Jaaeye aap kahaan jaaenge Nayyarsaab

Hindi film industry lost one of its most charismatic and enigmatic composers when Shri O P Nayyar breathed his last on the night intervening between January 27th and 28th. If Asha Bhosale could come out of the shadows of her elder sibling, the credit entirely should go to Nayyarsaab. It was he alone who detected the sensuous quality in Asha's voice and the rest as they say, is history. Nayyarsaab's music had the earthly quality of the soil of Punjab, yet at the same time he could infuse a soft romantic quality to his music too. He could compose heavy tragic music also, as is evidenced by "Chain se humko kabhi...." or "Chal akela, chal akela.....".

My personal favourites include:-

1. Udein jab jab zulfein teri- Nya Daur (1957)

2. Mera naam chin chin chu -Howrah bridge (1958)

3. Jaaeye aap kahaan jaaenge- Mere sanam (1965)

4. Pukarta chalaa hoon main - Mere sanam

5.Chal akela - Sambandh(1974)

6. Chain se humko kabhi aapne - Praan jaye par vachan na jaaye (1974)

7. Yeh chaand sa roshan chehra - Kashmir ki kali (1964)

8. Kajra mohabbatwala - Kismet (1968)

9.Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahaan - Mr & Mrs 55 (1959)

10. Laakhon hain nigaah main - Phir wohi dil laaya hoon (1967)

It was rather shocking to learn that in the twilight of his life he had to be cared for by a poor family in Thane, Maharashtra. It is understood that his wife and son had filed a suit against him. We all stand humbled before the genius of Nayyarsaab and pray to the Almighty that his oul may rest in peace. Adieu Nayyarsaab!

Everlasting classical old songs

Why the old songs/compositions are everlasting, I realized when my 7 year old daughter took a fancy to the song "Laaga chunari main daag", sung by Mana Dey from the film - Dil hi to hai. It so happened that I selected this particular song for singing in our annual college gathering. When I first switched on the CD player and the opening bars were played, my daughter wrinkled her nose in disgust at my selection. She probably expected me to sing some of those God awful "Reshammiyasque" songs. However, my daughter is a keen listener and was playing nearby in the adjacent room, when the famous Taraana at the end began. Now my daughter is undergoing training for Bharatnatyam dance and therefore just could'nt resist the furious Teen taal and came into the room and started dancing wildly to the rhythm. As soon as the song ended, she then immediately went away and I too did not reflect too much over the incident.

Next day when I started to practice the song along with the CD track, she was present in the room with me and somehow sat through the entire song. Thus ended the 2nd day. Now on the 3rd day, my daughter paid more attention and began to sing snatches of the song along with me. This forced me to pay more attention to the entire scenario as 7 year old kids showing undue attention to a 50 year old song is quite unusul to me at least! After that day, there was no stopping her and she used to pester me to practice the song every day, and was the one, most wildly cheering me during the entire performance on the college day. Things have come to such a pass now, that she has forced me to download the entire song into my Cell's mp3 player and she's listening to it whenever we go out on a drive (I don't have a cassette/CD deck in my car).

There's more to come ! After having once "tasted" this song, my daughter's now turned her attention to Manna Dey's another classic(al) "Jhanak jhanak tori baaje paayaliya", from the film - Mere huzoor!!! This song too has been downloaded into my cell's mp3 player and I'm being forced to listen to the song as well as her vocal exertions along with it. Not that I am complaining !!!

Lata Mangeshkar v/s Asha Bhosale - is it fair to compare ?

