After reviewing the best songs of 1955 and 1953, which were gap years in the Filmfare Awards (Baiju Bawra, 1952 was the first film to get the Filmfare Awards for the best music, but in the later years no films of 1953 and 1955 won these awards), I come to the pre-Filmfare era with 1951. This briefly explains my odd selection of years. Henceforth, it is going to be yearwise review in reverse order until 1945, which is the task given to me by the readers.
Musical landmarks
While there was some ambivalence with regard to the quality of the music of 1953, there should be no such doubt about 1951 with musical landmarks like Awaara (Shankar Jaikishan), Albela (C Ramchandra), Deedar (Naushad), Malhar (Roshan), Bahaar, Baazi, Naujawan and Saza (SD Burman) and Aaram and Tarana (Anil Biswas).
SJ had stormed the music scene with their debut with RK banner two years ago with Barsaat. They were young, in sync with Raj Kapoor’s musical sensibility; they had Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar in their 20s, and a new team of lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. If Raj Kapoor was the master of weaving dreamy romance with social message, SJ clothed that with their lilting music. Awara hun became an international rage and made Raj Kapoor the cultural ambassador of India to Soviet Union and several other countries.
C Ramchandra was a maverick in music. He could traverse from Western tunes to pure Indian classical; from Shamshad Begum to Lata Mangeshkar. His music was as unpretentious as the movie Albela, but he had awesome talent to compose great music effortlessly.
Naushad settles on Rafi for Dilip Kumar with Deedar. It has remained a puzzle for me why he jettisoned Mukesh and Talat Mahmood after having spectacular success with them in Anokhi Ada and Andaaz (Mukesh) and Babul (Talat Mahmood). Naushad-Rafi combination has earned great fame for Baiju Bawra, which came a year later. But it is in Deedar where you first see the fluid vocals of Rafi tune so perfectly with Naushad. Naushad continues another jettisoning, albeit with some face-saver songs to his erstwhile favorite singer, Shamshad Begum, in favour of the new girl Lata Mangeshkar.
Lata Mangeshkar bandwagon grows with Roshan, who gave superlative music a year earlier in Baawre Nain without her, but switches completely to her in Malhar for the female voice. Roshan continues his magic with Mukesh with some of his career best songs in this perfectly B-grade film, starring Shammi, Arjun, Moti Sagar etc.
One thing which distinguishes SD Burman from his peers is that he was never fixated on any Singing Emperor or Empress. He was himself the Emperor and chose a mix of singers all through his career. So, while there is no Lata Mangeshkar in Bahaar and Baazi, he gave the iconic Ye thandi hawayen lahra ke aayen and Tum na jane kis jahan mein kho gaye for her in Naujawan and Sazaa. The multifarious talent that he was, he could also create the iconic Shamshad Begum song Sainya dil mein ana re (Bahaar) and a good number of everlasting songs for Geeta Dutt in Baazi.
Anil Biswas in the 50s makes almost a complete break with his singers of the 40s – Surendra, Parul Ghosh and Amirbai Karnataki – and goes full force with his protégés Mukesh and Talat Mahmood, and, like everyone else, with The Female Playback Singer Lata Mangeshkar, to create some immortal music in Aaram and Tarana.
