Shanker Jaikishen - The Trend Setters, Experimenters and Innovators

Shri Subhash Tiwari writer

of this article

I think it would be proper to dwell a little on the contribution of Shanker Jaikishen as “Trend Setters”, “Experimenters”, and “Innovators”. Actually the cue for this article lies in a discussion on SJ Forum, where one of the participants questioned the Capabilities of SJ vis-à-vis other MDs. With due regards to the abilities of those other MDs and without any offence to them, I insist that SJ were the most important Thing which happened to Hindi Film Music. Let us take a Look at these 3 words, “Trend Setter” “Experimenter”, and “Innovator” Trend Setter is the One who sets the Ball Rolling and others to follow suit. As I stated in my previous post, the 1st era of Hindi Film Music had a Typical Theatrical Composition with a Monotonous Style of singing whether it was KLS, Punkuj Mullick or KC Dey. But the people who created that type of music, did start in Mid 30’s by people like RC Boral who were the Trend setters for that Era. Then came Naushad, who composed “Hum Jeeke Kya Karenge Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, from “Shahjahan” in 1946, a song which Joined the 1st and 2nd Era. It was Naushad who introduced multi piece Orchestra to Hindi Film Music. He changed the “Single Octave” compositions to “One and Half Octave” compositions just because he got a Great Voice with immense range, “The Phenomenon called Mohd Rafi”. Remember the Orchestration and Chorus of “Udan Khatola” song “O Door Ke Musafir” in 1955. Till then even SJ were not using that type of Orchestra. Their songs comprised highlights of individual instruments, like Mandolin and Accordion in Awara songs, (Even the great dream song had only a few instruments, with a special crescendo effect in the end). So the credit for Setting the Trend of High Octave songs and Orchestration in the 2nd Era goes to Naushad Ali.It was the 3rd ling Era of nearly 25 years which saw all the things together from Shanker Jaikishen, called Experimentation, Trend Settings and Innovations.Trend Setting is “Doing something, which makes others to follow suit. About their Trend Setting, as I wrote in earlier post, the songs before them generally started directly with the voice of the singer without any prelude or with a couplet and the main song followed. Even SJ made use of a couplet, though only once or twice, like “Dil ko tujhase bedili hai” in Yahudi.Before their appearance on the scene whatever Prelude was heard, it was a short 4-5 second musical play of some instrument without a definite structure.

It was SJ who introduced the melodious Preludes, in Barsaat, Awara, Shree 420, Chori Chori. They compelled everyone to come along. Their Interludes were having a Distinct Structure in themselves, which one could Whistle, Hum or Play on instruments. Moreover the 1st and 2nd Interludes were nearly always different from each other. That is what is called Trend setting.

An Experiment is “Doing something, the result of which is not known, even to the performer”. By that definition, each Music Director offering New Tunes to his Producers and Audience, is an Experimenter, without knowing what is going to happen to his creation. But a True Experimenter is confident of his actions that these are going to be successful and not the disasters. By that guideline, Shanker Jaikishen experimented with Classical Music, Western Music, Fusion of these 2 Streams, Solo Musical Compositions without any Vocal Component, and surprisingly, each of their Experiment was a huge success. Remember the Sadhana’Shammi dance Dilruba Dil Pe Tu, purely on strings and percussions in “Rajkumar”, Waheeda’s dance in “Roop Ki Raani”, Vyjayantimal’s “Bakad Bam Bam” in Kathputali. They experimented with 2 distinct songs in continuity like “Tere Bina Aag Ye Zindagi’ and “ Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi”, The list goes on.. The best Experiment from SJ was the Creation of “Raga –The Jazz Style”.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raga-Jazz-Style/106428702780785?sk=wall

Regarding Innovation, it is Doing something for the 1st time which No one Else has done before them. Now that is a long list. As someone on this forum called innovation as “making use of some thing for some other thing to produce music”, I do not agree. That may be labeled as “Special Effect” but not Innovation. Using Sand Papers and Combs, Spoons and Glasses is no innovation in my opinion. Of course each of us is free to have his viewpoint, but majority of Hindi Film Music Fans would agree that Shanker Jaikishen did so many things which no one had attempted before them and hence they were the Real Innovators in Music. Their Persistent memory with Millions of Fans across the Globe is the Proof of above postulations.

