Na Toh Carvaan Ki Talaash Hai- The Immortal Qawwali by Roshan

 

When we think of the film Qawwali, this 12-minute long Qawwali comes to our mind. This Qawwali is from the super hit film Barsat Ki Raat (1960). The other song of the film, especially the romantic title track Zindagi Bhar Nahin Bhoolegi, is another immortal song composed by Roshan. 

There is a story behind this song,  that it was music director Khayyam wa signed on to compose the music for Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). But when R Chandra, the film’s producer and elder brother of its leading man Bharat Bhushan, insisted that the composer use the tune of the qawwali Na Toh But-Kade Ki Talab Mujhe, sung by the famed Pakistani duo of Mubarak Ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan, Khayam refused to use the same tune, so he was replaced by Roshan, he had no qualms about using the tune.   

 This Qawwali was written by Sahir Ludhianvi and sung by Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhonsle, Sudha Malhotra and even SD Batish lending his voice for a line or two. As the legend goes, the qawwali took 24 hours to record and is till date a musical milestone.

This film had another Qawwali 'Yeh Ishq Hai Ishq Ishq' sung by the same singers. This is also a  long qawwali run for 7 minutes. Apart from this 2 qawwali, there is also an immortal song"Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat" 

.The 1960s proved to be the golden age for Roshan and his music. His ability to mold folk music with Hindustani classical music became his trademark and resulted in successful movie musicals. During this time, Roshan gave hits such as  "Ab kya misaal doon" and "Kabhi to milegi, kahi to milegi" (Aarti, 1962), "Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega", "Paao chhoon lene do", "Jo baat tujhmein hai" and "Jurm-e-ulfat pe" (Taj Mahal, 1963), "Nigahen milane ko jee chahata hai" and "Laaga chunari mein daag" (Dil Hi To Hai, 1963), "Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho" and "Man re tu kaahe" (Chitralekha, 1964), "Rehte the kabhi jinke dil mein" and "Rahen Na Rahen Hum" sung by Lata Mangeshkar and her hit duet, "Chuppa Lo Yun Dil Mein Pyar Mera" with Hemant Kumar. Devar (1966): "Aaya hai mujhe phir yaad woh zalim, guzara zamana bachpan ka"; "Baharon ne mera chaman loot kar"; "Duniya mein aisa kahan sab ka naseeb hai"and "Oh re taal mile", "Khushi khushi kar do vida" (Anokhi Raat, 1968). 

Song of Barsaat Ki Raat (1960)

Rehana Maryam Noor - A Standing Ovation from the Audience at the 74th Cannes Film Festival

 

Rehana Maryam Noor is the first-ever film from Bangladesh in the Cannes official selection.  The film is about a single mother who is an assistant professor at a local medical college, finds herself in a difficult position after witnessing a sexual assault where she knows both the victim and the perpetrator.

It is a powerful character of Rehana who single-handedly wages a fight for justice on behalf of her six-year-old daughter and one of her students. The role is played by Azmeri Haque Badhon The film is directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad who made his debut in, "Live from Dhaka" (2016), received Silver Screen Awards for Best Director.  This film has every chance to win an award.

With a similar type of plot of how a woman fights against society for justice, we have seen in the 1993 film Damini. That film became a cult feminist film and is still regarded as an all-time classic female-oriented film and important for portraying women empowerment in cinema. 

Nashad- A Composer who created Immortal Songs in Bollywood and Pakistani films

 

Nashad  (11 July 1923 – 14 January 1981) composed music for Hindi films in the 1940s and 1950s, He composed under several names. He made his music debut under the name Shaukat Dehalvi in the 1947 action film Dildaar.  He composed as Shaukat Ali for the 1948 film Jeene Do. and Toote Taare (1948) as Shaukat Dehalvi.IFrom1949 onwards he composed music for actor-director Yakub's film, Aiye. as Shaukat Ali Haideri   In 1953, film director, Nakshab Jarachavi, changed Shaukat Ali's name to Nashad, which he retained for the rest of his life. He migrated to Pakistan and debuted as a composer in the 1964 film Maikhana, 

As Nashad his first song ' Badee Mushkil Se Dil Kee Bekaraaree Ko from Naghma 1953 sung by Shamshad Begum became a hit 'Baradari(1955) remains one of his memorable films.  This film had some hit songs "Bhula Nahin Dena Ji Bhula Nahin Dena, Zamana Kharab Hai" by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi, and "Tasveer Banata Hoon Tasveer Nahin Banti" by Talat Mehmood. Nashad himself sang a song in this film.

He introduced singer Suman Kalyanpur for the first time in the film. 'Sabse Bada Rupaiya', director: P. L. Santoshi, cast: Shashi Kala and Sundar, music: Nashad and O. P. Nayyar. 'Shehzada' (1955), director: Mohan Sinha, cast: Shela Ramani and Ajeet, music: Nashad and S. Mohinder. 'Jawab'.

