Raga Based Songs of Kishore Kumar

We all know that Kishore Kumar never received any typical classical training yet proved with every song that he was in no way lesser than any of his contemporaries of the ‘Golden era’.
During his earlier career as an actor, not many opportunities came his way to sing songs based on classical ragas. Even there were many occasions when the music directors chose to have him lip-sync to Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey as they were classically trained and so these music directors felt that Kishore Kumar may not do justice to the particular songs based on classical ragas.
In this post I bring to you some memorable Kishore Kumar solos based on different ragas.
The first song in my list is Koi Humdum Na Raha Koi Sahara Na. This song was originally composed by Khurshid Minocher-Homji, better known as Saraswati Devi, the first female composer of Bollywood, and sung by Kishore’s elder brother Ashok Kumar in Jeevan Naiya (1936). However, 25 years later, Kishore da crooned this melody based on Raag Jhinjhoti for his film, Jhumroo.

Song of Jhumroo 1961

Song of  Ek Raaz (1963)

Song of Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein (1964)

Song of Khamoshi (1970)

Song of Safar (1970)

Song of Sharmilee 1971

Song of  Gambler (1971)

Song of  Door Ka Raahi (1971) 

Song of  Amar Prem (1972)

Song of Anamika (1973)

Song of Chor Machaye Shor (1974)

Song of Aap Ki Kasam (1974)

Song of Mehbooba (1976)

Song of Agar Tum Na Hote (1983)

Bollywood Songs songs that do not have tabla, dholak or any other percussion instrument

Last night I was listening the song "Jalte Hain Jis ke Liye" sung  by Talat Mahmood from the film Sujata. One interesting point I noted  that this song has no sound of Tabla, Dholak or any other percussion instrument.This made me curious to research those songs which do not have any rhythmic instruments.
However, you may be surprised to learn that some of the most popular songs of the Golden era (mostly 50s and 60s) do not have any percussion instrument. Yes, you read that right. There are no percussion instruments in some of the most popular songs. 
We all know that Melody and Rhythm are two essential elements of any Hindi film song.  Melody is mostly identified with the vocals or the singable part and rhythm is identified with accompanying percussion instruments like Tabla or Bongo or Drums. 
You may say that the songs that do not have percussion must be sad or slow songs. But it was not like that.There are some bright, cheerful songs as well that have Nothing but melody.
It is possible to create the rhythm for a song without using percussion instruments. Most composers created rhythm by using guitars, banjo or some other stringed instrument like a Double Bass or a Piano. In film songs, guitar can be played in three ways – as a lead guitar, bass guitar or rhythm guitar.
In the above mentioned song the composer of the song SD Burman  usesd Piano to provide rhythm.Similarly SD Burman’s another masterpiece song from Pyaasa – Jaane woh kaise log in which piano supplements guitars and double bass for rhythm.
Hemant Kumar too seems to have a penchant for composing songs without percussion. His lively Bekarar karke from Bees Saal Baad, surprisingly does not have any percussion instruments, very unusual for the situation in the movie.
Here are few songs where the rhythm is provided by a variety of stringed instruments like Double Bass, Guitars and so on. I hope you enjoy these extremely popular Nothing but melody songs.

Song of Pyaasa 1957

Song of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi 1958

Song of Dilli Ka Thug 1958

Song of Sujata 1959

Song of Kagaz ke phool 1959

Song of Lal Qila 1960

Song of Jhumroo 1961

Song of Bees Saal Baad 1962

Song of Woh Kaun Thi 1964

Song of Waqt 1965

Song of Anupama 1966

Song of Khamoshi 1969

Gulzar - Humne DekhI Hai Un Aankhon Ki Mehakti Khushboo

Gulzar (Born on 18th August 1934) became popular as a lyricist in the unusually worded song from Khamoshi in 1969 "Humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki mehakti khushboo/Haath sey chhoo ke ise rishtoon ka koi naam na do". .Though he penned his first film song "Mora gora ang laiy ley mohe shaam rang daiye dey/chhup jaoongi raat he mein mohe pee ka sang daiye dey." from Bimal Roy's Bandini released in 1961.
Gulzar, who began as an apprentice with Bimal Roy, joined Hrishikesh Mukherjee after his death. He wrote for Kabuliwala, Sannaata, Do Dooni Chaar Biwi Aur Makan etc. With Mere Apne (1971), he turned director.The success of his Mere Apne encouraged Gulzar to experiment with novel subjects. Next in the line came films like Koshish, Parichay, Achanak, Kinara and Aandhi.
In Aandhi, Gulzar wove a story of estrangement between a couple (Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen) against the backdrop of politics. Gulzar is at his sublime best in the song "Tere bina zindagi se shiqwa to nahin."The lyrics 3 the agony and regret of the choices made.
However, Gulzar's most successful songs as a lyricist were to come out later, of his association with Rahul Dev Burman who he described later as an anchor in his life.Few of his songs with R D Burman are Beeti Na Bitai Raina, Parichay (1972), Tere Bina Zindagi Se, Aandhi (1975), Aaj Kal Paaon, Ghar (1978), Do Naina Aur Ek Kahani, Masoom (1983), Mera Kuch Samaan, Ijaazat (1988).

Song of Bandini 1963

Song of Khamoshii 1969

Song of Khamoshii 1969

Song of Anand 1971

Song of Aandhi1975

Song of Mausam 1976

Song of Kinara 1977

Song of Sadma 1983

Song of Masoom 1983

Song of Maachis 1996

Shamm Kapoor- Music and Rythum running in his veins.

