Friday, December 26, 2008

Srigopal Shroti's Tribute to Shankar-Jaikishan and Shailendra


TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN–24–


SHAILENDRA


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Srigopal Shroti



”CHALTE CHALTE THAK GAYA MAIN, AUR SAANJH BHI DHALNE LAGI,TAB RAAH KHUD MUJHKO, APNI BAAHON MEIN LEKAR CHALNE LAGI.”…….SHAILENDRA WAS CLOSE TO LIFE ALL ALONG HIS POETIC CAREER…..THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE ABOVE LINES…..HOWEVER IT IS UNKNOWN FOR WHICH FILM THIS STANZA WAS WRITTEN….
KNOWN WRITER BHISHM SAHANI’S WORDS RELATE……”AFTER ARRIVAL OF SHAILENDRA A NEW VOICE IS ECHOED IN THE LITERARY FIELD (IN MUMBAI 1947). THIS WAS THE VOICE TO ADDRESS THE RULERS OF THE THEN INDIA AFTER GETTING THE INDEPENDENCE…….AND IT WAS A CHALLENGING VOICE WITH STRONG EMOTIONS. IT WAS HAVING THE LOVE FOR HIS COUNTRYMEN BESIDES CHALLENGING THE LEADERS IN THE WORDS…..
”LEADERON NA GAO GEET RAMRAJ KA, IS SWARAJ KA/ KYA HUA KISSAN KAMGAAR RAJ KA.”



THIS SHAILENDRA WAS THE POET OF POOR AND LABOUR CLASS, ECHOING THEIR VOICE IN HIS POEMS………HIS POEMS ARE A PART OF HINDI LITERATURE AND IN 1949, HE WROTE A POEM:



"HAR ZOR-JULM KI TAKKAR MEIN HARTAL HAMARA NAARA HAI/ TUMNE MAANGEN THUKRAI HAIN, TUMNE TODA HAI HAR WADA/ CHHEENA HAMSE ANAJ SASTA, TUM CHHATNI PAR HO AAMADA/ TO APNI BHI TAIYARI HAI, TO HAMNE BHI LALKARA HAI.”



–HE ALSO WROTE IN 1948 AFFECTED BY THE THEN PREVAILING CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY::



””BHAGATSINGH IS BAAR NA LENA KAYA BHARATWASI KI, DESHBHAKTI KE LIYE AAJ BHI SAJA MILEGI PHHANSI KI,…YADI JANTA KI BAAT KAROGE, TUM GADDAR KAHAOGE,…..BAND-SAND KI CHHODO, BHASHAN DOGE, PAKDE JAOGE”’.



–HE AGAIN REITERATED HIS FIRMNESS IN FAVOUR OF THE LABOUR-CLASS……"LEADERJI PRANAM TUMHEN HAM MAJDOORON KA/ HO NYOTA SWEEKAR TUMHEN HAM MAZDOORON KA, EK BAAR IN GANDI GALIYON MEIN AA JAO/..GHOOME DILLI-SIMLA, GHOOM YEHAN BHI JAO"



—HOWEVER UNDER THE PRESSURE OF NEGATISM, HE WAS HOPEFUL:…””TU ZINDA HAI TO ZINDAGI KI JEET PAR YAKEEN KAR/…AGAR KAHIN HAI SWARG TO UTAR LAA ZAMIN PAR”’.



SHAILENDRA WROTE HIS OWN DESPONDENCY IN THE FILM LYRICS: FOR EXAMPLE TO REMEMBER HIS MOTHER (FILM:AB DILLI DOOR NAHIN”)….”’.MAATA O MAATA TU JO AAJ HOTI/YUN TADAPTA AGAR MUJHE DEKHATI, TERA DIL TOOT JATA”’………..AND IN ‘CHHOTE NAWAB’—-”’ILAHI TU SUN LE HAMARI DUA/…SALAMAT RAHE SAAYA MAA BAAP KA.”’……HE LOVED HIS MOTHER TOO MUCH.



–BUT HE DID NOT FORGET HIS RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HIS MUSIC DIRECTORS, TOWARDS FILM SITUATIONS, SUCH AS ”’BHAY BHANJANA VANDANA SUN HAMARI/…DARAS TERE MAANGE YE TERA PUJARI(BASANT BAHAR)……AND EVEN IN LIGHT SITUATIONS, THIS SERIOUS WRITER LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED AND WROTE ””AAIIYA KARUN MAIN KYA SUKU SUKU(JANGALI),..LAL CHHADI MAIDAN KHADI…(JANWAR),….NAKHREWALI…VOH TO KOI AUR THI JO AANKHON SE SAMA GAI DIL MEIN (NAI DILLI)…………..HE WAS STILL NOT AWAY FROM HIS PAINS OF THE DOWNTRODDEN, AND PENNED:



”’SURAJ ZARA AA PAAS AA, AAJ SAPNO KI ROTI PAKAYENGE HAM……/AI AASMAN TU BADA MEHRABAN, AAJ TUJHKO BHI DAAWAT KHILAYENGE HAM”’(UJALA)….NEXT HE COMES UP WITH ”’KYON NA ROTIYON KA PED HAM LAGAA LEN, ROTI TODEN, AAM TODEN,….ROTI-AAM KHA LEN.””



CUD U NOTICE THE SIMPLICITY OF LIFE, POETRY, LYRICS, HIS AFFECTION TO LABOUR CLASS, HIS CHALLENGE TO THE RULERS…..AND THEN ACCEPTING THE TERMS OF THE PRODUCERS AND DIRECTORS TO WRITE THE LIVE SITUATIONS IN THEIR FILM SONGS.



WAS HE A LYRICIST ONLY…NAY…FIRST HE WAS A POET THEN CIRCUMSTANCES MADE HIM A LYRICIST, BUT TO SAY, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PART ”POET” SHAILENDRA FROM THE ”LYRICIST” SHAILENDRA……”AJEEB DASTAN HAI YE, KAHAN SHURU KAHAN KHATAM, YEH MANZILEN HAIN KAUN SI, NA VO SAMAJH SAKE NA HAM””’…”TU PYAR KA SAAGAR HAI….””ANDHE JAHAN KE ANDHE RAASTE, JANYE TO JAYEN KAHAN.””…”ASLI NAQLI CHEHRE DEKHE, DIL PE SAU SAU PEHRE DEKHE……”HAM SIMHASAN PAR JAA BAITHEN JAB JAB KAREN IRADE…”….”’BARSANE LAGE SHAB TO KYA NEEND AAYE, UDHAR KADKE BIJLI, IDHAR JAAN JAAYE…..”’KOI MATWARA, AAYA MERE DWARE….””’SAJANWA BAIRI HO GAYE HAMAR….” ”CHALAR MUSAFIR MOH LIYA RE PINJRE WALI MUNIA””’HAM TO JAATE APNE GAON, SABKO RAM RAM RAM, APNI RAM RAM RAM….”””DIL KI GIRAH KHOL DO….”LAAKHON TAARE AASMAN MEIN, EK MAGAR DHUNDHE NA MILA…”’ ”’O SHAMA MUJHE PHOONK DE”’……WE TALKED ABOUT THE POET SHAILENDRA AND LYRICIST SHAILENDRA……..AND HE WILL BE IMMORTAL, TILL FILM MUSIC SUSTAINS…………….TO CONTINUE ,…………gshroti@in.com……

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Tribute to SJ & SHAILENDRA by Srigopal Shroti


TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN–23–

SHAILENDRA•December 20, 2008


MOSTLY Shailendra’s songs were written on the philosophy of life. and when he died on 14th Dec 1966 (birthday of Raj Kapoor), the radio was playing …..”KE MAR KE BHI KISI KO YAADE AAYENGE, KISI KE AANSUON MEIN MUSKURAYENGE, KAHEGA PHOOL HAR KALI SE BAAR BAAR, JEENA ISEE KA NAAM HAI”…….AND RAJ SAAB WAS SO NERVOUS AND SAID ”’MERE TO SHABD HI KHO GAYE” AND AGAIN IN DESPERATION HE ASKED SHAILENDRA?””’YAAR TU NE KHUDA KE PAAS JAANE KE LIYE MERA JANMDIN HI CHUNA”’.
HOWEVER AS HAPPENS SEVERAL THINGS IN EVERY MAN’S LIFE, SO SHAILENDRA WAS NO EXCEPTION…..HE WAS DRINKING TOO MUCH, BESIDES BEING CHAIN SMOKER……ONE DAY EVENING, WHEN HE WAS ENTERING HIS HOME FULLY DRUNK, HIS LEGS COULDN’D STAND AND HE TOOK SUPPORT OF THE DOOR, AND…….THERE WERE LAUGHTERS FROM THE NEIGHBOUR’S HOUSE, HE SAW THERE AND ENTERED…..THEN HE WROTE IN A FILM……”’JUNGLE MEIN EK MOR NAACHA, KISI NE NA DEKHA, HAM JO THODI SI PEEKE ZARA JHUME, HAY RE SABNE DEKHA”’……EVERY SITUATION WAS A SONG FOR HIM……BIRTH, DEATH, LIFE, GHARIBI, AMIRI, MAUSAM, LOVE, FEELINGS, HAPPINESS, SADNESS, SHRINGAR, BEAUTY, HUNGER, THIRST AND ….SIMPLICITY OF LIFE, CLASSICAL, WESTERN:
: PL COME WITH ME::
”DIL KA HAAL SUNE DIL WALA, SIDHI SI BAAT NA MIRCH MASALA, KEHKE RAHEGA KAHNEWALA””(SIMPLICITY)…….LOST LOVE ””GALE LAGI SAHAM SAHAM, BHARE GALE SE BOLTI, VO TUM NA THI TO KAUN THA TUMHIN TO THIN, SAFAR KE WAKT MEIN PALAK PE MOTIYON KO TOULTI, VOH TUM NA THI TO KAUN THA, TUMHIN TO THIN…..SAARE BHED KHUL GAYE, RAAZDAAR NA RAHA, ZINDGI HAMEN TERA AITBAR NA RAHA, AITBAR NA RAHA”” (IMAGINE THE TEARS ON EYELID—-AND THAT IS –SAFAR KE WAKT MEIN PALAL PE MOTIYON KO TOULTI, VO TUM NA THIN TO KAUN THA….TUMHIN TO THIN…..(Here is th Poet Shailendra)
AS A SON HE HAD GREAT FAITH IN HIS MOTHER AND WHEN SHE LEFT LEAVING A YOUNGER SHAILENDRA, THIS PAIN REMAINED IN HIS HEART THROUGH OUT HIS LIFE AND HE BECAME A DISBELIEVER OF FAITH IN GOD…….HOWEVER IN FILMS UR SENTIMENTS ARE NOT VALUED, BUT WHEN TIME CAME, DESPITE HIS DISBELIEF, HE WROTE: ”DUNIYA NA BHAYE MOHE AB TO BULA LE CHARNO MEIN CHARNO MEIN TERE CHARNO MEIN”’
DURING DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AND EVEN NOT ON TALKING TERM HE HINTED S-J: CHHOTI SE YE DUNUYA PEHCHANE RAASTE HAIH, KAHIN TO MILOGE KABHI TO MILOGE, TO POOCHENGE HALL–(-LATER TAKEN IN RANGOLI)…..AND CHALLENGED HIS RAJ SAAB ”HAM BHI HAIN TUM BHI HO, DONO HAIN AAMNE SAAMNE…(WENT TO JIS DESH MEIN GANGA…)……HE WAS A FIGHTER POET, BEING INDIAN FOLLOWING KALR MARX. STRANGE.FEW EXAMPLES MORE FOR THE OLDIES AND GOLDIES:;”CHAKKE PE CHAKKA, CHAKKE PE GADI””RAAT KE HASAFAR, THAK KE GHAR KO CHALE”,”TERI YAAD DI SE BHULANE CHALA HUN”..LLKHON TARE AASMAN ME, EK MAGAR THUNDHE NA MILA.”’TERA MERA PYAAR AMAR PHIR KYUN MUJHKO LAGTA HAI DAR”’MEHTAB TERA CHEHRA, EH KHWAB MEIN DEKHA THA””DIL KI GIRAH KHOL DO CHUP NA BAITHO, KOI GEET GAAO” ”SAVERE WALI GADI SE CHALE JAYENGE” ”TUMHARI BHI JAI JAI HAMARI BHI JAI JAI” ”TUM BIN SAJAN BARSE NAYAN” ”KOI MATWALA AAYA MERE DWARE”’JEENA YEHAN MARNA YAHA AND MANY SONG OF TEESRI KASAM…AND HUNDREDS MORE .
IN 1963 RANJIT MOVIETONE PRODUCED ”BEHRUPIYA” WITH RAJ AND VYJAYANTIMALA. MUSIC DIRECTORS WERE S-J. THEY RECORDED A SONG IN MANNADA’S VOICE BY SHAILENDRA WHICH WAS””HANS KAR HANSA, RO KAR RULA”..BUT FILM FAILED TO BE RELEASED…..HOWEVER, IN 1983, PRODUCER SHADAB MADE A FILM NAMED ”FILM HI FILM” WITH THE PIECES OF FILMS WHICH WERE NEVER RELEASED…..IN THIS ”FILM HI FILM”, HE INCLUDED THAT SONG OF BAHURUPIYA……..to continue…….gshroti@in.com………

