Saturday, 5 January 2019

C Ramchandra - The Composer who Introduced Rock & Roll Music in India.

He was not only a composer but also a singer. He sang some renowned and unforgettable duets with Lata such as Kitna haseen hai mausam in film Azad or Shola Jo bhadke in Albela. Influenced by Benny Goodman, Ramachandra introduced in his compositions the alto sax in combination with guitar and harmonica.
An outstanding feature of many of these songs is their intense curiosity about western mores and manners; they often employed western musical idioms in exaggerated fashion either for satire or irony. These songs mirrored the curiosity of the educated, urbanized Indian youth.He did numerous experiments in western/Indian and middle-eastern styles. in 'Meri Jaan..Sunday Ke Sunday..' (Shehnai) he introduced the Benny Goodman style of jazz clarinet in combination with an Indian melody. Other westernized songs e.g. 'Shola Jo Bhadke..' and 'Ye Diwana Ye Parwana..' (Albela) employed cabaret type dance featuring bongo drums, oboes, clarinets, trumpets, saxophones, etc. He sang the title song "Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo" with Lata Mangeshkar, which included rock rhythms. He provided the musical score for the scat song "Ina mina dika" in "Aasha".

C Ramchandra with Lata Mangeshkar

He was born on 12th January 1918 in Puntamba, a small town in Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. He joined the film industry playing the lead role in Y. V. Rao's movie, Naganand. He also had some small roles at Minerva Movietone in the movies Said-e-Havas (1936) and Atma Tarang (1937). He was a good singer, he sang for all the topmost heroes of that time like Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand.
Ramachandra provided harmonium accompaniment for Minerva composers Bindu Khan and Habib Khan. He debuted as music director in Tamil movies with Jayakkodi and Vana Mohini. He received public notice as a good composer in Bhagwan Dada's "Sukhi Jeevan", and established a long association that culminated with the musical box office hit "Albela".
C. Ramachandra's biggest success as a music composer was the 1953 movie Anarkali starring Beena Roy in the title role and Pradeep Kumar. The songs that he composed for this movie are today legendary. Songs of this movie like "Yeh Zindagi Usiki Hai", "Mujhse Mat Poochh Mere Ishq Main Kya Rakha Hai", He gave the hit music of V Shantaram's Navrang.

C.Ramchandra with Kavi Pradeep &Lata-Mangeshkar

He was the composer of the highly popular patriotic song "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo", which was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and penned by poet Pradeep,
He died on 5 January 1982 in Mumbai.

Some of his great songs

Song of Shehnai (1947)

Song of Patanga 1949

Song of Nirala 1950

Song of Albela 1951

Song of Anarkali 1953

Song of Azaad 1955

Song of ASHA 1957

Song of Amar Deep1958

Friday, 4 January 2019

The Great Raga Based Songs of R D Burman

R D Burman has been credited with revolutionizing Bollywood music. He incorporated a wide range of influences from several genres in his scores. The sheer breadth of his music, allied with a unique ability to not only make folk and classical music accessible to the modern listener, but present them in an original, yet contemporary manner for young listeners.
While we mostly associate a more western sound with RD, I think of him as a composer who simplified the most complex Hindustani classical music and made it accessible to the masses. Here are some great Raga based songs created by him.
The first film R D Burman gave the music was Chhote Nawab released in 1961. The first song he composed in this film was Ghar Aaja Ghir Aayi Badra in Raga Malgunji sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Song of Chhote Nawab 1961

Song of Chandan Ka Palna 1967

Song of Amar Prem (1972)

Song of Parichay (1973)

Song of Kinara 1975

Song of Mehbooba (1976)

Song of Khoobsurat 1980

Song of Kudrat (1981)

Song of Agar Tum Na Hote (1984)

