Golden Era of Bollywood: Vijay Anand - Master of Picturising Songs

Like Dev Anand, Vijay Anand also believed that songs are the soul of Indian films. He knew songs are the glue that binds audiences to Hindi films. Close your eyes and you can see Shammi Kapoor with a scarf around his neck, singing “Deewana Mujhsa Nahin” on a colourful hilltop, or instantly recall the smiling faces of Dev Anand and Nutan as they sing “Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukaar” on the inner stairway of the Qutab Minar.
Few could rival his abilities when it came to writing natural and easy-flowing dialogue or picturising songs. Most directors depended on choreographers to picturise the songs and dances. He believed that if the song is picturised well it will bring back the audience back to the theatre. In this blog, we will look into some of his fantastically picturised songs.
“Hum hain raahi pyaar ke hum se kuchh na boliye.” from Nau Do Gyarha was the first song he picturised. He didn't take any choreographer in that film. At that time he used to think a choreographer ruins songs. They interfere with the characterisation. He felt they impose their own personalities through their dance steps and don’t allow the artists to express themselves in the way they should.
He used to say that if the director understands his subject, story and characters well, he will not compromise in any aspect. If he is working on a film like Devdas then he has to have songs for Devdas, not for Shammi Kapoor.
As a director, he was very particular about its music. When he was working on Jewel Thief, he discussed with the composer. he told SD Burman: “Dada, this song is for Vyjayanthimala. I am going to use her talents as a dancer.”
In Teesri Manzil P L Raj was the choreographer. He used to sit with the choreographer when they were composing the songs. That time all their assistants, including Saroj Khan, who was Sohanlal’s assistant. She would always ask him: “Goldie Saab, what do you want?”
Sometimes he would tell them they were going off track. This is not the character. I did not want any artificiality. My characters should not become artificial when they sing. The characters are not supposed to be dancers in the film. They are merely expressing emotion through a song.
He told in an interview that during the picturisation of Teesri Manzil's songs he told Shammi to Go wild!” He would because he had such a tremendous sense of rhythm. He just got into the music and every fibre of his body would dance. The only thing you had to make sure was that he did not overdo it. OK, the character is fooling about—this much is allowed, but not beyond that. All the expressions are in the song words: “Dekhiye… naazneen…” It’s all there, so you don’t have to do much more.
In the Kala Bazar song “Khoya Khoya Chand”, Dev sings as he runs down the hill. He is madly in love and believes his dream is coming true. So let him move his hands— white hands against dark clothes—[as] he makes his way down the hill. It suited the scene, so once in a while, you let him go.
In the same movie, there was a scene in a train compartment. Dev Anand is sitting on the lower berth and Waheeda Rehman is lying on the upper berth. The girl’s parents are also in the compartment. Dev saab sings the song: “Apni to har aah ek toofaan hai/ Kya karen woh jaan kar anjaan hai/ Uparwala jaan kar anjaan hai.” Waheeda Rehman is listening to him but she cannot move much because she’s lying on the upper berth. There is a double meaning behind the whole situation, which is beyond choreography.