LIFE LESSONS WITH MANNA DEY

Whenever a voice was needed to show sincerity, pathos, emotions and intensity, Prabodh Chandra Dey, who we all know as Manna Dey, was the one most music directors would turn to. Having to leave a career as wrestler because of weak eyesight, Manna Dey became the wrestling world’s loss and the musical world’s tremendous gain. A career that began in pre-independence India and spanned the years to the start of the 21^st century, Manna Dey is a precious jewel of Hindi film music.

Although Manna Dey is mostly referred to for his brilliant classical songs, here is a look at his songs which teach us about life. Here we go with Life lessons with Manna Dey.

1.    Nirbal se ladaai balwan ki                Toofan aur diya    1956

Fighting for survival against all odds can be exhausting, particularly if one has to do it without hope. This song relates an arduous struggle of a young boy against the most harrowing circumstances, and yet manages to be one of the most redeeming examples of hope. It uses the metaphor of an earthen clay lamp struggling to stay alight in the face of a relentless storm. I remember writing down these lines as a child and thinking that these could well fit into a treasured book of poetry. Sung by Manna Dey and chorus, and composed by Vasant Desai, this song defines everything that is special about Bharat Vyas, an exceptionally talented poet. To read more about Kavi Bharat Vyas on this blog, click HERE . 

Kahin door thaa toofan

Diye se thaa balavaan

Saare jag ko masalane machal rahaa

Jhaad ho yaa pahaad, de vo pal me ukhaad

Soch-soch ke zameen pe thaa uchhal rahaa

Ek nanhaa-saa diyaa, usane hamalaa kiyaa …

Ab dekho leelaa vidhi ke vidhaan ki

Ye kahaani hai diye ki aur toofan ki

2.    Kasme wade pyar wafa                     Upkaar          1967

A cynical look at life which expresses a lot of hard-hitting life truths. Composed by Kalyanji Anandji and written by Indeevar, Manna Dey infuses the deepest of emotions into this song, a song which is believed to have reduced Lata Mangeshkar to tears the first time she heard it.

Sukh mein tere saath chalenge
Dukh mein sab mukh modenge
Duniyaa wale tere bankar
Tera hi dil todenge
Dete hain bhagwaan ko dhokha
Insaan ko kyaa chhodenge

3.    Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo               Mera Naam Joker 1970

Some of the most painful life truths are woven into this song from Mera Naam Joker by Kavi Neeraj. Manna Dey’s voice gives this song the sincerity it needs to drive the truth home even stronger. The occasional alt voice for Raj Kapoor, Manna Dey songs in RK films are usually the strong light of learning and life lessons. Dil ka haal sune dilwala from Shree 420 is another song that comes to mind. Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo is seemingly sung for a circus artiste who bumps into Raj Kapoor at the start of the song. The song uses that metaphor all through to tell us to tread carefully in life as it is a precarious place which can be cruel and unsympathetic to people who are struggling. There is a pause after the first two lines when the same circus artiste shoots out of a cannon onto the trapeze net and the line ‘Tu jahan aaya hai’ continues the song. This song is one of Manna Dey’s most wonderful renditions.

Girne se darta hai kyon
Marne se darta hai kyon
Thokar tu jab na khayega
Paas kisi gham ko na jab tak bulayega
Zindagi hai cheez kya nahin jaan paayegaa
Rotaa huaa aaya hai
Rotaa chalaa jaaegaa
Aye bhai ….

4.    Phir kahin koi phool khila     Anubhav       1971

Sometimes we come across songs that do not have a clear-cut single meaning, they are open to interpretation. Phir kahin koi phool khila is among those songs which have many layers. Every time I hear it, depending on where I am in life, it offers me answers. The picturisation of this song is my favourite among all Sanjeev Kumar songs as this goes closest to what one would imagine him to be like in real life. In fact, the entire film shows Sanjeev Kumar as someone we would know in real life. The song shows slice of life shots on a day where Sanjeev has stayed home from work because of a mild fever. The day-to-day routine in a household when the husband is home and the wife’s housework has a certain happy spark of his unexpected company at home. Tanuja chopping vegetables in the room, Sanjeev removing specs and falling asleep, a certain closeness and indulgence of an unexpected break from routine… all of these are beautifully shown on screen by Basu Bhattacharya. Composed by Kanu Roy and written by Kapil Kumar, Manna Dey renders this song in a very calming and introspective manner.  

Mann kaa samundar pyasa hua
Kyun kisi se mange duva
Leharon kaa laga jo mela
Toofaan naa kaho usko
Phir kahi koi phool khila
Chaahat naa kaho usko
Phir kahi….

