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Here I propose to deposit nice articles to which links from appropriate fora/threads could be provided. This would enable discussion to happen elsewhere while the articles themselves are in one place. I am starting off with a few interesting articles that I found.

Ai Mere Pyare Watan

He is perhaps the last of the living legends among male singers, gifted with a unique voice no one has managed to ape till now. While you come across clones of other legendary singers in the present day world of vocal music, Manna Dey remains as original and incomparable through the years. At 84, he is fit as a fiddle, and recently sang for four hours to raise funds for the Robin Raina Foundation in Atlanta, a charity to aid under privileged children worldwide, because he deeply believes in the cause.
In an exclusive interview with Little India, the elegantly clad Dey talks about a life filled with music, his journey as a singer and composer and why in spite of the consensus he never received his due as a singer, he takes it all in his stride with humor and humility.

What are the early memories of growing up and music?
In my formative years I was surrounded by music because of my uncle, the famous singer K.C. Dey, but until he became blind at the age of 13 and turned to music to support himself no one in the family was musically inclined. A benefactor took him under his wing because he thought my uncle was a musical genius, which he was, and made him learn at the feet of great ustads.

Uncle in turn imparted that knowledge to my late brother and me, but he made it very clear that to deserve that kind of musical education, we had to desire and work for it.

Other than that I don’t really come from a family of musicians, though several legendary musicians like Allauddin Khan Sahib, Inayat Khan, the late Vilayat Khan’s father and many other maestros visited our house, since they were my uncle’s contemporaries.

We lived in a joint family and still do, in the same house where my father, uncle and I were born. Still it was made very clear to me by my father and my eldest uncle, who was an engineer and the self appointed decision maker for every one in the family, that I had to finish my education first and preferably do law. When I finished my undergrad studies, there were two choices before me, to study law or music. I chose the latter. My father wasn’t too pleased with my choice, but I got tremendous support from my uncle and started learning from him. K.C Dey never married, so I became the son he never had, and he was instrumental in helping me realize my dreams as long as I was willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Until then I had no formal musical education.
Having said that I must add that like most Bengali house holds music was a part of our upbringing, so I would sleep and wake up to the sounds of music and subconsciously and consciously began to imbibe all that I had heard around me, and later when I did get into it, uncle did not have to teach me from scratch.

So did you ever go through the tough regimen of learning music where the gurus punished their students-one hears stories of incessant hours of torturous practice, scoldings, Ali Akbar Khan was even tied to a tree!
I’m afraid that is an approach I don’t think much of. My uncle was a hard task master, but never unkind or cruel. He was strict and the day I decided to become a singer he gave me a tanpura and expected rigorous practice from me. I was very fond of outdoor sports like boxing, wrestling, I used to love flying kites and had a very cavalier attitude and so when I should have been practicing music I would be out playing sports and in turn he would scold me but never in the horrible way some people treated their students. His concern was out of love and he wanted me to focus and apply my mind.

He was the pioneer in introducing sugam sangeet or light music to the masses.
Yes and actually a lot of people didn’t know that my uncle was a classically trained singer and used to sing dhrupad, dhamar, khayal, thumri, tappe and ghazal. He was very versatile, and in those days when every one was singing only classical, my uncle became a pioneer of sugam sangeet or light music. It was a master stroke. I can’t fathom how it even dawned on him that somehow the appreciation for classical music is very limited and that simplifying music would garner a much wider audience for him and it did. He modeled his music in a way that the common man could listen and identify with it. As a result he was worshiped in Bengal. When he started singing and working in Hindi movies and theatre, his songs became a rage all over India. I remember going to Karachi with him and when my uncle began singing songs like Baba Man ki Ankhen Khol and Teri Gathri Mein Laga Chor Musafir, the entire audience started singing with him. That was an unforgettable experience in itself.

You yourself seem to be fonder of sugam sangeet even though you have amazing classical range and mastery.
Learning classical music is essential for a strong foundation, but frankly I was not cut out for classical singing. I just don’t appreciate the fact that you sit there singing the same raga for 2-3 hours. It is too repetitive and really tries the patience of the listener. K.C. Dey was the greatest influence in my life and my style of singing has been aligned with his right from the beginning. I also seem to have this ability to grasp things quickly, and I could reproduce what my uncle played on tabla and sang with great accuracy. My uncle was also very particular about the company he kept and wanted me to keep. He didn’t want me around unsavory people. Good influences and wholesome friendships were very crucial and I follow that to this day.

You left Calcutta and went to Bombay to try your hand at singing there. How was the journey?
The music in Calcutta was getting on my nerves. It was nothing but Rabindra sangeet and so I decided to go to Bombay not realizing it would be pretty tough. Firstly I was Bengali and thus an outsider and I would hear comments like, “Arey Bengali Babu go back to Bengal and eat your rasgullas, and stay there.” I went with my uncle so that made it a bit easier. I worked as his assistant for 5 years and was paid the princely sum of Rs 500 in those days.

I got my first break at the age of 22-23, when I sang Upar Gagan Vishal for the film Ram Rajya and was immediately branded as a singer of religious songs. I was constantly approached to sing for old bearded characters in movies and I was barely in my early twenties. It was a very trying time for me. I sang the song Chali Radhey Rani Akhiyon Main Pani for well known film maker Bimal Roy. It became a big hit and Bimal Roy said Manna have you seen the song on screen? I said no, he said you must go and see for yourself how deeply it continues to move the audience. I went and what do I see: another old man with a beard singing the song and I got so mad. I was in two minds whether to return to Calcutta or to stay on and not give up.

Was it true that there used to be a clique and music directors stuck with certain singers and didn’t give other a chance.
I don’t know about cliques and there is nothing wrong in struggling. I think we all had a quota, and it wasn’t as if I sang everything music directors composed or others did. Yes there were favorites but that is part of the game.

You have sung for so many legendary music directors. Can you share memories of those times.
Yes I did sing for all of them. S.D Burman was in a league of his own. I knew him from the time I was a child as he would come and study music under my uncle. I was always attracted to Burman da because he looked like a chinaman and I used to sit next to him and watch him sing. I loved his nasal tone and style of singing and used to imitate him in college days and sing like him. The way he sang was very typical of East Bengal and his accent remained the same even when he sang in Hindi. His voice was very distinct and he became a trendsetter. There is no one who can sing Wahan Kaun Hai Tera Musafir like Burman da did. He loved me a lot and we often played tennis together. He was kind enough to say that if someone composes lyrics from his heart, the only singers who can put soul into those lyrics are Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey. It was always at the back of my mind to live up to his expectations. He mentioned some songs that I had sung with such emotion Poocho Na Kaise Maine Rain Bitaye and the song that moved him was the famous Ai Mere Pyare Watan from the film Kabuli Wallah.

We were rehearsing the song and a close friend of mine Mr. Sharma was listening and came out and said Manna your voice is sounding very listless. There is no pizzaz. What are you singing? SD Burman retorted that on the contrary that was exactly the way the song was to be sung. It was being picturized on a man who was a poor kabuliwallah from Afghanistan who worked all day and would return to this crowded home he shared with others and while others would sleep, he would take out his rabab and sing yearningly of the land he left behind. I couldn’t have sung it in a robust manner. When music director Salil Chaudhry heard it he wept.

Salil was a personal friend and not just a musical genius, he was also a writer par excellence and his lyrics were in great demand and are to this day even though he passed away long ago. He was an intellectual in the true sense of the word. Any time you sat down with Salil you returned enriched on so many other subjects.
Shankar Jaikishan gave me some amazing songs to sing. I was closer to Shankar and he truly appreciated my voice and for 20 years the duo gave me songs that will remain evergreen for years to come. Their diversity and creativity was unbelievable I remember when Bharat Bhushan had become a big star, Mohd Rafi used to sing all his songs, Shankar created a beautiful song in his film Baiju Bawra which was being produced by Bharat Bhushan’s brother Shashi Bhushan. Shashi on finding out that I was singing the song came over and protested. He wanted Rafi to sing it. Shankar persisted and told him it was either me or he could find another music director. That s how I came to sing Sur Na Saje Kya Gaoon Mein which became a huge hit. After Shashi Bhushan heard that song he came and hugged me and acknowledged that no one could have sung it as well as I had.

Shankar also gave you the opportunity to sing the duet Ketaki Ghulab Juhi with classical singing legend Bhimsen Joshi. How tough was that?
My God that was a story in itself. Shankar told me Manna tighten your belt you are going to have the time of your life with the next composition. You are going to sing a classical duet with someone. They didn’t tell me who. I said sure and started practicing. After a few days I was told please come over, the tune is ready and the singer with whom I was to sing the duet was none other than Bhimsen Joshi. The duet was between the hero and his rival and I was supposed to sing for the hero and win. I got the shivers and said I can’t sing against Bhimsen Joshi and win, its impossible.

So I went home and told my wife, lets abscond somewhere for a few days and come back when Shankar Jaikishan have found some one else and completed the recording.

My wife looked at me and said shame on you, how dare you even suggest something like that? Besides you are singing for the hero, you have to make him win. It was a very difficult song, but I gave it my all and afterwards Bhinsen Joshi was kind enough to say Manna Sahib, you sing quite well. Why don’t you sing classical music and take it up seriously? I said maybe it came out well because I was singing before someone like you and was inspired to give my best, but that is where it stays!
Anil Biswas also came up some brilliant compositions for me, but it was Roshan who really challenged me. You will understand what I mean if you listen to Na To Caravan Ki Talash Hai. Roshan warned me, Look Manna, Rafi is singing for the hero, but you are singing for the Ustad(maestro). The difference should show. When I rendered the alaap for that even Roshan was stunned. He said indeed you have proved yourself.
Most music directors let me improvise, but Naushad Sahib was immovable. It was either his way or no way! C Ramchandra was very exacting too, but then I learnt a lot from him. He taught me how important clear diction and pronunciation were, and would not allow any word to be mispronounced. As it is, I’m very particular about pronunciation and you will see it in all my songs even the regional ones, but C Ramchandra was even more meticulous.

Anil Biswas also said that you were the only singer who took notation for every song and had it done in one take, and that you could sing everything Rafi or Kishore or Mukesh or Talat Mehmood could sing, but they could not sing everything you sang.
That is very generous of him. He was very fond of me, but I don’t think there is anyone to touch Mohd Rafi. It is true I took notations and got every song right in one rehearsal. I even tried to teach Lata and Asha how to take notations, but these girls after the initial enthusiasm of wanting to know would not follow through!
Tell me about Rafi. Not too many people know that you pulled Rafi out of a chorus line and gave him his break.

Rafi was junior to me and did sing very often in the chorus when I sang the lead, but then I found out what a rare talent he had and knew he would be incomparable in any field, but especially in the field of film singing. There were some songs of mine that were in a league of their own, but in Raft’s case anything he sang was incredible. In fact there were times my uncle K.C Dey would be composing a tune and I would assist him. Once he was composing a song for a film called Justice and I was assisting him. When the tune was ready he said “Let Rafi know.” I said, “Know what,” and he said, “That the tune is ready and he has to sing this song.” I felt very hurt and said. “why? Can’t I sing it?” My uncle said, “No you cannot, only he can sing this.” I swallowed my pride and fetched him and then after he finished recording, I realized that indeed I could not have sung it as well as he did.

Who did you enjoy singing with more, Lata or Asha?
I have sung more duets with Lata than I have with any one else. I first met Lata at a rehearsal with Anil Biswas. I saw this dark, ill clad girl sitting nearby and after finishing my rehearsal , Anil said, “Manna this is the daughter of Dina Nath Mangeshkar. Have you heard her sing?” Her father had passed away and they had come upon hard times. I sat down to listen to her and the moment she started singing I realized this was a prodigy sitting before me.

Both sisters are incomparable, but Asha is very versatile and singing with her meant impromptu improvisations, and we would go back and forth, testing and challenging each other. It was a lot of fun. People say the two sisters wouldn’t let any one else come into the industry. I say even if that was true, there was still no one who could come close to them in terms of talent and hard work.

Which is the song you look back at and say, what an amazing composition and I have done full justice to it?

The one I sang for Manoj Kumar’s film Upkar, Kasme Vaade Pyar Wafa Sab. It was filmed on Pran who always acted as a villain in films. This was a sympathetic role for him and it changed the course of his acting career. He called me and said, Mannaji I’m getting an opportunity to have a song filmed on me for the first time. Manoj will explain my role to you, please don’t make it so tough that I can’t do justice to your rendition on screen. Manoj and I started rehearsing that song in the morning. in between he escorted me to a function where I had to sing and then we returned and finished the song. Manoj was so dedicated and the way he would immerse himself when I sang was very gratifying.

What about Raj Kapoor? Even though he used Mukesh for most of his songs, he had you sing some wonderful numbers for him.
I was very fortunate to sing and work with film makers of his stature. Every song recording under Raj Kapoor was an unforgettable event in itself. He left no stone unturned to make it the best possible presentation. Often he would sit with a dholak (Indian percussion instrument) and would say let’s have fun. During the recording of Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua from the film Chori Chori, we were recording with a full orchestra and kept waiting for Rajji to show up. He was very late and arrived just as we were going to pack up. He was so humble he would touch people’s feet and beg forgiveness, then ask for a round of tea, and then we got to it. As we sang Raj asked for extra space and took an umbrella and envisioned the scene as we sang. We started in the morning and were rehearsing till 10 p.m., because he was so engrossed in it. I also remember when I sang the song E Bhai from Mera Naam Joker which netted me the Filmfare award. I was away at a program and returned around 1 p.m. As we started rehearsing Rajji who had such a keen ear for music, felt we needed to add a violinist. Five violinists were rounded up auditioned, trained and then we started recording. That was the kind of dedication and meticulous work that went into film making in those days.

Mehmood passed away recently. You have sung some amazing numbers for him, Ek Chatur Naar with Kishore, Phul Gendwa Na Maro. Mehmood had become the kind of actor, where films were written around him. How was the experience singing for him?
Absolutely wonderful. Mehmood would sit down with me and take notes, asking me how I sang, watching me render the lines so he could bring all the movements in my voice, the emotions into his acting on screen. He was a very kind man and full of fun.

People cannot stop raving about your Bengali compositions.
I have sung about 2,500 songs in Bengali and composed the music for about 95 percent of them. You won’t believe this, but every single household in West Bengal and East Bengal which is now Bangladesh has those songs. Wherever I perform they know each and every song of mine. If I forget the lyrics the audience hums it for me. It overwhelms me with gratitude. For me it is wonderful to see the large number of people that still love my songs. I sang before 5,000 people recently in New York. It was some sort of festival and I said to the organizers, “You want me to sing here where people are busy shopping and eating?” They said you don’t realize the power of your singing, just start. I did and people stopped everything and listened with such attention and in silence.

Does it surprise you that we have not had a Manna Dey clone till this day while many people have cloned their voices on Rafi and Kishore?
Well it’s no fault of mine! The voice is God given, but I have worked hard to improve it. I do have to say though that I recently heard a Maharastrian, a young man sing my songs, and some very difficult songs at that with such incredible beauty that I was totally surprised. He sang Laga Chunari Mein Daag so well that even I sat there amazed. I guess my voice and unusual style of renditions did help me carve a place for myself and maybe in general it is difficult to mimic.

What do you think of today’s music? And why have you eased yourself away from singing in films?
Can you single out one composer today who is the caliber of the musicians of my times or knows what he is doing? Whatever is happening in the field of music is very unhealthy. Thanks to music videos anyone and ever one can become a singer, so one good thing has happened, even if they don’t know how to, every one sings! When there are songs like Main to seeti baja raha tha, bhelpuri kha raha tha, tujhe mirchi lagi to main kya karoon,(I was eating bhelpuri and whistling and if you thought the chilies were too spicy what can I do?) what do you expect? Even regional music is cloning itself on Bollywood music. I think with the exception of Amir Khan and Yash Chopra I don’t see anyone else creating the kind of films that require good music. I like Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik and Sunidhi Chauhan as singers, but even they are not getting the kind of music that can exploit their real talent.

I still sing and do select shows. I’m in good health, both my daughters are wonderful singers and chose not to get into the industry. They saw the cutthroat competition between Lata and Asha and that put them off. Both of them are professionals. In fact my older daughter works for Sun Microsystems in California. I have a wonderful wife whom I love dearly and I live a disciplined life. More than anything else I am grateful that there are so many people who deeply appreciate the kind of music I believe in and show up to hear my songs. And that is good enough for me.


Source: http://www.littleindia.com/september2004/A...ePyareWatan.htm

"At times, Asha outdid her sister"

Manna Dey Humility becomes him. As Manna Dey, the singer supreme who lorded over the film industry for more than five decades, takes stock of his life, he is at peace.

Mannada, as he is fondly called, remains modest about his illustrious reign. "I have always learnt from the others," he says, and his youthful and amiable demeanour belies his years. "I am 40 years old at heart," he declares, laughing, as he settles down valuable nuggets of his vast reign in the industry.

Rafi, Asha, Lata, R D Burman, Shankar Jaikishen… memories of old friends soon become real, and you find that Mannada has a kind word for everyone. He paints every memory from the past with amazing vibrancy, and fondly recalls some special moments. The fabric of his rich experience unravels to reveal multi-coloured threads, as one sits fascinated…


Your long and illustrious run started when your uncle K C Dey brought you from Kolkata to Mumbai. How did the journey actually begin?
I come from a conservative Bengali family, where the onus is on education. My uncle K C Dey was hailed as the "Blind singer of Bengal." He was a great artist in every way. My chartered accountant father was keen that I pursue law. In those days, the elders made decisions for the younger ones in the family, so I was all set to become a barrister.

My uncle was instrumental in bringing me to Mumbai. But I made a promise to my father that if things did not work, I would return and pursue law. But, thanks to the grace of God, I did not have to do that.

How were the initial days?
I did not know what was in store for me when I came to Mumbai, My uncle, who was a good teacher, put me through the rigours of classical music. I was made to perfect classical notes, and such nuances as the ghazal, thumri and thappa. My training was very wholesome, since I was also made to listen to popular music and develop an ear for that.

But life was not without struggles. I believe in being relentless, so I pursued my chosen path with single-minded determination. There were times when I wanted to go back to Kolkata, but I knew that I could not give up.

So when did the breakthrough occur?
I got my first independent break in 1944, with the Prakash Pictures film Ram Rajya, produced by Vijay Bhatt. The producer first approached my uncle to sing for the part of Valmiki, but he declined, since he wanted to sing and play Valmiki's role. He then suggested my name. But the producer was very sceptical.

After all, I was only 24. But when they recorded my voice, they felt that it would suit the character. That was the beginning. After this first song, I sang in mythological films for a long time, almost six years.

I got a sum of Rs 150 for my first song. Yes, it did feel good to get that first sum of money. But, looking back, it was of no consequence. After all, people had invested their trust in me, and I had to prove myself.

Did you run the risk of being typecast as a singer in mythological films?
Yes, for some time, I was reduced to singing in mythological films. But things changed in the early 1950s. Filmmakers started concentrating on social issues.

Personally, my repertoire widened with the 1950 film Mashaal. S D Burman was wielding the musical baton, and I was asked to sing a song called Oopar gagan vishaal. Burmanda, who was my uncle's disciple, asked me to sing in guruji's (that was what my uncle was called) open-throated style. Of course, there were sceptics who were not sure of my ability to switch genres.

But I was soon recognised as a singer of versatility. I then progressed to working with almost all composers. With each, I have had a lot of valuable experiences.

You are said to have a soft corner for S D Burman and Shankar-Jaikishen…
My contact with S D Burman goes back to my days in Kolkata. Burmanda used to frequent our house when I was a child in shorts, and I have learnt a lot of valuable things from him. He had his own distinct style, and was very popular with people in Bengal. In fact, I worked as his assistant in 1948, before my singing career really blossomed.

I also am fond of Shankar-Jaikishen, since their compositions are truly remarkable. Their style is also praiseworthy. In fact, they first gave me an opportunity to sing for Raj Kapoor, which I consider an honour in its own right. Raj Kapoor was one of the few filmmakers in this country who had a respect for melody.

Shankar-Jaikishen's penchant for romantic melodies is astounding. I read somewhere that when Jayalalitha was coaxed by Simi Grewal to sing on her show, she let her guard down and hummed a few lines of Aaja sanam, which was my song, composed by Shankar-Jaikishen. I have had some of my best memories with them.

It was said that one could entrust any classical song to Manna Dey and he would do full justice to it…
If you look at my body of songs, you will find a lot of variety. I have ventured into classical melodies, fun songs and light music. My knowledge of classical music stemmed from long hours of practice and knowledge of the intricacies of raag and notes. It was not all book knowledge, mind you. But I had to constantly sit up and take notice of competition.


