What is the biggest weakness of a woman? Well, as seen in Hindi songs, it is jewellery. Indeed, if she loses jewellery, she tries to look for the lost piece in song and dance form. Several examples: Jhumka gira re Bareilley ke bazaar mein, Dhoondo dhoondo re sajna mere kaan ka baala, and Nigah maarda jayin ve mera laung gwacha.

Song #1
Jhumka gira re Bareilley ke bazaar mein

This is from the 1966 Raj Khosla movie Mera Saya featuring his favourite actress Sadhana performing this number penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and composed by Madan Mohan:

Song #2
Dhoondo dhoondo re sajna, dhoondo re saajna mere kaan ka bala

This is a great favourite with me; a song from Dilip Kumar’s only production and an iconic movie: Gunga Jumna starring Vyjayanthimala with him. He has been driven to become a dacoit; the first Hindi movie with this idea. She visits him in his den in the forest. This song is about the coming of age when Vyjayanthimala steps into womanhood from being a girl.

These excellent lyrics (the word bala in the song depicts a maiden girl as well as the earing that she lost) were penned by Shakeel Badayuni, composed by Naushad and sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Vyjayanthimala’s dance leaves you in awe:

Song #3
Mujhe naulakha mangwa de re O sainyan deewane

He (Amitabh Bachchan) is the son of a very rich man, in the 1984 Prakash Mehra movie Sharabi. She, Jaya Prada, asks him through an exclusive dance only for him to get her jewelry worth Rupees Nine Lakhs (an astounding sum in 1984).

Lyricist Anjaan, composer Bappi Lahiri, and singer Asha Bhosle put the song together:

Song #4
Mera laung gwacha

This is a Punjabi folk song. Many artistes have sung this. Neha Bhasin really made it very popular:

Women, in this respect, are very materialistic. Men bemoan the loss of…hold your breath…heart. Eg, Dil mera aaj kho gya hai kahin…aapke paanv ke neeche to nahin. Jewellery or other material things are farthest from their minds. Even Johnny Walker sang, “Ek mussafir ko duniya mein kya chahiye, sirf thodi si dil mein jagah chahiye!”

Song #5
Dil mera aaj kho gaya hai kahin

This is from the 1964 Devendra Goel movie Door Ki Awaz starring Joy Mukerji and Saira Bano.

Lyrics are by my favourite Shakeel Badayuni and composition is that of Ravi. This was sung by Mohammad Rafi:

Song #6
Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji

This is from the 1955 Guru Dutt movie Mr and Mrs 55 starring Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. The song is picturised on Johnny Walker as Johny and Yasmin as Julie.

It was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by OP Nayyar. It was sung by Mohammad Rafi for Johnny Walker and Geeta Dutt for Yasmin:

Song #7
Ek mussafir ko duniya mein kya chahiye

As I wrote, no jewelry for men; they are only loking for dil mein jagah.

This is again from the 1964 Devendra Goel movie Door Ki Awaz starring Joy Mukerji and Saira Bano. It was penned by Shakeel Badayuni and composed by Ravi.

It was picturised on Johnny Walker:

Women have no idea to what extent men will go to please them. No small things such as Jewelry, clothes, and ghar. They can get women, chand, sitaare, and do jahan ki khushiyan.

Song #8
Chalo dildar chalo chand ke paar chalo

The pull of a man telling her about chand and sitaare, sometimes, has its effect on her. As in this song from Pakeezah, a movie written, produced and directed by Kamal Amrohi as a tribute to his wife, Meena Kumari. This song was penned by Kaif Bhopali and composed in Raag Pahadi by Ghulam Mohammad who died during the making of the movie for as long as 15 years. Listen to the song. She is ready to go to chand with him with or without jewelry:

Song #9
Saat samundra paar se, gudiyon ke bazaar se

Also, women, when they are small are less materialistic, eg, this song of the 1967 movie Taqdeer. Papa is abroad and the girls want him to bring back a  doll from the Doll Bazaar. However, they are ready to let go of the doll if he would return early, he being their biggest gift.

This was put together by Anand Bakshi, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Lata Mangeshkar and Sulakshna Pandit:

सात समुद्र पार से,
गुडियों के बाज़ार से,
अच्छी सी गुड़िया लाना,
गुड़िया चाहे ना लाना,
पापा जल्दी आ जाना l

Song #10
Hamse to achhi teri payal gori

Knowing that women love jewelry more than men, men are forced to sing:

हमसे तो अच्छी तेरी पायल गोरी,
जो बार बार तेरा बदन चूमे I

This is from the 1970 Naresh Kumar movie Ganwar starring Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala. It was penned by Rajinder Krishan and composed by Naushad Ali. The song was sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle:

Song #11
Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne chune

Remember Anand? Why did his beloved leave Rajesh Khanna? Simply because he was offering her dreams and she wanted jewelry:

मैंने तेरे लिए ही सात रंग के सपने चुने….

Hahahaha!!

Poor Anand! He was left with her dried flower in his book of poetry!

Q.E.D.

🤓😇😂🚀

दोस्तो,

आज पहली दफ़ा अपने चहेते गीतकार शकील की वजह से दरी पैर के नीचे से निकल गई l बैठे बैठे उनका एक गीत सुन रहा था और गीत से पता लगा के शकील या तो vegetarian थे या बाद में बन गएl

कैसे पता चला?

Simple. उन्होने गाने में लिखा था:

“दिल लगा कर हम यह समझे ज़िंदगी क्या cheese hai”

अगर vegetarian ना होते तो पक्का लिखते:

“दिल लगा कर हम यह समझे ज़िंदगी क्या ham है या bacon है l”

Q.E.D.

So here it is:

Song #1
Dil laga kar hum yeh samajhe zindagi kya cheese hai

I am giving you my own rendition of this. Originally sung by Mahendra Kapoor on the lyrics of Shakeel Badayuni and composition of C Ramchandra for the 1965 NA Ansari movie Zindagi Aur Maut starring Pradeep Kumar and Faryal.

The one on top is merely in good humour; the double entendre being between Hindi चीज़ (thing) and English Cheese.

Song #2
Sajna hai mujhe sajna ke liye

The first sajna has the meaning of dressing up or beauty treatment. The second sajna is the lover or the loved one. So, in this song from the 1973 Sudhendu Roy movie Saudagar, Padma Khanna as Phoolbanu sings the song for Amitabh Bachchan as Moti. The song was written and composed by Ravindra Jain and sung by Asha Bhosle:

Song #3
Ke jaan chali jaaye jiya nahin jaaye

The double entendre is in the mukhada itself: the first jiya is dil or heart and the second jiya is to do with living.

This song is from the 1969 Mohan Kumar movie Anjaana starring Rajendra Kumar and Babita. It was penned by Anand Bakshi and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. The singers are Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur:

Song #4
Choli ke peechhe kya hai

This is double entendre at its suggestive or provocative best. This is from the 1993 Subhash Ghai’s iconic movie Khalnayak (Villain). Madhuri Dixit is the one who enacted it. She provocatively asks “Choli ke peechhe kya hi, chunri ke neeche kya hai.” You are sensuously carried to your height of imagination and then she brings you down with,”Choli mein dil hai mera. Chunri mein dil hai mera.”

This is one of the record 302 movies that Anand Bakshi as lyricist and Laxmikant Pyarelal as composer did together. The singers are Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun:

Song #5
Khada hai, khada hai, dar pe tere aashiq

I would avoid putting up this type though the fact is that such risqué songs are a plenty in Hindi movies and are often seen as the ones that directly add to the box office attraction of the movie.

This is from the 1994 David Dhawan movie: Andaz. The song is provocatively enacted by Anil Kapoor singing it to Juhi Chawla. Bappi Lahiri covered himself in glory composing trash songs and this is one of them. Indeevar, who had made such gentle songs as Jeevan se bhari teri aankhen, from the year 1987 onwards, giving in to lure of money, made over 500 such trash songs with Lahiri:

Song #6
Kahin pe nigahen kahin pe nishana

This is from Waheeda Rehman’s debut movie: the 1956 movie C.I.D., produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Raj Khosla. Waheeda Rehman was Guru Dutt’s find from a college in Hyderabad. All of 17 years, Guru Dutt was so impressed with Waheeda Rehman that he signed her up for his next five movies.

Guru Dutt was preparing her for the role of a golden hearted prostitute in his next movie Pyaasa and gave her this role of a prostitute here too. When one of the bad guys’ ruffian reaches her to entrap Dev Anand, through this song she is warning Dev Anand to escape. The lyrics of the song, through their clever double entendre are warning him and also suggesting the escape route.

These double meaning lyrics were penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, composed by OP Nayyar and sung by Shamshad Begum:

Song #7
Raaz ki baat keh doon to jaane mehfil mein phir kya ho?

This is from the 1973 movie Dharma starring Pran in his multi roles as Sevak Singh / Dharam Singh “Dharma” / Chandan Seth / Nawab Sikandar Mirza. Rekha, the heroine is also in double role as Asha Singh and Radha. Bindu, the vamp, is trying to expose Rekha in this song. But, she has sought protection from Pran as the don Chandan. Bindu, in her double entendre is trying to tell the party the truth about Rekha and Pran is trying to tell her to come to her senses. Finally these double entendre by both reach a climax and Pran cleverly reveals to Bindu that he is, indeed, the don Chandan and it won’t be in Bindu’s interest to resort to such skullduggery!

The song was penned by Verma Malik, composed by Sonik Omi and sung by Mohammad Rafi for Pran and Asha Bhosle for Bindu:

Song#8
Apni to har aah ek toofan hai

Whilst I have given a song from Guru Dutt production C.I.D., here is one from Dev Anand’s Navketan Films’ production: the 1960 movie Kala Bazar starring Waheeda Rehman with him.

This is really brilliant double entendre is by the Lyricist Shailendra. He and she are travelling by train and she is in the upper berth. His singing “Ooper wala” is actually about her but made to look like as if it is about the Ooper Wala: God.

