrics were penned by Rajinder Krishan and the song was composed in Raag Kedar Taal Kaherava by Madan Mohan.

Please enjoy Talat Mahmood sing: Main paagal mera manva paagal….

Mai.n pAgal meraa manavA pAgal
pAgal merI priit re
pagale-pan kii pii.D vo jaane
bichha.De jisakaa miit re
mai.n pAgal meraa manavaa paagal …

kahe ye duniyA mai.n diivaanaa
din me.n dekhU.N sapane
diivaanii duniyA kyA jaane – 2
ye sapane hai.n apane – 2
ghaayal man kii ha.nsii u.Daaye
ye duniyA kii riit re, mai.n paagal …

chhupii huii merI kaayaa me.n
raakh kisii paravaane kii
ye meraa dukhiyaa jiivan hai
ruuh kisii dIvaane kii
man ke TuuTe taar bajaakar
gaaU.N apane giit re

mai.n pAgal meraa manavA pAgal
pAgal merI priit re, mai.n paagal …

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. And today, on the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!