How did you peacefully co-exist with singers like Mohammed Rafi?
Some healthy jealousy is always good. In the case of Rafi, I would declare that he was the best singer we had. The standards that man set always made us want to sing better. There is no way I can match up to Rafi. We have sung many duets together, and each of these would be a learning experience.

Rafi was a born Hindi singer, while I was a born Bengali singer. So I would always try to better what he did, but he still remains supreme.

Singing involves a bit of acting, and Rafi was perfect at it. If you notice, he sounded like Shammi Kapoor when he sang for him, and Dev Anand when he did playback vocals for him. I still sing Rafi's songs in private. That man is an institution.

What are your other pleasant memories of the industry?
I remember when Rafi and I lived on the northern and southern sides of a playground in Mumbai, and our daughters went to the same school. We celebrated festivals together.

Kishore Kumar was the epitome of effervescence. He was full of life, and really enjoyed his singing. He did not have any formal training. People used to say, Dekho, Kishore ko Sa re ga ma nahin aata. But he proved himself as a singer of worth.

Lata is monumental in her own right, still going strong. But her sister Asha is a bundle of talent. I have always worked extra hard while singing with Asha. In fact, she sometimes outdid her sister.

Who is the one performer who has translated your songs most effectively on screen?
There were great performers in my time. But one person who stood head and shoulders above the rest was Uttam Kumar, the immortal Bengali actor. It was a long time before I actually started singing in Bengali. My mother insisted that I should do justice to Bengali films also.

I did a lot of singing for Uttam Kumar. In fact, his songs are so revered in Kolkata today that no ceremony starts unless I sing his numbers. But I was most contented when people said that Uttam Kumar acquired a new identity because of Manna Dey's voice.

Awards have eluded you…
I have lost faith in the awards system in this country. There was a time when I would feel cheated, but I slowly resigned myself to the fact that awards are not the true measure of success. My singing has been most rewarding.

I have seen instances where composers have tried to buy awards, and compete with one another to generate the highest bidding. It was almost like, Agar woh itna dega to main utna doonga.

Imagine, I did not win awards for my best songs - Poochho na kaise, Laaga chunri mein daag, Aye mere pyaare watan, Kasme vaade… In the end, to pay lip service, they gave me an award for Aye bhai zara dekh ke chalo from Mera Naam Joker. Hard work and appreciation is your greatest reward.

Do you think the legacy of film music is intact?
I am saddened by the noise that is composed under the guise of music these days. We do not lack in talent. Where are composers like Roshan, Khemchand Prakash, S D Burman and R D Burman?

Every song sounds hackneyed. People are constrained by time. In our times, every song was a labour of love, and we used to spend days rehearsing it. Now, people have a particular prototype and work around it for a readymade set of tunes. Some of our singers are excellent, mind you. They just don't have the right opportunities.

There are people who sing 28 songs a day…
If I met the man who sang 28 songs, I would turn around and ask him if he were stupid. If you did half-baked justice to your work, it would apparently show. In my time, we would record one song a day, and invest all our energies in it. That is why singers like Rafi had such a long run.

There were times when Rafi and Asha sang five songs a day. I once asked Asha and she helplessly said, Kya karoon dada, chhodte nahin. But does Asha sound jaded now? She is still going strong.

What about films?
Do they make films which you can watch with your families any more? I feel embarrassed sitting through current films. But there are certain actors whom I have a soft corner for. Aamir Khan is one of them. He is my pet. He is a man of great vision, and has pursued his goal in the right earnest. Otherwise, I do not find distinct differences between any of the others.

Who is the one music director who could compose the perfect tune for Manna Dey now?
As I said, I do not think too much of today's melodies. I do admire A R Rahman, for he is a master of rhythm. He is extremely experimental, and leaves no stone unturned in trying out new things. But I did listen to the songs of Lagaan and did not find anything special about them.

I am open to singing even today, but the melody has to be extremely fulfilling. Composing and singing are sublime experiences, and much of the respect for melody has been violated.


Source: http://music.indya.com/classics/ind/mannadey_in.html

Bollywood Music Directors - Some Facts!
by Dr. Narasinha Kamath

All music lovers of Hindi Film songs should be highly indebted to the Great Music Directors of the Golden Era of 1950s and 1960s. Most of these music directors left a treasure of melodious songs behind them, which we still want to listen and enjoy even after 50 years. Many movies of the golden era have been long forgotten, yet the songs of these old movies still linger on to entertain us over and over again. There are lots of inside stories associated with these old music directors. The purpose of my article is to bring forward some of these inside stories to the readers.

I have written this article based on what I read in various cine magazines, Marathi books on film music, various radio and TV interviews. Later, I validated this information by checking with insiders of the Hindi film industry.

Shankar-Jaikishen: Popularly known as SJ, they were considered to be the magicians of swaras. They were the most prolific in composing variety of songs with almost no repetition. Almost every song of every movie, which was composed by this duo, was a super hit. SJ were responsible for bringing in more than 200 instrumentalists to support a song. In the 1940s, before SJ arrived on the scene, there used to be only 4 to 5 musicians to accompany a song. SJ were the trendsetters, and most of the time, other music directors had to follow this SJ trend or opt out from music industry.

When the song `Kahan jaa raha hai' from Film Seema was recorded in Rafi's voice, in the final antara of the song `…Vo kyun tod daale', his voice cracked while rendering the word `tod'. Normally, any such discrepancy would be removed and the song re-recorded. Shankar ordered that this song be re-recorded. But Jaikishen intervened and told Shankar to retain this song with the cracked voice at the word `tod'. Since this song was being picturized for a tragic sequence, it would be very effective if this cracked voice was retained, Jaikishen reasoned. This was finally accepted by Shankar and this song with the discrepancy was retained as the final version. Those who saw this movie can see for themselves how effective Jaikishen's decision was.

When the song `Mujhe tumse kuch bhi na chaahiye' from Film Kanhaiyaa was being composed, one of Jaikishen's beloved uncles had just died. Jaikishen was in a very sad mood. He instructed lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri to write the lyrics that will express Jaikishen's sad feelings at the time. Hasrat Jaipuri did justice by penning down appropriate sad words. Jaikishen set the tune in raga Darbari. And all of us know how sad we get when we listen to this song, especially when we listen to the lyrics `Mujhe mere haal pe chod do'. In reality, this song represents the sadness Jaikishen felt at the time of composing this song.

When the song `Manzil vo hi hai pyar ki' (Film: Kathputli) was being recorded by SJ, the new singer Subir Sen could not render it properly. There were more than 18 takes and yet singer Subir Sen could not deliver. Finally, Shankar got so upset that he decided to replace Subir Sen with some other singer. But Jaikishen persuaded Shankar to try one more time. Jaikishen advised Subir Sen to concentrate a little bit more. This encouraged Subir Sen and he did full justice to the song at the next take, and finally the song was recorded to the satisfaction of Shankar. This song went on to become a hit.

At the time of recording of `Pyar huwa, ikraar huwa' (Film: Shri 420), sthaayi (beginning piece) of this song was composed by Shankar and antara (middle piece) was composed by Jaikishen. Later, Shankar wanted to change the antara composed by Jaikishen, which Jaikishen vehemently opposed. Finally, this confrontation led to fist fight between the two greats. Only the timely intervention by other musicians calmed down both of them and finally Shankar agreed to retain Jaikishen's composition of antara `as is'. We all know this song is very popular even today and the best rain song composed ever.

When film Sangam was released, in the beginning, the song `Dost dost na raha' composed by Shankar topped the music popularity charts far ahead of another song `Ye mera prempatra padhkar' composed by Jaikishen. At a weekend music party hosted by Raj Kapoor to celebrate the success of Sangam, one of the guests asked Jaikishen why his song was lagging far behind Shankar's in the popularity charts. Jaikishen told him to wait for few more weeks and check the charts again. Later, the same guest approached Shankar and told him what Jaikishen had just said. Shankar was furious at Jaikishen's remark. This was really a battle royal of Shankar vs Jaikishen. Few weeks later, as Jaikishen had predicted, his song `Ye mera prempatra padhkar' topped the popularity charts far ahead of Shankar's `Dost dost na raha'. Personally, I like both the songs.

Once, in early 1950s, Lata had refused to sing the song `Main baharon ki natkhat rani' (Film: Boot Polish), because initially the lyrics were `bazaron ki', which was objectionable to Lata. So it was changed to `baharon ki' for Lata's sake. Even then Lata would not budge and continued her refusal to sing the song, and finally SJ had to record this song using Asha's voice.

When superhit song `Main kya karoon ram mujhe buddha mil gaya' was being composed at the behest of Raj Kapoor, because of the earlier incidence, SJ were worried that Lata would refuse to sing this song because of the lyrics. Lata always used to be very particular about the lyrics of the songs before recording. And Raj Kapoor wanted SJ to record this song as quickly as possible with Lata as the singer. SJ decided to trick Lata. So, SJ telephoned Lata and told her that a quick picturization of a song for Sangam had to be done at RK studios, and that she should come immediately and record the song without much rehearsal. So Lata came hurriedly and the song was quickly recorded before giving any time to Lata to grasp the meaning of the lyrics. We all know how much fun this song brought to the audience when beautiful Vyjayantimala danced to the tune, teasing aging Raj Kapoor.

Song `Rasik Balma' (Film: Chori Chori) was so much liked by famous producer Mehboob Khan that when he was hospitalized in Los Angeles, since the record was not available in the US at that time, he telephoned Lata in Mumbai and asked her to sing this song over the telephone. Listening to this song brought Mehboob Khan a great solace while he was still recuperating in the hospital. And thereafter, Lata sang this song for him over the telephone for many more days. Hats off to Jaikishen who composed such a great tune.

Dattaram was assistant music director to SJ till the end. SJ were very considerate towards Dattaram. Dattaram was a great tabla and dholak player. The beautiful dholak in the song `Gori gori gori main pariyon ki chhori' (Film: Begunah) was played by Dattaram. In my opinion, this was the best dholak accompaniment ever.

While being assistant music director to SJ, Dattaram also worked as independent music director and composed music for a few films. Most notable was his melodious music for the film Paravarish of 1958. Do you remember that lovely and all time song of Mukesh `Aansoo bhari hai, ye jeevan ki raahe' from the same film?

In the late 1960s, Shankar and Jaikishen were breaking apart because of Shankar's excessive insistence to take singer Sharda in place of Lata, which Jaikishen never liked. Although SJ continued to give music together, they were really competing against each other. Finally, differences grew up so much that Raj Kapoor literally had to pull both of them together to compose music for his film Mera Naam Joker of 1970. Later, Shankar and Jaikishen took independent contracts as music directors although they still continued to give combined SJ name. For instance, in film Andaz of 1971, music was completely composed by Jaikishen, yet in the film credit, the name Shankar-Jaikishen was retained. Film Andaaz was Jaikishen's last film. Jaikishen died on 12th Sept.1971.

After the death of Jaikishen, Shankar continued to compose music under the banner name Shankar-Jaikishen, but with the exception of his music for the film Lal Pathar (1976), Shankar's music failed miserably. Maybe after Shankar lost his soulmate Jaikishen, he could not compose properly. Shankar died later in 1987.

S.D. Burman: S.D. Burman was one of the most brilliant music directors of 1950s through mid 1970s. He was the only music director who continued to give very melodious music until his last film Abhimaan (1973). His frail health did not allow him to take too many music contracts. So he composed music for fewer films per year. He never depended on any one particular singer. On the contrary, he kept on experimenting with a variety of singers. It was one particular folk tune sung by tribal people in the forests of Tripura (which many years later he used it for the song `O re maazhi' in the film Bandini) that SDB used to listen to during his childhood, which inspired him to become a composer. Later, SDB himself sang this song for the film Bandini.

His son R.D. Burman assisted him most of the time until RDB himself became an independent music director in his own right. Most of the mouth organ pieces in SDB films were played by RDB. RDB was a great mouth organ player. In 1956, when SDB composed music for Dev Anand's film Funtoosh, after the release of this film, RDB discovered that his father had stolen one of his tunes for the song `Ai meri topi palatake aa'. When RDB questioned his father the reason for this, SDB, in his characteristic Style, replied that he purposely did it so that he could test RDB's composition skills in public domain. Everyone knows this song became very popular.

When RDB started composing music independently, one day he noticed SDB returned from his morning walk in a very good mood, which was very unusual. So RDB asked his father the reason. SDB replied that while he was taking his morning walk, he came across two people who were talking to each other. One person told his companion, “Look, R.D. Burman's father just walked by.” This statement assured SDB that RDB had finally arrived in music world. Earlier, RDB was known as SDB's son. Now on, people will recognize SDB as RDB's father.

SDB gave new lease of life to Kishore Kumar. In 1968, after singing for RDB's `Padosan', KK was not getting any assignments and, out of frustration, decided to go back permanently to his native place Khandwa in MP. KK's song `Kehna hai, kehna hai' in the film was supposed to be his career's last song. At this time, it was RDB who requested KK to stay back in Mumbai for few more weeks and assured KK that his father SDB was in the process of composing specially tailored songs for KK in Aradhana (1969), which could change KK's fortunes. KK roared back with the song `Mere sapnon ki rani kab aayegi tu' and never looked back until his death in 1987. He surpassed Manna Dey, Mukesh and even Rafi. RDB went on to use KK's voice superbly in many of his films in 1970s and 1980s. RDB always used to say that KK, Asha Bhonsle and he understood each other very well musically. And this was the precise reason how RDB could compose very romantic duets using this pair.

Initially, SDB wanted to give the famous song `Jalte hai jiske liye' (Film: Sujata) to Rafi. It was SDB's assistant Jaidev who strongly recommended taking Talat Mehmood instead of Rafi. By looking at the composition, he insisted that only Talat could do justice to this song and not Rafi. However, SDB would not listen to Jaidev. Finally, SDB bowed down and took Talat to sing the song. We all know that Talat did full justice to this song with his mellow voice.

When RDB was young, SDB was very much worried about whether his son was picking up the composing skills or not. So, whenever lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri visited his house, SDB used to tell Majrooh to talk to RDB and make him pay more attention to composing skills. Majrooh always told SDB that if father could not fix his son then how could an outsider like him do it. Anyway, RDB turned out to be one of the greatest music directors fulfilling the dream of his father. Unfortunately, SDB did not live long enough to see his son's super success.

Music Director Roshan was a family friend of SDB. Once Roshan came to SDB's house and asked his permission to use his tune `Thandi Hawaayen' (Film: Naujawaan) for his forthcoming composition for the song `Rahe na rahe hum' (Film: Mamta). SDB gladly gave him permission and Roshan made some cosmetic changes and composed this song very well. Later, RDB used the same tune and composed `Saagar kinare' (Film: Saagar). If you listen to all 3 songs, you will notice that all of them have same Bandishi and hence sound similar.

Once in a while, SDB asked his assistant music directors to compose antara of the song. SDB composed sthaayi of the song `Piya tose naian lage re' (Film: Guide) on raga Khamaj, and then went out to eat paan (betel leaves). In the meantime, he told his assistant music directors to compose the antara. When he returned to the recording room and listened to the antara composed by his assistants, he immediately realized that it was a very poor composition. He scolded his assistants and discarded this antara and then sat down to compose it himself, and came out with brilliant composition within a short time. His assistant music directors were dazzled to see the brilliance of SDB. We all know how melodious this classical song is.

Singer Bhupendra used to be a leading guitar player in SDB's orchestra. There were rumors that some of the songs of film Aradhana were composed by RDB. But according to Bhupendra, contrary to this popular belief, all the songs of the film were composed by SDB.

O.P. Nayyar: O.P. Nayyar is also referred to as the king of rhythm. The music director gave the most intoxicating songs and made best use of Punjabi dholak in Hindi film songs. He was also responsible for creating the `Tonga' beat or `Horse Hoof' beat which was used by other music directors as well. OPN was the only music director who made his songs popular without using Lata Mangeshkar.

During the recording of one of the songs for one of his earlier films Aasman of 1952, he had invited Lata to sing a song for him. It is said that while Lata was in the mixing room of the recording studio, she heard OPN badmouthing the recording technicians. After listening to some objectionable words, Lata immediately got up and left the studios without telling OPN and never again associated with him. Now both Lata and OPN deny that such a thing ever happened. Both of them always maintain that they are good friends and respect each other. OPN finally took her sister Asha Bhonsle for many of his songs, which went on to become superhits. In fact, Asha is very grateful to OPN for giving her a break in the real sense. It was Film Naya Daur that brought Asha to the forefront of popularity along with her sister Lata who already had made it big.

OPN was a strict disciplinarian. He never tolerated any artist coming late for his recordings. Once he turned back Rafi for reporting to the studios just 10 minutes late for the song recording of the film Hum Saaya. But when next day Rafi arrived on time, same OPN embraced him and the song was recorded.

Sometimes, OPN was short tempered. After the success of SDB's music for Gurudutt's film Pyaasa, great lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi went on telling everyone that it was he (Sahir) who made the career of SDB. OPN respected SDB very much. After listening to Sahir's boast, OPN got so upset that he removed him from many of his future films and brought other lyricists to write lyrics for the songs composed by him.

Most of the music directors compose the tune first and then ask lyricists to compose the lyrics accordingly. It is a big frustration to the lyricists to fit words into a precomposed tune. OPN worked differently. Many a times, he asked the lyricists to write the lyrics first and then composed the tune using the lyrics. OPN always used to say that fitting lyrics into a precomposed tune was equivalent to forcing a dead body (without knowing its size) into a prefabricated coffin.

In a recent interview, OPN confessed that he never had any training in music even for one day, let alone classical music. And nobody in his family had any music background. In late 1950s, OPN composed music for the film Phagun. Ustad Amir Khan listened to all the tunes on the radio and was so happy that he immediately telephoned OPN and congratulated him for composing all songs of this film using one raga Pilu. OPN was stunned to hear this. He told Khan saab that he was not even aware of it when he composed these songs that he had based them on raga Pilu.

It will be interesting for readers to know that one of OPN's most favorite song is Geeta Dutt's `Tadbir se bigdi huwi taqdeer bana de' (Film: Baazi) which was composed by SDB.

Naushad: When it came to composing songs based on Hindustani classical music, no other music director could beat Naushad. His composition for the film Baiju Bawara is considered by experts to be the best classical ever in Hindi films. Naushad always tried to give prominence to Indian musical instruments. He was not in favor of using western instruments, although occasionally he did use them. His composition of classical based songs `Man Tadpat' (Raga: Malkauns) and 'O! Duniya ke rakhwale' (Raga: Darabari) in the film Baiju Bawara are the best compositions ever for these two respective ragas.

When it came down to composing music, Naushad was a perfectionist. When Rafi was doing the rehearsals before recording the bhajan `Man Tadpat', Naushad discovered that Rafi had a problem in pronouncing certain Sanskrit words in the lyrics. Naushad immediately brought Sanskrit pundits from Varanasi and asked them to work on Rafi's diction. These Sanskrit pundits worked day and night to improve Rafi's diction and after several rehearsals, Naushad gave the green signal for the final recording. And this bhajan went onto become an all time hit and is sung in almost every Hindu temple all over the world.

After the great success of classical music of Baiju Bawara (1953), Naushad had already won the admiration of the famous producer V. Shantaram. In 1953, when Shantaram was planning to produce his most famous film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje, he initially invited Naushad to compose music for this film. At this time, Naushad already knew that great music director Vasant Desai was already an employee of Shantaram's Rajkamal studios. Naushad thanked Shantaram for the offer. But after a few minutes of chat, pointed out that when music director of the caliber of Vasant Desai was already available in Rajkamal Studios, it would be appropriate that Shantaram offer this film music to Vasant Desai. He also stressed that Vasant Desai was fully capable of giving classical based music. So Naushad was noble enough to forego the opportunity to compose music for Shantaram's film. After coming to know about this incident, next day, Vasant Desai, with tears in his eyes, personally came to Naushad and thanked him for this noble gesture. We all know that Vasant Desai did a wonderful job in composing classical based music for the film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje.

Naushad not only gave music with classical base but he also guided most of the producers to write effective script for their films. Naushad put lots of efforts in bringing the script in line with the music that he had in mind for a particular movie based upon the story of the movie. Very few music directors acted this way.