Debut Movie of Shankar-Jaikishan BARSAAT (Review)

In-depth Review of Barsaat (Debut Movie of Shankar-Jaikishan)/ संगीतकार के रूप में शंकर-जयकिशन की पहली फिल्म, राजकपूर द्वारा निर्मित 'बरसात' का रिव्यू
Title Music
Barsaat, as all RK Films, starts with Prithviraj Kapoor performing Shiv poojan & chanting the mantras.
Before appearance of titles, there is a brief shot of rain clouds with gentle beat of drum (dhol) and violins. The titles start scrolling on screen with the immortal tune & interlude of the song ‘Barsaat mein hamse mile tum…’ based on raag Bhairavi.
Is the title music just there for the sake of being there? Well! It speaks volumes. In the same tune, one gets to listen to various shades of the raga Bhairavi. Initially it transforms the audience into a mood of celebration but as the violins suddenly take a U-turn, the audience’s mood is transformed to that of pathos.
And with this introductory MAGIC (music), among others, history is written - as two names appear on the screen for the first time as Music Directors - SHANKAR-JAIKISHAN (S-J).
The title music itself raises one’s expectations from S-J. And did S-J fulfill them!? Well! No point in elaborating it! The HFM lovers across the globe still don’t miss any opportunity to listen to the score even if they have already done so thousands of times.

TO READ MORE PLEASE CLICK

http://sj-barsaat.blogspot.com/

Similarity of Songs in context of Shankar-Jaikishan

Jayaishwer Man Pradhan

In Indian Classical Music the great Bhathkahenda ji has divided ten parents of raga i.e. Bhiravi, Bhirav, Todi, Asavari, Khamaj, Marwa, Poriya, Kafi, Kalyanet.. All the ragas are based on the one of the above Thatथाट. So if any songs are composed in Bhiravi That it will sound like same melody.

However point to be noted that the team of Shankar-Jaikishen has composed hundreds of song in Bhairavi, that based, surprisingly they are not much similar when one listens same time. I think SJ could compose with permutation and combination of Bhiravi That थाट may infinite numbers of tunes. When I read in this site that "Tu Pyaar ka sagar hai.." is based on Darbaari(Asawari) I checked the notation by using instrument , yes it is theoretically based on Asawari. I was surprised how they created such tune based on Asavari which are very difficult to identify very much different to their darbari based song like Jhan ka Jhanaka Baje.., Radhikey tune bansi.... . So they are really genius of this century.

I think Vasanta Desai, also one of the ntemporary, who composed songs based on classical ragas. But I find his composition dull when I listen to them as a common/oridinary music lover. His two songs one from Guddi "Ham ko man ki shakti.." and one another ""Dara san dey ... by Mannadey and Asha are exactly are similar. If I listen as a student of classical music, they are really basically beautiful Bandish based on the Raga kedar.

I respect Naushad saheb as a great musician of India. I agree the version of some of the fans that his man tarapat .. is based on old bandish of Raga Malkaush. I have heard lot of Bhazan, songs ... in similar to malkaush.

SJ composed several songs based on Shiva ranjani like Baharon phool, Aáwaj de key, dil ke zharonkey....., Jane kaha gaye ... But when I listen top these songs, I find lot of changes they have made in and I don't feel that the songs are exactly similar. The rhythm of Dil key zharon key is quite typical, I think no music director has yet tried to compose with such type of rhythm. Similarly the antara part of rafi saheb has to sing in suddenly in high note then come back in low note , then comes beautiful piece of violin. I think these songs will be master pieces of Indian music history in future as Beethoven, Mozart.... composition, if media cooperates.

In Aawaj de key..... the Rhythm is Jhapa Tal 10 bits and it has combination of Saxophone (western instrument) and sitar combination. So beautifully arranged.

So I would like to conclude my views :

1. Songs are based on one of the 10 THAT (थाट)

2. If two or more songs are composed on based on same THAT (थाट) it will sound like similar.
3. It does not matter if they sound similar, but how the MD create different type of product with same That. (थाट)
4. SJ are only genious MD in India who did great job composing plenty of songs based on one THAT(थाट) which are very difficult to identify. That may be reason that though their songs are based on the classical ragas , they are great while composition of Nausad saaheb, Vasant Desai,...are some times dull for common music lover though theoretically they are of high standard.

I have heard the definition of light music from Pt. Jasraj that classical music is basically one has to perform with perfect gramme, while light songs the MD, singer has to entertain and impress common people in 3- 4 minutes given time. I think he has tried to explain that it is more difficult to create light music.

I am posting my view with elementary knowledge on classical music. Please correct me if I am wrong.

(jmpradhan51@yahoo.com)

