It was on this day, 87 years back , the most complete composer of all time in the Indian film industry was born

Article : http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com/

Head-title : shashivh@yahoo.co.in

TODAY is Shankarji’s b’day-15th October….and hasrat, jaikishan, shankar, shailendra and raj capturing all, lest they run….yes, they went one by one…shailendra started the way to heaven, followed by jaikishan, shankar, raj kapoor, hasrat….their remains are there in all corners of India in the form of immortal songs.
Nehruji wished that his ashes be spread all over Himalayas and other mountains….but our panch-parmeshwar reached every nook and corner of not only India but many parts of the world thru their music…..agewise Shankar was second after Hasrat….THEN THE TRIO.
WE REMEMBER WITH GLORY, Shankarji, for what he gave to hindi film music which others cud not give…..To recall his birthday, i wud like to mention a hillarious incident when Shankarji had to keep his watch to ”Dhondu Bhelpuriwala” at choupatti, after eating Bhelpuri by all the four, S-J,S & H…incidentally, nobody had the money in their pockets, and everybody thought, that someone will pay for the Bhel…..By this time Barsaat had already released….They saw each other’s face..and ultimately, Shankarji had to take his old watch and handed over to Dhondu……
Then came the busy time… after Barsaat, came ”Nagina”..and by this time Shankaerji was the owner of a car….When after few month, he was passing the choupatti way, he remembered his watch he ransomed to Dhondu…. Shankarji offered the payment and asked the watch back….By this time he came to be known by the hindi film world…..Dhondu, on his part, recognizing Shankarji, said, ”Achchha to aap he Barsaat ke music director the”…and treated him like a guest, but refused to hand over the said watch…He said ”ham samjha lafanga log hoga…..woh ghadiyal to aapun zindagi bhar apne pas rakhega…aap hazar rupaiya bhi dega to wapas nahin dega”.
Later he came to know less as Dhondu bhel puri walla, but Shankarji’s watch walla……MUSIC CAME, MUSIC STAYED, MUSIC GONE BUT THE MUSIC SCORED BY SHANKAR JAIKISHAN IS THE GREATEST LEGACY OF THE HINDI FILM MUSIC, WHICH HAS COME TO STAY.
and WHAT ROMANTICISM, SHANKARJI HAS STARTED WITH ”PYAR HUA IQRAR HUA” in Shri 420, carried on to CHORI CHORI as ”yeh raat bheegi bheegi”, ”jehan main jaat hoon”, and Jai’s” Aaja sanam”, was followed by their disciple Dattaram in ‘Parvarish’-”masti bhara hai saman, aakhon mein aa ja”, by Kalyanji Anandji ”mere dil mein hai ek baat” and Madan Mohan ”vo chand muskaya, sitare sharmaaye, hamara bhi dil na machalane lage”…and may be more…as Shankarji’s romanticism stayed…..LONG LIVE S-J’s LEGACY

