A Year In Hindi Movies, 1949 Part I & II |
A Year In Hindi Movies, 1949 Part I & II |
harihar |
Jun 9 2007, 04:30 PM
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#1
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Dedicated Member Group: Angels Posts: 1564 Joined: 12-January 06 Member No.: 4243 |
1949: The Golden Age Begins: A
By definition, the golden age of Hindi film music is a period of time that satisfies two conditions. You must be mad about 75% or more of the songs that you have heard. And you must fall in love with any previously unheard songs that you hear for the first time, with a probability of 0.75 or more. How can you tell if you are mad about a song? My grandfather repeatedly went to see Saigal's devadaas (1935) because he wanted to hear "dukh ke din ab biitat naahii.n". Well-known singer raaj kumaarii saw daasii (1944) 15 times to listen to songs sung by ziinat begam and MDed by amaranaath, elder brother of husnalaal-bhagataraam. A certain student wore out a record by playing his gramophone all night under a quilt in a hostel. I keep two copies of every golden (and platinum) age song I have, one for archival purposes and another for wearing out the cassette tapes and for repeatedly dirtying heads and capstans. I have heard only 95 songs (out of about 9,000) from the thirties and about 700 (out of 11,000) from the forties. [I have more now.] For me the golden age begins and ends with lataa. From 1945 to 1948, she sang only 66 songs, but in 1949, she sang 161, out of which I have heard and love 63. There is no doubt in my mind that I will instantaneously fall in love with the remaining 161-63=98 should I happen to hear them. On the other hand, let us a take a typical year from kaliyug, 1979. She sang 66, I remember hearing 12, of which I could listen to a few just once. Perhaps, "baaho.n me.n terii mastii ke ghere" from kaalaa patthar (1979) twice. Not one song I will hum again and again or risk ruining my cassette player for. If you think some song from 1979 (it was 18 years ago) is a classic, please let me know. Let us get right down, in alphabetical order, to the 11 movies in 1949 in which lataa shines. 1. andaaz Featuring a love triangle, produced and directed by mahabuub, starring nargis, diliip and raaj, had music by naushaad and lyrics by majaruuh, was a major musical hit and formed the basis of raaj's sangam (1964). All 4 mukesh solos are classics. Nos. 9 and 10 by lata can be heard forever. No. 2 was the first lata-shamashaad duet. Naushaad gave music for 4 movies, andaaz, chha.Ndanii raat, dulaarii, and dillagii, his peak in a single year. He did the same just once more in 1944 with giit, jiivan, pahale aap and ratan. 1. ham aaj kahii.N dil kho baiThe mukesh 2. Dar naa muhabbat kar le lata, shamashad 3. tuu kahe agar jiivan bhar mukesh 4. koii mere dil me.n Kushii ban lata 5. TuuTe naa dil TuuTe naa mukesh 6. jhuum jhuum ke naacho aaj mukesh 7. yuu.n to aapas me.n biga.Date lata, rafi 8. merii laaDalii rii banii hai lata, chorus 9. uthaaye jaa un ke sitam aur lata 10. to.D diyaa dil meraa tuune are lata 2. ba.Dii bahan Story of the sacrifice of a ba.Dii bahan (suraiyaa) for her chhoTii bahan (giitaa baalii), had everlasting music by husnalaal-bhagataraam; they did it again! The two ladies were at the peak of their popularity this year, suraiyaa acting in 11 and giitaa in 10 movies. Giitaa baalii acted in 10 movies again in 1952. The music-duo were also at their peak, giving music for 9 movies in 1949 and again in 1950. Streetsingers sing song 1 when rahamaan is lovingly eyeing suraiyaa. I adore so many songs of lataa that it is impossible for me to make a top ten list for her. But if forced at gun point, I will have to include this duet, her only one with premalataa, in the list of my top ten favorite female duets of lataabaaii, for the year 1949. Lyricist of songs 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 is raajendra krishan and for the rest it is qamar jalaalaabaadii. All 4 suraiyaa solos are well- known to her fans. The tune for song 4 was the inspiration for "daaman me.n aag lagaa baiThe" dhuul kaa phuul (1959). 