The Mahatma Gandhi’s connection with the Seven Notes of the Music

Very few people know that Gandhi was extremely fond of music and arts. Most of us have been all along under the impression that he was against all arts such as music. In fact, he was a great lover of music, though his philosophy of music was different. In his own words -
“Music does not proceed from the throat alone. There is the music of the mind, of the senses and of the heart.
Mahatma  Gandhi believed in the power of Music. He used music to bring people together. According to Mahatma "In true music, there is no place for communal differences and hostility. Music was a great example of national integration because only there we see Hindu and Muslim musicians sitting together and partaking in musical concerts. We all think that Tulsidas’s Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram was his favorite Bhajan but "Vaishnava Jana Toh, Taine Kahiye/ Peed Parayi Jaane Re" was his most favorite hymn.
This Bhajan was written by Narsi Mehta, a 15th-century poet-saint of Gujarat. Veteran Film Maker Vijay Bhatt first met Gandhiji in the late 1930s on a trip to Valsad with his friends. When Gandhiji learned that he was a filmmaker, he asked, “Why don’t you make a film on Narsi Mehta?”. He made the film in Hindi and Gujarati and released in 1940. The film was well-received and celebrated silver jubilee across India. Bhatt felt bad that he couldn’t show it to Gandhiji.   
Another favourite hymn of the Mahatma was Meerabai’s Hari tum haro, an ode to Lord Krishna. He found universal connotations in Meera’s pain. He was keen that the song be recorded by the Carnatic legend MS Subbulakshmi. After he had moved to Delhi, a 31-year-old MS had come to visit Gandhi. When the Ramdhun began, he told her “Subbulakshmi tum gao, tum shuru karo…’
The song was recorded at All India Radio (AIR) studios in Chennai, on the night of October 1, 1947, and completed at 2 am on October 2. The recording was airlifted to Delhi, where it was played to Gandhi on his 78th birthday, October 2, 1947.
There was an article written by Dr. Namrata Mishra who is Sr. Asst. Prof of Vocal Music, R.C.A. Girls P. G. College, Mathura, U.P.. She wrote that Someone once asked the Mahatma“Mahatmaji don’t you have any liking for music?”. Gandhi replied, “If there was no music and no laughter in me, I would have died of this crushing burden of my work.”
In her article, she says that when Gandhi Ji was in South Africa he had started evening prayers in the Ashram. That collection of bhajans was published under the name - 'Nitivam Kavyo'. In Satyagraha Ashram, Sabarmati, he had added “Raamdhun” as the daily prayer. The musicians of the Ashram were Pt. N. M. Khare, Mama Fadke, Sri Vinoba, and Balkoba Bhave, etc., who were great Indian classical musicians. In his ashram Bhajnawali, there were no discriminations of religion, caste, creed, region, languages etc. It was like a beautiful bouquet of flowers of variegated colours, having various fragrances, and separate features - all in the same bouquet of love, humanity, and faith.

Gandhi Ji not only liked Indian Classical but also western music, in fact, once he wrote a letter to Ravindranath Tagore, written on December 22, 1945, he had suggested in that latter to give both Hindustani music as well as Western music their due place at Shantiniketan along with Bengali music ..
How many of us know that Gandhi ji knew to play the Violin. In his autobiography, he says, "I started to learn to play the violin so that I could get a sense of the notes and beats. Three pounds went into the purchase of a violin and some more to its learning."  when I was returning back I took my violin to my violin teacher. She was most understanding. She said she would try to sell the violin for whatever value it fetched."
In the winter of 1931, on his way back from the Second Round Table Conference in London, Gandhi stopped in Villeneuve de Chillon to call on the philosopher and musical savant, Romain Rolland. The aesthete has written, "...after the prayers, Gandhi asked me to play him a little of Beethoven. I played him the Andante of the Fifth Symphony.
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Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye by various Artists

