The Other Voices of Raj Kapoor

When you think of Raj Kapur,the name of Mukesh automatically comes in our mind as the voice of Raj Kapoor.  Raj was convinced that only the voice of Mukesh suited him, so in all the films that he produced or directed, he used to try using Mukesh for his songs. However,as a true Professional, if he were to work for some other producer or under a different Director, he followed the policy of strict Non-interference. So, in such films, we see other singers giving playback to Raj Kapoor, depending on the choice of the producer or director.
After Mukesh, Manna Dey was the alternate voice of Raj Kapoor. Remember the songs Pyaar hua ekraar hua, Ye raat bheegi bheegi, A ja sanam madhur chandni mein hum and many more songs.Manna Dey later sang for Raj Kapur in Parvarish (Masti bhara hai sama), Dil Hi To Hai (Laga chunari mein daag), Mera Naam Joker (Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo). It is creditable that all the Manna Dey songs, though few in number, acquired iconic status.
Mohammad Rafi also sang for Raj Kapoor. I have come across at least five films in which the songs on Raj Kapur are in the voice of Rafi. You will be surprised to know that in Andaz (1949) Mukesh sang for Dilip Kumar and Rafi sang for Raj Kapoor the duet Milnewale kahin ulfat mein juda hote hain. is one of them.Next film was Dastan released in 1950  in which Surraiya starred with Raj Kapoor the famous song Tara Ri Aara Ri  was sung by Rafi.
There was a film Amber (1952) starring Raj Kapur and Nargis music was given by Ghulam Mohammad  a beautiful duet with Lata, which would rank among the best of Ghulam Mohammad and the best of Rafi-Lata duets. The song is" Hum Tum Yeh Bahar" Another film was Paapi released in 1953 remember the song "tera kaam hai jalna parvane".There was a film  Do Ustaad (1959)starring Raj Kapur, Madhubala and Music by OP Nayyar "Dil Ka Makaan"

Song from Andaz (1949)

Song from Dastan (1950)

Song from Amber (1952)

Song from Paapi  (1953)

Song from Do Ustaad (1959)

Song from Do Ustaad (1959)

 Talat sang a total of ten songs for Raj Kapoor in 4 films, as following-

S No.	Song	Movie (Year)	Director	Music Director
1.	Armaan bhare dil ki lagan hai	Jaan Pehchan(1950)	Fali Mistry	Khemchand Prakash
2.	Main hoon dil ek armaan bhara	Anhonee(1952)	K A Abbas	Roshan
3.	Mere dil ki dhadkan kya bole	Anhonee(1952)	K A Abbas	Roshan
4.	Sama ke dil mein hamaare	Anhonee(1952)	K A Abbas	Roshan
5.	Main paagal mera manawa paagal	Ashiana(1952)	B. Trilochan	Madan Mohan
6.	Mera qaraar le jaa	Ashiana(1952)	B. Trilochan	Madan Mohan
7.	Dil matwala lakh sambhala	Bewafa(1952)	M L Anand	A R Qureshi
8.	Kaam hathon ka hai	Bewafa(1952)	M L Anand	A R Qureshi
9.	Tu aaye na aaye	Bewafa(1952)	M L Anand	A R Qureshi
10.	Tum ko fursat ho meri jaan	Bewafa(1952)	M L Anand	A R Qureshi

One can see from the above list that 7 out of the 10 Talat songs had been Hits-that is 70%- in those days and they are Talat lovers’ favourites even today. 

Song from Jaan Pehchan(1950)

Song from Anhonee(1952)

Song from Anhonee(1952)

Song from Ashiana(1952)

Song from Bewafa(1952)

Kishore Kumar has also sung for Raj Kapur. The only film having this distinction is Pyar (1950), lyrics by Rajendra Krishna and composed by who else but SD Burman. Though there were many  songs of Kishore Kumar for Raj Kapoor in the film, only audio is available.

Song from Pyar (1950),

  

The Great Ghazals Of TALAT MAHMOOD

Talat Mahmood is known as The King Of Ghazal a title  he consolidated over the period of years to become the greatest name in ghazals He began his music career at the young age of 16 when he began singing the ghazals of Ghalib, Dagh, Mir and Jigar on All India Radio, Lucknow. His  first disc was released in 1941, "Sab din ek samaan nahin tha, ban jaoonga kya se kya main, iska to kuch dhyan nahin tha"
In 1944 came the smash hit "Tasveer teri dil mera behela na sakegi". It took the country by storm. It's popularity was so phenomenal and unrivalled that even today it remains one of the biggest non-film hits! This disc brought Talat fame throughout India and soon he was beckoned by the Calcutta Film Industry, which was then the premiere hub of film production in the 40's. 
He came to Bombay in 1949,His name and fame had already preceded him and people in the Mumbai Film Industry were already aware of this handsome and talented young singer and soon he was offered the song "Ae dil mujhe aisi jagha le chal jahan koi na ho" composed by the then reigning music director Anil Biswas and picturised  on the great Dilip Kumar. The song was a great hit,it layed the fpoundation of a new trend of Ghazal in Bollywood.The mellowness, sweetness and pathos in his voice set him apart from all the other singers. Here was a voice that was fresh !  The style absolutely new !!  He was unanimously hailed as "The King Of Ghazals"
Towards the late 60's the filmi ghazals and good romantic songs gave way to the electronic rhythms of the disco generation. Disliking the new trend towards loud meaningless music, Talat decided to cut down his film singing assignments but continued his non-film ghazal recordings. 
 His last soundtrack recording, in 1985, is the song "Mere Shareek-e-Safar", a duet sung with Miss Hemlata, from the movie "Wali-e-Azam" composed by Chitragupt and written by Ahmed Wasi.He  influenced a whole generation of young singers who succeeded him; including legendary ghazal singers Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas (who always honors him with the title of Shahenshah-E-Ghazal), singer Sajjad Ali and playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya.
My Favourite Ghazals Of TALAT