The song was sung by Mohammad Rafi on a superb composition by his favourite composer: SD Burman.

Here is my own rendition of it:

Song #9
Kis kis ko pyar karun?

This is from the 1969 Pramod Chakravorty movie Tumse Achha Kzun Hai starring Shammi Kapoor and Babita.

The way Mohammad Rafi as playback for Shammi Kapoor sings Kis, it is more like an invitation to Kiss. The lyrics are by Rajinder Krishan and the composition is that of Shankar Jaikishan:

Song #10
Inhi logon ne le leena dupatta mera

This is from the 1972 Kamal Amrohi movie Pakeezah starring, in the lead role his wife Meena Kumari. The film took a decade and a half to make. Ghulam Mohammad, the composer, died whilst the movie was being made and some of the songs in the movie were composed by Naushad.

Even though Majrooh Sultanpuri is credited with the lyrics, the lyrics are a lift off from folk-lore. Dupatta is supposed to be the izzat of a maiden. Having lost it is, at one hand, pointing to her having stepped into prostitution, but on the other hand demurely bringing out her experience with the cloth merchant who sold it, the dyer who gave it colour, and hold your breath, the policeman who robbed it off her. Brilliant indeed.

The same song was used in 1941 movie Himmat and 1943 movie Aabroo:

Song #11
Mera naam hai Shabnam

Bindu, the vamp again. This time in the 1971 movie Kati Patang starring Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh and Prem Chopra. The story was roughly based on I Married a Dead Man, a 1948 novel by American crime writer Cornell Woolrich under the pseudonym William Irish.

This Shakti Samanta movie had, in the beginning, turning down a family marriage proposal with Rajesh Khanna without seeing him at all. It was because she was in love with Prem Chopra. But, soon she became aware of his villainous reality and ran off to a hill station under another name. Bindu knew her reality and as a singer-dancer in a hotel she, through the double entendre in this song, was trying to expose her:

Song #12
Titli udhi udh jo gayi

This song was sung by Sharda Iyengar for the 1966 movie Suraj. The song was enacted by Vyjayanthimala and Mumtaz.

Lyrics are by Shailendra and composition is that of Shankar Jaikishan.

Most of Shailendra songs have very deep meaning. So, for once, he was told to make a simple, children type song. Everyone felt that he delivered a plain song. It dawned upon everyone later that he was talking about the relationship between body and soul!

I have given you only representational songs for each type of double entendre. I hope you liked these.

Wait for Aaj Ka Geet Gyan #2 on a different topic.

Garland of Victory is an apt name,
For someone who conquered every heart.
From the beginning, she courted fame,
And played to perfection each part.
A natyam of our Bharat nation,
Gave her and us total elation.

She made everything in and around her dance,
Her body, her lips, eyes, and hair.
We saw that at every possible instance,
Each performance was unique and rare.
A natyam of our Bharat nation,
Became for her life her own station.

The biggest in the Hindi and Tamil cinema,
She acted easily with them all.
At times, she was seen as enigma,
At mere 5ft 3in, she looked royal and tall.
A natyam of our Bharat nation,
Turned her into the biggest sensation.

She has received the second highest award,
I would have easily given her the highest.
For her talent, dedication, and working hard,
Made her simply the finest and the best.
A natyam of our Bharat nation,
Made her an icon of our generation.

Once in an era one comes across an artiste who not just entertains but influences our lives as never before.  We start searching for newer and better adjectives to describe his or her art. We consider ourselves fortunate to have lived that era with him or her when he or she displayed his or her talent.

There is no other artiste who represents this phenomenon better than the god of songs: Mohammad Rafi.

I am putting up Part V of a post that I published Part IV of on his death anniversary on 31 Jul 23.

I have always maintained that there has been no singer, male or female, like Mohammad Rafi. With his singing, he conveyed to us, what can one do to lyrics and composition simply by singing with his kind of passion, modulation, range, style and aura. Indeed, he made many songs immortal by just singing them. Irrespective of the awards and honours bestowed on other singers, more often than not due to political reasons, many like me feel that Mohammad Rafi was beyond awards including Bharat Ratna. Therefore, to be able to sing the songs earlier sung by Mohammad Rafi is a blessing and honour. This doesn’t, by any stretch of imagination, mean that anyone of us can match his prowess. It only means that we can take lots of joy and pride in the fact that we lived in the era when he was alive and fondly sing his songs to relive their magic. The songs of Part I have been:

1. Aaj purani raahon se koi mujhe awaaz na de.
2. Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj.
3. Chhalke teri aankhon se.
4. Hai duniya usi ki zamana usi ka.
5. Paas baitho tabiyat behal jayegi.
6. Tujhe kya sunayun main dilruba.

The songs of Part II have been:

1. Zara sun haseena-e-nazneen.
2. Ek haseen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya.
3. Ajahun na aaye balma sawan beeta jaaye.
4. Jo guzar rahi hai mujhpe use kaise main batayun.
5. Jaan-e-bahar husn tera bemisaal hai.
6. Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo.

The songs of Part III have been:

1. Aane se uske aaye bahar.
2. Govinda aala re aala.
3. Mittar pyare nu.
4. Nigaahen na phero chale jayenge hum.
5. Aise to na dekho.
6. Mujhe le chalo aaj phir us gali mein.

The songs of Part IV have been:

1. Husn waale tera jawab nahin.
2. Itna hai tumse pyar mujhe.
3. Dil ka bhanwar kare pukaar.
4. Baharon phool barsao.
5. Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge.
6. Jeet hi lenge baazi hum tum.

Lets start with Part V songs.

Song #25 – Dil ki awaz bhi sun

OP Nayyar

I had promised you a lot more songs from Omkar Prasad Nayyar and here I am again. You will see that the more you see the range of his songs and quality of his compositions, the more you’ll be convinced that he ranks among the greatest composers and music directors that the Hindi films have seen. His being the Music Director of a movie, invariably assured its success. Take this 1968 movie Humsaya from where I have taken this song and you’ll know what I mean:

“Dil Ki Awaaz Bhi Sun” Mohammed Rafi
“Mujhe Mera Pyar De De, Tujhe Aazma Liya Hai” Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi
“Badi Mushkil Se Kaabu Mein Dil-E-Deewana Aaya” Asha Bhosle, Mahendra Kapoor
“Kitna Haseen Hai Yeh Jahan” Asha Bhosle
“O Kanhaiya Kanhaiya” Asha Bhosle
“Woh Haseen Dard De Do” Asha Bhosle
“Aaja Mere Pyar Ke Sahare” Asha Bhosle

Lyricist – Shevan Rizvi

OP Nayyar’s favourite, SH Bihari, was one of the lyricist of the above songs. Hasrat Jaipuri too. However, this song was penned by Shevan Rizvi.
His song in the 1958 Al Hilal was on everyone’s lips. The song was composed by Bulo C Rani: Hamen to loot liya milke husn walon ne. Another song that I can recall is Jaate jaate ek nazar bhar dekh lo.

Mohammad Rafi

Mohammad Rafi was the God of Songs. He sang at levels that were unimaginable by others. In every song, including this, his singing was the fastest way to transport the emotions of the song in you.

Here, he sang for Joy Mukherjee in a movie that was produced and directed by Joy. He had two female leads Mala Sinha and Sharmila Tagore for the simple reason that he had a double role in the movie (Humsaya, that is). In one role he was an Indian Air Force Officer and in the other as his Chinese look-alike. Mala Sinha was the Chinese!

The Lyrics

दिल की आवाज़ भी सुन मेरे फ़साने पे न जा
मेरी नज़रों की तरफ़ देख ज़माने पे न जा

इक नज़र फ़ेर ले जीने की इजाज़त दे दे
रूठने वाले वो पहली सी मुहब्बत दे दे
(इश्क़ मासूम है – २), इलज़ाम लगाने पे न जा

वक़्त इनसान पे ऐसा भी कभी आता है
राह में छोड़के साया भी चला जाता है
(दिन भी निकलेगा कभी – २), रात के आने पे न जा

मैं हक़ीक़त हूँ ये इक रोज़ दिखाऊँगा तुझे
बेगुनाही पे मुहब्बत की रुलाऊँगा तुझे
दाग दिल के नहीं मिटते हैं मिटाने पे न जा

My Own Poetry

Main Bewafa Nahin Hoon

इस से पहले के बेवफाई का मुझे दो तगमा,
अपने एहसास में आने दो वह प्यारा नग़मा;
जो दिल की धड़कन के साज़ से जुबां तक पहुंचा,
कहाँ आगाज़ हुआ था और कहाँ तक पहुंचा.
इस से पहले के बेवफाई का …..

पास रह कर भी तुम दूर चले जाते थे,
मेरी मजबूर तमन्ना को और भी तरसाते थे,
दिल की आवाज़ बन के रह जाती थी सदमा.
इस से पहले के बेवफाई का …

ये दीवार मैंने नहीं तुम्ही ने तो बनायी थी,
कहाँ थी तुम जब पास सिर्फ तन्हाई थी?
मेरी खामोशी उस वक़्त थी मेरे दिल की मेहमान,
इस से पहले के बेवफाई का …

अब हम नहीं, तुम नहीं और हयात भी नहीं,
उल्फत की राहों में सुलगते जज़्बात भी नहीं,
सिसकियाँ भर के खत्म हो गए सब अरमान.
इस से पहले के बेवफाई का …

The Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Dil ki awaz bhi sun…

Song #26 – Kaise kategi zindagi tere bagair?

This ghazal by the Ghazal King Madan Mohan is from an album called Tere Bagair that was released in 2009. Some of the songs in this album including this one were sung by Mohammad Rafi. Then there are others that were sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Mahmood and Asha Bhosle. There is one by Kishore Kumar too.

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 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.