Thursday, 3 January 2019

Chetan Anand - The Most Underrated Film Maker of his Time

Chetan Anand (born on 3rd Jan 1921) whose contribution to Hindi cinema is substantial and yet regretfully underrated and not recognised by film critics and movie pundits.Not many are aware that he is the only Indian filmmaker to have won the prestigious Cannes Film Festival ‘Grand Prix’ Award for his socially-conscious, innovative and meaningful movie ‘Neecha Nagar’ (1946). Haqeeqat,’ (1964) was another masterpiece based on the India-China Border Conflict of 1962. Shot on actual locations,
‘Aakhri Khat’ (1966) was another innovative creation of Chetan. For the first time in Indian cinema, lengthy scenes on actual locations were shot with a hand-held camera.
Regretfully, most books on Hindi cinema do not discuss his work, or even refer to his classics such as ‘Neecha Nagar’ or ‘Aakhri Khat.’

Neecha Nagar 1946

Aakhri Khat 1966

His ‘Aandhiyan’(1952) explored the uncomplimentary facets of capitalism. Here Dev Anand, as an honest lawyer, fought a lonely battle to bring about a happy ending.
Chetan Anand’s Heer Ranjha remains the quintessential interpretation of Waris Shah’s Heer. Screenplay written by Kaifi Azmi, the film is delivered in poetical verse, making it one of the most unique and original pieces of work to come out of Hindi cinema. Written in 1766 by Waris Shah and supposedly based on a true story, ‘Heer Ranjha’ has come to symbolise Panjab and the themes of resistance within it. Ranjha is of course played by the legendary actor Raj Kumar and Heer played effectively by the stunningly beautiful Priya Rajvansh.
Chetan Anand kept on acting too occasionally. He appeared in Humsafar made in 1957. In 1957 he directed two movies Arpan and Anjali, in which he played lead roles too. He went on to act in Kala Bazar, Kinare-Kinare, Aman, Kanch Aur Heera and Hindustan Ki Kasam, which he directed too.
In the 1960s Chetan Anand started his own production banner called Himalaya films and teamed up with photographer Jal Mistry, music director Madan Mohan, lyrics writer Kaifi Azmi and actress Priya Rajvansh. Together they gave some of most memorable and unique films in Hindi cinema like Haqeeqat, Heer Raanjha, Hanste Zakhm, and Hindustan Ki Kasam.

Raaj Kumar and Priya Rajvansh in a scene from Heer Raanjha (1970)

Apart from 17 feature films, he is also known for the acclaimed television serial, Param Vir Chakra, which was aired Doordarshan in 1988.He died on 6 July 1997, at the age of 76 in Mumbai.

Song of Neecha Nagar 1946

Song of Aandhiyan (1952)

Song of Taxi Driver (1954)

Song of Funtoosh (1956)

Song of Haqeeqat (1964)

Song of Heer Raanjha (1970)

Song of Hanste Zakhm (1973)

Song of Jaaneman (1976)

Tuesday, 1 January 2019

50 Years of the film PRINCE

On the 1st Jan 1969 released Shammi Kapoor's hit film, Prince. It was produced by F. C. Mehra and directed by Lekh Tandon. The film stars Shammi Kapoor with Vyjayanthimala in the lead with Rajendranath, Ajit, Helen, etc. The film grossed around ₹4,00,00,000 with a net of ₹2,00,00,000, thus becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 1969 with a verdict of a hit at Box Office India.
The team of producer F. C. Mehra, director Lekh Tandon, actor Shammi Kapoor and musicians Shankar-Jaikishan had earlier worked together on the hit film Professor (1962). The songs of that film are some of the immortal songs of Mohammad Rafi.
This is a really fun film, and though Shammi is admittedly towards the end of his career as a hero, he is still the Shammi who made hearts go pitter-patter. The songs are classic Shanker-Jaikishan-Rafi-Shammi, with the dance-off between Helen and Vijayanthimala probably its most well-known feature.

