BALRAJ SAHNI -A Journey from Shanti Niketan To Bollywood

Balraj Sahni had a Master’s degree in English literature and a Bachelor's degree in Hindi literature from Punjab University. He also taught for a while, along with wife Damayanti, at Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan in West Bengal before he became an actor. He also worked with BBC's Hindi wing and covered World War II in Europe. This stint brought him in touch with personalities such as George Orwell, TS Eliot, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Laurence Olivier.
He redefined the grammar of acting in Indian cinema. His natural portrayal of characters is a lesson for students of the art even now. Yet, the man was much more than simply an actor.He was the first Method Actor of Bollywood.
Balraj Sahni was born on 1st May 1913 in Rawalpindi now in Pakistan. He studied at Government College University (Lahore), Punjab, British India. After completing his master's degree in English Literature from Lahore, he went back to Rawalpindi and joined his family business. He also held a Bachelor's degree in Hindi, followed by a Masters in English from Punjab University.In the late 1930s, Sahni and his wife left Rawalpindi to join Tagore's Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan in Bengal as an English and a Hindi teacher. It is here that their son, Parikshit Sahni was born.Here he met Gandhi ji .He shifted from there to work with Gandhi ji  at Sewagram Ashram Wardha.With Gandhi ji's blessings,he went to England to join the BBC-London's Hindi service as a radio announcer.
In London  he developed a love for Russian cinema and befriended the likes of Harold Laski, TS Eliot and John Gielgud.He then returned to India, an avowed Marxist, to become a leading member of the IPTA. He returned to India in 1943.He joined IPTA and started acting in Plays.Incidentally, his wife Damayanti became well known as an IPTA actress much before Sahni made a name for himself in films.
He started his film career in Mumbai with the film Insaaf (1946), followed by Dharti Ke Lal directed by KA Abbas in 1946, Damayanti's first film, Door Chalein in 1946, and other films. But it was in 1953, with Bimal Roy's classic Do Bigha Zameen, that his true strength as an actor was first recognised. 
The 1950s saw  Balraj portraying  varied roles. He was associated with some silver jubilee or important films, like Seema (1954), Aulad (1954) Pardesi (1957), Sone ki Chidiya, Kathputli (1958), Choti behan and Satta Bazaar (1959). Pardesi, an Indo-Soviet film production anchored by K.A. Abbas, despite being in  colour and cinemascope, failed to impress the Indian audiences but had a good commercial run in Soviet Russia.
The decade of the 1960s was most the fruitful for him and he played character roles. Big and small films like Waqt, Ek Phool Do Maali, Ghar Sansaar, Hindustan Ki Kasam, Pavitra Paapi, Aman, Naunihal, Aaye Din Bahaar Ke, and two Punjabi films — Satluj De Kande and Nanak Dhukhiya Sab Sansaar. Anuradha, Kabuliwala and Garam Hawa are Indian cinema’s top-of-the shelf classics. He acted in a total of 93 films, including two which were released after his untimely death. As work in cinema tapered off, Balraj also took a backseat in life.
Balraj Sahni died on 13 April 1973 of a massive cardiac arrest, less than a month before his 60th birthday. He had been depressed for some time by the untimely death of his young daughter, Shabnam.

Song from Do Bigha Zameen 1953

Song from Seema 1955

Song from Mai Baap1957

Song from Kaabuliwala1961

Song from Waqt 1965

Song from Neel Kamal 1968

KIDAR SHARMA- The Journey from Poster Painter To Film maker

Kedar Sharma the well known Film Maker was born on 12 th April 1910 in Narowal in what was then the Punjab region of India.He was interested in philosophy, poetry, painting and photography since his childhood. He ran away from home to pursue a career in cinema in Mumbai but was unsuccessful in gaining employment. He returned to Amritsar and attended the Hindu Sabha College where he founded a College Dramatic Society which would later give him his first break in film.
He is often most remembered for starting the acting careers of Bollywood greats Geeta Bali, Madhubala, Raj Kapoor, Mala Sinha, Bharat Bhushan and Tanuja.He was a multi talented man.He was a director, producer, screenwriter, and Lyricist of many Hindi films.He made many children films India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, offered Kidar the headship of the Children's Film Society. His 1956 children's film, Kidar's Jaldeep (The Lighthouse), won an award at the Venice Film Festival.
He made more than 50 films and even played a lead role in Neki Aur Badi (Goodness And Evil, 1949). His lyrics delved deep into India's cultural ethos and mixed earthy appeal with poignant romanticism.