Rajendra Kumar's Loss, Shammi Kapoor's Gain

Tribute Series by Srigopal Shroti

a very polular song was already recorded by Jaikishan…because sometimes, when the tune was ready, he will ask Hasrat or Shailendra to write down the lyric…because in their heyday, i read that Jai used to make 20 to 30 tunes daily morning….and then selected 4 or 5 topper out of them. so in the same vein he recorded the beautiful song…..he was showing that song to Rajendra Kumar for his next film….hearing the song Rajendra Kumar did not like the song and asked Jai to compose other one. …As Rajendra Kumar went, Jaikishan was also ready to leave the studio…in the meantime Shammi Kapoor also came and met Jaikishan usually…Then Jaikishan in a dejected mood told Shammi Kapoor that in his life, for the first time his song was rejected…..Hearing this, Shammi asked Jai to let him listen the song….Jai went to his car and played the song and after hearing SHAMMI jumped loudly….’this is my song…thanks he has not taken it.”’…..Jai told in a normal way…u take it and he is sure that it will be a hit number……Shammi used it in Brahmchari and guess what was the song…….yes…;;AAJKAL TERE MERE PYAR KE CHARCHE HAR ZUBAN PAR, SABKO MALOOM HAI AUR SABKO KHABAR HO HAI”’….A MD cannot be wrong and no doubt, S-J MADE SOME SUBSTANDARD TUNES FOR CO-STARS MIXED WITH THE TOPS…AND AS RDB SAID ”SHANKAR JAIKISHAN WILL TELL ABOUT THEIR SONGS, WHICH WILL GO FOR HIT AND WHICH WILL BE LOWER”’, but well hummable….Such was Shammi’s enthusiasm and chemistry with SHANKAR JAIKISHAN.
ANOTHER incident i wud like to narrate…..the film ”PAGLA KAHIN KA” was in the making and their was a jail scene for which the set was ready and shooting was going on….somebody remembering David in BOOT POLISH, suggested that there shd be a song in the jail premises sung by the prisoners(half and full mad)…..Shammi was in the leading role. He immediately rang Jaikishan ”mujhe yeh gaana kal hee chahiye”…Jaikishan rang Hasrat Saab and fixed for next morning sitting and Shammi was duly informed…Next day all three sat….and looking out at the situation, Jai on the hand composed and Hasrat give words…ultimately the sond recorded was ”MERI BHAINS KO DANDA KYUN MAARA”….AND WITH time this became proverbial sentence in colloquial language…a humorous number.WHAT WAS THE BEST TUNE CREATED IN MINUTES…BY THE GENIUS MD….Shammi had no bounds to entrall and express his gratitude to his friend……….to continue….gshroti@gmail.com

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN-43 by: gopalshroti

SHAMMI KAPOOR

--Shreegopalshroti

”Hamne to pyar mein aisa kaam kar diya,pyar ki raah mein apna naam kar liya….pyar ki raah mein apna naam kar liya…AAJ KAL TERE MERE PYAR KE CHARCHE HAR ZUBAN PAR, SABKO MALOOM HAI AUR SABKO KHABAR HO GAYEE……mohd.rafi and suman kalyanpur…….SUMAN KALYANPUR had many hit songs under the S-J orchestration…..but few days back, in a local newspaper, her interview was published….i was surprised to know that she did not mention S-J’s name because of whom she became a household name in film music…..in the last she lamented, that a song was recorded in her voice, and next day she came to know that ”voh gana ek sangeetkaar jodi ne doosri gayika ki awaj mein record kar liya”….this was her disappointment…..may be because this was in the later years of S-J, WHEN A RIFT MIGHT be there between the duo……hard luck……but despite this, we heard the best songs in suman kalyanpur’s voice, tuned by Shankar Jaikishan and still her name comes with them on radios and we rejoice the tune, like the above i mentioned from ”Brahmchari”……

NOW I come to the super hero made by the duo, none other than Shammi Kapoor, on whom this episode is going on…..IT is very much evident that while some Shammi-S-J scores didn’t quite work their magic for the hit parade e.g. Janwar cud not do a Junglee and Prince was not certainly Rajkumar…..but their success story does not stop with still hit songs from Janwar and Prince…..Their spectacular successes made significant progress with” Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe”…..yahooooooo…however it is worth mentioning that though Usha Khanna’s Dil Deke Dekho in 1959 and OPN’s Tum Sa Nahin Dekha in 1957 did create a semi-stir, it was JUNGLEE that really and truly did the trick….Shammi sang his way into super stardom with ”mere yaar shabba khair” and ”ehsaan tera hoga mujh par”….Saira Banu got comfortably ensconced in the velvet folds with Lata’s ”kasmir ki kali hun main” and Mukesh and Asha Bhonsle had a ball rendering ”Nain tumhare mazedar o janabe-a-ali” for Anoop Kumar and Shashikala.
Then came Professor in 1962 in which Shammi got into a hairy situation with Lalita Pawar and which made a hillarious comedy and again with the younger leading lady Kalpana (who was the only heroine to have launched her career unsuccessfully against Shammi)….The numbers ”awaz de ke hamein tum bulao, muhabbat mein itna na hamko satao” (Lata-Rafi) and ”lal chhadi maidan khadi”(Rafi) earned Shankar Jaikishan their career’s fourth Filmfare Award……..to continue……gshroti@gmail.com

Srigopal Shroti's Tribute to Shankar-Jaikishan and Shailendra

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN–24–

SHAILENDRA

------------------

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……