Naushad's in-laws were totally against Hindi films and its music, and they considered it to be a social stigma. Naushad's family hid this fact from his would be in-laws before he got married. And the in-laws were not aware that Naushad was a music composer in Hindi films. The songs of his film Ratan had already become a super hit all over India. Ironically, his Baaraat (wedding band) in his native place in UP (far away from Mumbai), played songs from the film Ratan. Naushad got scared. In order to show his innocence, he asked one of the members of his in-laws' wedding party if they liked what the band was playing. And most of them said that they enjoyed the tunes being played by the band and wondered as to who may have composed these tunes originally. Naushad heaved a sigh of relief but did not disclose that he was the composer of those tunes.

C. Ramchandra: CR was a creative genius who had his own style in composing music. When film Azaad was to be produced in the south, the producer of this film was in a great hurry to remake his Tamil version into Hindi version. So he asked Naushad to give music for the film within a short period of three months. Naushad would never undertake a project with tight time constraints. So he refused the offer. So the producer requested CR and asked him if he could do it within three months. CR accepted the offer and completed the composition of all songs within seven days. CR proved that he could produce very good music even under pressure. Music of the film Azaad was a superduper hit. In fact, along with film Anarkali, music of film Azaad is considered to be CR's lifetime best.

Sometimes, CR also gave playback in his voice. Many a times, his voice sounded like that of Talat Mehmood. So when Talat fell sick on the recording day for the song `Kitna haseen hai mausam' for the film Azaad, CR decided to sing it himself. He sang it very well and it was very close to Talat's voice. Similarly, he sang two songs for his film Baarish, which again sounded like Talat's voice.

Before CR came on the scene, many other music directors worked on the music composition for film Anarkali (1954). The producer of this film kept replacing music directors. It was like a revolving door. Finally, CR stepped in and fine tuned all the songs and gave one of the best music of his career. During the composition of the intoxicating song `Mohobbat me aise kadam dagmagaaye' for this film, CR had a problem in fitting a proper word after `…peeke aaye' as there was a small gap. He decided to go home to think more about it. On his way back home, he bought lots of grocery and then while climbing the stairs of his home with heavy grocery bags, he started getting hiccups. Suddenly, he realized that he could use hiccups after `…peeke aaye'. After entering his home, he immediately played the tune on his harmonium with a hiccup added at the end. The gap after the lyrics `…peeke aaye' was filled up and the song was completed. Next day, he recorded this song with Lata's voice and when Beena Rai as Anarkali sang this song on the screen with a hiccup, the effect was tremendous.

CR accepted suggestions from other music directors as well. In his song “Ye zindagi usi ki hain” (Film: Anarkali), he accepted the suggestion from music director Roshan to add “Alvida” at the end of the song which made the situation very effective in the last scene of the Film Anarkali when this song was sung by actress Bina Rai as Anarkali.

CR also gave suggestions to other music directors. He suggested to S.D. Burman to add `La la la la' in the song `Thandi hawayen' (Film: Naujawan), which SDB gladly accepted and implemented. With this addition, the song became even more romantic.

Madan Mohan: Madan Mohan served in Indian Army and later decided to compose music. His father was very rich and owned Filmistan Studios. But Madan Mohan never used his father's name. He came up in the music world on his own. He is one music director who made best of Lata's voice. Lata and Madan Mohan were emotionally close to each other. They made a very good team and created very emotional solo songs.

When it came to composing music, MM was a very intense person. Once while recording a song, one of the musicians was playing his instrument out of tune (besura), MM was so upset that he banged the glass window of the recording room with his hand. The glass broke and MM's hand was bleeding. He shouted at this musician, “How come you are so shameless and dare to play out of tune in Madan Mohan's orchestra! Come on. Shape up or ship out.” Needless to say that musician corrected himself immediately.

While recording the song `Aaj socha to aanso bhar aaye' (Film: Hanste Zakhm), Lata got so emotional that she started crying before the song recording could be completed. MM immediately requested Lata to go home and relax and come back again for recording the next day. Next day, after regaining the composure, Lata rendered the song very effectively.

Madan Mohan was a close friend of Jaikishen along with other talented composer Murli Manohar Swarup. Murli Manhar Swarup composed some private albums but could never make it big like his two friends.

Kalyanji-Anandji: Music director Kalyanji's father owned a grocery shop in Mumbai and young Kalyanji used to look after the shop. One day, one customer could not pay for the grocery bills and instead of making the payment, the customer made a deal with Kalyanji that he would teach him music in lieu of the payment. Young Kalyanji agreed and learnt basic lessons of music from this customer. In later stage of his life, Kalyanji made music as his profession and, along with his brother Anandji, became a famous music director.

When Kalyanji was composing music for his first Hindi film Samraat Chandragupt, producer Subhash Desai used to visit recording studios with some of his sycophants. Kalyanji had composed the first song `Chahe paas ho, chahe dur ho' very well. When Subhash Desai and his sycophants heard the tune of this song from Kalyanji, Subhash Desai did not like the tune and remarked to Kalyanji “Is gaane me `Vo' waali baat nahin hain” (This song does not have that special quality). This was Kalyanji's debut film. Kalyanji did not know how to convince Subhash Desai. Kalyanji began to think, “Ab ye `Vo' waali baat kahan se laaye?” (From where can I bring this special quality?) Suddenly Kalyanji got an idea, he gave money to the beggars who used to beg outside Subhash Desai's house and told them to sing the song `Chahe paas ho' in chorus whenever Subhash Desai stepped out of his house. After listening to this song from beggars several times, one day Subhash Desai came to Kalyanji and told him that his songs have become popular even before the release of the film. Interesting fact was that the song was not even recorded. Sometimes, music directors have to deal with the producer's whims in this manner.

Above are some of the inside stories of seven famous music directors of the 1950s and 1960s. It is very difficult to cover the inside stories of all the famous music directors of this period. So I am summing up below only a few of them, and this in no way reflects my bias towards any music directors. I apologize for leaving out some music directors due to lack of information. Please note that I respect all of them equally.

When music for B.R. Chopra's Film Nikaah (1982) was being composed by music director Ravi, actress Salma Agha had a put a condition Chopra that she will act in the film as a heroine only if he gave her a chance to sing the key songs of this film. Ravi was not happy with this condition. According to Ravi, when he was recording the song `Dil ke armaan aansovo me behe gaye ', he had to rehearse this song 25 times with Salma Agha and yet she could not render it properly. Ravi almost gave up and decided to replace her with Asha. But B.R. Chopra intervened and asked Ravi to stick with Salma Agha. And finally Ravi reluctantly recorded the song with Salma's voice.

Hemant Kumar was the music director of the film Shirth. Hemant Kumar, at the behest of the producer of this film, composed 22 different tunes for the evergreen song `Na ye chand hoga, na taarey rahenge' and the producer finally selected one tune after carefully listening to all 22 tunes. The final tune selected is a very romantic tune indeed and is popular even after so many decades. I wonder how the other 21 tunes sounded.

Music director Salil Chowdhary was always fascinated with western classical music, especially European musicians such as Mozart. So when he composed the song `Itna na na mujh se tu pyar badha' (Film: Chhaaya), he literally used Mozart symphony tune and adapted it to please Indian musical taste. This song became very popular.

Many a times, very famous music directors invited great classical vocalists and instrumentalists to sing/play for their compositions. For example, Ustad Akbar Ali Khan played sarod for Shankar-Jaikishen's Film Seema (1956) in the song `Suno choti si gudiya ki lambi kahani'. Flautist Pannalal Ghosh was invited to play flute for Shankar-Jaikishen's `Basant Bahar' including the song `Main piya teri'. The flute interludes were very meditative. Music director Vasant Desai invited shehnai maestro Ustad Bismilla Khan to play shehnai for some of the songs for the film Goonj Uthi Shehnai. Naushad requested Pt. Paluskar and Ustad Amir Khan to sing a classical duet `Aaj gawat man mero jhumke' based on raga Desi for the film Baiju Bawara, which both of them rendered very beautifully. Later, Naushad invited Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to sing two classical pieces for the film Mughal-E-Azam.

R.D. Burman gave music to only two films in 1960s: first one was Chhote Nawaab and second one was Teesri Manzil. So RDB can be considered to be more of a music director of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. RDB is the only music director whose music career spanned from the golden era of 1960s through new era of 1990s.

When Nasir Hussein was producing the film Teesri Manzil (1965), hero Shammi Kapoor asked him to take Shankar-Jaikishen as its music director. Nasir Hussein decided to give chance to the young budding music director R.D. Burman. Shammi Kapoor did not like the idea, but agreed to listen to the tunes composed by R.D. Burman. When he listened to the tunes `O mere sona re sona re sona' and `O haseena zulphon wali', Shammi Kapoor immediately started dancing to the beat of the tunes. He immediately gave his consent to taking R.D. Burman. When Jaikishen came to know that R.D. Burman got the contract, he immediately telephoned him to congratulate and wished him all the best. Such was a close relationship between the music directors of the 1950s and 1960s. The film Teesri Manzil along with its great music went on to become a big box-office hit.

R.D. Burman played mouth organ in the famous song `Hai apna dil to awaara' (Film: Solva Saal). In Gurudutt's classic film Pyaasa, R.D. Burman played a particular mouth organ tune to represent the presence of Mala Sinha on the screen. So in some of the scenes just before the entry of Mala Sinha on the screen, this tune was played in the background to indicate that Mala Sinha would soon be appearing on the screen.

Since S.D.Burman was one of my most favorite music directors, I am attaching herewith an audio file where I played on my mouth organ the popular song `Khwaab ho tum ya koyi haqiqat kaun ho tum batalavo' from the film Teen Deviyaan (1965) composed by S.D. Burman. In the original song, just before the first antara, a mouth organ piece was played by R.D. Burman himself.

Source: http://www.sulekha.com/printer.asp?ctid=1000&cid=306916

Thanks for this new thread. It is a very valuable contribution which is sincerely appreciated.

Sure, it is easier to post a link. But, from experience, we have learnt that reproducing the whole article is 'safer' for the article might have been removed from the site.

It is delightful to share these pieces with music lovers! I enjoy this thoroughly. I am envious of those who have more time on hand to hang on to the HF. But I hope it won't be too long I get over with the trivial, but essential jobs. As Faiz said, Duniya ne teri yaad se begaana kar diya, Tujh
se bhi dilfraib hain gham rozgaar ke!

Here I am continuing with a couple of articles on Sahir, of which one was already posted earlier.

Sahir Ludhianvi - Poet Of Poets!

Anginat logon ne duniya mein muhabbat ki hai
Kaun kehta hai ke sadiq na the jazbe unke?
Lekin unke liye tasheer ka saamaan hi nahin
Kyoonki woh log bhi apni hi tarah muflis the.

(Countless people have been in love,
Who says their emotions were not sincere?
They didn't have the resources to make a proclamation
Because, like me, they too were poor.)

The story of pain and rejection is the story of Abdul Hayee Sahir Ludhianvi, who many people easily consider India's best ever songwriter. The lines above represent the mind of this genius who gave the world many heart-rending lines such as these.

Abdul Hayee was born in Ludhiana on March 8, 1921. His father was a feudal landlord fond of both wine and women. He had many wives but only one son. He dumped Abdul Hayee's mother when the child was only 8 months old, but later he wanted possession of the child. Nothing doing, said the wife. The matter went to court. At one point, the 'ayyaash' father also threatened to kill the boy. The mother sold her last piece of jewelry and got her son protected.

The boy went to school somehow, but parental discord had hurt his psyche deeply. Deprivation was also making him pensive. He started writing a bit to give vent to his thoughts. Then he went to Government College, Ludhiana, where he wrote much more, and where they began to admire his writing spark. His poems were mostly about the ills that afflicted the society. Soon he gave himself a pseudonym, 'Sahir' (magician). He fell in love, but his feelings were not reciprocated by the lady, perhaps due to his financial condition. He developed unconventional ideas and these soon snowballed with the result that he was asked to leave the college.

He went to Lahore and did small odd jobs to keep both him and his mother going. He wrote and edited Urdu magazines, `Savera', `Shaahkaar' and `Adab-e-lateef'. His first recognition came in 1945 with `Talkhiyaan' (`Bitterness'), the Lahore publication of his collection of poems. Here he wrote the beautiful Taj Mahal, Chakley (brothels) and other poems. Taj Mahal spoke in favour of not only hapless and resourceless lovers, but also about the thousands of artisans who had actually put the architectural marvel up. The opening stanza above is from TajMahal. And Chakley had the stanza that he modified for the film `Pyaasa':

Yeh kooche, yeh neelaam ghar dilkashi ke
Yeh lut-te hue kaarwaan zindagi ke
Kahaan hain, kahaan hain muhafiz khudi ke?
Jinhen naaz hai Hind par woh kahaan hain?

(These lanes and these houses of pleasure
These lives, wasted and abused
Oh where are the guardians of honour?
Where are those that are proud of India?)

The film `Pyaasa' was released in post-partition India in 1957, while the original, slightly different Chakley was written with a different last line (not Jinhen naaz hai...) in 1945, when Sahir was in Lahore.With the partition of India, Sahir grew uncomfortable in Lahore because he missed his Hindu and Sikh friends and also he was denied the liberty to write or speak freely there. So he came to Delhi, stopping briefly there to head for Bombay.

In Bombay, he met Prem Dhawan, his friend from Lahore, who was helpful as ever. For four months, Sahir stayed with Dhawan, who sent a copy of Sahir's published poetry to producers and composers he knew.

Sometime in 1949, Sahir also went to a Progressive Writers' Conference and met many other literary artists like himself: Ali Sardar Jaffrey, Majrooh, Kaifi Azmi, Jaan Nissar Akhtar, Ismat Chugtai, etc. That energised him tremendously. Yes, this was where he belonged!

By now, Prem Dhawan was able to get him a break from composer Anil Biswas in `Do Raha', where Sahir wrote the Talat immortal, Muhabbat tark ki maine, garebaan see liya maine. But the movie took a long time to make and was released later. Meanwhile, word of Sahir's talent had gotten around, and he got two big films now, both of which had music by S.D. Burman: `Baazi' (Nav Ketan, director Guru Dutt), became in April 1951 his first release, while `Naojawan' opened two months later. All the songs of `Baazi' were good, and some became hits: Yeh kaun aaya ke mere dil ki duniya mein (Geeta), Tadbeer se bigdi hui taqdeer banale (Geeta), Aaj ki raat piya (Geeta), Sharmaye kaahe (Shamshaad), and the Kishore number, Mere labon pe dekho aaj bhi taraane hain.

`Naojawan' was the film for which he wrote the unforgettable Lata hit, Thandi hawaen, lehra ke aayen. He also wrote a popular mischievous duet for Kishore-Shamshaad in that picture: Pee pee piya...hum aur tum donon rahen ek saath.

These hit songs made Sahir a household name in India. And so the song-writing continued beautifully, going on for decades. His high-point came with the movie `Pyaasa', where he wrote really amazing lyrics. Sahir continued relentlessly with his extraordinary imagery.

Sahir's style was very simple and direct, and his words were often designed to touch your senses and sensibilities. He never wrote words to a given tune or metre. (Unlike some other songwriters, Sahir didn't believe an already made tune or metre conveyed a thought for him to put words into. Thus it became fascinating from composer S.D. Burman's point of view. Burman's knowledge of Hindi/Urdu was little, to say the least, and yet what a marriage it was, S.D. Burman's music and Sahir's soulful lyrics, in movie after movie. `Munimji', `Jaal', `Baazi', `Funtoosh', `Taxi Driver', `Devdas', `Pyaasa'...). For Sahir, it was, “Tell me the story and the scene details and then wait, don't rush. I'll try and pull rabbits out of my hat in good time.”

A copy of a collection of his film songs, `Gaata Jaaye Banjaara', is available for those who need to go deep into Sahir's output. Even `Parchhaiyaan', which is an anti-war treatise, is remarkable for its insights and expression.

Here is what screenplay and songwriter Gulzar had to say: "Sahir was the only lyricist who never took to the film medium, but the film medium accepted him.” That sits well with the fact that Sahir Ludhianvi was always a lonely man. In fact, he never even married. Even when he was surrounded by people, especially in his later years, he was essentially a loner. A Din dhal jaye man, whisky on the rocks for him. A romantic always, and dressed in sartorial elegance. He could never forget the girl that rejected him, and perhaps his poetry may have had a strong inspiration from that failed attempt. For surely, he wrote about her, like this one much before the film `Sone Ki Chidiya' was planned:

Mere khwabon ke jharokon ko sajane wali
Tere khwabon mein kahin mera guzar hai ke nahin
Poochh kar apni nigahon se batade mujhko
Meri raaton ke muqaddar mein seher hai ke nahin?

Pyaar par bas to nahin hai mera, lekin phir bhi
Tu batade ke tujhe pyaar karoon ya na karoon?
Tune khud apne tabassum se jagaya hai jinhen
Un tamannaon ka izhaar karoon ya na karoon?

And also in his poem Kabhi-Kabhi, could it be her that he was speaking to?

Magar yeh ho na saka, aur ab yeh aalam hai
Ki tu nahin, tera gham, teri justju bhi nahin.
Guzar rahi hai kuchh is tarah zindagi jaise
Ise kisi ke sahare ki aarzoo bhi nahin

During his time, Sahir used his pen to highlight many causes, such as the dignity of women:

Kahoji tum kya kya khareedo ge?
Yahan to har cheez bikti hai (`Sadhna')

Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko
Mardon ne use baazaar diya (`Sadhna')

...Jawaan jism sajte hain baazaar bankar
...Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai? (`Pyaasa')

And also for the helplessness of the human condition, as in:

Jayen to jayen kahan
Samjhega kaun yahan
Dard bhare dil ki zubaan? (`Taxi Driver')

Dukhi man mere, sun mera kehna
Jahaan nahin chaena, wahaan nahin rehna (`Funtoosh')

Tang aa chuke hain kashmakash-e-zindagi se hum (`Light House')
and Jaane woh kaise log the jinke (`Pyaasa')

He wrote for humanity and against organized religion as well: for a new-born abandoned baby:

Tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega
Insaan ki aulaad hai insaan banega (`Dhool ka Phool')

and further:

Achha hai abhi tak tera kuchh naam nahin hai
Tujhko kisi mazhab se koi kaam nahin hai
Jis ilm ne insaan ko takseem kiya hai
Us ilm ka tujhpe koi ilzaam nahin hai (`Dhool Ka Phool')

Sahir was a great believer in Sufi thought too, as demonstrated in these lines:

Ishq Majnu ki woh awaaz hai jiske aage
Koi Laila, kisi deewaar se roki na gai.

Ishq aazaad hai, Hindu na Musalman hai ishq
Aap hi dharm hai aur aap hi imaan hai ishq
Allah aur Rasool ka farmaan ishq hai
Yaani hadees ishq hai, Quran ishq hai
Gautam ka aur Maseeh ka armaan ishq hai
Yeh kayenaat jism hai, aur jaan ishq hai.
...inteha yeh hai ki bande ko khuda karta hai ishq! (`Barsaat ki Raat')

He didn't like fundamentalists, it is quite apparent! For him, love was higher than kings and kingdoms, as can be read from `Taj Mahal':

Takht kya cheez hai aur laal-o-jawaahar kya hai?
Ishq wale to khudai bhi luta dete hain!

If you have been to a Sikh Gurdwara, you may have seen the priest read a few pages from the holy book, and then close the book for the day. There's so much value on each leaf that reading more than one or two is too much to take in one session. It's the same for the work of this unbelievable writer. Take him as often as you like, but in small doses. His poetry will enrich your soul forever, and you may wonder, as others do, if there ever will be another like Sahir Ludhianvi.

Music lover Ali Peter John, the 'institution' at Screen magazine, Mumbai, had this to say, "They don't make men like Sahir Ludhianvi anymore. Do I hear anyone asking Sahir who? I will not be surprised if I do, in these senseless, ruthless, heartless times.”

Wrote Ali further about the writer's death. "He went to his best friend Dr R.P. Kapoor in a taxi one night. He asked the driver to wait. He would be back fast. He never came back. He had a massive heart attack and died in Dr. Kapoor's arms.”

The date was 25th October, 1980. Sahir was 58 years old.

A Bombay suburban intersection, near where he lived, was named after him. Much later still (in 2001), when his cousin and only legal heir, Ms Sarwar Sultana, died, the four large flats he had left behind in Parchhaeeyaan building, Juhu, Bombay, became vacant.

Some people suggested that the flats be turned into a Sahir museum so that the writer's work could be preserved and remembered. It would be nice to remember that Gandhiji is still remembered even if not many people go to Mani Bhavan or his samadhi in Delhi. Ghalib's home in Delhi is derelict. Saigal too has no mausoleum in Bombay for us to remember him with. But these people and others of such merit live in our hearts.