5.    Dekhiye to kya ajeeb haal hai                     Kal Aaj Aur Kal        1971

To my great surprise, I have seen that this song is relatively unknown to many Manna Dey fans. That’s grave injustice. This song is an ignored masterpiece and deserves to be right in front whenever any discussion on Manna Dey songs comes up. Filmed in the background on Raj Kapoor, this is one of the only two songs on Raj Kapoor in the film, the other song being Tik tik tik tik which is sung by Mukesh.

Dekhiye to kya ajeeb haal hai
sochiye to kya ajeeb baat hai
ek paav chal raha alag alag dusra kisi ke sath sath hai

Neeraj uses interesting analogies to describe Raj Kapoor’s state of mind as he is torn between his father and his son, as he tries to keep peace between them. Such an unusual pace for the tune. Perfectly reflects the turmoil in RK's mind as he is exhausted balancing the demands of his father and his son. Sometimes, life brings up situations where we realise that trying to agree with everyone just to keep peace does not bring the desired results and we end up being the target of their anger instead.

ek hawa chali ke khil utha chaman
ek hawa chali ke sab ujad gaya
ek kadam uthake raah mil gayi
ek kadam uthake path bichad gaya…

Shankar Jaikishan wielded the musical baton for the last time for RK banner in this film. A swan song for what turned out to be the end of a long partnership, with the sad demise of Jaikishan.

6.    Zindagi kaisi hai paheli                      Anand           1971

The starting notes of the song as Rajesh Khanna releases the balloons and watches them as they rise in the air creates an iconic moment in cinema. Written by Yogesh and composed by Salil Choudhary, the magic of Manna Dey’s voice further transcends this song to sheer magic. The balloons sway upwards into near oblivion and the camera shifts to Rajesh Khanna whose eyes express wonder, curiosity, sadness and awe at the thought of his impending end and what lies beyond. We do not know why a person leaves this world abruptly nor do we know where he goes after that. Deep questions treated with a classic light sensitive touch by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Jinhone sajaaye yahaan mele
sukh-dukh sang-sang jhele
wahi chunkar khaamoshi
yoon chale jaaye akele kahaan…

7.    Tum besahara ho to               Anurodh        1977

This song has two versions, labelled happy and sad in the album but I find both of them equally inspiring. Ashok Kumar sings this to school children as an anthem. The sad version begins with Vinod Mehra thinking of ending his life and halting as he hears the beginning refrain of this song. He turns out to be the poet of these lyrics and his own creation pulls him back from the brink of giving up on life.

Jeevan toh ek jaisa hotaa hai

Koi hasta koi rotaa hai

Sabr se jeena aasan hotaa hai

Fikr se jeena mushkil hotaa hai.

Simple truth of life stated in a very clear manner.

Having limited myself to listing only seven songs, I have not managed to include my favourite Raat gayee phir din aata hai from Boot Polish (You can read about it on my blog post Musical Journey with Boot Polish )

Hope you enjoyed reading about life lessons with Manna Dey. Do comment with any additions that you can think of to this list!

SEVEN ICONIC 70’s SONGS OF ARUNA IRANI

The seventies was a very melodious decade and a constant thread through all those years was an actress who never got the lead role in the films that we will mention in this post but made a lasting impression with her roles and songs in those films. The theme for this post is the 70s songs of Aruna Irani. I have cherry picked seven songs of this versatile and beautiful actress, keeping in mind how she made each of these songs memorable with her charismatic performance.

1. Dilbar dil se pyaare Caravan (1971)

A dulcet Lata solo, written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and music by R D Burman, this is an iconic Aruna Irani song and ranks among the favourites of all her fans. This was an apt song to start the list with although it fits into the chronological order, too. In a recent interview, Aruna Irani acknowledges this as one of her favourite songs and has shown gratitude to Lata Mangeshkar for giving her the biggest song of her career. 

This song is a melodious blend of serpentine Arab music and Romani folk music boosted by the classic guitar refrain and lifted by Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics. Aruna Irani plays the role of Nisha, who is a knife thrower in a band of banjaras and is desperately in love with Mohan (Jeetendra) who drives the van of the caravan. Dilber dilse pyaare is a lovelorn tribute from a woman in love which almost celebrates Nisha’s unrequited passion, revelling in the joy it gives her. 

Trivia: Aruna Irani made her debut in the film Gunga Jumna (1961) playing Azra's childhood character. 