At last I have mustered enough courage to post a topic close to my nheart albiet controversial. The topic is - Amongst the mangeshkar siblings, who's better, Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosale ? I am more in favour of Asha Bhosale, although I will say that it is unfair to compare them thus. My twin criteria for arriving at the strange conclusion is VERSATILITY & RANGE OF VOICE. While Lata has a rather high pitched voice, very sweet and most difficult to attain of course, yet Asha scores over her elder sister because of her range and versatility. Asha has sung songs effortlessly in all the octaves, while Lata has restricted herself to the medium and high octaves. Can you imagine Lata singing "Dum maaro dum" or "Dil cheez kya hai" ? Same cannot be said about Asha. She has sung fair number of songs in the highest octave. Sample her "Yeh kya jagah hai doston", and "Sun le pukaar, aaee aansuon ki dhaar leke, aaj tere dwaar" just to name a few. I use the same criteria to rate Begum Parveen Sulatana much above Vidushi Kishori Amonkar. Coming to the topic, Asha has sung a greater varieties of songs including devotional, Ghazals, light classicals, Pop etc. Readers are invited to comment upon the topic ! The field is open to all. Any error of omission frommy side is regretted.

A tribut to Mohammed Rafi on his 82nd birthday

Yesterday 24th December was the legendary singer Md.Rafi's 82nd birthday. What else can I add more about this all time great singer than what has already been penned about him? To me he was THE most versatile singer of all times having sung in all the genres, be it Classical, Devotional, Light romantic, Soulful, Sad, chirpy yuppee, you name it he had it ! Only Kishore kumar to some extent came a distant second in versatility.

Rafisaab was the most humble and down to earth human being one could imagine in the otherwise big, bad world of Bollywood. He was such a simpleton that he NEVER took any royalty of any of his recorded songs. He only took an upfront payment and that was it ! Due to this, he had a tiff with Lata Mangeshkar and they did not sing together for a couple of years in the 1960's. Compare this with today's upstarts like Himesh Reshammiyas who claim that they are "Blessed" by Goddess Saraswathi and claim to "compose" in all genres !

Anyway, this post's about Rafisaab and his genius. He started his career with Shyam Sunder in the early 1940's and went on to sing under every leading Music Director like Ghulam Mohammed, Naushaad, Anil Biswas, Husnlal -Bhagatram, S-J, SD, Roshan, Madan Mohan, Chitragupta,C.Ramchandra, K-A, RD , L-P et al.

There's a marvellous post by Dr Narasinha Kamath posted in http://dr-narasinha-kamath.sulekha.com. All those interested in discussing about Old Film songs can visit his blog. He's also posted interesting tit bits about Rafisaab in http://dr-narasinha-kamath.sulekha.com/blog/post/2006/12/immortal-mohd-rafi.htm .

My personal Rafi Favourites include -
1. Koi saagr dil ko behlaata naheen - Dil diya dard liya.
2. Madhuban main raadhika - Kohenoor.
3. Naachey man mora - Meri saoorat teri aankhen.
4. Raadhike toone bansuri churaaee - Badi behen.
5. Nazar na lag jaaye - Night in london.
6. Na jaa kaheen ab na jaa -Mere humdum mere dost.
7. Teri aankhon ke siva - Chiraag.
8. Yeh chand sa roshan chehra - Kashmir ki kali.
9. Chahe koi mujhe jungalee kahe - Junglee.
10. Hum bekhudi main tumko pukaare - Hum Dono.
11. Pukaarta chalaa hoon main - Mere sanam.
12. Kar chale hum fida jaano tan saathiyon - Haqeeqat.
13. Man tarapat hari darasan ko aaj - Baiju baawra.
14. Maniey poochhaa chaand se ki dekha hai kaheen - Abdullah
15. Dard e dil - Karz.
The list is endless and I can fill pages but I got to stop here. In the end, Rafisaab was the last of the Moghuls who ruled the world of playback singing. After him we got to hear only clones !

Laaga chunari main daag..........

This evergreen song from the film "Dil hi to hai", composed by Late Roshan and sung by Manna Dey remains a truly "Classical" composition in the sense that it more or less retains the essence of the Raaga (Sindhu Bhairavi) like "Madhuban main raadhika naachey" (Raag Hameer). Of course we do have purer Classical compositions like "Aaja gaavata mana mero" in Desi from "Baiju baawra", but most of these were sung by acclaimed masters like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Amir Khan or D V Paluskar etc. However in case of "Laaga chunari main daag" or "Madhuban main ...", they were sung by playback singers.

