My Friend Geeta - Meena Kapoor Remembers Geeta Dutt Options

[mahesh]

hello friends,
here is an article meena kapoorji wrote for the hindi magazine swar aalaap.
the article was recently posted on rmim by friend ritu.i had the privilege of meeting meenaji along with ritu recently.
i am posting the same article here.
regards,
mahesh


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Folks,

Meena Kapoor recently wrote an article for the swar alaap magazine
remembering her close association with Geeta Dutt who was her dear
friend. It is a charming article recalling their association. It's not
as much about one great singer remembering another as it is one
childhood friend remembering another.


I am reproducing the article here.


Enjoy!


Cheers
Ritu


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My Friend Geeta - By Meena Kapoor Biswas


Yes, I am writing about none other than the renowned playback singer
the Late Geeta Dutt who enthralled the world of music lovers with her
fascinating mellifluent voice from the year 1946 to 1972.


Born in Faridpur, East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Migrated to Bombay in
1942. Sang 1400 songs for Hindi movies plus around another 400 songs
inGujarati and Bengali.


Discovered by music composer Late Hanuman Prasad who gave her an
opportunity to lend her voice in a movie named Bhakta Prahlad in 1946.
But actually it was the song Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya for the film
Do Bhai (music SD Burman) which brought her into the limelight.


Then came Jogan in 1950 (Music Bulo C Rani). All the songs, though
bhajans including Jogi Mat Jaa became all time favourites with music
lovers.


While in Jogan she sounded like a true devotee in Baazi she sounded
totally different as she sang emulating cabaret singers. Tadbeer se
bigdi , suno gajar kya gaaye (music SD Burman). The movie was directed
by Guru Dutt and produced by Navketan.


Her Babuji Dheere Chalna a seductive number in Aaa Paar (music OP
Nayyer) was again a contrast to Na yeh chaand hoga where she sounded
innocently romantic in the film Shart (music Hemant Kumar).


Then she sounded very mischievous when she sang for Geeta Bali in Jaal,
a duet with Kishore Kumar De bhi chuke hum in the year 1952 (music SD
Burman). All this proves her versatility though she did not have any
formal training in classical music.


Around this period - a movie named Ghayal. Music by late Gyan Dutt in
which I had to sing a duet wih Geeta.


While we were having the rehearsal of the song Tera kis pe aaya dil . I
suddenly stopped singing and asked Gyan Dutt ji in Bengali


"Gyan Kaka Aami ki second ta gaibo?"


Immediately, a very surprised Geeta asked me "Are you a Bengali?"
Me - No
Geeta - Then how could you speak such fluent Bengali?
Me - (very shyly) just like that...


Geeta was very much impressed with my Bengali. By the time the
rehearsal was over we had already become very friendly with each other.
So much so, that she used to send my car back home with the driver and
make me sit in her car to drop me home and vice versa.


She was a very affable and gregarious person, full of zeal and
indefatigable energy. While not recording often she would appear at my
door and plan for an impromptu picnic.


Me- Picnic? Only the two of us?
Geeta - Oh - Don't be silly! I have already gathered all our chorus
girls - Renu, Kavita, Shailaja....
Me - Bas Bas, And where are we going?
Geeta - Well... anywhere. Powai, Vihar Lake, National Park
Borivili....
Me: And what do we eat?
Geeta: Er.... Oh Meenu darling, please ask one of your boys to catch
hold of that man selling guavas...


Then not waiting for the boy to come we both ran down and started
shouting in duet - Eh - Oh - Arre Bhai - Oh Amrud wale....


And both of us bought lots and lots of guavas!


Looking at the huge number of guavas my surprised mother asked us,
"What are you going to do with sooo many guavas?"


"Mashima! (auntie) This is going to be our lunch for the picnic",
answered Geeta.


"Chalo Chalo, sab koi gaadi mein baith jao. Kuch log Meena ki gaadi
mein aur kuch meri mein"


Packed like sardines all of us managed to fit into the two automobiles.
Both the cars started and Geeta with her full enthu shouted. 'Bolo
Durga Maa Ki Jai'
Chorus - "Durga Maa Ki Jai"!
Now, how did Durga Maa come into the picture? That was a subject for
research!


However the chauvinistic Maharastrian girls were not happy only with
Durga Mai. They shouted angrily "Kya Geeta Didi aapne khali Durga Mai
ka naam liya! Apna Ganpati bappa kahan gaya?" To save the precarious
situation I promptly started shouting
"Ganpati Bappa Moriya". And everyone shouted "Purcha varshi lokdi
aa"


And we reached our destination peacefully. We did have a very
scrumptious lunch sent by my mummy and papa comprising of halwa, puri,
sabzi and lots and lots of mangoes ....The poor guavas were completely
neglected by all of us!


That was Geeta, full of life!


Alas we did not realize then, that life is ephemeral not eternal!


