All music historians and puritans are invited

Let us first go thru an article by Sultan Ahmed
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Born in Barisal, East Bengal, now Bangladesh, and brought
up and fed on the folk songs of the boatman — Bhatiyaali
and Baul — octogenarian Anil Biswas is the senior most
living legend of the Indian cinema music. He is reverently
called Anil Dada, Bengali for big brother — or just Anilda
(short for Dada). He rightly calls himself the Uncle of modern
film music “If RC Boral was the father of modern film music.
I am senior enough to be at least its uncle,” he says.


As a child his favourite pastime was to learn Bhajans from
his mother who, in his words “possessed the sweetest voice
I ever heard” Once the Bhajan sessions were over, young Anil
(which means breeze in Sanskrit) would wander in the forest
or by the river singing his favourite songs in the company
of his best friend, Pannalal Ghosh who was destined to become
India’s finest flute player. Ghosh married Biswas’ younger
sister Parul, the renowned singer of the forties.


In the rich cultural environment of Bengal and blessed with
a good voice; Anil Biswas decided to take proper lessons in
music. He started to learn the Tabla, mastering the art in
just a few years. Alongside, he took singing lessons from a
couple of teachers and soon acquired confidence to perform
as professional singer. As a teenager Anil Biswas had to run
away from home; due to police persecution, as he was
connected with die freedom movement He came to Calcutta.,
the dream city of every young Bengali with a fiver in his
pocket. Those were tough times. After many sleepless nights
on city’s pavements he managed to find a job as a singer,
lyricist and composer (he was already working on a
professional stage as a composer-singer-actor-dancer-drummer
etc.) with the Hindustan Recording Company where Kundan Lal
Saigal and Sachin Dev Burman were also on the company’s
staff. The two seniors took a liking for the newcomer. They
became good friends and the trio spent their spare time
together. The friendship continued even after they had
migrated, one after another, to Bombay.


Anil went through many turmoils in his life, including
jail terms for his anti British political activities in
Calcutta where he had not made any headway in his career
either. He decided that Bombay, and not Calcutta was his
ultimate destination. So, in 1934 he moved to the film
capital of India and found himself a job at Ram Daryani's
Eastern Art Production.


During his first year in Bombay he got opportunities to
tune an odd song or two for films like BaalHatya and Bharat
Ki Beti produced by Eastern for which he got no credit but
in 1935 he was assigned to score music as a full fledged
composer for Rs. 250 per month for Dharm Ki Devi in which
he also sang his first Hindi song Kuch Bhi Nahin Bharosa.
It was picturised on him too. Though a modest beginning,
it was a turning point in his career. Two years and 11 films
(mostly stunt ones) later, and after having joined Sagar
Movietone luck smiled on Biswas. His compositions in Sagar’s
Mehboob-directed “Jaagirdar” (1937), a commercially
successful movie, established him finally as a force to
reckon with. Some more box office bonanzas like 300 Days
and After, Gramophone Singer, Hum Tum Aur Woh, Watan,
Ek Hi Rasta, Alibaba and Aurat followed.


Most of his popular movies in that period were directed
by Mehboob Khan, first at Sagar Movietone and later at
National Studios. The collaboration of the two giants
continued during the early forties in such notable films
as Behan and Roti. The story and concept of the later was
by Anil Biswas.


In 1942 Anil Biswas after accepting an offer made by
actress -producer- studio owner Devika Rani, joined her
renowned banner Bombay Talkies (B.T.). Before joining
this organization he had earlier composed music for its
super hit Basant but due to his contractual obligation
with National Studios credit could not be given to him
and instead the name of his brother-in-law Pannalal Ghosh
appeared on the credit titles of the film as music
director. Biswas’ first official film at B.T-, Hamaari
Baat (1943) was incidentally Devika Rani’s last film as
an actress. Biswas’ compositions in this film were as
usual of a very superior quality. Most of the songs
rendered by his sister, Parul Ghosh, brought great
applause to both the singer and the composer.


1943 was also the most significant year in Anil Biswas'
illustrious career. It was the year of B.T.’s Kismat..
The film, staring Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz Shanti, broke
all previous box office records and, besides celebrating
many jubilees all over India, ran for 3 years in a single
theatre (Plaza) in Calcutta — a record that has been
broken only by Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay in the seventies.
Almost all the songs: (Dheerey Dheerey Aa Re Baadal /
Ashok Kumar and Ameer Bai, Papiha Re / Parul Ghosh,
Aaj Himalay Ki Choti Se / Amir Bai and Chorus, Ab
Tere Siwa Kaun Mera / Ameer Bai, Ghar Ghar Mein Dwaali
Hai / Ameer Bai) Anil Biswas composed for Kismat became
a rage throughout the country. In fact Dheerey Dheerey
Aa Re Badal sung for the screen by Ashok Kumar and in
the record by his cousin and singer Arun Kumar Mukherji,
then Anil Biswas's assistant, is considered to be one of
the finest lullabies ever presented in a Hindi film.
Biswas was now at the peak of his creativity.