2. Choron ko saare nazar aate Naya Zamana (1971)

Composed by S D Burman and written by Anand Bakshi, this solo by Lata Mangeshkar is a lesser known song of Naya Zamana. Aruna Irani plays the role of Rekha, Dharmendra’s sister, who is accused of stealing in a party. Feeling awkward that the gift she brought may not be good enough for such rich hosts, she takes it back from the table on which all the gifts are kept. The host’s wife (Indrani Mukherjee) thinks that she is stealing one of the gifts. The humiliation she faces feels very unjust to her and what could have been a typical situation with a party song is lifted to a memorable cinema moment by Aruna Irani. This is probably the only party song that Aruna Irani would have done where she didn’t need to dance and she herself was the focus of the song for her expressions. This song underlines the fact that she wasn’t given her due in films and that she was a very able actress.

3. Ae phasa Bobby (1973)

Aruna Irani plays the role of Neema, who turns into a friend and guide for Raju in the film Bobby. The song is placed at the climax of the film, a classic rich boy-poor girl tale, where on realising that Raju (Rishi Kapoor) is being forced to leave Bobby (Dimple Kapadia) and marry a girl who isn’t his choice, Neema hints to Raju that maybe the only way out of this desperate situation is to elope with Bobby. Aruna Irani also appears in another song in this film ‘Main shayar toh nahin’. 

Trivia : Bobby was a trend setting films and was a major box office success as it got the second highest collection of all 70s Hindi films (No prizes for guessing that Sholay was the highest earner in that decade!). Also, the film was remade in Persian as Parvaz dar Ghafas in 1980.

4. Sapna mera toot gaya    Khel Khel Mein (1973)

When one has shared one’s dreams with someone and that person is gone, those dreams feel hollow and one feels shattered. Aruna Irani nails these emotions as she reminisces about Rakesh Roshan in this song. The song switches between memories in the antaras and back to reality with the mukhda. The slight pause before the mukhda as one is jerked back to the present works to emphasise the despair of broken dreams and the utter emptiness that takes their place. Aruna Irani’s eyes speak volumes in these pauses as she does full justice to the total starkness and despair in this song. 

Trivia: Aruna Irani holds the record for the most nominations in the category of Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. 

5. Panditji mere marne ke baad Roti Kapda aur Makaan (1974)

Composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal, this song is a gem in an album where every song is a treasure. This song has slipped past many people’s notice, and I was very keen to include it in this list because of that.  A classic diversion song where Aruna Irani diverts the attention of Manmohan to help Manoj Kumar flee. The lyrics are unusual with the intro lines leading up to the mukhda to make it a very catchy beginning. Lata Mangeshkar sings this Verma Mallik song with the right mystery and pathos as the song leads up to the character Poonam played by Aruna Irani dying at the end of the song while helping Manoj Kumar escape.

5. Rang le aayenge Bhanwar (1976)

A song full of passive aggressive asides by Randhir Kapoor, ably aided by Aruna Irani towards a hapless Parveen Babi who cannot say the truth and has to bear the onslaught of their accusations. A classic party scene where the hero has a lot of angst against the heroine, and she has no option but to listen amidst a room full of curious party goers. This is a brilliant creation by R D Burman, written by Anand Bakshi and sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosale, with underlined pathos by the heart wrenching sarangee. Although the song’s focus is on Randhir Kapoor and Parveen Babi, Aruna Irani steals the show with the sharp sarcasm in her expressions and the inner intention to create a rift between the couple. 

Trivia: I have come across some articles that claim that Aruna Irani and actress Bindu are first cousins. However, there has been no way of confirming this, so I leave it to my readers to comment below if they know this as true!

Note: A helpful reader has since confirmed that Aruna Irani and Bindu are indeed cousins with this link from The Kapil Sharma Show. 

7. One two cha cha cha Shalimar (1978)

This is a very catchy song that helps to starts off a very unusual film on a brilliant pace. Written by Anand Bakshi and music by R. D. Burman, this song is sung by Usha Uthup. Aruna Irani has a guest appearance in this film for this song. She plays the role of a dance teacher, and the song is filmed in a dance school where she is shown teaching the steps for the Cuban dance form Cha Cha Cha. This is one of her briefest appearances on screen in a film, but she makes an indelible mark on the minds of the audience. Shalimar, for many of us, is Aruna Irani’s One two cha cha cha. 

It was very difficult to narrow down my favourite Aruna Irani songs to a mere seven. I have had to leave out many of my favourites like Kya gazab karte ho ji (Love story), Sham-e-furqat ka dhal gaya saya re (Sanyasi) Humein tumse pyar kitna (Kudrat) because they were not from the 70s, except for Sanyasi! Do comment below with your favourite Aruna Irani songs, no matter which decade you select them from! 

Seven sparkling songs of Rati Agnihotri

 

Two posters adorned the walls of my room in my schooldays. One was of Kumar Gaurav and the other was of Rati Agnihotri. They remain my ‘popstars’ of my teens. 