How can you forget the man who wrote this for `Chandi Ki Deewar':

Ashkon mein jo paya hai, woh geeton mein deeya hai,
Is par bhi suna hai ke zamaane ko gila hai!

(The pain of my tears is what I have brought to my writing
But perhaps the world doesn't approve of even this!).

We cannot and will not easily forget the man who wrote these lines for `Kabhi Kabhie':

Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon,
Pal do pal meri kahani hai.

Source: http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/article....asp?cid=307060

Sahir Ludianvi

My rebellious notes make the world think
that my heart abhors the lyrics of love,
that I find solace in strife and war,
that my very nature relishes blood-letting,
that my world cares not for life's finer things,
that the noise of revolt is music to me.

These lines, translated from Urdu, were written more than 50 years ago, under the title Mere Geet. They remain largely obscure because they are not among the work their author became more famous for: film lyrics. The above lines -- and the reason the poet gives for that state of mind -- reflect, however, an important facet of his personality. The author of these lines, Sahir Ludhianvi, was different. Unable to sing hymns to Khuda (God), Husn (beauty) and Jaam (wine), his pen would rather pour out his anguish and bitterness over social inequities, political cynicism, the artificial barriers that divide mankind, the senselessness of war, the domination of materialism over love.

His loves, and love poems, were tinged with sorrow, with the realisation that there are stark realities more important than romantic love. This facet was seen in his lines for the film Didi:

Zindagi Sirf Mohabbat Nahin Kuch Aur Bhi Hai
Zulf-o-Rukhsaar ki Jannat Nahi Kuch Aur Bhi Hai
Bhookh Aur Pyaas ki Maari Hui Is Duniya Mein
Ishq Hi Ek Haqeeqat Nahin Kuch Aur Bhi Hai.

And in

Pyaar Par Bas To Nahin Hai Lekin Phir Bhi
Tu Bata De Ki Main Tujhe Pyaar Karoon Ya Na Karoon

in the film Sone Ki Chidiya (1958).

Born Abdul Hayee on March 8, 1921, Sahir was the only son of a Ludhiana zamindar. His parents' estrangement and the Partition made him shuttle between India and Pakistan. It also brought him face to face with a struggle called life. A member of the Progressive Writers' Association, he edited Adab-e-Latif, Pritlari, Savera and Shahrab. An arrest warrant issued by the Pakistani government of the day made him flee to Bombay in 1949. By now, he had managed to publish his anthology Talkhiyaan (Bitternesses). Besides Talkhiyaan and the hundreds of film songs he penned in a career spanning three decades, Sahir also authored the anthologies Parchaiyaan, Ao Ki Koi Khwab Buney and Gaata Jaaye Banjara.

Sahir debuted in films with his lyrics for Naujawan (1951). Even today, the film's lilting song Thandi Hawayen Lehrake Aaye makes hearts flutter. His first major success came the same year with Guru Dutt's directorial debut, Baazi, again pairing him with composer S.D. Burman. Together, S.D. Burman and Sahir created some of the most popular songs ever: Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni Phir Kahaan - Jaal (1952); Jaaye to Jaaye Kahaan - Taxi Driver (1954); Teri Duniya Mein Jeene se Behtar Ho Ki Mar Jaayen - House Number 44 (1955); and Jeevan ke Safar Mein Rahi - Munimji (1955). The duo reached their creative zenith with Pyaasa (1957).

All good things, as they say, come to an end. S.D. Burman and Sahir parted ways after Pyaasa and never worked together again. Sahir, already a stalwart as the sixties approached, wrote gems for films like Hum Dono (1961), Gumraah (1963), Taj Mahal (1963), Waqt (1965), Humraaz (1967) and Neel Kamal (1968), teaming up with composers Ravi, Jaidev, N. Datta, Roshan, Khayyam, R.D. Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Sahir's work in the 1970s was mainly restricted to films directed by Yash Chopra. Though his output in terms of number of films had thinned out, the quality of his writings commanded immense respect. Kabhi Kabhie (1976) saw him return to sparkling form. These songs won him his second Filmfare award, the first one being for Taj Mahal.

Sahir's poetry had a Faizian quality. Like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sahir too gave Hindustani/Urdu poetry an intellectual element that caught the imagination of the youth of the forties and fifties and sixties. He helped them to discover their spine. Sahir asked questions, was not afraid of calling a spade a ****** spade, and roused people from an independence-induced smugness. He would pick on the self-appointed custodian of religion, the self-serving politician, the exploitative capitalist, the war-mongering big powers. Aren't they familiar? Close to Sahir's heart were the farmer crushed by debt, the young man sent to the border to fight somebody's dirty war, the lass forced to sell her body, the youth frustrated by unemployment, families living in dire poverty... The underdog remains; his bard is gone.

Whether it was the arrest of progressive writers in Pakistan, the launch of the satellite Sputnik, or the discovery of Ghalib by a government lusting minority votes, Sahir reacted with a verve not seen in many writers' work. Kahat-e-Bangal (The Famine of Bengal), written by a 25-year-old Sahir, bespeaks maturity that came early. His Subah-e-Navroz (Dawn of a New Day), mocks the concept of celebration when the poor exist in squalor.

Writing for films occupied much of Sahir's time and energy in and after the fifties. Never one to compromise while writing for a "lesser" medium, Sahir wrote such gems like Aurat ne Janam Diya Mardon ko Mardon ne Use Bazaar Diya for Sadhana (1958) and Tu Hindu Banega na Musalmaan Banega Insaan ki Aulaad Hai, Insaan Banega for Dhool Ka Phool (1959). Then who can ever forget Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai or Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahaan Hain from Pyaasa? Pyaasa, a movie that many suspect was his biography, was the high point of Sahir's genius. By now, Sahir was disillusioned over the state of the nation. His dissatisfaction with Congress policies found voice in songs like Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahaan Hain and Chino Arab Humara - Phir Subah Hogi (1958). This combination of political awareness and humanitarian compassion is found all through in Sahir's poetry, whether written for films or not.

Ever a sensitive soul, Sahir reacted to the world around him, pouring his sentiments into the songs he penned for films. Coming from his pen, even the most mundane would have a message. For example, this song from Neelkamal: Khali Dabba Khali Botal Le Le Mere Yaar Khali se Mat Nafrat Karna, Khali Sab Sansar. His poetry could at once be sublime - Tora Man Darpan Ehlaye Bhale Bure Sare Karmo ko Dekhe Aur Dikhaye from Kajal (1965), introspective - Man Re Tu Kahe Na Dheer Dhare from Chitralekha(1964), invoking - Allah Tero Naam Ishwar Tero Naam Sabko Sanmati de Bhagwan from Hum Dono, esoteric - Khuda-e-Bartar Teri Zameen Par Zameen ki Khatir Jung Kyon Hai from Taj Mahal, and philosophical - Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai Ki Jisko Gham Mila Nahin again from Hum Dono. There lay Sahir's spirituality. Ingrained in this spirituality was a quest for a greater humanity, better people, a livable world. Paradoxically, it always involved, and was about, the material rather than the metaphysical.

A colossus among song writers, Sahir fought for, and became the first film lyricist to get, royalty from music companies. He would deeply involve himself in the setting of tunes for his songs. Any wonder why they are extra melodious? There was a negative trait too: Sahir would insist he be paid a rupee more for each song than Lata Mangeshkar was. Call it a left-over of his zamindar background, or an example of success gone to the head, this egotism of Sahir has been heard of and written about.

A bachelor to the end, Sahir fell in love with writer Amrita Pritam and singer Sudha Malhotra, relationships that never fructified in the conventional sense and left him sad. Ironically, the two ladies' fathers wouldn't accept Sahir, an atheist, because of his perceived religion. Had they seen the iconoclast in him, that would have been worse; being an atheist was worse than belonging to the 'other' religion. Sahir, perhaps, had an answer to such artificial barriers in these lines written for Naya Raasta (1970):

Nafraton ke jahan mein humko pyaar ki bastiyaan basaani hain
Door rehna koi kamaal nahin, paas aao to koi baat bane

A young Amrita Pritam, madly in love with Sahir, wrote his name hundreds of times on a sheet of paper while addressing a press conference. They would meet without exchanging a word, Sahir would puff away; after Sahir's departure, Amrita would smoke the cigarette butts left behind by him. After his death, Amrita said she hoped the air mixed with the smoke of the butts would travel to the other world and meet Sahir! Such was their obsession and intensity.

Over two decades after his death, Sahir's songs remain immensely popular. His poetry continues to inspire radical groups and individuals and strikes a chord in sensitive people, leftist or not. Why else would a Vajpayee invoke Sahir while taking a dig at Pakistan?

Woh waqt gaya woh daur gaya jab do qaumon ka naara tha
Woh log gaye is dharti se jinka maqsad batwaara tha

Sahir died after a heart attack he suffered while playing cards. One suspects the poet, whose heart bled for others, never paid enough attention to his own life. There was a card-player nonchalance about himself, as seen in this Hum Dono song:

Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya
Har fikr ko dhuwein me udata chala gaya

Had Sahir (whose 22nd death anniversary falls on October 25) not allowed drink and cigarette smoke to consume himself, had he lived a fuller life like contemporaries Majrooh Sultanpuri and Kaifi Azmi did, it would have been interesting to watch him react to changing social values, to politics touching its nadir, to 'secular' becoming a dirty word, to the abuse of religion to spread hatred and get votes, to the supposed failure of communism, to the never-ending dowry deaths, to the intellectual inertia of the intelligentsia.... Perhaps he would have influenced thought as he did in the past. Maybe his message to the masses would have been the same as it was decades ago:

Tumse Quwwat Lekar, Main Tumko Raah Dikhaoonga
Tum Parcham Lehrana Saathi, Main Barbat par Gaoonga.
Aaj se Mere Phan ka Maksad Zanjeere Pighlana Hai
Aaj se Main Shabnam ke Badle Angaare Barsaoonga.

(Drawing from your strength, I shall show you the way
You wave the flag, comrades, I shall sing for you
My art will now melt your chains
From now on my poetry will rain embers)

Contributed by Arti Koyal, who lives and works in Bangalore

Source: http://www.upperstall.com/people/sahir.html

I am sure many might have read this, but still Library deserves it.

Lata @ 70

The placid face. The Mona Lisa-esque half smile. The metronomic motion of jaws working chewing gum -- which she imports by the cartonload to keep her throat supple. The crisp white cotton sari.

And above all else, The Voice.

It was in 1945 that that voice first crept up on us, catching us unawares with its dulcet notes. Then, she was a slender teenager, leaving her first tentative footprints on a Bollywood music scene dominated by the legendary Shamshad Begum. More than half a century later, that voice, beguiling in its seductivity, still reigns supreme despite the best efforts of two generations of wannabes to supplant India's reigning nightingale from her throne. Way back when, she lent her voice to the lyrics of Bollywood's pop poets. Today, those same poets and their successors in verse try -- and, as they confess, fail -- to capture in words the enduring magic that is Lata Mangeshkar.

In that decades-long reign, her voice has inspired patriot and lover alike. It has fanned the gentle zephyrs of a first love, fanned the fires of passionate romance, throbbed with the pain of heartbreak, celebrated the seasons, and, in time, come to epitomise the very emotions it has celebrated. Now, the dulcet-voiced diva turns 70. And Rediff makes a song and dance of it -- with text and pictures, with audio and video. Join us in the celebration. In applauding a voice that has spanned the generations.

Alka Yagnik

For me, she's like a member of my family. I've been listening to her songs since I was about four years old. She's like a goddess for me -- someone I've always followed. She has been my inspiration, I've tried to mould my career like hers.

She's perfect -- her voice, the way she sings. Her voice is so beautiful that even if she playbacks for some ordinary-looking actress, her face starts looking beautiful.

She's turning 70, and may she complete at least another 70.

Till today, when I go for work or am travelling in my car, it's not my songs or anyone else's that I listen to. They are always Lataji's songs. She has indirectly been my guru, because I'm still learning from her.

I've met her a couple of times. She's always blessed me and encouraged me. When I was 11 and was being groomed by Kalyanji-Anandji, I'd expressed the desire to watch her record a song. So they took me along for a recording.

The film was Heera and she was singing a song with Mohammad Rafi. I watched her sing and later touched her feet. I still remember what she said to me that day. She said, 'If you want to pursue music, do so. But let me tell you one thing -- finish your studies first!' I was extremely touched and it's something I'd always remember.

I feel there's a glow on her face which is a spillover of her shining voice. Her voice is a very rare combination of purity, innocence, mischief, all rolled into one. The vulnerability that comes through in her voice -- I find that on her face too.

I've heard all kinds of stories about her a lot of them, negative as well as positive. But I maintain that a person whose voice is so pure must have a pure soul. I refuse to believe that such purity does not source from a pure soul. I'm not referring to just her work, that is beyond debate today.

Whenever I'm asked to speak about her, I fall short of words. Every word sounds insipid. How can I express how much I worship and respect her?

Anil Biswas

When Lata Mangeshkar came into the singing world, playback singing had barely started. Before that, we had stars and actors who couldn't sing to save their lives, but were made to do so because nothing else was available. We composers were at our wits' end trying to make non-singers sing.

Lata entered the film world at this time -- it was a refreshing breath of air that wafted to us. Composers felt that here was someone who knew music, who had the technical knowhow to understand what they wanted and deliver what they had composed. At times she even surpassed their compositions. Noorjahan was a wonderful singer, but she was a singing star -- she sang only for her own pictures.

When Lata entered I had already started playback singing in Bombay. It was started earlier in Calcutta by R C Boral and Pankaj Mallick.

The immediate effect of Lata's entry was that composers stopped pulling their hair out trying to compose within the negligible range of the singers. Let's say a composer had made this fabulous tune -- but the singer's voice just couldn't do justice to it -- he had to change it to suit the limitations of the singer.

Now, suddenly there appeared this lady who has such a fine voice and range that composers could actually give vent to their own imaginative creativity. We felt we no longer had to limit ourselves. Composers who wanted to compose better music started doing so. We started thinking, 'now we can stretch ourselves, allow ourselves to add a few higher notes.'

She had so much polish that she could sing for anybody. Music itself changed with her coming. She came, she saw and she conquered. She refined herself so much that she could sing anything and for anybody. I think it is superfluous to say anything about her. She was supreme and she still is. No one has reached her level.

I have been told that my compositions for her were unsurpassed, but that's for listeners to decide. She does acknowledge that I taught her to breathe in and out in a way that no one could make out she was breathing.

When she started, she used to imitate Noorjahan who was very popular. But I told her, 'we have a Noorjahan, you must create your style. Her song for me, Tumhare bulaneko ji chahata hai, was sung in the Noorjahan style, but then she came into her own and moved ahead very swiftly. I told her, 'you have all the qualities needed for a singer, why do you want to imitate anyone else?'

She was one singer for whom you could actually create. It was such a pleasure -- that you could let your imagination have free rein knowing that only she could do justice to your compositions. People of the calibre of Sajjad Hussain, whom I consider an institution, conceived songs with her in mind and couldn't work without her. She has been called nightingale, queen etc. All these epithets are true -- actually what words can one use to describe her?

She was a fast learner and meticulous in her understanding and her grasp of a song. In her technical perfection too, she reached a new height. Earlier, singers, even the good ones, did not give much importance to the pronunciation of a song. So if you hear all the songs prior to Lata's entry, even if the music is attractive you will not be able to decipher the lyrics. She made lyrics clear, pronounced words carefully and made it easier for the listener to understand. This actually added to the popularity of a song.

So her contribution to our music has been immense and manifold.

Anu Malik

So much has been said about the greatness of Lata Mangeshkar that I really don't know how to express what she means to me.

She is the reason, to a large extent, why I became a composer. The songs sung by Lataji and composed by any great composer inspired me to get into music. You just can't separate music from Lataji -- if you say the word 'music,' you have to think of her.

The romance that she projects while singing will remain an inspiration for many more decades. Of course, her voice will live on for ever. It's very tough to express oneself when talking about her. I sometimes feel we've exhausted words to explain what Lataji is all about.

Jeeya bekarar hai is the first song that made a deep impact on me. The other songs that I can't get out of my system are songs composed by Madan Mohanji -- like Lag ja gale, Aap ki nazaron ne samjha, Tu jahan jahan chalega mere saaya saath hoga.

The more I hear her the more I feel that we won't find another Lataji in the new millennium. See, the verve with which she sings, Rangeela re or Aa jaane jaan.

There are numbers which drive me crazy -- you could actually see pictures in some songs. Like in Meri ankhon se koyi neend liye jaata hai, the way she has said neend... it's just maddening.

Recently, I saw Sangam on television. I heard her song, Har dil jo pyar karega woh gaana gayega, and then she says deewana -- the way she infuses mischief into her voice in just that one word...it's incredible. Hats off to the Raj Kapoor/Shankar-Jaikishan/Lata Mangeshkar combination. The kind of romance that she projects, with such subtlety, is beyond definition.

She lives the songs. I told her once that the song -- Main tumhise poochti hoon/ mujhe tumse pyar kyon hai... -- makes me feel that a thousand jars of honey are falling from her tongue, and she was amazed! There are so many such numbers.

She makes my heart beat faster even today and she makes me feel that life is worth living. I could go on and on about her songs which inspire me. She is music. She's not flesh and bone, but a personification of music.

Though she hasn't sung a lot of songs for me -- she's always inspired me and indirectly been the cause of my being what I am. As I said, she's made for music, of music and by music! She has contributed so much to all of us... May she live for ever.

Bappi Lahiri

Lata Mangeshkar is an old friend. I knew her through my father Aparesh Lahiri who was a music director in Calcutta. Lataji has worked with him in the past.

I have been a tabla player since the age of four. The first film I gave music for was a Bengali film called Dadu. This film is really very dear to me since Lataji, Ashaji and Ushaji -- all three of them sang for it.

I am not exaggerating when I say I owe my career to Lataji. I say this because it was Lata Mangeshkar who told V Shantaprasad to make me his disciple. I would say my career took off after that. I came to Bombay at a very young age.

I am extremely lucky I have done so many songs with Lata Mangeshkar. In my career spanning 27 years, I have had the good fortune of singing with Lataji several times.

While I was composing the music for Himmatwala, I remember this particular incident. Lataji had sung Nainon mein sapna, sapnon mein sajna for the film. In the recording studio itself, she said this song would become a big hit. And what a hit it was! On numerous occasions, she has made such predictions. She is one person whose predictions always turn out to be true. Lataji is Lataji. She can never go wrong.

She has also encouraged me to sing. She has always told me I have a very different and good voice. Her encouragement really means a lot to me.

Lata Mangeshkar is a living legend. She has had a career of over 50 years. To my knowledge, there really isn't anybody like that in the whole world. I can say she is blessed by Goddess Saraswati herself. Her voice is God-gifted. She is one of a kind.

Dilip Kumar

She has had a glorious innings. She's been the darling of the nation. Her voice has regaled lovers of music all over the globe. She has devoted admirers in many countries other than India that bespeaks of the universal appeal and popularity of her gold voice.

And thanks to modern technology, her voice is now cherished and all her songs preserved in sound recording systems of much greater refinement. I send her my fond love and a prayer for her lasting good health.

I always had a love for music and had cherished a crazy dream to sing with her. I'd often tell this to friends -- that is music directors.

My great friend Salil (Choudhury) provided me with an opportunity to sing that song with her. The song was for Musafir which was Hrishikesh Mukherjee's first film and a kind of experiment.

This song -- Lagi naahi chhote Rama -- was sung and recorded with great abandon one evening or perhaps, one night. For me, at that time, it was quite an achievement. The words of that song are so nice, it's an old number and a very attractive one.

I've been asked if Lata was nervous singing that song but actually, it was I who was nervous. Because I had problems with the heat. Had I not had that problem I'd have taken the music and worked at it. And I was told by several knowledgeable people that I could do better.

But at that point I didn't have the time because there was so much work to be done on the sets to be worried about. I used to sit with the director, mulling over the scene, exploring the depths in them. I used to worry about these things a lot.

In music, the beat worries me -- if there are no beats, then I sing quite well; but if there is a beat, then I have to practice, do riyaz.

And that takes time -- nothing comes easy. I knew it. I've been very fond of music, particularly classical music and the light classical music that's sung in the Indian film industry. Most of the singers have been my friends -- even instrumentalists like Vilayat Khan.

Music has been a love for me. And Lata has been an exponent of music -- a very polished one.

Gulzar

What can one say about Lata Mangeshkar? One shouldn't talk about her, one should just quietly listen to her. One cannot give an opinion about her -- who are we to give an opinion? One can just give one's reactions to her.