The song was penned by Rajinder Krishan. It was originally used in the 1968 Pakistani hit movie Jahan Tum Wahan Hum.

Please enjoy my rendition of: Kaise kategi zindagi tere bagair…

कैसे कटेगी ज़िन्दगी
तेरे बगैर तेरे बगैर
पाउँगा हर शै में कमी
तेरे बगैर तेरे बगैर

फूल खिले तोह यु लगे
फूल नहीं यह दाग हैं
तारे फलक पे यु लगे
जैसे बुझे चिराग हैं
आग लगाये चाँदनी
तेरे बगैर तेरे बगैर
कैसे कटेगी ज़िन्दगी

चाँद घटा में छुप गया
सारा जहाँ उदास है
कहती है दिल की धड़कने
तू कही आस-पास है
ा के तड़प रहा है जी
तेरे बगैर तेरे बगैर
पाउँगा हर शै में कमी.

Song #27 – Jaag dil-e-deewana

Here is another song in Raag Bhairavi and close to my heart. Whilst Mohammad Rafi has delved in high pitch in many of his songs, there are songs like this and Dil ka bhanwar kare pukaar that he had sung in restrained pitch. The effect was heavenly.

This is from the 1965 Phani Majumdar movie Oonche Log starring Ashok Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Feroz Khan, Vijaya and Tarun Bose. Phani Majumdar was the same director who gave us the 1962 movie Aarti starring Pradeep Kumar, Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar with such beautiful songs as: Aapne yaad dilaya to mujhe yaad aaya, Kabhi to milegi kahin to milegi, Ab kyaa misaal doon main tumhare shabab ki, and Baar baar tohe kyaa samjhaaye. He also made Kanyadaan, and the old KL Saigal movie Street Singer.

The movie Oonche Log was the first big hit of the then newcomer Feroze Khan who as Rajnikant fell in love with KR Vijaya as Bimla, made her pregnant, and made her abort the child for fear of getting his father, Ashok Kumar as Major Chandrakant annoyed. This made her commit suicide. This song was enacted by Feroze Khan still not accepting her absence.

This song was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, composed by Chitragupta, and sung by Mohammad Rafi.

Please enjoy my rendition of: Jaag dil-e-deewana…

(जाग दिल-ए-दीवाना रुत जागी वस्ल-ए-यार की
बसी हुई ज़ुल्फ़ में आयी है सबा प्यार की ) – २
जाग दिल-ए-दीवाना

(दो दिल के कुछ लेके पयाम आयी है
चाहत के कुछ लेके सलाम आयी है ) – २
दर पे तेरे सुबह खड़ी हुई है दीदार की
जाग दिल-ए-दीवाना …

(एक परी कुछ शाद सी नाशाद सी
बैठी हुई शबनम में तेरी याद की ) – २
भीग रही होगी कहीं कली सी गुलज़ार की
जाग दिल-ए-दीवाना रुत जागी वस्ल-ए-यार की
बसी हुई ज़ुल्फ में आयी है सबा प्यार की
जाग दिल-ए-दीवाना

Song #28 – Chahunga main tujhe saanjh savere

This is one of the best of Laxmikant Pyarelal from the 1964 Satyen Bose movie Dosti, a movie whose songs made L-P one of the most loved music duos in India and a movie whose songs are still fondly remembered even today. Majrooh Sultanpuri penned the lyrics and L-P composed it in the raaga of my place: Pahadi.

Lets start with the movie. Bombay based Rajshri was founded by Tarachand Barjatya in the year 1947. However, Rajshri Productions Pvt Ltd engaged in films production came about in the year 1962. Its first film Arti, in 1962 was highly acclaimed. However, the grand success of its second production Dosti in 1964 included winning the National Award for Best Feature Film and as many as six Filmfare Awards: Best Film, Best Music Director (the debut Filmfare Award for L-P), Best Story: Ban Bhatt, Best Dialogue: Govind Moonis, Best Playback Singer: Mohammad Rafi for the song I am giving you today, and finally Best Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri for the same song.

Dosti was directed by Satyen Bose. It was Sanjay Khan’s debut film and had Sudhir Kumar Sawant, and Sushil Kumar Somaya in lead roles. The film focuses on the friendship between two boys, one blind and the other a cripple.

Laxmikant Pyarelal started off with 1963 movie Parasmani and they made such popular songs for their very first movie that these are fondly remembered even today:

The duo that started off so outstandingly well in their very first movie had indeed great future ahead for them. Dosti was only their sixth movie (they did a total of 635 movies between 1963 to 1998) after Parasmani (1963), Harishchandra Taramati (1963), Sati Savitri (1964), Sant Gyaneshwar (1964) and Mr X in Bombay (1964). All these movies too had excellent and memorable songs; eg, Main ek nanha sa main ek chhota sa bachcha hoon and Suraj re jalte rehna from Harishchandra Taramati; Tum gagan ke chandrama ho main dhara ki dhool hoon, Jeevan dor tumhi sang bandhi, Sakhi ri pi ka naam naam na poochho, and Itni jaldi kya hai gori saajan ke sang jaane ki from Sati Savitri; Jaago re prabhat aaya, Jyot se jyot jalaate chalo, and Ek do teen chaar bhaiya bano hoshiyar from Sant Gyaneshwar; Mere mehboob qyaamat hogi, Khoobsurat haseena jaan-e-jaan jaan-e-mann, Chali re chali re gori paniya bharan ko, and Julmi hamaare saanwariya ho Raam from Mr X In Bombay.

The 1964 movie Dosti was a landmark for Laxmikant Pyarelal as the movie’s songs enabled them to receive their first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Out of the six songs of the movie, Mohammad Rafi sang six and Lata Mangeshkar sang one. These two playback singers, the best in their fields, stayed with Laxmikant Pyarelal till the end and even sang for them in low budget movies.

Here are the iconic songs that Majrooh Sultanpuri, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar made together for Dosti:

Lastly, before we take up the song, lets for a minute talk about the lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Majrooh was a contemporary of my favourite: Shakeel Badayuni.

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 enchanting.

Laxmikant Pyarelal and Majrooh Sultanpuri paired in a number of movies to make songs: Dosti (1964), Mere Lal (1966), Dillagi (1966), Shagird (1967), Patthar Ke Sanam (1967), Duniya Nachegi (1967), Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968), Wapas (1969), Pyasi Sham (1969), Meri Bhabhi (1969), Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke (1969), Abhinetri (1970), Jal Bin Machli Nritya Bin Bijli (1971), Bikhre Moti (1971), Ek Nazar (1972), Anokhi Ada (1973), Imtihaan (1974), Mere Sajana (1975), Anari (1975), Aaj Ka Mahatma (1976), Dus Numbri (1976), Master Dada (1977), Kali Raat (1977), Parvarish (1977), Swan Ke Geet (1978), Naach Utha Sansar (1978), Phaansi (1978), Prayaschit (1979), Ladies Tailor (1981), Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (1981), Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987), Janam Janam (1988), Humshakal (1992), Badi Bahen (1993), West is West (2011) and Soundtrack (2011).

These movies that Majrooh and LP did together produced some really enchanting songs such as Bade miyan deewane, Dil wil pyar wyar, Kanha kanha aan padhi, Woh hain zara khafa khafa, Ruk ja aye hawa, and Duniya pagal hai ya main deewana (all from 1967 movie Shagird); Koi nahin hai phir bhi hai mujhako, Tauba ye matwali chaal, Mehboob mere, and Patthar ke sanam (all from 1967 movie Patthar Ke Sanam); Chhalkaye jaam, Chalo sajna jahan taq, Na jaa kahin ab na jaa, Allah ye ada kaisi, Hui shaam unka khyaal aa gaya, Hamen to ho gaya hai pyaar, and Tum jao kahin (all from 1968 movie Mere Hamdam Mere Dost); and Ye kaisa gham sajna and Yaaro mera saath nibhao (both from 1969 movie Pyasi Sham).

Before we take up the song, let me tell you briefly as to how it came about in the movie. Ramu (Sushil Kumar) is a cripple and good at playing harmonica. Thrown out of his home, crippled and penniless, he roams around the streets of Mumbai. Here he comes across Mohan (Sudhir Kumar), a boy who is blind and has a similar tale of woe. Mohan is a singer. Both meet on the streets of Bombay and form a good pair. One day, Ramu gets into trouble for no fault of his own and is bailed out on the condition that he would keep no contact with Mohan. That’s how this song came about.

Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi sing a composition of Laxmikant Pyarelal on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri, a song from the 1964 Satyen Bose movie Dosti: Chahunga main tujhe saanjh savere….

चाहूँगा मैं तुझे साँझ सवेरे
फिर भी कभी अब नाम को तेरे
आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा, आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा

देख मुझे सब है पता
सुनता है तू मन की सदा (२)
मितवा …
मेरे यार तुझको बार बार
आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा, आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा
चाहूँगा मैं तुझे साँझ सवेरे

दर्द भी तू चैन भी तू
दरस भी तू नैन भी तू
मितवा …
मेरे यार तुझको बार बार
आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा, आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा

Song #29 – Saathi haath badhana

Alright, as promised, this is another composition of OP Nayyar. He composed this on the lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi for the 1957 movie BR Chopra Naya Daur starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala.

