Showing posts with label rabindra sangeet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rabindra sangeet. Show all posts

Thursday 10 May 2018

Pankaj Mullick- The Man Who Popularized Rabindra Sangeet To The Masses


Rabindranath Tagore was a prolific composer with around 2,230 songs to his credit.The songs have distinctive characteristics in the music of Bengal, popular in India and Bangladesh.He was was very stringent about the fact that his poetry should be sung with purity. The aspiring singers were asked to sing in his presence and only after seeking his approval they could sing in public. 
Pankaj Mallick started singing Tagore's song very early in his life.One day he came across a poem by his favourite poet Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. 'Jokhon porbe na mor payer chinho' enchanted him to the extent that he composed a musical version of this poem and started singing it. Later on, when Pankaj got to know that this very poem had been composed and sung by Gurudev himself, he also listened to the record, and naturally felt ecstatic that his composition was identical to that of Gurudev. This was his incipient introduction to Rabindra Sangeet. 
He started musically tuning and rendering Gurudev's poems by singing in public functions as well. One such composition, 'Diner sheshe, ghoomer sheshe,' he sang very frequently.
When Tagore came to know that some one is composing and singing his poems in public and being appreciated by the people,he was summoned before Tagore and asked to sing in his presence. Pankaj was naturally quite nervous when he sang 'Diner sheshe' in the courtyard of Gurudev's mansion. Just as the song was over, Pankaj ran away. Tagore was amazed by his singing prowess and didn't object to his singing and composing his poems. When Pankaj came to know about Gurudev's reaction he felt exhorted and inspired to sing Rabindra Sangeet as his life's sole mission.
Dinendranath Tagore was the grandson of Gurudev's elder brother Dwijendranath Tagore and son of Dwijendranath Tagore. After listening to Pankaj he gladly accepted him as his disciple. Under his tutelage young Pankaj learnt the finer nuances of Rabindra Sangeet. He taught him the first song from Gurudev's most celebrated work, 'Gitanjali'. He taught Pankaj the importance of verbal sequence and stressed that verses should never be overtaken by music. And that the spirit of lyrics was of supreme importance.He started singing in Radio Station Calcutta which was started on 26th August 1927 In September  1927 Dr Iyengar took Pankaj to the radio station and introduced him to the Programme Director Nripen Majumdar. Quite impressed with his voice, he asked Pankaj to sing for them. And Pankaj sang two songs penned by Gurudev. This historic stint with radio lasted for more than five decades.
The production of the first radio play on Calcutta Radio is also credited to him. Pankaj was equally responsible for popularising Rabindra Sangeet on radio. During his radio days, he came into close contact with Rai Chand Boral.With him he started giving music in films.In 1929 this duo was approached by BN Sircar to compose for his silent films, Chor Kanta and Chasher Meye. During the era of silent films, music was given live from the pit dug near the screen. Later in 1931 Sircar founded his New Theatres Studio and asked Boral and Pankaj to join its music department. Pankaj was co-composer of Boral in Dena Paona, the first talkie in Bangla that year. Pankaj had assisted Boral in most of the films and some of the credited compositions of Boral in Puran Bhagat and Chandidas were actually composed by Pankaj.
Pankaj Mullick was given a chance to compose the songs of the film Mukti independently by P C Barua.There is an interesting story about this film. When Barua was narrating the story of this yet to be titled film to Pankaj Babu, he started humming 'Diner sheshe, ghoomer deshe'. Barua heard this and asked Pankaj Babu that he would like to use this rendition in his film. Pankaj Babu told Barua, "Though I have composed this poem and sung it in concerts, we would require the permission of Gurudev to use it in the film."
Tagore not only gave permission for 'Diner sheshe', but even two more songs for the film. He also suggested the title Mukti for the film. It was the very first time that Rabindra Sangeet was used in a feature film. These three songs of Gurudev became instant hits after the film was released in 1935
Following the success of Mukti/Mukti, Pankaj Babu’s screen appearances became more frequent. He appeared as an elderly singer in the Hindi version of Kapal Kundala (1939), an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya, directed by Phani Majumdar. He composed and sang the unforgettable Piya Milan Ko Jaana, undoubtedly his most well-known song in Hindi. The next highlight of Pankajbabu’s career was Debaki Bose’s musical extravaganza Nartaki (1940) where he sang the evergreen hits Ye Kaun Aaj Aaya Swerai, Madbhari Rut Jawan Hai and Prem Ka Nata Chhuta in his rich, sonorous vibrato. 1941 saw Pankaj Mullick reaching the zenith of his career as an actor-singer with the film Daktar/Doctor
During the Second World War and its aftermath, New Theatres went into decline and many of its luminaries went to Mumbai but  Pankaj Mullick preferred to stay at Calcutta. In 1944, he composed music for Meri Bahen and this film he had Saigal singing some of his best ever songs Ae Qatib-e-Taqdir Mujhe Itnaa Bata De, Do Naina Matware and Chhupo Na Chhupo Na. Pankajbabu also worked for some Mumbai productions among which were the Dev Anand-Geeta Bali starrer Zalzala (1952),
Pankaj Mullick was also a music scholar and theoretician and he wrote several books on Indian classical music. He also recorded the definitive version of the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana in deference to Premier Jawaharlal Nehru’s wishes.
Yatrik (1952) and Raikamal (1955) won Pankaj Mullick the President’s Award for the best film music. He was honoured with the Padmashree in 1970 and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his ground-breaking contributions in Indian cinema in 1973. A commemorative postage stamp honouring Pankaj Mullick was issued by the Department of Posts, Govt. of India on the occasion of his birth centenary.He died on 19th Feb 1978.
 It is a matter of special pleasure for me to present a compilation of my favourite Pankaj Mullick songs as my tribute on his birthday May 10.

