The Unforgettable Tunes of JAIDEV

Jaidev the music Director of Hum Dono was assistant to Ustad Ali Akbar Khan on Navketan's Aandhiyan (1952) and Humsafar (1953), both the film didn't do well so Ustad Ali Akbar Khan decided to leave Bombay. Jaidev then joins Burman Da as his assistant. The first film he did as an assistant was Navketan's Taxi Driver 1954.

Eventually, Chetan Anand gave him his break as an independent film composer with Joru Ka Bhai (1955).  which starred Balraj Sahni, too didn’t fare well at the box office but gave ample opportunity to the young music director to showcase his skills. The standout song was the delectable Subah Ka Intezaar. After Joru Ka Bhai came Samundari Daku (1956) and Chetan Anand’s Anjali (1957). None of these films fared well at the box office. Though he was composing independently on films he was also assisting Burman da He assisted in Navketan's House No 44 in 1955, Funtoosh 1956 and Kishore Kumar's Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
When Navketan were making Hum Dono in 1960 Dada Burman was not doing films because of his ill health, he suggested Dev Anand take Jaidev in that film. The film was hit and the music was also super hit. After that Jaidev worked as an independent Composer.
 The stupendous success of Hum Dono was followed up with the classy Mujhe Jeene Do(1963), the tragic love story of a dacoit and a courtesan. Same year Chetan Anand's Kinare Kinare got released. The songs of both films were appreciated.
In 1971, Jaidev was reunited with Sunil Dutt for the latter’s film Reshma Aur Shera. The haunting songs of the film, not least Lata Mangeshkar’s Tu Chanda Main Chandni, fetched Jaidev a National Award. In the same year, he composed for another film that was set in Rajasthan. KA Abbas's Do Boond Paani, starring Simi Garewal was a drama on the theme of water scarcity. 
The period between 1977 and ’79 saw Jaidev doing some of his best work, with films such as Alaap (1977), Gharaonda (1977), Gaman (1978) and Tumhare Liye(1978). Bhimsain, who directed Gharaonda, later made Dooriyaan (1979). 

Jaidev was the only music composer of his time to win the National award for Best Music Director three times – for Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Gaman (1978), and Ankahee (1984). 
Jaidev was born in Nairobi on 3 August 1919 and came to India in 1927. After living in Lahore and Ludhiana, he ran away to Bombay (now Mumbai) to become an actor after being mesmerized by the film Ali Baba (1932).
Jaidev’s last film score was Trikon Ka Chautha Kon (1986) and many of his best compositions are lost in unfinished films and albums. He passed away aged 68 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on 6 January 1987. 

Song of Hum Dono 1961

Song of Hum Dono 1961

Song of Kinare Kinare 1963

Song of Kinare Kinare 1963

Song of Mujhe Jeene Do1963

Song of Reshma Aur Shera 1971

Song of Do Boond Pani 1971

Song of Gharonda 1977

Song of Gaman 1978

Song of Gaman 1978

The Great Sawan Songs of Bollywood

Sawan is a fifth month in the Hindu calendar. It is derived from Sanskrit: श्रावण. Its a rainy season in India. Generally, this month falls in July or August. During this month the weather becomes romantic. Many poems and songs are written by poets.
 When it comes to Bollywood, what else can make people happy than related songs for the season like this one? Likely, there are plenty of songs specially made for this occasion.‘Sawan’ seems like the favourite subject of our earlier filmmakers with so many songs dedicated to nature. In this Blog, I have selected a few such great Sawan songs.