1. chup chup kha.De ho zaruur koii lata, premalataa 2. vo paas rahe.n yaa duur rahe.n suraiyaa 3. chale jaanaa nahii.n nain milaa lata 4. jo dil me.n Kushii ban kar aa-e lata 5. tum mujhako bhuul jaao suraiyaa 6. likhane vaale ne likh dii suraiyaa 7. muhabbat ke dhokhe me.n koii rafi 8. biga.Dii banaane vaale biga.Dii suraiyaa 3. barasaat A super film by raaj kapuur, contrasting two different ideas about love, starring himself, nargis, his real-life brother-in-law premanaath and introducing nimmii, shankar- sinh raghuwanshi-jaikishen dayabhai panchal, iqbal hasarat jaipuri and shailendr. All songs are classics. 1. havaa me.n u.Dataa jaa-e - lata 2. jiyaa beqaraar hai chhaaii bahaar - lata 3. barasaat me.n, hamase mile tum - lata, chorus 4. prem nagar me.n basane vaalo - lata 5. o o o o mujhe kisii se pyaar ho - lata 6. merii aa.Nkho.n me.n bas gayaa - lata 7. tirachhii nazar hai patalii kamar - lata, mukesh 8. mai.n zindagii me.n haradam rotaa - rafi 9. ab meraa kaun sahaaraa - lata 10. chho.D gaye baalam mujhe haay - lata, mukesh 11. bichha.De hu-e paradesii ik baar - lata Navaab baanuu, daughter of the famous movie star and singer vahiidan baaii [remember the surendr-vahiidan song, "ham aur tum aur ye Kushii" from aliibaabaa (1940), MD anildaa, lyrics Dr. aah siitaapurii] was born at Agra, came to Bombay after the 1947 tragedy and met mahabuub, an old family friend, for work. Raj saw her at mahabuub studios while working on andaaz (1949) and selected her to be the tragedienne in barasaat. He also gave her the stage name, nimmi, after the name of his dreamgirl in aag (1948). With the success of her first picture, she was able to fulfil her lifelong dream of owning a Cadillac. Shankar was born in Hyderabad and Jaikishen in Bulsar, Gujarat. They, met Raj Kapoor when they were orchestra musicians for Prithvi Theaters, assisted Ram Ganguly in aag (1948). Shankar used to play tabalaa and Dholak for husna- laal-bhagatraam. I adore most of their songs from early days and some from later times, but they gave music to so many films that the percentage of great songs fell well below 75% too soon. I remember, when I was in primary school, my uncle (10 years older) and his drama party friends arguing endlessly whether naushaad or SJ or whether OPN or naushaad is better. In my college days, I remember friends coming to blows over naushaad and SJ, again. So, kids, this thread has been there for a long time. SJ were undoubtedly the most popular MD's in the suvarN and the rajat yugas. Did they just cater to or actively contribute to the decreasing sensitivity to great music? This question is as old as art itself, you know the endless debate about high art and popular art and is algebraically the same as the discussion about whether people who can sing opera masterfully are better than others who have no training to do so but can excite the masses into buying their CD's. This question can never be really settled. This is why. If you extrapolate all such arguments backwards to their logical beginnings, they boil down to two or three basic axiomatic opinionated positions. It is impossible to decide among axioms. Still, discussions are the life of RMIM, and should be encouraged as long as they are clean, full of experimentally verifiable data and do not fall into logical fallacies. Iqabaal husain, whose naanaajii fidaa husain fida was an accomplished poet, studied urduu and faarsii, and left jaipur for Bombay in 1940. To pay the bills, he remained a bus conductor for 6 years and then met Raj Kapoor. According to hasarat jaipurii, most of his songs were written for jaikishen. Unfortunately, I do not have much info on Shailendar. [ I do now!] The violin piece that Raj Kapoor plays in the movie is "Anniversary Song" from The Jolson Story (1946). 