Born into a middle-class family in Narowal (now in Pakistan), Kidar was inspired by the films of Debaki Bose, and started work as a painter in New Theatres, a Calcutta-based film company. Realizing his potential, Debaki Bose asked him to write the lyrics for Inquilab (After The Earthquake, 1935) and Vidyapati (1937). Kidar became established as a dialogue writer and lyricist by PC Barua's Devdas (1935), which became a classic.

Song from Devdas 1935

Song from Baawre Nain 1950

An outstanding poet, Sharma wrote some of the most memorable songs including Balam aayo baso more man mein, Dukh kay ab din beetat nahi, Khayalon Mein Kisike (Bawre Nain), Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Bhi (Hamari Yaad Aayegi) and Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahi. Kidar would continue to contribute as a lyricist and to write and direct films through the 1990s. Ironically, many Indian film critics and historians argued that he deserved the highest cinema award from the government of India but he died a day before he was to receive the Raj Kapoor Award, named in honour of the actor he helped make a success.He died on 29 April 1999.

Song from Hamari Yaad Aayegi 1961

Filmography[

• Inquilab (1935), Set Painter, actor
• Dhoop Chhaon (1935), actor, Assistant Manager
• Pujarin (1936), actor
• Karodpati a.k.a. Millionaire (1936), actor, lyrics
• Devdas (1936), Dialog and lyrics
• Vidyapati (1937), actor
• Anath Ashram (1937), writer
• Jawani Ki Reet (1939), Dialog
• Badi Didi (1939), writer, actor
• Tumhai Jeet (1939), lyricist (film directed by Ranjit Sen).^[9]
• Dil Hi Toh Hai (1939) Director, lyricist^[10][11]
• Zindagi (1940), Writer
• Aulad (1940), director
• Chitralekha (1941), director
• Armaan (1942), director
• Gauri (1942), director
• Mumtaz Mahal (1944), director
• Dhanna Bhagat (1945), director
• Chand Chakori (1945), director
• Duniya Ek Sarai (1946), director
• Neel Kamal (1947), writer, director, producer
• Sohag Raat (1948), director
• Neki Aur Badi (1949), director, actor
• Bawre Nain (1950), writer, director, producer
• Jogan (1950), director
• Gunah (1953), director
• Chora-Chori (1954), director
• Rangeen Raaten (1956), producer, director, lyricist
• Hamari Yaad Aayegi (1961), director, lyricist
• Fariyad (1964), director
• Chitralekha (1964), director, writer
• Kaajal (1965), writer

• Children's Film Society of India Contributions

  • Jaldeep (Light House) (1956), writer, director
  • Ganga Ki Lahren (1957), writer, director
  • Bachchon Se Bate (Talking To Children) (1957), writer, director
  • Haria (1958), writer
  • Gulab Ka Phool (The Rose Among Flowers) (1958), writer, director
  • 26 January (India's Republic Day) (1959), writer, director
  • Ekta (In Unison) (1959), writer, director
  • Guru Bhakti (Devotion) (1959), writer
  • Panchtantra Ki Ek Kahani (A Story From The Panchantra) (1959), writer
  • Yatra (Journey) (1959), writer
  • Dilli Ki Kahani (The Story of Delhi City) (1960), writer
  • Chetak (1960), writer, director
  • Meera Ka Chitra (Portrait of Meera) (1960), writer, director
  • Nyaya ( Justice) (1960), Camera
  • Mahateerth (Great Pilgrimage) (1961), writer, director
  • Khuda Hafiz (Goodbye) (1983), writer, director, lyricist
  • 
    

Gope- The Top Comedian of his Time

Born on 11th April 1913 went on to become the top comedian in 40s and 50s. Starting his career with a small role in Insaan Ya Shaitaan (1933),went on to act in over one hundred forty films in a career spanning twenty-four years from 1933 to 1957.He became famous for lip-syncing the popular number "Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon"  from Patanga(1949)
He formed a popular comic pairing with Yakub, in the "Laurel-and-Hardy" style, and the producers used them in several films.Their most famous films together were Patanga (1949), followed by Bazar (1949), Beqasoor and Sagai (1951)

Gope acted in other memorable roles in films such as Hindustan Hamara, Patanga and Chori Chori. Gope also tried playing negative roles. In the 1951 Dilip Kumar-Madhubala starrer film Taraana, he teamed up with Jeevan to play the villain's role in comic style. He started Gope Productions in the 1950s, which made films such as Hangama and Biradari. Some of these films were directed by Gope's brother, Ram Kamlani. Gope married actress Latika and continued to act in films till his death in 1957.