Seeing Rati Agnihotri films now has made me realise that her films always had great songs, most of them by Laxmikant Pyarelal and R D Burman. She was one of the few actresses of her time to have music director Ravi compose music for one of her films (Tawaif).  Here’s following her journey with some of her best melodies.

 1. Solah baras ki baali umar                        Ek Dujjhe ke liye               1981

Ek Dujjhe Ke Liye was directed by K. Balachander. It was a remake of his Tamil film Maro Charitra. Rati’s first Hindi film and definitely among her best. This film was a super hit in its time and has made a place in Indian films history as one of the lasting love stories. Vasu-Sapna became legendary at that time and rewatching this film tells us why. The magic is intact in this film with the chemistry between Kamal Hassan and Rati, no matter how many times we watch it. It was tough to choose just one song from this film as Rati Agnihotri shines brilliantly in all of them. Based on Raag Ahir Bhairav, Solah baras ki touches very poignant chords as Sapna visits various places to relive moments that she spent there with Vasu.  Written by Anand Bakshi and music composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal, this song is rendered beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar.

Trivia: The tune of Solah baras ki can be spotted in the background score composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal for Raj Kapoor’s film Bobby during the scene where Bobby ( Dimple Kapadia) leaves for Kashmir.

2. Chalo haseen geet ek banayein                        Shaukeen     1982

Rati plays the role of Anita as a singer at a local club in Goa. This film was a huge hit and was the among the highest grossing movies of 1982. The music of this film was by R D Burman and the song Chalo haseen geet is sung by Ashok Kumar and Chirashree Bhattacharya and written by Yogesh. A fresh and breezy song which is timeless and can get our feet tapping every time we hear it.

Trivia: Shaukeen is based on Samaresh Basu’s novel. Gulzar’s Kitaab and Namkeen are also based on this author’s novels.

 3. Aisa to socha na tha         Pasand apni apni               1983

Pasand Apni Apni was a Basu Chatterjee film and the song Aisa toh socha na tha is filmed in the classic Basu Chatterjee style. Local train of Bombay, heroine in a simple cotton saree with situations and emotions that the common man can relate to. It is interesting to note how Rati Agnihotri readily took on a deglamourised role in this film. She plays the role of a struggling actress whose life path crosses with a millionaire (Mithun Chakraborty) and events unfold in a light yet engrossing tale. Aisa toh socha na tha is sung by Asha Bhosale with music composed by Bappi Lahiri and lyrics by Yogesh.

      4. Boom Boom            Star                            1983

Right after the Nazia Hassan wave in India with Qurbani, Nazia Hassan and her brother Zoheb Hassan made a couple of private albums with Biddu, following which Biddu produced Kumar Gaurav -Rati Agnihotri film Star. Rati Agnihotri was the only screen persona to get the playback of Nazia Hassan on screen besides Zeenat Aman. Star had a very successful soundtrack and Boom Boom remains mint fresh every time we see it. She played the role of Maya who works at a nightclub.

As my opening paragraph will tell you, knowing that Rati Agnihotri and Kumar Gaurav were coming together in a film had made my schoolfriends and me nearly delirious with expectations. It was a bit of a setback to see that they were not paired together in the actual sense ( I will avoid spoilers here in case someone sees the film now!) It was also a disappointment that the film didn’t click at the box office.

    5. Sajna sun sun          Rishta Kagaz Ka                  1983

The first thing you will realise when you see this song is that the whole situation looks very familiar.  Aarti, played by Rati Agnihotri, is trying to woo and distract Arun , played by Raj Babbar , from his work. It feels like this song was made as a tribute to Bindiya chamkegi from Do Raaste. The tribute is complete with Rati wearing an orange saree with a clear accolade and salute to Mumtaz in this song.  This is purely my conjecture and, despite searching on the net, I have managed to find no reference to this. However, I am totally convinced that this song was filmed keeping Bindiya chamkegi in mind. It just seems too much of a coincidence to have so many unintended similar points in a song (I have this same conjecture for another song in this list and you will come across that soon!)

    6. Mujhe tum yaad karna    Mashaal                    1984

The lyrics of this song caught my fancy the first time I heard them. All songs in hindi films that precede any parting between lovers talk of parting as an anguish of love and say things like ‘Bhoolne waale yaad na aa’ or ‘tum yaad na aaya karo’. This song instead asks to make sure they remember each other.  

Mujhe tum yaad karna aur

Mujhko yaad aana tum

Even the stanzas are out of the box with the boy telling the girl to meet people and stay busy and smiling, while she tells him to smile and be friendly with every approaching girl. Which is very different from the standard parting duet where the boy and girl concentrate on telling each other to keep on remembering them!

Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar to the music composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar, this song is written by Javed Akhtar. Rati Agnihotri plays the role of Geeta who is a press reporter and comes across Raja (Anil Kapoor) who decides to turn over a new leaf under the mentoring of the editor Vinod Kumar (Dilip kumar) who she works for.

     7. Bhool ho gayee jaane de   Zabardast 1985

The conjecture I mentioned for another song is for this one! This song also feels like a clear tribute to Shammi Kapoor- Asha Parekh song O mere Sona re from Teesri Manzil. Here, there is a distinct connection as both are Nasir Hussain films. The heroine wooing the hero, the female solo with lyrics laced in mischievous pleading, the broken handbag strap of the hero halfway through the song…well, this was elementary, my dear Watson! This is an Asha Bhosale solo composed by R D Burman and written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. O mere sona re also had the exact same creators. If you see both these songs one after the other, you will realise the joie de vivre is the same in both, a lot of which is a credit to the actors Rati Agnihotri and Rajeev Kapoor as Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh were a tough act to follow. People who just do remixes should observe these songs to understand what a real tribute is. The entire creation is new, there is a lot of hard work and the team brings together something that is a masterpiece even when seen after the original.

6. 

We see that Rati’s films have very little stereotyping if we follow her career graph. From a career-oriented journalist in Mashaal to a housewife in Rishta Kagaz ka to a tawaif in the film Tawaif, she took on a wide range of roles and made a mark even though the films in those days mostly centered on the hero. Hope you enjoyed following Rati Agnihotri’s musical journey in Bollywood. Comment with your favourite Rati Agnihotri song!

SEVEN SCINTILLATING SONGS OF SHABANA AZMI

 

When we talk of Shabana Azmi, we usually refer to her acting prowess which has, of course, been brilliant over the years. She has nailed every role she has acted in. However, here we are going to talk about her songs that have made a mark in our minds and remain etched forever with the roles she played, each song thus has a distinct identity because she has always immersed herself completely in the roles she has portrayed. Shabana Azmi began her career in 1974 with films like Ankur and Parinay. I start my list with Kadambari. The list follows a chronological order (as all my lists on this blog do)!

1.    Ambar ki ik paak suraahi    Kadambari  1975

 The song Ambar ki ik paak surahi from her film Kadambari is written by Amrita Pritam, the film is based on her novel as well. Chetna (her role in Kadambari) talks of the purity of her love for Amit (played by Vijay Arora) in the film. The lyrics compare what others may call sin to the chasteness of moonlight. Asha Bhosale sings this beautiful song, composed by Ustad Vilayat Khan, the eminent sitarist. This song is a precious gem with maestros like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia playing the flute, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma playing the santoor (don’t miss the beautiful strains of the santoor at the beginning of this song), Shujat Singh with the composer himself playing the sitar and Bhupinder Singh with the guitar. This is a rare, rare song, to be savoured in peace.

2.    Pal bhar mein yeh kya ho gaya  Swami  1977

If I had to select one song that embodied the feeling of falling in love, it would be this. Swami was the first Basu Chatterjee film for which Rajesh Roshan held the baton of music director. (Read more on this here HERE  )

Amit Khanna penned this beautiful rain drenched solo of Lata Mangeshkar. The whirl of emotions of Saudamini (played by Shabana Azmi with such passion) as she blissfully gets drenched in the rain while welcoming the joy of being in love with Narendra (played by Vikram) makes this song magic on celluloid.

 

3.    Main toh kaare badarwa se haari    Devta   1978

A beautiful Lata solo composed by R D Burman and written by Gulzar, this again is a lesser-known song of Shabana Azmi and deserves much greater recognition. A very lilting tune. Shabana Ami costarred with Sanjeev Kumar in this film, although this song is picturised on Benjamin Gilani.

4.    O shaam aayi rangon mein    Jeena Yahan  1979

This is a lesser heard song and I absolutely had to place it in this list. This is one of the sweetest Lata Mangeshkar solos of the 70s composed by Salil Chowdhury and penned by Yogesh. Very few know about it as this film slipped by the radar for many of us.  Even though this song is lip synched by Kiran Vairale in the film, the focus is entirely on Shabana Azmi. An everyday song situation where Shabana Azmi is visiting her husband’s family and they have gone for boating as a day out, this song blends into the mood perfectly. Shabana Azmi plays these natural scenes with such normalcy that we forget we are watching a film; it becomes as if we are watching a scene from someone’s personal life.

5.    Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho    Arth   1982

If I had to select one Shabana Azmi song that is my favourite, it would be this one. I don’t think any actress in the world could have portrayed the emotions the way she has in this song. The vulnerability, extreme sadness, and helplessness of Pooja when she is handed her divorce papers on her birthday, and yet having to try and smile as her friend Raj wishes her a happy birthday are magical cinema moments on screen. Sung and composed by Jagjit Singh and written by her father Kaifi azmi, this song is definitely among the most touching songs of Shabana Azmi.

