The Three Reigning Queens

Thanks SP,
Please reuplaod Pujari (1946) OR RAJPUTANI (1946)

(Meena) Baiju Bawra (1952)

This probably is one of the greatest musical achievements of Indian film music. It certainly is the finest feather in the cap of the incomparable Naushadji. I am uploading these songs on request in four back-to-back posts.

Here are the songs in the first post...

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Jan 23 2011, 03:36 AM

More Songs from "Baiju Bawra (1952)"...

More songs from this Naushadji's greatest achievement...

Continuing Songs from "Baiju Bawra (1952)"...

Here are more songs from the immortal classic from Naushadji's greatest achievement...

Concluding Songs from "Baiju Bawra (1952)"...

Here is the conclusion of the celebration of music, Naushadji style, at its best...

This movie had another unreleased song sung by Rafi - "Rulane ko aansoo jalane". Anybody having it?

Viraj

Yogi, I don't have any songs from "Pujari (1946)". Requesting members to share any songs they may have. Thanks.

I have only three songs from "Rajputani (1946)" that I am uploading below. Requesting members to share the missing songs if they can. Thank you very much.

Of the three songs I am uploading below, "Parwaane" is from a CD collection. The other two songs were contributed by Mirsaji. Thank you very much Mirsaji.

Here are the three songs...

Thanks a lot!!

thank you SP
request to all for remaining songs..

next Chittor Vijay (1947) OR Khubsoorat Duniya (1947)

Yogi,

I don't have a single song from either of these albums. Requesting members to share songs from these if they can. Thank you.

Cheers,
S

ok SP no probs!!

next Mere Bhagwan (1947)

My Dear Yogi,

I'm so sorry to disappoint you but the only song I have from this film is the following that I am uploading. This one is due to our fellow member Faraaj. Thank you Faraaj. I am requesting members to share other songs from this film if they can. Thank you. Here is the only song I have...

Cheers,
Swarapriya

(Meena) Sharada (1957)

This was the first Hindi film from the venerable L.V. Prasad under his own home production banner. His is a story of rags to riches and in between filled with many many struggles and uphill battles. Here is his brief biography.

(This article is condensed and adapted from an article I wrote earlier for the savithri.info website.)

L.V. Prasad (his photo is attached below), whose full name was Akkineni Lakshmi Vara Prasad, was born in Andhra Pradesh in 1908. As a child he did not show much interest in studies. He was attracted to dramas and movies and wanted to be part of them.

Prasad married young at 17, and soon thereafter had a daughter. He had a strong urge to act in movies, and one night he quietly slipped away from his home without telling his wife.

After he arrived in Mumbai, Prasad who spoke only Telugu, found it difficult to find employment in the film industry. But after months of struggle, he found a job running errands with the Venus Film Company. He landed finally a small role in the first India Talkie (a talkie is a talking movie as compared to a silent one) cinema in Hindi, “Alam Ara” in 1931. While working on “Alam Ara,” Prasad met H.M. Reddy, now known as the “Telugu Cine Pitamaha” or the grandfather of the Telugu cinema. Reddy was making arrangements for a Tamil film, “Kalidas”, and offered Prasad a small role in it. This was the first Tamil Talkie. Coincidentally, he landed a role in the first Telugu Talkie, “Bhaktha Prahlada”. Thus, Prasad is the only person who had the distinction of appearing in the first Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu Talkies.

After this Prasad was in and and out of jobs and worked either in Chennai or in Mumbai wherever he found work. During one of his Mumbai stints he met the great stage and film actor Prithviraj Kapoor. Prasad worked at Prithvi Theatres and during this time he met and befriended young Raj Kapoor, the oldest son of Prithviraj.

After the War, Chennai was busy again making movies. Prasad decided to move to Chennai. He was immediately hired not only to act in the film “Griha Pravesham” but also to direct it. The movie became a hit and it is now considered to be one of the landmark movies of 40’s. Following this success, Prasad acted in or directed several movies. One of these movies “Mana Desam,” made in 1949, introduced young N.T. Rama Rao in a supporting role. Rao later became a much sought after actor and a successful politician.

Prasad directed Vijaya Pictures first film “Shavukar” in 1950, which became a hit and established him as one of the premiere directors. In that same year he also directed “Samsaram,” another hit that introduced Savithri in a bit role. Subsequently, Prasad directed Sivaji Ganesan in the Tamil film “Manohara,” which elevated Sivaji to unprecedented heights of stardom.

Prasad started his own company in 1956 and made “Ilavelpu” in Telugu. He later remade this in Hindi as “Sharada (1957)” with Raj Kapoor. It was the first of many successful Hindi films to come out of the Prasad Pictures banner. Prasad produced films in various Indian languages, including Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Tamil, and Telugu.

In 1982, Prasad received Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his distinguished service to the Indian cinema.

Prasad -- an actor, director, camera assistant, story writer, and producer passed away in 1994.

Songs of "Sharada" start in the next post...

Songs of "Sharada (1957)"

This film was based on a hit Tamil and Telugu film. I will upload some of the songs from the Telugu film, "Ilavelupu (1957)", immediately following uploads of the Hindi songs in this section.

There are quite a few songs in this film. I will upload them in two back-to-back posts. Here are the songs in the first post...

Concluding Songs from "Sharada (1957)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this album...