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN..22–

SHAILENDRA•December 14, 2008

Srigopal Shroti


ONE imp instance i am remembering on the ”punyatithi” Dec.14, of great poet/lyricist oF HINDI FILM MUSIC…….Previously i have mentioned that late Shailendra had the knowledge of customs of different regions….and this was well depicted in the SONG FROM ”SANGAM”—”HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA, VOH GAANA GAYEGA……..”……IN BETWEEN THE SONG, WHEN LATAJI’S TURN COMES TO SING AFTER THE BEAUTIFUL INTERLUDE OF VIOLINS……HERE SHAILENDRA WROTE……”AB KAH DOONGI, KARTE KARTE KITNE SAWAN BEET GAYE, JAANE KAB IN AAKHON KA SHARMANA JAYEGA”……DEEWANA SAIKADON MEIN PAHCHANA JAYEGA…….IN THE BEGINNING, I WAS CONFUSED, WHETHER IT WAS KAHTE KAHTE OR ”KARTE KARTE”, …..LATER WHEN DEEPER WE WENT, IT CAME TO KNOW THAT IN INDIA THE VIRGIN GIRLS KEEP FAST ON ”SAWAN” MONTH OF HINDI CALENDAR…..TO GET A GOOD HUSBAND….AND THIS WAS THE MICRO-SIGHT OF SHAILENDRAJI EXPRESSING THE THOUGHTS BEHIND ””JAANE KAB IN AAKHON KA SHARMANA JAYEGA””. GREAT………..HOW LIVELY IT FEELS.
SHAILENDRAJI WAS SO SIMPLE THAT HE DID NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE COMPOSERS FOR WHOM HE WAS WRITING AND AMONG THEM WERE: SD BURMAN, ROSHAN, SALIL CHAUDHARY AND PERHAPS KALYANJI ANANDJI…..AND DID JUSTICE TO THE SONGS COMPOSED BY THEM…..BUT FOR HIMSELF……HE THOUGHT ”BAHUT DIYA DENE WAALE NE TUJHKO, AANCHAL HI NA SAMAYE TO KYA KEEJAI”’…..
BECAUSE OF SHAILENDRA’S PRESENCE, THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE WAS INFLUENCED BY HIS THINKING…..EVERYBODY WAS SERIOUS……”WHAT THE POET BRINGS OUT OF HIM”’…..RAJ SAAB HIMSELF CONFESSED THAT SHAILENDRA PLAYED A GREAT ROLE TO MAKE R.K. AN HISTORICAL CAMP………SHAILENDRA HAD REFLECTIONS IN HIS WORDINGS AND BY LISTENING THE SONG, WHOLE SCENE SPREAD OUT BEFORE UR EYES….e.g. ”’NEEL GAGAN KI CHHAON MEIN DIN RAIN GALE SE MILTE HAIN, MAN PANCHHI BAN UD JAATA HAI, HAM KHOYE KHOYE RAHTE HAIN”’……AMOMG THOUSAND PEARLS, A FEW ARE FOR U TO HUM:
”MAIN NADIYA PHIR BHI MAIN PYAASI, BHED YE GEHRA BAAT ZARA SEE”,…..”O JAANE WAALE HO SAKE TO LAUT KE AANA”’……”YAAD NA JAAYE BEETE DINO KI..”’…..”RUK JAA RAAT THAHR JAA RE CHANDA”…….”MAN RE TU HI BATA KYA GAUN”….”NAACHE MAN MORA MAGAN TIK DA DHIGI DHIGI”’….”BAHAR BANKE VO MUSKARAYE HAMARE GULSHAN MEIN”….”RAADHIKE TUNE BANSURI CHURAI”…..”AAJA AAI BAHAR, DIL HAI BEQRAR..””….”KAANTON SE KHEENCH KE YE AANCHAL”….”JAO RE JOGI TUM JAO RE”……..more to follow……gshroti@in.com…………

Monday, December 8, 2008

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN–21–SHAILENDRA

MAARE GAYE GULFAAM…..AJI HAAN MARE GAYE GULFAAM…….

Srigopal Shroti


IN previous posts, i did not write much about SHAILENDRA, ONE OF THE FOUR PILLERS, THRILLING THE MUSIC LOVERS WITH HIS IMMORTAL LINES AND STANZAS IN HINDI FILM MUSIC WORLD.
SHAILENDRA WAS FIRST A POET AND THEN A LYRICIST…….BECAUSE HE HAD THE HEART OF A POET, WHICH IS EVIDENT FROM HIS POETIC CAREER BEFORE ENTERING INTO FILMS….AND TILL LAST HE REMAINED A POET.
I REMEMBER HRIKISHESH MUKHERJI’S COMMENTS THAT THESE LINES CUD BE PENNED DOWN BY SHAILENDRA AND SHAILENDRA ONLY….AND THESE TWO LINES ARE A GREAT PART OF THE SONG FROM ”ANARI” AND THEY ARE:”’DIL PE MARNE WALE MARENGE BHIKARI.”’….SACH HAI DUNIAWALON KE HAM HAIN ANARI”’…..AND…..”’TOOTA JIS TARE PE NAZAR THI HAMARI”’…..SACH HAI DUNIAWALON KE HAM HAIN ANARI.”…..FIND OUT THE PAINS OF A CHEATED LOVER IN THESE TWO LINES.
SHAILENDRA WROTE NEARLY 1000 SONGS IN 150 FILMS DURING HIS 18 YEARS CAREER IN FILM INDUSTRY . ……SHAILENDRA KNEW THE FEELINGS OF A COMMON MAN, BESIDES HAVING GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF INDIAN CUSTOMS OF MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE OF THIS HIS SONGS WILL REMAIN A PART OF THE INDIAN CULTURE.
—-HE STARTED HIS DEVOTION TO LITERATURE FROM THE YEAR 1938 WHEN HE USED TO WRITE WITH THE PEN-NAME , ‘SHACHIPANI’. …..IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT THE WRITINGS OF A LITERATEUR ARE TOTALLY DEVOTED TO THE LITERATURE….BUT IN THE CASE OF SHAILENDRA, HIS POEMS CONSTITUTED A GREAT PART OF HIS FILM LYRICS.
HOWEVER IN PRIVATE LIFE, HE WAS MUCH INFLUNCED BY KARL MARX, MAHATMA GANDHI AND SANT KABIR…….HE WROTE ”SOU SALAAM US KARL MARX KO JISNE MUKTI MARG DIKHAYA”……WAS IT NOT IRONICAL THAT THE FOLLOWER OF KARL MARX WAS THE FOLLOWER OF THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-VIOLENCE OF GANDHIJI……HE WROTE ”AAZADI HO AISI KE KHOON BAHAYE BINA MILE, PATTHAR KA ANTAR CHHIL JAYE”……..ONLY AN INDIAN SOUL CAN ABSORB THESE TWO CONTRADICTIONS…….SEE THE KABIR’S INFLUENCE IN ”MAIN NADIYA PHIR BHI MAIN PYASI, BHED YE GAHARA BAAT ZARA SEE”…..FILM SONGS OWE THE DEEPER SENSE OF REALISM TO SHAILENDRA…….
HAVE SOME EXAMPLES HERE ”KAATH KA TUKDA BEH JAATA HAI, LOHA DOOB KE REH JAATA HAI, GYANI SOCH VICHAR, NAIYA TERI MAJHDHAR”’, …….”KAAM NAYE NIT GEET BANANA, KOI NA MILE TO AKELE MEIN GAANA, MEET AUR PREET KA GEET RAHE , LOOT SAKA NA KOI YE KHAJANA…..MERA NAAM RAJU, GHARANA ANAM”……”NA HAATHI HAI, NA GHODA HAI, WAHAN PAIDAL HI JAANA HAI…..SAJAN RE JHOOTH MAT BOLO, KHUDA KE PAS JAANA HAI”……”AB. KI BARAS BHEJ BHAIYA KO BABUL, SAWAN MEIN LEEJO BULAYE RE”……”’SAARE BHED KHUL GAYE, RAAJDAR NA RAHA, ZINDAGI HAME TERA AITBAR NA RAHA””…….”’JO JISSE MILA SEEKHA HAMNE, GAIRON KO BHI APNAYA HAMNE, MATLAB KE LIYE ANDHE HOKER ROTI KO NAHIN POOJA HAMNE…..AB HAM TO KYA SAARI DUNIA, SAARI DUNIA SE KAHTI HAI…….HAM US DESH KE WASI HAIN JIS DESH MEIN GANGA BEHTI HAI”’…………TO CONTINUE………gshroti@in.com……..

Friday, November 21, 2008

SHANKER JAIKISHEN DISTINGUISHED THIS VARIETY WHILE COMPOSING THEIR SONGS

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN…20–S-J & MUKESH
(Courtesy - http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com/)

S-J DID NOT FAVOUR ANY SINGER FOR PARTICULAR ACTOR/ACTRESSES…..THEY FAVOURED THE SONG TO BE TUNED TO FIT OCCASION……otherwise there wud have been every song of Mukesh for Raj Kapoor, Talat Mehmood for Dilip Kumar, Mannadey for Shammi Kapoor…….THEY DISTINGUISHED THIS VARIETY WHILE COMPOSING THEIR SONGS…..AND STILL SONG WAS IMPORTANT NOT THE HERO….THIS SUPREMACY THEY MAINTAINED….AND THE HEROS AND HEROINS WERE UNDER THEIR MESMERISM.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER IN OTHER POSTS, AS SOON AS THE FILM WAS SIGNED BY S-J, THE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR GOT THE HERO/HEROIN ALSO SIGNED FOR THE FILM, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT UNDER S-J’S BATON, THEY WILL BE BIG HITS.