Primarily, she is a very fine human being. To me, one thing that is most important is a sense of humour because that is a perfect reflection of one's personality. If it isn't there, you don't get fresh air. And she has a great sense of humour.

When you get to know her, you realise that it's not just her voice, but she blossoms, even as a person. Her sense of humour her decency -- these are the qualities that stand out.

In the filmi atmosphere, unfortunately, sometime or the other you get a dirty stink of humanity. But people like her seem clean… if you know what I mean. And I am not talking about just a few years -- she has been singing for over 50 years. We are fortunate that we are existing at the same time as she is.

Knowing her work, you can't help seeing her involvement and her dedication. In the films I've made -- perhaps I can claim to have made fairly good films -- I've worked with good artistes, but the involvement has come from very few people.

Where Lataji is concerned, she always asks questions like, 'how old is the actress I'm singing for?' And that suddenly makes me realise how come the heroine didn't think of asking how old is the character she is playing?

But then Lataji hasn't become what she is without the dedication she has shown for her work. She has to understand the situation, the characterisation before she sings. I've watched her rehearse with Hemant Kumar and Salil Choudhury and Madan Mohan -- she never came unprepared for a song.

Today, with this new trend of singing on readymade tracks, you find artistes becoming too casual about their singing. But Lata has the cassettes sent to her -- she listens to them and then prepares to sing.

Another thing I've noticed is that today's singers never sing a complete song -- they'll sing the mukhda, then a line of the antara. When they find that one line doesn't sound okay, they sing it again. So they complete the song in bits and pieces. How can these people be called singers?

Lataji makes it a point to sing the whole song six to seven times before she finally records. That is her dedication. That's why her songs convey an emotion, a feeling.

I once mentioned this to her -- this way of 'convenient singing' and she replied, 'I'm not so proficient to do it that way, I know no other way to sing except the way I do!' This is her humility. She is so soft-spoken and gentle.

We have grown with her voice -- she has become a part of our routine life. Perhaps, we don't exclaim at the beauty of her singing, because it's so much a part of our normal life...her voice falls onto our ears each day, so we take it for granted. When we don't hear her for a day, the day seems rather silent!

We are lucky to share her life -- those who passed away before her voice came to us were unfortunate. Of course, her voice will be there for future generations.

For me personally, she was my entry ticket to the film world. She sang my first song, Mora gora ang laile mohe shyam rang daide for Bandini. After that I met her with Hemant Kumar. But very rarely did I have the nerve to talk to her. Even when she recorded my song, I'd just stand on the side. I always thought, what are we before her? I started talking to her only after I began working with Hemantda.

I remember when I'd written the songs for Ghar there was this word badmashiyan in the song, Aapki ankhon mein... R D Burman told me to change the word as Lataji would definitely object to it.

I couldn't see why. Because when I wrote for her, I remained conscious of what I wrote. Not that I took any song lightly, but for her I used to feel there should be some outstanding quality in the song, something which will make her say 'it's good writing.' To get a pat from her was really something. At some stage, she did give me that pat. She told me, 'when I read the words of this song (Seeli hawa chhoo gayi seela badan chil gaya), I knew it was you.'

But where Ghar was concerned, Pancham kept insisting on changing this word. When Lata came to Film Centre to record the song, I remember she rehearsed the song and didn't say a word. I looked at Pancham. She noticed it and asked me the reason. And I replied, 'Deedum (that's what I called her), Pancham said you'd object to the word, badmashiyan.' At once, she asked, 'why, does it have a double meaning?' And we said, 'no.'

If you listen to the song, the way she pronounces this word -- with laughter in her voice -- makes it actually stand out.

I am happy she has sung lots of songs for me. Only she seems to understand that film singing has the rendering of a character in it -- it's not just singing -- I want to do an album with her and Hridayanath Mangeshkar.

Harish Bhimani

What can I say about Lata Mangeshkar? That she's the greatest singer? That would be hammering a cliche to pulp!

That she's an enigma? Certainly! In fact, that is why I named my book that way. No one, not even those closest to her -- and I am lucky to consider myself in a fairly elite group -- would be able to really say that they know her as well as they would like to.

For me, she has been one of the positive turning pints in my career as an announcer, compere, DJ and voice-over artiste. I was a newsreader on television and used to host the popular radio show, Kohinoor Geet Gunjar. I usually recorded at SL Studios in Tardeo, which was owned by Shashank Lalchand, scion of the Lalchand family of industrialists, and Lataji's concert recording engineer.

He suggested my name to her for one of her Indian tours, and being an avid radio listener and television watcher, she was aware of my work and me.

I remember the day in 1978 when I was to meet her for the first time at the same SL Studio. She was to come in for a rehearsal at 7 pm. Nervous, yet excited, I reached there at 6.45 pm. I remember the studio clock chiming 7 o'clock and a Fiat drawing up outside and didi alighting from it!

She was pleased that I too, was punctual, because she is so particular about punctuality herself. She remarked on it, attributing it to my being a television newsreader. Somewhat nervous and yet audacious, I suggested to her that if I were to compere her shows, I would not like to include chutkule (anecdotes) and would also like to be present at the rehearsals.

She said, 'You know, I was going to lay down these two conditions to you myself!' We had made a good beginning and my first show with her in Kolhapur went off like a breeze despite all my trepidation about not knowing Marathi as well as I know Hindi or English.

As a person and as an artiste, she has certain characteristics which stand out, and towering among these are some really fantastic paradoxes.

To begin with, she's tremendously, genuinely humble. She is very pious and God-fearing, and her way of greeting people with hands folded and with a slight forward bend of her body is, self-confessedly, her way of acknowledging that she is what she is because of God's special blessings on her.

When I began my association with her, I was practically a nobody and she was already the Lata. But never has she made me feel that chasm between a living legend and a successful professional.

And the paradox comes because she is well aware of her station in life, of where she has reached and the pinnacle on which she sits. The other paradox is her uproarious sense of humour -- because she is also a very strict disciplinarian!

I have seen these qualities in opposite kinds of people, but I have never found them co-existing in one human being. At shows and in her recordings, I keep telling her Itna mat hansiye (Don't laugh so much) because it would affect her voice.

When I have to use my voice, I give it rest for hours before that, but she does not bother. She even begins to narrate something absolutely hilarious in the interlude between the mukhda and antara, stops just in time to take up the lines at the perfect samm and continues her narration when the next interlude begins!

But she's a daunting taskmaster. On our foreign jaunts, we would naturally be in a mood to explore the new places and have fun. But we were not permitted any laxity before the shows. Many a time we had no time left after the endless rehearsals. In fact, there used to be a standing joke among us. On the flight, we would jokingly tell each other, 'Catch up on your sleep, man! We are going to have a rehearsal at the airport itself! '

That is essentially the secret of her success -- she's a perfectionist. There's no compromise on work. Her foreign -- or national -- audience would probably lap up anything Lata will sing, merely because of their good fortune in getting to listen live to her.

But she never thinks that way. Rehearsals in Bombay would begin 10 weeks before the show, with the full orchestra each time. The last rehearsal would be hours or minutes before the actual show! She wants to be perfectly prepared.

She also give a lot of importance to the selection of her songs. With her limitless repertoire, one would have thought that it did not matter which 20 songs she sang among the thousands of hits she has. But Anil Mohile, her arranger, Lataji and I would slog to work out a careful list of about 40 songs for every show.

She's so fastidious that all 40 would be rehearsed, even if only half the numbers were to be actually sung. Lata Mangeshkar remains prepared for all eventualities like a sudden public farmaish (request) or a change because of the people's mood at a particular time.

Her authority is always couched in sweetness. She would have made a hugely-successful executive if she hadn't become a singer! On our first-ever tour of Paris, which was the first-ever show there by an Indian artiste, she was annoyed because the organiser was taking it easy. We had yet to begin 45 minutes after the scheduled time. She told me to take a message to him: 'Please tell him to arrange a car. Main hotel jaana chahoongi!'

And the curtain went up in two minutes flat! Later, the organiser wondered why she had made such a fuss when the audience could have waited for Lata Mangeshkar for even an hour. I conveyed this to her and she told me sweetly, 'Harishji, please tell him that we like to start on time kyoon ki hum paagal ho gaye hain' (because we have all gone mad)!

Yes, she's a great one for punch-lines. She's full of them! Once, Sulakshana Pandit said on one of my radio programmes that if she had been a boy, she would have married Lataji. She heard to that particular programme and on our next meeting, said, 'I wonder if she would have asked me whether I wanted to marry her!'

Talking about why she never sang for O P Nayyar, she once told me, 'Both food and rumours taste much better when salt and pepper are sprinkled on them!'

She would have also made a great writer, as besides her tendency to use punch lines, she is an extraordinary raconteur. A lesser-known fact about her persona is her penchant for photography. It's a serious hobby with her, and being a perfectionist as always even in that pursuit, she's excellent in it as well. When I showed her some photographs I had taken on a tour, she guessed correctly at the type of camera I had used and the speed of the film that I had employed and commented impartially and expertly on the results!

I asked her, 'How do you know the technical aspects so well? Have you read books on photography?' And in reply I got one of her best punch lines. With a naughty smile, she said, 'Harishji, maine to music par bhi kitaabein nahin padhi! (I have not read any books even on music!).'

Which brings me to didi, the artiste. Apart from her dedication and regimentation -- she's very particular about her daily routine, though she tends to succumb to temptation in matters of food because she loves eating -- she's got one plus point which makes others remain singers and Didi a singer plus.

Singing is easy for her, as it is in her blood, as it is in the case of Ashaji as well. While singing, she does not concentrate at all on her music. It's there in her system. So she concentrates entirely on the words and the emotions that she has to express in them.

She once told me that she never sings gale se (from her throat) but with her whole being. I think that's what comes across on the mike. I have heard her sing her Albela hit, Dheere se aana re at least 50 times on stage. It's incredible how she sings with full-throated throw and punch into the mike and yet the effect is so soothing and caressing!

R D Burman once told me that as a kid he was sitting behind her in the recording room for one of his father's recordings. He could hardly hear anything and concluded that she hadn't begun. He drew back the chair noisily and walked out of the room, banging the door shut.

The take had to be cut and when he explained the reason for his exit to his father, Dada Burman made his son hear what Lataji had been singing with crystal-clear clarity and force on tape. Pancham was zapped!

She has been often accused of monopoly. I think those who blame the Mangeshkar sisters neither understand music nor the economics of film-making. Khayyamsaab once said, 'It is we music directors who have created this monopoly. When we make a tune, we want the best in the business to record it.'

Producers get a better price when Lataji sings -- today even the music commands a higher price. It's amazing but even in the languages in which she has sung just a handful of songs -- like Gujarati, Kashmiri, Punjabi -- her songs rank among the all-time hits in that language!

She has also been termed manipulative, but logic proves otherwise. Look at the factors ranged against her: she never ever compromises on her price, she has maintained zero -- or I would say even negative -- public relations. She has clashed with producers, a long list of the topmost music directors and even Rafisaab.

And when she gives you a date, there's no guarantee that she will come on that day. A slight indisposition and she will excuse herself. When rehearsals for a tour are on, she does not accept songs. And yet she has remained on top, and people have waited for weeks or months so that only Lata Mangeshkar would record a particular song.

In fact, she's a great one for planning, which I think speaks of her nervousness about results, though I will not say that it means that she is insecure.

One day in June 1986 she called me up and told me, 'Please write down this date and keep it free for me: May 14.' I told her, 'Didi, you mean June 14.' She said, 'No, May 14 -- next year. That's the day we are leaving for our next tour. Please adjust your television and radio work so that you can have 22 days free for me.' I told her, 'In that case, please also tell me the departure time of our flight!' She laughed uproariously at that.

But do you know, once a show is booked, she refuses to take on another commitment in between. You may offer her the earth, but her answer will be 'No.' Now which ambitious, aggressive or manipulative person would be like this?

For me, simply, Lata Mangeshkar is one colossal unforgettable experience!

Kalyanji-Anandji

We think Lata Mangeshkar is the only singer who delivers 100 per cent of a music director's expectations -- and in more than just the technical sense of sur and taal.

She has this uncanny instinct of knowing what exactly is going on in the composer's mind when he composes a song. Most of us composers are not good singers, and thus we cannot really sing well enough to convey all that we want out of our own compositions.

But Lata Mangeshkar does not need to be told the finer nuances at all. She guesses at them, and then delivers what is needed - cent per cent! When you hear her sing, you need not wonder how the song must have actually been when the music director had composed it -- because it must have been exactly as she has sung it!

As music directors, we have to oblige and change a note here or a scale there to accommodate a singer's request as s/he may be unable to do justice to a particular part. We have had to do this even with some senior singers and thus compromise on our original creations.

But this never happened with Lata. Some singers cannot bring in the expression we need. Others even overdo it. But Lata is just perfect. There is always an undercurrent of shastriya gaayaki (classical singing) in her vocal delivery. Yet, unlike many classically-trained artistes, she never once loses out on the emotions in the singing even as she is technically perfect.

Our association with her dates back to the early 1950s when we were musicians, and later assistants to Hemantda (Hemant Kumar). I remember her being present when I was playing the famous been piece for Nagin. She, I remember, had some really valid suggestions to offer, because of her very sharp sense of music.

Naturally, it was our dream to start out as composers with her, and our first film, Samrat Chandragupta, had all eight of its songs sung by her, which was an unforgettable beginning for us.

Among them were hits like Mujhe dekh chand sharmaaye, Chahe paas ho chahe door ho, Yeh samaa yeh mera dil jawaan. Not only did she readily agree to sing for us, but also actually helped us with suggestions.

We remember her even making us accompany her to the lyricists' houses if she wasn't satisfied with the lyrics -- we recall several trips with her from our house in Mangalwadi, Girgaum, where she would come for rehearsals, all the way to Hasrat Jaipuri's house in Khar.

We were very close for a long while, and we think that it was our common love for humour which cemented our relationship on a personal level. We used to record mainly at Filmcenter and in 90 per cent of the cases, it was an unwritten rule that she would come to our house for lunch -- she loved our Kutchi food.

We were also the first to make her overcome her fear of the stage and did several shows with her. It was a great honour for us when she won what is her only National Award to date for our song. At the same time, most of our films which won us awards -- Himalay Ki God Mein, Saraswatichandra, Kora Kagaz -- were with her singing all or most of the songs.

On a professional level, our relationship underwent a strain when certain vested interests gave her the impression that we were in the process of creating an alternative to her and constructing an anti-Lata platform.

But, how could anyone touch her heights? Besides, she herself has told us that our discovery, Sadhana Sargam, is the best among youngsters. Even today, we keep meeting at so many functions and she is always extremely courteous and cordial.

Our generation of composers -- Laxmi-Pyare, Pancham and us -- was especially lucky to work during her peak phase. All I can say is that Lata Mangeshkar is Goddess Saraswati's priceless gift to the industry.

Kavita Krishnamurthy

My love for film music arises because of Lataji's songs. Not just her voice, she is the ideal exponent of everything to do with music. For me, there cannot be anything greater than her... I'm not talking about the pure classical format, but the light music format with words in it.

No one is greater than her as far as emotion, perception of words and the spiritual quality is concerned -- you feel it's not music for the sake of entertainment but music for the sake of reaching god -- which actually is the real purpose of music.

I remember the first time I met her. I was recording for Hemant Kumar -- I had to sing just two lines. And Hemantda told me that Lataji was coming. I was instantly nervous. This was in early '71, I was singing for a Bengali film in which she was singing.

When she came in, I was so tongue-tied that I forgot my two lines because I just kept staring at her. And she smiled at me very quietly. It was a great experience.

In fact on the way back home she stopped her car and asked if she could drop me somewhere. I was walking out with my mother and I said 'no, no we're going in the opposite direction.' I was so nervous that I started walking back towards the studio instead of away from it. Till my mother said, 'hey we're walking away from our road.' I was so overtaken with emotion -- I was overawed, I've always been overawed by her personality.

I think she's a wonderful gift to our country.

As a person too, she's great company. If you catch her in the right mood, she's extremely funny. She's a great mimic too and she can say the funniest things with a straight face. She can be so mischievous and can keep you in splits.

When I received my first Filmfare award for 1942 A Love Story, she too was being felicitated. She said so graciously, 'I'm very happy that Kavita has got the award, she deserved it.' And I felt -- as did so many others -- that acknowledgement was a greater gift than the award I was holding in my hand.

I think she epitomises all that is great in music and she has set very great standards for all the singers in this country.

Khayyam

She's turning 70 and she's still supreme, still at the top. I wish her every happiness and many more years of singing. So that this country can still enjoy her voice.

I remember when Master Ghulam had first used her to sing in Majboor. We were all surprised that he had used a new voice.

I used to be very close to him and asked him what kind of a singer she was and he'd said, 'Arre apne Dine ki ladki hai,' (she is our Dine's daughter) referring to Master Dinanath Mangeshkar who commanded a lot of respect as a foremost artiste in Maharashtra. She sang two songs for him and the film had done very well.

But when Kamal Amrohi made Mahal, he utilised her voice to its magical extent. Aayega aanewala was and will remain an all-time classic. The composer was Khemchand Prakash, but I still hand it to Kamal Amrohi to ask for this kind of song. The film was a musical mystery and the way he had utilised Lata Mangeshkar's voice is something.

I remember Ghulam Haider said at that time that if this young girl keeps her balance, she will touch the sky. His words were, 'Woh aasman ki bulundiyon ko chhuyegi. Which she did.

I first had her sing for me in Pyar Ki Baatein for Nargis Arts. The music was to be done by Bulo C Rani, but he fell ill and asked me to complete the songs. Lata sang two songs, one of them being Ab kahan jaayon pasbaan koyi nahin... This was my fourth or fifth film.

She has sung some beautiful songs for me, the one that comes to mind immediately is Ay dil-e-nadaan (Razia Sultan). I started working with Lata in 1949 and we've had a good time working together.

What can one say about her? She's God's gift to us -- to the people of this country and indeed, to the world.

Kumar Sanu

I first met Lataji during the making of Naya Sawan. That was in 1990. I have met her many times since then.

Although personally I have known Lata Mangeshkar for only nine years, I have been listening to her songs since my childhood. I can say I have practically grown up listening to Lataji's songs. She has been my idol since then. I respect her very much.

There is this one incident, which is very close to my heart. It's something that will forever remain in my memory. When I sang the first song for Naya Sawan, I remember I had touched her feet before starting to sing. That was really a priceless moment for me. To actually stand next to the person, whose songs I had been listening to since I was a child, and sing with her was really a matter of great pride for me. It still is.

Her style of singing is simply unique. There are so many things one can learn from her. Simply standing next to her in the recording studio and singing is such a learning experience.

I feel very happy today that I have sung so many songs with Lataji. Among the more recent ones are Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge and Kacche Dhaage. The emotions I go through when I sing with Lataji are inexplicable. I simply have no words to describe that.

What else can I say about Lataji? I don't think anyone can be compared to this legend and I can say with conviction that there can never be anybody like her in future.

I must add I am very grateful to Lata Mangeshkar as she has always been encouraging me. She has always said good things about me. There is no particular incident that I remember while singing with her, but I can say that the whole experience is wonderful. It's something I shall cherish for the rest of my life.

Manna Dey

What can you say about Lata? I came to know her when she was not 'the Lata.'

During the Bombay Talkies days, I was rehearsing with Anil Biswas and one day, she was sitting there. I was called there for rehearsals. This girl was sitting there on one side. When I finished rehearsing my song, Anilda asked me whether I knew her. I said no and he asked me to sit and listen to her sing.

When she started, I was completely swept off my feet. Those days, we had Rajkumari, Amirbai Karnataki, Shamshad, Zohrabai Ambalewali, Geeta Dutt. Lata's singing was so different from these singers.

I asked Anilda where she had learnt to sing. Anilda told me she learned singing from her father who was a stage actor and singer. Her whole family was into singing. She had a beautifully balanced voice. A cultured voice it was.

After that, we didn't meet for a long time because she was not a full-fledged singer then. She was just trying to make it in the industry.

I wouldn't be able to tell you which was the first song I sang with her or when it happened. But it's a fact that with her entry into music, and the kind of prowess she had, music directors were so attracted to her singing that other artistes were eclipsed by her. She became a favourite with almost all the music directors.

I have been an avid follower of Lata's voice. I was very attracted to it. Other singers had their limitations, but Lata was a singer who could sing everything. That was the best part of her singing.