 

6.    Phir se aaiyo badraa bidesi     Namkeen    1982

Written by Gulzar, sung by Asha Bhosale and composed by R D Burman, Phir se aaiyo is filmed with a lot of nostalgia and pathos in the valleys of Himachal Pradesh. Mitthu, who is an intelligent girl, is held back in life by difficult circumstances of her family which are further deepened by her inability to talk. The notes of the song ring with haunting intensity and Shabana Azmi enhances the poignancy by her understated and brilliant portrayal of Mitthu.

Tere jaane ki rut main jaanti hoon ,

Mud ki aane ki reet hai ke nahin?

 

7.    Do naina aur ek kahaani    Masoom       1983

The dilemma that Indu faces after being confronted with the reality by her husband and the conflict in being unable to reach out to innocent Rahul as, every time she sees him, the anguish of her husband’s betrayal becomes fresh for her all over again. Shabana Azmi’s eyes speak volumes in this song. This is more than just the lullaby she sings to her two daughters; it is her exhausted mind that is wondering if things will ever be the same again. Sometimes sorrow knocks on the door and stays back as a more-or-less constant factor in life. The way we handle it is what decides the quality of the rest of our life. Gulzar and R D Burman once again, the song is sung by Aarti Mukherjee.

Hope you enjoyed being on this musical journey of Shabana Azmi songs. As I limit my listicles to seven, I am sure I have missed out mentioning many melodious songs here. Do write in with more of your favourite songs of this incredible actress!

 

Seven songs showcasing Bombay meri jaan

A topic that touches two of my favourites: Hindi film songs and the beautiful city of Mumbai. Although the essence of the city has remained the same over the years, it feels so nice to revisit the Bombay of old that is captured in Hindi films where certain years and decades of this city are available, frozen in time, for us to revisit whenever we want.

1.Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan                      1956

Film: CID

Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan,

Zara hatt ke, zara bach ke,

Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan…

Seeing Bombay of the 50s in black and white films lends a whole new aura and glamour of the past to those days. From Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) to the tanga breezing through Marine Drive, this song shows us many glimpses of Bombay of the 50s. The lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri have captured both the angst as well as the joy of this city. His words Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan are now the tagline of so many things written about this city. Sung by Mohd Rafi and Geeta Dutt, and music composed by O P Nayyar, this song tops most lists of Bombay songs. Interesting side note that this is probably the only song that mentions the trams of Mumbai.

Kahin building kahin traame,
Kahin motor, kahin mill,
Milta hai yahan sab kuchh,
Ik milta nahin dil…

Insaan ka nahin kahin naam o nishaan
Zara hatt ke, zara bach ke
Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan….

2. Babu samjho ishaare                           1958

Film: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

This song has five stars within it. The three brothers Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar, and Kishore Kumar, their vintage car Ford Model A and the city of Bombay. As the brothers ride on the streets of Mumbai ,from the start of the song, we can see the classic landmarks of Churchgate, Western Railway headquarters and Eros cinema.

Yahan chalti ko gaadi, kehta hain pyaare

Composed by S D Burman and penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, this song is magic on celluloid.

On a side note, a part of the road of Bandra Sea face is seen in this song as well as in Kiski muskarahaton pe in Anari.  Both films released within a year of each other CKNG 1958 and Anari 1959.

3. Jaaneman jaaneman               1976

Film: Chhoti si baat 

This song covers the office goers’ Bombay. From local bus travel to queueing for the lift at Express Towers at Nariman Point, this song is an enticing look at the city with all its opportunities. This film covers many other landmark locations in Bombay like Samovar restaurant at Jehangir Art Gallery, landmarks which have long gone now but live on in Basu Chatterjee films. It was a tough call to select just one song from this film as the other two (Yeh din kya aaye and Na jaane kyun) also cover many other delightful scenes of Bombay. Sung by Yesudas and Asha Bhosale, music by Salil Choudhary and written by Yogesh, this song captures mid 70s Mumbai in all its glory.

 

 

4. Tumhe ho na ho mujhko to               1977

Film: Gharonda

This is Bombay as it was in the late 70s. A beautiful solo by Runa Laila, music by Jaidev and penned oh so mesmerisingly by Naqsh Lyallpuri, this song starts off from the restaurant Naaz at Hanging Gardens and goes on to film nariyal paani and bhel puri at Juhu Beach and culminates fittingly at Nariman Point for this stanza.

Koi khwaab oonche makaanon se jhaanke

Koi khwab baitha rahe sarr jhukaaye

Kabhi dil ki raahon mein phaile andhera

Kabhi door tak Roshni muskuraye….