THEREFORE, I TAKE U TO THE DIFFERENT PLATFORM WITH S-J AND MUKESH, WITH THE FEW SONGS THEY COMPOSED FOR HIM…..TRY TO IDENTIFY:

1. IN ‘AAH’ THERE IS ONE MEMORABLE NUMBER SUNG BY MUKESH AND ALSO FILMED ON HIM…..GUESS? HERE IT IS ”CHHOTI SE YEH ZINDAGANI RE, CHAR DIN KI JAWANI TERI”.

2. JAIKISHAN COMPOSED A TUNE FOR MUKESH. MUKESH SANG IT WITH SUCH STYLE THAT JAIKISHAN FELT THAT IT SHD BE FILMED ON HIMSELF ON THE SCREEN?………WHICH WAS THAT………IN ‘BEGUNAH’…..”AI PYASE DIL BEZUBAN, DARD HAI TERI DASTAN, AAG KO AAG MEIN DHAL KE, KAB TAK JEE BEHLAYEGA….AI PYASE…..”

3. THIS SONG WAS COMPOSED BY JAIKISHAN, AFTER THE RAJ-NARGIS BREAK UP. ….THERE WAS A TAUNTING TONE TO HASRAT’ S LYRIC, WRITTEN FOR A FILM IN WHICH MALA SINHA PLAYED AGAINST RAJ KAPOOR…..AND EVEN WHEN MUKESH SANG IT HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED IN IT FOR RAJ-NARGIS BREAK-UP…BUT RAJ HAD TO SING IT ON SCREEN….. GUESS?………………………………………HERE IT IS ”’KISI NARGISI NAZAR KO DIL DENGE HAM, KALI ZULF KE SAAYE MEIN DUM LENGE HUM…….”’

4. MUKESH BELIEVED THAT MOST OF THE THEME SONG OF THE FILM WERE COMPOSED BY SHANKAR…….STILL THERE were THREE THEME SONGS FILMED ON RAJ KAPOOR AND SUNG BY MUKESH, WERE THE COMPOSITION BY JAIKISHAN……..REMEMBER?……DIFFICULT………..LET US SEE ”’AWARA HOON”(AWARA), MAIN AASHIQ HOON BAHARON KA..(AASHIQ)…& ”MERE MAN KI GANGA….”(SANGAM).

5. IN 1958, FILMFARE AWARD WAS ANNOUNCED FOR ONE PLAYBACK SINGER, EITHER MALE OR FEMALE….AND LATER IT WENT MALE AND FEMALE INDIVIDUALY…….IN 1958, IT WENT TO LATA FOR ”AAJA RE PARDESI….” IN MADHUMATI……BUT IN 1959 THE AWARD WENT TO MUKESH, WHO PUT ALL RIVAL VOICES, MALE AND FEMALE, IN THE SHADE WITH A RUNAWAY HIT SANG BY RAJ KAPOOR ON SCREEN………COULD U GUESS, YES IT IS EASY……”SAB KUCHH SEEKHA HAMNE NA SEEKHI HOSHIARI…SACH HAI DUNIAWALON KE HAM HAIN ANARI”.

6. IT HAPPENED, THAT LATA WILL NOT SING FOR SHANKAR (BOTH HAD DIFFERENT MOODS), BUT MUKESH PERSUADED LATA TO SING FOR SHANKAR IN ”SANYASI”……WHICH WAS THE DUET LATA SANG WITH MUKESH?……..GUESS…..NO……YES–”SUN BAL BRAHMACHARI, MAIN HOON KANYA KUNWARI….”’

7. A MUKESH NUMBER COMPOSED BY SHANKAR CAME TO BE RANKED AS AN ALL-TIME CLASSIC. IT WAS FILMED ON DILIP KUMAR……BUT DILIP KUMAR WANTED TALAT MEHMOOD TO SING IT…..WHILE SHANKAR WANTED MUKESH BECAUSE SHANKAR COMPOSED THIS KEEPING IN MIND THE VOICE OF MUKESH…….AS IT IS KNOWN, THAT MUKESH WAS GOING DOWN LOW AT THAT TIME AND AT THE TOSS OF A COIN THE SONG WENT INTO MUKESH’S POCKET………EASY TO GUESS…”.’.YE MERA DEEWANAPAN HAI, YA MUHABBAT KA SUROOR, TU NA PEHCHANE TO HAI YE TERI NAZRON KA QUSOOR..”’(YEHOODI)

…..AND IT IS SAID THAT THIS BECAME A LUCKY SONG FOR MUKESH FOR TIME TO COME.

THIS IS THE EXTRACT OF MY FIRST PARA…& THERE ARE MORE EXAMPLES OF THE DUO EXPLOITING THE SITUATION IN THEIR FAVOUR….AND MAKING THE FILM A GREAT HIT(MAY BE WITH A WEAK STORY) BY THEIR STRONG AND MELODIOUS SONGS, WHICH WENT TO THE HISTORY AS GOLD COINS………TO CONTINUE………gshroti@in.com……….



