Musical Instruments Played by Raj Kapoor on Screen

 

Raj Kapoor had always been interested in music. He was classically trained and capable of playing several instruments reasonably well. He was good in Tabla and Harmonium, he was also excellent in Piano.  He played different instruments on screen, the first time he played an instrument on screen was in a song of Barsaat 1949.

 Kindly recall the iconic pose where Raj Kapoor holds a violin in one hand and Nargis in the other hand. On my research, I have found more than a dozen instruments were played by him on screen.

 He was seen playing the Violin in this song, though he did not sing but played the violin only. If you watch the song 'Mujhe Kisi Se Pyar Ho Gaya' he looked so realistic as if he is actually playing it. .

Song of Barsaat 1949

The next year once again he was seen playing the flute in a song 'Sun bairi balam sach bol re' from Bawre Nain (1950), he was playing the instrument only.

Song of Bawre Nain 1950

The piano remained the favourite instrument of Bollywood Films. In almost every film it was seen in the 50s or 60s films. In many hit songs, Piano was essential Prop. In this song 'Main dil hoon ek armaan bhara' from Anhonee 1952, Raj Kapoor is singing and playing the Piano.

Song of Anhonee 1952

Raj Kapoor plays 'Daph' in this very popular song of Shree 420 (1955)film.

Song of Shree 420 (1955) 

Another song from the same film 'Shree 420' Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua, Raj Kapoor can be seen playing the Penny Whistle

Song of Shree 420 (1955) 

In 3 songs of Shree 420, we can see Raj Kapoor playing three different instruments. In this song, 'Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh' he plays the Trumpet for a few seconds.

Song of Shree 420 (1955) 

The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument from the Indian subcontinent, In this song, Raj Kapoor plays the Sarangi

Song of Parvarish 1958

There is another song from Parvarish where he plays the Tabla. He displays his real skills in this song. He plays the Tabla with his elbow also.

Song of Parvarish 1958

Another rustic instrument played in a song of the 1959 film Do Ustad.  Raj Kapoor playing the been in this song. Generally Been is used by the snake charmers.The Been music was very popular in the 50s, especially after the popularity of the song from Nagin in 1954. Recall the song 'Man Dole Tan Dole'

Song of Do Ustad 1959

'Daph' was the favourite instrument of Raj Kapoor. He played this instrument again in the Songs of Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai 1960

Song of Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai 1960

Song of Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai 1960

Raj Kapoor plays 'Dhol' in the song 'Yeh To Kaho Kaun Ho Tum' from 'Aashiq' released in 1962

Song of Aashiq 1962

Sangam (1964) film had 3 songs in which he played 3 different instruments. He plays the Piano in the song 'Dost Dost Na Raha', Piano Accordion in 'Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega' and Bag Pipe in 'Bol  Radha Bol Sangam'

Song of Sangam 1964

In the 1967 film 'Deewana', he played Shehnai in almost all the songs

Song of Deewana 1967

Harmonium Based Bollywood Songs

 

Harmonium based songs formed the core of Hindi songs but you would be surprised to know that Harmonium was once banned in All India Radio for 40 years. Rabindra Nath Tagore once wrote a letter in 1940 to AIR for not playing the Harmonium songs because this was not an Indian Classical Instrument. 

It is also true that this instrument is being used for decades in Indian Classical, semi classical, and Sugam Sangeet. All the composers and singers used to play the Harmonium while composing or singing songs. The first song of Hindi film in ALAM ARA was a song based on harmonium and Tabla underlining the symbiotic link these instruments have had in Hindi film music since the 1930s. Kindly recall K L Saigal in Street Singer(1938). In this blog, I have selected those songs where Harmonium is being played on screen.

Harmonium used to be called 'Peti' or 'Peti Baja' in Mumbai. As a matter of fact the music directors in the earlier times, in popular lexicon were known as 'Bajawalas', or 'Petiwalas', i.e. those who are adept at playing the 'Peti' or the harmonium 

K L Saigal was very fond of playing the Harmonium, he had a harmonium which he used to bring and play himself whenever he is recording a song. The harmonium actually belonged to the company, but Saigal started playing it from the very first song he recorded. And after that it belonged to him. "He used to sing in a particular scale and didn't like it if anyone changed the harmonium's scale. So it was kept exclusively for him. Later, even when he had become India's first superstar, he never used another harmonium when he was in Kolkata.

