(Please do use all the links in this article and enjoy)
Living in Canada for the past 45 years, my nostalgic window often
opens to the blissful sounds of popular Hindi filmi songs and music.
From this retreat, the flights to the past are the pleasures of the
present.
In the voyage, tuning in on
Aye mere pyaare vatan, aye mere bichhade chaman, tujh pe dil qurabaan, is an emotional joy in self-recreation.
Manna Dey, in his masculine and classical voice, creates a melody of mellow submission towards motherland in the film
Kabuliwala. Composed by music director
Salil Chaudhary, the song literary takes me back to the melodious world of Indian filmi songs and music.
For me, it has been a fabulous and everlasting journey which began
way back in early ’50s. During my teen years of life, I often spoiled
myself listening to the
filmi songs of that era from All India Radio and Radio Ceylon of
Binaca Geetmala fame. The early indulgence ever since has become an absorbing and addictive pastime.
I still get stirred up by the grace and pride in the marching beats of
Watan ki rah mein watan ke naujawan shaheed ho, pukarate hai ye zameen o aasamaa shahid ho, by singers
Khan Mastana and
Mohammad Rafi from the film
Shaheed (1948).
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan penned the revolutionary wordings with music composed by
Ghulam Ali Haider who was credited with initiating the career of well-known playback singer
Lata Mangeshkar,
a legend who dominated the Hindi filmi music scene for decades. “Ghulam
Haider is truly my godfather. He was the first music director who
showed complete faith in my talent”, Lata once remarked about her
mentor.
In my avocational abode, audibly residing forever are
Noor Jehan’s renditions of
Aawaz de kahan hai (a duet with
Surendra);
Mere bachman ke sathi muje bhool na jana, dekho dekho hase na zamana; and
Jawan hai mohabbat hasin hai zamana, lutaya hai dil ne khoshi ka tarana (film
Anmol Ghardi).
Malika-e-tarannum Noorjahan’s distinct and immaculate voice uplifts
the spirit and clarity of the lyrics. Her sweet but eloquent and
uninhibited style continues to echo eternally across nations’ borders.
It was
Naushad Ali (assisted by
Ghulam Mohammed)
who scored the music for these alluring compositions. He was one of the
most talented and creative melodists credited with popularizing the
folk music especially from the Hindi speaking belt of Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar. However, his signature compositions were often based on classic
Hindustani music.
The best example of Naushad’s compositions in both classical and folk music reverberates in the songs of
Baiju Bawara. There is rhythm, folk and classical mix in them.
Door koi gaye, Tu Ganga ki mouj main, Jhoole mein pawan, Bachpan ki mohabbat, O duniya ke rakhwale, and
Mohe bhool gaye sanwariya, are ageless all raga-based symphonic creations by musical maestro Naushad for generations to enjoy.
In Naushad’s music, there has always been the subtle sweetness and zest, like enjoying a glass of merlot.
Gaye ja geet milan ke, Dharti ko aakash pukaare, Ye zindagi ke mele (Mela); Jhoom jhoom ke nacho aaj, Hum aaj kahin dil kho baithe, Tu kahe agar, Uthaye ja unke sitam, Tod diya dil mera ( Andaaz); Murliwale murli baja, Tu mera chand mein teri chandani (Dillagi); Dhadke mera dil, Chhod babul ka ghar, Kisi ke dil mein rahna tha, Lagan more man ki, Mera jeevan saathi bichhad gaya, Milte hi ankhen dil hua diwana (Babul) are some of his early feats reflecting his impeccable mastery to create a delightfully ecstatic mood.
In the treasure trove of Hindi filmi music
Suhani raat dhal chuki, na jaane tum kab aoge stands out as one of most adored compositions by Naushad from film
Dulari.
Mohammad Rafi in his immaculate voice and with perfect breath control
did a superb job which launched him as the most loved and one of the
most sought after male singers in the industry.
Naushad was an ingenious and versatile composer creating new tunes,
as well as rewriting the folk-based ones which were intrinsically
popular among amateur and perpetually novice as well.