Monday, November 17, 2008

भारत रत्न पंडित भीमसेन जोशी जी को मनीष देसाई के श्रद्धा सुमन



SANGEET RATNA – BHIMSEN JOSHI



- Manish Desai



It was Diwali once again at Pune’s ‘Kalashree’ in Navipeth with ‘rangolis’ and floral decorations adorning the road leading to the house. The rangolis were drawn early in the morning by a civil society organization Vidhayak and had inscriptions ‘mile sur hamara tumhara’. This was the way the music lovers of Pune greeted living legend, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, when an announcement was made by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, about him being conferred the ‘Bharat Ratna’ - the country’s highest civilian honour. Noted philosopher J Krishnamurthy had once said ‘love is like a river’. The music of Bhimsen Joshi is also like a river – ever flowing with beautiful bends. His music is also like a rain – robust during downpour and enchanting like rain drops. The legendary exponent of the Kirana Gharana is known for his mellifluous voice, dazzling 'taans' and an incredible breath-control. The doyen, through his amazing absorption of the soul of various gayaki styles has created a unique blend, adding his own introspective aesthetic sense. At 86, his body is not giving company to his voice. Unable to climb or walk, Bhimsen Joshi can still mesmerize audience with his vocal renditions.
Born in a conservative school master’s family in Gadag town of erstwhile Dharwad district in Karnataka on February 4, 1922, Bhimsen Joshi, showed inclination towards music, early in his childhood. The washerman of the house was in a way his first music guru. According to the family folklore, Bhimsen Joshi would often be seen standing in front of a music shop in the main street of Gadag, listening to ‘Fagwa Brij Dekhan Ko’ a Raag Basant composition rendered by Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, the founder father of the Kirana Gharana.
Dharwad was then part of the Bombay state and prevalent form of music was Hindustani. Bhimsen Joshi was fascinated by the khayal form of singing. In those days, khayal was principally taught in the Guru-Shishya parampara or the master – disciple tradition. In 1933, the eleven year old Bhimsen left home on his own in search of a guru. He spent three years in Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur, all renowned centres of Hindustani music, searching for an ideal teacher. For a brief period, Bhimsen Joshi was the disciple of Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, the most prized musician of Gwalior and father of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who taught him the rudiments of Raag Puriya and Raag Maarwa. Ultimately, his father Gururajacharya Joshi succeeded in tracking him down and brought young Bhimsen back home.
In 1936, Rambhau Kundgolkar, better known as Sawai Gandharva, agreed to take Bhimsen Joshi as his shishya and imparted rigorous music training for four years. The teacher taught him the nuances of khayal gayaki and Bhimsen Joshi perfected the patterns of Raag Multani and Raag Todi while performing the errands in the Guru’s house. After four years, he left his Guru and set out on his own.
At the age of 20, Bhimsen Joshi released his first album which was a collection of devotional songs in Hindi and Kannada. His first live performance was held in Pune in 1946 to mark the shashtabdipoorti (60 years) of his guru Sawai Gandharva. He has never looked back since then.
Kannada audience got the taste of Joshi’s talent, when he rendered D R Bendre’s poem, ‘Uttara Dhuva Dim.. Dakhana Dhruva Ku” for HMV. His rendition of Purandara Dasa’s “Bhagyada Lakshmi Baaramma” is still among the most favourite devotional songs in Kannada as are his Marathi abhangs in Maharashtra. The great success of these recordings made Bhimsen Joshi a popular singer. Soon, he began to get invitations to perform at various cities and towns of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra.
He bought a huge car to travel around. Bombay to Belgaum to Sholapur to Bangalore to Hyderabad to Nagpur to Raipur… the journeys continued unending and he became an expert driver. The spread of his fame and popularity beyond the boundaries of Karnataka and Maharashtra brought him invitations from far off places like Jalandhar, Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Calcutta and Gawahati. He soon realized the car had its limitations – it moved in a vilambit taal. Panditji switched to air travel – thus giving an opportunity for his friends to remark “the disciple of Sawai Gandharva has become a ‘Hawai’ Gandharva.”
In 1970, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi rendered Sant Vani – a synthesis of works of Kabir Das and Purandara Dasa, which brought laurels and critical acclaim. He also rendered ever green numbers “Piya to manata nahee,” a thumri, “ Jo bhaje Hari ko sada,” a bhajan, and the most enchanting thumri – “Piya ke milan ki aas.”

Bhimsen Joshi's rendition of 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara' along with other doyens of music--Balamurali Krishna and Lata Mangeshkar virtually became an unofficial national anthem in in the late 80s, capturing hearts of millions of Indians even as the song was beamed on Doordarshan to countless homes. For over four decades Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has led the renaissance of Indian classical music with the passion and power of a one man chorus.His seemingly effortless performances hide hours of relentless riyaz. He has added his own distinctive style, adapting characteristics from other gharanas to create a unique vocal idiom.
Pandit ji had once remarked “an unsympathetic teacher and rigorous riyaz with a bit of luck thrown in makes a good singer.’ Fortunately or unfortunately, Bhimsen Joshi had all three of them. But his gratitude for his gurus remains rock solid. He has started an annual classical musical festival called Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in the memory of his guru. This festival is held in Pune every December.
Bharat Ratna has made Pandit ji happy and expectedly he has dedicated it as a tribute to the Kirana Gharana. He, however, said that the one person he remembered most when he received the news of Bharat Ratna was his disciple and wife Vatsala. “She played an important role in all my activities, including the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. She loved music and took a lot of efforts to ensure that the festival reached the stature that it enjoys today.”Speaking about the future of classical music Bhimsen Joshi said "young people have lots of technique, little emotion. They learn khayal in the morning, ghazal in the afternoon, natyasangeet in the evening, want to perform at night," Pandit Joshi had observed. The statement reflects the lifetime experience of a dedicated and sincere artiste. It also explains why Panditji has survived others in life and in music, and weathered criticism and nightmares, to remain one of India's most admired artistes.


manishdesai.pib@gmail.com


Friday, November 14, 2008

ALWAYS A DIFFERENT S-J (Courtesy :http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com/)

Srigopal Shroti's TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN


MANY a times we take up many jobs, may be difficult, but our energy and mastermindedness, help us to prove our temperamental versality……..sorry, the line belongs to Shankar Jaikishan, (may i call them the duo of 1949), when they pulled the chain of HINDI FILM MUSIC IN THEIR FAVOUR……Yes, it is a matter of laughter for me to conceive that composing film music is so easy……Nay, it is a tricky business, if one wants to play longer by putting their soul in their compositions, that match with the contemporary era for full survival. GOD GIVEN GIFT, THE DUO WERE AT THEIR BEST FOR FULL TWO DECADES….AND HAD THE JAI SURVIVED, IT IS NOT A JOKE THAT THEY STRETCHED TWO DECADES FURTHER SETTING NEW TRENDS. for here one cannot indulge in the whims of one’s own temperament and inclination, which may be possible for a classical singer to spend several years mastering 30 to 40 RAAGS and making a career of them. for FILMS IS A COMMERCIAL WORLD AND IS NEVER POSSIBLE FOR A MUSIC COMPOSER TO STAND EASY (putting hands at back) after developing 40 different tunes, unable to portend how many will succeed. HERE THE S-J HAD MASTERY (in the opinion of one young music director of their times) IN DECLARING WHICH SONG OF THEIRS WILL BE MORE POPULAR THAN THE OTHER FROM THEIR OWN CREATIONS (THE SONGS HAD TO BE SET ACCORDING TO ACTORS AND ACTRESSES IN DIFFERENT FILMS)……….IT IS A THOROUGH FACT THAT WHEN S-J WERE GIVEN THE ASSIGNMENT, SOME OF THE SCEPTICS WONDERED AT THE COMPETENCE OF THE YOUNGSTERS TO HANDLE A THEME WHICH ACCORDING TO THEM CUD BE HANDLED ONLY BY NAUSHAD OR ANIL BISWAS………BUT THE DUO TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE WITH A BOISTEROUS ”BRAHMACHARI”, A WESTERNISED ”AN EVENING IN PARIS”, A FOLKISH ”TEESRI KASAM”. A BREEZY ”BARSAT”, A CLASSICAL ”BASANT BAHAR”, A SERIOUS ”DIL EK MANDIR”, A SOULFUL ”DIL APNA AUR PREET PARAI”, A DECOITY ”JIS DESH MEIN GANGA BEHTI HAI”, A PAUPER’S PARADISE ”UJALA”, A SIMPLETON’S ”SHRI 420”, SUFFERING WOMAN ”PATITA”, A SAD ”AAH”, A COMEDIAN ‘PROFESSOR”, A JUMPING JOCKY ‘JUNGLEE”, LOVE TRIAGLE ”SANGAM”, A DESPARATE LOVER ”JHUK GAYA AASMAN”, ”SASURAL”, ”HAMRAHI”, ”ASLI NAQLI”, ”JAB PYAR KISI SE HOTA HAI”, MULTI STARRER ”MERA NAAM JOKER”,…….. IN THEIR STRIDE AS A PART OF A DAY’S WORK AND WHETHER THEY COMPOSED FOR RAJKAPOOR, DILIP KUMAR, RAJENDRA KUMAR(A JUBILEE KUMAR BECOZ OF THEIR MUSIC), SHAMMI KAPOOR—-(CUD U IMAGINE NAUSHAD OR MADAN MOHAN COMPOSING FOR HIM?). ….THIS DIVERSITY AND VERSATILITY PROVIDED SHANKAR JAIKISHAN THRU SEVERAL YEARS OF CHANGING FASHIONS AND COMPETITION (which was evident in thier song in ”MUD MUD KE NA DEKH.(SHRI 420) AND IN ANARI ”NINETEEN FIFTY SIX, NINETEEN FIFTY SEVEN……..”follow the interlude wordings and AS IN ”TEEN KANISTER PEET PEET KAR GALA PHAD KAR CHILLANA, YAAR MERE MAT BURA MAAN, YEH GAANA HAI NA BAJANA HAI…….” IN LOVE MARRIAGE.’(several years trend till today)…………TO CONTINUE……..gshroti@in.com……….’.