Srigopal Shroty's tribute to Shailendra, Mohd Rafi & Mukesh

TODAY is Shailendra’s birthday, 30th august….it is coincidence when there are two friends, and something similar happens between them, which breaks the hearts…..Jaikishan and Shailendra….Jaikishan composed in 1971 ”maut aani hai aayegi ek din, jaan jaani hai jayegi ek din, aisi baaton se kya ghabarana, yehan kal kya ho kisne jana” and Shailendra wrote 5 years later ‘’sajan re jhooth mat balo, khuda ke paas jaana hai, na hathi hai na ghoda hai, vahan paidal hi jana hai”…..and see the irony, both went untimely, one after composing the song and another after writing the song….
Shailendra’s story is also like his many colleagues–from rag to riches….here comes the word ”genius” and it was not an easy go….it was like all sweating in rains…..then emerged the words from his pen ”raaten dason dishaon se kahengi apni kahaniya, geet hamare pyar ke dohrayengi jawaniyan”…yes when this came on the radio some 40 years back and now on tv after 53 years of its creation, the feet stops automatically and eyes on tv screen to see that grandeur created by his mentor Raj Kapoor and his colleagues Shankar Jaikishan with violins echoing the RIMJHIM of rains….then the mind goes to Shailendra to congratulate him on this immortal wordings ….Oh, but is he there? can we say ”happy birthday to you”? the question mark is the DESTINY.
Shailendra was poet by heart, who cud write ”dil pe marne wale marenge bhikhari, sach hai duniya walon ke ham hain ANARI”….He did not write these lines for Raj Kapoor, but for himself, otherwise he would not have ventured to produce ”teesari kasam”, despite persuation by Raj sahab and others who knew soft corner of his heart and his naive nature against producing a film, to avoid the project or let others take the production charge, secondly the name of the story by Renuji was coincidentally again heart-breaking ”MAARE GAYE GULFAM”…..nay, destiny wanted him near Jaikishan, in whose Gobind Mahal, he used to go daily at 10 am with cigarette in one hand….this was his routine….remember again his philosophy on the end of life in his own songs ”naiya teri majhdhar, hoshiyar”…”yaa gardish mein bhi aasman ka taara hoon”..”khamoshi ka yeh afsana reh jayega baad mere”,…… ”ke marke bhi kisikoyaad aayenge, kisi ke aansuon me muskerayenge”…….”der na karna kahin ye aas toot jaaye, saans choot haye”…”.ai mere dil kahin aur chal, gham ki duniya se dil bhar gaya, dhoondh le ab koi ghar naya”…..”tum se to patanga achchha hai jo hanste hue jal jata hai, voh pyar mein mit to jata hai per naam amar kar jaata hai”…..”bahut diya dene wale ne tujhko, aanchal hi na samaye to kya keejei”…..”jeena yehan marna yehan, iske siva jaana kahan”…..and ” ham to jaate apne gaon, sabko ram ram ram, apni ram ram ram…..”( A tribute with countless more songs from his pen)………

As versatile were S-J, so was the great singer Mohd Rafi, in hindi film music….he wud adapt to any type of song, serious, lori, light or other boisterous songs to be filmed on different heroes….therefore the image remains in mind of the hero who lip-synchronised his voice….he was God gifted singer and Shankar Jaikishan fully utilised his potential to the extent, that for them it was Rafi all around, besides Mukesh and Mannada.
I remember his lori in ‘beti bete’, ”aaj kak mein dhal gaya”, which he sang in so soft a voice that it was difficult for any singer to copy him….he excels Lata in voice, as she also sang the same lori in that film….how beautiful that time was when a song heavenly made was repeated in the male or female voice and that were Rafi and Lata. Rafi saab made many heroes immortal and when that song comes on radio, the hero’s image comes to mind….may be they are raj kapoor, dilip kumar, dev anand, rajendra kumar, bharat bhushan, pradeep kumar, mehmood, shammi kapoor, rajesh khanna, dharmendra, amitabh bachhan, rishi kapoor and many more. His tuning with S-J was great as recalls Shammi Kapoor….’’so distinct was his style when he sang for me….there were a number of songs which were not sung for me but i liked them very much…in fact i wud have loved to sing them! one of these is TERI PYARI PYARI SURAT KO. When Jaikishan composed the song, I said, ’stupid! u are giving that song to rajendra kumar to sing! next he is to sing it to B Saroja Devi! my god!”…”Then there was ‘baharon phool barsao mera mehboob aaya hai’. I wud say, my god, what are you doing, these are my songs! And there were other songs that were not made for me but came to me finally. For the film Suraj, there was a duet. Rafi sahab sang it, but Rajendra Kumar said, ‘nahin, it doesn’t go with this picture, I don’t like it’. Jaikishan was sitting at my place and we were having a drink. Jai said to me, ‘for the first time in my life, a song of mine was rejected’, ‘i said i would like to hear it’. It was lying in his car. he brought the song and i heard it and said ‘it’s mine! i have taken over’ I put it in Brahmchari. the song was -aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zabaan par- that was the song i took from Suraj. it was a superhit song! and Rafi sahab hadn’t sung that for me.” Generally Shammi Kapoor was present at the recording of his songs by Rafi Sahab, but when he was busy in shooting, he wud phone to Jaikishan to request Rafi sahab to sing the song ”like this…and like that” and when he heard it later, it was hundred percent of his imagination that Rafi sahab turned it to his style…