The movie had some really popular songs of that era:

1. “Aana Hai To Aa” – Mohammed Rafi
2. “Dil Leke Daga Denge” – Mohammed Rafi
3. “Main Bambai Ka Babu” – Mohammed Rafi
4. “Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka, Albelon Ka” – Mohammed Rafi, S. Balbir
5. “Mangke Saath Tumhara, Maine Mang Liya Sansar” – Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
6. “Uden Jab Jab Zulfen Teri, Kunwariyon Ka Dil Machle” – Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
7. “Sathi Hath Badhana, Sathi Hath Badhana” – Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
8. “Reshmi Salwar, Kurta Jaali Ka” – Shamshad Begum, Asha Bhosle

I had my sister, Suman Saxena, visiting me in Kandaghat. She is a very fine, devoted, and popular singer. We sang this duet together that was originally sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle:

साथी हाथ बढ़ाना, साथी हाथ बढ़ाना
एक अकेला थक जायेगा मिल कर बोझ उठाना
साथी हाथ बढ़ाना …

१) हम मेहनतवालों ने जब भी मिलकर कदम बढ़ाया
सागर ने रस्ता छोड़ा परबत ने शीश झुकाया
फ़ौलादी हैं सीने अपने फ़ौलादी हैं बाहें
हम चाहें तो पैदा करदें, चट्टानों में राहें, साथी …

२) मेहनत अपनी लेख की रखना मेहनत से क्या डरना
कल गैरों की खातिर की अब अपनी खातिर करना
अपना दुख भी एक है साथी अपना सुख भी एक
अपनी मंजिल सच की मंजिल अपना रस्ता नेक, साथी …

३) एक से एक मिले तो कतरा बन जाता है दरिया
एक से एक मिले तो ज़र्रा बन जाता है सेहरा
एक से एक मिले तो राई बन सकती है परबत
एक से एक मिले तो इन्सान बस में कर ले किस्मत, साथी …

४) माटी से हम लाल निकालें मोती लाएं जल से
जो कुछ इस दुनिया में बना है बना हमारे बल से
कब तक मेहनत के पैरों में ये दौलत की ज़ंज़ीरें
हाथ बढ़ाकर छीन लो अपने सपनों की तस्वीरें, साथी …

Song #30 – Aaja re aa zara

Love In Tokyo was the name of this 1966 movie by Pramod Chakravorty. It had Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh in the lead roles.

There were eight excellent songs in the movie that were composed by the best duo ever in Hindi movies: Shankar Jaikishan. One was penned by Shailendra: Koi matwala aaya mere dwaare and the others by Hasrat Jaipuri: Sayonara sayonara that became very popular, and Mujhe tum mil gaye hamdam. These were all sung by Lata.  Then there was O mere shah-e-khuba sung by Lata and Rafi. The other three were solos by Rafi: Aaja re aa zara, Love in Tokyo (Le gayi dil gudiya Japan ki), and Main tere pyar ka bimar.

This is a beautiful and sensuous number by Mohammad Rafi pictured on Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh.

Please enjoy my rendition of: Aaja re aa zara…

ये ज़िंदगी की महफ़िल, महफ़िल में हम अकेले
दामन को कोई थामे, ज़ुल्फ़ों से कोई खेले

आ जा रे आ ज़रा, लहरा के आ ज़रा
आँखों से दिल में समा
आ जा रे आ ज़रा …

देख फ़िज़ा में रंग भरा है
मेरे जिगर का ज़ख़्म हरा है
सीने से मेरे सर को लगा दे
हाथों में तेरे दिल की दवा है
आ जा रे आ ज़रा …

तेरे भी दिल में आग लगी है
मेरे भी दिल में आग लगी है
दोनों तरफ़ है एक सी हालत
दोनों दिलों पर बिजली गिरी है
आ जा रे आ ज़रा …

अपना सुलगना किसको दिखाऊँ
साँसों के तूफ़ाँ कैसे छुपाऊँ
आँखें क्या क्या देख रहीं हैं
दिल पे जो गुज़री कैसे बताऊँ
आ जा रे आ ज़रा …

In the fourth part, once again, I have given you a wide range of songs of the greatest singer Mohammad Rafi. I hope you liked my selection.

So as not to make the post longer than 30 minutes of your listening pleasure, I give you only six songs at a time.

Please await songs of Part VI.

No other music director has ruled the music scene in Hindi movies as much as Shankar-Jaikishan. Indeed, the name of Shankar-Jaikishan is the most popular name among Hindi music directors.

After it made its debut in Raj Kapoor’s 1949 movie Barsaat, the name Shankar-Jaikishan became synonymous with popular tunes. From the year 1957, when Shankar-Jaikishan won its first Filmfare Award for the movie Chori Chori (that is, eight years after its debut), and until 1973 when it won its last Filmfare Award for the movie Imaan, it was nominated as many times as eighteen for the award and won half the times. The best way to appreciate the excellence of its music is to have a look at some of the movies for which Shankar-Jaikishan missed getting the award though nominated: 1962 movie Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai, 1964 movie Dil Ek Mandir, 1965 movie Sangam, 1966 movie Arzoo, and 1972 movie Andaz.

Shankar Jaikishan are called by various epithets. However, after their death (Jaikishan died in 1971 and Shankar in 1987), the most befitting epithet for them has been ‘Music Director of the Millennium’.

I became fond of the duo from my teens. The duo’s songs were on everyone’s lips including the one that was voted as the most popular song of Hindi movies: Baharo phool barsao mera mehboob aaya hai.

The duo was imaginative, innovative, and capable of going beyond the traditional.  As an example, even though Naushad Ali was credited with introducing raag based songs in Hindi movies, S-J ended up using raagas to make the most popular tunes in Hindi movies. Jaikishan used Bhairavi to compose many of his songs and Shankar became adept at composing based on Shivaranjani. The traditionalists on classical music would have been amazed at how the duo used the raagas. An apt example is the Brahmachari song Dil ke jharokhe mein tujhko bithakar based on Shivaranjani.

The lyricists who penned most of their songs were Shailendra and Shankar Jaikishan. Unlike S-J who waited for eight years to get its first Filmfare Award, Shailendra won the very first Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for the 1958 Bimal Roy movie Yahudi’s song: Yeh mera diwanapan hai. He won the next one too for the 1959 movie Anari song: Sab kuchh seekha hamne. Later, he won once again for the 1968 movie Brahmachari song: Main gaoon tum so jao.

Shailendra penned lyrics that took you deep. Indeed, many fans are still trying to find true meaning of some of the lyrics that he wrote; eg, Main nadiya phir bhi main pyaasi.

Hasrat Jaipuri, on the other hand, excelled in romantic songs. He is, justifiably, called Shehanshah of Rumaniyat (Emperor of Romance). So, if Raj Kapoor had to sing his heart out to Vyjayanthimala in the Ooty lake in the movie Sangam with O mehbooba, O mehbooba tere dil ke paas hi hai meri manzil-e-maqsud, it has to be Hasrat Jaipuri. If, Shammi Kapoor has to woo Sadhana with Is rang badalti duniya mein insaan ki niyat theek nahin, it has to be Hasrat. And, if it has to be Dharmendra making his love known to Vyjayanthimala with Main kahin kavi na ban jaayun, it has to be janaab Hasrat ji.

When I started singing to my wife, Lyn, I found that Hasrat Jaipuri’s songs are best suited to sing to her.

So, here I am with the first part of six songs that I sang for her. I have discovered that in a blog, six is the ideal number that fans would want to listen to.

Song #1
Jo guzar rahi hai mujh par

After learning a bit of singing (I am still learning), this was the first of HJ-SJ-Rafi songs that I sang.

The occasion was the Wedding Anniversary of Lyn and I two years ago: 12 Dec 21. Though sung in a different context in the movie, I found the lyrics eminently suitable for my mixed feelings about her being in severe Alzheimer’s condition in the midst of COVID when we were by ourselves for more than an year.

This is from the 1968 Vinod Kumar movie Mere Huzoor starring Raaj Kumar as Nawab Salim, Mala Sinha as Sultanat and Jeetendra as Akhtar Hussain Akhtar.

Salim had been in love with Sultanat. However, Akhtar had earlier saved the life of Salim and the latter had invited him to his palatial bungalow in Lucknow. Akhtar, in the train journey to Lucknow, sees and falls in love with Sultanat, a co-passenger.

This song was sung by Salim when Akhtar and Sultanat break the news about their impending wedding.

I found the lyrics, penned by Hasrat Jaipuri, as most apt for my wife, Lyn, being in advanced state of Alzheimer’s whilst celebrating our wedding anniversary last year.

Here are the lyrics:

जो गुज़र रही है मुझ पर उसे कैसे मैं बताऊँ -२
वो ख़ुशी मिली है मुझको मैं ख़ुशी से मर न जाऊँ -२

मेरे दिल की धड़कनों का ये सलाम तुमको पहुँचे
मैं तुम्हारा हमनशीं हूँ ये पयाम तुमको पहुँचे
उसे बन्दगी मैं समझूँ जो तुम्हारे काम आऊँ
वो ख़ुशी मिली है …

मेरे दिल की महफ़िलों में वो मुक़ाम है तुम्हारा
के ख़ुदा के बाद लब पर बस नाम है तुम्हारा
मेरी आरज़ू यही है मैं तुम्हारे गीत गाऊँ
वो ख़ुशी मिली है …

मेरी ज़िन्दगी में हमदम कभी ग़म न तू उठाना
कभी आएँ जो अँधेरे मुझे प्यार से बुलाना
मैं चिराग़ हूँ वफ़ा का मैं अँधेरे जगमगाऊँ
वो ख़ुशी मिली है …

Please enjoy my rendition of: Jo guzr rahi hai mujhpe use kaise main batayun…

Song #2
Chhalke teri aankhon se

This is from the 1965 Ramanand Sagar movie Arzoo starring Rajendra Kumar and Sadhana. Shankar Jaikishan and Hasrat created very popular songs for the movie such as:

1. Ae nargis-e-mastana
2. Bedardi balma tujhako
3. Aji rooth kar ab kahan jayiyega
4. Ai phoolon ki rani baharon ki malika.