Thursday, November 13, 2008

A Shanker Jaikishan Devotee - Prof. Balasaheb Bhide


Prof. Balasaheb Bhide-The Shanker Jaikishan Devotee

Since he was 16 years old he was a devout Shanker Jaikishan fan. Already captivated by the melodies of the music director duo, little did this young man realize then, that his entire life was going to be centred around the work & lives of Shanker Jaikishan!Pune Life Style visits the musical world of Prof. Balasaheb Bhide ...
Half a century later, as Prof. Balasaheb Bhide looks back at this musical journey of life & he is content!


"When I look back, I increasingly realize that if Gods could descend to the earth and bless us what else could they do but what Shanker Jaikishan did? Forget that they were humans ... look at them for their work.Shanker was the form of Shiva with his damru from which emanated the finest rhythms and Jaikishan the Krishna whose flute enchanted us with the finest of melodies."
"I was into my teens when the music of Barsaat, Awara, Shree 420 and other SJ hits were everywhere in the air. Obviously, even I was no exception. We used to live on Tilak Road in the 50s and we had this huge Stuart Warner 8-valve radio. Every Wednesday, we waited for 8.00 p.m. sharp for the Binaca Geet Mala to begin. For one hour there used to be a crowd outside our house. Neighbours, friends even passers by, would stop and listen to those enchanting songs as Ameen Sayani took us through all the padaans.""

"1956 was one memorable year. With outstanding creations like Basant Bahar & Halaku, SJ were at their finest. And when Chori Chori burst into the Geetmala listings, it created a record of sorts when ALL its songs made it to the Geetmala that year. When Ameen Sayani would announce a song we would all cheer! And what melodies they were! Aaja Sanam, Jahan Main Jaati Hoon, Man Bhavan Ke Ghar, Panchhi Banoon, Sawa Lakh Ki Lottery, Us Paar Sajan, Yeh Raat Bheegi & of course the soul-stirring chart topper Rasik Balma!"

"As the years passed, my fervour for Shanker Jaikishan and their work increased to an unprecedented degree. I used to teach Chemistry at Modren College then. Just next to the college there are the Police Quarters and often a some radio in one of those houses would send a SJ tune wafting into the clasroom ... often I gave my students a free lecture!""My bicycle too had the words 'Shanker Jaikishan - Saat Suronka Saath' painted on it! I was saving some money every month so I could buy Shanker Jaikishan records. I visited most theatres in Pune and at other places in Maharashtra like Sangli, Kolhapur and collect the stills which are displayed in the windows!"
"Pankaj was the shop on Laxmi Road where I bought records. Often I would be short of money but I would pay a token advance and collect the record when I could muster enough cash! I was by now a total SJ fan and could not stand other music directors. In fact, I also liked the work of O.P.Nayyar but only after friends convinced me that I grudgingly would admit the existence of others!"
"In 1971, Mere Sapno Ki Rani from Aradhana was immensely popular. I recall listening to the Binaca Geet Mala one day when I was down with flu! In a morose state of mind, I heard Ameen Sayani taking us up the charts and when he announced that Zindagi Ek Safar Hain Suhana from Andaz was the numero uno song, my joy knew no bounds! I leapt out of bed and my mood had changed. I was upbeat and full of life."
"That was also the year when Jaikishan passed away and for me a landmark phase of life had ended! I heard the tribute of Radio Ceylon and I still have that on tape and listen to it on Jaikishan's anniversary!"
"For me, movies held no meaning after that! I have never visited a theatre after 1971! Gone were those times when people waited for the next song as they saw a Chori Chori!"
"In the mid 80s my young nephew was humming a tune 'Sun Sahiba Sun.' I overheard him and asked him which film was it from and who was the Music Director? He said the film was Ram Teri Ganga Maili - a Raj Kapoor film and was tuned by Ravindra Jain. I smiled and told him that cannot be - it has to be a Jaikishan tune, after listening to SJ for all these years how could I not recognize? The next morning I read Hasrat Jaipuri's interview in the papers which confirmed my intuitive guess. It was natural that I would know!"
"My nature is not very outgoing. I remain a shy person who gets daunted by the prospect of meeting someone. In later years, Shanker used to visit Pune and often I had this urge to meet him. Somehow I could never bring myself to go across and meet him. A fact that I will rue till my dying day! But, such as it is ... life goes on. I now live on a pension and my ambition is now to put up a little museum of SJ. That could be my little tribute to the maestroes and yes I repeat ... for me they will always be the Gods of our lifetime!"

Monday, November 10, 2008

CLASSICAL FOR LAYMAN AS WELL AS KNOWLEDGEABLE(Courtesy :http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com/)

TRIBUTE TO शंकर जयकिशन
”SUR” constitutes ”rag”…॥and ”rag” makes songs and in FILM MUSIC, these songs whether classical or light music based, have ‘’sur” in them, if honestly said। AND these songs are composed keeping in view the taste of laymen as well the knowledgeables. This is characterised in HINDI FILM MUSIC, AND IF I CLASSIFY, THIS GOES TO THE GOLDEN ERA OF FILM MUSIC DURING 50s and 60s. this is the ERA ruled by SHANKAR JAIKISHAN and few of their contemporaries.GOD BLESS THEM.

TO become genius in film music, 10 or 20 songs will not suffice, because this is the biggest arena and network spreading in the hearts of thousand, lakhs and crores of listners. this needs stability and this stability is marked by the composers churning out daily NEW TUNES, BEST OF ORCHESTRATION IN RHYTHM AND MELODIES.

S-J scored over the others in not taking up a crusade to educate the layman with the heavy CLASSISISM of the USTADS & PANDITS। They were among the first composers to find out that the film music was a different medium far kept away from the concert platform. HOWEVER their music tuned apparently classical in many of their songs e.g. ”MERI AAKHON MEIN BAS GAYA KOI RE” (BARSAT), ॥AAJA RE AB MERA DIL PUKARA (AAH)…O JANE WALE MUDKE ZARA DEKHATE JANA….(SHRI 420),……RASIK BALMA (CHORI CHORI), ……KETKI GULAB JUHI (BASANT BAHAR),…..LAPAK JHAPAK TU AA RE BADARWA(BOOT POLISH)…..MAN MOHANA BADE JHOOTE (SEEMA)….JHANAK JHANAK TORI BAAJE PAYALIA(MERE HUZOOR)…..CHHAM CHHAM BAJE RE PAYALIA…….AJAHUN NA AAYE BALMA, SAWAN BEETA JAYE……these are the few examples and they had the substance so essential for a song’s longevity. next I remember, legendary flute player, late shri Pannalal Ghosh played flute, with Lataji in ”MAIN PIYA TERI TU MAANE YA NA MAANE” (BASANT BAHAR). ….despite western orchestration, the touch of classical was present in many of their songs. BECAUSE ”SAAT SURON KE BINA JAANA KAHAN”…….MANDRA, MADHYA AND TAR SAPTAK, AND WITH THE MOVEMENTS OF THEIR FINGERS, IN SEVERAL SONGS LATAJI, MOHD RAFI, MANNADA, EXCELLED IN MANY WAYS…..WHETHER THEY WERE OF CHEERFUL, SAD, OR ROMANTIC IN NATURE…………