I was given to understand that she followed Noorjehan. I always maintained that Noorjehan was a great singer, but Lata was greater. Lata could sing a love song, an emotional song, a fast number -- she was phenomenal. I don't want to compare her to anybody because she can't be.

I would say it was my good fortune that I was her close friend and sang very good and immortal songs with her. During our recordings too, whenever she would stand next to me and sing, I would marvel at her technique. Her breath control was amazing. I have learnt so many of these techniques from her and I have imbibed them too. Breathing right when singing is very important and she knew it.

Lata was not as reserved as people thought she was. She had a tremendous sense of humour. She would make us laugh a lot. During recordings, she would tell us a lot of jokes. She had a good repertoire of them with her. And she was a good mimic. She would mimic anybody she found funny and did it very well. She is so gifted in everything. This kind of talent is not something that you learn, but something you are blessed with.

This profession is such a thing where you have to be a little choosy and careful, and some element of jealousy has to be there. When you see somebody else coming up and she is good, then you can't take it lying down. If you think she is good, then you got to catch up with her. Lata was alive to all situations.

People say that you are so famous, now allow somebody else to come up. But how many people can do it? Nobody in that position will allow it. How can she back out if she is good to maintain her position? So why blame her? Other singers say we don't get any songs because of her. But they should be like her first her first and then try and compete.

I am of this firm opinion, that these days all the female singers who sing in films have Lata as their idol. All of them look at her for inspiration. The songs she has sung over the decades will always be remembered.

Of course, now she is getting in on age and she understands that. People might make wild remarks about her now, but you can't forget what she has given the music world for all these years. It's unforgettable. She stands supreme as a singer and others are just her followers. Let people say she did not let other singers sing when she was at the top -- the fact is she was good enough to be at that position. So, nobody should really point fingers at her.

I have known her from the time she was an unknown singer to the time she became the topmost singer, and I have never found any change in her as a person. She would be modesty personified whenever we met. She was never high and mighty with us.

There were times when people misinterpreted her and there must have been reasons for that, but with us she was always the same. It is unkind to point fingers at anybody without knowing the reason for it. She must have her reasons for behaving that way.

How many people in this industry meet each other with genuine affection? Then why blame Lata for what she must have said or done? I knew that Rafi was better than me, that Kishore, was in his own way, better than me, so there was no jealousy from me. Lata was unsurpassable, how could anybody hope to compete against her?

Tell me is there anybody who can sing her old songs as well as Lata does? They can never be compared to her at all. She is blessed with a talent and that is why she is Lata.

There was a function where we all were invited and I loved the way Lata spoke there. She was so humble. That was the first time I heard Lata speak in such a humble way. She said, 'I am here because of you people. If you hadn't liked me, liked my songs, how could I hope to be what I am today?' I liked her surrendering her talent to God.

She also had an impeccable pronunciation. She pronounced her words beautifully. I always liked that and I keep listening to her songs even now.

We are a little old-fashioned, so we like songs which touch our hearts. The way she sang Laage na mora jiya or Satyam shivam sundaram nobody could match that. I can cite more examples. I listen to her and Rafi's songs and sometimes even cry at the way they have sung those songs. They really touch your heart.

The amazing thing is that they (Lata and Rafi) are from this country, but people from all over the world listen to them and rejoice. Only they were destined to have this kind of undisputed talent.

I don't think she really had to struggle much because her voice captured you at the first instance. It did with me and it did with most music directors.

If you have to talk about her struggle, then yes she had to keep her eyes and ears open. How to improve, how to really grow in stature and singing. That's why she said that she loved to listen to Noojehan and learn from her.

I have told you everything that I know about her and feel about her. I can say nothing more about her that would be anything else but appreciation for her talent.

Naushad

I first met Latabai in the '40s -- in 1942 or 1943. She used to come to sing for the chorus in Marathi films that were being produced by Kardar Productions.

There was a boy called Jayram in our office. He told me about this Marathi girl who was a very good singer. He asked me to listen to her and I asked him to bring her over.

That is how I met her. It was Jayram who brought her to me in my music room.

I asked her to sing. She sang the Noorjahan song, Mere liye jahan mein na chain hai na karar hai. I remember telling her it was okay, but she had to improve her pronunciation. Otherwise, I told her she had a good voice. I asked her to keep in touch and promised to do the best I could.

She used to come. Getting off at Parel from a tram. With an umbrella. Wet in the rain.

Her first song for me was a duet that she sang with G M Durrani. The song was Ae chorre ki jaat badi bewafa. I made her sing that for Rs 60 then! She was ecstatic and her hands were quivering with excitement. I had then told her it was nothing and she would make much more. Only that she would have to practise. Practise is everything. Only hard work would pay off. So, she would practise regularly.

I am not implying that I should be taking credit for her success. She practised, worshipped and worked hard and achieved success. And she practises till this day.

Her whole family had good singers. Her father Dinanathsaab, her younger brother Baal (Hridayanath Mangeshkar), who also sang his first song with me. That song was from Baiju Bawra -- Saacho tero naam Ram -- which is sung by a child in the film.

I want to say one thing. Many singers who sing on stage don’t mention music directors. But Latabai always made it a point to at least mention music directors like Madansaab (Madan Mohan) or me.

This is a very good thing because behind a singer, there is always the composer. Crediting him for his work is a civil thing for the singer to do.

I have made her sing the maximum number of songs. In fact Mehboobsaab would tell me that she is a Marathi girl, her pronunciations are not right and I was making her sing a ghazal. I took the responsibility of making her perfect her pronunciation.

So, in Andaaz she sang for Nargis for the first time. I made her rehearse the song for 20 days. I told her I have accepted a challenge from Mehboobsaab that she would sing the song perfectly on the first take. Those days there were no tape recorders. We would record directly on the optical track of the film.

I rehearsed with her, got her pronunciation right. She learnt the whole ghazal by heart. I had to explain the ghazal verse by verse. She had to understand the meter so as to figure out when a line in an Urdu verse begins and ends. This helped her improvise on her breathing techniques.

I don’t know whether she remembers all this but I had made her do all this.

So I took her to Central Studios for recording, which was in Tardeo those days. Now it has turned into an AC Market. So there are no old memories left of those days.

The song was recorded there amidst Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Sardar Akhtar and Mehboobsaab. They were all sitting on the track. I told Lata that they were all deaf. Even the musicians are deaf. Only she was intelligent and knowledgeable and she should sing away confidently. So, I gave her confidence this way and she got her song right on the first take itself.

Raj Kapoor was ecstatic on hearing the song -- he lifted her up and asked me where I had found her.

These were singers who have learnt singing -- Lata, Asha, Rafi, Manna De and Mukesh -- unlike today’s singers who are untrained.

Today’s singers copy the old singers. Old songs are still being played today because a lot of hard work went into them.

Age is always apparent. There is a lot of difference in Lata's voice then and now. Nobody can escape that. There used to be a transparency in her voice then. But it is not her fault. She still is hard working, has the same devotion, only she is older now. She can't help that.

Lata had a rare sense of loyalty. Not only would she want to sing perfectly, she would want everybody to do the same. She got her sisters to me once to sing in the chorus, because she didn't want even the chorus to go wrong. This was always very endearing about her. She always endeavoured to make things easy for me.

She wasn't alone those days. She had competition from singers like Zohrabai Ambalewali, Amirbai Karnatki, Shamshad Begum, Noorjahan. They were all good singers. But when they started retiring one by one, Lata got her chance. She sang with them too and did well. She accepted the challenge to be as good as them or be even better.

You become a legend when nature blesses you with such a talent. Not otherwise. Just because you have lived for more years doesn't make you a legend. I have done something like 67 films, that is not much from the industry's point of view. You can call me a legend because of that.

But Lata's contribution is much more. You can call Pankaj Mullick, Anil Biswas, R C Boral legends, and Lata can be called one too.

She used to be always very respectful towards me. When recently my latest book Aathwan Sur was released in London, she came for the inauguration and said a few words.

Her voice was definitely a gift from the God. Take any creative art. You can learn all the creative art that you want to, but you got to have the talent too. She had that, as did her sisters.

Today, the respect and honour that she commands is because of her talent and training. Even now music directors want her to sing their songs. So that the song is given the rare respect a Lata song gets.

This kind of luck and devotion are commanded by very few people, I am glad that Lata got that attention.

Now we are celebrating her birthday. Once before too, I had written a few lines for her birthday. I will repeat those for you. I hope you will understand the affection and respect I have for her.

Today, nobody really cares for one another and when somebody actually remembers your birthday and wants to celebrate it, then that is an amazing thing to happen.

Lata is daher (duniya) mein jis mein khushi milti hai kam sab ko

Mubarak ho tera jashne massarrat aaj hum sab ko

Tujhe nagmo ki jaan, ahele nazar yunhi nahin kehte

Tere geeton ko dil ka hamsafar yunhi nahin kehte

Suni sabne mohabbat ki jaban awaaz mein teri

Dhadakta hai dil-e-hindustan awaaz mein teri

Teri taanon mein husn-e-zindagi leta hai angdayi

Khuda rakkhe tere nagmo ka andaaz-e-masiyayi

Ke tu hai pyaar ka ek saaz is nafrat ki duniya mein

Ganimat hain teri awaaz is nafrat ki duniya mein

Dukhi hai laakh, phir bhi mutmayin hai dard ke mare

Teri awaaz ki shabnam se dhul jaate hai gam saare.

I will congratulate Lata on behalf of the music lovers in this country and my musical staff -- that she prosper more and we should be able to hear her for many more years.

Nitin Mukesh

Lataji would tie a raakhi on my father, and he was simply the closest any individual in the film industry was to her. My dad called her didi, though he was an established singer when Lataji came in. He would pick her up from their house at Prabhu Kunj and take her to recordings -- and this is what Lataji and her sisters have told me.

For her Mukesh bhaiyya was very special. My initial relationship with her was that of a nephew with an aunt.

But it later changed to awe when I decided to take up singing as a profession. Maybe another Lata is there, hidden in anonymity, but unless she worships work the way she does, and has the same single-minded dedication and perfection, Lata Mangeshkar will remain untouched and unbeatable.

None of us have heard Meerabai and Saraswati, but for us she represents them as well. She's simply the most beautiful voice in modern times, untouched in voice quality, range, versatility and her eternal love for perfection.

I have had such a long professional association with her in films and on stage as well as our personal closeness due to dad. So I dare say that I have authority to speak these few lines on her.

The musicians and we, the co-singers, would become restless with the endless rehearsals before going on stage, but not her. She was the epitome of discipline and perfection, and faultless as well as effortless on the mike. And the most important point was that she, the one and only Lata Mangeshkar, needn't have put in all that effort.

She taught me how to worship my work. I noticed she would take off her slippers before going on stage. From that first time, I have emulated her to date as the only male singer who sings barefoot no matter how cold it is in any open-air auditorium.

She has also literally introduced me to the world of stage, and taught me not to take it lightly. This was on that fateful tour in 1976 when papa died after completing eight of the 10 shows. Early on this tour he had developed a throat problem because of something he had eaten and she told him to take it easy.

I was with the troupe on a casual holiday and she asked me to step in -- and I began on stage with three timeless duets with her -- Aaja re ab mera dil pukara (Aah), Sawan ka mahina (Milan) and Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein (Kabhi Kabhie).

As the roar of applause broke out, papa broke down and told her, 'Now my pension is secure.' When papa suffered that heart attack just before the ninth show, it was she who took charge, though personally she was devastated and wept loudly. She was the first to inform me when papa was declared dead.

Two months later, we were back in the US to complete the two remaining shows and she was so comforting and affectionate, ensuring that I wasn't depressed. She treated me in a big-sisterly way and announced on stage that Nitin and she did not want to leave papa's work unfinished, and so were back.

And today, thanks largely to that lady, I am settled in my main vocation. I am proud to say I emulate her in one more way on stage -- that even if I am going to sing from the same list of 50 songs every time, I rehearse on the scale she does, with complete musicians, for weeks. When you emulate, you emulate only the best, because that is like one small step in attempting to reach the heights they have reached.

It was on my tours with her -- and I was a constant feature in her shows for over 12 years after papa's death -- that I really realised both the potential of the stage as well as what Lata Mangeshkar, that pious yet disciplined lady in real life, meant to the world of music lovers. People just went mad at her shows!

In 1980, we were to perform in Guyana, West Indies. We alighted from the plane to face an ocean of humanity -- a milling throng the likes of which even she, I think, had not imagined. There seemed to be literally a hundred thousand people there and the organisers told us later that even the Queen of Great Britain and other heads of state who had visited there had not commanded even a fraction of that crowd.

The entire 60-km stretch from the airport to our hotel was lined with cheering men, women and children, most of whom were locals who did not understand a word of Hindi, but loved her songs. There was a constant shower of petals and people were literally weeping and cheering and shouting 'Laatta! Laatta!' in their West Indian accent.

And though so many were even prostrating themselves before our motorcade -- I had requested her to stand and she stood with folded hands throughout -- not a single person misbehaved. I have seen the euphoria over Michael Jackson in Bombay -- it simply wasn't in the same class! When we reached our hotel all of us were weeping uncontrollably!

Then in 1983, we decided to do a show in Swaziland, at the tip of South Africa -- a place where only 10 Indians lived. But we had no choice then, as Indians were not permitted entry into the rest of South Africa.

But you should have seen the response! People from surrounding countries had flown and driven across borders in thousands. And on the day of the show -- which was to be in an open-air auditorium -- there came one of those terrible storms with lightning and blinding rain.

But was the audience daunted? No way! We opened the show to a sea of umbrellas and raincoats in an auditorium packed to capacity! Those who were unfortunate enough to be unprotected stood for all those four hours, even holding their chairs over their heads, but no one left before the show was over.

That is one vivid image that will never go away from my mind! That is the magic, the charisma and the mesmeric artistry of Lata Mangeshkar!

In my recordings with her -- the first was Main kaise use pasand karoon for Rajji and LP's (Laxmikant-Pyarelal) Satyam Shivam Sundaram -- she was extra considerate, extra patient. She used to hop from recording to recording those days, but if she came to know that I was to be a co-singer, she would allot a longer time for me.

During our tours, as I said, she was like a big sister, and would personally ensure my comfort and my being put up in the same hotel as she was.

An episode which I can never forget happened in 1979 when we landed in Glasgow, Scotland, on a freezing day just three hours before our show. She was not too well on the flight and was complaining of a heavy head.

We were a shade worried and so many of us made different suggestions for her well being. All she said was, 'I will not eat lunch. Get me an ice-cream instead!' We were flummoxed, because we were sure that ice-cream would aggravate her headache. But we couldn't argue.

And three hours later, an extremely normal Lata Mangeshkar performed at her peak, revealing later that ice-cream always helped her in such cases.

Truly God preserves her. And I hope that He keeps at it.

Pankaj Udhas

To me, Lata Mangeshkar has been so many things. As a child, I used to sing her songs on stage right from the third standard.

At the age of 10, I remember singing the famous Ay mere watan ke logon, just after the Chinese aggression at a Navratri festival in Rajkot where I used to live. I was given Rs 51 for it by a member of the audience -- and Rs 51 was a good sum then, especially for a school kid!

I vividly remember my first meeting with her at her house in Prabhu Kunj. This must have been around '70 or '71. I had accompanied my elder brother Manharbhai who had some work with her.

It was an unforgettable experience meeting her in the flesh, as she had been my idol since childhood. She, I remember, asked Manharbhai, 'Does he also sing?' My brother replied, 'Yeh ghazalein bahut acchi gaata hain (He sings ghazals very well).'

And she asked me to sing a ghazal right there. I was very fond of Mehdi Hasan and I sang his Faiz Ahmed Faiz ghazal, Dil mein ab yoon tere bhoole hue gham aate hain. And she told me, 'You sing extremely well. Why don't you focus on singing as a career?'

Since I was already toying with the idea, I was delighted. It was, I think, the most thrilling moment of my life!

Soon after that, I got a chance to listen to her live at a function in Bombay. I was so overwhelmed by her rendition of Tum mujhe yoon bhula na paaoge that I went and took her autograph!

Later, though we were not really in touch, Lata Mangeshkar seemed to be keeping track of what I was doing. Whenever we met at any function or party, she would remark on how well I had sung that day at her house.

I got my first chance to actually record a song with her in '87. It was Aur bhalaa kya rab se maangoon for Thanedaar under Bappi Lahiri. Before that, it had been my pleasure to find my name in the same album as hers -- Laxmikant-Pyarelal's Naam -- in which both of us had solos.

After that we recorded two more duets together, and coincidentally all three were composed by Bappi Lahiri -- Gaa mere sang pyar ka geet for Gunahon Ka Faisla and Maahiya teri kasam in Ghayal. She was happy that all three of our joint efforts proved popular, and remarked as such to me.

I also had the privilege of getting Lataji to release my album, Aman in 1994. She seemed to turn it into gold, as the album went on to be a great success.

But what I cherish even more is her inviting me to sing at one of the annual functions in memory of her father Dinanath Mangeshkar. Not only am I grateful for the honour, but what was especially memorable was that she was among my audience that unforgettable evening!

My ultimate dream is to collaborate on an album with her one day, the way Jagjitji did Sajda with her.

As an artiste, she's basically a role model for any singer, irrespective of the genre of music which that singer sings.

She herself has been impeccable at every kind of music and I don't need to comment on her perfect pronunciation and enviable throw. There is a peculiar soz, a strange kashish in her voice which draws you like a magnet. Hers is an awaaz whose appeal is universal. There is a lot of soul in it as well as a technical brilliance, and this is a very rare combination.

As a person, I think she's the most intelligent woman whom I have ever come across. Her analysis of people and of songs is razor sharp.

I also feel she is very humane. She has had differences with so many associates, but never once has she aired her views on them, or hit out in print or to a third person against any of them. One has never seen any ugly

Sajjad

There was one music director in Hindi Film Industry who was far superior to all the others. He was the real master - or the master of the masters. Sajjad Hussain by name, this man experienced an unstable career in Hindi films. As one might wonder he was a little too good for the business he was trying to make a living from.



All the training in classical music he ever received was from his father. He took some Sitar lessons under his father as a kid. He entered the stage in 1944 in Dost - and he entered with a bang. With Noor Jehan at his hand he smashed his first ace with Badnaam mohobbat kaun kare. To the connoissures even the mention of this extraordinary song is enough to touch their ears. He was a great mendoline player - taught by nobody - and he could do wonders with that instrument.

Sajjad was an absolute perfectionist. He would tire the hell out of his crew to get a recording done as per his wishes. It is known that he called for 17 re-takes of the legendary Yeh hawa yeh raat yeh chandani (Sangdil). Even after all that he was never happy with that song. Anil Biswas has certified Sajjad as the "only original music director". He said that everybody else - including himself - had tto turn to some source of insppiration. Sajjad never needed that! Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan were the only two female voices Sajjad thought worth considering as playback singers. He used to genuinely wonder that why Khuda bothered to put all the others on this planet after creating Lata! Among male voices he pardoned Talat. No one else managed to sneak into his erudite group to sing a line or two of his composition.

Lata sang Aaj mere naseeb ne mujh ko rula rula diya (Hulchul) for Sajjad which he considered his best work ever for quite some time. Eventually he started disliking that also. He began thinking that he could and should have done far better than that. Talk to any music director and he would tell you why a particular of his compositions is so good. But Sajjad ? Wrong number! He used to say that the master pieces like Dil mein sama gaye sajan (Sangdil) are perfectly ordinary from composition point of view. What - then - shall we think of as "extra-ordinary", Sajjad saab ? A brilliant Suraiyya piece in Rustum Soharaab was Yeh kaisi ajab daasataN ho gayi hai. Was that also ordinary ? And how did Suraiyya get to sing a song where only Lata and Noor Jehan were allowed ?

The biggest and most formidable enemy of Sajjad Hussain was he himself. He could not put up with anyone in the industry. In a place full of sycophants self esteemed insolence of Sajjad Hussian could not survive. The man who told once to Lata - when she was reportedly struggling with a tune of his - that she should take more effort and that the tune is not of Naushad to take lightly, waged war against many in the industry. It finally led to his destruction and the most talented of them all had to sit at home doing nothing when the mediocracy prevailed years after years with second rate songs and plagiarisd tunes.

Anecdotes have it! One fine evening in a party, Sajjad walked to Madan Mohan in a not-so-friendly mood. He confronted Madan and asked with rage, "How did you dare steal my tune ?" I don't know what Madan Mohan replied. Sajjad was refering to the new avtaar of his Yeh hawa yeh raat yeh chandani - namely Tujhe kya sunau main dilruba (Aakhari Daao - Rafi) from Madan Mohan. Sure the tune was the same. And sure Sajjad had conceived it first. So did Madan Mohan actually steal it ? Well, if a composer like Madan Mohan falls for such a tune, it's not his fault, is it ?

