Music and Cinema – Page 17

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #37

The thirty-seventh song in this series.

Na ye chand hoga na taare rahenge….

This song is from the 1954 B Mitra movie Shart (Bet). The movie starred Shyama, Deepak (Dipak), IS Johar and Shashikala. The story of the movie was written by IS Johar, Nasir Hussain and Qamar Jalalabadi and was as complex a drama (twists and turns) as movies of that era used to be:

Hiten (IS Johar) is a frustrated young man with a mad streak bordering on criminal. His late father left him huge estate that can be his if he marries Kamini (Shyama), his father’s friend’s daughter. Kamini, of course, refuses to marry him knowing about his madness.

Kamini and her stepmother Manisha (Mohana) are returning, by train, to Dehradun after attending a court case between Kamini and Manisha regarding the property of Kamini’s late father. Kamini hates her stepmother and writes in her diary that she’d rather see her dead. This diary accidentally falls in the hands of Hiten who is travelling by the same train. After Manisha is murdered, Hiten blackmails Kamini about marrying him, else he would tell the police about the diary.

Robin (Dipak), son and grandson of police officers, is travelling by the same train. In the confusion after Manisha’s murder, he comes across Kanu (Kamini’s brother) abandoned by Kamini. Robin lodges murder complaint at the nearest police station and then takes Kanu home.

When at home, Robin hears the shrieks of a young girl. He rushes to her assistance against ruffians and brings her home too. She is Kamini. She signals to her brother to keep quiet about her identity.

In the meanwhile, the police suspect that Kamini is the one who committed the murder and they offer a reward for anyone offering clue about her whereabouts. That’s the time Robin discovers her true identity. However, by this time, he is madly in love with her, having sung many songs for and with her and having been the object of many songs sung by her. These include three delightful Chand songs:

1. Na ye chand hoga sung separately by first Geeta Dutt for Shyama and then by Hemant Kumar for Dipak (penned by SH Bihari (Behari)).
2. Chand ghatne laga raat dhalne lagi by Geeta Dutt for Shyama (penned by Rajinder Krishan).
3. Dekho wo chand chhupake karta hai kya ishaare, a duet sung by Hemant Kumar for Dipak and Lata Mangeshkar for Shyama (penned by SH Bihari).

Chand songs apart, Robin, having been born in a police family, thinks of his duty first and goes to the Police Station to report about Kamini. In the meantime, Hiten (IS Johar) locates Kamini and blackmails her to leave Robin’s house with him. Once he has her, in order to get his late father’s money, he again asks her to marry him. When she declines he comes up with an alternate plan to do away with the custodian of the property, his uncle.

Where does Shart (Bet) come into it? Don’t ask me; as it is I had to see the entire movie to give you all this. I ask you a counter question: Raj Kapoor became famous for 1949 movie Barsaat, the debut movie of Shankar Jaikishan, Hasrat Haipuri, Shailendra and Nimmi. That movie was the first time Lata Mangeshkar’s name appeared on the screen as a playback singer for both Nargis and Nimmi. It had a number of songs on Barsaat (Rain). But, why was the movie titled Barsaat?

Filmistan’s production Shart premiered in Bombay at the Novelty, Palace and Rivoli theaters on 09 Apr, 1954. Lots of expectations had been raised about the movie. However, the filmgoers were disappointed except for the music and songs of the movie.

People loved complex mysteries at that time and hence that couldn’t be the cause of the movie’s failure. Shashikala as Dipak’s dancing sister added glamour to the movie and yet it failed. The likely reason must be that the movie was mauled by the censors.

Anyway, movie per se and its story and success etc are of peripheral interest to us. We are to concentrate on this iconic song in particular and other songs in general that the movie had and that became very popular. In addition to the three delightful Chand songs, there were the following:

4. Kahan se leke aayi hai (SH Bihari).
5. Piya main to hui bawari (SH Bihari).
6. Raat aayi hai mohabbat ki kahani leke (Rajinder Krishan).
7. Dil mera hai diwana (SH Bihari).
8. Mohabbat mein meri tarah jo luta ho (SH Bihari).
9. Ai mere chaman main hoon wo kali (Rajinder Krishan).
10. Chala kaafila pyaar ka (SH Bihari).
11. O na na na jana na chhod ke (SH Bihari).

Na ye chand hoga was, as I told you earlier, sung in the movie twice: once by Geeta Dutt for Shayama and once by Hemant Kumar for Dipak. It was penned by SH Behari and composed by Hemant Kumar.

Shamsul Huda Bihari (as given in the credits of the movie: SH Behari), born in Arrah, Bihar, must rank amongst the most underrated lyricists in the Hindi films industry. And yet, it is pleasantly surprising to see the range and popularity of his songs.

His most successful pairing has been with OP Nayyar. My favourite songs of SH Bihari with OP Nayyar include: Bahut Shukriya Badi Meherbani, and Mujhe Dekhkar Aapka Muskurana (Ek Mussafir Ek Haseena, 1962); Diwana Huwa Badal, Hai Duniya Usi Ki, Isharon Isharon Mein Dil Lene Waale, Meri Jaan Balle, Phir Thes Lagi Dil Pe, Subhan Allah, Tarif Karun Kya Uski, Kisi Na Kisise Kabhi Na Kabhi, and Balamaa Khulii Havaa Mein (Kashmir Ki Kali, 1964); “Yehi Woh Jagah Hai, Phir Miloge Kabhi, Is Baat Ka Wada Karlo, Aap Se Maine Meri Jaan Mohabbat Ki Hai, Main Shayad Tumhare Liye Ajnabi Hoon, and Mera Pyar Woh Hai Ke (Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi, 1966); Zara Haulle Haulle Challo Mere Sajna, Zulfon Ko Hata Le Chehre Se, Aaj Koi Pyar Se, Meri Jaan Tum Pe Sadhke, Jo Dil Ki Tadap Na Jane, and Khuda Huzoor Ko Meri Bhi Zindagi De De (Sawan Ki Ghata, 1966); Raaton Ko Chori Chori, Na Jaane Kyon, Mehfil Mein, Tumhari Mulaqat Se, Yeh Purnoor Chehra, Nazar Nazar Se Milaao, Tum Sab Se Haseen Ho and Kyar Cheez Ho Zaalim (Mohabbat Zindagi Hai, 1966); Chain Se Hamko Kabhi Aapne Jeene Na Diya, and Ek Tu Hai Piya Jis Pe Dil Aa Gaya (Praan Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye, 1974); Badan Gora Haseen Jalwe Tumko Deewaana Meri Jaan,Ghar Apna Bangaal Aur Bambai Mein Hai Sasuraal, Gham Yateemon Ke Jaisa Bhi Sansaar Main Koi Bachcha, Kisko Gale Lagaaye Dil Kiska Todiye, Pyaar Bhara Kajara Aankhiyon Mein Daal Ke, Saaqi Ki Nigaahon Seae Jee Hoga Kya Aage and Zulf Lehraayi To Saawan Ka Mahina Aa Gaya (Khoon Ka Badla Khoon, 1978).

As far as Hemant Kumar is concerned, other than this movie they were together in the 1955 Usha Kiran and Karan Diwan movie Bahu (Dekho dekho ji balam deke birah ke gam), 1956 movie Inspector starring Ashok Kumar and Geeta Bali (Dil chhed koi aisa nagma), 1957 movie Ek Jhalak starring Pradeep Kumar and Vyjayanthimala (Aaja zara mere dil ke sahare), 1957 movie Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan starring Ajit and Nalini Jaywant (Hai chaar din ki duniya, Kahe tadpaye kahe tarsaaye), 1957 movie Hill Station starring Shyama, Pradeep Kumar, Beena Roy (Nayi manzil nayi raahen naya hai mehrbaan apna), and 1956 movie Arab Ka Saudagar starring Pradeep Kumar and Shashikala (Tera hi aasra hai O do jahaan waale).

SH Bihari has, of course, also paired with Laxmikant Pyarelal (Naseeb Apna Apna, Janam Janam, Shoorveer, Jawab Hum Denge), Shankar Jaikishan (Pagla Kahin Ka, Jaane Anjane, Duniya), Ravi (Mehdi, Ghar Sansaar, Apna Banake Dekho), Bappi Lahiri (Kab Taq Chup Rahungi), Bulo C Rani (Madhur Milan), and Ram Ganguly (Gawiyaa with that beautiful song: Teri yaad ka deepak jalata hai).

Lets turn to the singer and composer Hemant Kumar:

“If God could sing, He would have a voice like Hemant Kumar’s”. This is how Salil Chowdhury described Hemant da’s singing. And we, who adore him, completely agree.

Hemant’s singing has the magical effect of carrying you – body, heart and soul – into the world of the song. Take Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan; and you realise that the Jaal (Net or Trap) is not just cast by Dev Anand for Geeta Bali, but that you yourself are caught in it like a struggling fish. When he goes on to sing… Taaron ki chhaon mein keh le kahaniyan…, you don’t have to imagine the scene; it unfolds before your eyes with his each word. Let’s take just one more illustrative song, a Waltzing number: Chup hai dharti chup hai chaand sitaare, mere dil ki dhadkan tujhako pukaare. Suddenly, you experience an enchanting silence wherein only thing that is awake is your soul.

It is very difficult to resist the seduction of Hemant’s Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan.

Interestingly, Hemant da has sung and composed more songs on Chand and Chup than any other. The atmosphere of moonlit night is to be enjoyed in silence and not in crescendo. For example, Lehron pe lehar, kismat hai jawan; Raaton ki sehar, chali aao yahan; Sitaare timtimaate hain to aaja aaja, Machalti jaa rahi hai ye hawaayen aaja aaja.

Hemant Kumar was a singer and composer who came alive, gently and heart warmingly at Raat (Night): Raat haseen, ye chand haseen, tu sabase haseen mere dilvar; Aur tujhase haseen tera pyaar.

Biswajeet lip-syncing (to Waheeda Rehman) Hemant Kumar’s Ye nayan dare dare in Kohraa

Is it, therefore, any surprising that he sang one of his best for a movie called Sannata (Complete Calm): Bas ek chup si lagi hai? Is it also surprising that his own film production of 1969 (he had Asit Sen (the famous director and not the comedian) directing it) was called Khamoshi (Silence)?

Raat, Khamoshi, Chandini are the themes that one can associate with Hemant Kumar: Jaadugar sainya, chhod mere bainya, ho gayi aadhi raat, ab ghar jaane de (from Hemant Kumar’s music direction Nagin), we would want to sing to him, trying to get back home. And Hemant da, in his characteristic baritone would sing back: Ek raat hoke nidar, mujhe jeene do. Life, for him, came alive, at night, like Wordsworth’s Lucy Gray:

“The stars of midnight shall be so dear,
For her and she shall lean her ear,
In many a secret place;
Where rivulets dance their wayward round,
And beauty born of murmuring sound,
Shall pass into her face.”

Chand is one of the reasons the song is dear to me. It is my favourite theme in songs. My very first post on songs was on Chand songs. The very first Songs Fest that I attempted on Facebook had the theme Chand.

This song is not a duet; it has been sung separately by Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar. I am giving you both the versions.

Please enjoy this iconic song from the 1954 B Mitra movie Shart starring Shyama and Dipak, IS Johar and Shashikala, song having been penned by SH Bihari, composed by Hemant Kumar and sung by Geeta Dutt and Hemant Kumar: Na ye chand hoga….

Geeta Dutt

न ये चाँद होगा न तारे रहेंगे
मगर हम हमेशा तुम्हारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

नज़र ढूँढती थी जिसे पा लिया है
उम्मीदों के फूलों से दामन भरा है
ये दिन हमको सब दिन से प्यारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

कहूँ क्या मेरे दिल का अर्मान क्या है
तुम्हें हर घड़ी चूमना चाहता है
कहाँ तक भला जी को मारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

सहारा मिले जो तुम्हारी हँसी का
भुला देंगे हम सारा ग़म ज़िन्दगी का
तुम्हारे लिये हैं तुम्हारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

Hemant Kumar

आ…, न ये चाँद होगा, न तारे रहेंगे
मगर हम हमेशा, तुम्हारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

बिछड़कर चले जाएं तुमसे कहीं
तो ये ना समझना मुहब्बत नहीं
जहाँ भी रहे हम तुम्हारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

ज़माना अगर कुछ कहेगा तो क्या
मगर तुम न कहना हमें बेवफ़ा
तुम्हारे लिये हैं तुम्हारे रहेंगे
न ये चाँद होगा…

Besides the two reasons that I have given you for this being amongst my favourites: One, that one of the two singers singing it is Hemant Kumar and the composer being Hemant Kumar (some of the best songs of Hemant Kumar are on his own composition (such as Ye nayan dare dare, Ya dil ki suno duniyawaalo, Beqraar karke hamen youn na jayiye, Tum pukaar lo tumhaara intezaar hai, and Zindagi kitani khoobsurat hai) and two, that it is a Chand song, there is one basic reason for this song tugging at my emotions. It is a song that talks of eternal love. It equates Love to God: it would stay even after the moon and stars are no more.

And like all Hemant Kumar songs, it brings home this point quietly; like a silent resolve.

The overall effect is a song that transports one into another world; the world of total love and commitment.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

GOOD MORNING MESSAGE #191

The Impossible Dream….

From the first of June, 2018, I started writing Good Morning messages in the form of poems (Please read: ‘Good Morning Message #1‘).

The last such message was:’Good Morning Message #190‘.

Good Morning Friends,

Today onward I am going to do something different. In addition to my own inspirational poems everyday, on every Friday, I am going to give you a song or poem that has inspired me.

This one was penned by Joe Darion and was composed by Mitch Leigh both for the 1965 play and 1972 movie by the same name: Man Of La Mancha. I saw the latter with Peter O’Toole in the title role.

You may turn to Internet to read the story inspired by Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. The song and its lyrics became a standard across the world. The musical has played in many other countries with productions in Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Icelandic, Bengali, Gujarati, Uzbek, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Serbian, Slovenian, Swahili, Finnish, Ukrainian and nine distinctly different dialects of the Spanish language.

Here is my small introduction, followed by the original song:

So you think yours is an impossible dream,
And never do dreams come true;
Follow it up and don’t ever lose your steam,
It would be impossible only if you don’t pursue.

The Impossible Dream

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march
Into hell for a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lay peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To fight the unbeatable foe
To reach the unreachable star

….can also come true if you chase it with your heart.

GOOD MORNING MESSAGE #151

There is some Music in everyone….

From the first of June, 2018, I started writing Good Morning messages in the form of poems (Please read: ‘Good Morning Message #1‘).

The last such message was: ‘Good Morning Message #150‘.

Good morning Friends,

Music, like Love, is the common thread,
That binds people across the globe.
You can see Music, like wildfire spread,
Unless you are a die-hard xenophobe.
Nothing like music to make friends,
Nothing like music to make amends.

Take the case of nations as enemies,
Plotting to raze the other to ground,
They have hated each other for centuries,
Sane voices in hostility have been drowned.
Yet, other’s music can make them dance,
Music, between them, is still a romance.

(Image courtesy: https://sonicsmorgasbord.wordpress.com/tag/music-in-nature/)

Power of Music we need to acknowledge,
It really is a language everyone understands;
It appears greater than all known knowledge,
It connects people of even diverse lands.
There is some music in all God’s things,
In rivers, mountains, ponds and springs.

Listening to the Music of Nature is refreshing,
Of birds, rain, seas, animals, plants and trees;
It is free, available all the time, and caressing,
Just lean your ears and listen to the breeze.
Music may be God’s way to say:
Always have a melodious day.

……there is some music in everything.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #100

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Aayi diwali, aayi diwali…. Raag Bhairavi, Tal Dadra Finally on the day of the Diwali today, 07 Nov 2018, I have the hundredth song in my Raaga Based Songs series. This song is from the 1944 movie Rattan that was an Abdul Rashid Kardar production that was directed by M Sadiq and starred Swaran Lata and Karan Dewan. Here is the story in brief to understand the song: Govind (Karan Dewan) and Gauri (Swaran Lata) are childhood friends and are in love. But both are from different castes and hence their marriage is not possible in those social times. One day Gauri is married off to a person who is much older to her, by keeping him in dark. Gauri is seen pining for Govind in this song. This is the ninth time I am taking up a song in this raaga. We have completed ninety-five 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 ninety-eighth post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #99‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1963 Brij movie Ustadon Ke Ustad starring Praddep Kumar, Shakila, Ashok Kumar and Sheikh Mukhtar: Sau baar janam lenge sau baar fanaa honge. It is in Raag Kaushik Kanada, 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 Jhinjhoti – Part I‘. In the last ninety-eight days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand, Mian Ki Malhar and Jog; making it a total of 62 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am giving you a song in Raag Bhairavi, the Queen of all Raagas for the ninth time. The song, as I said earlier, is from the 1944 movie Rattan, an Abdul Rashid Kardar production directed by M Sadiq, which starred Swaran Lata and Karan Dewan. The song Aayi Diwali, Aayi Diwali was penned by DN Madhok and composed by Naushad. The songs of the movie made Naushad so famous that he started charging Rupees 25000 per movie. This was about one third of the production cost of the movie at that time. It is another fact that Swaran Lata, in an interview with Pakistan Television, claimed that the composition of this song was done by DN Madhok himself. The songs of the movie also made both the female playback singers Zohrabai Ambalewali and Amirbai Karnataki very famous. Here is a list of songs of the movie; the last song (duet) was equally popular:

“Akkhiyan Milake ” – Zohrabai Ambalawali
“Rimjhim Barse Badarwa” – Zohrabai Ambalawali
“Hindustan Ke Hum Hain” – Mohammad Rafi
“Milke Bichhad Gayii Akkhiyan” – Amirbai Karnataki
“Jab Tum Hi Chale Pardes Laga Kar Theis” -Karan Dewan
“O janewale Balamwa” – Amirbai Karnataki and Shyam Kumar
“Jab Tum Hi Chale Pardes Laga Kar Theis”
“Pardesi Balma Baadal Aaya”
“Sawan Ke Baadalo Unn Se Yeh Jaa Kaho”- Zohrabai Ambalewali and Karan Dewan

Zohrabai Ambalewali was from Ambala in Punjab. She was a classical singer of Hindustani Music trained under Ghulam Hussain Khan and Ustad Nasir Hussain Khan. Subsequently, she joined the Agra Gharana. She started singing at All India Radio at the age of 13. Eventually she made her Hindi film debut as a playback singer with film Daku Ki Ladki (1933) with music by Pransukh Nayak. After initial years in Lahore-based film industry, she shifted to Bombay. As already mentioned, the movie Rattan’s songs made her famous. Some of the popular songs of Zohrabai Ambalewali are: Aankhon mein intezaar ki duniya liye huye (Caravan 1944), Ho meri baali umariya saanwariya (Nateeja 1947), Pardesi baalma saawan aaya (Rattan 1944), Rut rangeeli aayi chandini chhayi (Mirza Sahiban 1947), Shayad woh jaa rahe hain chhupkar meri nazar se (Mela 1948, Shakeel Badayuni), Suno ji pyaari kayaliya bole (Sanyasi 1945, also with Naushad), Udhan khatole pe udh jaayun (Anmol Ghadi 1946, Naushad), Ye raat phir na aayegi (with Rajkumari Dubey in Mahal 1949).