His celebrated list is adorned with such evergreen numbers:
Maan mera ehsan, Dil mein chupake pyar ka, and one of my favourite
holi songs
Khelo raang hamare sang (Aan), Jaanewaale se mulaaqaat na hone paayi, Insaaf ka mandir hai yeh bhagwan ka ghar hai, Na milta gham to barbadi ke afsane kahan jaate (Amar); Lagan more man ki sajn nahin jane, and my most adorable lullaby
Chandan ka palna resham ki dori (Shabaab).
Naushad was one of the most decorated music directors who composed
music for about 100 Hindi films. Many of them were silver, golden and
diamond jubilee hits simply because of the popularity of the songs in
these movies.
Na toofan se khelo, Ghar aya mehman koi jaan na pehchan, Mera salam leja, Mohabbat ki rahon mein, and
Saiyan ji utrenge paar from the film
Uran Khatola still take the listeners to exuberant heights even after 64 years when the movie was released in 1953.
Naushad was at his pinnacle of popularity with his superb compositions in the Oscar- nominated film
Mother India (1957).
Nagari nagari dware dware, Duniya mein hum aaye hain, O gaadiwale, dukh bhare din beete re, Pi ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya chali, and another of my most relished holi songs
Holi aayi re kanhai, are among the most popular numbers out of 12 in the movie.
The movie
Mughal-e-azam
(1960) was perhaps the climax of his success story. The raga-based
compositions in this epic drama won instant popularity. I remember the
song
Pyar kiya to darna kya
burst in the number one spot the moment it entered the Binaca
Geetmala’s 16-song grading list. Based on the story of love affairs
between Mughal prince Salim and court dancer Anarkali, the music of
Naushad in
Mughal-e-Azam competed with that of the 1953 musical hit
Anarkali.
Anarkali offers a bonanza of most melodious songs with superb poetic depths.
C.Ramchandra composed tuneful and forever popular music of the film. A maestro in musical compositions, he liberally delivered his art in
Anarkali.
It was one of the very few films in which all the songs, without
exception, were hit numbers for years and years. Even today listening to
Anarkali songs offers delightful engagement both in its lyrical reflections and serene music.
Ye zindagi usiki hai, Aaja ab to aaja, Mujhse mat poochh, Dua kar gham-e-dil, Jaag dard-e-ishq jaag, Mohabbat aisi dhadkan hai, Zindagi pyar ki do char ghadi, O aasman wale shikva hai zindagi ka (I love the lyrics of ‘
shikva’ meaning complaining to god
), Ae baad e saba zara ahista chal and Mohabbat mein aise kadam dagamagae, are the songs which will always remain as crafted jewels with everlasting brilliance.
C.Ramchandra was an accomplished singer himself under the name of Chitalkar. With Lata Mangeshkar, his popular duets were
Kitna haseen hai mausam in film
Azad or
Shola Jo bhadke in
Albela.
Aana meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday (Shehnai), Mere piya gaye Rangoon (Patanga), Gore gore o banke chore (Samadhi) along with
Ina meena dika
(Asha), where he introduced the rock-n-roll rhythms in the Indian filmi
music for the first time, were very popular songs because of their
hilarious verbal and trendy musical combination. Even today these songs
often pop up in the entertaining game of Antakshri
.
Dheere se aa ja re akhiyan mein (Albela) is another of my favourite lullaby.
Mehfil mein jal uthi shama (Nirala), Tere phoolon se bhi pyar (
Nastik),
Dil ki duniya basa ke sawariyan, Dekh Hamen Aavaaz Na Denaa (
Amardeep),
Katatay hain dukh mein ye din (
Parchhaain) and
Aadha hai chandrama (Navrang) are the soundtracks where the nostalgic needle usually get struck.
C.Ramchandra enjoyed the distinction of being the composer of non-filmi but one of the most popular patriotic songs,
Aye mere watan ke logo, zara ankh mein bhar lo pani.
Literally moving the live audience to tears Lata, in her touching
presentation, sang the patriotic composition penned by poet Pradeep
after the India-China war in 1962 in honor of the fallen Indian
soldiers.