When he shifted to Bombay, this harmonium was left behind. He was often heard lamenting the fact that his favourite instrument was not with him.He said his songs were incomplete without this harmonium. For your information, this harmonium is still preserved in Kolkata. Lata Mangeshkar wanted to keep this Harmonium for which she wanted to pay whatever price is asked but was denied.

The first song in my list is from the 1936 film Frontier Mail. In this song, the actor and singer is seen playing the Harmonium

Song of Frontier Mail 1936

In the 1938 film 'Street Singer', K L Saigal(Bhulwa) helps Kanan Devi(Manju )escape from a burning orphanage and from the care of the tyrannical manager of the orphanage. The two street urchins go from village to village, singing and making money. Bhulwa’s big dream is to someday sing in a theatre in Calcutta. K L Saigal teaches her music.

Song of Street Singer 1938

Song of Street Singer 1938

 This song is sung by Shamshad Begam, Satish Batra and Rafi.Qamar Jalalabadi is the lyricist. Music is composed by Shyam Sundar. The song is picturised as a roadside tamasha song where a female dancer is dancing  while Gope (carrying a harmonium) lip-syncs in Satish Batra’s voice 

Song of Baazaar” (1949)

In this song of  “Baabul” (1950),  Dilip Kumar is asked to sing a song,while playing on a harmonium. This song is sung by Talat Mehmood.Shakeel Badayuni is the lyricist and music is composed by Naushad.

Song of Baabul (1950)

Here is a light-hearted Harmonium song from Albela 1951, picturized on Bhagwan Dada.  This movie was a box office success and a musical extravaganza. All the songs in this film were hit, in this song, Bhagwan Dada is singing and a person with him is playing the harmonium.

Song of Albela 1951

Deedar (1951) film in which Dilip Kumar played blind young man makes a living singing and searching for his childhood sweetheart. In this immortal song, Dilip Kumar is singing and playing the harmonium.

Song of Deedar 1951

This is also a very popular harmonium song from CID where Dev Anand is following Shakeela and One Girl and her man singing and playing the harmonium

Song of CID 1956

This song is sung by Rafi and Asha Bhonsle. It is picturised on Dev Anand, Madhubala. In this song, Dev Anand is singing and playing the harmonium

Song of Kala Pani 1958

In this song the hero, Pradeep Kumar is seen playing a humble harmonium and singing. This melodious song is sung by Talat Mahmood in 1958 film “Zindagi Yaa Toofaan” 

Song of “Zindagi Yaa Toofaan” 1958

Song of Post Box 999 1958

This song is a street song from  Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai,1960, The song is picturised on Raj Kishor and Shiela Vaz who is playing the harmonium

Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai,1960,

Song of Barsaat Ki Raat 1960

Song of Dharamputra 1961

Song of Ek MMusafir Ek Hasina 1962

Song of MERE LAL1964

Song of Bahu Begum 1967

Song of Padosan 1968

Song of Kismat 1968

Song of Zanzeer 1973

Song of Apnapan 1977 

Song of Swami 1977

Song of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar 1978

This song is from a small budget film Dada 1978 picturized on Vinod Mehra and the song sung by Yesudas. In the beginning, Vinod Mehra is playing the harmonium

Song of Dada 1978

Song of Manzil (1979) 