4. baazaar A social movie directed by K. Amarnath, MD shyaam sundar, lyrics qamar jalaalaabaadii, starring nigaar, shyaam and gop. Kids probably have heard number 10, which was chosen by lata to be singled out in a recent book. I, of course, love the 11 songs that I am lucky to have. 1. raam qasam mai.n ghuu.ghaT ke - raajakumaarii, satiish batraa 2. basaa lo apanii nigaaho.n - lata 3. chhallaa de jaa nishanii terii - shamashaad, rafi, batraa 4. o jaane vaale chaa.Nd zaraa - rafi 5. yah hai duniyaa kaa baazaar - rafi 6. ai muhabbat unase milane kaa - lata, rafi 7. nazar se mil hii jaayegii nazar ? 8. pii aa-e aa kar chal bhii di-e - shamashaad 9. zaraa sun lo ham apane pyaar - lata, raajakumaarii, chorus 10. saajaan kii galiyaa.N chho.D - lata 11. mere bhagavaan tuu mujhako - rafi 12. apanii nazar se duur vo - lata, rafi 13. ai dil unako yaad naa karanaa - lata 14. maa.Ng rahaa hai hindustaan - rafi 15. pii aa-e aa kar chal bhii diye - durraanii, chorus 16. shahiido tumako meraa salaam ? 5. dulaarii A girl-kidnapped-and-found-later story, by kaaradaar, had music by naushaad, lyrics by shakiil, starring madhubaalaa, suresh, giitaa baalii, jayant, and shyaam kumaar. Madubaalaa acted in 9 movies in 1949, her peak year. The most famous song is the rafi solo. When I get to play songs from this movie on my car stereo, the cassette stays there for months and months. 1. do din kii bahaar pyaare do din - lata, chorus 2. taqadiir jagaa kar aa-ii huu.n - lata 3. ai dil tujhe qasam hai tuu himmat - lata 4. aa.Nkho.n me.n aa jaa dil me.n - lata 5. naa vo ham se judaa ho.nge - lata 6. muhabbat hamaarii zamaanaa hamaaraa - lata 7. kaun sune fariyaad hamaarii - lata 8. raat rangiilii mast nazaare - lata, rafi 9. mil mil ke gaa-enge ho do dil - lata, rafi 10. suhaanii raat Dhal chukii - rafi 11. chaa.Ndanii aa-ii ban ke pyaar - shamashaad 12. naa bol pii pii more anganaa - shamashaad 6. jiit A dev-suraiyaa samaaj-sudhaaro-type movie, directed by mohan sinhaa. Lyricist was prem dhavan and music was given by anil bisvaas for all songs except 1, 5, 9 and 10 for which shyaam baabuu paaThak was used. Madan puri was the westernized brother, who is to be sudhaaroed by dev. You should resign from the suraiyaa fan club if you have not heard her solos 3 and 8. The two lata solos were amazing. 1. ban jaa-o hindustaanii suraiyaa, chorus 2. chaahe kitanii kaThin Dagar ho suraiyaa, shankar daasguptaa 3. tum miit mere tum praaN mere suraiyaa 4. hans le gaa le o chaa.Nd mere lata 5. suno suno banavaarii more giitaa 6. mast pavan hai chanchal dhaaraa lata 7. kuchh phuul khile aramaano.n ke suraiyaa 8. tum man kii pii.Daa kyaa samajho suraiyaa 9. kaam karo bhaii kaam karo suriyaa, chorus 10. kaam karo bhaii kaam karo giitaa, vinod Part II 1949: The Golden Age Begins: B First, let me add a few things to Part A. Full names of the lyricists of barasaat are ramesh shaastrii for song 1 and jalaal maliihaabaadii for 5. Barasaat is reported to have collected nearly a crore (10 million) rupees during its initial release. Continuing the info on 1949, more movies in which lata excelled follow: 7. laahaur A social starring nargis, karan diivaan and kuladiip kaur was a musical hit by MD shyam sundar (for songs 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9) and vinod (for the rest). Lyrics are by raajendra krishaN except for 2, which is written by aziiz kashmiirii. This is another cassette I have worn out. I am lucky to have songs 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10. The two duets of lata with karan diivaan compare with the best duets of any kind. Lata's 3 solos that I have heard send me to nuur- jahaanland. Mannaa De's complaint asking where god is probably brought god out from hiding. 