Lata

M S Subbulaxmi

Pt Jasraj and M S Subbulaxmi

The Mesmarizing Music of the two Great Stalwarts of Golden Era of Bollywood

13 years apart were born the two great stalwarts of Hindi Film Music, S D Burman(1st Oct 1906) and Majrooh Sultanpuri(1919). to create magic in Hindi Films. They partnered in 20 films from 1957 to 1976, leaving behind many unforgettable gems. The first song written by Majrooh and composed by Sd Burman was " Woh Sapne wali Raa"t sung by Geeta Roy in the film Pyar (1950). After a gap of 7 years, they worked together in Paying Guest (1957)., they created the song Chhod Do Aanchal Zamaana Kya Kahega after this the next song was "Mana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin" There were 6 songs in the film, all the songs were hit.
The same year Navketan's Nau Do Gyarah released, once again the magic of both was visible. Aankhon mein kya ji, rupehla baadal became an instant hit its picturization mesmerized the audience. Other songs like Hum Hain Raahi Pyar ke, Humse Kuchh Na Boliye by Kishore,   Aaja Panchhi Akela Hai/So Jaa Nindiya Ki Bela Hai,, by Asha-Rafi are still liked.
Over the years, of course, a large chunk of their films featured Dev Anand, examples being ‘Paying Guest’, ‘Nau Do Gyarah’, ‘Kala Pani’, Manzil’, ‘Solva Saal’, ‘Bombai Ka Baboo’, ‘Baat Ek Raat Ki’, ‘Jewel Thief’ and ‘Teen Deviyan’. 
Besides the Dev Anand films, SD and Majrooh combined on such classics as ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ (which had Kishore’s ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi’, the Kishore-Manna Dey song ‘Babu samjho ishaare’ and the Kishore-Asha superhit ‘Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka’) and ‘Sujata’ (which had Talat Mahmood’s unforgettable ‘Jalte Hain Jiske Liye’,
The two of them also worked in films like ‘Lajwanti’, ‘Sitaron Se Aage’, ‘Talaash’, ‘Phagun’ and ‘Sagina’ (remember ‘Saala mein to saahab ban gaya’?) But their biggest hit arguably was in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1973 film ‘Abhimaan’, which had ‘Tere mere milan ki yeh raina’ (Lata-Kishore), ‘Teri bindiya’ (Lata-Rafi), ‘Lutey koi man’ (Lata-Manhar Udhas), Kishore’s ‘Meet Na Mila’ and three Lata solos ‘Nadiya Kinarey’, ‘Ab Toh Hai Tumse’ and ‘Piya bina’.

Song of Paying Guest 1957

Song of Nau Do Gyarah 1957

Song of Solva Saal  1958

Song of Kala Paani  1958

Song of  Lajwanti (1958) 

Song of  Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)

Song of  Sujata (1960)

Song of  Bombai Ka Babu  (1960)

Song of   Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962)

Song of  Teen Deviyan (1965) 

Song of  Jewel Thief (1967)

Song of  Abhimaan (1973) 

Fifteen Immortal Songs of Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar is a ‘voice of the nation’, an avatar of Goddess Saraswati who has sung over 25,000 songs. Many of these songs are immortal and it is very difficult to select fifteen songs out of countless immortal songs. Here I would like to point out some of her best songs, which are extremely melodious and immortal, sung with various music directors.
The first song in my list is Aayega Aane Wala from Mahal 
The year was 1949. The film was Mahal; the composer Khemchand Prakash and the singer ­Lata Mangeshkar. It was an unforget­table, haunting audiovisual odyssey. An odyssey that marked the birth of a new era. The earlier era belonged to robust, rustic Punjabi voices like Shamshad Begum, Zohrabai Ambale­wali, Amirbai Karnataki, and Noor Je­han. Yet somehow composers like Shyamsunder, Husnlal-Bhagatram, Anil Biswas and Naushad started discovering something new, something different in Lata’s voice. With this song began an Era of Lata Mangeshkar which ended only when she left singing for films.

Song of Mahal 1949

The same year in 1949 another solo song of Lata Mangeshkar became popular. The music of this hit song was composed by Shankar-Jaikishan and the lyrics were penned by Ramesh Shastry. The song is Hawa Mein Udta Jaye Mora Lal Dupatta Malmal Ka from R K Films Barsaat.

Song of Barsaat(1949}

The next song in my list from the 1951 film Sazaa starring Dev Anand and Nimmi.the song is Tum Na Jaane Kis Jahan Mein Kho Gaye written by Rajendra Krishan and composed by S D Burman.

Song of  Sazaa 1951

The same year(1951) another song of Lata became very popular. from the film, Naujawan. The music was composed by S.D. Burman and Sahir Ludhianvi wrote the lyrics. The movie is remembered for the hauntingly melodious song "Thandi Hawayein" by Lata Mangeshkar

Song of  Naujawan 1951

This song “Ye zindagi usi ki hai jo kisi ka ho gaya” must be one of the most popular lines among all the Bollywood songs ever written. And kudos to Rajinder Krishan who penned these immortal lines. It was composed by C Ramchandra for 1954 film Anarkali. This song has two versions that play on different occasions in the movie. They can also be called happy and sad versions of the song

Song of  Anarkali(1954)

Man Dole Mera Tan Dole is from the film  Nagin(1955). The song was composed by Hemant Kumar and written by Rajendra Krishan.