Song from Aarzoo (1949) Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jaga Le Chal

Song from Baabul (1950) Milte Hi AAnkhen Dil Hua Deewana

Song from Madhosh (1951) Meri yaad me tum na

Song from Daag (1952) Aye mere dil kahin aur chal 

Song from Foothpath (1953) Sham-E-Gham ki qassam

Song from Dil-e-Nadaan (1953) Zindagi dene wale sun

Song from Taxi Driver (1954) Jayen to jayen kahan 

Song from  Mirza Ghalib (1955) Dil-E-Nadaan tujhe hua kya hai

Song from  Sujata (1959) Jalte hain jiske liye 

                                                         

Talat Mahmood Was the First Voice of Shammi Kapoor not Mohd Rafi !!!

There was a misconception that it was Mohd Rafi who gave Shammi Kapoor  the hit songs of his career with "YAHOO" etc. But the fact is, that his first hit singer was actually ‘KING OF GHAZALS’ TALAT MAHMOOD throughout the 50's who gave him a host of hit songs in his movies like "THOKAR", "MEMSAHIB", "NAQAAB", "SIPAH SALAR", "MEHBOOBA", "CHOR BAZAAR","LAILA MAJNU" and "MOHAR". Mohd Rafi came into his career much later in the 60 s with YAHOO,this was stated by him in an interview.
Long before Tumsa Nahin Dekha happened and catapulted Shammi Kapoor to fame, he acted in many obscure movies, many of them flops. His career was going nowhere, to the point where he had thought that he would quit the industry and join a tea estate. According to Shammi Kapoor, Thokar was one of his 'super hits' (comparatively, of course). In fact, it was his only hit in three or four years. It was Talat's rendition of Ae gham-e-dil kya karoon that gave Shammi one of the first (and biggest) 'hit' songs of his career. Composed by the oft under-rated Sardar Malik father of Anu Malik.

Talat Mahmood's Songs For Shammi Kapoor

Song from Thokar 1953

Song from Laila Majnu 1953

Song from Laila Majnu 1953

Song from Memsaheb 1954

Song from Naqab 1954

Song from Mehbooba 1954

Song from Memsaheb 1956

Song from Memsaheb 1956

Song from Mohar 1959

Remembering TALAT MAHMOOD-The King of Ghazal on his 19th Death Anniversary

TALAT MAHMOOD WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST SINGING STARS OF ALL TIMES.The mellowness, sweetness and pathos in his voice set him apart from all the other singers. Here was a voice that was fresh !  The style absolutely new !!  He was unanimously hailed as "The King Of Ghazals", a title  he consolidated over the period of years to become the greatest name in ghazals.
He was very handsome so he was offered the hero roles by many producersThe producer -director of the film  'Dil-e-Nadaan', A.R. Kardar, launched an 'All India Beauty Contest' to hunt for a beautiful girl who would play the heroine opposite the young and immensely talented superstar Talat Mahmood.Latter he worked in 13 films with top heroines of that time like Nutan, Mala Sinha, Suraiya, Shyama, Nadira and others.The first film he did as hero was Rajlakshmi in 1945 opposite Kananbala.In 1951 he did Araam with Dev Anand and Madhubala.The last time he apeared in Sone Ki Chidiya opposite Nutan in 1958.
His reputation as a ghazal singer was not limited to his hometown of Lucknow, but it reached the city that proved to shape his destiny – Calcutta. In 1944 came the hit Tasveer teri dil mera behela nah sake gi. Its popularity was so phenomenal and unrivaled that even today it remains one of the top selling non-film discs.
In 1949 Talat moved to Bombay, to sing for the Hindi film industry. His name and fame had already preceded him and soon he was flooded with offers. His big break came with the song Ae dil mujhe aisi jagha le chal jahan koi na ho composed by music director Anil Biswas for the soundtrack of the movie Arzoo.
In the 50s Talat Mahmood with Muhammad Rafi and Mukesh.were the leading Male Singers,all three of them gave many immortal songs in that Golden Era of Hindi film music.Talat exerted a profound influence upon the ghazal singing of his time with his immensely melodious voice and artistic craftsmanship, particularly suitable for typically semi-classical ghazal singing.

Here I am posting some of my favorite songs.

Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jaga Le Chal - Aarzoo (1949)

Milte Hi Aankhen Dil Hua Deewana - Baabul (1950)

Main dil hoon ek armaan bhara – Anhonee (1952)

Aye mere dil kahin aur chal – Daag (1952)

Sham-E-Gham ki qassam – Foothpath (1953)

Jayen to jayen kahan – Taxi Driver (1954)

Dil-E-Nadaan tujhe hua kya hai – Mirza Ghalib

Tasveer banata hoon – Baradari (1955)

ye nai nai preet hai from Pocket Maar 1956

Humse aaya na gaya – Dekh Kabira Roya (1957)

Pyar par bas to nahin hai from SONE KI CHIDIYA 1958

Jalte hain jiske liye – Sujata (1959)

Aha rim jhim ke ye pyare pyare geet liye – Usne kaha tha 1960

 Itna na mujhse tu pyar badha – Chhaya 1961

Sab Kuch Loota Ke Hosh Mein Aaye

A Tribute To TALAT MAHMOOD-A Legend with Velvet Voice

Remembering Today on  His Birth Anniversary

Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) is considered one of the greatest male Indian non-classical and semi-classical singers. He was a born singer with an intuitive sense of beauty, charm and grace, he was one of the most important and significant singers of the Golden Era of Hindi film music.. 
Talat apprenticed classical music under Pandit S.C.R. Bhat at Marris College of Music, Lucknow.He  began his singing career at the age of 16 in 1939 when he began singing the Ghazals of Daag, Mir, Jigar etc. on All India Radio, Lucknow. His voice had a quality distinct from all the other singers. HMV was quick to notice this and offered Talat his first disc in 1941 Sab din ek samaan nahin tha, Bun jaoon ga kya se kya main, Iska to kuch dhyan nahin tha.
In 1944 came the hit Tasveer teri dil mera behela nah sake gi. Its popularity was so phenomenal and unrivalled that even today it remains one of the top selling non-film discs.This disc brought Talat the fame throughout India and soon he was beckoned by the Calcutta film industry. Talat made cameo appearances and starred in about 16 movies, for both the Calcutta (film hub of the 1940s) and Bombay Film Industry.
In 1949 Talat moved to Bombay, to sing for the Hindi film industry. His name and fame had already preceded him and soon he was flooded with offers. His big break came with the song Ae dil mujhe aisi jagha le chal jahan koi na ho composed by music director Anil Biswas for the soundtrack of the movie Arzoo. 
Besides being a gifted singer, Mahmood was quite handsome as well. He acted in over a dozen films with top actresses of the time like Nutan, Mala Sinha, Suraiya and others.Some of the films were  Rajlaxmi 1945,Tum Aur Main 1947, Araam with Dev Anand and Madhubala in 1951,Thokar  with Shammi Kapoor in 1953,his last appearance was in Sone ki Chidiya (1958) opposite Nutan. Later he decided to give up acting to concentrate on singing.
Talat Mahmood was probably the pioneer of international concert tours – his first tour was to East Africa in 1956. Music directors felt that Talat, busy with his films and overseas concerts, wouldn’t be available to sing playback. Music directors who had earlier given him plum assignments now began favouring other singers. SD Burman, for whom Talat had rendered the sublime Jaaye toh jaaye kahan wanted Mohammed Rafi for the plaintive  Jalte hain jiske liye, and it was only on Bimal Roy's insistence that Talat got to sing it.
By the 60s, things had taken a turn for the worse. There seemed to be no place for Talat’s voice by this time .Talat’s career never quite recovered. Except for the odd song in a few nondescript films, Talat Mahmood retired graciously from film music, preferring to focus on his non-film records and live shows, until ill-health saw him leave the limelight completely.
Talat recorded his first track way back in 1941 and sang around 750 songs in 12 languages. 
My Tribute to this Great Singer
First Song for Hindi film Rajlaxmi 1945 

Song from Rajlaxmi 1945 (Audio only)

 Ae dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal (Aarzoo/1950)

Song from Aarzoo 1950

Shukriya shukriya ae pyar tera  from Aaraam 1951,He himself acting

Song from Aaraam 1951

Main dil hoon ek armaan bhara. from Anhonee 1952

Song from Anhonee 1952

Ye hawa ye raat ye chandni from Sangdil 1952

Song from Sangdil 1952

 Andhe jahaan ke andhe raaste from Patita 1953

Song from Patita 1953

 Shaam-e-gham ki kasam from Footpath 1953

Song from Footpath 1953

Zindagi denewale sun from Dil e Nadaan 1953 picturised on Talat himself

Song from  Dil e Nadaan 1953

Raat ne kya kya khwaab dikhaaye from Ek Gaon ki Kahani (1957)

Song from  Ek Gaon ki Kahani (1957)

Pyar par bas toh nahin hai  from Sone ki Chidiya (1958)

Song from Sone ki Chidiya (1958)

Jalte Hain Jiske Liye from Sujata 1959

Song from Sujata 1959

Phir wohi shaam  from Jahan Ara (1964)

Song from Jahan Ara (1964)