Geeta had also sung for some Bengali movies. Shaatihara, Swarlipi
(Music Hemant Kumar) and many more. Her Taalio na taale in Mangal
Phera, 1949 and Tame Thoda Thoda from the movie GunaSundari in 1947
(music Avinash Vyas) were great hits with the Gujarati audience.


........Another afternoon, I heard someone ringing the doorbell
frantically, I ran to the door to open it. I found Geeta again who just
pushed me aside to come in and said "You lazybone, kab se bell baja
rahi hoon, Ek dam buddhu!"


Me : Phir tumne mujhe buddhu raha!
Geeta: Sorry Sorry (She always used to insist that I call her Didi
which I flatly refused)


Geeta: Don't you remember? We have to attend the meeting of
PBSA(Playback Singer's Association) where it will be decided on how
to raise some funds for the old singing artists in distress.


AND....we did, stage a grand show at Bombay's liberty cinema. Where
we both (Geeta and I) had to perform a dance on the song Madhu gandha
bhare by Tagore, sung live by Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar. And a
small play in which Talat Mahmood, GM Durrani, Geeta Roy and I had to
take part.


The last item was a parody in which right from Amirbai Karnataki, Lata
Mangeshkar, Geeta Roy, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Kishore Kumar, Hemant
Kumar and yours truly had taken part.


Each of us had to sing a few line from one of our popular numbers with
funny gesticulation. All of us had to stand in a line on stage, one by
one had to come forward at the centre of the stage sing his/her part
and go back and join the line again.


Amirbai Karnataki came first holding a dagger in her hand singing on of
her very famous numbers Mar Katari Mar Jaana (Shehnai, music C
Ramachandra)
Geeta came in a white saree making a very sad face almost sobbing
singing her very popular number from Do Bhai (Music SD Burman) Mera
Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya. Mukesh came hitting his chest and lit a
matchstick, singing Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De (Music Anil Biswas).
Kishore did some yodeling jumped all over the stage and came back to
join the line as those days he used to feel very nervous singing on
stage. Lata Mangeshkar sang Aayega aane wala from Mahal (music
Khemchand Prakash). Talat Mahmood again with a very sad face Aye Dil
Mujhe Aisi Jagah Le Chal from Aarzoo, (Music Anil Biswas). I sang Mori
Atariya Pe Kaga Bole from Aakhen, (Music Madan Mohan) with some very
funny movements.


Oh it was hilarious!


The year was 1953


In Sujata the very soporific lullaby Nanhi Kali Sone Chali a
scintillating duet with Asha Bachpan ke din bhi kya din the from the
same film. The very sweet Jaane Kya Tune Kahi from Pyaasa(1957). And
the piece de resistance, my most favourite and also in my eyes her best
sung song.....Waqt ne Kiya Kya Hasin Sitam from Kagaz ke phool (1959).
Both Pyaasa and Kagaz Ke Phool had music by SD Burman and were directed
by Guru Dutt.


Immediately after Baazi in 1951, one fine morning, Geeta drags me down
to where her car was parked. A very suave gentleman came out of the
car, smilingly looked at me and asked Geeta "So this is your friend
Meena?". I looked at Geeta with raised eyebrows, she just winked at
me.


"I am Guru Dutt"


"Nice meeting you", I stammered.


And after that I had to accompany both of them when Guru Dutt was
courting Geeta. Going to all the way to Khandala just to have coffee.
To Powai lake or fishing. To China creek a favourite spot of Guru Dutt
for outdoor shooting.


And then the day came when Geeta got married to Guru Dutt
ceremoniously.....


I had to stay with Geeta at her place, seven days ahead of the marriage
ceremony! Eating a lot of Maacher Jhol and Bhaat and singing away till
midnight to Main to dilli se dulhan laya re with many others including
one time actress Smriti Biswas.


Geeta looked a very beautiful bride and Guru Dutt looked a typical
Bengali groom...On the 26th of May 1953.


Guru Dutt met Geeta Roy already established playback singer at the
recording of the song Tadbeer se bigdi hui from the film Baazi
directed by him in 1951. Music was given by SD Burman. She continued
her music career even after marriage only now she was known as Geeta
Dutt instead of Geeta Roy.


After the movie Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Na jao saiyan, koi door se awaaz
de Music Hemant Kumar, in 1962, her career started going down....


And in 1963 I left Bombay with Anilji (Anil Biswas) my husband, as he
was called by the I&B Ministry in Delhi to work as the Director Indian
Music, All India Radio. I was given a choice to stay back in Bombay
but I preferred moving to Delhi with my husband even though my career
as a playback singer was still on.


One morning, in Delhi when I opened the newspaper to my shock I read


GURU DUTT IS DEAD!


That was 1964.


It was even more painful to learn that the death was not normal but
suspected suicide.


A few years later I met Geeta as she had come to sing for some music
concert. I was shocked to see her! She was a completely changed person!