The film is about how wealth and privilege do not guarantee happiness, Shammi Kapoor plays Prince Shamsher Singh, the jaded, bored, arrogant son of the Maharajah of Ramnagar (Ulhas). He is an irresponsible, alcoholic, and womanizing adult, who wants everyone to bow down before him and his princely rank. One priest refuses to do so, and Shamsher pummels him mercilessly, though in vain. Frustrated, he asks the priest what he should do with his mundane life, and the priest tells him that he should repent, sacrifice all his palatial pleasures, and live the life of a simple and ordinary man, and hence learn the true meaning of life, for at least six months. Shamsher agrees to do so and arranges an accident with his car, which plummets down a mountain, explodes and is blown to smithereens. Everyone in the palace believes that Shamsher is dead. He goes to a nearby village, and a blind woman there mistakes him for her long-lost son and starts calling him Sajjan Singh. Shamsher decides to play along as Sajjan.
Once two corrupt officials meet him, they find him to be similar to Shamsher so they conspire with him to pose as Shamsher for a hefty sum of money, to which Sajjan agrees. When he accompanies the officials back to the palace, he is shocked to find that his father has remarried a much younger woman, Ratna, and shortly after marrying her, has died, leaving the palace and its management to her and her greedy brother. Shamsher decides to reveal his true identity, but the officials threaten to expose him to his new-found blind mother, and Shamsher knows that he is trapped in the body of Sajjan Singh, forced to pose as none other than himself.

It is a typically a masala film, Shammi Kapoor's fans will enjoy this film. When the movie was released Vyjayantimala was 39 and Shammi Kapoor just 5 years her senior and so and PRINCE doesn’t belong to their prime. The most famous aspect of Prince, for many Indians, is the song “Badan pe Sitaare”. Even today, it is considered one of Shammi’s most popular songs. The story behind it is that Hasrat Jaipuri and Jaikishen went out to a nightclub on a trip to Paris. In the club, with all the glittering costumes around him, Jaikishen began writing the first few lines of this song (Badan pe Sitaare hue, o Jaane Tamanna Kidhar Ja Rahii ho, zara paas aao, to chain aa jaaye = Decked up so in glittering stars, where are you headed, my beloved…here, come to me, that I may get some solace). Hasrat Jaipuri then took it from there and they recorded the song when they got back to Bombay.

Song of Prince 1969

Monday, 31 December 2018

The Most Expensive Songs Ever Made In Bollywood

Songs and dances are an integral part of Bollywood. Our audiences love these songs, and hence our filmmakers invest a lot of money to make the song glamorous.

.Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya (Mughal-E-Azam) was the costliest song. Rupees 10 Lakhs were spent in the Year 1960. If we take into account the inflation and the value of the rupee it would be the costliest song ever made.

There were many Directors earlier and today who spend a lot on their Songs picturisation. Raj Kapoor, V Shantaram and Sanjay Leela Bhansali are few of them.

Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya from Mughal e Azam

The song "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya" was filmed in a set inspired by the Sheesh Mahal of the Amber Fort of Jaipur, in the Mohan Studios. The particular set was noted for its size, which measured 150 feet in length, 80 feet in breadth and 35 feet in height.

Song of Mughal e Azam 1960

.Party All Night (Boss) - 6 Crores

The song had everything it needed to be a blockbuster. From Honey Singh to Akshay Kumar‘s swag and Sonakshi Sinha‘s moves, the song defined the perfect ‘Party’ song. The location of the song was a pub in Bangkok with almost 600 foreign dancers and well, judging the popularity of the song, we think it was totally worth it.

Song of Boss 2013

Malang (Dhoom 3) - 5 Crores

The film's choreography required performer Aamir Khan to spin about 60 times in a minute at an elevation of 80 feet. The song involved nearly 200 gymnasts, who were flown in from the United States to Mumbai. It took 20 days to complete the song.

Song of Dhoom 3 (2013)

Gerua song from Dilwale (4.5 Crore)

The track was shot in the scenic locales of Iceland, making it super expensive. Apart from the location, a lot of money has been spent on the VFX and special effects. A source reveals, "The special effects in Gerua are amazing. It is something that hasn't been attempted in Bollywood before.

Song of Dilwale 2015

Saturday Saturday (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania) - 3 Crores

It cost Rs. 3 crore to produce this insane party track which featured Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and an awesome futuristic set. Judging by the fact that this song is blasted every day, including Saturdays, that’s money well spent Mr Johar.