 Maikhana (1964) was his first film in Pakistan, he was awarded Nigar Award for Best Music Composer for this film. Nashad had worked with Master Ghulam Haider, Nisar Bazmi, Naushad early in his film career as their assistant to learn from them. He is given credit for first introducing Runa Laila to the Pakistani film industry from Karachi

Nashad died on 14 January 1981 at 57 years of age after composing film music for over thirty films in Bollywood and over 60 films in Pakistan

Song of  Naghma 1953

Song of Darwaza (1954) 

Song of  Baradari 1955

Song of  Zindagi Ya Toofan (1958) 

Song of Maikhana (1964) Pakistani film

Song of Phir Subah Hogi (1966) Pakistani film

Song of Hum Dono (1966) Pakistani film

Song of  Tum mile pyar mila (1969) Pakistani film

Two Great Bollywood Stars Born on the Same Date

 

Guru Dutt and Sanjeev Kumar,  the two legendary actors of Bollywood were born on 9th July of 1925 and 1938 respectively. What a coincidence that both died prematurely. Both started their career early in their life. Guru Dutt got a job under a three-year contract with the Prabhat Film Company in Pune when he was just nineteen years of age. Sanjeev Kumar also started his acting career as a stage actor, starting with IPTA in Bombay and later joining the Indian National Theatre. At the age of 22, he played an old man in a play, an adaptation of Arthur Miller's All My Sons. In the following year, in the play Damru directed by AK Hangal, he again played the role of a 60-year-old with six children.

Guru Dutt acted in a small role as Sri Krishna in Chand in 1944. In 1945, he acted as well as assisted director Vishram Bedekar in Lakhrani, and in 1946 he worked as an assistant director and choreographed dances for P.L. Santoshi's film, Hum Ek Hain.. Sanjeev Kumar made his film debut with a small role in Hum Hindustani in 1960.

Even though Guru Dutt and Sanjeev Kumar never worked together, they do share a curious link – K Asif’s Love And God. The film had a long and troubled production history with shooting starting in 1963 with Guru Dutt as Kais and Nimmi as Laila. However Guru Dutt's sudden death in 1964 left the film incomplete and it was shelved. Then, Asif recast Sanjeev Kumar as Kais and resumed production of the film in 1970. Unfortunately, the director K. Asif died on 9 March 1971 at the age of 48/49 and the film was once again left incomplete. Fifteen years later, Asif's senior widow Akhtar Asif decided to release the incomplete film with the help of producer-director-distributor K. C. Bokadia. In a few months, they managed to salvage some usable portions of the incomplete film from three different studios and pieced them together. This cut-paste incomplete version was finally released on 27 May 1986. By the time of the film's release, several of the film's cast members had died, including its leading actor Sanjeev Kumar, who died in 1985.

Guru Dutt in Love &  God

Sanjeev Kumar in Love &  God

Another similarity both had was their love life, both had a troubled love affair. Though Guru Dutt was married to Geeta Roy but fell in love with Waheeda Rehman. Sanjeev Kumar proposed to Hema Malini in 1973 and they remained in touch even after he suffered his first heart attack in 1976. Later an actress Sulakshana Pandit started liking him and proposed for marriage, but both of them remained unmarried. Kumar refused to marry her, as a result of which Sulakshana vowed to never marry anyone.

Their turbulent, tragic, and unlucky-in-love personas haunted the two stars throughout their life, one went in depression and comitted suicide and the other died of heart attack.

Songs of Guru Dutt

Song of Aar Paar 1954

Song of Mr & Mrs 55 1955

Song of Pyasa1957

Song of Kaagaz Ke Phool 1959

Song of Chaudhvin Ka Chand 1960

Songs of Sanjeev Kumar

Song of Anokhi Raat 1968

Song of Raja Aur Runk 1968

Song of Khilona 1970

Song of Seeta Aur Geeta 1972

Song of Manchali 1973

Song of Aandhi 1975

125 Years of Indian Cinema Screening

 

You would be surprised to note that the pioneers of the Indian Cinema were actually foreigners. On 7th July 1896, the Lumiere brothers demonstrated the art of cinema when they screened Cinematography consisting of six short films to an enthusiastic audience at the Hotel Watson in Bombay. 

This was the first time that the screening of any film took place in India. Six films that screened that day were Entry of Cinematographe, The Sea Bath, Arrival of a Train, A Demolition,  Ladies, and Soldiers on Wheels, and Leaving the Factory. The price of the ticket was Rs one which was unaffordable by the common people.