The other notable films in which he gave outstanding music
were JuarBhaata (Dilip Kumar’s debut making film - 1944).
“Pehli Nazar” (1945 - which introduced Mukesh to the Indian
public) Milan (1946) Anokha Pyaar (1948) Ladli (1949) and
Arzoo (1950). The last one sky-rocketted Talat Melmood’s
fame for his Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Ley Chal. This was
also Talat’s first song recorded in Bombay.


Anil Biswas’s later films were Aaram (1951), Taraana (1951).
Doraaha (1952), Hamdard (1953), Waaris (1954), Pardesi (1957),
Sautela Bhai (1962) and Chhoti Chhoti Baaten (1965) he last
named movie, very sensitively directed and produced by
actor-par-excellence, Motilal, turned out to be the swan
song for its creator. Motilal died before the film was
released and crashed at the box office.


Disillusioned by the changed working environment and the
indifference of film makers in Bombay, Anil Biswas shifted
to Delhi along with his singer wife Meena Kapoor, having
accepted an important post at the All India Radio, Delhi.


Anil Biswas is not only a music director, he is an
institution in himself, an epitome of knowledge and authority
on both the classical and the folk music. He is also well-
versed with the western symphonies which he has used
extensively and successfully in his musical scores.


Maestro Naushad, has paid glowing tributes to Anil Biswas
in a popular TV program in these words- "Anil Biswas, my
guru, is the first music director to have introduced the
use of melody and counter melody in his songs and his
background score, and I and others have greatly benefited
from Biswas‘s successful experimentations”


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The Author was the Manager (Western Region ) of the
Pakistan International Airlines at Mumbai during the
period 1987 – 96. He remained closely associated with
the social activities of the Indian film world including
the Cine-Society and particularly Living Legend of
Indian Film Music “Anil Biswas”. He has very kindly
contributed for this web-site an extract from his under
compilation book on “Prominent Composers of the
Sub-continent”.

What can one say about Anil Da's contribution to Hindi Films Music. Its simply unsurpassable. He was the legend among legends. The pioneer who was credited with providing a structure to the film songs, a Mukhda followed by two or three Antaras and ending with the Mukhda. Prior to him one couldn't distinguish between Mukhda and Antara. To this date the pattern has been followed unerringly by all music directors who followed him.

Anil Da was instrumental in building up the career of singer-actor Surendra and 3 legendary singers; Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh and Talat Mahmood. Lata credited him with teaching her the nuances of singing, including breath control. Mukesh owed to him the gratitude for discovering his individual style after he started his career as a Saigal clone and Talat it was, who was not only introduced to Hindi films in Mumbai by Anil Da but was also firmly told to retain the timber in his voice, which eventually catapulted him to unpreceedented success. Meena Kapoor too had her best songs under the baton of Anil Da, long before he married her.

In Hindi films during 1940s and 1950s, when melody was queen, Anil Da was the king who composed melodious tunes at will. Despite coming from Bengal, Anil Da mastered Hindi and Urdu, which he could speak flawlessly, unlike other notable music directors from Bengal who came to Mumbai such as S.D.Burman, Hemant Kumar and Salil Chowdhury; to name a few. He was equally at ease composing folk tunes and ghazals, bhajans as well as romantic melodies.

Perhaps the first to introduce the western waltz style orchestra in Hum Aur Tum Aur Yeh Khushi (uploaded recently under the Surendra thread in SKS), he is mainly remembered for the countless wistful melodies he composed during his 30 year reign in Hindi Cinema.

No wonder music maestroes from Naushad to C.Ramchandra, from Roshan to Madan Mohan, from Vasant Desai to Sudhir Phadke; all were under awe of Anil Da and were influenced by him in one way or other. He was indeed the doyen of all. Even in the twilight of his career, he created the immortal rousing song for All India Radio, Hum Honge Kamyab Ek Din, Mun Mein Hai Vishwas, Poora Hai Vishwas, Hum Honge Kamyab Ek Din.

The sad part about the above article is that while the author has used present tense all along, I am compelled to use the past tense. But the music of Anil Biswas will surely survive all of us and shall forever remain in the hearts of connoissures of the golden period of Hindi Film Music.

Pradeep

VERY NICE HISTORY ONE OF INDIAN MUSIC WORLD>
THANKS
DHALL

VERY NICE HISTORY ONE OF INDIAN MUSIC WORLD>
THANKS
DHALL