Zohrabai Ambalewali’s popular number Udhan khatole pe udh jaayun from the 1946 movie Anmol Ghadi, composed by Naushad on the lyrics of Tanvir Naqvi

Lets take up the lyricist DN Madhok at this stage. Just as Zohrabai Amablewali was one of the first generation of female playback singers, Dina Nath Madhok was amongst the first generation of lyricists (1930s to 1950s). Kidar Sharma and Kavi Pradeep were the others. So fine was his art that he earned himself the sobriquet of Mahakavi Madhok. He started his career with the 1932 movie Radhey Sham and ended up penning about 800 songs. In addition he wrote screenplays and directed about 17 films including Baghdad Ka Chor (1934), Mirza Sahiban (1939), Biwamangal (1954) and Naata (1955). Here are some of my favourite songs penned by him: Aa ja balmaa raat andheri dar laage and Mere mundere na bol (Suraiya in 1947 movie Parwana), Aayi diwali aayi diwali (Zohrabai Ambalewali in 1944 movie Rattan), Beimaan tore nainva nindiya na aaye (Lata Mangeshkar in 1951 movie Taraana), Ham aankh macholi khelenge (Noorjahan, Khandan 1942), Ishq ka dard sohana (Vatsala Kumthekar, Ishaara 1942), Jab tum hi chale pardes laga ke thes (Karan Dewan, Rattan 1944), Jhuthe hain sab sapne suhaane (Manju, Rattan 1944), Kaagaz ki meri naav aur duur kinaara hai (Mukesh Suraiya, Do Dil 1947), Khamosh nigaahen ye sunaati hain kahaani (SD Batish, Daasi 1944), Madhukar Shyam hamare chor, Nis din barsat nain hamaare and Rain gayi ab huaa savera (KL Saigal, Bhakt Surdas 1942), Madhur Madhur ga re manwa and Panchhi bawra (Khursheed, Bhakt Surdas 1942), Meri zindagi mein tum kyun aaye (Suraiya, Goonj 1952), Mohe mera bachpan laa de (With Shakeel Badayuni in Kajal 1948; song sung by Suraiya), More sainya ji ne bheji chunari (Zohrabai Ambalewali, Pehle Aap 1944), Mohabbat ne kaise diye hamako dhokhe (Lata Mangeshkar, Oot Pataang 1955), Naa thamate hain aansu naa rukte hain naale (Mohammad Rafi, Meena Bazaar 1950), Naino mein naina mat dalo, and Pardesi baalma baadal aaya (Zohrabai Ambalewali, Jeewan 1944), O jaanewale baalmwa laut ke aa (Shaam Kumar and Amirbai Karnataki, Rattan 1944), Panghat pe more Shyam bajaaye muraliya (CH Atma, Bilwamangal 1954), Rum jhum barse baadarva (Amirbai Karnataki, Rattan 1944), Sawan ke baadlo unase ye jaa kaho (Zohrabai Ambalewali, Rattan 1944), Taare wahin hain chand wahin hai (Lata Mangeshkar, Anmol Ratan 1950), Tuut gaye sab sapne mere (KL Saigal, Parwana 1947), and Wo din kahan gaye bataa (Lata Mangeshkar, Taraana 1951).

DN Madhok’s Madhukar Shyam hamare chor was made famous by KL Saigal. It was also immortalised by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Naushad Ali, the composer, lived between 25 Dec 1919 to 05 May 2006. He won only one Filmfare Award, for the music and songs of the 1952 Vijay Bhatt movie Baiju Bawra. However, he could have won many including for Mughal-e-Azam. Eventually, he was conferred with the highest, that is, Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1982 and Padma Bhushan in 1992. He is credited with having brought in Raaga Based Songs in the movies and Baiju Bawra is a fine example of that. Various singers and lyricists (especially Shakeel Badayuni) looked up to him as a guide and mentor. For example, he encouraged Mukesh to have his distinctive style of singing rather than imitate KL Saigal. He launched the careers of quite a few of them such as Zohrabai Ambalewali and Uma Devi. As far as my favourite songs of Naushad are concerned, I have penned volumes in this blog on them. As an example, just go through: ‘The Best Of Old Hindi Songs – Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad and Dilip Kumar Together’.

(Picture courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation)

Before we take up the song, lets learn a little about Abdul Rashid Kardar, the producer of this movie from where the song has been taken. He was the pioneer in establishing film industry in Bhati Gate, Lahore (later Pakistan). In 1924, the first silent film (11 years after Dadasaheb Phalke made his first silent movie: Raja Harishchandra), The Daughters of Today was released in Lahore at a time when the city only had nine operational cinema houses. Most of the films shown in theatres in Lahore were either made in Bombay or Calcutta, besides ones made in Hollywood or London. The Daughters of Today was the brain-child of GK Mehta, a former officer with the North-Western Railway, who had imported a camera into the country for this very project from London. He asked Kardar to assist him as an assistant director on the project and ended up giving Kardar his début role in his film as an actor. Muhammad Ismail, his friend and fellow calligraphist, accompanied Kardar in the making of the film. Kardar shifted to Calcutta in 1930 and after working in various production houses, he made his own Kardar Studios in 1940 (he shifted to Bombay in 1937) and started making films under the banner Kardar Productions. His 1946 film Shahjehan starred KL Saigal and the songs were by Majrooh (debut movie) and Naushad Ali. He worked with Naushad in a number of movies including the unforgettable Dil Diya Dard Liya starring Dilip Kumar, Waheeda Rehman and Pran.

M Sadiq, the director of the highly successful movie Rattan from where this song has been taken was born on 10 Mar 1910 in Lahore and died on 03 Oct 1971 in Lohore. He was a director, writer and producer. Some of the other movies that he directed are: Jeewan (1944), Dak Bangla (1947), Anmol Ratan (1950), Shabaab (1954), Chaudhvinh Ka Chand (1960), Full Moon (1961), Taj Mahal (1963), Bahu Begum (1967) and Noorjehan (1967).

Swaran Lata, the actress on whom this song is picturised, was born in a Siyal Khatri Sikh family in Rawalpindi. Her debut movie was the 1942 movie Awaaz. She married Nazir Ahmed, a famous actor, director and producer at that time. She converted to Islam at that time and assumed the name of Saeeda Bano. At the time of partition of India in 1947, she migrated to Pakistan with her husband after leaving everything they owned in Bombay. They started the Pakistani Film Industry from a scratch. By the time she shifted to Pakistan, in five years she had acted in as many as 16 Hindi movies. Her first movie in Pakistan was the 1948 movie Sachai. She was known as the Tragedy Queen much before Meena Kumari was so dubbed. This was mainly due to her emotional dialogue delivery. It is a delight to see her enact the song: Aayi Diwali Aayi Diwali. This song, as I told you, is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava. 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. I am not giving you again a list of songs composed in Raag Bhairavi as I have given this adequate number of times. 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 I gave you a song in this Tal and Raag Bhimpalasi as m 3rd song in the series: Maine chand aur sitaaron ki tamanna ki thi. After that I have given you several songs in the Tal such as: Tere sur aur mere geet (Bihag), Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo (Pahadi), Beqasi hadd se jab guzr jaay (Desh and Khammaj), Dukh bhare din beete re bhaiya (Megh Malhar), Kesariya Balma (Nand), Kuchh aur zamaana kehta hai (Gaur Sarang), Taqdeer ka fasaana (Desh), Bhooli hui yaadon (Kalyan), Benuravvat bewafa (Shankara), Jhumati chali hawa (Sohani), Dil Ke jharokhe mein (Shivaranjani), and Paan khaayo sainya hamaro (Kalyan). However, in the eight songs based on Raag Bhairavi that I have given you, there has never been one in this Tal; most of these have been in Tal Kaherava. Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last eighteen times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. Then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. And then we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro. Then we learnt about Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar. And then we covered vocalist Pandit Jasraj. We then covered violinist L Subramaniam followed by Sitarists Ustaad Vilayat Khan and Nikhil Banerjee. Tonight, we shall take up the great vocalist Kishori Amonkar. She lived between 10 Apr 1931 and 03 Apr 2017. She was a leading Indian vocalist of the Jaipur Gharana. She was a performer of the classical genre khyal and the light classical genres thumri and bhajan. Amonkar trained under her mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar also from the Jaipur gharana, but she experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. Amonkar’s later work in light music reformed her classical singing and she modified her Jaipur gharana performance style by applying features from other gharanas. She has been both praised and criticized for pushing the boundaries of the Jaipur tradition. She was a romanticist and her approach prioritized emotional expression over tradition, so she often departed from the Jaipur gharana’s rhythmic, melodic, and structural traditions. Amonkar received several of India’s national awards and civilian honours, including the Padma Bhushan, in 1987, and Padma Vibhushan in 2002. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1985 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for 2009. She was awarded the prestigious Dr. T. M. A. Pai Outstanding Konkani Award in 1991. In 2016, she was one of seven recipients of the M.S. Subbulakshmi Award for classical music. Returning to the song now. The song, as I told you, is from the 1944 M Sadiq movie Rattan that proved the genius of one of Hindi movies greatest music directors: Naushad Ali. He is the one who for the first time introduced Raaga based songs in Hindi movies. His selection of Bhairavi here is masterly: an atmosphere of total love and piety. M Sadiq has followed it up with the lamps and lamp-bearing female dancers. However, there is emptiness in the eyes of Swaran Lata when she asks who should he dance with since her consort (Karan Dewan) is not there. She mourns about life slipping by without them being together. The matching lyrics rendered by DN Madhok do touch your heart and would apply to anyone of us. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Bhairavi Tal Dadra, Zohrabai Ambalewali sing a composition of Naushad on the lyrics of DN Madhok in the 1944 M Sadiq movie Rattan (produced by AR Kardar) starring Swaran Lata and Karan Dewan: Aayi diwali, aayi diwali…..

आई दीवाली, आई दीवाली – २ दीपक संग नाचे पतंगा मैं किसके संग नाचूँ बताजा आई दीवाली, आई दीवाली … (बचपन जवानी संग नाचके चला गया अब नाचे जवानी बुढ़ापे संग वो दिन आ गया ) – २ अब नाचे जवानी बुढ़ापे संग वो दिन आ गया बिछड़े हुए साथी ज़रा आ मैं किसके संग नाचूं बताजा आई दीवाली, आई दीवाली … (किसको गुमान था वो दिन भी गुज़र जायेंगे और एक बार जाके वो फिर लौट के ना आयेंगे ) – २ बिछड़े हुए साथी ज़रा आ मैं किसके संग नाचूँ बताजा (आई दीवाली, आई दीवाली ) – २ दीपक संग नाचे पतंगा मैं किसके संग नाचूँ बताजा आई दीवाली, आई दीवाली …

https://youtu.be/rSRPU_yXOx4

https://youtu.be/rSRPU_yXOx

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
On the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.
On the ninety-sixth day, we learnt about the Vocalist Pandit Jasraj.
On the ninety-seventh day, we learnt about the great violinist L Subramaniam.
On the ninety-eighth day, we learnt about one of the greatest sitarists: Ustaad Vilayat Khan.
On the ninety-ninth day, we learnt about another great sitarist: Nikhil Banerjee.
And today, on the hundredth day, we learnt about the great vocalist: Kioshori Amonkar.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed. Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #99

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Sau baar janam lenge….
Raag Kaushik Kanada, Tal Kaherava

The ninety-ninth song; one more to go before I reach hundred. The average length of these blogs is about four thousand words – the amount in which average bloggers write about eight to ten posts. Each one of these is a product of hours (if not days) of research and gives you compendium of information that you would cherish.

This song is from the 1963 movie Ustadon Ke Ustad directed by Brij and starring Pradeep Kumar and Shakeela. Recently, I gave you a song: Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye that was penned by Asad Bhopali for the 1963 movie Parasmani. Well, this song too has been penned by him and composed by Ravi. It was sung by Mohammad Rafi.

Lets look at the story-line to see how the song cane about in the movie:

Pradeep Kumar plays Dinesh, a poor engineer in love with a rich woman Nita (Shakila). He is apprehended by the police after they suspect him of being a bank robber. In the police cell he meets dacoit Mangal Singh (Sheikh Mukhtar). The latter plans an escape so as to sell Dinesh to a violent gang.

After their escape Dinesh tells Mangal that not just police he is in trouble with a vindictive gang of thieves hell bent on killing him for having identified Rita (Helen), the dancer, who was involved in a theft. This makes Mangal think of a plan to sell Dinesh to the gang leader for a bigger sum of money.

Mangal’s plan fails. Saaya (Ashok Kumar) follows Mangal’s people to a hiding place where Dinesh is locked up. After his escape from dacoit Mangal, Dinesh makes another escape attempt from the hideout, this time with attempted suicide near a waterfall. This is where Nita comes searching for him and he feigns being a ghost. This is where this lovely song is sung as a mystery song.

The story takes another twist when Saaya (everyone thought he was a police officer in disguise) betrays Dinesh. Nita is still searching for Dinesh and Mangal assists her by becoming her brother. The story takes some more twists and turns and has a happy ending when the lovers are united and the bad man Saaya (Ashok Kumar) is killed. Rita (Helen) is killed too.

This is the first time I am taking up a song in this raaga.

We have completed ninety-five 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 ninety-eighth post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #98‘ and the song was a Yesudas and Hemlata song from the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie Chitchor starring Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab and Vijayendra: Tu jo mere sur mein sur mila le. It is also in Raag Pilu 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 Jaijaivanti‘.

In the last ninety-eight days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand, Mian Ki Malhar and Jog; making it a total of 62 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am giving you a new Raag Kaushik Kanada for the first time.

I have already given you the story of the movie and where exactly the song fits into the plot. Let me just add that this plot was found by audiences as of riveting interest and the movie is still remembered as highly watchable. Here is the list of songs in the movie:

1	“Sau Baar Janam Lenge Sau Baar Fanah”	Mohammed Rafi
2	“Milte Hi Nazar Tumse Ham Ho Gaye Diwane”	Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey
3	“Hasino Se To Bas Sahab Salamat Dur Ki Achhi”	Mohammed Rafi
4	“Mainne Kahaa Thaa Aanaa Sunday Ko, Sunday Ko”	Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi
5	“Raat Chup Hai Chandni Madhosh Hai Muskura Bhi Do”	Asha Bhosle, Ravi
6	“Mere Dil Ko Jiski Talash Thi Maine Vo Sitamghar Pa Liya”	Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi

All these songs were penned by Asad Bhopali. He was born as Asadullah Khan on 10 Jul 1921 in Bhopal.

Asad Bhopali wrote two songs for Fazli Brothers’ Duniya (1949): Rona hai to chupke chupke (sung by Mohammad Rafi) and Armaan lute, dil toot gaya (sung by Suraiyya). The next year, he wrote songs for a couple of films; these songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Shamshad Begum. Bhopali’s big break was BR Chopra’s Afsana (1951), for which he wrote 5 songs.

One of his early songs that really made him famous was ‘Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye’ for the 1963 movie Parasmani (the debut movie of Laxmikant Pyarelal) (Please see: ‘Songs That Tug At Your Emotions #36‘).

He received his only Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist very late for the 1989 movie Maine Pyar Kiya’s song: Dil deewana bin sajna ke maane na.