This was perhaps the most popular:

छलके तेरी आँखों से शराब और ज़ियादा – ३
खिलते रहें होंठों के गुलाब और ज़ियादा – २

क्या बात है जाने तेरी महफ़िल में सितमगर – ३
धड़के है दिल-ए-खाना-खराब और ज़ियादा – २

इस दिल में अभी और भी ज़ख़्मों की जगह है – ३
अबरू की कटारी को दो आब और ज़ियादा

तू इश्क़ के तूफ़ान को बाँहों में जकड़ ले – २
अल्लाह करे ज़ोर-ए-शबाब और ज़ियादा
खिलते रहे होठों के गुलाब और ज़ियादा

Please enjoy: Chhalke teri aankhon se…

Song #3
Itna hai tumse pyar mujhe

This too I sang to Lyn on our wedding anniversary, 24 Mar 22.

This song is rated as one of the most popular duets in Hindi movies. It was sung by Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala.

It is from the 1966 T Prakash Rao movie Suraj starring the Jubilee hero Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala.

It was penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

Here are the lyrics:

र: इतना है तुमसे प्यार मुझे मेरे राज़दार
जितने के आस्मान पर तारे हैं बेशुमार

सु: इत्नना है तुमसे प्यार मुझे मेरे राज़दार
जितने के इस ज़मीन पर ज़र्रे हैं बेशुमार

तेरे सिवा किसी को न लाया निगाह में
लाखों हसीन आये जवानी कि राह में
सदियों से कर रहा था तुम्हारा हि इंतज़ार
इतना है तुमसे …

मैं ने भी तेरे वास्ते कितने जनम लिये
तब दिल के रास्तों पे जले प्यार के दिये
एक दिन ज़रूर पाउंगी इतना था ऐतबार
इतना है तुमसे …

बेख़ुद बना दिया मुझे तेरे सलाम ने
जन्नत अगर मिले तो न लूं तेरे सामने
ये प्यार वो नशा है के जिसका नहीं उतार
इतना है तुमसे …

Please enjoy my rendition of: Itna hai tumse pyar mujhe…

Song #4
Baharo phool barsao

This is the second song from the 1966 T Prakash Rao movie Suraj starring Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala.

This was rated in a BBC radio poll in 2013 poll as the popular song in Hindi movies. It also happens to be one of the most popular songs of Rafi Sahib.

It was, indeed, a pleasure singing it:

बहारों फूल बरसाओ
मेरा महबूब आया है – (२)
हवाओं रागिनी गाओ
मेरा महबूब आया है – (२)

ओ लाली फूल की मेंहँदी लगा इन गोरे हाथों में
उतर आ ऐ घटा काजल, लगा इन प्यारी आँखों में
सितारों माँग भर जाओ
मेरा महबूब आया है – (२)

नज़ारों हर तरफ़ अब तान दो इक नूर की चादर
बडा शर्मीला दिलबर है, चला जाये न शरमा कर
ज़रा तुम दिल को बहलाओ
मेरा महबूब आया है – (२)

सजाई है जवाँ कलियों ने अब ये सेज उल्फ़त की
इन्हें मालूम था आएगी इक दिन ऋतु मुहब्बत की
फ़िज़ाओं रंग बिखराओ
मेरा महबूब आया है – (२)
बहारों …

Song #5
Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge

I am so impressed with this song that I started my Raaga Based Song of the Day series with this song. The song has the most powerful of Hasrat Jaipuri’s lyrics. This includes both the Mohammad Rafi version and Lata Mangeshkar version.

These were composed by Shankar Jaikishan in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Jhinjhoti is a raag named after an apsara. Jhinjhoti is a Raag in Khamaj Thaat. In the modern Thaat system that was created by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936), a Thaat is a mode in Hindustani classical music and is a basis for classifying Raagas. Bhatkhande visited a number of gharanas (ad-hoc schools that followed guru-shishya sytem (teacher-pupil system) for passing knowledge down the generations. Interestingly, these gharanas were not open to all and sundry and most often than not a shishya had to prove that he was worthy of being taken as a shishya) (You must listen to Baiju Bawra’s ‘Man tadpat Hari darsan ko aaj‘ (Raag Malkauns, Tal Tintal) to know how a shishya had to prove his single-minded deication).

Surprisingly, the word Raaga doesn’t mean music but colour or dye or shade. But if you think of colours signifying moods, Raagas in music do exactly that. For example, if the colour yellow is the colour of love and red of passion, each one of the raagas is based on mood, time of the day and even season. An easy anology is the Hindi saying: सावन के अंधे को हरा ही हरा दिखाई देता है I You will instantly know that Sawan (Monsoon) is being used as a season, colour and mood.

According to Pandit Bhatkhande, each one of the raagas is based on one thaat (mode) or the other. Although his research with gharanas made him short-list 32 thaats, he finally pruned the list to just ten thaats on which most raagas are based. These are: Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi and Todi. And that’s why I mentioned that Jhinjhoti belongs to Khamaj Thaat.

Almost all songs in Hindi movies based on this raag have an element of self-pity in them, eg, Ghungru ki tarah bajta hi raha hoon main, Koi hamdam na raha, Mere mehboob tujhe, Mose chhal kiye jaaye, and my second most favourite Lata song: Jaa jaa re jaa balamwa from Basant Bahar.

The 1970 movie Pagla Kahin Ka was the most challenging job taken up by Shammi Kapoor. He was a mentally deranged person but as the movie progressed, one was left wondering at the sick mentality of those ostensibly sound in body and mind.

Of course the song Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge is one of the best of Mohammad Rafi.

I found the lyrics have yet another meaning when I sing it to my wife, Lyn, suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Please enjoy my own singing of Mohammad Rafi version of: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge…

तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
जब कभी भी सुनोगे गीत मेरे
संग संग तुम भी गुनगुनाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हो तुम मुझे यूँ …

(वो बहारें वो चांदनी रातें
हमने की थी जो प्यार की बातें ) – २
उन नज़ारों की याद आएगी
जब खयालों में मुझको लाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हो तुम मुझे यूँ …

(मेरे हाथों में तेरा चेहरा था
जैसे कोई गुलाब होता है ) – २
और सहारा लिया था बाहों का
वो शाम किस तरह भुलाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हो तुम मुझे यूँ …

(मुझको देखे बिना क़रार ना था
एक ऐसा भी दौर गुज़रा है ) – २
झूठ मानूँ तो पूछलो दिल से
मैं कहूंगा तो रूठ जाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूं भुला ना पाओगे

जब कभी भी …

Song #6
Ajahun na aaye balma

This was composed by Shankar Jaikishan in Raag Madhuvanti, Tal Kaherava.

The song is from 1964 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Saanjh Aur Savera that had Guru Dutt and Meena Kumari in lead roles. The song is however pictured on Mehmood and Shubha Khote with Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur singing for them.

Music Directors loved to compose for Mehmood and Shubha Khote and some really fine classical Raaga based songs are pictured on them. In the same year, for the 1964 movie Ziddi that is, SD Burman composed a song for them which is considered the purest example of Darbari Kanada in Hindi movies; the song was sung by Manna Dey and is: Pyaar ki aag mein tan badan jal gaya.

Madhuvanti belongs to Todi Thaat. As you must have guessed it Madhu means honey and the raag is as sweet as honey in sringar ras depicting love and romance. It is an evening raag like Yaman aur Kalyan.

About Taal Kaherava I have already told you. But since we are in early stages of our learning here it is again:

Kaherava is most popular 8 beat Tal in Hindustani music, with two vibhags of four matra each, first vibhag being clap, second being wave (khali), which makes it:

Clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4. Theka is 

Dhaa Ge Naa Tee Naa Ka Dhin Naa.

What about other popular songs in Raag Madhuvanti? Madan Mohan composed Rasm e ulfat ko nibhayen to nibhayen kaise in the same Raag and Taal.

Please enjoy in Raag Madhuvanti, Tal Kaherava, Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur sing a composition of Shankar Jaikishan, penned by the great Hasrat Jaipuri and picturized on Mehmood and Shubha Khote: Ajahun na aaye balma sawan beeta jaaye..

अजहुँ ना आए बालमा, सावन बीता जाए
हाय रे सावन बीता जाए

नींद भी अंखियन द्वार न आए
तोसे मिलन की आस भी जाए
आई बहार खिले फुलवा
मोरे सपने कौन सजाए
आ … अजहुं …

चांद को बदरा गरवा लगाए
और भी मोरे मन ललचाए
यार हसीन गले लग जा
मोरी उम्र गुज़रती जाए
आ … अजहुं …

I hope you liked my choice of six songs of Hasrat Jaipuri that I sang to my wife, Lyn in the Part I of this post.

Please await songs of Part II.

I hope you enjoyed my selection and my own singing of Part I of Raaga Based Songs. I gave you six of them.

Before I give you another six in this part, let me recapitulate something simple about raaga based songs:

In the year 1913, Dadasaheb Phalke produced and directed a Hindi movie: Raja Harishchandra. It was a silent movie. Eighteen years later, Ardeshir Irani made the first Hindi movie with sound: Alam Ara. Now that we had sound in the movies, we soon introduced songs. But, these movies had actors singing live on the sets. Playback singing was introduced for the first time in Nitin Bose’s 1935 movie Dhoop Chhaon by RC Boral and Pankaj Mullick.

This opened floodgates for actors just lip-syncing and enacting songs. Tunes of songs were to be made in such a way so that the viewers would love them. Compositions of songs were not new to us; these were only to be introduced in the film’s story. Initially it was much easier as most singing and dancing were for pleasing the gods. Compositions of songs are arrangements of notes; the rhythm is provided by Tal.

For many centuries before the advent of movies with sounds, we devised raagas (classical compositions) for singing hymns. Soon, the music directors discovered that these classical compositions could be used for songs in the movies too. For example, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur, devised a raaga called Jaijaiwanti. In 1957, Madan Mohan composed a song for the farcical comedy: Dekh Kabira Roya in this raag: Bairan ho gayi raina that was sung by Manna Dey.

I started learning singing only about two years ago. The purpose was to sing to my wife Lyn (short for Marilyn) suffering from Alzheimer’s. Since raaga based songs fascinated me, I tried to learn these too.