Song of  Nagin(1955)

Another immortal song from Lata is Aaja Re Pardesi from Madhumati. The soundtrack of Madhumati became the best-selling Bollywood soundtrack of 1958. Salil Chowdhury won his first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director

Song of  Madhumati(1958)

 This song was composed by Naushad, written by Shakeel Badayuni, and sung by Lata Mangeshkar with a chorus. The song, when the film was first released, was in black and white. It is shot in a set inspired by the Sheesh Mahal of the AmberFort.of Jaipur. It was the most expensive Indian song up until then and remained the most expensive for decades

Song of  Mughal-E-Azam(1960)

This immortal song "O Sajana Barkha Bahaar Aai".is from the 1960 film Parakh.Composed by Salil Chaudhary and written by Shailendra

Song of  Parakh(1960)

Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil is another immortal song of Lata. The film Bees Saal Baad became very popular for the song "Kahin Deep Jale", sung by Lata Mangeshkar and written by Shakeel Badayuni for which they won Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer and Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist respectively. Hemant Kumar composed the music

Song of  Bees Sal Baad(1962)

Song of  Aarti 1962

Song of  Wo Kaun Thi 1964

Song of  Guide 1965

Song of  Bahu Begam 1967

Song of Pakeeza 1972

Yash Chopra - He Made Films with his Heart

Yash Chopra who made many love stories, also known as the King of Romance, once said that he doesn't make films with a calculator on his hand or eyes on the Box Office collection but put all his heart into telling love stories and was never constrained by budgets. 
His wife Palmela Chopra in an interview said that there was a child inside him, he was always restless. He made great Romantic films but he was not romantic in real life. He was a very practical man. He always thought of films. There was always a story revolving on his mind. He was a master storyteller, No one told a love story quite as bravely and boldly as Yash Chopra did.
Yash Chopra is undoubtedly India's most successful film-maker. With a career spanning over five decades, he has been associated with almost 35 films, most of which have created box-office history. Born on 27th September 1932, in Jalandhar (Punjab), is the younger brother of B R Chopra another Legend of Bollywood.
He started out as an assistant to his brother and went on to direct 5 very successful films for his brother’s banner - B.R.Films. These were Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Dharmputra (1961), Waqt (1965), Ittefaq (1969) & Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969}..Yash  Chopra founded his own production company, Yash Raj Films, in 1971launched with Daag: A Poem of Love (1973), Starring Rajesh Khanna and Rakhi. In 1976 Yashraj Films Kabhie Kabhie was released. It was an instant hit.
After Kabhie Kabhie he made another love story Noorie in 1979 then Silsila in 1981 with Amitabh Bachhan, Rekha and Jaya Bhaduri. The movie is said to be loosely inspired by the famous triangle between the three stars Amitabh-Jaya-Rekha, which was the most popular affair back then. 
Chandni another Love Story released in 1989, starring Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna in the lead roles, the film is considered one of the biggest successes of all time. The story revolves around Rohit (Kapoor) and Chandni (Sridevi) who are in love and are about to be married.
Lamhe was the next film which was released in 1991, starring Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles, the film is hailed as a classic and one of his finest films of all time. This has also been cited as Chopra's personal favorite, as well. Though the film was not a hit.
Yash Chopra directed three more romantic films, all starring Khan; Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Veer-Zaara(2004), and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), before he announced his retirement from directing in 2012.

Romantic Songs from Yash Chopra's Films

Songs of Daag 1973

Songs of Kabhie Kabhie 1976

Songs of Noorie 1979

Songs of Silsila 1981

Songs of Chandni 1989

Songs of Lamhe 1991

Songs of Dil To Pagal Hai 1997

Songs of Veer Zara 2004

Songs of Jab Tak hai Jaan 2012

Chhed Chhad (Teasing) Songs of Dev Anand

The literary meaning of "Chhed Chhad" in English is. teasing each other. It has roots in ancient Indian culture. We all know the stories of Lord Krishna teasing the Gopis. The Chhed Chhad of Jija Saali is acceptable in our culture. Similarly in our Hindi films, many songs are picturized in this genre. From Dev Anand to Kishore Kumar, Raj Kapoor to Shammi Kapoor and other heroes teasing heroines and sang songs in the films, Chhed Chhad has been an integral part of our culture. Within the Indian family structure, parents doing some leg-pulling of their children, or the siblings engaging in chhed chhad is not uncommon. 
Dev Anand in the fifties had light touch within the storyline and darkness of criminal laces around the films. In almost every film there were songs picturized on Dev Anand which could be described as Chhed Chhad song. I think a maximum number of this type of songs were picturized on Dev Anand than any other hero. Think of Dev Anand wooing Nutan with ‘Maana janaab ne pukara nahin’, in  Paying Guest or Jeevan Ke Safar Mein Rahi from Munimji Dev Anand had performed in a large number of such songs, I present few of such chhed chhad songs.
The first song on my list is from 1951 film Sanam

Song of Sanam 1951

Song of Baazi 1951

Song of Jaal 1952

Song of House No. 44 (1955)