When you think of Shammi Kapoor, music cannot be far behind. All his films had  songs and dance that were loud and energetic, joyous and boisterous, soft and romantic. In this blog on Shammi Kapoor,I have worked on the music interest of of Shammi Kapoor.
Few people know that Shammi Kapoor learnt classical music for five years along with his elder brother Raj Kapoor.Shammi  Kapoor became Pandit Jagannath Prasad's pupil. Later, as part of Prithvi Theatres, his music lessons continued. 
He entered the cinema world in 1948, as a junior artiste, at a salary of Rs. 50 per month, stayed with Prithvi Theatres for the next four years and collected his last pay check of Rs. 300, in 1952. He made his debut in Hindi Films in the year 1953, when the film Jeevan Jyoti was released. It was directed by Mahesh Kaul and Chand Usmani was Kapoor’s first heroine. 
He worked closely with the music directors and singers and musicians, and often sat in on recordings. He choreographed his own songs, his loose-limbed grace and innate sense of rhythm shaking every canon of 'dance' that Hindi films had hitherto seen on screen. And his obsession with music meant that, quite often, he often had an instrument with him. 
Shammi Kapoor once said in an interview that at recordings with Shankar-Jaikishen, he would observe the musicians performing, and get (music director) Jaikishen, a close friend, to teach him the nuances of each instrument.
Beside learning Indian Classical music he was also and  admirer of Western Music,Ramba, Samba, Western Classical, Gypsy Music, Jazz....He was a fan of Elvis Presley and later called as Elvis Presley of Bollywood. 
Shammi Kapoor played many instruments in various songs on screen, here I am posting few of those songs in which he is shown as playing the instrument.
Shammi Kapoor (21 October 1931– 14 August 2011) gave us hits like hits like Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Singapore, Junglee, College Girl, Professor, China Town, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Bramhachari, Andaz and Sachaai. Shortly before his death, he made his last film appearance in Imtiaz Ali's 2011 directorial venture Rockstar co-starring his grand-nephew Ranbir Kapoor, the grandson of his brother Raj Kapoor. He died on 14 August 2011, 05:15 am IST, of chronic renal failure, aged 79.
Shammi Kapoor starred in over 50 films as lead actor, and over 20 films in supporting roles. He has won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor once, for his performance in the film Brahmachari (1968) and then in 1982 for Vidhaata. 

The first song in my list is from the film Hum Sab Chor Hain (1956).Here in this song Shammi is trying his best to impress Vimala (Nalini Jaywant). He is a theatre manager, she is hoping to be the lead actress.  But since he cannot sing or play any instrument, his assistant manager (Ram Avatar) is doing both from behind the door.

Song of Hum Sab Chor Hain 1956

The next song in the list is from the film Dil Deke Dekho, in this song Shammi Kapoor is playing drums.

Song of Dil Deke Dekho  1959

Song of China Town 1962

Song of Bluff Master1963

Song of Kashmir Ki Kali1964

Song of Teesri Manzil 1966

Song of Brahamchari 1968

Song of Brahamchari 1968

Song of  Jaane Anjane1971

Kishore Kumar - A Reluctant Actor

Kishore Kumar started his cinema career as a chorus singer at Bombay Talkies, where his brother Ashok Kumar worked. Kumar's first film appearance was in Shikari (1946), in which his brother, Ashok played the lead role.He played the role of a Police Inspector in his 2nd film Shehnai in 1947.
In 1949, he settled in Mumbai. Kishore,  Kumar played the lead in the Bombay Talkies film Andolan (1951), directed by Phani Majumdar. Although he got some acting assignments with the help of his brother, he was more interested in becoming a singer.
Between 1946 and 1955, Kumar appeared in 22 films of which 16 were flops and since he was disinterested in taking up acting as a career, he would find ways to be in the bad books of the director or producer, so that they throw him from their films. It was only after the success of films such as Ladki, Naukari, Miss Malaysia, Char Paise and Baap Re Baap that Kumar developed interest in acting seriously, which resulted in him having successful films as the lead actor between 1955 and 1966.Some of his other successful films as an actor are Paisa Hi Paisa (1956), New Delhi (1956), Naya Andaz (1956), Bhagam Bhaag (1956), Bhai Bhai (1956), Aasha(1957), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Dilli Ka Thug (1958), Jaalsaaz (1959), Bombay Ka Chor (1962), Chacha Zindabad (1959), Man-Mauji(1962), Jhumroo (1961), Half Ticket (1962), Mr. X in Bombay (1964), Shreeman Funtoosh (1965), Ek Raaz (1963), Ganga Ki Lahren (1964), Hum Sab Ustaad Hai (1965), Haal E Dil, Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966) and Padosan (1968).
A devout fan of K.L.Saigal, Kishore Kumar deeply respected Rabindranath Tagore and was an ardent admirer of Hollywood actor-singer Danny Kaye. He hung the portraits of all these three personalities at his Gaurikunj residence and would bow respectfully before them everyday as a rule. Interestingly, the singer considered the trees in his garden his closest friends and even had names for them!
Kishore Kumar also produced 14 films, and wrote the story for these films. Six of these films were not completed. ^[1] He is also credited with writing the screenplays of five films, two of which remained incomplete. He also directed 12 films, four of which were abandoned.  Kishore Kumar acted in 88 Hindi films.
Here are some songs picturised on Kishore Kumar

Song of Andolan 1951

Song of Tamasha 1952

Song of Ladki 1953

Song of Naukri 1954

Song of Baap Re Baapi 1955

Song of Bhai Bhai 1956

Song of Mem Sahib 1956

Song of Asha 1957

Song of Chalti Ka Naam Gadi1958

Song of Dilli Ka Thug1958

Song of Bewaqoof 1960

Song of Manmauji 1962

Song of Half Ticket1962

Song of Half Ticket1962

Song of Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Main 1964

Song of Pyar Kiye Jaa 1966

Song of Padosan 1968