The first song in my list is "Saawan ke baadalon unse ye jaa kaho" from the first super hit film Kismet 1944

Saawan ke baadalon unse ye jaa kaho

Song from “Rattan” (1944)

Saawan ki ghataaon dheere dheere aanaa

Song from Aage Badho” (1947)

Saawan ki ghataaon mere saajan ko bulaa do

Song from Lekh (1949)

Zara thham jaa tu ae saawan

Song from Jogan” (1950)

Hariyaala saawan dhol bajaataa aaya

Song from Do Beegha Zameen” (1953)

SAWAN KE MAHINE MEIN Ek Aag Si Sine Mein

Song from Sharabi 1964

Deewaana huaa baadal saawan ki ghataa chhaayi

Song from “Kashmir Ki Kali” (1964)

Ajhun na aaye baalma.. saawan beeta jaaye

Song from Saanjh Aur Sawera (1964)

Saawan aaye yaa naa aaye

Song from Dil Diyaa Dard Liyaa” (1966)

Sawan Ka Mahina Pawan Kare sor

Song from Milan 1967

Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke

Song from Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke 1969

Kuchh kahta hai ye saawan

Song from Mera Gaon Mera Desh” (1971)

Abke sajan saawan mein

Song from Chupke Chupke (1975)

Mere Naina Saawan 

Song from Mehbooba(1976)

Saawan Ke Jhule Pade

Song from Jurmana(1979)

Rimjhim Gire Saawan 

Song from Manzil(1979)

Sawan Ko Aane Do

Song from  Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979)

The Films of Meena Kumari and Dev Anand

Meena Kumari and Dev Anand worked together in 4 films and all of them were successful. the first film they worked together was 1951 film Sanam. In that film, she was not the heroine but the heroine sister. The heroine was Suraiya. After that, she came as Dev's heroine in Tamasha in 1952. In fact, this was the first film signed by Meena Kumari with Dev Anand but Sanam released earlier. 
Tamasha was directed by Phani Mazumdar, starring Meena Kumari, Dev Anand and Ashok Kumar in lead roles. One of the big hits of the year from Bombay Talkies produced by Ashok Kumar and Sarak Vacha,
BaadBaan was the next film of Meena Kumari with Dev Anand with the earlier star cast, film directed by Phani Majumdar and produced by the Bombay Talkies Workers' Industrial Cooperative Society Limited. The film stars Dev Anand, Meena Kumari, Ashok Kumar and Usha Kiran in lead roles. The music score was composed by Timir Baran and S.K. Pal.
Kinare Kinare was a 1963  film directed by Chetan Anand, who also plays a pivotal role. The film featured Dev Anand and Meena Kumari in the lead roles. A great music by Jaidev.

Song of Sanam 1951

Song of Tamasha 1952

Song of Baadbaan 1954

Song of Kinare Kinare 1963

Meena Kumari- The Ultimate in Acting

Meena Kumari(1st Aug 1933-31st March 1972)is best known as “The Tragedy Queen”, for her frequent portrayal of sorrowful and tragic roles in films and her real-life story. It was said then that audience smile when Madhubala smiled on screen and they cry when Meena Kumari cried on screen. She became an Icon of Typical Indian Middle-Class Woman of Bollywood.
 During a career spanning 33 years starting as a child artist, she acted in more than ninety films such as Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Pakeezah, Mere Apne, Aarti, Baiju Bawra, Parineeta, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, Foot Path, Dil Ek Mandir and Kaajal. She won 4 Filmfare Awards for Best Actress and nominated for these awards 12 times which was eventually broken after 35 years by Madhuri Dixit in  2008.
Though Baiju Bawra in 1952 brought her fame and gave her first Filmfare Award, I consider Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam 1962 was her best film as an actress. Her performance as Chhoti Bahu, which is regarded as one of the best performances of Hindi cinema.
Interestingly, Meena Kumari had initially refused to work in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam when Guru Dutt first approached her in 1958. Dutt then offered the role to other actresses, but as fate would have it, he wasn’t able to put the right cast together. Then, around 1960-61, he went to her home and offered the role again. In fact, when Guru Dutt went to her home she was not there her elder sister Khursheed was at home, Guru Dutt handed over the script to her and asked her to persuade Meena Kumari to consider this film.
When Meena Kumari returned, she was shocked to find the script of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. She started reading it immediately and called Dutt at 2 a.m. to tell him that she would play the role of Chhoti Bahu.
She requested Guru Dutt that she wants the film to be shot in a linear way, as the story progresses so that she could map the changes in her character. This was the first time both of them had shot a film in this way, from start to finish.
In an interview, the director of the film Abrar Alvi said that  She was so immersed in her role…that at some point the despair and depression of Chhoti Bahu must have affected her peace of mind” 
It was 1964 she got the divorce from Kamal Amrohi in these four years she was living separately. She got addicted to alcohol. Heavy drinking badly damaged her liver, and in 1968 she went to London and Switzerland for treatment. Due to heavy drinking, she had increasingly lost her good looks and began mostly playing character roles in movies. Along with Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha, she played the lead role in writer-lyricist Gulzar’s directorial debut Mere Apne (1971). 
Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari became seriously ill. On 28 March 1972, she was admitted to St Elizabeth's Nursing Home. She went into a coma two days later and died shortly afterwards on 31 March 1972. She was 38 years old. The cause of her death was determined to be liver cirrhosis. 