Other important musical compositions
The above list is enough to transport you to a blissful world. But there is much more to 1951. Outside RK Banner too SJ created great music for Baadal, Kali Ghata and Nagina. SJ would be credited with composing some of the greatest film songs for CH Atma – Roun main sagar ke kinare and Dil beqaraar hai mera dil beqaraar hai (Nagina). C Ramchandra-Lata combination in the early 50s had a stamp entirely his own. You see it in Khazana (Ai chaand pyar mera) and Sagaai (Koi kisi ka deewana na bane). Naushad gave another superhit score in Jadoo, continuing his mix of Shamshad Begum and Lata Mangeshkar. Talking of Lata Mangeshkar bandwagon, Madan Mohan had started a year earlier without her with Ankhen, but you see his special tuning with Lata in Saanwri surat man bhai re piya and Preetam meri duniya mein do din to rahe hote (Ada). He also comes up with some great Talat Mahmood songs in the year. I reckon Meri yaad mein tum na aansoo bahana (Madhosh) as one of his greatest. It was a bumper year for SD Burman too. Jhan jhan jhan jhan jhan payal baje (Buzdil) is a career landmark of Lata. So is Roshan’s Bahe ankhiyon se dhar for her in Hum Log. And so is Sajjad Hssain’s Aaj mere naseeb mein (Hulchul)
I have to repeat that even this is not all. Among the Lata songs that mesmerize me is Khushiyon ke din manaye ja.. abhi to main jawan hun (Afsana; Husnlal Bhagatram). And who can forget Sulochana Kadam’s Chori chori aag si dil mein laga kar chal diye (Dholak, Shyam Sundar), or Mukesh-Lata Mangeshkar duet Kahe nainon mein kajra bharo (Bari Bahoo, Anil Biswas) and Rafi-Amirbai Karnataki duet Aansoo thi meri zindagi (Bikhare Moti, Ghulam Mohammad). One can go on and on like this. Contrast this with how many songs you remember of the year just gone by i.e. 2013, their singers and music directors? Even youngsters clued to the current music would be hard pressed to name a few compared to the dozens we can recall of 1951.
Debut, Fact-file and Trivia
Jamal Sen had a remarkable debut as the music director of Shokhiyan. We have seen him earlier in my series on Forgotten Composers Unforgotten Melodies. He could not achieve his full potential in the heavily crowded field of great composers. But the debut of Vyjayanthimala in AVM’s Bahar (which was a remake of the Tamil film Vazhkai) was the beginning of her glorious career as the leading lady for about two decades. Kalpan Kartik in Baazi and Beena Rai in Kali Ghata also debuted this year. Having been forced to sever all connections with Suraiya, a dejected Dev Anand found solace in Kalpana Kartik and married her. Bina Rai, who was renowned as one of the most beautiful woman of her time, also had some landmark films in later years such as Anarkali. Incidentally, the year also brought the curtain down finally on Dev Anand-Suraiya romance, with Do Sitare being their last movie together.
If the year marked the end of Dev Anand’s romance with Suraiya, it heralded the beginning of his friend Guru Dutt’s love affair with Geeta Dutt at the song recording of Baazi, which was incidentally his first directorial venture. Guru Dutt would go on to be known as one of the greatest film makers, but his personal life, as of his love and wife Geeta Dutt, would end up in shambles.
Chic Chocolate, who had been C Ramchandra’s assistant, got his first assignment as an independent composer on the latter’s recommendation in Nadaan. Goa gave to Bombay film music a large number of talented musicians who played a variety of instruments or worked as assistant or arranger. Chic Chocolate was among the more prominent ones, who was the man behind many of C Ramchandra’s Westernised songs.
Sahir Ludhiyanvi, a renowned Urdu poet, entered the film world as a lyricist in the year and started his great association with SD Burman in Naujawan and Baazi. So did Indivar with Malhar (though I recall reading somewhere that he had debuted earlier, but he used the name ‘Indivar’ for the first time in this film). A very interesting debut of a lyricist is of Kaifi Azmi, who wrote his first song Rote rote guzar gayi raat re (Buzdil) jointly with Shailendra. On Kaifi Azmi’s debut in films, an interesting anecdote has been mentioned by Moti Lalwani earlier on this blog. The requirement of writing lyrics to a pre-set tune bewildered him no end: it was as if, he said, the grave has been already dug, you lie down in it, the only thing remains is to put a coffin on it.
This year saw the first duet of Lata Mangeshkar-Asha Bhosle, Ye ruki ruki hawayen ye bujhe bujhe sitare (Daaman, K Datta). K Datta would also be associated with the debut of Jagjit Kaur, in a duet with GM Durrani, in the film Gumashta (Dil naache aur gaye jawani).