 

5. Seene mein jalan aankhon mein                 1978

Film: Gaman

However beloved a city, it also forms the background for the stress we live with. Seene mein jalan is the view of Mumbai through a stressed Farooque Shaikh driving the classic Kaali Peeli. The words underline the anxiety and work worries that overwhelm us. As the taxi rides through the streets of Bombay, we catch glimpses of the traffic, the shops and hawkers and then the sudden aerial view of the Queen’s Necklace at Marine Drive with the Brabourne stadium in clear view. Written by Shahryar ( Akhlaq Mohammad Khan) and composed by Jaidev, this is one of the finest solos of Suresh Wadkar. The song is a series of questions and we still don’t have answers to any of them.

 Kya koi nayi baat nazar aati hai hum mein

Aaina humein dekh ke hairan sa kyun hai

Seene mein jalan, Aankhon mein toofaan sa kyun hai

Is shehar mein har shaks pareshan sa kyun hai…

 

6. Suniye kahiye                 1979  

Film: Baton Baton mein

A distinctive joy of Basu Chatterjee films is that most of them showcase normal Bombay life with the normal by lanes, buses and trams. His films made Bombay the hero of the film as much as the main actors. Baton Baton Mein is shot entirely in Bombay, and primarily in its western suburb of Bandra. Watching Amol Palekar and Tina Munim traipsing through the streets of Bandra, travelling to work in the Mumbai local train and walking near Bandra sea face is a very nostalgic experience for those who remember the Bandra of the late 70s and early 80s. Even the opening credits in the film cover charming Bandra scenes from St Andrews church to Elco arcade on Hill Road.

7.Rhimjhim gire sawan                            1979

Film: Manzil

A song that is one of the foremost to hum in our minds at the beginning of monsoon in India, bringing visions of a rain drenched Marine Drive and a very much in love couple enacted by Amitabh Bachchan and Moushami Chatterjee skipping along the promenade, in a suit and a saree, with the waves splashing onto them. The scenes go on to capture them splashing through the rain at at Oval Maidan with Rajabai tower as well as the High Court in the background. Written by Yogesh and composed by R D Burman, this song could well be called the monsoon anthem of rain loving Bombay.

Is baar sawan mehka hua hai

Is baar mausam behka hua hai.. 

Jaane pee ke chali kya pawan 

Sulag sulag jaaye mann

Bheege aaj is mausam mein

Lagi kaisi yeh agan

Rhimjhim gire sawan…

Monsoon plus Mumbai is a very potent combination, and this song has bottled the romance that fills the air within its visuals. There, within our reach, whenever we want to feel it again.

The years will move on, and Bombay will continue to entice and exhilarate. Do write in the comments below to tell me about any film or song that showcased this city to your liking!

Magical songs of Shammi Kapoor with Shankar Jaikishan

Some associations are blessed by God, and they create magic when they come together. Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan were one of these combinations that were blessed by a power greater than all of us, and they went on to bless our lives with incredible music that continues to enrich our lives today. This team gave us about 60 songs out of which almost 50 were super hits. Here’s a look at their magic. As they say, let’s start at the very beginning…

 

1.    Suraj zara aa paas aa      Ujaala              1959

Ujaala was the first film where Shankar Jaikishan scored the music for Shammi Kapoor. The voices used in this film for Shammi Kapoor are Manna dey and Mukesh. Later on, of course, Mohammed Rafi became the norm for him. Their second film Singapore, in fact, had Mohammed Rafi as the playback for Shammi Kapoor and that combination went on to create history.

Here, Shailendra writes about the fire of hunger, the words are all the more profound as they are sung for hungry children.

 Aaloo tamaatar ka saag,

imli ki chutnee baney,

roti karaari sikey,

ghee usspey asli lagey... 

These words bring up the image of a delectable meal in our eyes and yet this image tugs at the heart strings as we think of the plight the children are facing. Only Kaviraj could have wrought this magic.

2.    Ehsaan tera hogaa mujh par            Junglee         1961

The first major hit of Shammi Kapoor- SJ combo which catapulted the actor into the big league. In Shammi kapoor’s words, they ‘struck gold’ with this film. LINK  Hasrat Jaipuri penned this romantic solo which was used as a tandem song with Lata Mangeshkar singing the female solo in her melodious best. Rafi’s rendition of this song personifies yearning and earnestness in love. 

Chaahe banaa do chaahe mitaa do

Marr bhi gaye to denge duvaayen

Udd udd ke kahegi khaak sanam

Yeh dard-e-mohabbat sehne do…

Mujhe tumse mohabbat ho gayi hai

Mujhe palko ki chaanv mein rehne do

Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par …

 

3.    Khuli palak mein jhootha gussa      Professor      1962

 

A delightful romantic solo in classic Shammi Kapoor mode. Shailendra here wields his romantic pen and gives us magic.