CAN u forget ”O BASANTI PAWAN PAAGAL”, (JIS DESH MEIN…..), TERA JAANA, DIL KE ARMANON KA LUT JAANA (ANARI), ”AB KAHAN JAAYEN HAM YE BATA AI ZAMIN, IS JAHAN MEIN TO KOI HAMARA NAHIN”..(UJALA), ..SUNO CHHOTI SI GUDIA KI LAMBI KAHANI(SEEMA), ..DIL APNA AUR PREET PARAI…RAAJA KI AAYEGI BARAAT(AAH), …MITTI SE KHELTE HO BAR BAR KISLIYE(PATITA),….EHSAAN TERA HOGA MUJH PAR, DIL CHAHATA HAI WOH KAHNE DO” (JUNGLEE),….AAWAJ DEKE HAMEN TUM BULAO, MOHABBAT MEIN ITNA NA HAMKO SATAO…(PROFESOR), O MERE SANAM, O MERE SANAM, DO JISM MAGAR EK JAAN HAIN HAM(SANGAM)….LORI — AAJ KAL MEIN DHAL GAYA, DIN HUA TAMAM, TU BHI SO JA SO GAI RANG BHARI SHAAM…(BETI BETE)….O KANHAIYA, O KANHAIYA..AAJ AANA KHWAB MEIN & DIL MEIN SAMA KE MILNE NA AAYE, KAISE TUM APNE KAISE PARAYE(KANHAIYA)…..AND HOW MANY TO COUNT WHICH TUNED AND COMPOSED WITH DIFFERENT ORCHESTRATION AS HIGH AND AS LOW AS IN ”TADAP YE DIN RAAT KI, KASAK YE BIN BAAT KI(AAMRAPALI)……….TO CONTINUE……

Thursday, November 6, 2008

जीना यहाँ मरना यहाँ इसके सिवा जाना कहाँ (COURTES :http://www.downmelodylane.com/shailendra.html से साभार

"Ke mar ke bhi kisi ko yaad aaenge

Kisi ke aansuon mein muskuraenge

Kahega phool har kali se baar baar

Jeena isi ka naam hai"

Shailendra was born in Rawalpindi on 30th August 1923 as Shankardas Kesrilal Shailendra. He was the eldest of the four sons of Parvati Devi and Sri Kesrilal. During his childhood days his family moved to Mathura for good but the accidental death of his mother after the shift caused a deep pain for Shailendra, which almost turned him an atheist. Shailendra started his career with the orthodox method of joining the government organization and lead his secure life. His job in Indian Railways brought him to the city of Bombay in 1947, when the Indian freedom struggle was at its best. The stereotype and technical aspect of his job was totally out of line with is artistic nature. He spent more of his duty hours writing poetry than toiling in the workshop. His Incharge always used to complain about his working habits and was the cause of general resentment.


Shailendra considered his life as his real poetry. He used to derive inspiration from his walks along Juhu beach every morning. He wrote songs for almost all occasions of life, let alone ordinary situations. Those lyrics were vibrantly alive, in the sense they went far beyond the context of the film situation for which they were intended, and lived on long after the film itself had passed from memory. There is a Shailendra song for any emotion, any situation, from birth to death, such was his versatility.


Raj Kapoor with whom Shailendra gave his best, heard him in a 'Kavi Sammelan' when he was reciting one of his poem. Raj Kapoor saw an emerging star for Indian history and expressed his desire to buy his poems. Shailendra, the young patriot blood refused to do so. But due to some domestic reasons and responsibilities, Shailendra approached Raj Kapoor and agreed to his terms. His first project was 'Barsaat'. Shailendra wrote his first song 'Barsat Mein Tum Se Mile Hum Sajan..' for Raj Kapoor. Eventually, Barsat was also the first film for the emerging music director duo Shankar-Jaikishan. The film proved very successful and after the success of Barsaat Raj Kapoor, Shankar-Jaikishan and Shailendra always worked together.


No doubt, Shailendra gave his best with Shankar-Jaikishan, but he shared equally pleasant rapport with musical giants of those days, like Salil Chowdhary, S. N. Tripathi and S.D. Burman. He was an active member of Progressive Writers' association and one of the founder members of Indian Peoples' Theatre (IPTA). Shailendra won the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist thrice. Out of the three two were won in consecutive years. The first came in 1958 for the song 'Ye Mera Deewanapan Hai..' from the film Yahudi, and the second in 1959 for 'Sab Kuch Seekha Ham Ne..' from Anari. In 1968 Shailendra won it again for the third time for 'Main Gaaoon Tum So Jao..', from the film Brahmachari.


It is quite ironical that for the man who loved life so much, the spectra of death always haunted him. He was obsessed by death. There was no fear involved, but a kind of helplessness drew him towards it. His producing Teesri Kasam caused him several heart aches and it was also the ultimate cause of his death. Shailendra was admitted to the hospital on December 13, 1966. Shailendra died on the following day, which also happened to be Raj Kapoor's birthday. Lyricist Shailendra is most remembered for his outstanding achievements with Raj Kapoor and Shankar-Jaikishan in almost all the R.K. films. His death on December 14, 1966 saw one of the leading lights of the film industry extinguished.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

पंडित भीमसेन जोशी जी को भारत रत्न का सम्मान देने पर भारत सरकार को हार्दिक धन्यवाद् एवं पंडित जी को हमारा शत-शत नमन


Legendary Vocalist Pt.Bhimsen Joshi obliged crores of Hindi Film Music lovers and

sang "Ketaki, Gulab, Juhi, Champak ban phoole..."

for Shankar Jaikishan! in Film: Basant Bahar.

We, along with the SJ Yahoo Group


salute the legendary singer on receiving India's highest civilian honor - the Bharat Ratna!

दुःख की बात है की फिलहाल मैं पंडित जी का गया हुआ गीत *केतकी गुलाब जूही चम्पक बन फूले* नहीं अपलोड कर पा रहा हूँ कोशिश करूंगा की जल्द ही इस गीत का video अपलोड करदूँ

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Shri Srigopal Shroti's tribute on Jaikishen's Birthday today (4/11) WHAT WAS THE SPECIAL ”SOMETHING” THAT DISTINGUISHED THE S-J BRAND OF FILM MUSIC.


[Chori Chori back cover of LP jacket(inset Shri Srigopal Shrotiji)]


Jaikishan ji,

No word, no sentence can reflect your fans' emotion to pay you tribute on your Birth Anniversary today.
Jai ji, May I remind you one of your soulful tune with Hasrat's word
.."BEDARDI BAALMA TUJHKO MERA MAN YAAD KARTA HAI......."

Jahaan Rahein, Aabad Rahein !!


(Your fans across the world)






TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN


Gopal Shroti




…..I wud like to point out that it was their ability to innovate and improvise within the TRADITIONAL mould of INDIAN MUSIC, which enabled them to strike at the innermost chords of a listener, and at the same time managing to sound fresh and DIFFERENT. THIS THEY ACHIEVED IN MANY WAYS.



….S-J changed all the old trends/formalities both in MELODY and INTERLUDE MUSIC. while their TUNES remained essentially INDIAN, the musical themes came to acquire their rightful place. S-J not only worked on lyrics and tunes, but did equally HARD WORK ON SONG’S INTRO AND INTERLUDES. because of their hard efforts and magical brain, it was hard to hum the lyrics and tunes but it became a part of people habit to hum the musical instruments INTROS and INTERLUDES.



