Wahan Kaun Hai Tera- A Complete Story in Few Lines

 

Recall this song from the 1966 film Guide, sung by S D Burman. This was a credit title song in the background as Dev Anand the hero of the film comes out from jail, the song starts right there. The 'Mukhda' starts on a wide shot of the main gate of the jail from inside...'Wahan kaun hai tera, musafir, jaayega kahan'

Vijay Anand, the ace director, and screenplay writer wanted to start the film with a situation and song that would make the audience curious and uneasy, eager to know the story.....He did this with the help of the great Lyricist Shailendra.

If we look into the song minutely we would find the genius of three great people, S D Burman, the composer, Shailendra, the Lyricist, and Vijay Anand, the director. S D Burman composed a tune (actually his old Bangla song, slightly altered) The song starts with a 'Sitaar' notes used in the introduction music..

The sense of freedom is depicted by a strange-looking shot of a tree seen upside down and a group of birds flying away.... The camera moves back to reveal that it was the reflection of the tree in a pool of water....

In the first stanza "Beet gaye din, pyar ke palchhin, sapna bani woh ratein".... "Bhool gaye woh, tu bhi bhulaa de, pyar ki woh mulaaqaatein..." We see Dev Anand walking with a bundle of his belongings slung over his shoulder...The bundle slips and opens.... A close shot of the things that have spilled out... a few photographs of Waheeda Rehman...

The genius of Vijay Anand can be seen in the last shot of the song, we see a sleeping Dev Anand and the shadow of the unknown man as if he is looking at Dev. When the song starts we see Dev Anand smartly dressed with puff hair and as the song ends, he is now lying among the ruins....covered in saffron

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Sunn Mere Bandhu Re- The Take Was Completed Before the Song was Recorded

 

This immortal song from Sujata(1959) was written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed and sung by the great S D Burman. Both born on 1st Oct. This song was a background song.

 The director of the film Bimal Roy gave a rough outline to Sachin Da for a song situation to be sung by a commoner. He wanted a song to sound as if it was straying off-tune, in spite of being in tune. Many singers were tried but ultimately Sachin Da himself finally recorded in his own voice. This was his second song in Hindi films sung after a gap of 12 years.

The situation was that the hero wanted to express his love for the heroine and also wanted to know her feelings. She being shy couldn't express her feeling in words, so to express her feelings Dada suggested a song in the Background.

Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote beautiful lyrics for this situation. The Hero and Heroine are in love They are on a riverfront and a boatman singing in the background expressing their love for each other. Their emotions are caressed by the gentle breeze. The unclear, dispersed light of late evening gives this 'Bhatiyali' song a perfect background. The excellent picturization. Their lips seem to be moving but the sound is mooted, the lyrics in the background expressing their feelings.

Surprisingly the scenes were shot well before the song was ready, in fact, the lyrics were written at the time the scene was being shot. Song recording was done after a few days. It was S D Burman singing solo after 12 years, 

Song of Sujata 1959

This song was used in many films after Sujata. In the 1963 film Bandini , the first two lines were hummed by SD Burman himself. In the 1973 film Abhiman, a few lines were used in the background in a scene

A Scene from Abhiman 1973

It was again used in the background by Gulzar in his film Achanak(1973), one line in a female voice of Lily Chakravarti along with Dada's voice

A Scene from Achanak 1973

In the 1974 film Dil Diwana the opening lines of this song were sung by Asha Bhosle in the song ' Mein Ladki Tu Ladka' composed by RD Burman

In the 1983 film Pukar, R D Burman gave his tribute to this tune in his own voice by changing the lyric as Sun Mere Lamboo Re in a song sung by Amitabh Bachchan 'Tu Maike Mat Jaiyo'

Song of Pukar 1983

Journey of a Song from Karbala to Guide,Immortalised by Dada Burman

This immortal song " Allah Megh De Pani De" is one of the two songs sung by S D Burman in the 1965 film Guide. This song was adopted by Burman Da from a Bengali folk singer Abbasuddin Ahmed's song, who taught him his signature technique of “voice breaking”.
After Ahmed, several singers have performed this number. Laxmikant-Pyarelal created another version of ‘Allah Megh De’ in the film Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein (1977) with singers Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle. Music director Bappi Lahiri rejigged it in Amaanat (1994) and his disco song ‘De De Pyar De’ (Sharaabi, 1984) is also a variation of the tune. Singers Shafqat Amanat Ali and Shubha Mudgal sang a peppy version for composer Debojyoti Mishra in Ramchand Pakistani (2008) but it is the Burman’s version that is best remembered, most likely because he remained true to the original.
This song had a long journey from Bengal to Mumbai, and finally to Pakistan. This song is a Bengali folk genre Jaari Gaan. The name Jaari is most probably taken from the Persian word "Zari" Most Jaari Gaan was based on the Islamic legend of the Battle of Karbala, In medieval Bengal, this genre of folk songs was performed by mostly Sunni Muslims. The followers of Husayn ibn Ali during the battle of Karbala. They used to cry out to God to send them rain-bearing clouds, or megh. 
In this blog, I am posting  various versions of this song