1964 onwards she also had a gap in her career. In 1966 she perhaps sang
only for Uski Kahani (Music Kanu Roy). In 1971 Anubhav Meri Jaan Mujhe
Jaan Na Kaho directed by Basu Bhattacharya Music Kanu Roy.


And then suffering from Cirrhosis of liver she died on 20th of July
1972


I hate to add the word 'Late'. For me it was my friend Geeta who
was no more.


Even now I can hear her singing on the radio


Jaayenge kahan soojhta nahin
Chal diye magar raasta nahin


The soul never dies


AND MY FRIEND GEETA'S VOICE WILL NEVER DIE


Meena Kapoor Biswas


I purposely avoided writing about her life after she was married to
Guru Dutt. as I do not want to write about the events unpleasant in her
life.

[parag_sankla]

Maheshji,

many thanks for sharing this wonderful article.
It is always pleasant to hear nice words from one artiste about another.

Here Meenaji has shed light over Geetaji as a noble human being rather than a playback singer !

Any update on the autobiographical book on Geetaji which was to be published soon ?

Regards
Parag

[mahesh]

parag,thanks for the response.i think the book on geetaji will be released sometimes in november this year.
meenaji and anil biswas had very high opinion about geetaji voice and singing.
i am uploading one of their duets from aadhi raat[50].here meenaji does most of the singing and geetaji leads the chorus with he la la la,ho la la la.rajendra krishan wrote the lyrics and hansraj behl composed the music.

enjoy and respond.

regards,
mahesh

[balajigade]

parag,thanks for the response.i think the book on geetaji will be released sometimes in november this year.
meenaji and anil biswas had very high opinion about geetaji voice and singing.
i am uploading one of their duets from aadhi raat[50].here meenaji does most of the singing and geetaji leads the chorus with he la la la,ho la la la.rajendra krishan wrote the lyrics and hansraj behl composed the music.

enjoy and respond.

regards,
mahesh

Thanks Mahesh for the rare song which I have almost forgotten. The only other combo of these two singers of a very similar voice which I can remeber is tera kisi pe aaye dil... from 'Ghayal' -'51 (Jnan Dutt)

--Balaji

[sri]

Thanks Mahesh - for the article


Sri

[parag_sankla]

Reviving this thread about Geeta ji being remembered by her friend singer Meena Kapoor ji

Once again many thanks to Mahesh ji for this wonderful article

Cheers
Parag

[Shubham]

Thanks Mahesh for sharing this article on Geetaji by Meena Kapoor.
Geetaji was very lively not only in her songs but also in her real life also.


Shubham

[parag_sankla]

Reviving this thread about Geeta ji being remembered by her friend singer Meena Kapoor ji

Once again many thanks to Mahesh ji for this wonderful article

Cheers
Parag

[hildebrand]

Can somebody please upload their duets?
Regards
Hildebrand

[parag_sankla]

Can somebody please upload their duets?
Regards
Hildebrand

HB, the only duet of Geeta ji and Meena ji which I know is "Maine baalam se poonchha miloge kahan" from Aadhi Raat (1950). It is posted here

http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?s=&a...st&p=309421

Regards
Parag

This post has been edited by parag_sankla: Feb 14 2009, 03:32 AM

[hildebrand]

Hi Parag
I am already aware of that one. But there must be others like the song mentioned from movie Ghayal in meenaji's remembrance. (apparently their first duet).
I am requesting for songs like those.
Regards
Hildebrand

[parag_sankla]

Hi HB

Balaji has made a reference to that song in his thread. So I guess Balaji or Mahesh will have this song from Ghayal.

Can some one please share this (and any other song sung by Geeta ji and Meena ji)

Thanks in advance

Cheers
Parag

This post has been edited by parag_sankla: Feb 14 2009, 03:32 AM

[hildebrand]

Reviving request for Geeta Dutt and Meena Kapoor Duets.
If you know of existence even if not with you will help compile a list of their duets.

[parag_sankla]

parag,thanks for the response.i think the book on geetaji will be released sometimes in november this year.
regards,
mahesh

Mahesh, is there any update on the book on Geeta ji ? I havent heard anything from any resources on the net. I would love to have that book if it is published.

Thanks in advance and sorry we all keep bothering you again and again for something or other.

Warmest Regards
Parag

[parag_sankla]

parag,thanks for the response.i think the book on geetaji will be released sometimes in november this year.
meenaji and anil biswas had very high opinion about geetaji voice and singing.
i am uploading one of their duets from aadhi raat[50].here meenaji does most of the singing and geetaji leads the chorus with he la la la,ho la la la.rajendra krishan wrote the lyrics and hansraj behl composed the music.

enjoy and respond.

regards,
mahesh

Thanks Mahesh for the rare song which I have almost forgotten. The only other combo of these two singers of a very similar voice which I can remeber is tera kisi pe aaye dil... from 'Ghayal' -'51 (Jnan Dutt)

--Balaji

Balaji

Can you please share this rare song with us?

Thanks in advance

Best Regards
Parag