The second film screening by the Lumiere Brothers took place on July 14th at a new venue, the Novelty Theatre, Bombay, and twenty-four films were screened that day, including A Stormy Sea and The Thames at Waterloo Bridge. Alternating between these two venues, the shows culminated on August 15th, 1896.

 The shows received an overwhelming response and motion pictures were soon introduced to India, in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras). Professor Stevenson staged a show at Calcutta’s (now Kolkata) Star Theatre. Using Stevenson’s camera Hiralal Sen one of India's first filmmakers. made his first film, "A Dancing Scene" from the opera The Flower of Persia. With assistance from his brother, Motilal Sen, he bought an Urban Bioscope from Charles Urban's Warwick Trading Company in London. In the following year, with his brother, he formed the Royal Bioscope company. They arranged a first film screening on April 4, 1898.

 In 1900, he imported the necessary equipment for filmmaking. For this purpose, he communicated with then renowned theatre activist Amarendranath Dutta. At that time Amarendranath was the owner of Classic Theatre. Hiralal took snaps of a Classic Theatre production, Sitaram, which made him the first-ever Bengali filmmaker.  Between 1901 and 1904, he produced many films for Classic Theatre including Bhramar, Hariraj, and Buddhadev. His longest film, produced in 1903, titled Alibaba and the Forty Thieves, was also based on an original Classic Theatre performance. However, not much is known about this feature film since it was never screened. 

Hiralal Sen also produced a number of advertising films. Having made two films advertising Jabakusum Hair Oil and Edwards Tonic, he may have been the first Indian to use film for advertising purposes. He is also credited to make  India's first political film, documenting the anti-Partition demonstration and 'Swadeshi' movement at the Town Hall, Calcutta on September 22, 1905

However, the first film ever to be shot by an Indian was called The Wrestlers made in 1899 by H.S Bhatavdekar depicting a wrestling match in Mumbai’s Hanging Gardens. This was also India’s first documentary film. Bhatavdekar continued to make films until the mid-1900s, when he made a sideways move and bought the Gaiety Theatre in Mumbai – which he ran successfully, and lucratively, until his death. The first short film released in India was Sree Pundalik a silent film by Dadasaheb Torne on May 18th, 1912. The first feature film 'Raja Harishchandra' 1913 was by  Dada Phalke.

Looking at the successful screening of the cinema in hotels or theatres Jamshedji Framji Madan built the first-ever Cinema Hall in India(1907) known as Elphinstone Picture Palace, later known as Chaplin. The second cinema theatre was Royal Talkies, Grant Road Bombay started in 1911

For more on Earlier Cinema Theatres please go through my earlier blog 'The Iconic Cinema Halls of India'

Link is given below

https://bolywoodfiles.blogspot.com/search/label/cinema%20hall

Anil Biswas - One of the Pioneers of Hindi Film Music

 

Anil Biswas, Pankaj Mallick, Saraswati Devi, and Master Ghulam Haider were the first generation composers of Hindi Films. They started giving music in the mid-1930s and continued till the independence of the country.

Anil Biswas made his debut as a music director with "Dharam ki Devi" (1935). It was the popularity of the Mehboob Khan film "Jagirdar" (1937), which proved that he could turn out hit songs. Soon many more independent assignments came his way, most notably, 300 Days and After, Gramophone Singer, Hum Tum Aur Woh, Ek Hi Raasta, and Mehboob Khan's Watan (1938), Alibaba (1940), the classic, Aurat(1940), Bahen (1941), before working with him again, in Roti (1942).He was a mentor to many singers like Zohrabai Ambalewali, Begum Akhtar, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood,  Lata Mangeshkar, Meena Kapoor.

From 1942 to 1947 he worked for Bombay Talkies.During this period he gave many hit fils few of them were Kismet(1943),Jwar Bhatta" (1944) and "Milan" (1946).During the 1950's, he served as the music director for a number of films.  Some notable films of his were "Abhimaan" (1957) and "Pardesi" (1957).The last film he did was "Chhoti Chhoti Baatein" (1965)

First Song of Begum Akhtar

Song of Roti 1942

Song of Kismet  1943

Song of Jwar Bhatta" (1944) 

First Song of Mukesh

Song of Pehli Nazar 1945

Lata Mangeshkar: Tumhare Bulane Ko Jee Chahta Hai (Ladli, 1949)

Song of Ladli 1949

Talat Mahmood: Ae Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Le Chal (Arzoo, 1950)

Song of Arzoo, 1950

Shukriya Shukriya Ae Pyar Tera Shukriya

Song of Aaram 1951

Seene Mein Sulagte Hain Armaan

Song of Tarana 1951

Song of Chaar Dil Chaar Rahen 1959

Meena Kapoor: Kuchh Aur Zamana Kehta Hai (Chhoti Chhoti Baten, 1965)

Song of Chhoti Chhoti Baten, 1965