Jis din se dekhaa tumko,

tum lagey mujhe apne se,

Aur aakey rahey aankhon mein,

ek mann chaahey sapney se,

Samajh na aaye, kya jeeta main,

aur gaya kya haar,

Jeena bhi mushkil,

marnaa bhi mushkil...

Ever since I knew that this song is apparently shot in Aarey Milk Colony in Mumbai, I plan to go there again to just imagine the team shooting there with this song being played in the background. If only places could speak, they would have so much to tell us of the magic moments witnessed!

 

 

4.    Meri muhobbat jawan rahegi          Jaanwar       1965

 

If there were one solo that had to be selected as quintessential Shammi Kapoor song, it would be this. With beautiful Kashmir in the background, the scene of the hero wooing the heroine with grand declarations, and Rafi providing the vocals, this song ticks all the boxes in the most heart-warming manner. Shankar Jaikishan and Hasrat Jaipuri create cinema magic.

 

Na Tumsa Koyi Zamaane Bhar Mein
Ho Ho
Na Tumsa Koyi Zamaane Bhar Mein
Tumhi Ko Chaha, Meri Nazar Ne
Tumhi Ko Chaha, Meri Nazar Ne
Tumhe Chuna Hai, Tumhe Chunegi
Sada Rahi Hai, Sada Rahegi
Meri Mohabbat Jawaan Rahegi
Sada Rahi Hai, Sada Rahegi

 

5.    Main gaaon tum so jaao        Brahmachari           1968

Shammi Kapoor plays the title role of Brahamachari who has a heart of gold and looks after orphans, trying to bring cheer and laughter in their lives. He won the Filmfare award for best actor for this film. This lullaby emphasises his earnest and sincere wish to see a better world for his wards. The encouraging words by Kaviraj laden with positivity share an interesting contrast with the subdued and sober Rafi’s voice to the gentle tune of Shankar Jaikishan. It’s like Brahmachari is feeling the pathos and despair for the children while keeping up a joyful front for them. Hope treads a thin line beside sadness in this song and that, perhaps, is the beauty of it. Kaviraj, SJ and Rafi pull off this feat with such elan!

Maana aaj ki raat hai lambi,

maana din tha bhaari,

Par jag badlaa, badlegi,

ek din taqdeer hamari,

Uss din ke khwab sajaao...

Main gaaoon tum so jaao...

 

6.    Tum mujhe yun bhula na paaoge    Pagla Kahin ka         1970

Pagla Kahin ka came at the fag end of Shammi Kapoor’s career. The film dealt with loss and the trauma that the human mind suffers in order to overcome a huge setback in life. I would rate this as one of Shammi Kapoor’s and Asha Parekh’s finest performances in a convoluted plot. The film has a lot of finer moments in the scenes between Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh. Hasrat Jaipuri pens the most famous song of this film. Again a tandem where Lata Mangeshkar has also sung this song, albeit with a different anatara.

Mujhko dekhe binaa qaraar na thaa
ek aisaa bhi daur guzraa hai
Jhooth maano to pooch lo dil se
Main kahoongaa to rooth jaaoge
Haan tum mujhe yoon bhulaa naa paaoge

 

7.     Dil use do jo jaan de de        Andaz           1971

 

This could really be termed as the swan song of Shammi Kapoor’s career as a hero or leading man. The music was scored by Shankar Jaikishan and penned by Hasrat Jaipuri. The songs of this film gave the mega star a fitting finale, so to speak. Although there was a late release film Chhote Sarkar in 1974 with Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana in the lead roles, Andaz was by far the right closing act as a hero for the star who gave us so much through his films and music. Rafi and Asha Bhosale gave this party song a peppy feel.

Dil use do jo jaan de de

Jaan use do jo dil de de…

The song, as many Shammi Kapoor songs, is rife with philosophy. Although the lines seem carefree about falling in love, they actually hint that one should think carefully before giving away our affection.  

The antaras go on to welcome new beginnings.

Ye pyaar ke nazaare hain
dekh lo jidhar,
Ab naachti hai duniyaa
khushi ka hai asar…

Lo khatam huaa hai
ye aaj ka safar,
Ab hogi suhaani
Wo kal ki Sahar…..

Shammi Kapoor moved on from this phase to do memorable character roles. However, he will always be the magical hero for us with his romantic films. His lilting songs will always bring a slight breeze to flutter the curtains in our room as we are dreamily carted off to the pristine valleys of Kashmir and his cine magic land.

Do write in the comments with your feedback and tell us your favourite Shammi Kapoor songs!