This BLOG is about the Past of Hindi Films Specially Black and White Cinema We will refresh your memories by bringing out forgotten or unseen songs and clippings of film scenes We will try to give you as much information as we gather from our research.
This Blog was started as a one-man’s passion for film history but has now become an addiction for many music lovers who are equally passionate about Hindi films
Friendship remains the favourite subject of Bollywood Films. A number of Hindi films have dealt with friendship, and few among the many movies made have been memorable. Songs about friendship evoke a different feeling in every individual. Songs celebrating friendship have been popular in Hindi films since the Black & White era. Since the 70s songs about friendship have become insanely popular with the masses. The song Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge from Sholay remains the most popular song on Dosti. In present times too friendship songs have been an integral part of Bollywood films.Songs about love and friendship are popular at college festivals. Many playback singers who are invited to perform at college festivals croon songs about friendship. Here are some of the Popular Friendship Songs
Yodeling is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or "chest voice") and the high-pitch head register. It originated in Europe, especially in central Europe. In the movies, it wasJimmie Rodgers who popularised Yodeling.
In India, it was Kishore Kumar who introduced yodelling in Hindi Films. Here’s a story: his brother Anoop went to Austria and bought some records with yodels there. One day when Anoop went home, he heard yodelling in the house and thought somebody was playing his records… but it was Kishore who had learned how to do it.The first time Kishore Kumar tried Yodeling in the song was in 1950 film Muqaddar, It was a duet, the first duet of Kishore with Asha Bhosle. The second time Kishore tried with Meena Kapoor for the song " ye sama hum tum jawaan,pehloo se dil sarak jaaye.." from the film Mashooqa,1953, The next yodelling song was"Tikdambazi" from the 1954 film Adhikar. Piya Piya Piya Mera Jiya Pukare from 1955 released film Baap Re Baap.was a hit so after that many music directors tried Yodeling in their compositions. The next hit song of Kishore was "Nakhrewali Nakhrewali" from the 1956 film New Delhi. Kishor Kumar's film Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) had many songs where S D Burman used his yodelling. On his 89th Birth Anniversary, I decided to bring for you a compilation of his best yodelling in songs like Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana (Andaz, 1971), Bhor Aayee Gaya Andhiyara (Bawarchi, 1972), Ye Sham Mastani (Kati Patang, 1970) and more. Check them out:
Song of Muqaddar 1950 Audio only
Song of Mashooqa,1953
Song of Baap Re Baap 1955
Song of New Delhi (1956)
Song of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
Song of Jhumroo (1961)
Song of Jewel Thief (1967)
Song of Pyar Ka Mausam [1969]
Song of Andaz (1971)
Song of Mere Jeevan Saathi (1972)
Song of Bombay to Goa (1972)
Song of Darling Darling (1977)
Song of Do Aur Do Paanch (1980)
then introduced by him to the world of Hindi film music.
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.
Sawanis 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