Song from Ghar Ki Izzat' (1948) 

Song from  Pagree 1948

Song from Patanga 1949

Song from  Sagai 1951

The real music-makers behind the great Hindi film songs.

SONGS have always been the mainstay of Hindi cinema.When we listen to a good song its obvious that we appreciate the singer,lyricist and the music composer of that song but the people behind the scenes who have made a particular song a huge hit remain unknown. They include various musicians who form the orchestra and arrangers who write down the notations both in the Western and Indian styles, direct the musicians and conduct the orchestra during the recording of the songs.
There was always a curiosity in me to bring to the forefront the real unsung heroes behind the creation of great Hindi film songs. Before that we should know what is an arranger.The primary role of Arranger is to arrange a piece of music based on the needs or requirements of a performer, a group of performers, a conductor, producer or music director. The arranger makes sure that every aspect of a music piece is well harmonized, from the instruments down to the tempo.
The core of a tune, or composition, is the melody which is created by the music director.Next comes the role of the arranger who decides what instruments, including singing voices, to use.He then decides how to notate the music, including what meter to notate the music.He then decides on interpretation(s) of the melody/-ies in terms of rhythmical and tonal variations,phrasing,embellishments,articulation etc.All of this is notated in sheet music then add parts for the banks of strings, the horn sections, the piano and the percussion. 
When Hindi film music entered a period of rapid evolution during the Second World War, composers realized that the small groups they’d previously used could not effectively convey the drama unfolding on screen. So they formed large orchestras that ranged dholaks and sitars along with banks of violins, swathes of trumpets and a Hawaiian guitar or two. Since not many musicians from other communities knew how to play saxophones or clarinets, Goans came to form the bulk of the orchestras. 
Before that composers would rehearse their groups (which usually had fewer than 10 musicians) until they’d memorized their parts before leading them into recording sessions.
Most of the Hindi film composers were trained in the Hindustani classical tradition, they were not good in writing the music. But if the members of an orchestra were to play in unison and the tone colour of their instruments was to be employed most effectively, they needed to read the notes off scores, with each musician’s role clearly laid out. That task was usually given to a Goan ‘arranger’.
It was a usual practice those days whenever a song to be made the producer would organise a ‘sitting’ at which the composer (most often a Hindu), the lyricist (usually an Urdu-speaking Muslim) and the arranger would flop down on comfortable cushions to listen to the director narrate the plot. When the director indicated the point at which a song was necessary, the composer would hum out a melody or pick it out on his harmonium. It was the arranger’s task to note down these fragments, which the composer would later piece together into an entire song.
The Hindi film classics that resound across the subcontinent and in Indian homes around the world wouldn't have been made without Goan musicians. Their dominance of the Hindi film world is partly a function of the structural differences between Indian and Western music. Indian classical music is melodic. The ragas that form the basis of Indian music are unilinear, each instrument or vocalist exploring an independent line. To move an audience, film scores must be performed by orchestras, with massed instruments playing in harmony. Only Goans, with their training in Western music, knew how to produce what was required.

Frank Fernand

Frank Fernand was among the first Goans in Bollywood and assisted such worthies as Anil Biswas, Hemant Kumar , Kishore Kumar, Roshan, C. Ramchandra and others. Raj Kapoor's 'Barsat' was his major assignment with Shankar Jaikishan.His last assignment in the Hindi film industry was as the first assistant of Kalyanji Anandji.He assisted them in Johny Mera Naam, Don, Hera Pheri, Zanjeer and Victoria No. 203 

Song from Chor Darwaza 1965 ,Music was given by Frank Fernad

Anthony Gonsalves was another Music arranger of that time.He found his first job in the city as a violinist in the group of the composer Naushad in 1943. He taught the violin to R.D. Burman and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (of the Laxmikant Pyarelal duo) and has worked with most of the legendary composers of the 1950s and 1960s. A few examples of his work are B.R. Chopra (Naya Daur, Waqt), Naushad (Dillagi), and Chetan Anand (Haqeeqat). The song "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" was Pyarelal's tribute to his violin Teacher.

