S D Burman- Always Looking for New Experiments in Music

 

Music Maestro Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma said in an interview that While composing a song, Dada would say, ‘Even if my songs flop, I will still create something new’. What Dada meant was, ‘I will not take the beaten path. I will not compose as per the existing trend. Even if my songs flop, I will still do something new’.Recall the song 'Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana De' was written as a Ghazal but he converted it to a club song. Sahir the lyricist of the song was not happy with this but Dada was sure that it would be a hit. Sahir then and there decided that he will never write again for S. D. Burman, but changed his mind after the song became super-hit and the film too was a big draw for the audience who used to return again and again.

Similar situation happened during the making of Jaal 1951 song 'Yeh raat ye Chandni'.' He transformed its Ghazal mood giving it a regular stressed beat. When he sang the tune to Sahir Ludhianvi, Sahir laughed. Sahir suggested that it should be sung by Talat but Sachin Da wanted Hemant Kumar.Even when the song was recorded by Hemant Kumar, Guru Dutt wanted to re-dub the song in Rafi Sahib’s voice. Dada stuck on to his choice and the song was a very big hit.

From 1930 to 1936, over these five to six years, he composed music fusing Indian classical music and folk music, which did not resemble anybody else’s. ”Listen to this Bengali song Mono Dukkhe Mori re Shubol (1934), composed and sung by him. This song is a Kirtan which used to be sung in semi-classical style but Sachin Da throws the words in the Bangal dialect that makes it more rural to the roots. The dialect is of East Bengal with some Sanskrit words used. Such songs are sung by boatmen from that part of the world.

Mono Dukkhe Mori re Shubol (1934)

His innovative tendency were visible as early as in 1934 during a Bengal Music Conference in 1934, inaugurated by Rabindranath Tagore, Sachin Dev Burman was asked to sing after Ustad Faiyaz Khan. Ustad Faiyaz Khan had finished with ‘Jhan, jhan, jhan…’, a song that spellbound the audience. Sachin Da began with the same song in Bangla, ‘Jhan, jhan, jhan – manjira baaje’. The audience roared in unison and Karta extended the song to last more than half an hour. Sukla Devi vividly remembers how Ustad Faiyaz Khan came to the stage and hugged Sachin Da. The same tune he used in the Buzdil(1951) song sung by Lata and asked Shailendra to keep same mukhda with a slight change in words. Listen to both version

                                                                   Jhan jhan jhan manjira baje..S D Burman

                                                          jhan jhan jhan manjira baje by Lata from Buzdil 1951

One of the most marvelous experiments that Sachinda carried out was in the song O nighahen mastana (Paying Guest -1957). Young Kishore’s voice, supported by Asha Bhosle’s humming and alaap throughout the song, adds tremendous charm to the song.The unique thing about this song is that when the second antara gets over, the interlude music and the lights start fading out till the music can be hardly heard. While the remaining lights dim out, the third antara is sung in a softer tone.It is one of the most romantic songs ever created by any music director.

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In another Navketan production Kala Pani, in  the song Hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare chale gaye. He used the rhythm of a ghazal in the mukhda and geet in the antara. This song was originally sung by Dada himself in Bengali,every body wanted Dada to sing this in hindi but he felt that rafi's voice  will suit well to Dev Anand in this situation.one finds Rafi’s soothing voice with only a few instruments used by Dada – Sarangi, tabla, gunghroo, khadtal and harmonium.

Song from Kala Pani 1958

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Majrooh Sultanpuri- A Long Lyrical Journey from 1946 t0 2001

 

His first film as a lyricist was Shahjehab(1946) writing the immortal song 'Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya' sung by K L Saigal and the last filmOne 2 Ka 4 (2001). He was the only lyricist who wrote songs for heroes ranging from Saigal to Shahrukh Khan and leading ladies from Nargis to Madhuri Dixit. 

He worked with all the top music directors of his time –  Naushad, Anil Biswas, Madan Mohan, OP Nayyar, Roshan, Laxmikant Pyarelal, his associations with SD Burman and later were with RD Burman stand out. In fact, he introduced R D Burman to Nasir Hussain for Teesri Manzil. In his last film, he wrote for A R Rehman.

He was part of the formidable quartet of lyricists that ruled Hindi Cinema in the 1950s and early 60s, the others being Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakeel Badayuni and Shailendra. Majrooh Saab’s career, spanning over five decades, saw him writing wonderful lyrics for well over 300 films, many of them extremely successful at the box office.

He could write any kind of lyrics tailor-made for the situation in the film. Be it the peppy “Hum hain rahi pyar ke” (Nau Doh Gyarah) or the nonsense lyrics of “C-A-T cat, cat maane billi” (Dilli Ka Thug) to “Aaj main upar aasman neeche” (Khamoshi – The Musical), Majrooh became the undisputed king of the “situational song. He got his first break as a lyricist in A R Kardar’s Shah Jahan in 1945, penning the last classic by K L Saigal “Jab dil hi toot gaya”.