In Pyar Ki Baatein Khayyam gave music in the name of Sharmaji, alonwith Bulo C Rani (though the songs are separately identified). As per HFGK, Bulo C Rani sang some songs in Hindi films under the name Bhola though he composed only under the name Bulo C Rani, but in some songs the name of music director has been mentioned as Bhola. Khayyam’s first song for Asha Bhosle was also in this film – Humein chhod ke na jana, hua dil ka nishana.
Mere dil ke tadapne ka tamasha dekhanewale by Lata Mangeshkar from Ek Thi Ladki (1949) was reused in 1951 Sabzbagh made by the same team.
Amjad Khan had his first acting role as a child artiste in Naazneen.
Multiple version songs make an appearance in this year too. While Qusoor aapka huzoor aapka is a Twin version song (Kishore Kumar/Shamshad Begum solo versions in Bahaar), Aa teri tasweer bana lun (Naadaan) has a fast and slow version by the same singer, Talat Mahmood and Dheere se aa ja ri (Albela) has a Lata solo and a Chitalkar-Lata duet version. A unique song is Jagmagati diwali ki raat aa gayi (Stage), which has happy and sad versions by Asha Bhosle, and a third sad version by Lata Mangeshkar
The Central Board of Film Censors was established in 1951.
The year also saw the tragic death (on 25 April 1951) of the dashing hero of those days, Shyam, of injuries suffered due to falling off a horse while shooting for Shabistan.
LIST OF MEMORABLE SONGS
Let me present a long list which I think captures all the songs of the year which can be considered worthwhile and memorable. But as we have seen in the earlier years, Songs of Yore forum has some amazingly knowledgeable people, and I would not be surprised if they add many more beyond this list and which need to be brought out of hidden vaults.
Aaraam: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishan, Prem Dhawan; Music Anil Biswas
1. Ae jaan-e-jigar dil mein samane aa ja – Mukesh
2. Shukriya ae pyaar tera shukriya – Talat Mahmood
3. Balamwa nadaan.. balmaa ja ja ja – Lata Mangeshkar
Aawara: Lyrics – Shailendra/Hasrat Jaipuri; Music – Shankar Jaikishan
4. Aawara hun – Mukesh
5. Ek do teen aja mausam hai rangeen – Shamshad Begum
6. Jab se balam ghar aye – Lata Mangeshkar
7. Dam bhar jo udhar munh phere O chanda – Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar
8. Ghar aya mera pardesi – Lata Mangeshkar
9. Aa jao tadapate hain armaan – Lata Mangeshkar
10. Ek bewafa se pyar kiya – Lata Mangeshkar
11. Hum tujhse mohabbat karke sanam – Mukesh
Ada: Lyrics –Prem Dhawan, Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, Behzaad Lakhnavi, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan; Music – Madan Mohan
12. Main na jaanu – Lata Mangehskar
13. Sanwri surat man bhai re piya – Lata Mangeshakr
14. Jise dil mein basana chaha tha – Talat Mahmood
15. Preetam meri duniya mein do din to rahe hote – Lata Mngeshkar
Afsana: Lyrics – Asad Bhopali, Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, Gafil Harnalvi, Chandar Oberoi; Music – Husnlal Bhagatram
16. Kismat bigdi duniya badli – Mukesh
17. Wo aye baharein laye baji shahnaai rut piya milan ki ayi – Lata Mangeshkar
18. Mohabbat ka dono ke dil pe asar hai – Shamshad Begum
19. Khushiyon ke dimn manaye ja..abhi to main jawan hun – Lata Mangeshkar