Mohammad Rafi recording a song with the music director Ravi in the recording studio

I am fond of Music Director Ravi Shankar Sharma or simply Ravi, not just because he is my namesake. First of all, he was the discovery of my favourite Hemant Kumar. Together with Kalyanji, he was assistant to Hemant da in the 1954 movie Naagin. The film included thirteen tracks, including the hit ‘Man Dole Mera Tan Dole’, whose ‘Been Music’ was performed by Kalyanji on clavioline and by Ravi on harmonium. I am also fond of Ravi for having got two of the three Filmfare Awards for Best Lyricist: Chaudhvin ka chand ho and Husn waale tera jawaab nahin. The instrument Sitar figured in many of Ravi’s songs, just like the one that I have selected for you tonight. Ravi was known for bringing poignancy of some of his songs to the fore through his excellent compositions. The song that comes to mind is Shakeel Badayuni’s Do Badan song picturised on Asha Parekh and sung by Lata Mangeshkar: Lo aa gayi unaki yaad woh nahin aaye.

Asad Bhopali and Ravi came together for the 1962 Nisar Ahmad Ansari movie Tower House starring Ajit and Shakila. The movie had very good songs:

Ai mere dil-e-nadaan tu gham se na ghabrana.
Main khushnaseeb hoon mujhako kisi ka pyar mila.
Aaj ki raat andhera bhi hai tanhai bhi.
Mausam hai jawan noor mein dube hain nazaare.
Ye sitam kya hai hamako bana kar deewana chale.
Zara bach ke shikari shikar karna.

And then there was this movie whose songs list I have already given you.

Ai mere dil-e-nadaan tu gham se na ghabrana enacted by Shakila in 1962 movie Tower House was another very popular number of Asad Bhopali and Ravi

Surprisingly, for someone who learnt music mostly by himself Ravi was well rooted in raagas. His favourite raaga appears to be Bhopali or Bhupali. In the 1963 BR Chopra movie Ravi had two out of the seven songs composed in this raaga: Ye hawa ye fiza, and Tujhako mera pyar pukaare. One of the best songs in Raag Kedar: Darshan do Ghanshyam has also been composed by Ravi. Nobody can ever forget his Chaudhvinh ka chand ho in Raag Pahadi and Ye raatein ye mausam nadi ka kinara in Raag Kirwani.

This song, as I told you, is in Raag Kaushik Kanada, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Kaushik/Kaushi/Kausi Kanada belongs to the Asawari thaat. Its Jati is Shadhav – Sampurna Vakra, which means it is hexatatonic (six notes or swar) in Aaroha (ascending) with Re (Rishab) and Pa (Pancham) varjay. All seven swar (heptatonic) in Avroha (descending). Gandhar, Dhaivat and Nishad are Komal. Rest all swar are Shuddha. The raaga is well suited for the third prahar of the night (Midnight to 3 AM).

Other than this song there are no notable songs in Hindi movies composed in Kaushik or simply Kaushi/Kausi Kanada.

I have, at various places earlier, told you about the Kaherava Tal and hence don’t feel the need to repeat it here.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last sixteen times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. Then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. And then we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro. Then we learnt about Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar. And then we covered vocalist Pandit Jasraj in the last post. We then covered violinist L Subramaniam. And finally we learnt about Sitarist: Ustaad Vilayat Khan.

Tonight, we shall take up another great sitarist: Nikhil Banerjee. He was born on 14 Oct 1931 in Calcutta. His father, Jitendranath Banerjee, was an amateur sitarist and Banerjee was fascinated by his father’s playing. Initially, his father didn’t encourage Nikhil becoming a sitarist but relented when he was five. The initial training of the young child was at the hands of his father. He became a child prodigy. He won an all-India sitar competition and became the youngest musician employed by All India Radio at the age of nine. Around 1946 Nikhil Banerjee met the great khyal singer Amir Khan through the master’s teaching of Nikhil Banerjee’s sister, and his enthusiasm for his music was reinforced by hearing him in concert a couple of years later.

In 1947 Banerjee met Ustad Allauddin Khan, who was to become his main guru along with his son, Ali Akbar Khan. Both were sarod players. Banerjee went to Allauddin Khan’s concerts and was desperate to have him as his teacher. Allauddin Khan did not want to take on more students, but changed his mind after listening to one of Banerjee’s radio broadcasts. Allauddin Khan was Banerjee’s main teacher, after he left Maihar he also learned from Ali Akbar Khan, the son of Allaudin Khan, for many years.

Ustad Allauddin Khan passed on to Nikhil not only playing technique but the musical knowledge and approach of the Maihar gharana. After Maihar, Banerjee embarked on a concert career that was to take him to all corners of the world and last right up to his untimely death on 27 Jan 1986. All through his life he kept taking lessons from Ustad Allauddin Khan and his children, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Smt. Annapurna Devi. Perhaps reflecting his early upbringing, he always remained a humble musician, and was content with much less limelight than a player of his stature could have vied for. Even so, in 1968, he was decorated with the Padma Shri, and in 1974 received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Today, he is commonly regarded as one of the greatest sitarists of the 20th century and is often spoken of as being on a level with the other two masters Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan.

Returning to the song now. The song, as I told you, is from the 1963 Brij movie Ustadon Ke Ustad. It is a soft melody in Raag Kaushik or Kaushi/Kausi Kanada that lends to the song a certain enigma that goes well with the vapour that rises from the water-fall. In that respect the song is in line with – though with better lyrics and picturisation – than such songs as Gumnaam hai koi.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Kaushik Kanada Tal Kaherava, Moahammad Rafi sing a composition of Ravi on the lyrics of Asad Bhopali in the 1963 Brij movie Ustadon Ke Ustad starring Pradeep Kumar, Shakila, Ashok Kumar and Sheikh Mukhtar: Sau baar janam lenge, sau baar fana honge…..

सौ बार जनम लेंगे, सौ बार फ़ना होंगे
ऐ जान-ए-वफ़ा फिर भी, हम तुम न जुदा होंगे

क़िस्मत हमे मिलने से, रोकेगी भला कब तक
इन प्यार की राहों में, भटकेगी वफ़ा कब तक
क़दमों के निशाँ खुद ही, मंज़िल का पता होंगे

ये कैसी उदासी है, जो हुस्न पे छाई है
हम दूर नहीं तुम से, कहने को जुदाई है
अरमान भरे दो दिल, फिर एक जगह होंगे

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTprvBjARLY

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
On the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.
On the ninety-sixth day, we learnt about the Vocalist Pandit Jasraj.
On the ninety-seventh day, we learnt about the great violinist L Subramaniam.
On the ninety-eighth day, we learnt about one of the greatest sitarists: Ustaad Vilayat Khan.
And today, on the ninety-ninth day, we learnt about another great sitarist: Nikhil Banerjee.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #98

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Dil se re….
Raag Jog, Tal Kaherava

Today, we turn to living-legend and genius AR Rahman, the winner of more Filmfare Awards (Ten) than any other Music Director in history. Even though I have posted a song by him Tu hi re in my other songs series (Please see: ‘Songs That Tug At Your Emotions #22‘) I haven’t given you any of his songs in the present series on Raaga Based Songs.

After this post, I have just two to go before I finish a hundred posts in the present series before Diwali.

If the earlier AR Rahman song was from a Mani Ratnam movie Bombay, this song is from another Mani Ratnam film: the 1998 movie Dil Se in which for the production Ram Gopal Verma and Shekhar Kapur joined hands with Mani Ratnam. It was penned by Gulzar, composed by AR Rahman and sung by AR Rahman, Anuradha Sriram, Anupama & Febi Mani. Pink Floyd bass guitarist Guy Pratt played bass in this song.

This is the first time I am taking up a song in this raaga.

Our ninety-seventh post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #97‘ and the song was a Yesudas and Hemlata song from the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie Chitchor starring Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab and Vijayendra: Tu jo mere sur mein sur mila le. It is also in Raag Pilu 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 Darbari Kanada – Part III‘.

In the last ninety-seven days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am giving you a new Raag Jog for the first time.

Today’s song is from the 1998 film Dil Se that was produced (together with Ram Gopal Verma and Shekhar Kapur) and directed by Mani Ratnam and also written by him together with Tigmanshu Dhulia. The film starred Shahrukh Khan, Manisha Koirala and Preity Zinta.

The movie won AR Rahman one of his ten Filmfare Awards and Gulzar one of his twenty Filmfare Awards (of course for the song Chaiya Chaiya (for which Sukhwinder Singh won the Best Male Playback Singer Award. The movie won two National Awards and Six Filmfare Awards including one for Preity Zinta for Best Female Debut.

Lets understand the story-line to see where the song fits in the movie:

Shahrukh Khan plays Amarkant Varma, a programme executive for All India Radio. Whilst covering festivities in Assam, Amar has a chance encounter with Meghna (Manisha Koirala) at Haflong railway station. He doesn’t know her name but she keeps appearing in his life (for example in Lumding where she denies having met him earlier). He is of course much fascinated by her and describes his encounter with her on the radio. She hears this and next he sees her at the Post Office.

And now she intervenes telling him to leave her alone but he stalks her and tells her that he is in love with her. She tells him she is married and gets him beaten up by two men. He comes to know later that she feigned marriage and the men are probably her brothers.

Once again she does the vanishing trick and he searches for her. He learns from a Public Call Office owner that she used to make calls to Ladakh. Amar travels to Leh to find her. Here a suicide bomber is chased to death by the army and Amar spots her again. This time she feigns to be his wife when a search is going on for suspected terrorists in the bus by which they travel.

For the first time he learns her name: Meghna. She again vanishes. It is later revealed that Meghna is part of a Liberationists group which plans multiple suicide attacks in New Delhi at the upcoming Republic Day celebrations).

Amar returns to his home in Delhi, where his family has found Preeti Nair (Preity Zinta) from Kerala as a potential bride for him. Amar agrees to marry Preeti because he has no hope that he will ever meet Meghna again.

On a date with Preeti, Amar spots one of Meghna’s associates, Kim. Amar chases him down to Connaught Place, where the man kills himself with a cyanide pill after being stopped by local police. The case is handed over to CBI.

Amar is a prime suspect. This time Meghna visits Delhi to get a job at All India Radio and stay with him to escape scrutiny by security forces. He learns that her real name is Moina and she is a rape victim of the army. Her mission, with her associates, is to target the Republic Day Parade and the President of India.

He tries to prevent all this claiming that his only motive is that he is in love with her. He embraces her whilst she is armed as a suicide bomber and they are both blown to smithereens.

He was in love with her Dil Se and she was seeking revenge with government of India Dil Se for being a rape victim as a child.

That’s the significance of this song in the movie. It is the title song and tells the story of the movie in a flash.

The song has been penned by Gulzar. Lets talk a bit about Gulzar, the most versatile Lyricist that we have had in Hindi films: He has been poet, lyricist, director, dialogue, story and screen-play writer. He was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award — the highest award in Indian cinema. He has won several Indian National Film Awards, 20 Filmfare Awards, one Academy Award and one Grammy Award.

He was born as Sampooran Singh Kalra on 18 Aug 1943 in Dina, Jhelum District (now in Pakistan). After Partition Sampooran’s family shifted to Bombay. In his early boyhood and manhood days, he eked out a living by taking up various odd jobs including as a mechanic at a garage. He was fond of writing poetry and assumed the name of Gulzar Deenvi and later Gulzar.

He started his career as a songwriter with the music director Sachin Dev Burman for the Bimal Roy movie Bandini (1963) penning just one song: Mora gora rang layle whilst Shailendra penned the rest.

From that day on wards there has never been any looking back.

Gulzar has won the Filmfare Awards the maximum number of times: twenty; eleven of these have been for Best Lyricist. The next in the line is AR Rahman who has one fifteen Filmfare Awards including ten as Best Music Director.

The song belongs to its composer Allah Rakha Rahman more than to anyone else. Just as, the other day, we took up Surbahar player Annapurna Devi (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #88‘) who became a Hindu after having been born a Muslim as Roshana Khan, AR Rahman was born a Hindu, Dileep Shekhar, on 06 Jan 1967 and converted to Islam in 1989, at the age of 22. In recent past, no other composer and music director has occupied space in our hearts and minds more than Rahman. Rahman’s films career started with the 1992 Tamil movie Roja, also a Mani Ratnam movie and also starring Arvind Swamy, though with Madhoo and not Monisha Koirala. Roja not just won the National Award for Best Film on National Integration but was later dubbed in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu and Malyalam. In 2009, when AR Rahman won two Oscars (for Best Song (Jai ho)) and Best Original Score (together with Gulzar)(Slumdog Millionaire) many of us felt that the Roja songs and music were better than the Slumdog Millionaire. His first film Roja won him the National Award for Best Music Director. One of the songs from the movie is a favourite: Bharat hamako jaan se bhi pyaara hai. As of 2016, Rahman has garnered four National Film Awards, 15 Filmfare Awards and 16 Filmfare Awards South, a record for an Indian composer.

Gulzar and AR Rahman started together with this movie. They have worked together in twelve movies as Lyricist and Music Director.

Some of the popular songs of Gulzar with AR Rahman are: Chaiya chaiya, Jiya jale, Ai ajnabee and Satrangi re (Dil Se, 1998); Saathiya, Chupke se, Mera yaar mila de, and Chori pe chori (Saathiya, 2002); Jiya jale and Dil se re used again in 7 1/2 Phere (2005); Barso re megha megha, Jaage hain der tak, Maiyya and Aye hairati aashqi jaga mat (Guru, 2007); Main hoon yuvraaj, Shanno shanno, Tu meri dost hai, Mastam mastam and Dil ka rishta (Yuvraaj, 2008); Jai ho (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009 Both of them won Oscar); Ranjha Ranjha kardi ve, Behne de mujhe behne de and Thok de killi (Raavan, 2010); Saans mein teri saans mili to, Heer Heer na aakho adiyo, Saans, Jiya jaiya re jiya, and Jab taq hai jaan (Jab Tak Hai Jaan, 2012).

AR Rahman is so well versed with raagas that he has tried songs in raagas that were hitherto untried. Some of his most memorable numbers are: Taal se taal mila (Bhairavi), Piya Haji Ali (Maand), Columbus (Madhyamaavathi), Karite na (Maru Bihag/Hemant), Hai Rama (Puria Dhanashree) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #40‘), Deem tadare dhani (Megh Malhar), Anjali Anjali (Maand), Jiya jale (Misra Bhairavi), Boondon se baaten (Misra Kirwani), Ni main samajh gayi (Ahir Bhairavi), Mitwa (Bhupeshree or Vasanthi), Radha kaise na jale (Bhimpalasi), Chalo chalo (Chala Nathai), Mujhe rang de (Charukeshi), Chhodo meri bainyan (Patdeep), Jhoola bahon ka (Peelu), Ruth aa gayi re (Puria Dhanashree), Monalisa (Gawati), and Ghanan ghanan (Kafi).

This song, as I told you, is in Raag Jog, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Jog belongs to the Kafi thaat. Its Jati is Audhav – Audhav, which means it is pentatonic (five notes or swar) in Aaroha (ascending) and in Avroha (descending). The swar that are vrajay (missing) are Re (Rishab) and Dha (Dhaivat). Rishab is Komal and both (Shuddha in Aaroha and Komal in Avroha) Gandhars are used. Rest all swar are Shuddha. The dominant note (Vadi) is Ma or Madhyam. The raaga is a straightforward and melodious raaga. Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman have tried to contrast the soft melody against the harsh violence of terrorism. In that manner only it is somewhat similar to Louis Armstrong’s It’s A Wonderful World being used against the harsh reality of war in Barry Levinson’s 1987 movie Good Morning Vietnam starring Robin Williams. The raaga is well suited for the second prahar of the night (9 PM to Midnight).

Very few Hindi films songs have been composed in this raaga, Besides the present song, Hansraj Behl composed Naina dwar se for the 1959 movie Sawan.

I have, at various places earlier, told you about the Kaherava Tal and hence don’t feel the need to repeat it here.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last fifteen times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. Then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. And then we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro. Then we learnt about Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar. And then we covered vocalist Pandit Jasraj in the last post. Finally we covered violinist L Subramaniam.

Tonight, we shall take up the great sitarist: Ustaad Vilayat Khan. He turned down all awards conferred on him by the government of India: the second, third and fourth highest; ie, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri on the ground that others less deserving Sitarists have been given these awards before him. His family, he rightly claimed, had originated gayaki ang of Sitar (attempt to mimic vocal music on Sitar) and it was not recognised for this. On the same grounds he turned down Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. This makes him a unique artiste who has turned down all awards conferred on him. The only titles he accepted were the special decorations of “Bharat Sitar Samrat” by the Artistes Association of India and “Aftab-e-Sitar” (Sun of the Sitar) from President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.

Vilayat was born on 28 Aug 1928 in Gouripur, Mymensingh in then East Bengal in British India and current Bangladesh. His father Enayat Khan was recognised as a leading sitar and surbahar (bass sitar) player of his time, as had been his grandfather, Imdad Khan, before him. He was taught in the family style, known as the Imdadkhani gharana or Etawah Gharana, after a small city close to Agra where Imdad Khan lived.

He recorded his first 78-RPM disc at the age of 8, and gave his last concert in 2004 at the age of 75. Vilayat Khan performed at All Bengal Music Conference, as his first concert, organized by Bhupen Ghosh in Kolkata with Ahmed Jan Thirakwa on tabla. His performance at the concert organized by Vikramaditya Sangeet Parishad, Mumbai in 1944 drew the headline “Electrifying Sitar”.

Vilayat composed and conducted the score for three feature films – Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar (1958) in Bengali, Merchant-Ivory Productions’ The Guru (1969) in English, and Madhusudan Kumar’s Kadambari (1976) in Hindi.

