Occasions that left us wanting for more.....
In today’s edition I take great pleasure
in opening a few rather unknown chapters of a book named “Indian
Film Music”. The chapters are quite interesting. In these chapters, I will
tell a little story, mention about a few incidents, and put forward a few views.
The end is going to be abrupt because there is no need to draw any deep
inference – they are just for reading and feeling good.
Chapter 1
In his entire career the seminal music
composer Sachin Dev Burman used very little voice of singer Mukesh. Mukesh was S.D.
Burman’s choice and voice in such films as Bambai Ka Babu (Chal
ri sajni….), Bandini (O jaanewale ho sake to laut ke
aana…). Clearly, as we can see, only these two come to my immediate
recollection. There were a few others during the same time – in films
like Dr Vidya. So far so good. But this chapter is not meant for
the S.D-Mukesh combination, it is rather for the S.D-Mahendra Kapoor one. The ace
playback singer Mahendra Kapoor got one substantial song under the music
direction of S.D.Burman. Yes, it was only one song and the film was Miya
Biwi Razi, released in 1960. It was not a solo; rather, it was a duet
with singer Asha Bhonsle. It was a sweet, peppy, lilting tune set to contemporary
beats and rhythm. The song was performed beautifully by Asha Bhonsle who had,
by that time, worked a lot with the senior Burman. But Mahendra Kapoor did an
equally sparkling job, his voice came through as youthful, energetic and engaging.
The voice was always hitting the right chords and the right moods. What a pity
that Kapoor did not work more with S.D.Burman!
Chapter 2
The eminent singer Kishore Kumar was a
great fan of composer Madan Mohan. He considered Madan Mohan’s tunes to be marvelous
and at the same time, challenging and difficult. But then, he liked composer Naushad’s
tunes too. Any guess if these two legends, the great composer Naushad Ali and
the great singer Kishore Kumar, had ever worked together? Yes, they did. But
only once. It was a film called Sunehra Sansar (1975),
starring Rajinder Kumar and Hema Malini. Like the last song, this one too is a
duet. Ironically, this time too, the other singer is Asha Bhonsle. The song is “Hello
hello kya haal hai” and it is a masterpiece tune. Not many might have
heard the song. Thanks to the internet, many rare things are possible to be found
out. The main reason for not many people knowing about this song is that it was
never included in the final soundtrack of the movie. The reason for that
omission is not known for sure! But again, what a loss! At least a few more
from this extraordinary duo would have been ideal – especially, in the
mid-seventies with Kishore Kumar at his creative best.
Chapter 3
The film Abhimaan (1973), with the success of its music, was a triumph for S.D.Burman. Firstly, he had to
show the world that he is still relevant and that he can still produce great tunes. Secondly, his belief that songs based on Indian Classical Music
and Indian Folk Music still find countless admirers was proved yet again. The music was splendid
in the film – the entire soundtrack became very popular. It established further
the popularity and cult of Kishore Kumar. The legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar
sounded a bit sweeter than ever before and a new singer by the name Manhar
Udhas was introduced. But there was another singer who came in front of the
recording microphone for the first time. It was a morning prayer composed for a particular situation in the
movie. The tune was very soothing and there was a little girl singing it. The
girl was Anuradha Paudwal, who later would become a renowned playback voice for
generations to come. S.D.Burman spotted a rare talent and gave her a break.
For those that have watched the film, the voice comes when we see the first
glimpse of Uma, the female protagonist. S.D.Burman passed away within a few years and she never got a chance again to sing under his guidance.
Chapter 4
The entire soundtrack
of movie 1942- A Love Story was phenomenal. It created ripples in the hearts of
listeners. Today, it is part of nostalgia of the 90’s Indian movies. The theme
of the movie, its treatment, its artistry, and its story projected an authentic
picture of pre-independent India with all its hue and color. The legendary
composer R.D.Burman needed to be a part of this nostalgia – through his
compositions. He knew that compositions alone would not be enough. He needed a
voice – a unique voice. He used the voice of Bengali singer Shivaji
Chattopaddhyay. R.D.Burman working with newcomers had never been unusual; Arati
Mukherjee, Usha Utthup, Abhijeet, Anup Ghosal – the list is quite long.
However, I think getting Chattopaddhyay do this song was a masterstroke. What a
hefty voice! A baritone flowing like waves of a sea! Great words were uttered
with emotion. A prayer was turned into a song, but not in a preaching style –
the song “Yeh Safar Bahut Hai Kathin Magar” would have made another
legendary singer Hemant Kumar very proud! Since R.D.Burman left us forever
shortly after the release of the film, there was no further collaboration with
the singer possible.
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