20. Chowpaati par kal jo tumse ankh matakka ho gaya – Rafi and Shamshad Begum
21. Wo paas bhi rahkar paas nahi hum door bhi rahkar door rahe – Lata Mangeshkar
Albela: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna; Music – C Ramchandra
22. Dheere se aa ja ri ankhiyan mein – Lata Mangeshkar/ Chitalkar and Lata Mangehskar
23. Deewana parwana shama pe le aya dil ka nazrana – Chitalkar and Lata Mangeshkar
24. Haseenon se mohabbat ka bura anjaam hota hai – Chitalkar
25. Dil dhadke nazar sharmaye – Lata Mangehskar
26. Sham dhale khidki tale – Lata Mangeshkar and Chitalkar
27. Balma bada nadaan re – Lata Mangeshkar
28. Bholi surat dil ke khote – Lata Mangehskar and Chitalkar
29. Shola jo bhadke dil mera dhadke – Lata Mangeshkar and Chitalkar
Baadal: Lyrics – Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri; Music – Shankar Jaikishan
30. Aaj maane, aaj maane na mora jiya – Lata Mangeshkar
31. Main raahi bhatakanewla hun – Mukesh
32. Unse pyar ho gaya – Lata Mangeshkar
33. Ae dil na mujhse chhupa – Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh
34. Do din ke liye mehman yahan – Lata Mangeshkar
35. Duniya badal rahi hai aansoo bahanewale – Lata Mangeshkar
Baazi: Lyrics – Sahir Ludhiyanvi; Music – SD Burman
36. Sharmaye kahe ghabaraye kahe – Shamshad Begum
37. Ye kaun aya ki mere dil ki duniya mein bahaar aayi – Geeta Dutt
38. Tadbeer se bigdi hi taqdeer bana le – Geeta Dutt
39. Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo – Geeta Dutt
40. Mere labon pe dekho aaj bhi tarane hain – Kishora Kumar
41. Dekh ke keli mohe barsa sataye – Geeta Dutt
42. Lakh zamanewale daaleyn dilon pe taaley – Geeta Dutt
43. Suno gajar kya gaaye – Geeta Dutt
Bahaar: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna; Music – SD Burman
44. Duniya ka mazaa le lo duniya purani hai – Shamshad Begum
45. Chhodoji chhodoji chhodoji Kanhaiya kalaiyan hamaar – Shamshad Begum
46. Qusoor aapka, huzoor aapka – Kishore Kumar/ Shamshad Begum
47. Bhagwan do ghadi zaraa insaan ban ke dekh – Geeta Dutt
48. Saiyan dil mein ana re – Shamshad Begum
49. O pardesiya, pyar ki bahaar le ke – Shamshad Begum
Badi Bahoo: Lyrics – Narendra Sharma, Prem Dhawan, Rajendra Krishna, Bharat Vyas, Safdar ‘Aah’, PN Rangeen, Meerabai; Music – Anil Biswas
50. Kaahe nainon mein kajraa bharo – Mukesh and Lata Mangehskar
51. Badli teri nazar to nazaare badal gaye – Lata Mangeshakr
52. Ramaiya bin neend na aawe – Rajkumari
Bedardi: Music – Roshan
53. Dil ne to diya dhokha – Mukesh (lyrics – Kedar Sharma)
Bikhare Moti: Music – Ghulam Mohammad
54. Aansoo thi meri zindagi – Amirbai Karnataki and Rafi (Lyrics – Akhtar-Ul-Iman)
Buzdil: Lyrics – Shailendra, Kaifi Azmi; Music – SD Burman
55. Jhan jhan jhan jhan payal baje – Lata Mangehsar
56. Dar laage duniya se balma ho – Lata Mangehskar
57. Rote rote guzar gayi raat re – Lata Mangehskar
Daaman: Music – K Datta
58. Yaad aane lagi dil dukhane lagi – Lata Mangeshkar, Rafi (Lyrics – Ehsaan Rizvi)
59. Ye ruki ruki hawaayen ye bujhe bujhe sitaarey – Lata Mangeshar and Asha Bhosle (Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna)
Dashavtaar: Music – Avinash Vyas
60. Khel re khilone teri kaya aani jaani re – Rafi and Sulochana Kadam (Lyrics – Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’)
Deedaar: Lyrics- Shakeel Badayuni; Music – Naushad