Song of Munimji (1955)

Song of Funtoosh (1956)

Song of Pocket Maar (1956)

Song of Paying Guest (1957)

Song of Nau Do Gyarah (1957)

Song of Paying Guest (1957)

Song of Solva Saal 1958

Song of Bombai Ka Babu (1960)

Song of Jaali Note (1960)

Song of Asli Naqli (1963)

Song of Teen Devian (1965)

Song of Pyar Mohabbat (1966)

Song of Pyar Mohabbat (1966)

Song of Jewel Thief (1967)

Song of Duniya 1968

Song of Johny Mera Naam 1970

Song of Banarsi Babu (1973)

Song of Shareef Badmaash (1973)

Song of Amir Garib (1974)

Song of Warrant (1975)

Rajendra Krishan - A Great Lyricist

After the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Krishan wrote a song Suno Suno Aye Duniyawalon, Bapu Ki Yeh Amar Kahani. The song was sung by Mohammed Rafi He also wrote "Jahan daal daal par sone ki" for Sikandar-E-Azam.
He is  is known for his association with the composer C. Ramchandra. He worked with several other music directors including Shankar-Jaikishan, Ravi, Rajesh Roshan, Madan Mohan.
In the mid-1940s, Krishan shifted to Bombay (now Mumbai) to become a screenwriter in the Hindi film industry. His first screenplay was Janta (1947). His first film as a lyricist was Zanjeer (1947). He was first noted for the script and lyrics of the Motilal-Suraiya starrer Aaj Ki Raat (1948). His first success as a lyricist came with the films Badi Bahen (1949) and Lahore (1949).
The 1951 movie Albela was the film in which Rajinder Krishan paired with C Ramchandra to make some very memorable songs.
In 1953, he wrote 4 songs for Anarkali. Ananrkali was his second movie with C Ramchandra. 
He won Filmfare Award for best lyricist for the movie Khandan (1965) for the song "Tumhi mere mandir, tumhi meri pooja".
He died on 23 September 1987 in Mumbai.

Song of Albela 1951

Song of Anarkali 1953

Song of Nagin 1954

Song of Dekh Kabira Roya 1957

Song of Adalat 1958 

Song of Chhaya 1961

 Song of Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke (1963

Song of Bharosa1963

Song of Sharabi 1964

Song of Jahan Ara 1964

Song of Khandan 1965

Song of Blackmail 1973

Shabana Azmi - An Actress Par Excellence

Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) made her big-screen debut with Shyam Benegal’s first film Ankur in 1974. With this film started a trend of Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema in Bollywood. The film went on to become a major critical success, and Shabana Azmi won her first National Film Award for Best Actress for this film. The very next film of her was Dev Anand's Ishk Ishk Ishk in which she had a small role but in the next year in 1975 she appeared in Nishant which was again an Art film, her acting was appreciated in this film.

Since then she appeared in both commercial cinema as well as Art cinema. She has acted in more than one hundred Hindi films. Real-life portrayals continued in almost all of her movies. Shyam Benegal's Nishant (1975), Junoon (1978), Susman (1986), and Antarnaad (1992); Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players); Mrinal Sen's Khandhar, Genesis, Ek Din Achanak; Saeed Mirza's Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai; Sai Paranjpye's Sparsh and Disha; Gautam Ghose's Paar; Aparna Sen's Picnic and Sati; Mahesh Bhatt's Arth; and Vinay Shukla's Godmother are some of her notable films. 

Shabana Azmi ruled Indian 'Parallel Cinema' for 30-years. She hit her peak during the ’80s, wowing the audience with memorable performances in Sparsh (1980), Arth (1982), Masoom (1983) and Mandi (1983), playing difficult characters with consummate ease.

She has been a committed social activist, active in supporting child survival and fighting AIDS and injustice in real life Azmi has voiced her opinion on a variety of issues. Initially, her activism drew skepticism and was dubbed by some as a publicity gimmick. However, she proved her critics wrong and used her celebrity status to emerge as a high-profile social activist.

 Since 1989, she has been a member of the National Integration Council headed by the Prime Minister of India; a member of National AIDS Commission (of India); and was nominated (in 1997) as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament. In 1998, the United Nations Population Fund appointed her as its Goodwill Ambassador for India.

 In appreciation of Shabana Azmi's life and works, the President of India gave her a nominated (unelected) membership of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament.

She is the daughter of great poet Kaifi Azmi and married to Javed Akhtar who is also a great name in Bollywood.

Some of the songs from Shabana's Films

Song of Fakira 1976

Song of Amar Akbar Anthony 1977

Song of Parvarish 1977

Song of Swami 1977

Song of Thodi Si Bewafai 1980

Song of Arth 1982

Song of Masoom 1983