1. duniyaa hamaare pyaar kii - lata, karan diivaan 2. sun lo sajan merii baat - lata, karan diivaan 3. ham jahaa.N me.n aa-e hai.n - karan diivaan 4. bahaare.n phir bhii aa-e.ngii - lata 5. TuuTe hu-e aramaano.n kii ik - lata 6. hamane sarakas me.n naukarii kar - durranii 7. ummiid ke rangii.n jhuule me.n - lata 8. duniyaa to yah kahatii hai insaan - manaa De, chorus 9. vahii rotaa hu-aa ik dil - karan diivaan 10. us dil kii qismat kyaa kahiye - lata 8. mahal A complicated ghost story suspenseful psychodrama, extremely successful debut by kamaal amarohii and produced by Bombay Talkies is a genuine classic of Hindi cinema. It starred Ashok (his only movie in 1949 since he was busy governing Bombay Talkies), madhubaalaa, vijaylaxmi and kumar, had haunting music by khemachandra prakaash and lyrics by naKshab jaarachavii mostly (see later). Ashok and madhu are at their career best in serious roles. This movie was a turning point in her career and her fame sky-rocketed making her the front-rank star. According to the Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema, song 1 was a turning point in lata's career. I disagree. I believe that the songs of barasaat played this role. The other lata solo is considered one of her best. The 3 raajakumaarii solos are classics and the duet is simply mesmerizing as is the dancing during its picturization. The choreography was by lachchhuu mahaaraaj and deep focus photography by the German cameraman Josef Wirsching. Ashok Kumar wanted miinaa kumaarii to play the lead, but amarohii insisted on madhu. According to kamaal amarohii (in an interview with Har Mandir Singh) he wrote the opening lines of song 1 (Kaamosh hai zamaanaa etc.), naKshab wrote the rest. On song 4, he said that he wrote the opening line and the rest of the song whereas aarzuu lakhanavii wrote the para "is jiine me.n sau dukh hai.n", even though naKshab's name is mentioned as a writer in all sources. 1. aayegaa 3, aayegaa aane vaalaa - lata 2. ye raat phir naa aayegii - zoharaa, raajakumarii 3. mushkil hai bahut mushkil - lata 4. ghabraa ke jo ham sar ko - raajakumaarii 5. mai.n vo ha.nsii huu.N lab pe jo - raajakumaarii 6. ek tiir chalaa, dil pe lagaa - raajakumaarii 7. dil ne phir yaad kiyaa - lata 9. namuunaa An almost incestuous story of an illegitimate child turned motorvaalii-rich girl kaaminii kaushal, refugee-poor- M.A. student dev and rich philanthropist barrister kishor saahuu, had music by c. raamachandra and lyrics by pyaare laal santoshii (songs 1, 2, 7, 8), naKshab jaarachavii (3, 6), A. aah shikaarapurii (4), gulashan jalaalaabaadii (5) and raajaa me.hadii alii Kaa.N (9). The lata-rafi duet should be a classic. Lata solos are typical CR creations. CR was at his peak this year giving music to 9 hindi movies. 1. do gharo.n kii aag me.n ghar - shamashaad, chorus 2. mhaarii galii maa.N aav jo re - lata 3. jiyaa moraa Dole - shamashaad, chorus 4. aanaa balam more aanaa - shamashaad 5. ta.Dapaa ke mujhe ab chho.D diyaa - lata, rafi 6. ik Thes lagii - lata 7. TamaTam se jhaa.nko naa ranii jii - shamashaad 8. ajii sambhal ke aanaa ho laalaa - lata 9. mujhako sazaa-en de ke kisii ke - lata 10. patangaa One of the three pre-anaarakalii musical marvels by CR, the other two being sagaaii and albelaa (both 1951), a social starring nigaar, shyaam and gop. Reportedly, this was the first movie of the future jubilee kumar, raajendra kumar, although I could not find him. Lyrics were by raajendra krishan. Kids must remember the Tailiifuun song, but lata fans can never forget the 3 solos. Shamashaad seems to be in full swing in the usual CR light-hearted nok-jhonk songs. 