61. Bachpan ke din bhula na dena – Lata Mangeshkar and Shamshad Begum
62. Hue hum jinke liye barbaad – Rafi
63. Nazar phero na humse – GM Durrani and Shamshad Begum
64. Naseeb dar pe tere aazmane aya hun - Rafi
65. Chaman mein rah ke veeraana mera dil hota jata hai – Shamshad Begum
66. Le ja meri duayein le ja pardes janewale – Lata Mangehskar
67. Dekh liya maine kismet ka tamasha dekh liya – Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar
68. Meri kahani bhulnewale tera jahan abaad rahe – Rafi
Dholak: Lyrics – Aziz Kashmiri, Shyamlal Shams; Music – Shyam Sundar
69. Ki ek pal ruk jana sarkar – Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi
70. Chori chori aag si dil mein laga ke chal diye – Sulochana Kadam
71. Mausam aya hai rangeen – Sulochana Kadam and Satish Batra
Ek Nazar: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna; Music – SD Burman
72. Dard laagey pyara pyara pahla pahla pyar ka – Lata Mangeshkar
73. Bus chupke hi chupke se pyar ho gaya – Geeta Dutt
Ghayal: Music – Gyan Dutt
74. Hazaron khwahishein aisi ki har khwahish pe dum nikle – GM Durrani (Lyrics – Ghalib)
Hulchul: Lyrics – Khumar Barabanqvi; Music – Md Shafi, Sajjad Hussain
75. Ek jhoothi si tasalli wo mujhe de ke chale – Lata Mangeshkar
76. Aaj mere naseeb ne mujhko rula rula diya – Lata Mangeshkar
77. Haye sadke tere O baanke mere – Lata Mangeshkar
Hum Log: Lyrics – Vishwamitra Aadil-Udhav Kumar; Music – Roshan
78. Chhun chhun baaje payal mori – Lata Mangeshkar
79. Apni nazar se unki nazar tak – Mukesh
80. Bahey ankhiyon se dhaar jiya mera beqaraar – Lata Mangeshkar
81. Gaaye chala jag aye chala ja ek din tera bhi zamana aayega – Lata Mangeshkar and GM Durrani
Jadoo: Lyrics – Shakeel Badayuni; Music – Naushad
82. Ae ji thandi sadak hai thandi sadak – Shamshad Begum
83. Gin gin taarey main haar gayi raat ko – Lata Mangeshkar
84. Jab nain miley nainon se aur dil pe rahey na qaaboo – Shamshad Begum
85. Roop ki dushman paapi duniya maarey mohe – Shamshad Begum
86. Lo pyar ki ho gayi jeet – Lata Mangeshkar
87. Nadaan mohabbatwalon ke armaan badalte rahte hain – Lata Mangeshkar
Kaali Ghata: Lyrics – Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri; Music- Shankar Jaikishan
88. Dil mein tu dil mein tu sapnon ki mahfil mein tu – Lata Mangeshkar
89. Humse na poochho koi pyar kya hai pyar kya – Lata Mangeshkar
90. Kali ghata ghir ayi re – Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar
Khazana: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna; Music – C Ramchandra
91. Ae chand pyar mera mujhse ye kah raha hai – Lata Mangeshkar
Malti Madhav: Lyrics – Pt Narendra Sharma; Music – Sudhir Phadke
92. Baandh preeti phool dor – Lata Mangeshkar
Madhosh: Lyrics – Raja Menhdi Ali Khan; Music- Madan Mohan
93. Pagadi pahan ke turredaar akadta kyun hai – Shamshad Begum, GM Durrani & othrs
94. Mere dil ki nagariya mein ana – Lata Mangeshkar
95. Meri yaad mein tum na aansoo bahana – Talat Mahmood
Malhaar: Lyrics – Indivar, Kaif Irfani, Shyam Lal; Music – Roshan
96. Bade armaanon se rakha hai balam teri qasam – Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar
97. Ik baar agar tu kah de – Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar
98. Kahan ho tum zara awaaz do hum yaad kartey hain – Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar
99. Hota raha yun hi agar anjaam wafa ka – Mukesh
100. Tara Toote duniya dekhe – Mukesh
101. Dil tujhe diya tha rakhane ko – Mukesh
102. Mohabbat ki qismat banaane se pahle – Lata Mangeshkar
103. Garjat barsat bheejat – Lata Mangeshkar
Mukhadaa: Lyrics – Aziz Kashmiri; Music – Vinod, Shyam Sundar
104. Ankhiyan mila ke ankhiyon ki neend chura ke na ja – Sulochana Kadam
Naadan: Lyrics – PL Santoshi; Music – Chic Chocolate
105. Aa teri tasweer bana lun – Talat Mahmood (fast/slow)
Nageena: Lyrics – Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri; Music – Shankar Jaikishan
106. Tune haye mere zakhm-e-jigar ko chhoo liya – Lata Mangeshkar
107. Kaisi khushi ki hai raat, balam mere sath jiya lahraye re – Lata Mangeshakr
108. Roun main sagar ke kinare sagar hansi udaaye – CH Atma
109. Dil beqaraar hai mera dil beqaraar hai – CH Atma
Nand Kishore: Lyrics – Narendra Sharma; Music – Snehal Bhatkar
110. Baajey badhaai aaj Nandji ke dwaar – Lata Mangeshkar
Naujawan: Lyrics – Sahir Ludhyanvi; Music – SD Burman
111. Thandi hawayen – Lata Mangeshkar
Pyar Ki Baatein: Music – Bulo C Rani, Khayyam
112. Mast chandni jhoom rahi hai – Mukesh and Geeta Dutt (Lyrics – ML Khanna; Music – Bulo C Rani)
Raajput: Music – Hansaj Bahal, Husnlal Bhagatram
113. Rastey pe hum khadey hain dil-e-beqaraar lekar – Suriya (Lyrics – Kaif Irfani)
Sabj Baagh: Lyrics – Aziz Kashmiri; Music – Vinod, Gulshan Sufi
114. Apni tasweer se kah do humein dekha na kare – Rafi and Asha Bhosle
115. Dilliwaaley burey nahi dil lete hain dil dete hain – Shamshad Begum
116. Mere dil ke tadapney ka tamasha dekhnewaaley – Lata Mangeshkar
117. Yaad teri aayi to main chori chori royi re – Asha Bhosle
Sagaai: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna; Music – C Ramchandra
118. Ek din Lahore ki thandi sadak par – Rafi, Chitalkar and Shamshad Begum,
119. Haseenon ki gadi mein ashiq ka ghoda – Chitalkar and Rafi
120. Martey ko maare duniya… jhukti hai duniya jhukanewala chaahiye – Rafi, Chitalkar and Lata Mangeshkar
121. Dil ki kahani kahna to chaahey haye ri qismat kah na sakey – Lata Mangeshkar
122. Mohabbat mein aise zamaaney bhi aaye – Talat Mahmood and Lata Mangeshkar
Sainyaan: Music – Sajjad Hussain
123. Khayalon mein tum ho – Lata Mangeshkar (Lyrics – Hasrat Jaipuri)
Sanam: Lyrics – Qamar Jalalabadi; Music – Husnlal Bhagatram
124. Dil le gaya ji koi dil le gaya – Suraiya
125. Main tujhe pukaarun sanam sanam – Rafi and Suraiya
Sazaa: Lyrics – Rajendra Krishna, Sahir Ludhiyanvi; Music – SD Burman
126. Ho gayi re teri ho gayi re – Lata Mangeshkar
127. O Roopnagar ke saudagar – Lata Mangeshkar and Pramodini Desai
128. Dhak dhak jiya kare dhak – Lata Mangeshkar
129. Aa gupchup gupchup pyar karein – Hemant Kumar and Sandhya Mukherjee
130. Tum na jaaney kis jahan mein kho gaye – Lata Mangeshkar
131. Aa ja aa ja tera intezaar hai – Talat Mahmood and Lata Mangeshkar
132. Ye baat koi samjhaye re kyun aaj nazar sharmaaye re – Sandhya Mukherjee
Shokhiyan: Lyrics – Kedar Sharma, Himmat Rai Sharma; Music – Jamal Sen
133. Aayi barkhaa bahaar padey bundan phuhaar – Lata Mangeshkar and Pramodini Desai
134. Sapna ban saajan aye – Lata Mangeshkar
135. Door desh se aa ja re – Suraiya and Lata mangeshkar