This song of the 90s starts with the Harmonium being played

Song of Raja Hindustani 1996

The Sound of Shehnai in Bollywood Songs

Shehnai is a wind instrument usually played in the folk music of North India and has very strong associations with weddings, where it is considered especially lucky. It is also played when the bride leaves his father's place but this time it sounds sad.
Shehnai and Ustad Bismillah Khan have become a synonym in India. He is credited with exceptional skill and with classical music in Hindi film songs, this instrument became a part of many songs, to some reviewers and fans, came as close to making the instrument "talk" as is possible. Surprisingly he played this instrument in only one film "Goonj Uthi Shenai" released in 1959. Dave Mason plays one on The Rolling Stones' 1968 song "Street Fighting Man."
The film narrates the story of a Shehnai player and features shehnai recitals by maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan throughout the film. There is also Jugalbandi between him and Sitar player, Abdul Halim Jaffar Khan.
The film opens, naturally, with music, as Raghunath Maharaj (Ulhas) is doing his riyaz (musical practice) in a temple. Suddenly he is accompanied by the melodious, dulcet tones of a shehnai. He goes to check who the player is, and discovers it's a young boy, Kishan. The overjoyed musician immediately takes Kishan home, and under his wing, to train him in the ways of music.

Song of Goonj Uthi Shehnai 1959

Lata Mangeshkar sang this song beautifully and wonderfully! Every single word of this song is excellent The Shehnai of Ustad Bismillah Khan added beauty to this beautiful song! Right from Lataji's "mmmm", immediately followed by Ustad Bismillah Khan's heavenly shehnai and Lataji's alaap, this melodious song leads the listener into sheer aural bliss.

This song starts with a prelude of Shehnai by Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Song of Goonj Uthi Shehnai 1959

                    Raga - Kedar - Jugalbandi-2 Goonj Uthi Shehnai

The same year Dhool Ka Phool was released, in this film composer, N Dutta in the following song Shehnai was beautifully played, not by Ustad Bismillah Khan. 

Song of Dhool Ka Phool 1959

The credit for introducing Shehnai io Bollywood goes to composer Ram Ganguli, who brought Musician and composer Ram Lal from Varanasi/ He was a flute & shehnai player. He was his disciple Initially he was working for Prithvi Theatre when Ram Ganguli gave the music for the first film of RK Banner released in 1948, Ramlal played flute & shehnai in that film "Aag". He played Shehnai for the first time in the song "Zinda Hoon ls Tarah"

Song of Aag 1948

Ramlal's shehnai can be enjoyed in the song "Tu Chhupi Hai Kahan, Mein Tadapta Yahan" of 1958 film Navrang released in 1959. 

Song of Navrang 1959

Ramlal ji was employed with V Shantaram after Prithvi Theatre, he was a musician for his films composed by Vasant Desai or C Ramchandra. He was given charge of composing the music of V Shantaram's film Sehra in 1963. In this film, he composed the music as well as played Shehnai in the song" Taqdeer Ka Fasaana" sung by Mohammad Rafi. This solo Shehnai played by him can never be forgotten. Enjoy the song and feel the pain through Shenai

Song of Sehra 1963

Before Goonj Uthi Shehnai, this instrument was also used by Salil Chowdhary in Bimal Roy's film Naukari in 1954, in the following song by Geeta Dutt

Song of Naukri 1954

Naushad also used this instrument in a song of Shabab released in the same year,1954

Song of Shabab 1954

This instrument is beautifully explained in the song "Kya Ajab Saaz Hai Yeh Shehnai" sung by Mohammad Rafi, written by Rajendra Krishan for the 1964 film "Shehnai"

Song of Shehnai 1964

The Shehnai is mostly played to greet someone on a happy occasion but also played at a time when the bride leaves the house of her parents after marriage.  The opening shehnai of “Babul Ki Duaaen” feels as if someone is crying, reflecting the sadness of a father’s loss. This song is usually played by the bands in almost all the Bidai ceremony of North Indian Families.

Song of Neel Kamal 1968

Before this song, "Chal Ri Sajni Ab Kya Soche " from Bombai Ka Babu (1960) was the most popular Bidai song A beautiful piece of "Taar Shahnai" played by Dakshina Mohan Tagore. Taar Shehnai is not a Shehnai but produces the sound of Shehnai. For the knowledge of readers, I must submit that Taal Shenai is a rare instrument. D.M. Tagore preferred to play rare instruments. He was a master in Taar Shehnai, Mandar Bahar, and Territ Vina.