Song of Baiju Bawra (1952)

Song of Parineeta (1953)

Song of Azaad (1955)

Song of Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960)

Song of Kohinoor (1960)

Song of Bhabhi Ki Chodiyan 1961

Song of Aarti (1962)

Song of  Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)

Song of Main Chup Rahungi (1962)

Song of  Dil Ek Mandir (1963)

Song of Kaajal (1965)

Song of Pakeezah (1972)

The Great Trio of Mohammad Rafi, Dev Anand and S D Burman

Sachin Dev Burman had a great affinity for  Dev Anand; so much so that the former used to say that his middle name Dev was for his favourite star, Dev Anand. Similarly, Dada had a great liking for Rafi. They together gave incredible music to the industry.”As far as the trio together is concerned, some of their memorable songs are from Nau Do Gyarah(1957), Kala Pani (1958),   Bambai Ka Babu, Kala Bazar (1960), Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963), Guide, Teen Deviyan (1965) and Jewel Thief 1967
Many would recall that Rafi started singing for SD Burman much earlier (1947 movie Do Bhai, for example, with the song: Duniya Mein Mere Aaj Andhera hi Andhera),  for Dev Anand Rafi sang in CID 1955  Aankho Hi Aankhon Mein Ishara ho Gaya. but when this combination came together it created history.
The first time Burman Da gave Mohammad Rafi a chance to give a voice to Dev Anand was Nau Do Gyarah, 1957 (written by Majrooh Sultanpuri), Aaja Panchhi Akela Hai, Soja Nindiya ki Bela Hai. How effortlessly now Rafi becomes the romantic voice of Dev Anand, as if declaring to earlier voices of Talat and Hemant that he had arrived.  
  Remember the songs from Kala Pani " Hum Bekhudi Mein " and "Achha ji main haari chalo maan jao na" ,  the great hits of this trio after that many hilt song were created. Here are a few of these great songs.

Song of Nau Do Gyarah, 1957

Song of Nau Do Gyarah, 1957

Song of Kala Pani 1958

Song of Kala Pani 1958

Song of Bambai Ka Babu 1960

Song of Bambai Ka Babu 1960

Song of Kala Bazar 1960

Song of Kala Bazar 1960

Song of Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963)

Song of Tere Guide (1965)

Song of Teen Deviyan (1965)

Song of Jewel Thief (1967)

Song of Gambler (1971)

The story of Badruddin Qazi to Johnny Walker.

He started life in Mumbai as a bus conductor. And he would have continued to be so if the late actor Balraj Sahni had not spotted him entertaining passengers in a bus.
Those days Balraj Sahni was penning the script for “Baazi, he thought that if he brings this character in the script it will give a boost to the film. He asked Badruddin Qazi about working in films.