Song of Guide 1965

                              ALLAH MEGH DE PANI DE : ABBASUDDIN AHMED

Song of Palkon Ki Chaon Mein

                                                    Allah Megh De (Runa Laila)

                                                  Allah Megh De by Shaan

Song of Amanat 1994

                            Allah megh de , pani de chaya de re tui lopamudra mitra

                                            Allah megh de- ramchand pakistani

The Story Behind the Song "Rim Jhim Ke Tarane Lekar Aayi Barsat"

This song of Kala Bazar (1960) was picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman sung by Mohammad Rafi and Geeta Dutt.The song was written by Shailendra and the music was given by S D Brman.
The song became the most iconic rain song and is spontaneously remembered with the pitter-patter of rain. It catches the mood perfectly, the rhythm of falling rain drops and the romance.
It is the first time ever any duet was picturised in background. Thanks to the genius of Barman Dada who insisted that this should be played in background.
The Director of the film was Vijay Anand who was a master of picturising songs.He was picturising this song on the hero and heroine but Sachin Da told him that instead of singing this song should be played in the background. 
Vijay Anand in an interview said that SD Burman was very perceptive about the power and impact of the medium of films and took a keen interest in understanding the situation of a song and its context in the landscape of the entire movie.
The situation was that Waheeda Rehman is standing at the bus stand. Most people here are holding an umbrella each because it is raining. Only Dev Anand is holding a newspaper over his head. He calls a cab. Both he and Waheeda Rehman approach the stopped cab. When they reach it, they see and recognize each other. Within that moment an old woman enters the cab and leaves with it.
Waheeda Rehman wears a dark sari with a light colored blouse, while Dev Anand is wearing a dark kurta pyjama. She had closed the umbrella while approaching the cab. Now both are getting wet. So Dev Anand tells her to open the umbrella and she tells him to come under it too. They try to catch another taxi when it is taken by somebody else.
Suddenly, the camera shoots the sea with the playful waves hitting the large rocks on the shore. The playful nature of the waves represents the mood of the song that is to follow. The song begins. They feel the song in their hearts. They remember all the things that had happened to them together in the past. During the entire song, they are walking on the street. The song abruptly ends, when they reach Dev Anand’s home.

Sachin Da used to experiment a lot, not only during composition of his songs but during background music as well, at times putting his reputation at stake. Sometimes, he faced opposition but stood firm, the skeptical falling in line when the experiment succeeded.The picturised version of the song is less than two minutes long. but it gave an excellent impact in the film.This picturisation happened, and what an eye candy this picturisation was Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman,

Song of Kala Bazar 1960

Some of the Great Background Songs of Bollywood

Bollywood films are incomplete without a song.  The majority of songs are seen to be sung by the characters themselves rather than being played in the background Background songs are often used in Hindi films as a tool to take the story forward, you see the characters, for instance, becoming rich during the course of the song or a child growing adult. 
In this blog, I have selected some great songs in alphabetical order
                                                                                  A

Aayega aayega aanewala 

Song from Mahal 1949

Ana hai to aa raha me kuchh der nahi hai_

Song from Naya Daur 1957

Ab koi gulshan na ujde ab vatan azad hai

Song from Mujhe Jine Do 1963

B

Bhagwan ik kusoor ki itnai badi saja

Song from Gehra Daag 1963

C

Chal Akela Chal Akela Tera mela pichhe chhuta

Song from Sambandh 1969

Chhodo kal ki baatein

Song from Hum Hindustani, 1960

Chal ri sajni ab kya soche 

Song from Bombai ka Babu, 1960

D

dekhi zamane ki yaari

Song from Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

G

Gumnam hain koi badnam hain

Song from Gumnam 1965

I

Iktara Iktara

Song of Wake Up Sid 2009

K

Kahi deep jale kahi dil 

Song from Bees Saal Baad 1962

Kahe ko roye safal hogi teri aaradhana

Song from Aaradhana 1969

M

Mera Jeevan kora kagaz kora hi

Song from Kora Kagaz. 1974

N

Nirbal se ladayi balwan ki-

Song from Diya Aur Toofan 1956

Naina barase rimzim rimzim-

Song from Wo Koun Thi 1964

O

O Re Maajhi Mere Saajan Hai Us Paar

Song of Bandini 1963

R

Roop tera mastana

Song from Aaradhana 1969

S

Sun mere bandhu re

Song from Sujata 1959

T

Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi. 

Song from Aandhi (1974)

W

waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam-

Song from Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

waha koun hain tera musafir

Song from Guide 1965

Waqt se din aur raat

Song from Waqt 1965

Y

ya meri manzail ya zaindagi ko chin le

Song from Rakhi 1962

Z

Zindagi ke safar me guzar jate hai

Song from Aap ki Kasam 1974