Kaifiyat, Kaifi Azmi - The Poet Extraordinaire Options

[swarapriya]

Lala Rukh (1958)

Here is a beautiful album from Khayyam Saab with some great lyrics by Kaifi Azmi. The album boasts several great songs. Some of these include Rafi Saab's riveting "Hai Kali Kali Ke Lab Par" and both solo and duet versions of the song "Pyaas Kuchh Aur Bhi". I am posting these and other songs from this album in two back-to-back posts.

Here is a description of the songs in the first post and the songs themselves ...

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Oct 11 2010, 03:07 AM

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Lala Rukh (1958)" ...

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

[HarshBhatt]

Thanks Swarapriya for all the nice albums

[swarapriya]

Thanks Swarapriya for all the nice albums

You are very much welcome Harshji. Cheers. -S

[swarapriya]

Sone ki Chidiya (1958)

Songs from this film, Azmi Saab contributed only a small poem that was recited by himself, were recently uploaded in the "Sahir & Shairi" thread in this directory. They are available at the following location ...

http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?show...7018&st=123



This post has been edited by swarapriya: Oct 25 2010, 12:14 PM

[swarapriya]

40 Days (1959)

This fine album is embellished with great poetry from Kaifi Azmi Saab. Asha dominates the proceedings with seven out of eight songs, four solos and three duets. I am uploading these songs in two back-to-back posts. Here is the first set ...

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "40 Days (1959)" ...

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

[swarapriya]

Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

When it was released in 1959 “Kaagaz Ke Phool” was rejected by both critics and audience alike. With the success Guru Dutt enjoyed with his earlier classic “Pyaasa (1957)”, there were so many high expectations about this movie. It even had a grand premiere in New Delhi that was attended by then Vice-President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radha Krishnan. But many now think of this movie otherwise. It has reached a cult status and enjoys full houses today whenever it is rereleased. There are several compellingly good reasons for this. Let us explore some of them here …

The movie was released commercially in France in early 80’s. It received unexpected and unprecedented praise from the French movie critics. French audience flocked to see the movie. France, the home of new wave cinema and the domicile of many experimental movie makers, when their discerning film critics took notice of this movie, everyone else started paying attention to what this was all about. In 2002, in Sight & Sound magazine’s critics and director’s poll “Kaagaz Ke Phool” was selected as 160th best film ever made in the world. This is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute. The critics’ poll is taken every 10 years with the next one due in 2012. Of course, each time the poll is conducted, the list changes.

This movie made history because it was the first movie shot in cinemascope. V.K. Murty, who photographed most of Guru Dutt’s movies, was sent abroad to study advanced techniques in photography and learn how to use cinemascope (simply stated, two lenses in stead of one for broader coverage) lenses. But it was not the technology that was used, it was how the lights and shades were used to picturize most scenes in the movie that became talk of the town. Murty got a Filmfare award for his work. The most famous example in the movie is the lighting used for the song “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”. This scene itself, the photography, the music, the song in Geeta ji’s rich voice, the richness of lyrics, all are subjects of study by serious-minded filmmakers. One of the criticisms of the movie was that the photography took the front seat to the rest of the movie. However, Guru was a master in using cinematography as one of the major narrative threads. There was an ample evidence of this in his earlier classic “Pyaasa”. The molding of lights and shadows the way Guru uses evokes as much emotion as dialogues or lack of them, as music or silence.

Even though Guru considered Khayyam initially to compose the music for this film, eventually he went along with SD. Guru and Burman worked before in few films together (“Baazi (1951)”, “Jaal (1952)”, and “Pyaasa (1957)”) and their combined work is fondly remembered even today. Their films always had unforgettable music. RD was the Assistant Music Director for this movie.

Apart from the classic “Waqt Ne Kiya”, the movie also had several other great songs. Rafi Saab’s song “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari” is there throughout the movie. A beautiful piece that depicts not only the story of the movie accurately, but it parallels that of Guru’s real life. Apart from the classic “Waqt Ne Kiya”, Geetaji also has another winner in “Ek Do Teen”. “San San San Woh Chali Hawa” is also a breezy and cool song.