It was on the sets of “Baazi” that Badruddin Qazi met director Guru Dutt, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Those days it was the practice of changing the names of the actors, this was also done to him. So the new name for him was planned. It is said that the director of the film Guru Dutt was drinking the most popular brand of scotch whisky at that time, the idea came to his mind why not the brand Johny Walker should be given to this new comedian. Everybody sitting with him liked this name. So Badruddin Qazi became Johnny Walker.

“Baazi” gave him a foothold into the industry and the other films, which followed, established him forever. Thereafter he was doing all the films of Guru Dutt. Films like Taxi Driver(1954) CID, Pyaasa, Madhumati, Naya Daur and Mere Mehboob made him a star.

.He was sought after by the best banners and the best directors and was equal to the task of acting with the best of the stars. 

He was offered many films(around 12) as a hero such as JOHNNY WALKER, Mr Cartoon, These, of course, had comic themes but were embellished with wonderful music and did well at the box office. 

His Golden Period was the 50s and 60s when he gave memorable and great performances.
He was a natural comedian, his comedy was never crude or vulgar. But, from 1970 onwards, comedy began to change. Some of the comedians indulged in lewd gestures and relied on double-entendre. Johnny Walker never tried that type of comedy, In an interview, he said that though he acted more than 300 films and the Censor Board never cut even one line of his character. His drawing power at the box office was such that Distributors insisted the Producers and Directors to have at least one song to be done with him.

Here are a few popular songs of Johny Walker

Song from Taxi Driver 1954

Song of Mr & Mrs 55 1955

Song from CID 1956

Song from Chori Chori 1956

Song from Pyaasa 1957

Song from Chaudavin Ka Chand 1960

The song Khoya Khoya Chaand was written on a piece of cigarette pack foil

Every song has a story behind it. On this subject, I have written a blog earlier. In this blog, I take this immortal song from Kala Bazar. The song was written by Shailendra and composed by S.D. Burman.
 This was the first time that Dev Anand, Vijay Anand, Waheeda Rehman, S D Burman and Shailendra came together.
Vijay Anand who was the director of the film, who narrated the situation of the song to Shailendra and asked him to write a romantic song for this situation. Shailendra, probably too busy with his other assignments, was not delivering a song, urgently needed for the film. Shailendra was making all kinds of excuses for not delivering.S D Burman, known for his bad temper, was under tremendous pressure. So one fine day Shailendra was at his residence and asked him to give him the words for his tune for this song. Burman da called his young son, Pancham ( R D Burman ) and told him – ” You will go with Shailendra and DO NOT come home unless he gives you the lyrics ” !!!
This incident was narrated by R D Burman in a radio interview in AIR. As Burman da was very angry on Shailendra he asked RD Burman to come along with him and drove to his home. On the way, they stopped at Shankar  Jaikishan's place to finish some pending work.
It was evening…. Shailendra finished his work with Shanker Jaikishen and with Pancham, got into his car. He instructed the driver to go to National Park. There, Shailendra kept smoking cigarette after cigarette. BUT NO WORDS !!! 
Shailendra then thought of a change of place, he asked his driver to proceed to Juhu Beach
R D Burman was cursing his luck as they got back into the car, it was almost night, what will he tell his father about the song.He was 20 years old that time and was an assistant so he couldn't pressurise Shailendra to give him the song immediately.
The time was 11 in the night and nothing is written. The beach was deserted. Those days people used to return home by 7 orr 8 in the evening. Shailendra was leisurely strolling along with the eager Pancham trying to keep step. Suddenly Shailendra asked Pancham for a matchbox. He sheepishly handed over his matchbox to Shailendra. Shailendra was lost in thought, he lit his cigarette, returned the matchbox and asked Pancham to give him the tune Burman da had composed. Pancham, tapping the matchbox in rhythm, hummed the tune.
It was a full moon night and Shailendra was looking at the sky puffing away on his cigarette
and suddenly started writing on a piece of cigarette pack foil. after a while, he told Pancham – “You can go home, tell Dada, I will be at your place in the morning with the full song..”