Looks like in spite of his preferences among playback singers he did in fact use quite a few of others in his career. He created Woh to chale gaye aye dil (Lata) for Madhubala, Kahan ho kahan mere jeevan sahare (Talat) for Dilipkumar in Sangdil and Aye dil ruba (Rustum Soharaab - Lata), Jaate ho to jao hum bhi yahaN vaadoN ke sahare jee lenege (Khel - Lata) with his favorite singers. But Phir tumhari yaad aayi aye sanam (Rustum Soharaab - Manna Dey, Sadat Khan, Rafi) and Dharati se door gore badaloN ke paar (Sangdil - Geeta, Asha) were a few of his compositions in which he took a day off from the leading vocalists.

Sajjad died in oblivion. His last years were not exactly how they should have been. His genius went unsung. One wonders if the story would have been different had he been a little more tolerant. But then he wouldn't have been Sajjad. Sajjad was a package deal - either take him in his entirity or forget about him. The waste of his talent is ultimately the loss of ours. We have missed the hundreds of tunes that were never created by Sajjad because he was never given a chance. What we have with us now is just an infinitesimal fraction of his untamed genius. We should be thankful for that, for that is more than what mortals like us deserve. After all, his music was ethereal!

Source: http://www.geocities.com/nimish_pac/sajjad.html

aahat:

Words fail me in expressing my appreciation/gratitude for these wonderful articles.

They are so interesting and informative.

You're making invaluable contributions, far more worthy of this forum than my spate of uploads!

Excellent effort Aahat ji, and Thanks for the informative articles.

I must say though that the fact about Rafi saab's "Kahan Ja Raha Hai" from 'Seema' is not true.

A good family friend of mine asked Shankar ji in 1985 if the way Rafi saab said the word "tod" was an error on his part, and Shankar told him that it was planned that Rafi saab's voice would crack at that moment to display the emotion of that particular word, so in fact what the article mentions is incorrect.

Keep up the great effort

Thanks for the compliments Unni and Prince Ali. Here we go a bit further.

Bondhu rangila re -- a tribute to S D Burman

Did you know that S D Burman was a disciple of Manna Dey's uncle K C Dey?

Burman gave the highest place for vocals; the orchestra got secondary importance

He once took a song written like a ghazal and turned it into a club song

Dev Anand delayed 'Guide' by six months so that an ailing S D Burman could score the music


Come October 31 and it's time for music lovers to remember Kumar Sachin Dev Burman. It was on this day in 1975 that the great music composer left us.

To me Dada Burman's most enduring image is of a wizened potliwala baba with twinkling eyes who would delve deep into his bag and pick out an enchanted, animated tune and place it on your palm. A tune that would wriggle itself to your ear and start playing, mesmerizing you into a trance every time it did that. Or then there is the image of an ascetic with a ektaraa in hand chanting 'Rongila, Rongila Rongila Re, amare chardiye re bondhu koi gela re'. (Oh my dear colorful friend where have you gone away leaving me behind) or that of a boatman piercing your very soul with his call of 'Mere Sajan hai us paar'.

So on his 27th death anniversary here is a tribute to our dearest Bondhu Rongila.

Amare chadriye re bondhu koi gela re?

A LITTLE ABOUT HIM

Kumar Sachin Dev Burman was born in 1906 in Comilla (East Bengal) into the royal family of Tripura. His father Nabdweep Chandra Dev Burman was an accomplished sitar player as well as a dhrupad singer. He was also his first guru.

In his youth Dada Burman came to the musical capital of the East -- Calcutta. Here he further enhanced his musical education learning under maestros like Ustad Badal Khan. He was also a disciple and follower of the legendary K C Dey (Manna Dey's uncle). He started his career composing and singing for the radio. He made his mark as a light classical and folk singer before taking up composing for Bengali films.

In 1946 he moved to Bombay, taking up Ashok Kumar's offer to compose for Bombay Talkies. His first film was Shikari. He struggled for a brief period, and decided to quit and head back for Calcutta, but was persuaded to stay back. He finally struck gold with the perennial 'Upar gagan Vishal' (Mashaal) and 'Mera sundar sapna beet gaya' (Do Bhai). With Baazi and 'Tadbeer se bigdi hi tadbeer bana le' sung by Geeta Roy, Sachin Dev Burman had finally arrived.

He was married to Meera Devi who was a Bengali poet and singer. She wrote the lyrics for a large number of his Bengali songs and assisted him in his music making. Dada and Meera Burman had only one child, the legendary Rahul Dev Burman.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES…

S D Burman's music was an eclectic mix of various musical forms. His primary and most favourite influence remained Bengali folk music. His early years were spent amidst the rolling hills and the lush mountain valleys of the North-East. The rich musical tradition of this region left an indelible mark on the young Sachin. Years later he wrote that his art drew heavy inspiration from the outdoors of Tripura, where he spent his childhood.

He always strove to capture the freshness of wild, untamed nature in his compositions. This trait is not only apparent in compositions like the dew fresh Kishore-Lata duet 'Gori Gori gaon ki gori re' from his tribute-to-the-North East film Yeh Gulsita Hamara but also implicitly in songs like 'Piya bina, piya bina' from Abhimaan and 'Megha chhaye aadhi raat' from Sharmilee which have a strong North Eastern influence in the melodic structure.

He had a special liking for Baul and Bhatiyali folk forms of Bengal. He himself was an accomplished Bhatiyali (the song of the boatman) singer and came into prominence in the Hindi music scene with his memorable rendition of a Bhatiyali adaptation -- 'Dheere se jaana bagiyan mein re bhanwra'. His rendition is said to have mesmerized Jaidev so much that he sought him out to become his assistant!

In addition to folk music, Rabindra Sangeet and light classical forms like the thumri formed his building blocks. Burmanda also had a very unique sense of rhythm. Melody and rhythm blended in perfect harmony to make his compositions extremely captivating.

GRACEFUL AND SIMPLE, YET INIMITABLE

The outstanding point of Sachin Dev Burman's music is that it was never overtly complex and never pretentious. His tunes were always simple, graceful, hummable yet heartfelt. He would always say that film music should appeal to the common man. Film to him was not a medium to show off classical knowledge. And he never did. However, when he did occasionally go the classical route he came up with breathtaking beauties like 'Jhan Jhan jhan jhan payal baaje' or 'Poocho na kaise maine rain bitayi'.

Legend says that Sachinda got this lesson in simplicity early in his career. During the early years when his music was not quite hitting the jackpot, Dada once caught his servant playing Naushad's Rattan song in his music room. Rather than get annoyed, he curiously asked the boy what appealed to him in that music. While he obviously did not get a cohesive answer out of the boy, Sachinda got the point. Film music cannot afford to be too esoteric.

After that he kept complexity completely out of his music and made sure it was always hummable. He would often summon his servant or driver to take their final opinion on his tunes, trusting their judgement more than that of the musically literate people around him.

To me, however, the most beautiful part about Dada's music is that, despite being aimed at the masses, it never lost its appeal for the connoisseur. This is no mean feat by itself. Even in crowd-pleasing songs like 'Jeevan ke safar mein rahi' Burman Dada betrayed his class. There are few composers who could achieve that balance.

WHAT STOOD OUT

A look into Sachinda's almost 40-year career (including his stint in Calcutta) shows us that Sachinda's biggest quality was to change with time. From the classical inspired '30s and '40s where he held his own amongst stalwarts like Saigal, to the pop and jazz inspired '70s, Dada was always in with the times. Variety and versatility were his keywords. He would consciously strive to be different. Each tune was crafted with care, love and enthusiasm. He would forever experiment. One of his earliest experiments was taking a song written as a ghazal and tuning it into a club song. Yes, we are talking about 'Tadbeer se bigdi hui'. With such stupendous success with his first experiment, Dada Burman had tasted blood. After that he never gave up on this trait. He would vary tempo, orchestration, vocals etc. to give each song a unique feel.

Another outstanding feature of Burman's music is its strong vocals. Being a vocalist himself, he had a special knack of handling singers. He worked with a wide variety of singers and brought out the best in each of their voices. Whether it was Suman Kalyanpur or Sudha Malhotra or Mubarak Begum he has given memorable songs to all. Singers like Geeta Roy, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosale, Manna Dey and Hemant Kumar came into prominence singing his tunes. To Kishore, Asha and Geeta he was akin to being a godfather.

Years later, singers have loads of stories about him. Asha Bhonsle recalls how he taught her to get the right emotion for a song. For the Jewel Thief beauty 'Raat akeli hai' she reminisces that Burman Dada had asked her in his characteristic style, "Have you ever played the trick where you pretend to whisper in someone's ear but scream instead? I want you to do just that to get the right effect in this song!". Dada gave a new dimension to Asha's voice when he decided to groom her after his split with Lata. What resulted were breathtaking beauties like 'Kali ghata chhaye' and 'Koi aaya dhadkan kehti hai'. Never did Asha sound as exotic, fresh and alluring as she did under Dada's baton.

Years before he had given the same direction to Geeta Dutt's vocals. Geeta Dutt used to sing sad songs and bhajans in her initial years. It was Sachin Dev Burman who brought out the jazzy and sensual side to her vocals with 'Taqdeer se bigdi'. The effect was so potent that Geeta thereafter cornered this slot completely.

Kishore Kumar was another singer who honed his singing skills under Burmanda. One often sees inherent Burman traits in Kishore's singing. Kishore and Burman had one of the most prolific partnerships in the history of film music which created gems like Aradhana, Sharmilee, Tere Mere Sapne, and Munimji. Theirs was the precursor to the celebrated Kishore-RD Burman pairing which changed the face of Hindi film music in the '70s.

Before composing a song Dada had to know all the details about the character and situation. He had an uncanny knack of picking up just the right tune for a situation. He then crafted the tune so well that it created images of its own in the mind's eye. This characteristic made him with a natural choice of great filmmakers like Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy and Vijay Anand.

He struck a very special rapport with Dev Anand and could never refuse him. Navketan also rarely looked beyond Burman. Legend says that Dev Saab delayed Guide for 6 months so that an ailing Dada could score the music. He doggedly refused to take another music director in his place. Burman Dada also came up with an immortal score for the film. The brilliance of Guide is incomplete without its music. Whether it's Dada's own 'Wahan kaun hai tera' or Lata's dulcet 'Piya tose naina laage re' or Rafi's 'Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain' or the Kishore-Lata piece-de-resistance 'Gaata rah mera dil'. Guide is a score where each song is crafted and coated with a magic potion.

Another very notable characteristic Sachinda had was the ability to think laterally. He could take the same set of notes and create completely different songs. As was his nature he was the happiest composing effervescent songs. He had a special way with duets. He brought about a special chemistry between the singers as is apparent in duets like 'Chod do aanchal' or 'Aankhon mein kya ji'.

He teamed with Majrooh Sultanpuri to create some memorable duets. Majrooh Saab recalls how Dada Burman initially was opposed to duets because he felt they had no market. However, after some convincing he went with "Muzru's" (that's what he called him) idea and the result was the extremely coquettish 'Chod do aanchal zamaana kya kahega' . And yes, by the way, the 'ah' in the beginning was added by Burmanda himself!

The vocals were always the centerpiece of his creations. Till the end he stuck to his belief that orchestration is secondary and should remain in the background. His constant advice to his talented orchestra loving son was also the same: 'Pancham, kabhi gaane ko mat bhoolo'. He liked to use sweeter instruments like the flute, santoor, sitar as well as folk instruments like the ektaara and madal to give his music a fresh feel. Despite his minimalist approach the preludes and interludes in Dada's music always had a special quality. Who can forget the mouth organ in 'Hai Apna dil to awaara' (played by a young Rahul Dev Burman) or the delicate yet compelling orchestration of the Bandini beauty 'Mora gora ang laile'.

Burman himself as a vocalist was unsurpassable. It would take an entire article to discuss his singing skills. His unique blend, of the Bhatiyali and the classical style of singing, is in a class by itself. No one singer has left such an indelible impression as Burman Dada has with his handful of songs in Hindi. Singing was always his first love. Though he limited his own singing in Hindi films, in Bengal, Dada Burman was a singer first and till the end. His non-film songs in Bangla reveal yet another fascinating facet of this genius. He would sing with his very being. Each rendition of his is special. If Dada Burman touched a tune with his magical vocals very few singers could surpass his renditions.

THE PERSON

Sachin Dev Burman had a unique personality. Temperamental, mercurial, adamant and obstinate on one side, childlike, impish, simple and genuine on the other. He had small eccentricities that endeared him to the people around him.

Lata Mangeshkar who had a much-publicized six-year row with him, today remembers him with much affection. She recalls how he would always be anxious about his song. His greatest fear was that she wouldn't turn up for a recording. She also recalls with amusement how he would always sing out a song to teach it to the singers. When he did that everyone would be at a loss because singing like him was beyond their abilities. Lata says, she for one would always have to go back to him to ask him how to sing her pieces.

He was a hard taskmaster and demanded nothing short of perfection from the people who worked with him. One had to work extra hard to please him. But Lata says when he was pleased his appreciation was straight from the heart. He would come up, pat her on the back and shower her with blessings. And his utmost gesture of appreciation used to be to offer her one of his precious paans as inaam!

He had a great zest for life that he kept up despite constant health problems in his later life. Though he was traditional in appearance Dada Burman was always very modern at heart, a fact that is not only apparent from how modern his compositions were but also from the name he chose for his bungalow -- 'The Jet'!

He was a great sports enthusiast and is reported for have offered to compose music to go with a hockey match! He was an ace tennis player in his youth and fishing remained one of his favourite pastimes right till the end. Football of course was an abiding passion. Legend says that the only time a deep-in-coma Dada Burman (before his death) stirred was when R D Burman shook him excitedly to convey to him that his favourite East Bengal had thrashed Mohan Bagan 5-0 in a football match. Dada is supposed to have shaken his head in acknowledgement and even given a little smile!

Ameen Sayani once said about SD Burman, "Wo bachpan ki maasoomiyat mein jawaani ka nasha ghol ke tarzen banaya karte the" (His tunes were a heady mix of the innocence of a child coupled with the intoxication of youth).

Almost 100 years after he was born his music still brings happiness to the world.

So anytime you come across a little enchanted tune that wriggles up to your ear and seduces you into a magical trance, remember with a smile, the twinkly old man who created it.

Amare chadiye re bondhu koi gela re.

** (amare=mujhe/me; chardiye = chod ke/left me; koi=kahan/where; gela: gaya/gone)


Ritu Chandra

Published on 31 October 2002

Source: http://www.themusicmagazine.com/sdburmantrib.html

Hasrat Jaipuri in one of his interviews had said that SD Burman liked the lyrics of "dekho rooThaa na karo" so much that he promptly gave him 51 rupees as a token of appreciation. Quite a reward, considering that Dada was not considered too generous with either paan...or money.

Aahatji


Tooooo Gooodddddddd.


Hummm! Aapke baare mein kuch likhne ka dil ho raha hai .
[Information ? Information? ]

Kya likhne ko dil ho raha hai? I am confused...

One more interesting article that I found. RIMM based one.

Madan Mohan Tribute By Hemant Parikh

Madan Mohan Kohli was only 51 when he passed away, having created a trove of Lata tunes for us to treasure. And Madan Mohan was something more than the ghazal. He brought, to a litany of Lata tunes, a classical touch of his own. Some of these tunes are capsuled here in this anniversary tribute by Raju Bharatan.(Screen July 15,1994) Madan Mohan died in the year 1974, when Laila Majnu half complete was left to finish by Jaidev. Comipled by Hemant Parikh


Come July 14,1994 and we enter our 20th year without Madan Mohan, With Lata Mangeshkar. With Woh chup rahen to mere dil ke daag jalte hain. "Madan bahut hi surile the", Lata is on ‘I Remember’ record as saying. "Achcha sur lagata tha!" C. Ramchandra’s verdict on Madan Mohan clinches Lata’s comment. Lata is on further record as saying she was coming to grips with the murkis in that surpassingly lovely "Mera Saaya" number, Nainon mein badra chhaye to go on Sadhana, when Madan Mohan heard certain musicians going off key and lost his cool. "Besuraa bajate ho, sur ke saath beimaani karte ho, sharam nahin aati!" he shouted at those errant musicians. This was in tune with what recordist Mangesh Desai had once told me : "There is no composer more difficult to please at a recording than Madan Mohan. He takes the life out of you".

He took the life out of them because he staked his reputation on a composition like Naino mein badra chaaye. The unalloyed sweetness Madan achived here in Lata’s voice is something rare in his repertory. Sweetness in Lata’s voice, Madan knew, was something easily achieved. That sweetness would owe its entire entity to Lata’s unique singing persona. But it was never enough that there was enoughly of only Lata in a Madan tune. There had also to be enough of Madan! That is way you did not always find Madan Mohan settling for you Lata’s sweetness alone. The tune had additionally to have something that Lata could unfold under the bountiful baton of Madan Mohan and Madan Mohan alone. Like what was unfolded on "Jahanara" Mala Sinhaas Woh chup rahen to mere dil ke daag jalte hain.

‘Ghazal Ka Shehzadaa’ is what Lata called Madan To writer on Madan Mohan’s ghazals, there fore, would be the done thing. C Ramchandra had a baton point when I identified Madan Mohan as the uncrowned king of the ghazal. C. Ramchandra said: "What do you mean Madan was only good at composing ghazals? Madan was good at every single thing he composed. It’s a popular misconception that he was only good at ghazals. He was once my assistant, so I had a total insight into his potential. Madan’s light com-positions have the same individualistic quality as his serious songs. What’s more, I don't think any one of us had his knack of picking the right instruments for the right song".

C. Ramchandra himself was a taskmaster in the choice of the right instrument, so that this was no ordinary tribute. I therefore take C. Ramchadra at hisword - that Madan was good at every thing he composed and turn the focus on his peerless classicism while tuning a variety of songs. Take Nainon mein badra chhaye itself. It could be in Dhaani or in Bhimpalasi, depending upon how you choose to interpret it while it could be in either raag, the beauty of Madan classical composition lay in the fact that he never seemed obsessed with the raag. The raag just flowed from his tune.

Naino mein badra chaye is a Classic which with the film "Mera Saaya" was a classic for Sadhana-Sunil Dutt starter. The filming in Udeypur’s lake palace had the classical Rajasthani feeling, and the melody of nature feeling and lyric of the emotional feeling Sunil suffered after losing Sadhana. Only Madan’s great understanding of situation had helped him to come up with "Mera Saaya" tunes.

Naushad wore his Bhaiavi as a badge when he composed some thing like Do hanson ka joda bichchad gayo re to go on Vyjayanthimala in "Ganga Jamuna". Madan Mohan, by contrast, had the gift of being able to make the raag sound secondary as he came over, in the same Bhairavi, on "Anpadh" Mala Sinha as: Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabroo. This Lataised Bhairavi was something Naushad personally identified on TV as a dimension of the raag’s exploitation he envied.

Shankar summed up Madan Mohan’s specialist talent in this direction tellingly when he noted: "Jis mosiqaar ko sur ka gyaan hota hai woh sur mein bajaa hi leta hai". That is why it is point less to wonder whether Madan Mohan intendended Nainon mein bad-ra chaaye to go in Bhimpalasi or in Dhaani. Madan always played in sur and the tune came to him in a flash. Lata was there to do the rest. After that, he left it to you to decide whether the raag was Bhimpalasi or Dhaani.

If it is a Madan Bhairavi to match Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabroo you want, you have it, from the same Lata, In "Dekh Kabira Roya", as Tu pyaar kare ya thukraaye. The remarkable thing about Lata’s rendition here is you never find Madan Mohan striving for the Bhairavi effect, it just comes naturally. Here is where Madan Mohan was totally different from the Punjab school of composers dominating our film music in the late l94O’s and early 195O’s. Even O.P. Nayyar, for all his sheen of modernity, Came with an overlay of Pilu. But not once could you scent the dehati Punjabi at work in a Madan Mohan composition.

I do not say this in a derogatory light. It is my considered view that the Punjab school produced some of the finest music in our films. But always you got the impression that it was music literally rooted in the Punjab soil. Here is where Madan Mohan was diametrically different. He was the artistic aristocrat at work. The son of Rai Bahadur Chuni Lal, the Filmistan chief, at work. Madan Mohan’s best music belonged to the drawing room, That is why Madan had problems consistently equating with the masses. He was essentially a composer for the classes.