The voice that has no end…still when we hear Mukesh, the golden era comes alive…even there are thousands of youngsters fans of his voice.
We have not found a replacment for him..The imitators are many. But the sound of music and magic made by the original Mukesh endures as never before. HIS SONGS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. There was something languorously lingering about Mukesh’s voice. Humulity was his hallmark…It left him with an open ear to all composers, may be Shankar Jaikishan, Anil Biswas or Kalyanji Anandji. He cud adjust to all.
THIS IS MY HUMBLE REMEMBRANCE ON HIS BIRTHDAY i.e.22 JULY.MUKESH DETRACTORS WERE MANY. THAT too many top composers like C Ramchandra did not tune with him at all. But then Anil Biswas was C Ramchandra’s mentor and Anil B iswas presented Mukesh at his sonorous best, starting with Saigal-style ”Dil jalta hai to jalne de”(in pehli nazar). What a surpassingly resonant experience it was to hear Mukesh in ”tal mile nadi ke jal mein” (anokhi raat-Roshan).
Not for nothing did Raj Kapoor pick MUKESH up as the voice reflecting his Atma. Take Raj K apoor playing DIWANA (opposite saira banu). Take in that movie, Jaikishan’s ”Ai sanam jisne tujhe chand si surat di hai” and Shankar’s ”ham to jaate apne gaon, sabko raam raam raam”. The two compositions belong to the two antithetic genres – to two composers diametrically different in their tuning outlook even in the face of going by the label of the inseparable Shankar-Jaikishan. Yet Mukesh’s approach was exactly as indicated by Shankar for ”ham to jaate apne gaon”, exactly as required by Jaikishan for ”Ai sanam jisne tujhe”…….to continue

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN-47-MUKESH
Posted by: gopalshroti on: July 20, 2009
In: shankar jaikishan's contribution to hindi film music

When the Filmfare Best Playback Singer Award was first introduced in 1958, both male and female singers had to compete for the same award. The competition was thus doubly keen in the years 1958 and 1959. Lata won the award in 1958 for ‘Aaja re perdesi’-Madhumati-Salil Chaudhary number. Next year in 1959, the Award went to Mukesh, who put all rival voices, male and female in the shade with the runaway hit by Shankar Jaikishan, starring Raj Kapoor……?….song ‘Sab kuchh seekha hamne na seekhi hoshiari’ film Anari.
-There was a spell during which Lata did not sing for Shankar. Yet Mukesh managed to persuade Lata to sing for Shankar in ‘Sanyasi’. This is inspite of the fact that his duets with Lata in the film offerred him little scope as a singer. Pl recall the Lata-Mukesh ‘SANYASI’ duet with which Lata began singing for Shankar again?…..”Sun baal brahmchari main hoon kanya kunwari’.
-A Mukesh number composed by Shankar came to be an all time classic which was filmed on Dilip Kumar. But Dilip wanted Talat Myhmood to sing it, while Shankar wanted Mukesh, since he has composed the tune for his voice. At the toss of a coin it was decided Mukesh wud sing the song……song and the film?….’ye mera deewanapan hai ya muhabbat ka suroor’-Yahudi.
-Mukesh has gone on record as saying that most of the themes songs of the Shankar Jaikishan duo were composed by Shankar. Yet there were three theme songs filmed on Raj Kapoor and sung by Mukesh that were composed by Jaikishan….songs and films? …’Awara Hoon’(Awara), ‘Main aashiq hoon baharon ka’ (Aashiq), ‘Mere man ki ganga’ (Sangam)…….

Story behind 'Paan Khay Saiyyan Hamaro' from Teesri Kasam

Paan khaye saiyan hamaro...was written for film Bandini is absolutely correct but before it was composed by Burmanda, due to pressure from Basu Bhattacharya, Shailendraji convinced Burmanda that the song was totally inappropriate for a film like Bandini. Ultimately Burmanda and Bimalda were convinced by a person like Shailendraji. The uncomposed song was returned to Shailendraji by Burmanda. After sometime it was given to SJ for Teesri Kasam and it was composed by Shankerji and recorded. I also remember Shailendraji discussing this song with Mukeshji about creating a special situation for it. Another thing which I may mention here is why it took long to record the song after it was returned by Burmanda was as we know that Shankerji always composed the tune first and then based on the tune, song was written. But in this particular case, the lyrics were already written and therefore, to convince Shankerji to tune an already written lyrics, Shailendraji requested Mukeshji also to request Shankerji to tune the song. Finally, Shankerji was convinced by both Shailendraji and Mukeshji and the song was recorded. This is the story.