Song of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania 2017

Azeem O Shaan Shahenshah (Jodha Akbar) - 2.5 Crores

The song "Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah", which was choreographed by Prakash, featured about 12 assistant choreographers, 400 dancers and 2,000 extras acting like the citizens of Agra. Prakash used the dance steps featured in the songs of films such as Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Guide (1965) as a reference. The song was completed in 15 days.

Song of Jodha Akbar 2008

Dola Re Dola (Devdas) - 2.5 Crores

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his magnificent sets and the director definitely did not compromise while filming ‘Dola re Dola’ starring the most iconic actresses of all times. Made with a mega-budget of 2.5 crores, Aishwarya and Madhuri gave a stellar performance that we will cherish forever.

Song of Devdas 2002

Saturday, 29 December 2018

The Meteoric Rise of Rajesh Khanna

There has been no other star in the film industry who saw such a meteoric rise within such a short span of time. He starred in 15 consecutive solos hit films from 1969 to 1971, still an unbroken record. He was the first Hindi actor whose films ran to full houses for months on end in non-Hindi speaking areas.
He had substance as well as charisma. The innocence and freshness we can see in his performances, that vulnerable, lost look-all created a persona that gave joy to hearts and romance that made hearts skip a beat.

Rajesh Khanna (29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) made his debut in 1966 with Aakhri Khat. During his career, he appeared in more than 168 feature films. It was the 1969 film Aradhana, he rose to "instant national fame" and film critics referred to him as the first superstar of India. In 1971, he acted in Haathi Mere Saathi, which became that year's highest-grossing film and the biggest grosser ever till then. He had all the films hits except Badnam Farishte in 1971 that was the first film flopped at the box office since his consecutive 17 hits from 1969.
.During the peak of his career he would be mobbed during public appearances. Fans kissed his car, which would be covered with lipstick marks, and lined the road, cheering and chanting his name. Female fans sent him letters written in their blood.
Music remained one of the biggest attractions of all Rajesh Khanna films throughout his career. His films were always known for the music with chartbuster soundtracks. The reason for this was that Khanna used to personally sit in music sessions with music directors such as Kalyanji Anandji, R. D. Burman, Shankar Jaikishen, Lakshmikant Pyarelal, S.D. Burman, Bappi Lahiri and select tunes for duets and solo songs in his films. He used to be personally present for the recording of the solo songs to be picturised on him.
Rajesh Khanna was indeed a Superstar, but we’re sure he wouldn’t have been the same without Kishore Kumar. Kishore Kumar who usually sang for Dev Anand and for himself in the films took the permission from Dev Anand to sing for Rajesh Khanna in Aradhana songs. It was the music of Aradhana that created two sensations in Bollywood one was Rajesh Khanna and the other was Kishore Kumar.

'Rajesh Khanna once in an interview said "Kishore Kumar was my soul and I was his body," Along with RD Burman, Kishore Kumar and Rajesh Khanna churned out one hit after the other. ‘Kati Patang’ released in 1970 was this trio’s first film together. Songs like ‘Yeh Shaam Mastani’ and ‘Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai’ hit the bull’s eye. Kishore Kumar's songs can be called a key reason of many Rajesh Khanna’s films. 'Aap Ki Kasam', 'Amar Prem', 'Mere Jeevan Saathi', the list of their successful films together is endless. Listen to the best songs of the duo here

Song of Aradhana 1969

Song of Sachaa Jhutha 1970

Song of Kati Patang 1970

Song of Amar Prem 1972

Song of Mere Jeevan Saathi 1972

Song of Aap Ki Kasam 1974

Song of Mehbooba 1976

Song of Agar Tum Na Hote 1983

Friday, 28 December 2018

50 Years of the film DUNIYA

Dev Anand and Vyjayantimala have acted together in 3 films. This was the last film they worked together. Before this they were seen in Jewel Thief released a year ago in 1967. The 149-minute romantic thriller was amongst the year's big hits grossing Rs.18 crores
The music of the film was hit, the songs: Dooriyan Nazdikiyan Ban Gayi (Kishore-Asha), Falsafa Pyar Ka Tum Kya Jano, Jaawan Tum Ho Jawan Hum Hain (Rafi) by Hasrat Jaipuri; are still in our heart. The film was released on 28th Dec 1968.

