Sahir & Shairi

Angaarey (1954)

Here is another beautiful album from the knock-out combination of Burmanda and Sahir Saab where every song is a melodious winner. All these songs are by the courtesy of the Forum members. Thank you.

Now for the details of the songs and the songs themselves ...

Taxi Driver (1954)

Here is another of Dev’s movie that was a trend setter because of not only a different way of characterizing the principals in the movie but also making Mumbai part of the proceedings. The city was as important as the character of the taxi driver played by Dev.

Here are some of the highlights of making of this movie …

The entire Anand clan was involved in the movie making. Dev of course was the producer and the hero. The director was Chetan, Dev’s older brother. The story and the screenplay were written by Uma Anand, Chetan’s wife and Vijay, Dev’s younger brother. This was Vijay’s first screenplay. The heroine of the movie, Kalpana Kartik, who was introduced in Dev’s earlier movie “Baazi” in 1951, became Dev’s wife while shooting this movie. He married her during the middle of a night while taking a shooting break. In an interview much later, Vijay who became a celebrated director and fine actor himself, says that he was never able come close to coming up with another script like “Taxi Driver”.

The movie introduced a new woman, Sheila Ramani to the screen. She played a club dancer, She and Kalpana shared the screen almost equal amount of times even though they were never together in any scene.

The movie was brilliantly photographed by V. Ratra. Mumbai never looked this good in the brilliance of black and white, in lights and shades, in clear sunlights and in smoke filled pubs.

During the dance numbers Sheila Ramani performed in the movie, a original jazz band was hired. This consisted of the husband and wife team of Vernon and Betty Corke and their two sons Noel and Alan. The foursome turned in cameo performances. The Corkes never got their due and eventually migrated to Australia seeking greener pastures.

The hit team of Burmanda and Sahir Saab continue to churn out one after another memorable hits. This movie was no exception. Every song is an utter delight. The standout song of the movie is “Jaaye Toh Jaaye Kahaan”. It is a dual song, sung separately by both Lata and Talat. Both songs are equally good. But my favorite is Talat’s version. An absolutely wonderful song. Talat Saab worked in only a few films for Burmanda but whenever they came together the results have been nothing less than extraordinary.

I am uploading all of the songs from an original soundtrack album in the first post. In the second post, I am including some specials. Now for a description of the songs in the first post and the songs themselves …

Concluding Songs from "Taxi Driver (1954)" ...

I am including in this post an extended version of the song "Aye Meri Zindagi". This is by the courtesy of the Forum members. Thank you. I am including another version of the song "Chaahe Koi Khush Ho". This one contains some dialogues. Also by the courtesy of the Forum members. Thanks. Finally I am including a special version of Talat Saab's "Jaaye Toh Jaaye Kahaan". This one has a nice introduction by Rajendra Mehta and is taken from the album "Legends: Talat Mahmood - The Silken Voice (CD2)".

Now for a description of these songs and the songs themselves ...

Devdas (1955)

Here is Bimal Roy paying a glowing tribute to one of his mentors, P.C. Barua, who made "Devdas" back to back both in Bengali and Hindi in 1935. Bimalda was the cinematographer for both of those movies. “Devdas” was also made in Tamil around late 40's. In 1953, it was made in both Telugu and Tamil with one of the greatest performances ever seen on screen by an Indian actor, Akkineni Nageshwara Rao, who gave such a heart rendering performance that is so haunting that seems like never fade away from your memory chambers.

Bimalda's "Devdas" was inexplicably a commercial failure. It had all the great elements to go with it, but for some reason it didn't click with the audience. It had all the right ingredients one expects from Bimlada. Great performances, beautiful music, brilliant photography, a slow paced brooding study of life that is just being wasted away slowly but surely. Bimalda deservedly won the Filmfare award as the Best Director.

All the principal actors gave wonderful performances. Dilip, who was a favorite with moviegoers, already starred in his previous outing a string of movies that were tragedies. Even though Dilip gave a great performance, people took it in stride and didn’t pay any particular attention to his portrayal of a grief stricken lover. Still Dilip won the Filmfare award as the Best Actor. Suchitra Sen as Paro was beautiful and stunningly photographed. Vyjayanti Mala, I believe she was barely 17 or 18 at that time, gave a great performance as Chandramukhi. She was awarded Filmfare’s Best Supporting Actress award. Vyjayanti declined to accept the honor stating that hers was actually the leading character in the movie and not that of Paro. Motilal, as a friend of Devda who introduced him to both Chandramukhi and alcohol as a diversion from Paro, was also equally brilliant. He walked away with Filmfare’s Best Supporting Actor award.