Here, I give you six more such songs.

Song #7
Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge
Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava

I am so fond of this song that I started my Raaga Based Song of the Day series with this song.

Raag Jhinjhoti is a raag named after an apsara. Jhinjhoti is a Raag in Khamaj Thaat. In the modern Thaat system that was created by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936), a Thaat is a mode in Hindustani classical music and is a basis for classifying Raagas. Bhatkhande visited a number of gharanas (ad-hoc schools that followed guru-shishya sytem (teacher-pupil system) for passing knowledge down the generations. Interestingly, these gharanas were not open to all and sundry and most often than not a shishya had to prove that he was worthy of being taken as a shishya) (You must listen to Baiju Bawra’s ‘Man tadpat Hari darsan ko aaj‘ (Raag Malkauns, Tal Tintal) to know how a shishya had to prove his single-minded deication).

Almost all songs in Hindi movies based on this raag have an element of self-pity in them, eg, Ghungru ki tarah bajta hi raha hoon main, Koi hamdam na raha, Mere mehboob tujhe, Mose chhal kiye jaaye, and my second most favourite Lata song: Jaa jaa re jaa balamwa from Basant Bahar.

The Jati of the raag is Shadhav – Sampoorna Vakra. Nishad is Varjya in Aaroh, Nishad is Komal in Avroh. Rest all Shuddha Swaras. Jhinjhoti is normally to be sung in the second prahar of the night, ie, between 9 PM to midnight.

Kaherava (also written as Kherwa, Kherawa and Kaherawa) is the most popular 8 beat Tal in Hindustani music, with two vibhags of four matra each, first vibhag being clap, second being wave (khali), which makes it:

Clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4.

Theka is:

Dhaa Ge Naa Tee Naa Ka Dhin Naa.

The 1970 movie Pagla Kahin Ka was the most challenging role taken up by Shammi Kapoor. He was a mentally deranged person but as the movie progressed, one was left wondering at the sick mentality of those ostensibly sound in body and mind.

Of course the song Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge is one of the best of Mohammad Rafi. This song was sung separately by Lata Mangeshkar, too. However, here, I am giving you my rendition of the Rafi version. Since my wife, Lyn, has lost her memory due to Alzheimer’s, my singing this song to her has a new meaning.

Please enjoy: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge…

तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
जब कभी भी सुनोगे गीत मेरे
संग संग तुम भी गुनगुनाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हो तुम मुझे यूँ …

(वो बहारें वो चांदनी रातें
हमने की थी जो प्यार की बातें ) – २
उन नज़ारों की याद आएगी
जब खयालों में मुझको लाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हो तुम मुझे यूँ …

(मेरे हाथों में तेरा चेहरा था
जैसे कोई गुलाब होता है ) – २
और सहारा लिया था बाहों का
वो शाम किस तरह भुलाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे
हो तुम मुझे यूँ …

(मुझको देखे बिना क़रार ना था
एक ऐसा भी दौर गुज़रा है ) – २
झूठ मानूँ तो पूछलो दिल से
मैं कहूंगा तो रूठ जाओगे
हाँ तुम मुझे यूं भुला ना पाओगे

जब कभी भी …

Song #8
Ajahun na aaye balma
Raag Madhuvanti, Taal Kaherava

The song is from 1964 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Saanjh Aur Savera that had Guru Dutt and Meena Kumari in lead roles. The song is however pictured on Mehmood and Shubha Khote with Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur singing for them.

Music Directors loved to compose for Mehmood and Shubha Khote and some really fine classical Raaga based songs are pictured on them. In the same year, for the 1964 movie Ziddi that is, SD Burman composed a song for them which is considered the purest example of Darbari Kanada in Hindi movies; the song was sung by Manna Dey and is: Pyaar ki aag mein tan badan jal gaya.

Madhuvanti belongs to Todi Thaat. As you must have guessed it Madhu means honey and the raag is as sweet as honey in sringar ras depicting love and romance. It is an evening raag like Yaman aur Kalyan.

The Jati of the raag is Audhav – Sampoorna. Rishabh and Dhaivat are Varjya in Aaroh, Gandhar is Komal, Madhyam is Teevra. Rest All Shuddha Swaras.

About Taal Kaherava I have already told you.

Please enjoy my rendition in Raag Madhuvanti, Tal Kaherava, of a Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur song, a composition of Shankar Jaikishan, penned by the great Hasrat Jaipuri and picturized on Mehmood and Shubha Khote: Ajahun na aaye balma sawan beeta jaaye…

अजहुँ ना आए बालमा, सावन बीता जाए
हाय रे सावन बीता जाए

नींद भी अंखियन द्वार न आए
तोसे मिलन की आस भी जाए
आई बहार खिले फुलवा
मोरे सपने कौन सजाए
आ … अजहुं …

चांद को बदरा गरवा लगाए
और भी मोरे मन ललचाए
यार हसीन गले लग जा
मोरी उम्र गुज़रती जाए
आ … अजहुं …

Song #9
Meri yaad mein tum na aansu bahana
Raag Jaunpuri, Tal Kaherava

Jaunpuri is one of the raagas that have been named after names of regions such as Pahadi (my place), Marwa, and Bhupali. 

Guess what? Jaunpuri (name of the place in Saurashtra as well as in Uttar Pradesh) belongs to the Asavari Thaat. Many experts feel that Jaunpuri is the same as Shuddha Rishab Asavari. What are the attributes of Asavari Thaat? It is full of tyaag (sacrifice) and renunciation and pathos. It is a late morning raaga.

Who was the first one to devise this raaga? Well, the raaga has been attributed to Amir Khusrow in the reign of Emperor Akbar. One of the benefits of Raag Jaunpuri is believed to be a cure from headache (as claimed by Pandit Jasraj).

The Jati of Raag Jaunpuri is Shadhav – Sampoorna. Gandhar is Varjya in Aaroh. Gandhar, Dhaivat and Nishad Komal. Rest all Shuddha Swaras. Now, in Raag Asavari, both Gandhar and Nishad are Varjya in Aaroh. Many, therefore, believe that Meri yaad mein tum na aansu bahana is closer to Asavari than to Jaunpuri.

This song is from the 1951 JBH Wadia movie Madhosh starring Manhar Desai, Meena Kumari, Usha Kiran and Rajan. It was penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and composed by Madan Mohan.

Please enjoy: Meri yaad mein tum na aansu bahana…

मेरी याद में तुम न आँसू बहाना
न जी को जलाना, मुझे भूल जाना
समझना के था एक सपना सुहाना
वो गुज़रा ज़माना, मुझे भूल जाना
मेरी याद में…

जुदा मेरी मँज़िल, जुदा तेरी राहें -२
मिलेंगी न अब तेरी-मेरी निगाहें
मुझे तेरी दुनिया से है दूर जाना
मेरी याद में…

ये रो-रो के कह्ता है टूटा हुआ दिल -२
नहीं हूँ मैं तेरी मोहब्बत के काबिल
मेरा नाम तक अपने लब पे न लाना
न जी को जलाना, मुझे भूल जाना
मेरी याद में…

Song #10
Jaane kya dhoondati rehati hain
Raag Pahadi, Tal Dadra

Today’s song is from the 1961 Ramesh Saigal movie Shola Aur Shabnam starring Dharmendra and Tarla Mehta together with M Rajan, Abhi Bhattacharya and Vijayalaxmi. Its lyrics are by Kaifi Azmi that have been composed by Khayyam and sung by Mohammad Rafi.

It is amongst the hundred movies or so that I watched on the net, fascinated by its songs and for once, I was not disappointed though, in the second half, the movie does drag on a bit; which was the case with most movies of that era.

The story is about Dharmendra and Tarla being childhood friends, very close and in love. They grow up after having been separated at childhood. He is poor and his friend M Rajan gives him a much-needed job in his timber business. M Rajan is engaged to be married to Tarla. Dharmendra doesn’t recognise Tarla who has grown up. His friend M Rajan asks him to sing when they meet and he sings their childhood favourite. She joins in the second stanza.

Another song from the movie became very popular: Jaane kya dhoondati rehati hain ye aankhen mujh mein, which was Dharmendra’s way of telling Talrla that he couldn’t possibly return to their loving days since he owed it all to his friend and benefactor M Rajan.

The lyricist of the song is Kaifi Azmi. I have as many as three blog posts on him: ‘The Best Songs Of Kaifi Azmi – A Great Lyricist And Poet’, ‘Part II’ and ‘Part III’. He was the only famous lyricist whom I heard live in a mushaira (in my college Govt College Dharamshala). I have found his poetry and lyrics so powerful that I wonder how could he write these in such simple words.

Of all the lyricists that I know of, Kaifi Azmi mastered the art of giving vent to the most intense and most powerful emotions through simplest words. One author who did that is my favourite: Ernest Hemingway. Likewise, taste this from Kaifi in this song: 

मिलने की खुशी ना मिलने का गम, खत्म ये झगड़े हो जाएं
तू तू ना रहे, मैं मैं ना रहूँ
इक दूजे मैं खो जाएं
मैं भी ना छोड़ूं पल भर दामन
तू भी पल भर रूठे ना, प्यार का बंधन ..

These are the kind of simple words that take you another world altogether; the world of pure love and enchantment.

Now, about music director Khayyam, the composer of this poignant song.

Khayyam and his wife Jagjit Kaur are from the town of Rahon, near Nawanshahr in Punjab. This is close (14 Kms) from my maternal grandparents place in Urapur. Khayyam is not just the gentlest of the music directors, he has affinity towards the raaga of my place: Pahadi. This song, too, he composed in Pahadi.

Mohammad Zahur Khayyam Hashmi decided to donate his entire wealth of about Rupees Ten Crores to the trust founded by him as KPJ Trust (K for Khayyam, P for their late son Pradeep (they lost him in 2012) and J for his wife Jagjit) to support budding artists and technicians in India.