Returning to the song now. The song, as I told you, is from the 1998 Mani Ratnam movie Dil Se. Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman have had an abiding relationship that started with the 1992 movie Roja that was later remade into Hindi, Telugu, Malyalam and Marathi. When AR Rahman was conferred the Oscar for Jai Ho in 2009 movie Slumdog Millionaire, critics felt that the music of Roja was much better. As far as Hindi movies are concerned, both of them were together in Bombay (1995), Dil Se (1998), Guru (2007) and Raavan (2010).

Mani Ratnam directed the movie and the song very well. In the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival he won a special mention in Netpac Awards for this movie. This song was a chart topper of the year 1998 and this song’s lyrics in Urdu are said to be the finest. Its picturisation too got noticed. Santosh Sivan received Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography for the movie. The song has now achieved a cult status.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Jog Tal Kaherava, AR Rahman, Anuradha Sriram, Anupama & Febi Mani sing a composition of AR Rahman on the lyrics of Gulzar in the 1998 Mani Ratnam movie Dil Se starring Shahrukh Khan, Manisha Koirala and Preity Zinta: Dil se re…..

इक सूरज निकला था, कुछ तारा पिघला था
इक आँधी आयी थी, जब दिल से आह निकली थी
दिल से रे
दिल तो आखिर दिल है न, मीठी सी मुशकिल है न
पिया पिया, जिया जिया, पिया पिया
दिल से रे …

दो पत्ते पतझड़ के, पेड़ों से उतरे थे
पेड़ों की शाखों से, उतरे थे
फिर इतने मौसम गुज़रे, वो पत्ते दो बेचारे
फिर उगने की चाहत में, वो सहरों से गुज़रे
वो पत्तेए दिल दिल दिल थे, वो दिल थे दिल थे दिल दिल थे
दिल है तो फिर दर्द होगा, दर्द है तो दिल भी होगा
मौसम गुज़रते रहते हैं
दिल से दिल से दिल दिल से, दिल से रे
दिल तो आखिर दिल है न …

बन्धन है रिश्तों में, काँटों की तारें हैं
पत्थर के दरवाज़े, दीवारे.ब
बेलें फिर भी उगती हैं, और गुँचे भी खिलते हैं
और चलते है.ब अफ़साने
किरदार भी मिलते हैं
वो रिश्ते दिल दिल दिल थे, वो दिल थे दिल थे दिल दिल थे
ग़म दिल के बस चुलबुले हैं, पानी के ये बुलबुले हैं
बुझते हैं बनते रहते हैं
दिल से दिल से दिल दिल से, दिल से रे
दिल तो आखिर दिल है न …

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
On the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.
On the ninety-sixth day, we learnt about the Vocalist Pandit Jasraj.
On the ninety-seventh day, we learnt about the great violinist L Subramaniam.
And today, on the ninety-eighth day, we learnt about one of the greatest sitarists: Ustaad Vilayat Khan.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #97

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Tu jo mere sur mein sur mila le….
Raag Pilu, Tal Kaherava

After this post, I have another three to go before I finish a hundred posts in the present series before Diwali.

If you look at the image of this post you would notice the full-moon in it. Chand (Moon) is my favourite theme in songs. One of my first post on songs was ‘Hindi Songs And The Importance Of Chand (Moon)‘. Similarly, on my first Facebook group ‘Dil Ki Nazar Se’, the very first monthly music Fest was on the theme of Chand. On my second group ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne‘ too I have had a Fest on Chand with the difference that Chand would be actually there in the video of the song.

For the month of November 2018, I have announced a Fest on Preludes, Interludes and Codas in Chand and Chandni songs.

In the cover picture of this song, the lyrics that appear are:

Chandni raaton mein, haath liye haathon mein;
Doobe rahen ek doosre ki ras bhari baaton mein.

The song is from the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie Chitchor. It was composed by Ravindra Jain on his own lyrics and sung by Yesudas and Hemlata.

Even though it is a very popular raaga in Hindi movies, particularly for OP Nayyar, today is the second time that I give you a song in this raaga. The first time I gave you a song in this raag was on the tenth day: Dhadakte dil ki tamanna ho mera pyaar ho tu, (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #10‘). It is a beautiful composition of Ghulam Mohammad (of Pakeezah fame) on the lyrics of Kaifi Azmi in the 1961 movie Shama starring Suraiya, Nimmi and Vijay Dutt.

Our ninety-sixth post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #96‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1965 Raj Khosla movie Chirag starring Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh: Teri aankhon ke siwa. It is also in Raag Jhinjhoti but Tal is Dadra.

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 Darbari Kanada – Part II‘.

In the last ninety-six days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am repeating Raag Pilu for the second time.

Today’s song is from the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie Chitchor starring Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab and Vijayendra. The film is a Rajshri Productions film produced by Tarachand Barjatya. It is based on a Bengali story, Chittachakor by Subodh Ghosh.

Lets understand the story-line to see where the song fits in the movie:

Geeta’s (Zarina Wahab) Mumbai based sister Meera sends a letter to Geeta’s father Pitamber (AK Hangal) that an engineer would be arriving at their village and he is a possible match for Geeta. The family dutifully receives Vinod (Amol Palekar) at the railway station. He takes an instant liking to the family, especially Geeta and even tries to teach her music and singing. The two fall in love. All seems to be going well until another letter is received from Meera informing the family that the engineer Sunil (Vijayendra) was earlier delayed and would be arriving soon. Vinod (Amol Palekar) was merely the overseer.

He was nevertheless the Heart-stealer (Chitchor) for the naive village belle Geeta. There is a happy ending for the two.

The song is lip-synced by Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab when Vijayendra arrives from Mumbai and the family is in the process of telling Zarina Wahab to switch her attention from Amol Palekar to Vijayendra.

The lyricist of the song was Ravindra Jain and he composed the song too.

This is the first time I am taking up a song by Ravindra Jain either in this series or in ‘Songs That Tug At Your Emotions’ series.

Ravindra Jain was born on 28 Feb 1944 in Aligarh. He was born blind to Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedacharya, Pandit Indramani Jain and mother Kiran Jain.

He started singing at a very early age singing bhajans. His parents gave him music training fairly early. Ravindra Jain received basic training under Pandit GL Jain, Pandit Janardhan Sharma, and Pandit Nathu Ram. His entry into the films world was at the age of 16 in Calcutta. Ten years later he moved to Bombay wherein he made his debut as a composer for Prathibhushan Bhattacharya’s movie Kranthi. In 1972 he became a full fledged Music Director when Mohammad Rafi recorded a song composed by him that was never released.

Jain progressed his career in the early 1970s, composing for films such as Saudagar (1973 film), Chor Machaye Shor (1974), Geet Gaata Chal (1975), Chitchor (1976), Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye (1977), Paheli (1977) and Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978) and Nadiya ke paar (1982). Along with composing music, he also wrote the lyrics for many of his songs. Ravindra Jain’s father died during the recording sessions of the film Saudagar. However, Jain did not leave the studio until the recordings were finalised giving utmost importance to his work.

As far as his association with Yesudas is concerned, Jain is credited for bringing this great South Indian vocalist to Hindi movies, in singing in many of his movies in the 1970s and 1980s.

It is said that Jain was so enthralled by Yesudas’s voice, if he ever received his vision, Yesudas would be the first person he would want to see. Jain has worked on songs after his liaison with Yesudas, but he has failed to attain the pinnacle of glory he achieved with the master singer during the 1970s. Jain has described Yesudas as the ‘Voice of India’.

I have posted two songs of Yesudas before in this blog: Ka karun sahani in Raag Kirwani, Tal Kaherava (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #17‘) and Koi gaata main so jaata (Please see: ‘Songs That Tug At Your Emotions #23‘).

Kattassery Joseph Yesudas was born on 10th January 1940 in Fort Kochi (Kerala) in a Latin-rite Roman Catholic Christian family to late Augustine Joseph and late Elizabeth Joseph. His father, a well-known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor, was his first guru (teacher). Yesudas recorded his first popular song Jaathi Bhedam Matha Dwesham (music: MB Sreenivasan) on 14th November 1961. He got a break in Hindi movies with the 1971 movie Jai Jawan Jai Kisan. Therefore, in 2011 Yesudas completed 50 years as a playback singer. However, it was the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie, with songs composed by Salil Chowdhury that really made him popular. The song he sang in the movie was: Jaaneman jaaneman tere do nayan. Yesudas has recorded over 70,000 songs and has won scores of accolades including the coveted Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan (2002), Padma Vibhushan (2017) and a record seven National Awards for Best Playback Singer. On 2 Oct 2014, Yesudas sparked a row while speaking at a public function on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi, where he stated that “Women should not wear jeans and trouble others. You should dress modestly and do not behave like men”. This resulted in a number of protests from Women’s Rights and Political organizations, who asked him to withdraw the comment, which he never did.

Some of the popular songs of Ravindra Jain that have been sung by Yesudas are: Aaj se pehle, Gori tera gaanv badha pyara and Jab deep jale aana (Chitchor, 1976); Shikari raja aaye re and Utho he laal (Safed Haathi; 1977); Khushiyan hi khushiyan ho daaman mein jiske (Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye, 1977); Laal gulabi phool se bhari (Hamra Sansaar, 1978); Sabko chhuti mili mujhako mili kyun nahin and Tere honthon ke pyaale se jo chhalke (Mera Rakshak, 1978); Sunayana aaj in nazaron ko tum dekho and Aansu bhi hain khushiyan bhi hain (Sunayana, 1979); O goriyaa re, Oonchi neechi lehron ke kandhon par and Teara kuchh khoya ho to dhoond de (Naiyya, 1979); Neer bharan ka karke bahana (Gopal Krishna, 1979); Kaun hai aisa jise phoolon se (Raadha Aur Seeta, 1979); Ai mere udaas man and Ik but se mohabbat karke (Maan Abimaan, 1980); Sun sun gaon ki gori (Sasural, 1984); and Saambh sada shiv (Abodh, 1984).

O goriya re from Naiyya is a popular number sung by Yesudas on lyrics and composition by Ravindra Jain

The female singer of this song is Hemlata. Whilst Yesudas won the National Award for this song, she won the Filmfare Award for it (she has won five such awards so far). Having been born on 16 Aug 1954 in Hyderabad, when she was only 12 years old her family moved to Bombay. She had early influence by Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Rais Khan; the latter taught her ghazals. But, the one person who really took her up as a singer in the movies was Naushad Ali (is there no end to how many artistes Naushad helped become good and great including the playback singer Mukesh?) Later, she worked with Roshan and Khaiyyam.

Her association with Ravindra Jain was the most lasting. He used her voice for his debut movie in 1972: Kaanch Aur Heera. She thereafter sang in many of his movies such as Raakh Aur Chingari (1974), Geeta Gaata Chal (1975), Salakhen (1975), Tapasaya (1975), and Fakira (1976). Her singing for him in Akhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se made her very popular.

In the year 1977, when I was posted to Indian Navy’s Leadership School INS Agrani, we had the occasion to host a concert featuring both Yesudas and Hemlata. Chitchor had just been released and this song was on everyone’s lips.

My posing with Yesudas and Hemlata in the year 1977 in Coimbatore when they gave a concert for the Navy Week which included their best: Tu jo mere sur mein. She was 22 years old and Yesudas was 36.

Ravindra Jain composed many memorable songs based on Raagas. One of his most memorable numbers is in Raag Kalyan, Tal Kaherava from the same movie Chitchor: Jab deep jale aana.This song, as I told you, is in Raag Pilu, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Pilu belongs to the Kafi thaat. Its Jati is Audhav – Sampoorna, which means it is pentatonic (five notes or swar) in Aaroha (ascending) and heptatonic (all seven notes or sawr) in Avroha (descending). The swar that are vrajay (missing) in Aaroha are Re (Rishab) and Dha (Dhaivat). The dominant note (Vadi) is Dhaivat that lends to this raaga a light and tranquil touch. The raaga is full of devotion and piety and as both Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab lip-sync it you can notice these in the eyes and mannerisms of the protagonists. The raag is well suited for the third prahar of the day; that is, early evening and that’s precisely when it is played in the movie too.

One composer who used Raag Pilu extensively was Omkar Prasad Nayyar or OP Nayyar. Some of his songs (conveying the mood) of Pilu are: Jayiye aap kahan jayenge, Kabhi aar kabhi paar laaga teere nazar, Kaisa jadoo balam tune daala (my favourite Waheeda Rehman song from Guru Dutt movie 12 O’ Clock), Main soya akhiyan meeche, and Piya piya piya na laage mora jiya. But, I am not giving you any of these.

I am also not giving you Naushad’s jhule se pawan mein aayi bahaar (literally spring time) or SD Barman’s Ab ke baras bhej bhaiya ko babul or that beautiful Sujata number Kali ghata chhaye mora jiya tarsaaye.

I have, at various places earlier, told you about the Kaherava Tal and hence don’t feel the need to repeat it here.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last fourteen times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. Then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. And then we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro. Then we learnt about Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar. And finally we covered vocalist Pandit Jasraj in the last post.

(Pic courtesy: http://rollingstoneindia.com)

Tonight, we shall take up the great violinist: L Subramaniam. Talking about him takes me back to attending those musical concerts in the nights at St Xavier’s College, Bombay (now Mumbai). We used to sit spell bound listening to his art. Pandit Dr. Lakshminarayana Subramaniam in Madras Presidency, British India, just 22 days before India became independent.

L Subramaniam began training in violin under the tutelage of his father, Professor V Lakshminarayana. Mani, as he is fondly known by fellow musicians and his family, gave his first public performance at the age of only six.

L Subramaniam is also an MBBS from Madras Medical College and that explains the Dr in his name. He also has a Master’s degree in Western classical music, which he acquired at the California Institute of the Arts.

He is thus a unique violinist trained both in Carnatic tradition as well as Western classical tradition. Since 1973, Subramaniam has amassed over 200 recordings to his credit, releasing several solo albums, recording collaborations with musicians Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli, Ruggiero Ricci and Jean-Pierre Rampal, further to making albums and performing with Ruggiero Ricci, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke John Handy, and George Harrison.

Amongst the awards that he has won are: President’s Award for Best Violinist on All India Radio (1963), Grammy nomination for the album Indian Classical Music (1981), Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2001), and Lifetime Achievement Award, Limca Book of Record (2012).

Returning to the song now. The song is from the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie Chitchor. The movie was a Rajshri Production film produced by Tarachand Barjatya. Ravindra Jain has had a long association with Rajshri Production. It started with their 1975 movie Geet Gaata Chal starring Sachin and Sarika. Besides Chitchor, Ravindra Jain was Music Director for their Akhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978), Tapasya (1976), Abodh (1984), Jaana Pehchana (2011). All these have very melodious numbers.

Basu Chatterjee directed the movie and the song very well. There are people at Pitamber’s house to see the engineer (Vijayendra). Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab are putting up a song for the guest (a likely match for her). And true to the lyrics of the song as well as the bhaav of the raaga, for the loving couple there are only two people in the room: themselves.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Pilu Tal Kaherava, Yesudas and Hemlata sing a composition of Ravindra Jain on his own lyrics in the 1976 Basu Chatterjee movie Chitchor starring Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab: Tu jo mere sur mein sur mila le…..

ये: तू जो मेरे सुर में -२
सुर मिला ले, संग गा ले
तो ज़िंदगी हो जाए सफ़ल
हे: तू जो मेरे मन का -२
घर बना ले, मन लगा ले
तो बंदगी हो जाए सफ़ल
दोनों: तू जो मेरे सुर में

ये: चाँदनी रातों में, हाथ लिए हाथों में
हे: चाँदनी रातों में, हाथ लिए हाथों में
दोनों: डूबे रहें एक दूसरे की, रस भरी बातों में
ये: तू जो मेरे संग में -२
मुस्कुरा ले, गुनगुना ले
तो ज़िंदगी हो जाए सफ़ल

हे: तू जो मेरे मन का…
दोनों: तू जो मेरे सुर में…

हे: क्यों हम बहारों से, खुशियाँ उधार लें
ये: क्यों हम बहारों से, खुशियाँ उधार लें
दोनों: क्यों न मिलके हम खुद ही अपना जीवन सुधार लें
हे: तू जो मेरे पथ में -२
दीप गा ले ओ उजाले
तो बंदगी हो जाए सफ़ल

ये: तू जो मेरे सुर में -२
सुर मिला ले, संग गा ले
तो ज़िंदगी हो जाए सफ़ल

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
On the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.
On the ninety-sixth day, we learnt about the Vocalist Pandit Jasraj.
And today, on the ninety-seventh day, we learnt about the great violinist L Subramaniam.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #36

The thirty-sixth song in this series.

Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye….

This song is from the 1963 Babubhai Mistri movie Parasmani (Gold making stone). The movie starred Mahipal and Geetanjali. The story of the movie was written by Pandit Madhur (a lyricist in his own right, he wrote lyrics for Banphool (1945), Tulsidas (1954), Prabhu Ki Maya (1955), Lalkar (1956), Harishchandra (1958) and Chandrasena (1959) and Vishwanath Pande. Asad Bhopali penned four of the six songs in the movie. All were composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Before we take up anything else about the movie, we should take up the music duo of Laxmikant Pyarelal who ruled the Hindi films music world from 1963 to 1998. Even though they had worked with several music directors earlier both separately and together, Parasmani was the debut movie of Laxmikant Pyarelal as Music Directror.