The film starred Dev Anand, Vyjayanthimala in the lead with Balraj Sahni, Johnny Walker, Lalita Pawar, Prem Chopra, Sulochana Latkar, Madan Puri, Nana Palsikar, Achala Sachdev, Laxmi Chhaya, written by K. A. Narayan and directed by T. Prakash Rao.
The film's soundtrack was composed by the Shankar Jaikishan duo, while the lyrics were provided by Hasrat Jaipuri, S. H. Bihari and Gopaldas Neeraj.

The film is about three friend Amarnath(Dev Anand), Gopal(Suresh) and his sister, Mala(Vyjayatimala). As Mala and Gopal's mom is a widow and is unable to care for both the children, she decides to let her Bombay-based cousin, Shobha R. Sharma, adopt Mala. Gopal is always in trouble with the villagers for petty theft, and when he learns that Mala has left, he too runs away from home. Years later, all three have grown up. Mala's mom is deceased, while she continues to live with her aunt and uncle, Public Prosecutor Ramnath Sharma( Balral Sahini); Amarnath is now an Advocate working with Senior Advocate Mehta, and is in love with Mala, not knowing that she is his childhood friend; while Gopal has been to prison in Poona, Madras, and the Police in Hyderabad want him for questioning. Soon Amarnath will be defending Gopal, alias Ram Singh, for the murder of one Mohanchand - and it will be an uphill task for Amarnath - for not only do the Police have airtight evidence against Gopal, Mohanchand was to be the future son-in-law of Ramnath - who has sworn to bring Gopal to justice by hook or by crook.

Performance-wise, Dev Anand displays flashes of histrionics, Vyjayantimala is her usual competent self, excelling in the customary dance sequence in her films Balraj Sahni is brilliant, Johnny Walker provides relief in his inimitable style.

Song of Duniya 1968

Thursday, 27 December 2018

Collection of Bollywood Songs on Ghalib Shayari

Mirza Ghalib is the topmost poet whose poems are used as songs in Hindi films.His poems, his lifestyle, his behaviour everything is a great inspiration. He continues to be one of the best and oft-quoted writers in history.
Bollywood has paid a tribute to this legendary poet through a film named Mirza Ghalib (1954) in which Bharat Bhushan plays Ghalib and Suraiya plays his courtesan lover, Chaudvin. The musical score of the film was composed by Ghulam Mohammed and his compositions of Ghalib's famous ghazals are likely to remain everlasting favourites
On the 221st Birth Anniversary, I have made a collection of Bollywood Songs on Ghalib Shayari.
In 1954 a film on Mirza Ghalib was made by Sohrab Modi. The film won (1) the President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film and (2) the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi in the 2nd National Film Awards for 1954. Suraiya's singing (of Mirza Ghalib's ghazals) and her acting was specially applauded by the Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, who remarked to her " You have brought back Ghalib to life", in a special screening of the film in Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Song of Mirza Ghalib 1954

Song of Mirza Ghalib T V Serial by Gulzar

Wednesday, 26 December 2018

The Great Romantic Songs Associated with Moon

My blogs on the theme songs are very well appreciated by the readers. In this blog I am taking a few romantic songs associated with the moon.Moon has fascinated and charmed the poets and the lovers alike. Poets have turned into lovers and lovers have turned into poets because of its beauty. Perhaps the moon may be the coolest thing a man can perceive in his life, besides his lady love. From Shakespeare to our Bollywood lyricists — all do mention a lovely romantic moonlit night in their creations.
The silence and the beauty of the moon have that flirtatious effect on everyone.
Here are few such songs from the Golden Era Hindi films.