Burmanda had set the music that apparently reminds one of rural Bengal music culture. Lyrics by Sahir are awe inspiring. Songs like both duets of Geetaji and Mannada, “Aan Milo Aan Milo” and “Saajan Ki Ho Gayi Gori” and Talat Saab’s two solos “Kis Ko Khabar” and “Mitwa Laagi Re” and others are not only lyrically rich but melodiously composed and beautifully executed by the respective singers.

I am uploading all songs in three back-to-back posts. The first two posts contain all the songs of the film from an original soundtrack album. The third post gives some extended version songs.

Now for a description of the songs in the first post and the songs themselves …

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Jul 1 2010, 11:19 PM

Continuing Songs from "Devdas (1955)" ...

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

Concluding Songs from "Devdas (1955)" ...

Here are three extended version songs from this film ...

House No. 44 (1955)

Here is yet another beauty from the combination of Dev-SD-Sahir. Incredible it may seem but this threesome association has produced some everlasting musical melodies. Continuing their success from their previous outings like "Baazi (1951)", "Jaal (1952)", and "Taxi Driver (1954)" they do it again in this movie. It has several lovely songs like both of the solos by Hemantda, "Chup Hai Dharti" and "Teri Duniya Mein" and one of my all time favorites of Lata, that melodious number "Phaili Hui Hai". Lata oozes so much sweetness into this song that you succumb helplessly to its lovely lyrics, rich composition, and emotionally romantic tinge in her singing.

I am posting these songs in back-to-back three posts. The first two posts contain all the songs from the movie form an original soundtrack album. The third post contains some specials.

Now for the details of the songs in the first post and the songs themselves ...

Continuing Songs from "House No. 44 (1955)" ...

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

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Jul 2 2010, 12:17 AM

Concluding Songs from "House No. 44 (1954)" ...

I am uploading in this post several specials. I am including here Jagjit Singh's version of "Teri Duniya Mein". This is from his album "Close to My Heart". I am also including Lata's version of the same song. This one is from her album "Lata's Shraddhanjali-1". Finally I am including a slightly extended version of the same song. In this there is some humming by Asha before the actual Hemantda's song.

Now for the details of the songs and the songs themselves ...

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Jul 18 2010, 12:52 AM

Marine Drive (1955)

Here is one of the first albums N. Dutta worked with Sahir Saab. It has several fine numbers with Rafi Saab's "Ab Woh Karam Karen" taking the top honors. Here are the songs, all by the compliments of the Forum members, thank you ...

Milap (1955)

This movie was first for both director Raj Khosla and the music director N. Dutta as an independent one. The movie was based on Frank Capra’s 1936 Hollywood classic that starred Jean Arthur and Gary Cooper. The English version, considered a classic, was a multiple award winning film including the Best Director Oscar for Capra. However the Hindi version of the film flopped despite a good story, fine acting by the principles, rich lyrics, and beautiful songs.

N. Dutta, who made his debut with this film, was assistant to S.D. Burman and other musicians for a long time. When he got a chance to provide music for this movie he jumped at the opportunity. Knowing the power of lyrics, and having worked with S.D. and seen the results before, Dutta insisted on having lyrics written by Sahir Ludhianvi. He had his wish granted by the producer. The result is that there are some great lyrics and some fine music and some pretty good songs. Even though the movie was a financial failure, Dutta went onto provide melodious music for several other movies, with Sahir Saab writing lyrics for many of them.

The first time director of “Milap”, Raj Khosla, was a good friend of Dev Anand, the movie's hero. Before turning to be a fulltime director, Raj assisted Guru Dutt in many of the movies Guru directed. Khosla got another opportunity to direct “C.I.D. (1956)” starring Dev Anand for Guru Dutt. The success of that movie paved way to many more blockbusters from him.

I am uploading these songs in two back-to-back posts. There are some really good songs in this album. Geeta Dutt dominates with three beautiful solos and a duet with Rafi Saab. I love the way Geetaji sings the song "Hum Se Bhi Kar Lo". An absolute delight, it just oozes with overwhelming sweetness. However, the song “Yeh Bahaaron Ka Sama”, sung individually by Lata and Hemantda, became a signature song of the movie. Our fellow member Venkat wrote earlier when these songs were posted nearly two years back that the mukhda of the duet “Bachna Zara” is identical to the mukhda tune of a Lata solo, “Tara Rara” from “Hoor-E-Arab (1955)”. The music for this film was composed by Ghulam Mohammed. Both 1955 movies, different music directors, and different songs with the same mukhda! May be an amazing coincidence.

Here are the details of the songs in the first post and the songs themselves ...

Concluding Songs from "Milap (1955)" ...

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

The humming is almost certainly Asha and not Lata.

But speaking of Lata, the solo "Phaili hui hai sapnoN ki baaheN" is such a lovely song. I absolutely love it.

I wonder if someone else can second your opinion whether the humming belongs to Lata or Asha. Speaking about "Phaili", I am with you all the way, SB. It is one of my favorites of Lata.

Cheers,
S

SP thanks again