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:

1.	“Hansta Hua Noorani Chehra”	Asad Bhopali	Lata Mangeshkar, Kamal Barot	3:40
2.	“Mere Dil Mein Halki Si”	Asad Bhopali	Lata Mangeshkar	4:56
3.	“Ooi Maa Ooi Maa Yeh Kya Ho Gaya”	Asad Bhopali	Lata Mangeshkar	3:24
4.	“Salamat Raho Salamat Raho”	Indeevar	Mohammad Rafi	5:57
5.	“Woh Jab Yaad Aaye”	Asad Bhopali	Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar	4:43
6.	“Chori Chori Jo Tumse Mili”	Faruk Kaiser	Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar	4:01

The duo that started off so outstandingly well in their very first movie had indeed great future ahead for them. They received their first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for the 1964 Satyen Bose movie Dosti. 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.

Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar was born on the day of Laxmi Pujan, Dipawali on 3 November 1937. Probably, because of the day of his birth, his parents named him Laxmikant, after the goddess Laxmi.

Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 3 September 1940) is the son of a renowned trumpeter Pandit Ramprasad Sharma (popularly known as Babaji), who taught him the basics of music. He started learning violin at the age of 8 and practised it 8 to 12 hours daily. He learnt to play violin from a Goan musician named Anthony Gonsalves. The song “My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves” from the movie Amar Akbar Anthony is regarded as a tribute to Mr. Gonsalves (the movie had music by Laxmikant–Pyarelal). Presently, he is amongst the leading violinists in the country. The violin notes that he played for Ek pyar ka nagma hai are amongst his memorable renditions.

Laxmikant was a great fan of Shankar Jaikishan and initially L-P’s music sounded like that of S-J. However, their meteoric rise spelt the end of not just S-J Era but the era of so many other MDs such as Naushad, Madan Mohan, SD Burman, Roshan, C Ramchandra and OP Nayyar. Of course, some of the credit was shared by RD Burman and Kalyanji Anandji.

L-P have won seven Filmfare Awards, two short of Shankar Jaikishan and three short of AR Rehman who has won it a record ten times. They are, of course, nominated for a record 25 times.

The lyricist who worked with Laxmikant Pyarelal the most was Anand Bakshi whose songs featured in as many as 220 of their movies.

Asad Bhopali, the lyricist of this song was born as Asadullah Khan on 10 Jul 1921 in Bhopal.

He received his only Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist very late for the 1989 movie Maine Pyar Kiya’s song: Dil deewana bin sajna ke maane na.

The song Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye made him very popular. After Parasmani, L-P and Asad Bhopali were together for another ten movies: Mr. X In Bombay (1964; with such delightful songs as: Mere mehboob qayamat hogi, Zulmi hamare saanwariya ho Ram, Chali re chali re gori paniya bharan ko, and Khubsoorat hasina); Aaya Toofan (1964; Hum pyaar kiye jaayenge koi rok sake to rok le); Shreeman Funtoosh (1965; he wrote only one song. The others were penned by Anand Bakshi); Lootera (1965); Hum Sab Ustaad Hain (1965; Ajnabi tum jaane pehchane se lagte ho, Pyar bantate chalo); Boxer (1965; Khudaya khudaya mohabbat na hoti); Naag Mandir (1966; Ek manzil ek safar hai hamara aap ka); Chhaila Babu (1967; Tre pyar ne mujhe gham diya); Nirdosh (1973; Tujhe khanjar se kya maru ek nazar hai kafi); and Ranbhoomi (1991; Pee ke Shankar ji ki booti).

This song from 1964 movie Mr X In Bombay was another super-hit number from Asad Bhopali and Laxmikant Pyarelal.

As I said in the beginning, this song is from the 1963 Babubhai Mistri movie Parasmani. Lets look at the story penned by Pandit Madhur and Babubhai Mistri to see how this song came about in the movie:

The actor Mahipal plays Paras in the movie from whom the title is derived. Son of a Senapati, he is lost at sea when his ship passes through a cyclone. He is found and brought up by a villager and because of his genes becomes an accomplished swordsman and singer.

One day, he encounters the princess ( Rajkumari played by Gitanjali) and falls in love with her. His fame as a singer soon reaches the palace, and the Emperor summons him to sing for him. Pleased with his singing, the Emperor asks him for a wish, and Paras asks for the hand of his daughter. Enraged, the Emperor decides to punish Paras, but Paras escapes.

Appearing defeated, the Emperor asks Paras to seek a rare gem called a Parasmani, because he is under a curse that as soon as his daughter marries, it will be the last day for the Emperor. If Paras can find the Parasmani, the life of the Emperor can be saved. Only then can Paras marry the princess. Paras agrees to this and leaves on the search with his sister and brother.

Paras receives clues from various places and is directed to a cave. From this point, the film that is black and white earlier becomes Eastman Color. Fighting various magical creatures and volcanic lava, Paras meets the Sorceress Mayanagri (Jeevan Kala), who falls in love with the brave Paras. Taking him in confidence, she shows him her real self, which is an old woman. The Sorceress shows him the Parasmani, which Paras gains after killing a giant spider-like creature. Soon the old sorceress also meets her end. Paras and his siblings fly back to their kingdom where, after some crucial fights, he meets his father, Senapati, and is married to the princess.

The song comes about when the lovers are separated.

Laxmikant Pyarelal composed the song in Raag Kalyan, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Kalyan is the basic raag of Kalyan thaat, which is also known as Raag Yaman (from the Mughal period onwards). It is a Sampooran (all seven swars; ie, heptatonic) raaga with Madhyam being teevra and rest all swar being shuddha, which is normally to be played during the first prahar of the night (6 PM to 9 PM).

Raag Kalyan or Yaman is a fundamental raag and often the first raag taught to students of classical music.

Kalyan or Yaman is a very popular raag for composing Hindi movies’ songs. Following songs, as examples, have been composed in this raag:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.

Khuda Nigahbaan Ho
Main Kya Jaanu Kya
Aansoo Bhari Hai
Man Re Tu
Ang Ang Rang
Re Man Sur Mein Ga
Aapke Anorodh Par
Is Mod Se Jate
Jo Tum Todo Piya
Hamari Thodi Si Bewafai
Aaj Hum Apni
Nav Kalpana Nav Roop
Na Jao Saeeyan
Mithe Bol Bole
Mitwa Bole Meethe
Jane Kya Sochkar
Tarana
Mohe Maro Na Kanha
Dekho Ri Koi
Ehsaan Tera Hoga
Chale Ja Rahe Hain
Yahi Hai Tamanna
Gahar Se Nikalte
Saras Raat Man Bhaye

Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein
Nigahein Milane Ko
Paan Khayo Saiyan Hamaro
Sabere Ka Suraj
Tera Chhehera
Woh Shaam Kuchh
Maangne Se Jo Maut
Mausam Hai Aashiqana
Sapna ban Saajan
Chhupalo Yun Dil
Woh Jab Yaad Aaye
Jhamela Jhoote Jag Ka
Diya Jalao Jagmag
Nukta Chi Hain
Salaam-e-Hasrat

Mughal-E-Azam
Zindagi
Parvarish
Chitralekha
Sandhya
Lal Pathar
Anurodh
Aandhi
Meera
Thodi Si Bewafai
Pakeezah
Mrigtrishna
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Kinara
Parichaye
Kinara
Pakeezah
Manavta
Ganga Ki Leherein
Junglee
Kinare Kinare
Aapki Parchhaiyan
Papa Kehte Hain
Suwarn SundariKabhi Kabhi
Dil Hi To Hai
Teesri Kasam
Ek Baar Muskura Do
Aapas Ki Baat
Khamoshi
Sunehere Kadam
Pakeezah
Shokhiyan
Mamta
Parasmani
Bhajan
Tansen
Mirza Galib
Babar

Lata
K L Saigal
Mukesh
Rafi
Sulakshana
Asha, Manna Dey
Kishore
Lata, Kishore
Vani Jayram
Kishore, Lata
Lata
Rafi
Geeta Dutt
Bhupendra, Lata
Bhupendra
Kishore
Lata
Lata
Asha
Rafi
Manna Dey
Rafi
Udit Narayan
Rafi, LataMukesh, Lata
Asha
Asha
Kishore
Kishore
Kishore
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata, Hemant
Lata, Rafi
Mukesh
K L Saigal
Suraiya
Sudha Malhotra

Please enjoy a composition of Laxmikant Pyarelal in Raag Kalyan or Yaman, Tal Kaherava on the lyrics of Asad Bhopali this unforgettable song sung by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar for Mahipal and Gitanjali in the 1963 Babubhai Mistri movie Parasmani: Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye…..

वो जब याद आए बहुत याद आए
ग़म-ए-ज़िंदगी के अंधेरे में हमने
चिराग-ए-मुहब्बत जलाए बुझाए

आहटें जाग उठीं रास्ते हंस दिये
थामकर दिल उठे हम किसी के लिये
कई बार ऐसा भी धोखा हुआ है
चले आ रहे हैं वो नज़रें झुकाए

दिल सुलगने लगा अश्क़ बहने लगे
जाने क्या-क्या हमें लोग कहने लगे
मगर रोते-रोते हंसी आ गई है
ख़यालों में आके वो जब मुस्कुराए

वो जुदा क्या हुए ज़िंदगी खो गई
शम्मा जलती रही रोशनी खो गई
बहुत कोशिशें कीं मगर दिल न बहला
कई साज़ छेड़े कई गीत गाए

Laxmikant Pyarelal’s song for their debut movie is not counted merely among their good songs; it is considered one of their great numbers and here is what makes it so memorable:

Firstly, their composition and music arrangement is so good that you feel the pain of the separated lovers. It starts with an alaap from Lata Mangeshkar followed by silence when Rajkumari imagines Paras and vice-versa and then the music hits you like waves breaking against shore rocks. And then you hear the deep sonorous voice of Mohammad Rafi singing Woh jab yaad aaye…

At this stage, I must also bring out that there are many people (including me) who praise the duets of Mukesh with Lata or Hemant Kumar with Lata. However, if you recall the duets of Rafi with Lata (such as Mere Mehboob number Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke ham, and this number) you would find sheer magic.

The lyrics and notes match perfectly and even though the song is in three stanzas, the strong tugs at your own emotions never cease. It must easily be the most liked Yaad song of all times.

The song has some compelling interludes and the silences before the music takes over (for example after Rafi sings the mukhada) add to its overall appeal.

Being in Raag Kalyan it is also relatively easy to sing; as easy as another great number in the same raag composed by Duttaram, penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and sung by Mukesh: Aansu bhari hain ye jeevan ki raahen.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #96

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai….
Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Dadra

The legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote a nazm (poem) with the opening words: Mujh se pehli si mohabbat mere mehboob na maang. Malika-e-Tarannum (Queen of Melody) Noorjehan composed the nazm into an immortal ghazal in a gathering that was celebrating his release from prison (he was imprisoned for supporting Communist ideology). It became so popular because of her composition that she started being credited for having penned it in almost the same manner as Begum Akhtar owns Ai mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya and not the poet Shakeel Badayuni.

The mukhada of that ghazal ended in the title of this song:

Mujh se pehli si muhabbat mere mehboob na maang
Maine samjhaa tha ke tu hai to darakhshaan hai hayaat
Tera gham hai to gham-e-dehar ka jhagdaa kyaa hai
Teri surat se hai aalam mein bahaaron ko sabaat
Teri aankhon ke siwaa duniyaa mein rakhkhaa kya hai

Raj Khosla, the director of the 1969 movie Chirag called the lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri and asked him to use this line as the title of the song. Due permission was taken to do so. This is how this great song was born.

This song was first sung by Mohammad Rafi for Sunil Dutt in the movie. He addressed it to Asha Parekh. Later, Asha Parekh lip-synced it to Sunil Dutt in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar. This is the second song in succession in which I am giving you both the versions.

Today is the second time that I give you a song in this raaga. The first time I gave you a song in this raag was on the very first day: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1‘).

I couldn’t have given you the best song ever composed in this raaga: Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam and hence I gave you what I thought was the second best. Coincidentally, that song, penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by Shankar Jaikishan had two versions: first sung by Mohammad Rafi for Shammi Kapoor and then sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Asha Parikh. Ninety-five songs later we have come back to where we started from.

Our ninety-fifth post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #95‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat starring Meena Kumari, Pradeep Kumar and Ashok Kumar: Dil jo na keh saka. It is in Raag Maru Bihag, 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 Darbari Kanada – Part I‘.

In the last ninety-five days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am repeating Raag Jhinjhoti for the second time.

Today’s song is from the 1969 Raj Khosla movie Chirag starring Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh. Lets understand the story-line to see where the two versions of the song fit in the movie:

Ajay Singh (Sunil Dutt) meets Asha Chibber (Asha Parekh) and is led to believe that she belongs to a wealthy family. After a few misunderstandings, he does find out that she is a simple girl living a poor lifestyle. Both do fall in love, and Ajay goes to meet with Asha’s brother, Dr. O.P. Chibber (Om Prakash), and his wife, Shanti (Sulochana Latkar). They are pleased to meet him, and Ajay’s mother, Gayetridevi (Lalita Pawar) visits them and approves of Asha. Ajay and Asha get married and settle down. After marriage Asha is expected to conceive, but she is unable to do so. After a certain incident she also loses her eyesight and becomes dependent on Ajay. Frustrated Gayetridevi decides to ask Asha to leave the house, and arranges a second marriage for Ajay.

The first time the song is sung is the happy occasion when they are in love and he finds in her eyes the world that is waiting for him after marriage. She sings the last stanza of the song indicating that for her too his eyes were the whole world.

The second time this song is sung is when she loses her eyesight. She begins with the stanza that she had sung earlier with him and now every word has a new meaning. She concludes with the second stanza saying that as long as his eyes were hers too, she would live by that support.

Clearly, the movie’s story revolves around this song. And that’s why Raj Khosla wanted to get it right by borrowing a line from Faiz’s famous nazm.

The lyricist of the song was, once again, Majrooh Sultanpuri and the composer was Madan Mohan. On my Facebook page Lyrical I have, in the last few months, put up over a hundred of my favourite songs penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

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 one who kept pace with the changing times.

Madan Mohan was born on 25 June 1924, at Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal was working as an Accountant General with the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces. In the later part of his life Madan Mohan, frustrated at not finding enough assignments, took to heavy drinking and finally he died of liver cirrhosis on 14 July 1975, in Mumbai.

However, during the peak of his career, some of the most memorable songs of Mohammad Rafi (for example for Dev Anand starrer Sharabi; viz, Sawan ke mahine mein, Mujhe le chalo phir aaj us gali, and Kabhi na kabhi kahin na kahin koi na koi to aayega) and Lata Mangeshkar were composed by him. He was the composer of choice for Raj Khosla in that for his triology on Sadhana, Raj Khosla took Madan Mohan for two of the three movies: Woh Kaun Thi and Mera Saya. Some of his best songs are to be found in Haqeeqat, Aap Ki Parchhayiyan, Anpadh, Jahan Ara and Dekh Kabira Roya.

He earned the reputation of being the best composer of ghazals in the movies and these became very memorable; eg, for the movie Adaalat: Unako yeh shikayat hai ke ham kuchh nahin kehte, and Youn hasraton ke daag.

As far as Lata Mangeshkar is concerned, some of her most memorable songs have been composed by Madan Mohan either on the lyrics of Rajinder Krishan or Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. These include Lag jaa gale se phir, and Aapki nazaron ne samajha.

Madan Mohan and Majrooh Sultanpuri worked together in seven movies: Night Club (1958), Ek Shola (1958), Aakhri Dao (1958), Jagir (1959), Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963), Chirag (1969) and Dastak (1970).

These films had some very beautiful songs. Some of these are: Nigaahon ka ishara hai bahon ka sahaara hai (Night Club, 1958); Kahin chal na de raat ka kya thikana (Ek Shola, 1958); Tujhe kya sunayun main dilruba, and Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale (Aakhri Dao, 1958); Maane na haay baalam pardesiya (Jagir, 1959); Ye to kaho kaun ho tum, Thodi der ke liye mere ho jayo, and Woh jo milate the kabhi (Akeli Mat Jaiyo, 1963); Teri aankhon ke siwa and Chirag dil ka jalao (Chirag, 1969); Baiyan na dharo, Ham hain mata-e-koocha-o bazaar ki tarah, Mai ri main kaise kahun, and Tumse kahoon ek baat (Dastak, 1970).

Dastak’s Baiyan na dharo O balma is one of the most memorable songs put together by Majrooh Sultanpuri and Madan Mohan. It starred Sanjeev Kumar and Rehana Sultan.

Madan Mohan also made many memorable songs based on Raagas. One of his most memorable numbers is in Raag Pahadi, Tal Dadra, which was penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan: Lag jaa gale ke phir.

This song, as I told you, is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Dadra.

Raag Jhinjhoti, as I told you on the first day itself (Please go through ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1‘) is a raag named after an apsara. It belongs to Khammaj or Khamaj thaat. Its Jati is Shadhav-Sampoorna (Vakra) (Nishad is Varjya in Aaroh, Nishad is Komal in Avroh. Rest all Shuddha Swaras). It is normally to be sung in the second prahar of the night (9 PM to midnight).

Hindi songs composed in this raag have an element of self-pity about them; eg, Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge, Badli badli duniya hai meri, Mose chhal kiye jaaye, Chhup gaya koi re door se pukaar ke, Ghungroo ki tarah bajta hi raha hoon main, Jaayun kahan bata ai dil, and Koi hamdam na raha koi sahara na raha.

I have, at various places earlier, told you about the Dadra Tal and hence don’t feel the need to repeat it here (For example, the latest being in ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #93‘).

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last fourteen times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. Then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. And then we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro. Finally, we learnt about Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar.