He hummed the mukhda

Khoya khoya chand, khula aasmaan,
Aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi,
Tum ko bhi kaise neend aayegi

Pancham smiled, he knew that this song was a winner! He ran, hailed a cab and went home. Pancham  in the next morning handed Dada a crumpled piece of cigarette pack foil with the words of the mukhda scribbled on it!!! Burman Da instantly liked the mukhda and asked Pancham to call Shailendra to complete the song.

As we all know that Burman Da was very particular about the words of his songs and similarly Shailendra too chooses his words very carefully as per the situation. Thus the full song was completed in that sitting. Same day Burman Da called Mohammad Rafi to come for the rehearsal of this song The song was recorded after two days.

We must appreciate Vijay Anand who picturised the song so well that it became the highlight of the film. It topped Annual Binaca Geetmala that year. What Vijay Anand achieves is a feat which is very rare. Most directors shy away from shooting and showing us more than two verses of a song. Here, his shooting, along with Burmanda’s music and Shailendra’s words, is so perfect that we go through FOUR verses of this song just glued to our seats !!!! That is why Vijay Anand is adored by film-goers and film-makers all over India.

Song from Kala Bazar 1960

The earlier Years of Mehmood

Mehmood, son of character actor Mumtaz Ali, who was having a dance troupe "Mumtaz Ali Nites" performed all over India. His career slumped due to his alcoholism, leading Mehmood to work as a child artist and daughter Meenu Mumtaz to work as a dancer in his stage shows and later movies. He had a tough time when starting out in the Hindi film industry.
He did every kind of odd job from becoming a driver for director PL Santoshi.He also assisted him on the sets. If Santoshi sent him out to buy cigarettes or other small things, he would invariably keep the change.  He also got the job of teaching Table Tennis to Meena Kumari.
He also worked as assistant cameraman with Arjun Desai, as an assistant set designer with Kamleshwar Sehgal, as an assistant editor with DN Desai.He also worked with Hemant kumar as office assistant for some time.Hemant Kumar who knew the hardship he was facing once even let him sing in the chorus so that he could make some money.
It was in 1954 when Hemant Kumar was giving music for Nagin,in a song  ‘O Zindagi Ke Denewale’ he took Mehmood as a chorus singer but he was singing so badly that Hemant Kumar’s assistant Ravi asked him to leave. Mehmood begged Ravi to let him stay, but Ravi was adamant. However, Hemant Kumar knew of Mehmood’s dire straits, so he asked to remain and merely lip-sync the song without any sound.
In his childhood Mehmood worked in few films of Bomay Talkies as a child artist(Kismet of Bombay Talkies was his first film as child artist) so he thought of to switch to acting and started going to one producer to another to beg for work.
He was first offered a small role as a murder victim in CID and then acted in films like “Do Bigha Zameen” and “Pyaasa”. He got his first major break in the film Parvarish in 1958. After Paravrish, Mehmood’s comic talent was recognized in the industry.

Song from Parvarish (1958)

His first breakthrough film as a comedian was Chhoti Behen in 1959. The movie also created one of the most successful comedy pairings of the sixties – Mehmood and Shubha Khote.Their next film was Sasural in 1961 which was hit and thus Jodi became super hit for years to come.
Here are some of the great songs of Mehmood and Shubha Khote

Song from Chhoti Bahen (1959).

Song from Sasural 1961

Song from Sasural 1961

Song from Grahasti (1963)

Song from Hamraahi 1963

Song from Ziddi (1964)

Song from Saanjh aur Sawera (1964),

Song from Beti Bete.1964

Song from Love In Tokyo (1966)

Song from Tumse Achha Kaun Hai (1969)