 Antonio Xavier Vaz famously known as Chic Chocolate was from Aldona. He assisted C. Ramchandra, who is popularly credited with having introduced swing into Bollywood. Tunes like Ina Mina Dika from Aasha and Gore Gore O Banke Chore from Samadhi bear Chic's unmistakable signature. His stamp is also audible on the Cuban percussion opening of Shola Jo Bhadke, a tune from Albela. Chic and the Music Makers made an appearance in the film in the song's picturisation, with Chic seen smiling into the camera..

Sebastian D'Souza was one of the most reputed arrangers in Bollywood. His first break was with O. P. Nayyar. The first tune he arranged was Pritam Aan Milo, which was sung by C. H. Atma in 1955. He devised a system of notation that incorporated the micro tones that characterised Indian melodies.He did his best-known work with the duo of Shankar-Jaikishan between 1952 and 1975.

Cawas Lord He came to Bombay  to learn music. Apart from joining Chic Chocolate, which was one the most famous Jazz bands, as a drummer Cawas Lord was also the part of the British touring party for their troops during World War II before his Jazz journey. As a part of the Jazz group, Lord would play at several clubs in the city including the Taj Mahal Hotel where C Ramchandra spotted him, and took him along for recordings.
He introduced many  instruments such as the bongo and the congo to hindi film industry.Lord worked full-time in Bollywood. Every third song had Lord playing an instrument or the other.He had 2 sons Kersi lord and Bujji Lord both became great arrangers.Among the Lord family’s contributions to Hindi film music was the glockenspiel, which was used for the famous song Mein zindagi ka saath (composed by Jaidev) in Hum Dono.

Kersi Lord At the age of 13 Kersi started working as musician.He used to come with his father at the recordings,his genius was visible at that young age Naushad gave him work at that age. Naushad saab would send a car so that Kersi would go to school after the recording.Very soon he became adept at many instruments, from Latin American percussion to the accordion to electronica-he was responsible for bringing the Moog synthesizer into Hindi film music. This was a perfect fit for the new generation of music directors emerging on the scene in the late 1960s and early ’70s, such as Rahul Dev Burman.
Kersi earned repute for accordion pieces (Roop Tera Mastana from Aradhna), he also introduced the glockenspiel to the industry. He played the minimoog (monophonic analog synthesizer), which was one of the few electronic instruments played.His touch can also be heard in songs like Chura Liya Hai Tumne. R D Burman 

Chris Perry he was an exceptionally gifted trumpeter, but he was also at ease with blowing instruments as saxophone, trumpet and flute as well as finger instruments like keyboard, piano and guitar.He became famous by introducing jazz music into hindi songs  and he is credited with taking Konkani popular music to a new level.He served the film industry for twenty-five years as assistant to many Hindi film music directors. He performed in many Hindi films notably in Kabhi Kabhi and Trishul. He formed a band and they played at hotels in the major Indian cities.

N. Datta  started his film career as a music assistant of the great composer S D Burman and  Ghulam Haider.. Datta assisted Dada Burman in a number of films. Datta was very impressed with the revolutionary songs of lyricist Sahir Ludhiyanvi. When Datta got his first chance to compose independently for Raj Khosla's Milaap (1955), he insisted for Sahir as the lyricist. The result was some very beautifully songs like 'Ye Baharon Ka Sama..' (Hemant,Lata), 'Jaate Ho To Jaao Par Jaoge Kahan..' (Geeta), etc. The music of Milaap became so popular that Datta came into the category of film industry's most eminent musicians.