1. gore gore mukha.De pe gesuu jo - shamashaad 2. duniyaa ko pyaare phuul aur - shamashaad 3. o dil vaalo dil kaa lagaanaa - shamashaad, chitalakar 4. mere piyaa ga-e ra.nguun kiyaa - shamashaad, chitalakar 5. pyaar ke jahaan kii niraalii - lata, shamashaad, chorus 6. namaste 4, pahale to ho ga-ii - mohanataaraa, shamashaad, chitalakar, rafi, chorus 7. bolo jii dil loge kyaa kyaa doge - shamashaad, rafi 8. dil se bhulaa do tum hame.n - lata 9. o jaane vaale tuune aramaano.n kii - lata 10. kabhii Kaamosh hoo jaanaa - lata 11. shaayar Yet another triangle involving village girl suraiyaa, city girl kaaminii kaushal and poet dev. The music is by Gulaam muhammad and lyrics by shakiil. The best known song is the lata-mukesh duet, but the other songs are equally great gems that need to be discovered and appreciated by lovers of the music from the golden age. Video is available. 1. aaj koii hai aane vaalaa - suraiyaa 2. kyaa chiiz hai muhabbat - suraiyaa 3. tuu duur hai aa.Nkho.n se - lata 4. dil kii duniyaa uja.D gaii - suraiyaa 5. muhabbat par bahaar aatii - lata 6. o o more baalamaa kaahe maarii - shamashaad, rafi 7. hame.n tum bhuul baiThe ho - suraiyaa 8. do bichha.De hu-e dil - lata, durraanii 9. ye duniyaa hai 3, yahaa.N dil - lata, mukesh 10. o qismat teraa ho buraa - suraiyaa Some other movies of 1949 follow. aaiiye mubarak begam acted and sang for the first time in this movie for MD shaukat haidarii, lyrics (all except one, see below) by naKshab. Her first song was a solo, mohe aane lagii a.nga.Daaii, aajaa aajaa balam harajaaii She had one more song in the movie with lata and chorus, aaiiye ahaahaa ahaahaa aao chale.n chale.n vahaa.N written by shamasul hudaa bihaarii. chaa.Ndanii raat Starring nasiim, shyaam and david, had wonderful music by naushaad and lyrics by shakiil. Here are all the songs: 1. chaa.Ndanii raat hai - umaa devii, chorus 2. aa.Nkh milii dil chalaa gayaa - shamashaad 3. chhiin ke dil kyuu.N pher - shamashaad, rafi 4. kaise baje dil kaa sitaar - shamashaad, rafi 5. haay chhore kii jaat ba.Dii - lata, durraanii 6. Kabar kyaa thii ki Gam khaanaa - shamashaad, rafi 7. do din kii Kushii raas naa - shamashaad 8. chhaayaa merii ummiid kii duniyaa - shamashaad 9. saiyaa.n se bichhu.D ga-ii ho more - amiirabaaii, saadat 10. dil ho unhe.n mubaaraq jo - rafi dillagii A musical hit by kaaradaar, MD naushaad, lyricist shakiil, starring suraiyaa, shyaam, shaam kumaar. The first actor shyaam was just that. He starred in many popular movies in the late forties-early fifties. The other actor shayaam kumaar (real name:sayyad gul haamid) was a hero (in 5 movies), a villain (in many movies) and a playback singer of hindi movies. His songs were never picturized on him. In 1942, bhagavaan gave him a role in sukhii jiivan (1942). Apart from dillagii, some other movies for which his playback singing is remembered are namaste (1943), ratan (1944) and chaachaa chaudharii (1953). As a villain kids may remember him from johny meraa naam (1970). What a great music this movie has and there is no lata. I just love every single one of the 11 songs, kamaal kar dii naushaad miyaa.N. 1. muralii vaale muralii bajaa - suraiyaa 2. le ke dil chupake se kiiyaa - suraiyaa 3. merii pyaarii patang chalii - uma, shamashad, chorus 4. duniyaa kyaa jaane meraa afsaanaa - suraiyaa 5. tuu meraa chaa.Nd mai.n terii - suraiyaa, shyaam 6. teraa Kayaal dil se bhulayaa naa - suraiyaa 7. is duniyaa me.n ai dil vaalo - rafi 8. chaar din kii