.He subsequently did films like Natak (1947), Doli (1947), and Anjuman (1948) but his major breakthrough was Mehboob Khan’s immortal love triangle, Andaz (1949), with hit songs like Tu Kahe Agar, Jhoom Jhoom ke Naacho Aaj, Hum Aaj Kahin Dil Kho Baithe, Toote na Dil Toote na and Uthaye Ja Unke Situm.

He wrote many immortal songs, in this blog I have selected a few songs composed by various composers. In an interview to Film Division’s Jayanti Rasgotra in 1997, when asked to rate his three best songs, Majrooh listed them: Kahin bekhayal hokar yoon hi chhoo liya kisi ne (Teen Deviyaan, S D Burman, 1965), Raat kali ek khwaab mein aayee aur gale ka haar hui (Buddha mil gaya, 1971, R D Burman) and that immortal Rahein na rahein hum mahka karenge…(Mamta, Roshan, 1966, Lata Mangeshkar)

Song of Shah Jehan (1946) Composer Naushad

Song of Romeo Juliet 1947   Composer Husnalal Bhagatram

Song of Footpath 1953  Composer Khayyam

Song of Aar Paar 1954

Song of Paying Guest 1957 Composer S D Burman

Song of Maya 1961

Song from Aarti (1962)  Composer Roshan

Song of Ishara 1964

Song from Oonche Log 1965  Composer Chitragupt

Song of Dosti 1964  Composer Laxmikant Pyarelal

Song of Teesri Manzil 1967

Song of Dastak 1970 Composer Madan Mohan

Song of Bhumika 1977 Composer Vanraj Bhatia

Song of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak  1988 Composer Anand Miland

Song of Khamoshi The Musical  1996 Composer Jatin Lalit

Song of Kya Kehna 2000 Composer Rajesh Roshan

Song of Pukar 2000 Composer A R Rehman

'Tere Mere Milan Ki Ye Raina'- The Song based on Rabindra Sangeet

 

This Classic song from the 1973 film Abhiman was written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by S D Burman was influenced by the song 'Jodi Tare Nai Chini Go Sheki 'of Rabindra Tagore. Over the years, the original Song Jodi Tare Nai Chini Go Sheki has been performed by various artists – Kishore Kumar, Shaan, Anwesha, Shrabani Sen, Shreya Ghoshal, Hemant Kumar, and many more. While I was researching for this song, I found a very rare version sung by the great K L (Kundan Lal) Saigal.

This song appears when the movie reaches its climax when the couple Subir (Amitabh) and Uma (Jaya -Bhaduri) get separated, Uma has a miscarriage, and finally they, fortunately, reunite – what an emotional reunion celebrated with this beauty of a song “Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh Raina” rendered in public by both.

Though this song was influenced by Rabindra Tagore, S D Burman gave his magical touch to the original tune made this song immortal. We must also appreciate Mazrooh Sultanpuri to give lyrics for the wonderful tune. He was awarded the Filmfare Award as Best Lyricist. S D Burman was awarded the Best Music Director.

If you listen to all the versions of 'Jodi Tare Nai' you will find how beautifully the Abhiman song was composed. The song starts with a hmmm. by Kishore Kumar, a divine hmmm unmatchable. The song is a duet of Kishore and Lata Mangeshkar, one of the immortal duets of both.

This tune was again used in the 1985 film Jhoothi's song set in Rupak Taal (that's the name for the beats on the Tabla). Bappi Lahiri has set his Chanda Dekhe Chanda from Jhoothi.

Song of Abhiman 1973

Jodi Tare Nai Chini Go Sheki by Kishore Kumar

Jodi Tare Nai Chini Go Sheki by Hemant Kumar

Jodi Tare Nai Chini Go Sheki by K L Saigal

Jodi Tare Nai Chini Go Sheki by Shaan

Song of Jhoothi 1985

Nasir Hussain- Always Believed in Long Associations

 

Nasir Hussain (16 November 1926 – 13 March 2002),  started his career as a story writer in 1948. He remained there till he started his own Nasir Hussain Films and turned producer-director. He made musical hits like Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961),  

He introduced Asha Parekh in Dil Deke Dekho (1959), she was the heroine of his first production Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961),  she was the heroine for all his films like  Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Teesri Manzil (1966), Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), Caravan (1971),  After a gap of 13 years, she did a cameo in his film Manzil Manzil (1984). With Teesri Manzil he associated with music director R D Burman and after that RD was the music director of all his films like  Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), Caravan (1971), Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973), and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977),  Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981), Manzil Manzil (1984) and Zabardast (1985) So was the lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri who wrote lyrics for all the above films.

Rajendra Nath the comedian was a fixture in almost all of his early productions. He was in Dil Deke Dekho (1959), Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), Zabardast (1985) and Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981).

Pran was also a constant villain in Ziddi, Love in Tokyo, Paying Guest and Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon. He also collaborated with writer Sachin Bhowmick, comic Wasti, and editors Babu Lavande and Gurudutt Shirali in many of his films

Here are a few songs of his films of RD & Majrooh Sultanpuri combination.

Song of Teesri Mnzil 1966

Song of  Baharon Ke Sapne (1967)

Song of Pyar Ka Mausam (1969)

Song of Caravan  (1971)

Song of Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973)

Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977)