Tonight, we shall take up the great living vocalist: Pandit Jasraj of the Mewati gharana. He was born on 28 Jan 1930 in Village Pili Mandori in Hisar (now Fatehabad) district of Haryana. His father Motilal was a classical singer. He died when Jasraj was only 4 years old. Jasraj’s elder brother, Pratap Narain, was also an accomplished musician and was the father of music composer duo Jatin-Lalit, of singer-actress Sulakshana Pandit and of actress Vijeta Pandit.

Jasraj was initiated into vocal music by his father, but initially trained as an accompanist, playing the tabla at vocal performances by his brother, the singer Maniram. He credits the vocalist, Begum Akhtar, as inspiring him to take up classical music. Jasraj began training as a vocalist at the age of 15, and performed his first stage concert as a vocalist at the age of 22. Before becoming a stage performer, Jasraj worked as a performing artist on radio for several years.

Pandit Jasraj is a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan (the third and second highest civilain honours in India). Jasraj has tutored several students who have gone on to perform as classical musicians including Sanjeev Abhyankar, Kala Ramnath,Tripti Mukherjee, Suman Ghosh, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Anuradha Paudwal, Sadhana Sargam, Shankar Mahadevan, and Ramesh Narayan.

Pandit Jasraj is married to Madhura Shantaram, the daughter of film director V Shantaram.

Returning to the song now. For a great song by both Majrooh and Madan Mohan, neither the direction nor cinematography is actually great. Even the acting by the lead actors is average. However, that doesn’t take away from the song superb lyrics, outstanding composition and remarkable singing by both Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangehskar.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Jhinjhoti Tal Dadra, first Mohammad Rafi and Lata (one stanza) and later in the movie Lata sing a composition of Madan Mohan on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri in the 1969 Raj Khosla movie Chirag starring Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh: Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai…..

Mohammad Rafi and Lata First:

तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रक्खा क्या है
ये उठें सुबह चले, ये झुकें शाम ढले
मेरा जीना मेरा मरना इन्हीं पलकों के तले
तेरी आँखों के सिवा …

Rafi

पलकों की गलियों में चेहरे बहारों के हँसते हुए
हैं मेरे ख़ाबों के क्या-क्या नगर इनमें बसते हुए
ये उठें सुबह चले …

इनमें मेरे आनेवाले ज़माने की तस्वीर है
चाहत के काजल से लिखी हुई मेरी तक़दीर है
ये उठें सुबह चले …

Lata

ये हों कहीं इनका साया मेरे दिल से जाता नहीं
इनके सिवा अब तो कुछ भी नज़र मुझको आता नहीं
ये उठें सुबह चले …

Lata Now: Asha Parekh is blinded and the words have a different meaning. She is looking forward to seeing the world through his eyes. Majrooh has done outstandingly well with the lyrics especially इनके सिवा अब तो कुछ भी नज़र मुझको आता नहीं:

ठोकर जहाँ मैने खाई इन्होंने पुकारा मुझे
ये हमसफ़र हैं तो काफ़ी है इनका सहारा मुझे
ये उठें सुबह चले …

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
On the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.
And today, on the ninety-sixth day, we learnt about the Vocalist Pandit Jasraj.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #95

Raaga Based Song of the Day:Dil jo na keh saka….
Raag Maru Bihag, Tal Kaherava

We recently had, on my Facebook group on music ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne‘, a Fest on Interludes, Preludes and Codas. I mentioned it there that the songs that were repeated in the movie because of nostalgia – good or bad – had very distinctive preludes and interludes so that just by a few strains the song could be recognised. This is one of those songs penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Roshan. Under happier circumstances, in the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat, it was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and lip synced by Meena Kumari to Pradeep Kumar. Later, when she is to be married to Ashok Kumar, Pradeep Kumar sings it in the party in the voice of Mohammad Rafi.

I shall be giving you both the versions.

Today is the third time that I give you a song in this raaga. The first time I gave you a song in this raag was on the 37th day: Tum toh pyaar ho sajna (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #37‘). Naturally, I give you the best song composed in the raaga first. That song in Kaherava tal was from the 1963 V Shantaram movie Sehra. Next I gave you a song in this raaga and Kaherava Tal as the 45th song: Matwali naar thumak thumak chali jaaye (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #45‘). It was from the 1960 Bhappi Sonie movie Ek Phool Chaar Kaante starring Waheeda Rehman and Sunil Dutt. It was penned by Shailendra and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

We have completed ninety-four 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 ninety-fourth post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #94‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1962 Mohan Kumar movie Anpadh starring Mala Sinha and Dharmendra: Aap ki nazaron ne samajha. It is in Raag Adana, Tal Rupaktal.

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 Bhimpalasi – Part II‘.

In the last ninety-four days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani and Adana. Today, I am repeating Raag Maru Bihag for the third time.

Today’s song is from the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat starring Ashok Kumar, Meena Kumari and Pradeep Kumar. Lets understand the story-line to see where the two versions of the song fit in the movie. Pradeep Kumar as Ajay is a painting artiste, living a wealthy lifestyle along with his Bombay-based father Dwarkanath (Ulhas). His father wants him to marry Vinita (Shashikala). Ajay not only refuses but also insults her and she swears to avenge this humiliation. He then re-locates to Nainital, rents a cottage from Colonel Bhim Singh, meets with his neighbor’s Governess, Neelima (Meena Kumari), and both fall in love. Neither are aware that Neelima’s employer, Pushpa, would prefer that she marry her London-based widower Civil Engineer brother, Anand (Ashok Kumar), so that she could look after his child, Munni (Baby Irani). After a dramatic and life-threatening hunt, Ajay asks Neelima to be present at their engagement – not knowing that she will not only not show up but also subsequently announce that she is going to marry Anand.

The first time the song is sung is on that Bheegi Raat when Neelima and Ajay have taken shelter at a place and lit a fire. She sings it to him. The second time, he sings at the party wherein she announces the engagement with Anand. Please have a look at the expressions of Shashikala for having taken revenge.

The lyricist of the song was Majrooh Sultanpuri and the composer was Roshan. On my Facebook page Lyrical I have, in the last few months, put up over a hundred of my favourite songs penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

He tried his hand at being a quack until he was noticed in a mushaira in Sultanpur.

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”.

For someone who didn’t want to join Hindi movies, Majrooh emerged as a natural lyricist, very popular, very romantic and one who kept pace with the changing times.

Roshanlal Nagrath was born on 14 Jul 1917 in Gujranwala, Punjab, now in Pakistan. He began music lessons at a young age and later attended Marris College (now Bhatkhande Music Institute) in Lucknow under the training of Pt. S N Ratanjankar (principal of the institute). In the early 1940s, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, programme producer/music, AIR Delhi, hired Roshan as staff artist for Esraj, the instrument he used to play. Some of you would recall that I covered Esraj or Dilruba on the 50th day and told you that it was an instrument created by the tenth Guru of the Sikhs: Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #50‘).

In 1948, Roshan came to Mumbai to find work as a Hindi film music director and became assistant of music composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar in the film Singaar. He struggled until meeting Kidar Sharma, who gave him the job of composing for his film Neki aur Badi (1949). While it was a flop, Roshan emerged as a player on the Hindi film music scene with Baawre Nain, released the following year. The movie had two really beautiful songs: Khyalon mein kisi ke and Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahin.

Majrooh and Roshan worked together in five movies: Chandni Chowk (1954), Aarti (1962), Bheegi Raat (1965), Mamta (1966), and Daadi Maa (1966).

Amongst their memorable songs are: Hamen aye dil kahin le chal (Chandni Chowk); Aapne yaad dilaya, Ab kya misaal doon, Baar baar tohe kya samjhatye, Bane ho ek khaak se, Kabhi to milegi, and Tere bin laage na jiya (all from Aarti, 1962); Dil jo na keh saka, Aise to na dekho kahin behak jaayen ham, and Mohabbat se dekha khafa ho gaye hain (Bheegi Raat, 1965); Chhupa lo youn dil mein pyar mera, Rahen na rahen ham, Rehte the kabhi, and In baharon mein (Mamta, 1966); Usko nahin dekha hamne kabhi, and Jaata hoon main mujhe ab na bulaana (Daadi Maa, 1966).

The same pair (as in the present song) of Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari enacting the 1962 movie Aarti song: Aap ne yaad dilaya. Aarti was the best movie that Majrooh and Roshan worked together on.

Roshan has made many memorable songs based on Raagas. One of his most memorable numbers is in Raag Kalyan, Tal Kaherava, which was penned by Sahir Ludhianvi: Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi wo barsaat ki raat.

This song, as I told you, is in Raag Maru Bihag, Tal Kaherava.

Maru Bihag, as I already told you on the 37th day (Please go through ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #37’) is a very melodious raaga that belongs to the Kalyan Thaat. It is to be sung during the second prahar of the night: from 9 PM to midnight. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampoorna. Maru Bihag is a variation of Raag Bihag in which I gave you the song Tere sur aur mere geet from Goonj Uthi Shehnai that had Shehnai-vaadan by Ustaad Bismillah Khan. In the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Raag Bihagara occurs on 20 pages from 537 to 557 and is similar to its modern version: Raag Bihag.

Some of the other songs composed in Raag Maru Bihag are: Tum to pyar ho sajna (Tal Kaherava), Dil jo na keh saka(Tal Kaherava), Payal wali dekhana (Tal Kaherava) and Radha jaaye na (Tal Dadra).

I have, at various places earlier, told you about the commonest Tal in raagas: Kaherava and I know that by now you know enough about it.

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last thirteen times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. And then we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Finally, we learnt about Ustaad Zakir Hussain, the Tabla maestro.

Tonight, we shall take up the Sitar Player and Composer Anoushka Shankar. She is the daughter of Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Shankar. She is the half-sister of Singer, Song-writer and Pianist Norah Jones who was born to Pandit Ravi Shankar and American Concert Producer Sue Jones.

Anoushka, a London born, started training on Sitar with her father when she was only seven years old. At the age of ten, she started accompanying him for his performances on stage by playing tanpura. Anoushka gave her first public sitar performance on 27 February 1995 at the age of 13, at Siri Fort in New Delhi as part of her father’s 75th birthday celebration concert. For this solo debut, she was accompanied by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

She released her first album, Anoushka, in 1998, followed by Anourag in 2000. In 1999 Anoushka graduated from high school with honors, but decided against university in favour of beginning to tour as a solo artist. Both Anoushka and her half-sister Norah Jones were nominated for Grammy awards in 2003 when Anoushka became the youngest-ever and first woman nominee in the World Music category for her third album, Live at Carnegie Hall. Since then, she has been nominated for Grammy awards five more times, the last time being in 2016.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Maru Bihag Tal Kaherava, first Lata Mangeshkar and then Mohammad Rafi sing a composition of Roshan on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri in the 1965 Kalidas movie Bheegi Raat starring Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari: Dil jo na keh saka…..

Lata First:

दिल जो ना कह सका
वही राज-ए-दिल, कहने की रात आई

नग्मा सा कोई जाग उठा बदन में
झनकार की सी थरथरी है तन में
प्यार की इन्हीं धड़कती फ़िज़ाओं में
रहने की रात आई…

अब तक दबी थी एक मौज-ए-अरमां
लब तक जो आई, बन गई हैं तूफां
बात प्यार की बहकती निगाहों से
कहने की रात आई…

गुज़रे ना ये शब, खोल दूँ ये जुल्फें
तुम को छुपा लूँ, मूँद के ये पलकें
बेक़रार सी लरज़ती सी छाँव में
रहने की रात आई…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WrSdaDI51g

Rafi Now:

दिल जो ना कह सका
वोही राज़-ए-दिल कहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

तौबा ये किस ने अंजुमन सजा के
टुकड़े किये हैं गुंच-ए-वफ़ा के – २
उछालो गुलों के टुकड़े
के रंगीं फ़िज़ाओं में रहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

चलिये मुबारक ये जश्न दोस्ती का
दामन तो थामा आप ने किसी का – २
हमें तो खुशी यही है
तुम्हें भी किसी को अपना कहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

सागर उठाओ दिल का किस को ग़म है
आज दिल की क़ीमत जाम से भी कम है – २
पियो चाहे खून-ए-दिल हो
के पीते पिलाते ही रहने की रात आई
दिल जो ना कह सका

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ANtZ53ygIY

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
On the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the Tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.
And today, on the ninety-fifth day, we learnt about the Sitar player and Composer: Anoushka Shankar.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #94

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Aap ki nazaron ne samjha….
Raag Adana, Tal Rupaktal

As soon as you look at the post, the first thing that occurs to you is as to why this song now as 94th song and not much earlier. I hasten to add that the songs here have not been given as per any ranking or order. If I give you all the good songs first, won’t it become rather monotonous?

Today is the third time that I give you a song in this raaga. The first time I gave you a song in this raag was on the 25th day: Manmohan mein ho tumhi (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #25‘). Naturally, I give you the best song composed in the raaga first. That song in Tintal was from the 1964 Atma Ram movie Kaise Kahoon. Next I gave you a song in this raaga and Kaherava Tal as the 59th song: Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #59‘). It was from the 1950 movie Arzoo starring Dilip Kumar and Kamini Kaushal. It was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Anil Biswas.

We have completed ninety-three 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 ninety-third post or the last post here was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #93‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1961 Ramesh Saigal movie Shola Aur Shabnam starring Dharmendra and Tarla Mehta: Jeet hi lenge baazi ham tum. It is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Dadra.

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 Bhimpalasi – Part I‘.

In the last ninety-three days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas, Shankara, Bahar, Nand and Mian Ki Malhar; making it a total of 61 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari, Malkauns, Bhairavi, Mand, Sohani, Madhuvanti and Shivaranjani. Today, I am repeating Raag Adana for the third time.

Today’s song is from the 1962 Mohan Kumar movie Anpadh starring Mala Sinha in the title role because her brother Balraj Sahni believed that women had no requirement to be educated since their job was to get married, love and look after their husbands. Dharmendra as her husband happened to be from a well-read family and hence Mala Sinha faced tremendous problems in the new home. She sang this song to her husband when finally he accepted her despite her being illiterate. As the movie progressed, her problems were not over because of this.

Having missed watching it when I was small, this too is amongst the hundred movies or so that I watched on the net, fascinated by its songs:

“Hai Isi Me Pyar Ki Aabru”	Lata Mangeshkar	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan
“Jiya Le Gayo Ji Mora Sanwariya”	Lata Mangeshkar	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan
“Vo Dekho Jalaa Ghar Kisi Kaa”	Lata Mangeshkar	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan
“Rang Birangi Rakhi Leke Aayi Bahana”	Lata Mangeshkar	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan
“Sikandar Ne Poras Se Ki Thi Ladai”	Mahendra Kapoor	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan
“Dulhan Marwad Ki Aaaee Chham Chham”	Mohammad Rafi & Asha Bhosle	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan
“Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha”	Lata Mangeshkar	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan	Madan Mohan

In the second half, as was the case with most movies of that era, the movie dragged and the end actually came as a relief. Yet, one can enjoy the songs.

Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (L) with Music Director Madan Mohan

The lyricist of the song was Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. I have two blog posts on him: ‘The Magic of the Lyrics Of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan‘ and ‘Raja Mehdi Ali Khan’s Humorous Poem: Adib Ki Mehbooba‘. At the partition of India, he refused to go to Pakistan, stayed in India and wrote songs, especially with Music Director Madan Mohan, that became very popular and memorable.

I have quite a few of my favourite songs penned by him and composed by Madan Mohan. These are: Aakhri geet muhabbat ka suna loon to chalun, Aapko pyar chhupane ki buri aadat hai (Neela Akaash, 1965), Aapke pehlu mein aake ro diye, Jhumka gira re, Nainon mein badra chhaye, Nainon wali ne haay mera dil loota, Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saya, 1966), Agar mujhase mohabbat hai, Main nigahen tere chehre se, Yehi hai tamanna tere ghar ke saamne (Aapki Parchhayiyan, 1964), Chhod kar tere pyaar ka daman, Jo hamne dastaan apni sunaayi, Lag ja gale ki phir, Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim, Shokh nazar ki bijliyan (Woh Kaun Thi, 1964), Ik haseen raat ko, Maine rang di aaj chunariya, Sapnon mein agar mere tum aao to so jaayun (Dulhan Ek Raat Ki, 1966), Jiya le gayo ji mora sanwariya, Vo dekho jala ghar kisi ka (Anpadh, 1962), and Meri yaad mein tum na aansu bahana (Madhosh, 1951).

Sadhana enacting the most popular song of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and Madan Mohan: Lag ha gale.

The Music Director Madan Mohan had a special relationship not only with Raja Mehdi Ali Khan but also with the singer Lata Mangeshkar. Some of the greatest songs of Lata Mangeshkar have been composed by him. Other than Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, many of these have been penned by Rajinder Krishan. Their Adalat songs made waves: Unako ye shikayat hai ke ham kuchh nahin kehte, Youn hasraton ke daag, and Jaana tha hamse door.

Nargis enacting one of the best songs of Madan Mohan, Lata Mangeshakr and Rajinder Krishan: Youn hasraton ke daag.

When it came to composing songs based on raagas, Madan Mohan was amongst the best. He composed this song: Aapki nazaron ne samajha pyar ke kaabil mujhe in Raag Adana. Tal Rupaktal.

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 (and by now you understand this completely) 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.