His classicism sprang spon-taneously from the station in life to which he belonged. He was one of those men who had to make a thorough study of whatever he took up. I did not meet Madan Mohan merely in the music room. I encountered him ever so often , at a cricket match, a badminton match, a tennis match. And I was not allowed to discuss music when we met at such venues. All discus-sion had mandatorily to be on the game in progress! Madan could discuss the finer points of cricket. tennis and badminton with the same precision as the finer points of Lata’s vocals in Hum pyaar mein jalne waalon ko ("Jailor"). Madan Mohan had a finely honed mind. And that not only on music. He was a man of taste in every sense of the word.

That is why no female singer existed for him beyond Lata "the nearest thing to vocal perfection I have known". It is this vocal perfection you find in play as you hear, in peerless Pilu, Lata’s Maine raang li aaj chunariya, going on Nutan in "Dulhan Ek Raat Ki". Without straining in any way, Madan here manages to get his Pilu across. Madan had this knack of putting the raag across in a vocal language that even the simpleton could follow. While tuning for the simpleton, Madan re-tained the purity of the raag more than did most composers.

Even when employing a raag rarely used in films, Madan could do so with telling results - as we saw in the way he exploited, in Lata’s voice, Komal Asavari in the "Anpadh" solo: Woh dekho jala ghar kisi ka. The better - known Madan classic in Lata’s voice from "Anpadh" is, of course, the Yaman solo on Mala Sinha: Jiya le gayo ji mora sanwariya. But is this Lata solo by Madan not a clever repeat? Was the original by Lata not even more captivating? Oh yes, it was, its Jaltarang effect in Yaman can never be forgotten as it came over in a "Bahana" strain of Jaa re badra bairi jaa rejaa re.

To one man, and one man alone, goes the credit for popularising Jaa re badra bairi jaa re jaa re some three years before the film came. That man is Gopal Sharma. Gopa1 Sharma at Radio Ceylon, fascinated by the Madan tune, missed no opportunity to play this euphonious Lata solo in Yaman. As the man who initiated the ‘Sargam’ programme over Radio Ceylon, I asked Gopal Sharma, years later, whether he knew Jaa re bairi ja re to be in Yaman Gopal Sharma, with commendable frankness , admitted that he knew no Yaman or any raag, for that matter, he just loved the tune, so he played it! Thank you from a legion of listeners, Gopal Sharma, your legendary Radio Ceylon reputation derives from the fact that, to the end, you remained first a listener, only then an announcer.

Truth is, I knew nothing about raags either those days! Like in the case of Gopal Sharma, Tu jahaan jahaan chalega mera saaya saath hoga appealed to me merely as the theme song of "Mera Saaya" ghosted by Lata. It is only now I can pick it out as Nand. Here is yet another raag rarely heard in films, yet note how arrestingly Madan Mohan has explored Nand on a now a Sadhna looking a dream. now shattering the dream!

On which raag was based the Madan Mohan tune handpicked by Lata as one of her ten bests on the occasion of her silver jubilee? My reference is to the Lata solo placed on Anita Guha in "Chacha Zindabad": Bairan neend na aaye rnohe bairan neend na aaye. This one is in Kaafi, isn’t it, Lataji what made you prefer it to, say, that "Dekh Kabira Roya" stunner in Ahir Bhairav. Meri veena tum bin roye. Is it Lata’s tone or Madan’s tune you pick out here! I take it there must have been purely personal reasons for Lata’s Kaafi choice of Bairan neend na aaye mohe less, it is not that I love Meri veena tum bin roye more!

If after Kaafi and Ahir Bhairav, it is in Khamaj you seek to savour Lata and Madan, you are welcome to take your choice from Meri aankhon se koyi neend liye jaata hai ("Pooja Ke Phool"), Khanak gayo haay bairi kangana ("Rishte Naate") and Aap ki baaten kahen ya apna afsaana kahen ("Dil Ki Raahen"). The choice here is from Lata, Lata, Lata and Madan, Madan, Madan! My own pick is Meri aankhon se koyi on Mala Sinha, as bringing out the mood musician in Madan Mohan.

Every composer had a favourite raag, Madan had none. Look at the flair and imagination with which he scored for a theme in mime like Chetan Anand’s "Heer Ranjha". Sachin Dev Burman paid Madan Mohan the ultimate tribute when he told me he himself could not have scored "Heer Ranjha" with half the felicity Madan Mohan did. Which tune in the film, I asked Dada Burman, had he liked best, revealingly Dada Burman replied that you could judge "Heer Ranjha" only in the totality of its score, not by a single tune. Not even by Do dil toote do dil haare, so touchnigly interpreted in Maand by Lata on Priya Rajvansh?

Do dil toote is distinctly Maand, but Lata’s "Jahanara" heart stoper, Haal-e-dil yun unhen sunaya gaya aankh hi ko zabaan banaya gaya, is in Sur Malhar or inMian Ki Malhar? Once again, depends upon how you choose to hear it. It is this perfection to hear, this sensitivity to discern, that you needed to develop to attune to the subtleties and nuances of Madan Mohan’s Lata tuning. It has taken me the best part of 35 years to try and develop this perception, this sensitivity.

But, even now, I am still learning from the repertoire of Lata and Madan. Even now I can only tell that Unko yeh shikayat hai from "Adalat" is in Maalgunji, Baiyyan na dharo from "Dastak" is in Charukeshi, I have not yet developed the perception and the sensitivity to prefer the one definitively over the other.

And I hope I never develop such sensitivity and perception. For I feel I was much happier when I could insinctually appreciate a Lata Madan composition for what it was - a Lata Madan composi-tion. How I crave for a re-gifting to me of the elfin innocence with which I took in, during my impressionable youth, such Lata-Madan gems as Dukhiyare naina dhoondhe piya ko ("Nirmohi"), Sitaron se poochchon nazaron se poochchon ("Dhoon"), Chaand madham hai aasmaan chup hai ("Railway Platform"), Mukh mod na lena saajana ("Ashiana"), Meri aankhon ki neend le gaya ("Madhosh"). Woh jo milte the kabhi ("Akeli Mat Jaiyo"), Tum ho saath raat bhi haseen hai ("Mohar"), Preetam meri duniya mein ("Ads"), Maane na maane na haaye balam pardesiya ("Jagir"), Nainon mein pyaar dole dil ka qaraar dole ("Sheroo"), Ajab hai yeh duniya ajab zindagi hai ("Naya Aadmi"), Chal diya mera dil tod ke ("Fifty Fifty"), Sapne mein sajan se do baaten ("Gateway of India") and Chain nahin aaye ("Samundar").

Madan Mohan was still a struggling composer when he created these tunes. And it is when you are struggling that you really create. Later, at least in the l970’s, I felt Madan Mohan became rather stylised. In other words , he was, I felt, composing to live up to his reputation as the ‘Ghazal King’. I feel this cramped his style in the matter of being a freewheeler composer - a must for films.

But this is a matter of opinion. What is not a matter of opinion is that Madan Mohan, from early in life, was a ‘Baghi’ with a compos-ing cause. A ‘Baghi’ whose Lata oeuvre abides in our minds and hearts as Hamare baad ab mehfil mein afsaane baiyan honge/ Bahaaren hum ko dhoondhengi magger hum tum judder hongi....

This article is based on Lata Manatees, so offcourse it was Lata’s shade and it is in this shade Madan became really popualr. But the fact is that what ever Madan Mohan composed was Univerasal, some singers which are Big Names did even sing thier best songs under Madan Mohan. Here I must say that one has to turn to, HMV Music Cassettes and their Treasures. I mean Anmol Ratan and Golden Collection Cassettes.

These tapes have been compiled by Sanjeev Kohli, son of Madan Mohan and Senior Marketing Consultant of HMV. Sanjeev has put together some of the best songs of each singers, music directors and not to miss Lata Mangeshkar’s Shradhanjli. In this day and age of 1994 with big competition from other cassette companies HMV has challenged with the grate Old Is Gold treasures of Hindi Film Songs and with it the Memory, History and Love for Indian Music.

Mohammad Rafi Sings for Madan Mohan, Anmol Ratan

Aakhri geet mohabbat ka, Film: Neel Aakash (1965)
Aap ke pehloo mein aakar ro diye, Film: Mera Saaya ( 1966)
Basti basti parbat parbat, Film: Railway Platform (1965)
Ek haseen shaam ko dil, Film: Dulhan Ek Raat Ki ( 1966 )
Ek kali muskarayee, Film: Ek Kali Muskarayee (1968)
Kisi ki yaad mein duniya ko, Film: Jahan Ara (1964)
Main nigahen tere chehre se, Film: Aap Ki Parchaiyan ( 1964)
Mein yeh sochkar, Film: Haqeeqat ( 1964 )
Mere pyaar mein, Film: Suhagan (1964)
Rang aur noor ki baarat, Film: Ghazal (1964)
Saawan ke mahine mein, Film : Sharaabi (1965)
Tere dar pe aaya hoon, Film: Laila Majnu ( 1976 )
Teri aankho ke siwa, Film : Chiraag (1969)
Tujhe kya sunaoon, Film: Aakhri Dao ( 1958)
Tum jo mil gaye ho, Film: Hanste Jakham (1973)
Tumhari zulfon ke saayen mein, Film : Naunihal(1967)
Yeh duniya yeh mehfil, Film: Heer Ranjha(1970)
Yehi hai tammana, Film: Aap Ki Parchaiyan ( 1964 )
Yoon rootho na haseena, Film : Neend Hamari Kwaab Tumhare ( 1960 )

All Time Greats Mohammed Rafi sings for Madan Mohan (Vol 1-2)

Among the finest songs of Mohammed Rafi are those tuned by music director Madan Mohan. Besides rendering with felicity the favourite "ghazal" oriented songs of the maestro, the singer has also harnessed his melodious voice, trained in classical music and versatile to sing with rare appeal the composer's melody rich numbers of various types.

In a two cassette compilation HMV offered some time ago a selection of Madan Mohan songs sung by Mohammed Rafi for various films released in fifties six-ties and the seventies. The flow of melody that characterise the composer’s offerings is evident in the very first number the sad reflective Tujhe kya sunaoon main dilruba, tere samne hai mera hal written by Majrooh Sultanpuri for "Aakhri Dao"(1958). The next is a ballad like song on life Basti basti parbat parbat gata jaye banjara written by Sahir Ludhianvi for "Railway Platform"(1955), Sunil dutt’s debut making film (the song, however, was picturised on co-artiste Manmohan Krishna). This is followed by a lilting, somewhat gay number, the Rajendra Krishna - written Zameense hamen aasman par from "Adalat" (l958) which Rafi sings with Asha Bhonsle and chorus. Then comes the brisk-paced romantic song Yehi hai tamanna tere ghar ke samne meri jan jaye written by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan for "Aap Ki Parchhaiyan" (1964).

This is followed by two moving Kaifi Azmi -written numbers from the war film, "Haqeeqat" (1964). They are the plaintive, "ghazal"-oriented Main yeh sochkar which is set in the plaintive "raag Darbari Kanada" and the heart rending call to countrymen by dying jawan Kar chale hum fida jano tan sathiyon, ab tumhare havale watan sathiyon sung with great feeling by Rafi in an emotion- charged voice. Because of some technical defect the song gets abruptly cut.

On the flipside, there are capti-vating "ghazal" oriented romantic numbers like the Rajendra Krish-na - written (he has one more number) and tenderly rendered Mujhe le chalo from "Sharabi" (1965), the Sahir Ludhianvi written heart-warming number Rang aur noor ki baraat kise pesh karoon from "Ghazal" (1964), Hasrat Jaipuri written (he has twa more num-bers), the titillating Tu mere saamne hai, teri zhulfen hai khuli from "Suhagan" (1964) and Raja Mehdi Ali Khan’s Aakhri geet mohabbat ka sunalon to chaloon from "Neela Aakash" (1965).

The second cassette has some striking numbers, which are a tribute to the creative genius of the composer as well as to the singing versatility of the play-back star. A real gem among them is the Majrooh Sultanpuri -written Tumse kahoon ek baat, halke halke halke from "Dastak" (197O). It is part humming, part whispering and part crooning, all of which has rendered with captivating grace and grate feeling through voice-modulation. As for the composer, he has given audio perspective to a tender, heart-warming romantic scene. Then there are such numbers as Kaifi Azmi’s Meri awaz suno pyar ka raaj suno with hauntiag tune and musical embellishment, and from "Naunihal" (197O) the gay; joyous songs Ek haseen sham ko dil mera kho gaya written by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan for "Dulhan Raat Ki" (1966) and Yun rootho na haseena written by Rajendra Krishna for "Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare"(196O).

The Majrooh-written "ghazal" oriented number set in swinging waltz, Teri ankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai from "Chirag"(1969), the Kaifi Azmi written song of intense love, conveyed both by the composer through his score and by the singer through his charged voice Tum jo mil gaye ho to yeh lagta hai ke jahan mil gaya is from "Haste Zakhm" (1973) and the Sahir written "qawwali" type -number Tere daar pe aaya hoon, kooch kar ke jawoonga, jholi bhar ke jaaonga ya mar ke jawoonga from "Laila Majnu"(1976).

Geeta Dutt sings Aye dil mujhe bata de form "Bhai Bhai" only one hit Geeta number.

Ten Classic Picks

1) ln an article this quizmaster ghosted for O.P. Nayyar in Film-fare, that composer was insistent that it should be mentioned that he ‘borrowed’ Rafi-Manna Dey’s. Tu hai mera prem devta in "Kalpana" from Madan Mohan’s Lata-Manna dey duet, Preetam daras dikhaao, in ‘Chacha Zindaba’. In which raag are these two duets?
Lalit

2) A highly popular Asha-Rafi duet on Mala Sinha- Dharmendra in "Neela Akash", as tuned by Madan Mohan, was Aap ko pyaar chhupane ki buri aadat hai In which raag?
Des

3) Usha Mangeshkar went along with Manna Dey in Madan Mohan duet from "Dil Ki Raahen" : Apne suron mein mere suron ko mila lo, Know the raag?
Maanj Khamaj

4) How visually over powering was the effect of the darbar scene in which, in front of Mala Sinha, who is the picture of melancholy, Minu Mumtaz and Aruna Irani put over that class Madan Mohan duet : Jab jab tumhen bhulaya tum aur yaad aaye. Name the raag in Madan wrapped the tune.
Gaara

5) No less creative was Madan Mohan in that fantasised duet filmed on Mala Sinha and Bharat Bhooshan in the same "Jahanara"-: Baad muddat ke yeh ghadi aayee aap aaye to zindagi aayee. Both Suman and Rafi are in terrific voice here. In which raag.
Chhayant

6) One of the more diverting sequences in the Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie starting Rajesh Khanna as "Bawarchi"- was the Manna Dey -Lakshmi Shankar- Nirmala Devi- Haridranath Chhatopadhyay humdinger: Bhor aahi gaya andhiyaara. Identify the raag used by Madan Mohan here.
Alaya Bhilawal

7) And now on to the triumvirate of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. If it was in Jaunpuri that S.D. Burman composed . Jaayen to jaayen kahaan for Dev Anand in "Taxi Driver", if it was to Bhairavi that Shaker tuned Ai mere dil kahin aur chal for Dilip Kumar in "Daag", in which raag did Madan Mohan. in "Ashiana", set Main paagal mera manva paagal for Raj Kapoor?
Kedar

8) What a pity "Dekh Kabira Roya" was a sput flop.It had, in black and white, a music score to match the one, in colour, by Madan Mohan in "Jahanara". Manna Dey’s Kaun aaya mere man ke dwaare on Anoop kumar in "Dekh Kabira Roya" rates as a classic to this day. There was no end of confusion about whether Madan Mohan had scored Kaun aaya in Bageshri or in Rajeshri. This quizmaster took the point to Manna Dey himself. In which of the two raags did Manna Dey identify Kaun aya to be ?
Rageshri

9) Manna Dey was also asked, in same breath, to figure out why his Bairan ho gayi raina from the same "Dekh Kabira Roya" did not at all prove popular compared to Kaun aaya. " If I knew the reason why", said Manna Dey. "wouldn’t I have sung Bairan ho gayi, too in the style in which I knew it would be popular!" In which raag had Madan Mohan cast Bairan ho gayi raina for Manna dey?
Jaijaiwanti

10) We started with duets, so let us end with one. For a change, it was Asha, not Lata, who excelled in this Madan Mohan duet with Rafi in "Aakhri Daao" on Nutan and Shekhar: Humsafar saath apna chhod chale. Excelled in which raag.
Gaara


Here some more addition 20 / 7 / 96 By Hemant Parikh.

*Madan Mohan 14th July, 1974 ( Born - 1923). He was 51, Born in Punjab, His full Name was Madan Mohan Kohli.

His first 4 films as follows.

1950 - Aankhen - Samshad Begum & Madan Mohan sang * Hamse Na Dil Lagana Musafir ( Lata Mangeshkar was supposed to sing this for him in this film. Note whenver Lata did not sing for Madan Mohan or Opee Nayyar they went to ask Samshad Begum)

1951 - Ada - Saawri soorat man bhaye

1952 - Aashiana - Mera karara leja

1953 - Baaghi - Hamare baad ab mehfil mein afsane baya honge, Baharen hum ko dhundhegi, na jane hum kahan honge.

* Beghum Akhtar loved Madan Mohan’s Qadar Jane Na that she personally rang him and listened to the song for 27 mins. In the same film there was hit umber Geeta Dutt’s Aye dil Mujhe Bata de.

* It was said that his composition In Anapadh .. Apki nazron ne samjha pyar ke kabil mujhe was composed by him in the lift. And Naushad had commented that he would exchange the entire repotire of his songs for this one Madan Mohan Tune.

* Naina barse rij him in Wo Kaun Thi was recorded by Madan Mohan Him Self. When the picturisation was taking place Sadhana found it difficult to sing this number. Lata had to dub the song later when the picturisation was finished as she was sick ealier.

* His last film was Laila Majnu. The song Koi patthar se na maro was No.1 in Binaca Geetmala. Jaidev assisted him in this films. And Jaidev also Completed Laila Majnu’s Music.

* His films for Chetan Anand had hit music. Eg Haqeeqat, Heer Ranjha, Hanste Zakhm & Hindustan Ki Kasam. NOTE THE LETTER "H" being common.

* And Common letter "A" films, Aankhen, Ada, Aap Ki Parchaiya, Adalat and Anpadh.

* He was known as Ghazal - King. He had never won an Best Music Director Filmfare Award. He assisted S.D.Burman in the film Do Bhai .

* Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi remained his favourite singers. But not to forget Asha Bhonsle, Samshad Beghum, Geeta Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Talat Mahmood, Mukesh and Buhpinder sang Hit songs for him. I remeber reading that Even Jagjit Singh liked his style.


* He had worked with famous Lyric writers like Raja Mehndi Ali Khan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Rajendra Krishan, Kaifi Aazmi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Hasrat Jaipuri and Gulzar.

* His son Sanjeev Kohli is the Senior Marketing Consultant of HMV in India. He has compiled together popular albums like The Golden Collection, Anmol Ratan and Rare Gems. We should be more than thankful to this Father-Son music contibutors.

My Father wrote:

Madan Mohan ji ne aise anmol get hindi film jagat ke liye banaye the jo maushiqui ki duniya ke kayam rahne tak aane wali nashal ko apne madhur suron se bahlate rahenge. Wo hai Madan Mohan Ke Geet.

My Father and Mother were always fond of him. Since I was little I have been hearing his music. I have one tape which we took to my mums village in India, and heard it every day every hour for more than a week. Then I did not realise that it was Madan Mohan’s music and Lata mangeshar is singing and today My Passion and knowledge has ever so increased. I am more than happy to shre these details with Music Lovers.

I have shared my information on Radio with New Zealand listeners. My listeners I talk to much and I am not effective talker ( Born in Gujrat) so I have decided to stop my Radio announcement and Go to India next year and live there and learn more. I hope then I still share my information with you people.

Soon I am posting Tribute details about Geeta Dutt, Mohammed Rafi and many more. So keep reading and reply if you’d like. To Sammimudin sorry if there is any copyright rules from Screen details. But I am very good friend of Raju Bharatan ( I inteviewd him last year on this occasion) and he knows lots more, lets hope he has a computer and shares his information with the rest of the World.

Hamare baad ab mehfil mein afsane baya honge, Baharen hum ko dhundhegi, na jane hum kahan honge.

From Hemant Parikh
parikh@ibm.net

P.O.Box - 5956,
Wellesley St,
Auckland.
New Zealand.
Ph: 0064 9 629 3598
Mobile: 0064 21 629 359