Song from Bombai Ka Babu 1960

Naushad used Shehnai very beautifully in the song "Pi Ke Ghar Aaj Pyari Dulhaniya Chali " from the 1957 film Mother India, I don't think he used the shehnai in any of his earlier songs.

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Song of Mother India 1957

In the year 1957 composer Chitragupt used Shehnai in this immortal song

Song of Bhabhi 1957

Another beautiful song in which you can listen to the sound of shehnai after the Mukhada.

Song of Aarti 1962

In 1976 shehnai was played in the song of Kabhi Kabhie just after the antara "Suhag raat hai ghoonghat uth raha hoon mein"

Song of Kabhie Kabhie 1976

Nowadays the sound of most of the Indian instruments has vanished from Bollywood music, Shehnai is also one of them. Very rarely the present composers use Shehnai or Sitar. A R Rehman is an exception. he used Shehnai in the song “Ye Jo Des Hai Tera” from the movie “Swades” 

Song of Swades 2004

The shehnai played in the prelude as well as in the background is played by Pandit Ballesh. He is a big name in Shehnai, He is an internationally acclaimed Shehnai player and Hindustani Classical vocalist with a specialization in Patiala Gharana and is trained in Kirana and Gwalior Gharana.  He is one of the well-known disciples of world-renowned Shehnai Maestro Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan. Ustad ji blessed Pt. Ballesh as “Dakshina Bharat Bismillah Khan”.  

He has worked with O. P. Nayyar, Naushad Ali, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Ravindra Jain, Jatin-Lalit, Kalyanji-Anandji, Anand-Milind, R. D. Burman, Kailash Kher in Bollywood. Pt. Ballesh played Shehnai in the Bollywood movie “Rockstar” for the track titled “The Dichotomy of fame” Shammi Kapoor is shown playing Shehnai in this film.

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Missing The Rhythm of Castanets

Today's generation may not be familiar with the sound of Castanets but once this instrument was used extensively by almost all music directors in the golden era of Hindi film music.

Recall the song "Hai Apna Dil To Awara" from Solva Saal, the song starts with the sound of Castanets immediately after the humming sound of Hemant Kumar.

Though the song is famous for the Mouth organ played in between by Sunder but the sound of Castanets is heard throughout the song.
Aaiye Meherban from Howrah Bridge is another song in which Castanets play a lead role and can be identified clearly in the song.

Castanets are relatively tiny instruments that fit into the palms of the two hands and were originally used in European music. They can be played quickly in continuous notes to create a roll type of sound, or they can be played with each click on the castanet being a discrete note.

When were Castanets were used for the first time in Hindi Film music is not traced but Music Directors of the 50s Naushad, S D Burman had used them in their songs in the 50s. The earliest song I discovered was "Lara Loo Lara Loo" and "Lo Pyar ki ho Gayi jeet" from the 1951 film Jadoo starring Nalini Jaywant and Suresh, The music was given by Naushad.

We all know O P Nayyar was the King of Rhythm, he used this instrument beautifully in the song " Aye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan" from C I D in 1956 then "Aaiyee Meherban" from Howrah Bridge(1958)

Another song from Kashmir ki kali, once again O P Nayyar used this instrument wonderfully, the song is " Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra"
Castanets may be called ‘side percussion, but their rhythm in songs and creative use of Castanets by many composers of the Golden Era made many Bollywood songs a lively and delightful treat for the ears.R D Burman also used Castanets extensively in his debut movie Chote Nawab in the delightful Matwali Ankhon wale.

While there are a number of songs that use Castanets but in this blog, I am posting only those songs where the sound of Castanets is prominent.

Song of Jaado 1951

Song of Deedar 1951

Song of C I D 1956

Song of Solva Saal 1958

Song of Howrah Bridge 1958

Song of Goonj Uthi Shehnai 1959

Song of Akeli Mat Jaiyo 1960

Song of Chhote Nawab 1961

Song of Bandini 1963

Song of Kashmir Ki Kali 1964

Song of Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein 1964

Song of Pakeezah 1972