Thread No.248, March 19, 2003(at shankarjaikishan group on Yahoo)

SHAILENDRA–TU PYAR KA SAGAR HAI (27th episode of Tribute to Shankar Jaikishan by Srigopal Shroti)

SHAILENDRA–TU PYAR KA SAGAR HAI

THE ”SWAR LAHARIYAN” OF 50s and 60s ARE PASSING THROUGH MY MIND AND ECHOING THE SCENTED ATMOSPHERE ALL OVER….BRINGING THE NEW FRESHNESS OF ROSES…SHAILENDRA SO MAINTAINS THE WORDS IN A DECENT WAY THAT WHEN U HEAR THEM, ALL UR EXISTENCE IS MERGED WITH THOSE SONGS, MELODY AND RHYTHM…..THIS QUALITY TAKES THEM HIM……………
AWAY FROM THE COMMONER……”SEEMA”, YES THIS WAS THE FILM AND S-J, SHAILENDRA AND HASRAT WERE BUSY IN GIVING LAST TOUCHES TO THEIR IMMORTAL COMPOSITIONS…..AND HERE COMES STILL AFRESH THE SONG..”TU PYAR KA SAGAR HAI, TERI EK BOOND KE PYASE HAM, LAUTA JO DIYA TU NE, CHALE JAYENGE JAHAN SE HAM..”……AND IF UR INTEREST GOES FURTHER IN THE MELODY WITH WORDS….HERE ARE THE WORDS UNDER THE ”SHRINGAR” OF THEIR SOFT ORCHESTRA……NEXT HEAR ON TAPE OR CD…….
”GHAYAL MAN KA PAAGAL PANCHI, UDNE KO BEQRAR, PANKH HAIN KOMAL, AANKH HAI DHUNDALI, JAANA HAI SAGAR PAAR,…..AB TU HI ESE SAMJHA , RAAH BHOOLE THE KAHAN SE HAM…..TU PYAR KA SAGAR HAI…TERI EK BOOND KE PYASE HAM…….”’
”EDHAR JHOOM KE GAYE ZINDGI, UDHAR HAI MAUT KHADI, KOI KYA JAANE KAHAN HAI SEEMA, ULJHAN AAN PADI, ….KANON MEIN ZARA KAH DE KE AAYE KAUN DISHA SE HAM……TU PYAR KA SAAGAR HAI, TERI EK BOOND KE PYASE HAM.”……..(MANNADE & CHORUS)…..
MANNADA HAS GIVEN LIFE TO THIS SONG AND REASISED THE ORIGINALITY OF THE PURE WORDS, HIDINDG GREAT PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE….HIS VOICE TAKES US FROM THE DEEP OCEAN TO THE WORLD OF KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, WHICH IS BEYOND THE SKY…..
PL GIVE EAR TO ”’PANKH HAIN KOMAL AANKH HAI DHUNDHALI, JAANA HAI SAGAR PAAR.”……THE DETERMINATION TAKES THE ”PANCHHI” TO THE OTHER PART OF THE OCEAN TO FIND OUT THE SOLACE, PERHAPS HE MAY HAVE ”DARSHAN” OF ALMIGHTY…….BUT BECAUSE OF HIS ”KOMAL PANKH AND ”AANKH HAI DHUNDHALI”, , HE PRAYS GOD AGAIN ”IDHAR JHOOM KE GAAYE ZINDAGI, UDHAR HAI MAUT KHADI, KOI KYA JAANE KAHAN HAI SEEMA , ULJHAN AAN PADI”…….HERE THE ”PANCHHI” IS THE HUMAN HEART…..AND FOLLOWS THE STANZA IN WHICH THE DISTANCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH HAS BEEN FELT SEVERELY……….HERE IS THE FEAR OF DEATH, NOBODY KNOWS THE END AND HUMAN HEART IS IN DILEMMA, FEELING THE HEAT OF THE DEAD BODIES BEING BURNT IN THE ”ESHMASAN”…..DESPITE THIS HE FEELS THE DEVOTION TO THE GOD THROUGH THE DEEP OCEAN AND HIS ULTIMATE DESIRE TO SURRENDER TO THE ALMIGHY……… SHANKAR JAIKISHAN WERE THOSE MUSIC DIRECTORS WHOSE ‘RELIGION’ WAS ”MUSIC” AND THEY TOUCHED THAT POINT HERE WHERE THE ART AND THE ARTIST GOES BEYOND IMMORTABILITY THROUGH THE ”SAAZ AUR AAWAZ”—-MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND SINGERS BOTH BOW TO THEIR CREATORS TO GO DOWN THE MEMORY LANE………..to continue……gshroti@in.com………

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……

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…………

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……..

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.

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

as taken from http://www.hummaa.com/artist/artistdashboard.php?aid=3009

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.