….THEY DECORATED EVERY SONG OF THEIRS AS TO MAKE A ‘BRIDE’ BEAUTIFUL IN FULL COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP, AND THE ENDING OF THE SONG WAS EQUALLY HILLARIOUS WITH THE USE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND CHORUS. LISTEN ”ANDHE JAHAN KE ANDHE RAASTE, JANYE TO JANYE KAHAN, DUNIYA TO DUNIYA TU BHI PARAYA, HAM YEHAN NA WAHAN” (listen to the swittest use of Accordian), (next again comes accordian, THOUGH THE VIOLINS WERE THEIR ARTERIES), in ”AI MERE DIL KAHIN AUR CHAL” (Daag), ”SAB KUCHH SEEKHA HAMNE NA SEEKHI HOSHIARI, SACH HAI DUNIA WALON KE HAM HAIN ANARI”…..GREAT ACCORDIAN, VIOLINS AND MENDOLIN…..”AA AB LAUT CHALEN” (JIS DESH MEIN…..)……ITS INTRO AND INTERLUDE IS IMMORTAL(AND THIS WAS THE BLOODSTREAM OF SHANKAR JAIKISHAN), WITH MENDOLIN, UNMATCHABLE CHORUS, VIOLINS, TRUMPETS AND A LINE OF INSTRUMENTS, WHICH MADE THIS SONG TO BE ANALYSED IN CLASSICAL AND INDIAN BASED MUSICAL CHANNEL…….BESIDES MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, CHORUS AND ‘AALAP’ WERE THEIR FORTE. ……..AS THOUGH IT SEEMS IN MANY SONGS THAT WITHOUT LATAJI’S ‘AALAP’. (AND SOMETIMES MANNDA’S & MOHD RAFI”S), THEIR SONG WILL NOT BE COMPLETE…….SO MANY ARE EXAMPLES AS WE FEEL THAT THE SWEETNESS OF ROSES IS MIXED IN HER VOICE UNDER THEIR BATON, FROM, ‘BARSAAT, AWARA, AAH, SHRI 420, CHORI CHORI, ANARI, JIS DESH MEIN…..SANGAM, AARJU AND MANY MORE TO COUNT. AND THIS WAS THEIR UNIQUENESS, WHICH NOBODY CUD MATCH.



ALMOST DAILY before going to bed, i listen from CHORI CHORI, ”YE RAAT BHEEGI BHEEGI, YE MAST FIZAYEN, UTHA DHEERE DHEERE WO CHAND PYARA PYARA, KYUN AAG SEE LAGA KE GUMSUM HAI CHANDNI, SONE BHI NAHIN DETA MAUSAM KA YE ISHARA”……HERE i ponder over, when immediately at the starting after GUITAR, with BANGO, KANGO, LATAJI’S SLOW VOICE ”AALAP” GOES FOR FEW SECONDS. AND IT WAS ALWAYS REMAINED A QUESTION FOR ME THAT LATAJI WAS STANDING AT HOW MUCH DISTANCE FROM THE MIKE TO ACHIEVE THAT EERIE EFFECT. (PERHAPS MANNADA MAY REMEMBER). AND THEN AGAIN WITH MANNADA’S VOICE ”YE RAAT BHEEGI BHEEGI……..AND LATAJI’S SUGERCOATED ‘AALAP”. AND U STANDSTILL……..TO CONTINUE……GSHROTI@IN.COM……….

Friday, October 31, 2008

'Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh' from Shri 420 was an on the spot creation by Shailendra who was teasing Jaikishan








Raj Kapoor introduced Shankar-Jaikishan to the Film world with "Barsaat" (1949). Barsaat was also the first film for the lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. The team thus formed with Barsaat remained as a unit till the end. Together they gave a number of hits like: Barsaat, Aah, Aawara, Shri 420, Chori-Chori, Boot Polish, Anari, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Main Nashe Me Hoon, Aashiq, Deewana, Ek Dil Sau Afsaane, Sangam, Teesri Kasam and Mera Naam Jokar. Shankar-Jaikishan mainly worked with Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. Apart from the personal preference and proximity related to friendship, this division of work was more in accordance with the composition patterns of the two composers. Shankar always loved composing serious thematic songs witha lot of emotional content that only Shailendra could do justice to, whereas Jaikishan was more into composing light hearted romatntic songs that came so naturally to Hasrat Jaipuri.



The superb chemistry between these four was not merely because they were great artists. It was more because they were all great friends and companions who who enjoyed each other's company to the fullest. So many songs came into being, based on their real life co-experiences. Like 'Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh' from Shri 420 was an on the spot creation by Shailendra who was teasing Jaikishan for looking back repeatedly at a passer by - a beautiful lady, of course! 'Ramaiya Vasta Vaiya' from the same film sparked off when these friends,going on a walk, happened to listen to a folk song sung by some building workers nearby.



Then came the black day of December 13, 1966 when lyricist Shailendra left the material world. With the sad demise of Hasrat Jaipuri the dream team disintegrated. The remaining three members could never really revive the magic of old and their combined work over the next few years was nothing to cheer about. On 12th September 1971, Jaikishan took his final bow from the stage and left the scene forever. Although Shankar still continued to compose under the Shankar-Jaikishan label for many more years, it wasn't even a patch on the vintage S-J stuff. On 26th April 1987, Shankar also bid us final adieu.



Though today, these four great artists are no more with us, their legacy - the superb songs they made together have become an integral part of every music lover's psyche.


Wednesday, October 29, 2008

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN by Shrigopal Shroti (Courtesy weblog : http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com


THE above movie depicts the passionate love between Shammi Kapoor and Nutan…..the heart-throb of 60s and still the inspiration to young lovers with the unforgettable songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan and written by Shailendra and Hasrat, as usual. a great team of actors, composers and lyricists. the songs are still humming in the magical and youthful atmosphere of Himachal Pradesh, where the film was shot., gardens, hills, greeneries and the tunes of S-J, ALL MADE THE FILM A UNIQUE VERSION OF BEAUTY AND LOVE. PL LISTEN:
”YEH MELA DO GHADI KA, DO DINON KI HAI BAHAR, SAMAY KI BEHTI DHAR KARTI JATI HAI PUKAR….PUKAAR……….MEHMAN KAB RUKE HAIN KAISE ROKE JAYENGE………SAVERE WALI…….SAVERE WALI GADI SE CHALE JAYENGE”.
THE hero is a rebel worker, and who is in search of a lover who can make his dreams come true, then follows the first song of the film, a hit tune:
”jaane mera dil kise dhund raha hai in hari bhari wadiyon mein, kabhi na kabhi to takrayega dil, dil se inhi aabadiyon mein.”…………..then he finds his ‘dil ki malika’ ….and says:
”uske kaajal bina nain kale, aur kajal laga le to kya ho, uske haathon mein surkhi chaman ki, aur mehandi laga le to kya ho.”……..Shammi and Nutan comes in terms and u will listen another hit S-J tune:
‘’sab khwab sa lagta hai, is raat mein jaadu hai, khamosh nazaron ki har baat mein jaadu hai, ham hain ke bandhe hain dil se, dil hai ke uda jaye, ek baat hai hoton pe kah loon to qrar aaye, ek bojh to hat jaaye…….AI CHAND ZARA CHHUP JAA, AI WAKT ZARA RUK JAA……”
NUTAN is also helpless before Shammi’s imploring and……
”tan mein agni man mein jalan, kaanp utha mera bheega badan, o rabba khair…..’
And the ROMANTICISM OF YOUTH GOES TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE VIBRANT AND HILLARIOUS TUNES…….HERE THE DUO IS SUCCESSFUL IN DELINEATING THE BEAUTY AND THE FEELINGS OF A YOUNG COUPLE AND THE SPREADS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH (in hari bhari wadiyon mein)…………to continue……..gshroti@in.com………….