A tribute to SD Burman on his 40th death anniversary (1 October 1906-31 October 1975)
Music evokes strong emotions. Therefore, it is natural that SoY has seen serious difference of views on songs, singers, music directors and a whole host of related issues. But none has been as sharp as mine with Dinesh’s. It is beyond my comprehension that anyone could be as dismissive of Naushad as he has been. Further, very often he ‘does not care much for’ the songs I have posted. He very graciously ascribes this to the difference in personal tastes. But there has been something more basic on which our views are diametrically opposite.
Dinesh is a great believer in some kind of unified theory of music. He has been advocating to prepare a list of overall ten best songs of a year or a music director and, further, to select the Best of Bests, Sartaj song. I have been equally clear that it is undoable for the sheer complexity of the exercise, and, therefore, we need to break it into convenient sub-headings.
In spite our sharp differences, I admire Dinesh, because like a true-blue diplomat, he has held on to his position steadfastly. I have decided to make a concession for the sake of friendship and cordial bilateral relations, and to attempt a list of ten best songs (solos) composed by SD Burman. However, this is without prejudice to my long-stated position. For avoidance of any doubt, it is made clear that it is a one-time exception, and it will, not be treated as a binding precedent. I reserve my right to agitate my principled position at an appropriate forum and at appropriate time. (Dinesh is a former IFS officer, having worked in the MEA and several missions abroad.)
Dinesh suggested three MDs for this exercise: SD Burman, Salil Chaudhary and Khayyam. SD Burman’s variety in terms of singers and types of music is amazing. Among the Golden Era greats, none has given as many memorable songs for as many singers. Putting it in another way, there is no major singer whose best ever songs would not include some SD Burman compositions. My saturation coverage earlier provides a good building block from where I can choose songs.
The best way to start is to shortlist a few top songs of different singers. This is not in any order.
SD Burman
1. Sun mere bandhu re
2. O re maanjhi
3. Doli mein bithai ke kahar
Rafi
4. Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukare chale gaye
5. Jaane na mera dil deewana
6. Ye mahalon ye takhton ye taajon ki duniya
7. Din dhal jaaye haaye raat na jaaye
8. Khoya khoya chaand
Hemant Kumar
9. Ye raat ye chaandni phir kahan
10. Jaane wo kaise log the jinke
11. Hai apna dil to aawara
12. Na tum humein jaano na hum tumhe jaane
13. Teri duniya mein jeene se
Talat Mahmood
14. Jalate hain jiske liye
15. Mitwa laagi re ye kaisi anbujh aag
16. Kisko khabar thi kisko yakeen tha
17. Jaayein to jaayein kahan
Mukesh
18. O jaanewale ho sake to laut ke aana
19. Chal ri sajni
20. Ae dil-e-aawara chal
Manna Dey
21. Mat ro mata laal tere bahutere
22. Upar gagan vishal
23. Poochho na kaise maine rain bitaayi
24. Kisne chilman se mara nazara mujhe
25. Hato kaahe ko jhoothi banaao batiya
Kishore Kumar
26. Maana janab ne pukara nahi
27. Hum hain rahi pyaar ke
28. Mere labon pe dekho aaj bhi taraane hain
29. Dukhi man mere sun mera kahna
30. Ek ladki bhigi bhagi si
Lata Mangeshkar
31. Thandi hawaayein
32. Jhan jhan jhan jhan paayal baaje
33. Tum na jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye
34. Jogi jabse tu aya mere dwaare
35. Chaand phir nikala magar tum na aaye
36. Khanke kangana bindiya hanse
37. Kaanton se kheench ke ye aanchal
Asha Bhosle
38. Ab ke baras bhej bhaiya ko babul
39. Dhalki jaaye chundariya hamari ho Ram
40. Koi aaya dhadakan kahti hai
41. Nazar laagi Raja tore bangale par
42. Kaali ghata chhaye
43.Tujhe mili roshani mujhko andhera
Geeta Dutt
44. Mera sundar sapna beet gaya
45. Aaj sajan mohe ang laga le
46. Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam
47. Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo
48. Tadbeer se bigadi hui taqdeer bana le
Suraiya
49. Man more hua matwala
50. Nain deewane
Shamshad Begum
51. Sainya dil mein aana re
52. Duniya ka maza le lo duniya tumhari hai
53. O pardesiya, pyar ki bahaar le ke
54. Raja jani laaga mohe nainwa ke baan re – Laal Kunwar
Other singers
55. Chhodo chhodo mori bainya saanwre – Suman Kalyanpur
56. Pahle na samjha pyar tha – Amirbai Karnataki (Eight Days)
57. Kabhi bhoole se na poochhi man ki baat rasiya – Paro Devi (Do Bhai)
58. Jab tum the hamaare aur hum the tumhaare – Arun Kumar (Mashal)
59. Ye baat koi samjhaaye re – Sandhya Mukherjee
60. Wo na aayenge palat kar unhein lakh hum bulayen – Mubarak Begum
Many readers would be still dissatisfied that the above list does not include some of their most favourite songs. But don’t forget, we are talking about arriving at the best ten songs. Therefore, to my mind the above list is a good starting point, as it captures the best SD Burman created for different singers.