Some of the songs composed in this raaga are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Jhanak Jhanak Payal
Jaa Main Tose
Manmohan Man Mein
Lapak Jhapak Tu
Mukh Se Na Boloon
Ghar Aaja Meray
Jab Ishaq Kahin Ho Jaata Hai
Saanware Mat Ja
Tumhe Jo bhi
Cham Cham Baje Re
Dil Ka Fasaana
Aap ki nzaron ne samajha
Radhike tune bansuri

Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bajay
Sautela Bhai
Kaisay Kahoon
Boot Polish
Jalianwala Bagh
Garam Coat
Aarzoo
–
Majboor
Jaane-Anjaane
–
Anpadh
Beti Bete

Ustaad Amir Khan & Chorus
Lata Mangeshkar
Rafi, Suman, S. D. Batish
Manna Dey & Chorus
Lata Mangeshkar, Talat
Lata Mangeshkar
Asha Bhosle, Mubarak Begum
Lata Mangeshkar
Hemant Kumar
Manna Dey
Manna Dey
Lata
Rafi

Lets now re-learn about Rupaktal since we haven’t done this for quite some time:

Do you remember when we took up Dhrupad (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #29‘)? That’s one style of singing that doesn’t use Rupaktal. However, Rupaktal is otherwise such a common tal that it is to be found in almost all styles of singing in Hindustani Music including Khayal.

Rupaktal distinguishes itself from the other Tals in that the first beat (Sam) is Khali (Wave and not Clap or Taali). The total number of beats (matra) are seven. It is represented by:

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

that is, unlike the symmetric Tintal, the vibhags (three of them) are not of equal length.

and the Theka is:

At this juncture, since we are re-starting after a long time, please do recall that I had given you an introduction to Tal (musical measure) on the second day itself. Some of you would recall that I had mentioned that Tal, Taal or Tala is a word that is variation of the word Taali (Clap). Before the advent of Tabla, the standard method of keeping the musical measure was with the clapping or tapping of one’s hand on the arm or thigh. Indeed, now that we have Tabla, this beat is still maintained by clapping and waving of hands. If you recall, I had also mentioned that whilst the Raaga sets the mood, time of day and season of a composition, Tal constitutes the time-cycle. Therefore, a Raaga and Tal go hand in hand. On the 14th Raaga Based Song of the Day, was the only occasion when we didn’t have a Raaga (Kalyan) accompanied by a Tal since the entire composition of Lagata nahin hai dil mera was in Alaap.

The rhythmic hand gestures used to denote Tal are called Kriyas. If you recall, I laid emphasis on something called Vibhag or sections or angas or parts of a Tal. In Hindustani music, the first beat of a Vibhag is Tali (Clap), whilst the empty beat (Khali) is indicated is indicated by the sideways wave of the dominant clapping hand. And thus, you would recall, I represented the Tal for you with Claps and Waves.

We had also learnt that a Tal doesn’t have a fixed tempo or laya. Hence, we had learnt three different tempos: Vilambit (delayed or slow), Madhya (medium) and Drut (fast).

Before we actually take up the song, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. From the last twelve times we started learning about some of the leading personalities in Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. The first one that we took up was Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, the finest Rudra Veena player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia, the greatest Bansuri player in the country. Then we talked about Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest Sarod player in the country. Then we took up Pandit Ravi Shankar, the greatest Sitar player in the world. Then we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Carnatic tradition): MS Subbulakshmi. Then, we took up the greatest classical singer in the country (of Hindustani tradition): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Then, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Then, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, a great Surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. Thereafter, we took up Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the grestest Santoor player in the country. Then we learnt a little more about Ustaad Alla Rakha Qureshi or simply Alla Rakha, the Tabla Maestro and father of Ustaad Zakir Hussain. Then we learnt about the master and one of the pioneers of fusion: Anand Shankar. Then we learnt about a Veena player who was also a great filmmaker: Sundaram Balachander. And finally we learnt about Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

Tonight, we shall take up the Tabla Maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, son of another great Tabla Maestro: Alla Rakha who we had taken up earlier. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, by the Government of India. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, given by the Sangeet Natak Academy, India’s National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. In 1999, he was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians. He has won two Grammy awards.

Zakir Hussain was a recognised musician from St.Xavier’s College. Mumnbai whereat I used to go and attend Indian Classical Music performances when my brother was studying there.

From a young age, Zakir has been accompanying all the leading lights of Hindustani classical music, both vocal and instrumental – from Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit VG Jog, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, and many more.

In addition to being an outstanding accompanist, Zakir brought great attention to and raised the profile of tabla players, both through his solo excursions as an accompanist and through his solo tabla performances. His on-stage charm and virtuosity single-handedly raised the visibility of tabla players, who in times past were not considered very important to the performance. Zakir made stars out of tabla players, and a whole generation of young tabla players grew up imitating his head gestures and even his hair style while performing.

He also became famous for his ad: Waah Taj for the makers of Taj Mahal tea.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy in Raag Adana Tal Rupaktal, Lata Mangeshkar sing a composition of Madan Mohan on the lyrics of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan in the 1962 Mohan Kumar movie Anpadh starring Dharmendra and Mala Sinha: Aap ki nazaron ne samjha…..

आप की नज़रों ने समझा, प्यार के काबिल मुझे
दिल की ऐ धड़कन ठहर जा, मिल गई मंज़िल मुझे
आप की नज़रों ने समझा

जी हमें मंज़ूर है, आपका ये फ़ैसला – २
कह रही है हर नज़र, बंदा-परवर शुकरिया
दो जहाँ की आज खुशियाँ हो गईं हासिल मुझे
आप की नज़रों ने समझा …

आप की मंज़िल हूँ मैं मेरी मंज़िल आप हैं – २
क्यूँ मैं तूफ़ान से डरूँ मेरे साहिल आप हैं
कोई तूफ़ानों से कह दे, मिल गया साहिल मुझे
आप की नज़रों ने समझा …

पड़ गई दिल पर मेरी, आप की पर्छाइयाँ – २
हर तरफ़ बजने लगीं सैकड़ों शहनाइयाँ
हँसके अपनी ज़िंदगी में, कर लिया शामिल मुझे
आप की नज़रों ने समझा …

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:

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.
On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
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.
On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
On the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.
On the seventy-fifth day, we learnt about a free online service available to learn Indian Classical Music.
On the seventy-sixth day, we learnt about List of Hindustani Classical Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-seventh day, we learnt about List of Carnatic Musical Festivals in India and Abroad.
On the seventy-eighth day, we learnt about Jhaptal.
On the seventy-ninth day, we learnt about Ektal.
On the eightieth day, we learnt about Tivra Tal.
On the eighty-first day, we learnt about the greatest Rudra Veena player ever: Ustaad Asad Ali Khan.
On the eighty-second day, we learnt about the greatest Bansuri player alive: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
On the eighty-third day, we learnt about the best Sarod player in the country: Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.
On the eighty-fourth day, we learnt about the greatest Sitar player in the world: Pandit Ravi Shankar.
On the eighty-fifth day, we learnt about the greatest Indian vocalist of Carnatic tradition: MS Subbulakshmi.
On the eighty-sixth day, we not just learnt about the greatest vocalist of Hindustani tradition: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi but also learnt about Tal Hinch.
On the eighty-seventh day, we learnt about the Shehnai maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
On the eighty-eighth day, we learnt about Annapurna Devi, the greatest Surbahar player in India.
On the eighty-ninth day, we learnt about Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, the greatest Santoor Player in the country.
On the ninetieth day, we learnt about Ustaad Alla Rakha, the Tabla maestro.
On the ninety-first day, we learnt about Anand Shankar, the great fusion musician from Bengal.
On the ninety-second day, we learnt about Sundaram Balachander, the great Veena player and film-maker.
On the ninety-third day, we learnt about Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, the great Sarod player.
And today, on the ninety-fourth day, we learnt about the tabla maestro: Ustaad Zakir Hussain.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #35

The thirty-fifth song in this series.

Tumhen yaad hoga kabhi ham mile the….

This song is from the 1959 Ravindra Dave movie Satta Bazaar (Stock Market). The movie starred Balraj Sahni, Meena Kumari, Suresh and Vijaya Choudhury. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas was the writer of the movie and dialogues were by SM Abbas.

(Poster courtesy: www.bollywoodmovieposters.com)

Lets have a look at the story of the movie since songs often carry forward the story:

Widower Ramesh (Balraj Sahni) lives a comfortable lifestyle with his daughter, Kala (Vijaya Choudhury). He re-marries so that Kala can get the love and caring of a mother. He re-marries Jamuna (Meena Kumari). But Kala hates Jamuna and will not even call her “Maa”. Jamuna continues to love Kala as her own despite of giving birth to a baby boy.

Years pass by. Kala grows up and falls in love with Ramesh’s business partner, Bholanath’s son Shyam (Suresh).

Shyam and Kala are of a different caste. Ramesh disapproves, but Jamuna convinces him otherwise. The couple gets formerly engaged. After the engagement, Ramesh gets to meet multi-millionaire Badriprasad (Ramayan Tiwari), who has accumulated wealth through the stock exchange. Ramesh takes a interest and invests heavily, he does win some money, but his luck soon changes when he loses everything. He is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the only man who can save him now is Badriprasad on one condition – that Kala must marry his son, Pritam (Krishna Kant).

And now you know how this song came about. You also know the importance of the name of the movie.

The song was penned by Gulshan Bawra. He was born as Gulshan Kumar Mehta on 12 Apr 1937 in Sheikhupura (30 kms from Lahore), Punjab (now in Pakistan). During the Partition riots he witnessed the killing of his father and his father’s cousin. His elder sister then brought him up.

Gulshan applied for a vacancy in Indian Railways in Kota, Rajasthan but when he got there, the vacancy had been filled. He, then, started working as a clerk in Bombay. All throughout he wanted a break in Hindi movies. Kalyanji Veerji Shah, then on his own (and not as Music duo Kalyanji Anandji) gave him his first break in Chandrasena (1959) in the song “Main kya jaanu kahan laage yeh saawan matwala re”, sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Later, he also emerged as an actor with the 1966 movie Vishwas.

Satta Bazaar was the first movie of the music duo Kalyanji Anandji. Tumhen yaad hoga and Chandi ke chand tukadon ke liye made him a good name as a lyricist. It was during the making of this film that the film’s distributor Shantibhai Patel christened him Bawra (Madman).

He has won two Filmfare Awards as Best Lyricist: In 1968 for Mere desh ki dharti in the movie Upkaar and in 1974 for Yaari hai imaan mera in the movie Zanjeer.

Some of his popular songs are: Aap se hamako bichhade huye, Chandi ki deewar na todi, Le chal mere jeevan saathi (Vishwas, 1969), Aati rahengi bahaaren, Mile jo kadi kadi ek zanjeer bane, Qasme vaade nibhayenge ham (Kasme Vaade, 1978), Banake kyun bigaada re (Adaalat, 1976), Chand ko kya maalum chahta hai use koi chakor (Lal Bangla, 1966), Deewane hain deewano ko na ghar chahiye, Yaari hai imaan mera (Zanjeer, 1973), Ek main aur ek tu, Hamane tumako dekha tumane hamako dekha, Khullam khulla pyar karenge, Sapna mera toot gaya (Khel Khel Mein, 1975), Hamane jo dekhe sapne (Parivaar, 1967), Hamen aur jeene ki chahat na hoti (Agar Tum Na Hote, 1983), Kitane bhi tu kar le sitam (Sanam Teri Kasam, 1982), Mujhe kehate hain Kallu Kawaal (Dulhan Dulhan, 1964), Peene waalon ko peene ka bahana chahiye (Haath Ki Safai, 1974), Pyar hamen kis mod pe le aaya (Satte Pe Satta, 1981), and Ye mausam rangeen sama (Modern Girl, 1961).

Gulshan Bawra’s most popular song for the 1967 Manoj Kumar movie Upkaar: Mere desh ki dharti.

Kalyanji Anandji, the music duo who composed this song, came together as a music duo for the first time for this movie Satta Bazaar. This song sung by Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar made the Gujarat duo famous. It is so appropriate that a song sung by Hemant Kumar paved their way to success since Kalyanji (then solo) started his career as an assistant to Hemant Kumar as Music Director for the 1954 movie Nagin. He was so good with this new instrument called clavioline which was used to produce the sound of Nagin’s been that even if you forget any of the Nagin songs, you can’t forget the been.

Kalyanji Veerji Shah, then, with his brother Anandji Veerji Shah, started an orchestral group called Kalyanji Virji and Party which organised musical shows in Mumbai and outside. This was the first attempt made for holding live musical shows in India.

The high-points of their career were their first and only Filmfare Award for the 1974 movie Kora Kagaz, a National Award for the 1968 movie Sraswatichandra and India’s fourth highest civilian honour Padma Shri in the year 1992.

Some of their popular songs are: Aankhon aankhon mein hum tum, Ye duniya waale poochhenge (Mahal, 1969), Aap se hamko bichhade huye, Chandi ki deewar na todi, Le chal mere jeevan saathi (Vishwas, 1969), Akele hain chale aao (Raaz, 1967), Are deewano mujhe pehchano, Khaike paan Banaraswala (Don, 1978), Aur is dil mein kya rakha hai (Imaandaar, 1987), Are rafta rafta dekho (Kahani Kismat Ki, 1973), Badi door se aaye hain (Samjhauta, 1973), Bekhudi mein sanam, Chale the saath milkar (Haseena Maan Jayegi, 1968), Bure bhi hum bhale bhi hum (Banarasi Babu, 1973), Chand aahen bharega (Phool Bane Angaray, 1973), Chandan sa badan, Main to bhool chali babul ka desh, Phool tumhen bheja hai khat mein (Saraswatichandra, 1968), Chhalia mera naam, Dam dam diga diga, Mere toote huye dil se, Teri raahon mein khade hain (Chhalia, 1960), Chhuk chhuk (Rafoo Chakkar, 1975), Chhoti si umar mein lag gaya rog (Bairag, 1976), Chupke se dil de de (Maryada, 1971), and Darpan ko dekha (Upasna, 1971).

Some more are: Dil beqraar sa hai (Ishaara, 1964), Dil ko dekho chehra na dekho, Meri pyari behaniya (Sacha Jhutha, 1970), Dil lootnewale jadugar (Madari, 1959), Dil to dil hai (Kab Kyon Aur Kahan, 1970), Do bechare bina sahare (Victoria No. 203, 1972), Bharat ka rehnewala hoon, Dulhan chali, Koi jab tumhara hriday chhod de (Purab Aur Pachhim, 1970), Ek tara bole (Yaadgaar, 1970), Ek tara bole (Yaadgaar, 1970), Ek tha gul, Na na karte pyar tumhi se, Pardesiyon se na akhiyan milana, Ye sama sama hai ye pyar ka (Jab Jab Phool Khile, 1965), Ek tu na mila, Kankariya maar ke jagaya, Main to ek khwab hoon (Himalaya Ki God Mein, 1965), Ganga maiya mein hab tak, Khush raho har khushi hai tumhaare liye (Suhaag Raat, 1968), and Govinda aala re aala (Bluff Master, 1963).

Kalyanji Anandji’s songs in Jab Jab Phool Khile were and are very popular. Pardesiyon se na akhiyan milana was one of them.

Still some more are: Hum bolega to bologe ki (Kasauti, 1974), Hum chhod chale hain mehfil ko (Ji Chahta Hai, 1964), Hamare siva tumhaare aur kitane (Apradh. 1972), Ham the jinake sahare, Jeevan se bhari teri aankhen, Zindagi ka safar, Jo tumako ho pasand wohi baat karenge (Safar, 1970), Humsafar mere humsafar (Purnima, 1965), Hamne tujhako pyar kiya hai jitana, Jo pyar tune mujhako diya tha, Mujhe kehte hain kallu qawaal (Dulha Dulhan, 1964), Husn ke laakhon rang, Nafrat karne waalon ke, Pal bhar ke liye koi, O mere Raja (Johnny Mera Naam, 1970), Jiske sapne hamen roz aate rahe, Mere mitwa mere meet re (Geet, 1971), Jis dil mein basa tha pyar tera (Saheli, 1965), Zubaan pe dard bhari dastaan (Maryada, 1971), Kabhi raat din hum door the (Aamne Saamne, 1978), Kisi raah mein kisi mod par (Mere Hamsafar, 1970), Kya khoob kagti ho, Tere chehre mein woh jadu hai (Dharamatma, 1975) and Laila O’ Laila (Qurbani, 1980).

And yet more are: Main pyasa tum sawan (Faraar, 1975), Mere desh ki dharti, Qasme waade pyar wafa (Upkar, 1967), Mera jeevan kora Kagaz (Kora Kagaz, 1973), Mujhako is raat ki tanhai mein (Dil Bhi Tera Ham Bhi Tere, 1960), O saathi re tere bina bhi kya jeena, Salaam e ishq meri jaan (Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, 1978), Pal pal dil ke paas (Blackmail, 1973), Peene waalon ko peene ka bahana, Vaada karle saajna (Haath Ki Safai, 1974), Peete peete kabhi kabhi (Bairag, 1976), Samjhauta ghamon se karlo (Samjhauta, 1973), Sama hai suhana suhana (Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, 1970), Sukh ke sab saathi (Gopi, 1970)

And finally: Tere honthon ke do phool (Paras, 1971), Waqt karta jo wafa (Dil Ne Pukara, 1967), Yaari hai imaan mera (Zanjeer, 1973), Zuban pe dard bhari dastaan (Maryada, 1971).

