Sad songs of SJ

Courtesy : Dr. Raj Senani (dr_senani@yahoo.com)

Sad songs of SJ have often been a topic of discussion.

Indeed, it was Shankar's brain wave to introduce bright orchestra music and dhama-dham rythm-sangeet even in sad songs starting from their very first film Barsaat: just listen to `Main zindagi mein har dum rota hi raha hun'.

This style reached its height of perfection by the time SJ reached Anari: `Tera jana dil ke armanon ka lut jaana', which is perhaps one of the best examples of this genre.

Of course, later S and J both did this. Recall Jaikishen's bright number `Parayi hun parayi meri arzoo na kar' by Lata in Kanyadaan. (There are many other examples too).

It appears that what Shankar cleverly brought to SJ's repertoire as a distinct musical style has some interesting cultural background. I hope some of us must certainly have observed that in rural areas when a person dies, women folk utter sad sentences almost in `singing style' (Hai hamein akela chhod ke kahan chale gaye..., hai ab kaun hamara khyal karega etc). So, even though these utterances are made while weeping, this is done almost in singing style. Unable to find any suitable word for this phenomenon we (in our Lab) agreed to call it (though it is not very correct and may even sound some what `cruel'): `celebration of grief'.

SJ's sad songs, so bright in tune, orchestration and rhythm, brilliantly convey this spirit of `celebration of grief'. One has to only listen to all of their sad and inspirational numbers to realise how profound and magical effect they have on the mind and soul of listeners. The same effect would not have been created had those sad songs were composed in dull rhythm with subdued orchestration.

Of course, once introduced by the pioneers and masters SJ who set this musical format for sad songs (`celebration of grief'), almost every other music director worth his name started following them (they had no other choice !).