For coming down to ten we have to necessarily do some rationing, such as not more than one song per singer. This is a very unsatisfactory way of dealing with music; but as I had commented earlier, how do you compare Sun mere bandhu re to Hum bekhudi mein or to Thandi hawaayein or to Ye raat ye chaandni phir kahan? Even with this rationing SD Burman is such a multi-faceted talent that I would not be able to reach the ‘Other singers’. This contains some absolute gems. Therefore, let me present some ‘Special songs’, which would not figure in the conventional best ten.
Special songs:
Kabhi boole se na poochhi man ki baat rasiya by Paro Devi from Do Bhai (1947), lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
There is something charming about vintage. This is a delightful dance song, picturised on Paro Devi herself. Paro Devi who? I leave all such questions for our Arunji.
Pahle na samjha pyar tha, samjha to tumhin chal diye by Amirbai Karnataki from Eight Days (1946), lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi
By the time the lady realises it was love, her man had left. SD Burman creates this outstanding song in his debut movie for the leading singer of the time.
Chhodo chhodo mori bainya saanwre by Suman Kalyanpur from Miyan Biwi Raazi (1960), lyrics Shailendra
When I hear this song I am absolutely entranced. It is an excellent SWRP, with a delightful inflexion when the recital ends. The lead pair, who are apparently married, are somewhat inhibited, when they hear this beautiful melody filtering through. The lady is gingerly trying to pull her husband towards the song, and you see a couple of unknown actors expressing their love with unrestrained dancing and singing. Musical orchestration of SD Burman is equally superb. I recall Madhu (Dusted off) has written on songs picturised on minor characters. But within that category, there is a very specific type of songs, which are meant to be a vicarious expression of love of the restrained lead actors, who may be lovers or a newly married couple. Listen to and watch the absolutely delightful Chaahe nain churaao in this genre. Baar baar tohe kya samjhaaun also starts in the same vein. How about compiling the best dance songs watched by the shy lead pair with an expression of wishing they could do it so freely? O jaanewale baalamwa is structurally of this type, but cataclysmic changes had taken place in the lives of Karan Dewan and Swarnlata. (As I drafted it, I found Anu has covered this sub-genre too in her recent post titled ‘Unvoiced Emotions, Expressed Feelings’. Interesting telepathy.)
Now I present the best ten songs (solos) as a tribute to SD Burman on his 40th death anniversary. If you like it, you can thank me. If you had had enough of his saturation coverage, blame Dinesh.
Best ten songs
Now I start taking one best song of each singer.