As far as the singers Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar singing together are concerned, they have given us some really memorable songs. Some of these are: Aa neele gagan tale pyar ham karen, Dekho wo chand chhupke, Nain se nain nahin milao, Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum, Chhupa lo dil mein youn pyar mera, Chandan ka palna, O neend na mujhako aaye, Na ye chand hoga, Na tum hamen jaano and Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan.

Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum is one of the best Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar sang together.

Many of Hemant Kumar duets with Lata Mangeshkar have that touch of ruefulness about them that seem to be bordering on enigma. When you recall them, you not just recall the lyrics and the notes, you also recall the world these transported you into. The present duet has that quality about it.

Please enjoy: Tumhen yaad hoga kabhi ham mile the…..

हे: (तुम्हें याद होगा कभी हम मिले थे ) -२
मुहब्बत की राहों में मिल के चले थे
ल: भूला दो मुहब्बत में हम तुम मिले थे
सपना ही समझो के मिल के चले थे …

हे: (डूबा हूँ ग़म की गहराइयों मे ं
सहरा हैं यादों का तनहाइयों में ) -२
सहरा हैं यादों का तनहाइयों में …

ल: (कहीं और दिल की दुनिया बसा लो
क़सम है तुम्हें वो क़सम तोड़ डालो) -२
क़सम है तुम्हें वो क़सम तोड़ डालो …

हे: (नई दिल की दुनिया बसा न सकूँगा
जो भूले हो तुम वो भुला न सकूँगा) -२
जो भूले हो तुम वो भुला न सकूँगा …

ल: (अगर ज़िंदगी हो अपनी ही बस में
तुम्हारी क़सम हम न भूलें वो क़समें) -२
तुम्हारी क़सम हम न भूलें वो क़समें …

Love is never a reasoned emotion. Hence, you never walk into love, you fall in love. It is overpowering, overwhelming and a feeling beyond control. And, most often than not, the course that this flood of emotions takes is also not under the lovers’ control. People around them and circumstances bring in variables that the lovers would have never imagined.

In this case, the fly in the ointment of the lovers is Sata Bazaar (Stock Market) that wreaks havocs in their lives because of the lure of good money that Balraj Sahni, her father, falls for. Suddenly, they find themselves estranged. At one moment, for the lovers, the world appeared thew most wonderful place to be in. The next moment their world is as if it went through an earhtquake, as if they were marooned by a strong typhoon.

Indeed, in the last stanza, Gulshan Bawra makes her say that she was the victim of circumstances beyond her control:

अगर ज़िंदगी हो अपनी ही बस में
तुम्हारी क़सम हम न भूलें वो क़समें I

This and other thoughts in the lyrics hit you with great force. It can happen with anyone. The villain of the piece here is Satta Bazaar. However, it could be anything beyond the control of the lovers.

Great songs are those wherein you not only recall the lyrics but all the notes including the interludes. This song is one of them. It tugs at my emotions persistently.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #34

The thirty-fourth song in this series.

Dil ne phir yaad kiya….

This was the title song of the 1966 movie: Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya that was produced by BL Rawal, written by GL Rawal and directed by CL Rawal. The movie starred Dharmendra, Nutan and Rehman in a complex triangle.

I saw the movie with my parents in the hill town of Dalhousie where I had gone with my parents from Chamba (about 45 Kms away). My father was posted as a Horticulture Development Officer there.

To understand the song one has to know the story and I shall straightway tell you that:

Dharmendra as Ashok is in love with and wants to marry Nutan as Ashoo. In the toy store wherein Ashok works, he has a close friend Amjad (Rehman). Rehman’s marriage has been fixed with Shabnam (also played by Nutan though Ashok doesn’t know this).

As the story progresses, Ashok goes to the village to marry Ashoo and finds she has been abducted by his brother Bhagat (Jeevan) after killing her brother Bhagwan. Ashok successfully rescues Ashoo and they head to the city to attend Amjad’s wedding with Shabnam.

The train that they travel by meets with an accident. Ashok survives but Ashoo dies. Amjad finds that his friend Ashok is under tremendous shock and asks Shabnam to act like Ashoo with Ashok. Ashok suspects that Ashoo has changed (he doesn’t realise it is Shabnam) and that’s how this song came about.

He starts singing this song (Mohammad Rafi sings for him) in a boat rowed by him where his friend Amjad and Shabnam sit opposite him. He reminds her of the past which is no more there now. Suman Kalyanpur sings for Shabnam (as Nutan) and tells about the cards that fate played to her (she having reluctantly agreed to act as Ashoo at the behest of her would-be husband Amjad (Rehman). Finally, in the song, Mukesh sings for Amjad (Rehman) and he tells about his own emotions.

The song’s lyrics were written by GS Rawal who also wrote the lyrics for the 1968 CL Rawal movie Aabroo starring Ashok Kumar, Vimi and Rehman. Finally, he wrote the songs of the 1971 CL Rawal movie Ladki Pasand Hai starring Mumtaz, Deepak Kumar and Jeevan. All his songs were composed by Sonik Omi.

A complete list of his songs is (Songs #1 to 10 for this movie, 11 to 17 for Aabroo and 18 to 25 for Ladki Pasand Hai):

1″Aaja Re Pyar Pukare”Lata Mangeshkar
2″Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya”Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Suman Kalyanpur
3″Main Suraj Hoon Tu Meri Kiran”Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
4″Lo Chehra Surkh Sharab Hua”Mohammed Rafi
5″Hamen To Khushi Hai”Asha Bhosle
6″Kaliyon Ne Ghunghat Khole”Mohammed Rafi
7″Yeh Dil Hai Mohabbat Ka Pyasa”Mukesh
8″Yun Chaal Chalo Na Matwali”Mohammed Rafi
9″Humne Jalwa Dikhaya To Jal Jaoge”Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle
10″Main To Naina Ladake”Usha Khanna, Usha Mangeshkar, Krishna Kalle
11 “Aap Se Pyaar Hua Aap Khafa Ho Baithe” Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
12 “Aap Se Pyaar Hua Aap Khafa Ho Baithe” Mohammed Rafi
13 “Meri Aankhon Ke Ujale” Mohammed Rafi
14 “Yeh Dil Nahin Ki Jiske Sahare Jeete Hain” Mohammed Rafi
15 “Jinhen Ham Bhulna Chaahein Woh Aksar Yaad Aate Hain” Mukesh
16 “Aai Aai Re Holi” Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey
17 “Yeh Vaadi-E-Kashmir” Mohammed Rafi
18″Tu Kar De Nazar Se Mastana Main Cheez Hai Kya” – Hemlata, Mukesh
19″Maan Bhi Jao Sanam Ruth Ke Jaya Na Karo” – Mohammed Rafi
20″Vafaa Ke Naam Par Mitanaa, Agar Tu Aabaru Apani” – Mukesh
21″Zulfon Me Chupana Kya, Main Apne DilMein” – Hemlata, Mohammed Rafi
22″Jawani Phir Na Aayegi mahobbat phir” – Hemlata
23″Pappa Humse Pyar Karo” – Hemlata, Sulakshana Pandit, Usha Timothy
24″Ho Bhala Pyar Ka Ek Ho Gaye Begane Do” – Mahendra Kapoor, Mumtaz
25″Kaha Le Kar Jaye Ye Tuta Hua Dil” – Lata Mangeshkar

One of GS Rawal – Sonik Omi’s best is the Aaabroo song by Mukesh: Jinhen hum bhoolna chahen woh aksar yaad aate hain

Sonik Omi, the composers and music directors have been associated with many more movies than the three that GS Rawal wrote the songs of. The duo consists of Master Sonik and his nephew Om Prakash. Some of their best-known works are Bhakti Mein Shakti, Dharma, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (1966), Sawan Bhadon, Aabroo, and Raftaar.

Besides the songs that they composed for GS Rawal, some of the their other popular songs are: Raaz ki baat keh doon to (Dharma), Kaan mein jhumka and Sun sun sun O gulabi kali (Sawan Bhadon), Lehnga manga de mere babu (Beti), and Donon ne kiya tha pyar magar (Mahua).

The Mahua song of Sonik Omi that was very popular

As far as the lead pair of Dharmendra and Nutan is concerned, they acted together in five movies: The 1962 Rajnish Behl movie Soorat ASur Seerat was their first in the year 1962. One year later they were together in Bimal Roy’s Bandini though she continued being in love with Ashok Kumar in the movie. Then they were together in this movie and one year after that they were together in DD Kashyap movie Dulhan Ek Raat Ki with a favourite Lata Mangeshkar song of mine: Sapnon mein agar mere tum aao to so jaayun and a beautiful Rafi song: Ek haseen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya. In 1988 they were somewhat together in a masala film: Sone Pe Suhaaga.

I saw three of them: Bandini, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya and Dulhan Ek Raat Ki and in the last two of these Rehman acted with them. Hats off to him for he could so easily fit into a variety of roles: Hero, side-hero, and even villain.

Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur and Mukesh sing a composition of Sonik Omi on the lyrics of GS Rawal in the 1966 CL Rawal movie Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya with the actors Dharmendra, Nutan and Rehman thrown into a situation beyond their control: Dil ne phir yaad kia….

दिल ने फिर याद किया बर्क़ सी लहराई है
फिर कोई चोट मुहब्बत की उभर आई है
दिल ने फिर याद किया …

वो भी क्या दिन थे हमें दिल में बिठाया था कभी
और हँस हँस के गले तुम ने लगाया था कभी
खेल ही खेल में क्यों जान पे बन आई है
फिर कोई चोट मुहब्बत की …

क्या बतायें तुम्हें हम शम्मा की क़िसमत क्या है
आग में ग़मे के जलने के सिवा मुहब्बत क्या है
ये वो गुलशन है कि जिस में न बहार आई है
दिल ने फिर याद किया …

हम वो परवाने हैं जो शम्मा का दम भरते हैं
हुस्न की आग में खामोश जला करते हैं
आह भी निकले तो प्यार की रुसवाई है
फिर कोई चोट मुहब्बत की …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRnI2xb2biI

Often, my first requirement of a song that tugs at my emotions is its lyrics. These should be so powerful that these can stand without any composition. You would agree with me that GS Rawal created a classic here. It won’t have been an easy task considering that both Nutan and Rehman can only bare their hidden emotions without letting the cat out of the bag. GS Rawal has done a great job of giving vent to the emotions of these two and, in the first stanza, of Dharmendra who thinks that his beloved is behaving differently (not knowing that she died).

Sonik Omi’s composition and music have significantly added to the emotions of this impossible situation in which the three find themselves. It has notes of regret, ruefulness, hurt innocence and that remarkable enigma.

And finally, you would agree with me that the three singers: Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur and Mukesh have excelled without taking anything away from one another. If you were to choose a winner I am sure you would choose all three.

In every possible aspect, the song goes deep in your heart and makes a niche there and refuses to leave.

Lastly, the scene of the song: in a boat in a lake with Dharmendra trying to be in control of the boat whereas the other two are helpless for having lost all control.

I hope you liked it too.

Please await the next song in the series.

MY FAVOURITE PUNJABI SONGS – SONG #4 – SAUN DA MAHINA

Saun da mahina…
Lyrics: Chaman Lal Chaman
Singer: Jagjit Singh

Fourth song of the not so new series that started on 21 Jun 18.

The three songs that I have given you so far are: Ik meri akh kashni (‘My Favourite Punjabi Songs – Song #1 – Ik Meri Akh Kashni‘) sung by the Nightingale of Punjab: Surinder Kaur; Mainu tera shabaab lai baitha (‘My Favourite Punjabi Songs – Song #2 – Mainu Tera Shabaab Lai Baitha‘); and Jatt kudian to darda maara (‘My Favourite Punjabi Songs – Song #3 – Jatt Kudian To Darda Maara‘).

This one was sung by Jagjit Singh on his own composition on the lyrics of Chaman Lal Chaman.

First regarding the lyricist of this song. Chaman Lal Chaman is a London -based Punjabi poet, lyricist and broadcaster. The song Saun da Mahina came about in 1979 and made both Chaman Lal Chaman and the singer Jagjit Singh very popular.

If you have been following the singing careers of Jagjit Singh and his wife Chitra Singh you would know that he wrote many songs for them including the most popular Tumako dekha to yeh khayal aaya.

You would also remember him for having written the Bhangra song Balle Balle for Gurinder Chadha’s 2004 movie Bride and Prejudice that was composed by Anu Malik and sung by Sonu Nigam and Gayatri Iyer.

As far as the singer and composer Jagjit Singh (born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman on 08 Feb 1941) is concerned, when he died on 10th Oct 2011, at the age of 70 years, he left behind a legacy as India’s best known Ghazal Singer who had a style of his own. He earned the sobriquet of ‘Ghazal King’. In 1998 he was awarded the Sahitya Academy Award for popularising the writings of Mirza Ghalib. Five years later, the Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour: Padma Bhushan.

Jagjit Singh and his wife Chitra have touched the hearts of millions of Indians. In 1990 when their only son Vivek (18 years old) died in a road accident, the whole country wept with them. Monica, Chitra’s daughter from her first wedding committed suicide in 2009, adding to their already overflowing cup of sorrows.

Amomgst my favourite ghazals of the Ghazal King are: Woh kaagaz ki kashti woh barish ka pani, Honthon se chhu lo tum, Chitthi na koi sandesh, Jhuki jhuki si nazar, Tum itna jo muskara rahe ho, Kal chaudhvin ki raat thi, and his Mirza Ghalib ghazals.

Jagjit Singh has sung ghazals in many Hindi movies. Here is a scne from his ghazal Jhuki jhuki si nazar (penned by Kaifi Azmi) in the 1982 Mahesh Bhatt movie Arth

Amongst my favourite Punjabi songs of Jagjit and Chitra Singh are: Dhai din na jawani naal, Eh mera geet kise ne naa gaana (Shiv Batalvi’s), Tappe, Boliyan, Maye ni main ik shikra yaar (Shiv Batalavi’s), and Chhadeyan di joon buri.

Saun da Mahina is his best known Punjabi song. Chaman Lal Chaman, in the lyrics of the song, takes you to rustic Punjab and all the little family and romantic activities that take place during the monsoons. The song hits you both with its simplicity and nostalgic appeal.

It is most relevant these days since it is the Saun da Mahina now too.

Please enjoy: Saun da mahina yaaro….

Saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
ambraan ch vaal koi jhaad di hasina ae
ambraan ch vaal koi jhaad di hasina ae
ik ik bund koi motti te nagina ae
bhiji bhiji silli silli paun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae

Dharti de mukhde nu dhon da mahina ae
te tip tip kotheyan de chonn da mahina ae
dharti de mukhde nu dhon da mahina ae
te tip-tip tip-tip tip-tip
tip tip kotheyan de chonn da mahina ae
te dila vich, dila vich kujh kujh hon da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae

Mithe mithe sur atte taal da mahina ae
mithe mithe sur atte taal da mahina ae
mithe mithe sur atte taal da mahina ae
kule kule phul muskan da mahina ae
te kise utte dil aa jann da mahina ae
kise kise utte dil aa jaan da mahina ae
te russe hoye yaara nu manaun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae

Bharke ranjhe nal nakko nakki ranjheya nu
bada hi hairaan kare mahina eh te ganjeya nu
bada hi hairaan kare mahina eh te ganjeya nu
baar-baar launa pawe kothe utton manjeya nu
dhilli kade kassi hoyi
dhilli kade kassi hoyi doan da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae

Ambraan ch vaal koi jhaad di hasina ae
ambraan ch vaal koi jhaad di hasina ae
ik ik boond koi moti te nagina ae
bhiji bhiji silli silli paun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae
saun da mahina yaaro, saun da mahina ae

I hope you liked the song.

Please await the next song in the series.

HAMARE DIL KA GEET

रातों के ख्वाब दिन में भी लगे आने,
तेरे प्यार में सनम हम हो गए दीवाने।
सांस रुकने लगी,
आंख झुकने लगी,
तन्हाई के पल भी अब बन गए सुहाने।

मुहब्बत की यह धुन,
इसे दिल से सुन।

सेहरा में भी आ गयी बहार,
खिल उठा है मेरा घर संसार।
ठंडी ठंडी हवाएं,
भीगी भीगी फिजायें,
तेरा ही कर रही थी इंतज़ार।

मुहब्बत की यह धुन,
इसे दिल से सुन।

ज़िन्दगी भर रहेगा अपना साथ,
हमेशा रहेगा मेरे हाथों में तेरा हाथ।
बस यूँ ही यूँ है,
हर तरफ तूँ ही तूँ है,
जन्मों जन्मों की हमारी मुलाकात।

मुहब्बत की यह धुन,
इसे दिल से सुन।

Raaton ke khwaab din mein bhi lage aane,
Tere pyaar mein sanam ham ho gaye deewane.
Saans rukne lagi,
Aankh jhukne lagi,
Tanhayi ke pal bhi ab ban gaye suhaane.

Muhabbat ki yeh dhun,
Ise dil se sun.

Sehra mein bhi aa gayi bahaar,
Khil utha hai mera ghar sansaar.
Thandi thandi hawaayen,
Bheegi bheegi fizaayen,
Tera hi kar rahi thi intezaar.

Muhabbat ki yeh dhun,
Ise dil se sun.

Zindagi bhar rahega apna saath,
Hamesha rahega mere haathon mein tera haath.
Bas youn hi youn hai,
Har taraf tu hi tu hai,
Janmon janmon ki hamari mulaqaat.

Muhabbat ki ye dhun,
Ise dil se sun.

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MY FAVOURITE PUNJABI SONGS – SONG #4 – SAUN DA MAHINA

HAMARE DIL KA GEET

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