136. Raaton ki need cheen li aankhon ke intezaar ne – Suraiya
Stage: Lyrics – Sarshar Sailani; Music – Husnlal Bhagatram, Sardar Malik
137. Jagmagati diwali ki raat aa gayi – Asha Bhosle (happy/sad versions)/ Lata Mangeshkar (sad)
Tarana: Lyrics – DN Madhok, Kaif Irfai, Prem Dhawan; Music – Anil Biswas
138. Nain hue nain miley baawrey – Talat Mahmood and Lata Mangeshkar
139. Bol papeehey bol hai kaun tera chitchor – Lata Mangeshkar and Sandhya Mukherjee
140. Mose rooth gayo mora saanwariya – Lata Mangeshkar
141. Beimaan torey nainwa nindiya na aaye – Lata Mangeshkar
142. Seeney mein sulagatey hain armaan – Talat Mahmood and Lata Mangeshkar
143. Jali jo shaakh-e-chaman.. Ek main hun ek meri bekasi ki – Talat Mahmood
144. Wo din kahan gaye bataa jab is nazar mein pyar tha – Lata Mangeshkar
Special songs:
Now I present some special songs of the year which may not figure in any conventional category for awards, but deserve mention either for some quirkiness, or some special feature about them, or simply because they are too good but hidden and need to be brought out. Most of the songs in the list I heard for the first time while researching for this post.
1. Magar ae haseena-e-bekhabar by Rafi and Sulochana Kadam from Dholak (1951), lyrics Aziz Kashmiri, music Shyam Sundar
This is a fabulous duet by Rafi and Sulochana Kadam. Its beauty is enhanced by Rafi’s voice being exact copy of his once idol, GM Durrani. I have mentioned somewhere that Ajit got to ‘sing’ some of the best songs in films.
2. Hazaron khwahishein aisi ki har khwahish pe dam nikale by GM Durrani from Ghayal, lyrics Ghalib, music Gyan Dutt
Now let us have the originl GM Durrani, singing a famous Ghalib ghazal, which has been sung by many singers. His version has a sweetnes which was Durrani’s trademark. A top singer in the 1940s, this song shows that while he might have lost his position, he had not lost his talent.
3. Bogi bogi bogi by GM Durrani and Shamshad Begum from Humlog, lyrics Vishwamitra Aadil, music Roshan
Since he may not figure in the conventional top awards, let us have more of GM Durrani. Roshan and Rock n’ Roll is a very unusual combination in a film in which he gave Lata Mangehskar’s Bahe ankhiyon se dhaar.
4. Damdi damdi paisa paisa jod jod kar by Kishore Kumar, Talat Mahmood and GM Durrani from Hamaari Shaan, lyrics Anjum Jaipuri, music Chitragupta
Continuing the GM Durrani trip, here is an atypical triad song with Kishore Kumar and Talat Mahmood. They represent three entirely different styles. While Kishore Kumar was naturally funny, GM Durrani would have to make efforts, and Talat could never be. How many songs we can think of which are sung by three male singers? So let us have this unusual triad fun song. (Picturised on Aga, David and Maruti?)
5. Aa teri tasweer bana lun by Talat Mahmood from Nadaan, lyrics PL Santoshi, music Chic Choclate
Talat Mahmood is a misfit in a comic song. So we come to a style which is his forte.This song has a fast and a slow version. In the slow version Talat is in his elements. This was his peak period, when he belted out a large number of such ghazals in his velvet voice. Chic Choclate was C Ramchandra’s assistant. Picturised on Dev Anand, but video is not of good quality. So I am presenting its audio.