1. O re maanjhi by SD Burman from Bandini (1963), lyrics Shailendra
There is something other-worldly about the voice of SD Burman. Between Sun mere bandhu re and O re majhi, if I consider only the audio, the former appeals to me more as a plaintive call (आर्त्त पुकार). But the picturisation makes a huge difference in impact. In the climax, Nutan is at a fork, torn between the train’s whistle on the one side beckoning her to a new life with Dharmendra, and the steamer on the other with a life with her past, Ashok Kumar, who appears to be terminally ill, always needing an attendant. In the last few minutes of the film she has realized that what she thought as betrayal by him was in fact a supreme sacrifice on his part for the cause. Dinesh rightly says that a song is a sum total of lyrics, singing, music and its context. One of the iconic climaxes in films, it has a painting like beauty. This is complemented by beautiful lyrics by Shailendra, and singing by the matchless maestro himself. So here is my song no. 1.
2. Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukaare chale gaye by Rafi from Kaala Paani (1958), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri
There are different views whether Rafi or Kishore Kumar was SD Burman’s most favourite singer. But everyone agrees that he had a special regard for Rafi; there were songs which were meant only for him, and SD Burman is easily rated among the top five composers who gave the best songs for Rafi. Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukare chale gaye is one such special song which brings out the quintessential Rafi. What voice modulation and what emotion! Dev Anand is superb in lip-synching the song. As the readers are aware, it is based on a Bengali non-film song Ghum bhulechhi, sung by SD Burman himself. I have stated earlier that his voice belongs to another planet, but you can admire his genius in adapting those songs in the voices of other playback singers, and creating another set of timeless songs.
3. Ye raat ye chaandni phir kahaan by Hemant Kumar from Jaal (1952), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi
Hemant Kumar is everyone’s favourite. He cannot sing anything which is less than sweet and melodious. The ultimate lover boy, Dev Anand in checkered sweater, with the guitar in his hand, singing this sublime Sahir poetry in moonlit night – can anything be more romantic? No wonder the song makes Geeta Bali swoon. It can easily count among the overall best songs of Hemant Kumar.
4. Mitwa laagi re ye kaisi anbujh aag by Talat Mahmood from Devdas (1955), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi
Even with a very small number of songs for Talat Mahmood, SD Burman was able to create many immortal songs for him. Jaayen to jaayen kahaan fetched him his first Filmfare award. If I only consider the audio, Jalate hain jiske liye is my top Talat favourite. But seen in totality, Mitwa has a picture-postcard beauty. Bimal Roy was the cinematographer in PC Barua-KL Saigal’s Devdas (1935). When he makes it himself twenty years later, he brings alive the village of Sharatchandra’s Bengal. Rated as the best Devdas adaptation, it is an example of the film version enhancing the original literary work. Devdas realises that the letter he wrote in haste has toughened the pride of Paro, and the situation has become irretrievable. You can’t think of another song of such loneliness, despair and hopelessness.
5. O jaanewale ho sake to laut ke ana by Mukesh from Bandini (1963), lyrics Shailendra
Ashok Kumar’s failure to turn up on the promised date brings Nutan and her father shame in the village. Unable to stand the slander, Nutan leaves stealthily in the night when this atmospheric song beseeches her to come back, if possible. The poignancy in Mukesh’s voice ‘..ho sakey to’ gives enough foreboding that it is not going to happen.
6. Mat ro mata laal tere bahutere from Bandini (1963), lyrics Shailendra
Manna Dey’s Poochho na kaise is placed at a special pedestal by the connoisseurs. I have a great fondness for Bhairav’s consort Bhairavi, and therefore, I have a huge liking for Hato kaahe ko jhoothi banaao batiyan and Kisne chilma se mara, even though these are light-hearted songs picturised on comedians. But one song which always gave me gooseflesh even without the visuals was Mat ro mata laal tere bahutere. In the movie the song is only obliquely connected to the main story. Ashok Kumar, who had ‘betrayed’ Nutan, was a revolutionary. This jail, which housed the Bandini, also housed some revolutionaries. In this scene one of the them is being taken to the gallows, watched by his stunned mother and all the inmates. The man is calm and confident and pleads with his mother not to cry; he was born on the earth crying, but now he was taking leave with smile on his lips. You can admire SD Burman’s genius in giving a fast and joyous orchestration to a song which is deeply poignant. Manna Dey is in his elements in conveying pathos and bravery at the same time with his full-throated voice.