chaa.Ndanii phir - suraiyaa 9. niraalaa muhabbat kaa dastuur - suraiyaa 10. tere kuuche me.n aramaano.n kii - rafi 11. zaalim zamaanaa mujhako tumase - suraiyaa, shyaam duniyaa This is the first movie for which the lyricist asad bhopaalii wrote songs alongwith 4 others. Music was by C. Ramchandra. I have heard only one wonderful suraiyaa solo mere dil me.n aavo aur bas jaavo ek thii la.Dakii A suspense drama was a major hit by ruup k. shorii, starring his wife miinaa shorii (real name: Kurshiid), motii laal, i. s. jauhar and kuldiip kaur. I have heard two songs, [I haved all now.] laaraa lappaa laaraa lappaa laaii rakhadaa by lata, durraanii, rafii and chorus and a lata-rafii duet ab haale dil yaa haale jigar kuchh naa puuchhiye The MD was vinod and lyricist aziiz kashmiirii. Because of the popularity of the first song, miinaa shorii was forever known as the laaraa lappa girl. iraan kii ek raat The last hindi movie directed by the legendary pramath- esh chandra barua. It starred jamunaa [paaro of devadaas (1935)] and naara.ng [kanval of Kazaanchii (1941)]. He was born on October 24, 1903 in gouripur (bangladesh) as the son of the local mahaaraajaa and died on November 29, 1951 in Calcutta. Another brilliant scholar from the Presidency College, he obtained B. Sc. with honors in mathematics in 1924 (I did the same from Govt. College, Ludhiana, another famous college, in 1966). He was the first Indian producer to use artificial lighting for indoor shooting in aparaadhii (1931, silent) with Krishna Gopal as cameraman. He directed 9 bengali and 12 hindi movies. He is best remembered as the devadaas (1935) in the bengali version. That's where I stopped writing in 1997 and started collecting songs, movies, books and magazines. - Surjit Singh Reproduced here with the Kind permission of Shriman Surjit Singh Music is moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness and a gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order and leads to all that is good, true and beautiful..... AND Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. ~Ludwig van Beethoven
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noorie |
Jun 9 2007, 08:26 PM
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#2
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Dedicated Member Group: Away Posts: 3219 Joined: 21-June 06 Member No.: 6518 |
I guess I am not the only ( classic Hindi film ) music mad creature in this world.
Noorie "During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act" "You have enemies? Good! It means that you stood up for something, sometime in your life." |
Reeth |
Jun 11 2007, 10:25 PM
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#3
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Dedicated Member Group: Members Posts: 2154 Joined: 22-May 06 Member No.: 6151 |
Great effort harihar......will go through all your posts in time..thanks a lot
The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind -William James |
harihar |
Jun 11 2007, 10:36 PM
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#4
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Dedicated Member Group: Angels Posts: 1564 Joined: 12-January 06 Member No.: 4243 |
Great effort harihar......will go through all your posts in time..thanks a lot I enjoyed reading them and so with the writer's permissin I posted them here. Very interesting reading. Great effort wish there were more. Music is moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness and a gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order and leads to all that is good, true and beautiful..... AND Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. ~Ludwig van Beethoven
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