Pahadi is an Audhav – Sampoorna Raag. Nishad and Madhyam are vrjya in Aaroh. Pahadi is not just a raag but also a dhun.

As far as Tal Dadra is concerned, Tal Dadra derives its name from Dadra style of singing prevalent in Dadra. It is a six or three beat Tal:
Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, 3; that is two vibhags of three matras each. The theka is:
Dhaa Dhin Naa Dhaa Tin Naa.

Please enjoy: Jaane kya dhoondati rehati hain…

जाने क्या ढूँढती रहती हैं ये आँखें मुझमें
राख के ढेर में शोला है न चिंगारी है
अब न वो प्यार न उसकी यादें बाकी
आग यूँ दिल में लगी कुछ न रहा कुछ न बचा
जिसकी तस्वीर निगाहों में लिये बैठा हो
मैं वो दिलदार नहीं उसकी हूँ खामोश चिता

ज़िंदगी हँस के न गुज़रती तो बहुत अच्छा था
खैर हँस के न सही रो के गुज़र जायेगी
राख बरबाद मुहब्बत की बचा रखी हैं
बार-बार इसको जो छेड़ा तो बिखर जायेगी

आरज़ू जुर्म वफ़ा जुर्म तमन्ना है गुनाह
ये वो दुनिया है जहाँ प्यार नहीं हो सकता
कैसे बाज़ार का दस्तूर तुम्हें समझाऊँ
बिक गया जो वो खरीदार नहीं हो सकता …

Song #11
Jeet hi lenge baazi hum tum
Raag Bhairavi, Tal Dadra

Since this is the second back to back song here from the same movie Shola Aur Shabnam composed by Khaiyyam and penned by Kaifi Azmi, I am not repeating the information about the movie, its plot, and about Tal Dadra.

This song was sung as a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, she joining in after the first stanza.

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. I have already told you that 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.

As far as the singers Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar are concerned, I have only this to say: People have brought out that the best duets are between A, B, and C. However, both Rafi and Lata have etched names for themselves as the best playback singers there ever were.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Bhairavi Tal Dadra, Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar sing a composition of Khayyam on the lyrics of Kaifi Azmi in the 1961 Ramesh Saigal movie Shola Aur Shabnam starring Dharmendra and Tarla Mehta: Jeet hi lenge bazi ham tum…..

रफ़ी:
जीत ही लेंगे बाज़ी हम तुम, खेल अधूरा छूटे न
प्यार का बंधन, जन्म का बंधन, जन्म का बंधन टूटे न

मिलता है जहाँ धरती से गगन, आओ वहीं हम जाएं
तू मेरे लिये, मैं तेरे लिये – २
इस दुनिया को ठुकरायें – २
दूर बसा ले दिल की जन्नत – २
जिसको ज़माना लूटे ना, प्यार का बंधन

लता:
मिलने की खुशी ना मिलने का गम, खत्म ये झगड़े हो जाएं
तू तू ना रहे, मैं मैं ना रहूँ – २
इक दूजे मैं खो जाएं – २
मैं भी ना छोड़ूं पल भर दामन – २
तू भी पल भर रूठे ना, प्यार का बंधन …

Song #12
Chahunga main tujhe saanjh savere
Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava

I have given you enough about Raag Pahadi and Tal Kaherava. So, here, I give you some other information about the song and the movie.

This song sung by Mohammad Rafi is one of the best of Laxmikant Pyarelal from the 1964 Satyen Bose movie Dosti, a movie whose songs made L-P one of the most loved music duos in India and a movie whose songs are still fondly remembered even today. Majrooh Sultanpuri penned the lyrics and L-P composed it in the raaga of my place: Pahadi.

Lets start with the movie. Bombay based Rajshri was founded by Tarachand Barjatya in the year 1947. However, Rajshri Productions Pvt Ltd engaged in films production came about in the year 1962. Its first film Arti, in 1962 was highly acclaimed. However, the grand success of its second production Dosti in 1964 included winning the National Award for Best Feature Film and as many as six Filmfare Awards: Best Film, Best Music Director (the debut Filmfare Award for L-P), Best Story: Ban Bhatt, Best Dialogue: Govind Moonis, Best Playback Singer: Mohammad Rafi for the song I am giving you today, and finally Best Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri for the same song.

Dosti was directed by Satyen Bose. It was Sanjay Khan’s debut film and had Sudhir Kumar Sawant, and Sushil Kumar Somaya in lead roles. The film focuses on the friendship between two boys, one blind and the other a cripple.

Laxmikant Pyarelal started off with 1963 movie Parasmani and they made such popular songs for their very first movie that these are fondly remembered even today.

Lastly, before we take up the song, lets for a minute talk about the lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Majrooh is the fifth of our lyricists who was a contemporary of Shakeel Badayuni. Out of all these six (*including Shakeel), three have been from Uttar Pradesh, which says something about that region producing some great poets and lyricists.

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 enchanting.

Before we take up the song, let me tell you briefly as to how it came about in the movie. Ramu (Sushil Kumar) is a cripple and good at playing harmonica. Thrown out of his home, crippled and penniless, he roams around the streets of Mumbai. Here he comes across Mohan (Sudhir Kumar), a boy who is blind and has a similar tale of woe. Mohan is a singer. Both meet on the streets of Bombay and form a good pair. One day, Ramu gets into trouble for no fault of his own and is bailed out on the condition that he would keep no contact with Mohan. That’s how this song came about.

Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi sing a composition of Laxmikant Pyarelal on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri, a song from the 1964 Satyen Bose movie Dosti: Chahunga main tujhe saanjh savere….

चाहूँगा मैं तुझे साँझ सवेरे
फिर भी कभी अब नाम को तेरे
आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा, आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा

देख मुझे सब है पता
सुनता है तू मन की सदा (२)
मितवा …
मेरे यार तुझको बार बार
आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा, आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा
चाहूँगा मैं तुझे साँझ सवेरे

दर्द भी तू चैन भी तू
दरस भी तू नैन भी तू
मितवा …
मेरे यार तुझको बार बार
आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा, आवाज़ मैं न दूँगा

I have found that the readers are not able to take in more than six songs at a time in one post. Hence, with this song, I complete the songs of Part II. I hope that you liked my choices and my singing.

Please await songs of Part III.

All compositions of songs follow some arrangements of notes or swar to represent the bhaav or the mood of the song. The rhythm is provided by the beat or the taal.

Songs, whose compositions align themselves closely with known raagas (known arrangements of notes or swar) are known by those raagas. For example, Jaikishan (of Shankar Jaikishan music duo) was very fond of Raag Bhairavi. He composed many songs in Bhairavi; sometimes, as many as three to four songs in a movie.

Naushad was reputed to have ushered in raaga based songs in Hindi movies. In the 1952 Vijay Bhatt movie Baiju Bawra, Naushad had all 13 soundtracks based on some raaga or the other.

Gradually, most music directors became fond of raaga based songs in Hindi  movies. In varying degrees of alignment (from loose to pure) they tried to base their songs on raagas. Some raagas, for them, became their favourites. For example, OP Nayyar had Raag Pilu or Peelu as his favourite, Shankar had Shivaranjani, Khaiyyam had Pahadi, and so on.

Raaga based Hindi movies songs have always fascinated me. This blog has hundreds of posts on raaga based songs.

I started learning singing only about two years ago. The purpose was to sing to my wife Lyn (short for Marilyn) suffering from Alzheimer’s. Since raaga based songs fascinated me, I tried to learn these too.

Here, I give you some of these that I have sung.

Song#1
Zara sun haseena e nazneen
Raag Pahadi, Tal Rupaktal

Raag Pahadi refers to songs named after only one Pahad: the Himalayas. Therefore, This raag is the raag of my place in the hills: Whispering Winds, Kandaghat. It is, therefore, no surprise that it hapens to be my favourite raag.

There is no doubt in my mind that the best of any genre’ of music has been sung by the god of songs: Mohammad Rafi.

The best in Raag Pahadi is also by him: Chaudhvin ka Chand, in Taal Kaherava.

By the way, my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni received his first Filmfare Award in 1961 for this song. Shakeel’s association with Ravi resulted in some remarkably beautiful songs sung by Mohammad Rafi. The theme of describing husn (beauty) of the woman was prominent in these songs. Indeed the second song for which Shakeel received his Filmfare Award in 1962 was also a husn song: Husn wale tera jawab nahin for the movie Gharana.

In 1963 movie Kaun Apna Kaun Praya, Shakeel, Ravi and Rafi made yet another enchanting husn song that Vijay Kumar lip-synced to Waheeda Rehman.

You can feel the Pahadi dhun with Rupaktal. Pahadi is a raag as well as dhun. Let me give you a few songs in Rupaktal though not in Pahadi. Before that: Rupak is unique among the taals in that the first beat (ie, the sam) is khali (ie., represented by a wave of the hand).

wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2

Some songs in Rupaktal: Aap ki nazaron ne samajha, Ghar aaja ghir aaye badra sanwariya, Haay re vo din kyun na aaye, Kisi raah pe kisi mod par, Piya tose naina laagi re, Tum gagan ke chandrama and Megha chhaye aadhi raat.

It is, indeed, appropriate that the very first raaga based song recorded in my own singing on YouTube happens to be in Raag Pahadi.

Please enjoy: Zara sun haseena-e-nazneen….