Manhori Singh was an Indian saxophonist and was the main arranger of seminal film composer R. D. Burman. He along worked with Basudeb Chakraborty as music composers, the duo also popularly known as Basu-Manohari. His first break in the Hindi film industry was in 1958 with Sachin Dev Burman, as a saxophonist for the movie Sitaron Se Aage. But it was this super-hit song Tumhe Yaad Hoga, in Kalyanji Anandji’s ‘Satta Bazaar’ (1959), in which he played the saxophone solo, which caught everyone’s attention. He went on to play with many other music directors but his strongest association being with R.D. Burman, Manohari played on the well-known hit "Gaata Rahe Mera Dil", composed by S.D. Burman, from the movie Guide.Before saxophone he used to play Flute.Even in 1967, well after he became famous for the distinct sound of his sax, Singh contributed a flute strain to the song “Ek haseen shaam ko”, from the film Dulhan Ek Raat Ki—a sweet snippet that seems to respond playfully to the Mohammad Rafi’s voice.
Singh experimented initially with all three varieties of saxophone—the alto, the tenor, and the soprano; in fact, one of his most famous solos, in Sholay’s “Mehbooba mehbooba”, is the product of a soprano sax. But his nimble technique was most suited to the alto sax. The alto sax “is mainly used for infusing melody
In songs such as “Huyi shaam unka khayal” (from the film Mere Humdum Mere Dost) or “Huzoor-e-wala” (from Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi), he sustained notes with impeccable vibrato, making his music throb with feeling. Often his solos were riffs on the main melody, as in “Yahi woh jagah hai” (also from Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi), launching off from the melody into their own terrain before returning neatly to the theme. 

Marutirao Keer. he started his career as Tabla player. His gurus were Shree Bhanudas Mankame, Shree Bhairav Prasad, Shree Sunder Prasad & Ustad Gamekhan Sahab. Marutirao played almost for all music directors (except SJ as per him). Almost all the tablas heard in marathi filmi and non-filmi songs have been played by him. He started playing for Dada Burman (S.D. Burman) and then with Pancham. There were times when both of them were assisting Dada Burman.
Pancham and Marutirao used to always look for something new, something creative in the rhythm side. It may be the style of playing or it could be introduction of new instrument  TUMBA, The legendary TUMBA played in “Aya Hoon Main Tujhko Le Jaunga” from Manoranjan is a classic example of his rhythmic playing.His mastery over tabla also reflects in  his playing for GUIDE’s “Piya Tose Naina Lage Re”.

Uttam Singh He has worked as a violinist, music arranger and music director for many Bollywood films. He worked as a music arranger for Ilaiyaraaja in numerous Tamil films before establishing himself as an independent composer.Uttam Singh played violin for major composers including Naushad, Roshan, Madan Mohan, C. Ramchandra, Sachin Dev Burman. Later, he became the main violinist for S D Burman's son, Rahul Dev Burman.He  partnered with another musician, Jagdish, to arrange music for films. The duo became reputed arrangers, working for over 65 films in several Indian languages. These films included major Rajshri Productions hits, Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..

Anil Mohile  he mastered the art of playing jaltarang. In fact, he was an expert in all kinds of instruments. He worked as an arranger with top music directors such as Kalyanji-Anandji, Naushad, Khayyam, Bappi Lahiri, RD Burman, Shrinivas Khale and Yashwant Deo. He arranged music for 85 films, including Amitabh Bachchan starrers Sharaabi and Don.He also arranged music for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Lekin and Thodi Si Bewafai .He  was a permanent fixture at stage shows in India and abroad where Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle performed.

Hitesh Sonik, He worked under Vishal Bhardwaj as an assistant musician in 11 films. made his debut as a music director with Stanley Ka Dabba and Pyaar Ka Punchnama.

Sachin–Jigar music composer duo from Mumbai, India, consisting of Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya. They compose for Bollywood and Gujarati movies. They have scored a number of successful soundtracks. Before working independently as music director duo, they were assisting Pritam in set up musical arrangements.
Jigar Saraiya was assisting Music Director Rajesh Roshan where he met Amit Trivedi. Then Amit introduced Sachin Sanghvi to Jigar. Later year they joined their hands and started assisting Pritam in set up musical arrangements.They then programmed and arranged for almost all music directors in Bollywood from the legend A.R. Rahman, Anu Malik, Nadeem-Shravan, Sandesh Shandilya, Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar etc.

Suchitra Sen- The Banga Bibhushan

 Banga Bibhushan is a highest award instituted by the West Bengal Government to honour the services of personalities in various fields.Suchitra Sen is the first actress who received this in 2012.In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, to stay out of the public eye.She retired from the screen in 1978 after a career of over 25 years to a life of quiet seclusion. She assiduously avoided the public gaze after her retirement and devoted her time to the Ramakrishna Mission.She died at 8.25 am on 17 January 2014, due to a heart attack.
In this Blog I have selected some of her songs from very limited Hindi Films she acted.
Devdas-Her First Hindi language film Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's famous novel "Devdas"

Song from Musafir 1957

Song from Bombai Ka Baboo 1960

Song from Sarhad 1960

Song from Mamta 1966

Song from Aandhi 1975