HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HASRAT SAHAB (story and picture by srigopal shroti) on birthday of Hasrat Jaipuri on 15th April 2009

AS everybody from his team regarded Lataji, Hasrat himself had high regards for the nightingale of India….which i recall, when Hasrat sahab went to Pakistan to attend a poetic symposium….he was taken on hands….and was invited on tea by many of his admirers….one renowned person who invited him on dinner(i forget his name) and there were several people to see Hasrat sahab…..But one thing was common, everybody was curious to know about Lataji….The gentleman very humbly said that Hasrat Sahab there are very many talents here….they have Noorjehan, they have Reshma, but what he has in India is the precious diamond in Lata Mangeshkar and which will not be found in the whole world. Hasrat sahab recalled that he was 40 when he joined S-J and Shailendra at RK and Lataji regarded him as an elder brother from Barsat onwards…..long live her elder brother thro his songs in her voice…..YE WAADA KARO CHAAND KE SAAMNE, BHULA TO NA DOGE MERE PYAR KO………gshroti@in.com……….to continue…

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……….’.

'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.