6. Saqi saqi aa mere… dekho pyala mer chhalke by Shamshad Begum from Shabistan, lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi, music Madan Mohan
When Shamshad Begum starts with a slow preamble and comes out of a huge cup you don’t know what to expect, but she switches to a full-throated, yet extremely melodious Dekho pyala mera chhalke. Cuckoo’s dance is irresistible, making Shyam almost jump out of his box seat. Madan Mohan was later found copying OP Nayyar in some songs, but does this song have the seeds of Kaun pardesi mera dil le gaya?
7. Jagmag diwali ki raat aa gayi by Asha Bhosle from Stage, lyrics Sarshaar Sailani, music Husnlal Bhagatram
Early Asha Bhosle, before she found her feet, makes an interesting study. If you are not told, you would think it was Geeta Dutt.
8. Ae dil na mujhse chhupa sach bata kya hua by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar from Baadal, lyrics Shailendra, music SJ
Madhubala starts with a very slow call. As soon as she hears Premnath’s response, she knows he is nearby. They come together and the song turns into a joyous duet with beautiful dance by the couple.
9. Baaje badhaai aaj Nandji ke dwar by Lata Mangeshkar from Nandkishore, lyrics Narendra Sharma, music Snehal Bhatkar
Snehal Bhatkar, Sudhir Phadke and Avinash Vyas from Maharshtra/Gujarat brought elegance to film music. This is a beautiful chorus song heralding the birth of Krishna.
10. Hua Raam ka janm badhaai by Asha Bhosle and others from Ram Janma, lyrics Saraswati Kumar Deepak, music Avinash Vyas
What a delight! This year also had a very melodious Ram janma badhaai song, sung by an unrecognizable Asha Bhosle. It has the stamp of Avinash Vyas.
11. Khel re khilone teri kaaya aani jaani re by Rafi and Sulochana Kadam from Dashavataar, lyrics Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, music Avinash Vyas
Another song from Avinash Vyas. While this song may not be very well known, the readers would instantly recall Tora manwa kyun ghabraye re by Geeta Dutt from Sadhana (1958), composed by N Datta. N Datta might have taken Avinah Vyas’s consent. Mr Ashok Vaishnav in his Gujarati-Hindi film version songs has mentioned that this tune goes back to Rakh na Ramakadaane by Geeta Dutt in Gujarati film Mangal Phera (1949).
12. Hamari gali aao Shyam ankhiyan bichhaye by Zeenat Begum from Mukhadaa, lyrics Aziz Kashmiri, music Vinod
When Lata Mangeshkar had overtaken, you have this courtesan style singing from a bygone era.
13. Koi kis tarah raaz-e-ulfat chuupaye by Rajkumari from Hulchul, lyrics Khumar Barabanqvi, music Sajjad Hussain
From the bygone era Rajkumari is my special favourite as well as of many SoY regulars. This old-world mujra sung by her is picturised on Geeta Nizami, who eancts the emotions by sitting. I believe, this meant in the mujra tradition that the performer had reached a high point in art, where she did not have to do a seductive dance. You also see a young girl learning the trade with beautiful rhythmic clapping.
14. Mohabbat jata ke aankhein lada ke ke chale aa rahe hain hajamat kara ke by Rafi and C Ramchandra from Sagaai, lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music C Ramchandra
C Ramchandra was becoming Lata-centric, but there was a lot of variety in him. He had a special talent for the comic and light-hearted. Here he sings a duet with the versatile Rafi, picturised on Gope and Yaqub.
15. Lagi aag hai dil mein…kismet ke sitare doob gaye by Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar from Hulchul, lyrics Khumar Barabankvi, music Mohammad Shafi
I started the special songs with a Rafi duet. I end with an unheard absolutely marvelous Rafi-Lata duet, picturised on Dilip Kumar and Nargis. Everytime I come across such a gem, I shudder to think that but for the internet these songs were lost forever.
My special songs have stretched to 15 instead of the usual ten. There are still many more which I would have liked to include. But I stop here, and throw it open for comments and your views on:
And the winners are?
Best male playback singer
Best female playback singer (You can suggest Lata Mangeshkar and others in two parts)
Best duets (which may include triads and higher, and all males or all female songs)
Best music director