Originally, Guru Dutt wanted Sahir to write lyrics for the movie. But Sahir and SD never worked together again after their pinnacle achievement that resulted in the unprecedented success of “Pyaasa (1957)”. Guru next approached Kaifi Azmi to write the lyrics. Azmi was underground because of his work with Communist Party in late 40’s as the party was banned for some time. He was still looking for the recognition that eluded him and jumped at the opportunity offered by Guru Dutt. Even though he wrote exceptionally beautiful songs for the movie and most of them became highly popular, because of the commercial failure of “Phool” Azmi still could find only occasional work. His struggles were not over not until Chetan Anand’s “Haqeeqt (1964)” came along that changed everything for Azmi Saab for better.

The song “Waqt Ne Kiya” had interesting beginnings. Burman created a tune that Guru liked very much. He was looking to create a situation to use the music and approached Kaifi Azmi to write a song. Azmiji penned “Waqt Ne Kiya” in response to the request. Guru liked the song so much that later he created a sequence specifically to use the song in the movie. As it happens the song became an instant classic. Since then so much has been written about the song and the way it was filmed. The song itself became dear to many music lovers all over the world and the scene that was picturized on the song became a topic of study by the students of cinema.

By all accounts, reading from many books written about his life and his art, Guru Dutt’s mental state was not stable during the filming of “Kaagaz Ke Phool”. His home life was anything but peaceful. That affected a great deal his working style. He changed the script of the movie many many times while it was in full progress. “Kaagaz Ke Phool” almost was prophetic in the sense that it showed that death was a sort of release from all the suffering. The main character in the movie suffers that fate. It was a solitary end of a broken and abandoned man. This drama played out in Guru’s real life as well.

Heartbroken with the failure of the movie, Guru vowed never to direct another one again … What a pity …

I am uploading these songs in two back-to-back posts. The first post consists of all the songs from an original soundtrack album. The second post consists of several specials.

First post …

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Kaagaz ke Phool (1959)" ...

In this post I am including several specials. All specials deal with the same song, “Waqt Ne Kiya”. One of the songs has an introduction by RD. RD talks here fondly about how his dad used to work – sometimes in reverse order, like the way Bengali is spoken. This is per RD’s own words. The song is taken from the album “Legends: S.D. Burman (CD2)”. I am also including a version of the song sung by the great ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. This is taken from his album “Close to My Heart”. The third special has an introduction by Lata. This one is taken from her album “Lata’s Shraddhanjali-2”. Here Lataji talks about her friendship with Geetaji. Finally, the last special has an introduction by Pankaj Udhas where he talks about the greatness of Geetaji and the tyranny of time on her life. This one is taken from the album “Legends: Geeta Dutt – The Voice of Passion (CD4)”.

Here are these four specials …

[swarapriya]

Apna Haath Jagannath (1960)

Burmanda churned out one beautiful song after another almost his entire career. This album is case in point. The only difference here is that he was working with Kaifi Azmi saab who wrote its lyrics. After the unprecedented success they enjoyed together in collaborating with Guru Dutt's "Kaagaz ke Phool (1959)" it was inevitable they were to come together once again. In this album, they work their charm together to give us some beautiful songs. I am uploading these in two back-to-back posts.

Here is a description of the songs in the first set and the songs themselves ...

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Nov 16 2010, 11:33 PM

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Apna Haath Jagannath (1960)"...

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

[abhijoy]

excellent upload swarapriya......many many thanks.....

[swarapriya]

excellent upload swarapriya......many many thanks.....

You're welcome Gargi. Cheers. -S

[swarapriya]

Ek Ke Baad Ek (1960)

This movie was based on the family planning theme. It won the Maharashtra State Government Award for promoting the Plan. In spite the seriousness of the theme and a good musical score by ever so dependable Burmanda, movie was not a success.

Geetaji had a couple of beautiful duets in this movie. Her duet with Rafi Saab, a real beauty, reminds me of the great song from"Pyaasa (1957)", "Hum Aap Ki Aankhon Mein". But that was penned by Sahir Saab.

I am uploading all of the songs from this album in back-to-back two posts. The first post has all the songs from the film. The second post contains a few of the extended versions.

Here is the first set...


This post has been edited by swarapriya: Nov 28 2010, 01:09 AM

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Ek Ke Baad Ek (1960)"...

Here are some of the extended version songs from this fine album...

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Nov 28 2010, 01:10 AM