7. Maana janaab ne pukara nahi by Kishore Kumar from Paying Guest (1957), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri
If SD Burman had a special place for Rafi, he had fondness for Kishore Kumar. Pre-1969 (Aaradhana), it was only SD Burman who made Kishore Kumar a lead singer under Navketan for Dev Anand. Their songs range from a deeply soulful Dukhi man mere to a playful Mana janaab ne pukara nahi. The song fits like T with the persona of the eternal romantic Dev Anand in this fun movie. I chose Rafi’s serious song, let me take Kishore Kumar’s light-hearted teasing song.
8. Thandi hawayein lahra ke ayein by Lata Mangeshkar from Naujawan (1951), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi
आहा हा हा अहा हा हा हाहा – What a composition! The innocent beauty Nalini Jaywant steeped in love, cool breeze, the moon and the stars, Sahir’s poetry, SD Burman’s music with excellent instrumental and whistling interludes, Lata Mangeshkar’s divine voice. This is my clear choice for Lata Mangeshkar, and I don’t care if it is alleged to be inspired from a foreign tune.
9. Ab ke baras bhej bhaiya ko babul by Asha Bhosle from Bandini (1963), lyrics Shailendra
Bandini again! But I have tried only to balance the singer, if I start restricting not more than one song per film, I would lose some real gems. Ab ke baras bhej has a special niche among Asha Bhosle songs. The female prisoner on the grinding wheel has no real hope that anyone would come for her. It is said that when Asha Bhosle sang this song, all the emotions for her brother and family welled up inside her, as she was estranged from them at the time, and you have this immortal gem. If you want to limit one song from Bandini, you have to keep this one. Choose Sun mere bandhu re for SD Burman, Chal ri sajani for Mukesh and some other song for Manna Dey from my shortlist. This double song link also includes the bonus of Amir Khusro’s Kaahe ko dini bides lakhi babul mere in the voice of Mukesh from Suhagraat (1948).
10. Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam by Geeta Dutt from Kagaz Ke Phool (1959), lyrics Kaifi Azmi
SD Burman gave Geeta Dutt her first superhit song Mera sundar sapna beet gaya. This remains an eternal favourite. Waqt ne kiya scores for its overall impact, with Guru Dutt/VK Murthy’s famed play with light and shades, Kaifi Azmi’s elegant poetry, Geeta Dutt’s singing and SD Burman’s outstanding music in this film, mirroring Guru Dutt’s own life of a superb talent torn between two women, leading to his ultimate destruction.
11. Man mor hua matwala by Suraiya from Afsar (1950), lyrics Narendra Sharma
Suraiya is another singer for whom SD Burman composed very few songs, but these still count among her best. Nain deewane based on Rabindrsangeet, She din dujone, is equally popular. A less known song from the same film, but my great favourite is Pardesi re jaate jaate jiya mora liye jaye. The superb combination of wind, string and percussion instruments with a very elongated Mo…………r in Suraiya’s melodious voice creates a haunting effect. And what poetry by Narendra Sharma – तुम सुर हो मैं मधुर रागिनी / तुम नस नस रस की फुहार मैं रोम रोम मधुशाला.
12. Sainya dil mein aana re by Shamshad Begum from Bahaar (1951), lyrics Rajendra Krishna
SD Burman and Shamshad Begum seem to be a most unlikely combination. But see how they jell in this debut Hindi film of Vyjayanthimala. This was a remake of the Tamil film Vazhkai (1949), also starring her in debut. The song is an everlasting hit, and very popular for remixes.
I would find it difficult to prune the above list to ten. If baker’s dozen can be thirteen, why not resolve that SoY’s ten can be anything from ten to thirteen, depending on the context.
And the ‘Sartaj’ song?
I stick to my principled position. The burden of proof lies on the person who challenges the default position. The person claiming that the sun rises in the west has to prove it, and it is not for the others to disprove it. The time has come for Dinesh to prove that he means what he says. I call upon him to fulfil his part of the obligation and complete the exercise of choosing the Best of Bests.