                                            Ye Ratein Ye Mousam - Pankaj Mullick.


Song from Manzil (1936)


Song from Mukti (1937)


Song from  Adhikaar (1938)


Song from Kapalkundala (1939)



                                    ye kaun aaj aaya savere savere Song from Nartaki 1939  




Song from Doctor (1941)


                      Guzar Gaya Woh Zamana (Pankaj Mullick) Song from Doctor 1941



Song from My Sister


       Tere Mandir Ka Hoon Deepak Jal Raha 


















Monday 7 May 2018

Rabindra Nath Tagore Remains the Most Inspiring Figure in Bollywood Songs


Noted litterateur Rabindranath Tagore’s own composed song popularly known as Rabindra Sangeet has been an inspiration for many popular Hindi film songs.Tagore’s composition was first introduced to Hindi cinema in 1941 by Pankaj Kumar Mullick for the film titled Doctor.K L Saigal was the first non-Bengali singer to sing Rabindra Sangeet. Mullick later used the tune of Kharo vayu vayu meghe in the film Zalzala popular song Pawan Chale Zor. The far reaching influences of the Rabindra Sangeet is apparent on several music directors and not all of them were Bengali.
 Song from Doctor 1941

Sachin Dev Burman, whose compositions tend to draw upon inspiration from Bengali folk traditions (e.g. bhatiaalii, saari, etc.), have composed several tunes derived from Rabindra Sangeet. Mera sundar sapna beet gaya (Do Bhai, 1947) draws a faint inspiration from O je maane na maana. In fact S D Burman gave us many hit songs from his Bengali Tunes such as Ghum bhulechhi made way for the leisurely Hum bekhdudi mein tumko; Mono dilo na bondhu was turned into Jaane kya tuney kahi(Pyaasa);  Dur Kon Parabase became Wahan kaun hai tera musafir jayega kahan (Guide) to name a few.
meraa sundar sapnaa biit gayaa (Do Bhai, 1949): From one of S.D. Burman’s first hit scores in the Bollywood industry, this song is considered to be Geeta Dutt’s breakthrough as a playback singer in Hindi films. The mukhDaa of this song is inspired by a Bilaaval-based Tagore composition called “radono bharaa e basonto.” 
Song from Do Bhai, 1947

Nain diivaane (Afsar, 1950): this is another great song based on an extremely popular Tagore composition called “sediin duujane duulechhiinuu bone.” S.D. Burman literally did a copy-paste job here, as the melody of the entire Hindi song is identical to the Bengali original. 
Song from Afsar, 1950

 Jaayen to jaaye.n kahaan (Taxi Driver, 1954): S.D. Burman modified the raga of his composition to more closely resemble Jaunpuri, the first line of the mukhDaa is instantly recognizable as the main phrase from Tagore’s Bhairavi-based classic  “ he khoniiker otiithhii.”
Song from Taxi Driver, 1954

Jalte hai.n jiske liye: (Sujata, 1959):  the mukhDaa is taken directly from a Tagore composition named “ekodaa tumii priye.”
Song from Sujata, 1959

tere mere milan kii yeh rainaa (Abhimaan, 1973): By far, this is the most famous example where  S.D. Burman has been inspired by Rabindra-sangeet
Song from Abhimaan, 1973

The influences of the Rabindra Sangeet too ran deep in RD Burman’s music. The proverbial Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hain jo makaam, woh phir nahin aate (Aap Ki Kasam, 1974) draws an inspiration from Tagore’s Jaagorone jai bibhaabori. The song Chhoti Si Ek Kali Khili Thi (Jurmana) is highly inspired from Tagore’s Basante Phul Ganthlo. here I’d like to draw your attention to a collection of S.D. Burman compositions that are derived from Rabindra-sangeet:
Song from Aap Ki Kasam, 1974

R D Burman also used Tagore’s Gram chara oi ranga matir path’s tune instrumentally in the cross line of the song Jab bhi koi kangana bole (Shaukeen). RD Burman’s last movie 1942 A Love Story (1994) had heavy Bengali influences in Kuch na kaho and Yeh safar bahut hai kathin magar. And the Kavita Krishnamurthy solo Pyar hua chupke se is also influenced by Rabindra Sangeet.
Song from Shaukeen 1982

Rajesh Roshan was very much influenced by Rabindra Sangeet many of his songs were inspired by Rabindra Sangeet.One of his great songs Chhokar Mere Mann Ko from Yaarana was inspired by this song Tomar holo shuru, amar holo shara.
Song from Yaarana 1981

In the present Century of Indi Pop or Bhangra Music we can sometime hear  beautiful melody from Bengal."Piyu bole" from Pareenita 2005 is one such composition from Shantanu Moitra.And thus Bengal’s music continues to leave its lyrical and melodious stamp in Hindi film music…
Song from Pareenita 2005

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