ज़रा सुन हसीना ऐ नाज़नीं
मेरा दिल तुझ ही पे निसार है
तेरे दम से ही मेरे दिलरुबा
मेरी ज़िंदगी में बहार है

हुई जब से मुझ पे तेरी नज़र
मैं हूँ अपने आप से बेख़बर
हुआ जब से दिल में तेरा गुज़र
मुझे चैन है न क़रार है

तेरे हुस्न से जो सँवर गई
वो फ़िज़ाएं मुझको अज़ीज़ हैं
तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ से जो लिपट गईं
मुझे उन हवाओं से प्यार है

ये हसीन फूलों की डालियाँ
तुझे दे रही है सलामियाँ
मुझे क्यों न रश्क़ हो ऐ सनम
तेरे साथ फ़स्ल-ए-बहार है

Song #2
Aye dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal
Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava

As I mentioned, this song is composed in Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Adana belongs to Asavari Thaat. Raag Adana resembles Raag Darbari Kanada, with the difference that Gandhar is forbidden in Aaroh in Adana. This Raag is rendered mostly in Madhya and Tar Saptaks unlike Raag Darbari Kanada, which is more deep and hence is rendered in Madhya and Mandra Saptaks (Octaves). In this Raag, Komal Gandhar and Komal Dhaivat should not be repeated (oscillated) otherwise Raag Darbari Kanada makes its appearance. Like Darbari Kanada, this Raag does not employ Meend and Gamak, as this is a flittering dynamic type melodic form. Its Jati is Shadhav-Smapurna Vakra. It is normally to be sung during the second prahar of the night, that is, between 9 PM and midnight. Adana was a major raga in the 17th century and a combination of the then current ragas Malhar and Kanada. In a ragamala painting from Mewar it is depicted as an ascetic man sitting on a tiger skin, however, Somanatha describes him as Kama the god of love. His Adana was quite different from the raga as it is performed today.

The song Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho is from the 1950 Shaheed Lateef movie called Arzoo starring Dilip Kumar, Kamini Kaushal and Shashikala. The movie’s story was penned by Ismat Chugtai who later wrote MS Sathyu’s Garam Hawa.

The song was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Anil Biswas. It was sung by Talat Mehmood.

Please enjoy in Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava: Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho….

Song #3
Humse aaya na gaya
Raag Bageshri, Tal Dadra

Raag Bageshri is a Raag of the Kafi Thaat and by now all of us know that Raagas of Kafi Thaat are night raagas. The samay for this raaga is madhyaratri (midnight). Bageshri is a raaga that tells the emotions of a woman waiting for her lover. It is reputed that Mian Tansen first sang it in the court of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.

Tal Dadra derives its name from Dadra style of singing prevalent in Dadra. It is a six or three beat Tal:
Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, 3; that is two vibhags of three matras each. The theka is:
Dhaa Dhin Naa Dhaa Tin Naa

This is from a farcical comedy: Dekh Kabira Roya, a 1957 Amiya Chakravarty movie.

Just like the Jahan Ara songs, this too was sung by Talat Mahmood.

It was penned by Rajinder Krishan and composed by Madan Mohan.

The song is picturised on the middle brother of the trio: Anoop Kumar; the elder being Ashok Kumar and younger being Kishore Kumar (they were together in another comedy: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi). He is singing it to Shobha Khote. He was Mohan in the movie and she was Kalpana.

Please enjoy: Humse aaya na gaya….

हम से आया न गया तुम से बुलाया ना गया
फ़ासला प्यार में दोनों से मिटाया ना गया

वो घड़ी याद है जब तुम से मुलाक़ात हुई
एक इशारा हुआ दो हाथ बढ़े बात हुई
देखते देखते दिन ढल गया और रात हुई
वो समां आज तलक दिल से भुलाया ना गया
हम से आया न गया

क्या ख़बर थी के मिले हैं तो बिछड़ने के लिये
क़िस्मतें अपनी बनाईं हैं बिगड़ने के लिये
प्यार का बाग बसाया था उजड़ने के लिये
इस तरह उजड़ा के फिर हम से बसाया ना गया
हम से आया न गया

याद रग जाती है और वक़्त गुज़र जाता है
फूल खिलता है मगर खिल के बिखर जाता है
सब चले जाते हैं फिर दर्दे जिगर जाता है
दाग़ जो तूने दिया दिल ने मिटाया ना गया
हम से आया न गया …

Song #4
Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj
Raag Malkauns, Tintal

Today’s song is in Raag Malkauns or Malkaush and Tal Tintal. Malkaush is another raag dedicated to Lord Shiva like Bhairav. Indeed, it belongs to Bhairavi Thaat. The name Malkaush is derived from the combination of Mal and Kaushik, which means he who wears a garland of snakes; ie, Shiva. It is believed that the raaga was composed by Lord Shiva’s wife Parvati to calm him down. As a matter of interest all pentatonic raagas belong to Shaivait musical school and so does Malkaush.

Now that we know a little more about the Jati of a raaga, it is of pentatonic scale both in ascending and descending scales; that is Audhav-Audhav. The five notes used are: Sa, komal Ga, shuddh Ma, komal Dha, and komal Ni. The two notes that are totally omitted are: Re (Rishab) and Pa (Pancham).

Malkaush is a late night raaga and is calming, soothing and even intoxicating. One would use such a raaga in deep and serious meditation. One of the finest examples of Malkauns in Hindi songs is from the 1952 Vijay Bhatt movie Baiju Bawra that starred Meena Kumari as Gauri and Bharat Bhushan in the title role. The movie got Meena Kumari a Filmfare Award for Best Actress and Naushad Ali his only Filmfare Award for composing the song Tu Ganga ki mauj.

Naushad Ali was one of the greatest music directors in Hindi films. He is one of the three music directors (the other two being Pankaj Mullick and RC Boral) who have been given the highest award in cinema: the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He has been credited with having introduced Raaga based songs in Hindi movies. Indeed, in the movie Baiju Bawra, each of the 13 songs have been based on some raaga or the other.

As was often the case, the greatest songs of Naushad were penned by my favourite lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni. Also, as was often the case, their songs were sung by the best singer that we ever had: Mohammad Rafi (Please also read: ‘The Best Of Old Hindi Songs – Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad And Dilip Kumar Together’).

This is also one of the best bhajans in Hindi movies ever made and fits well with the description of Raag Malkaush that I have given: serious, meditative, soothing and calming.

Please enjoy: Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj….

मन तड़पत हरि दरसन को आज
मोरे तुम बिन बिगड़े सकल काज
आ, विनती करत, हूँ, रखियो लाज, मन तड़पत…

तुम्हरे द्वार का मैं हूँ जोगी
हमरी ओर नज़र कब होगी
सुन मोरे व्याकुल मन की बात, तड़पत हरी दरसन…

बिन गुरू ज्ञान कहाँ से पाऊँ
दीजो दान हरी गुन गाऊँ
सब गुनी जन पे तुम्हारा राज, तड़पत हरी…

मुरली मनोहर आस न तोड़ो
दुख भंजन मोरे साथ न छोड़ो
मोहे दरसन भिक्षा दे दो आज दे दो आज, …

Song #5
Bhooli hui yaadon
Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra

Lets now make up for not having given you a song in Raag Kalyan, the basic raag of Kalyan Thaat. It is in Tal Dadra.

Despite the fact that Madan Mohan‘s first recorded song, in the 1950 movie Aankhen, was sung by Mukesh: Preet lagake maine, Madan Mohan and Mukesh, in 25 years, recorded only nine songs together and were together in just five movies: Aankhen (1950), Samundar (1957), Duniya Na Mane (1959), Sanjog (1961), and Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963). In Sanjog, Madan Mohan gave Mukesh one of the finest song that the latter is remembered by and I am giving you that today.

Raag Kalyan is the basic raaga of Kalyan Thaat. Its Jati is Sampurna-Sampurna, that is, all seven notes in Aaroha and all seven notes in Avaroha.  All the scale notes (called swaras) in the raga are Shuddha, the exception being Teevra Madhyam or prati madhyamam. It is sung during the first prahar of the night, that is, between  6 to 9 PM. Raag Kalyan of Hindustani Music is also known as Raag Yaman in Carnatic Music; however, Raag Yaman Kalyan is a totally different raag. Considered to be one of the most fundamental ragas in the Hindustani Classical tradition, it is thus often one of the first ragas taught to students.

Some of the Hindi films songs composed in raag Shyam Kalyan are:

The song Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao is from the 1961 Pramod Chakravorty movie Sanjog that starred Pradeep Kumar and Anita Guha.

The song was penned by Rajendra Krishan and composed by Madan Mohan (Kohli). It was sung by Mukesh, one of the nine of Madan Mohan songs that he sang in 25 years.

Please enjoy in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra: Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao….

Song #6
Phir kahin koi phool khila
Raag Desh, Tal Kaherava

Desh, as the name suggests, is a Raaga that is often used for the patriotic fervour such as Vande Mataram. Many of Rabindra Nath Tagore songs (Rabindrasangeet) have been composed in Desh. It is a Raaga that should normally be played during the first quarter of the night.

Phool or flower is often compared to blossoming of Love. The last thing that the lovers want is that it should be called infatuation. This is exactly the theme of this Manna De song.  This ranks amongst his best. The song is from the 1971 movie Anubhav directed by Basu Bhattacharya and starring Sanjeev Kumar and Tanuja. Lyrics are by Kapil Kumar and music by Kanu Roy. The latter composed it in Raag Desh. You may recall OP Nayyar’s Beqasi hadd se jab guzr jaaye in the same raag.

Please enjoy: Phir kahin koi phool khila, chahat naa kaho isako…

फिर कहीं कोई फूल खिला, चाहत ना कहो उसको – २
फिर कहीं कोई दीप जला, मंज़िल ना कहो उसको
फिर कहीं …

मन का समुंदर प्यासा हुआ, क्यूँ किसी से माँगे दुआ – २
लहरों का लगा जो मेला, तूफ़ां ना कहो उसको
फिर कहीं …

देखें सब वो सपने, खुद ही सजाए जो हमने – २
दिल उनसे बहल जाए तो, राहत ना कहो उसको
फिर कहीं …

I have found that the readers are not able to take in more than six songs at a time in one post. Hence, with this song, I complete the songs of Part I. I hope that you liked my choices and my singing.

Please await songs of Part II.