I don't know what it is that compels me to listen to this song innumerable times. I realized its timelessness when I started to practise singing this song for the annual cultural event of the college where I teach. In order to get into the song I must have listened to the song at least 500 times, but never did I feel bored ! In fact, each time I listened or sang with it, it revealed new facets to me. Here. I must add that I have not received any formal training in classical music. Yet it was my wish from the last 10 years to be able to sing this particular song on stage. This wish was fulfilled yesterday night when I finally sang it front of an audince of about 400 people ! I cannot say whether I sang it competently, but the applause was heartening, even from the younger section of the crowd, who had just had a heavy dose of modern music.

A list of Indian classical Raagas in Hindi film songs - 4

Downloaded a list of hindi film songs based on classical ragas, from www.asavari.org . Great work done there!
60. Maaru Bihaag - Tum toh pyaar ho, O sajanaa - SEHERA
- Bada dukh deena, tere lakhan ne - RAAM LAKHAN
- Matvaalee naar thumak thumak chalee jaaye - Film ?
61. Maarwaa - Paayaliya bavri - SAAZ AUR AWAAZ
62 Megh Malhaar - Dukh bharey din beetey re bhaiiya - MOTHER INDIA
- Ghanana ghanana ghan ghir aaye badiraa - LAGAAN
- Kaare kaare badira - MERA NAAM JOKER
63 Megh - Ghanana ghanana - BAIJU BAWRA
64 Miyaan ki Malhaar - Bole re papiharaa - GUDDI
- Bhay bhanjana - BASANT BAHAAR
- Lapak jhapak too aare badarawaa - BOOT POLISH
65. Multaani - Dayaa kar e giridhar gopal - SHABAAB
66. Nand - Tu jahaan jahaan chalegaa - MERA SAYAA
67. Pahaadi - Husn pahaadon ka, O sahibaa - RAAM TERI GANGA MAILEE HO GAYEE
- Karvatein badaltey rahein aadhee raat hum - AAP KI KASAM
- Dil pukarey aare aa re aa re - JEWEl THIEF
- Aaja re, aajare O mere dilbar aaja - NOORI
- Neela aasman so gaya - SILSILA
- Tere mere hothon pe meethey meethey geet mitwaa - CHANDNI
- Kaisey jeeyoonga main, agar too na banee meri saahiban - SAAHIBAAN
- Jo waada kiyaa woh nobhaana padega - TAJ MAHAL
- Rahein na rahein hum - MAMTAA
68. Palaasi - Kabhi tanhayeeyon main yun - HUMAARI YAAD AAYEGI
- Gori tera gaon badaa pyara - CHITCHOR
69. Patdeep - Megha chhaaye aadhee raat - SHARMEELEE
70. Piloo - Oh re taal miley nadee ke jal main - ANOKHI RAAT
- Maine shaayad tumhe, pehele bhee kaheen dekhaa hai -BARSAAT KI RAAT
- Kaalee ghataa chhaaye mora jiya trasaaye - SUJAATA
71. Pooriya Dhanashree - Hae raama yeh kyaa hua - RANGEELA
- Rut aagayee re - EARTH 1947
- Rang aur noor ki baarat kisey pesh karoon - GHAZAL
72. Raageshree - Mohabbat aisee dhadkan hai - ANAARKALEE
73. Shankaraa - Bole bole kaanhaa, challa chhaliyaa - CHHALIYAA
74. Shiva ranjini - Jaane kahaan gaye woh din - MERA NAAM JOKER
- Mere naina saawan bhaadon - MEHBOOBA
- kaheen deep jaley kaheen dil - BEES SAAL BAAD
- O mere sanam, O mere sanam - SANGAM
- tere mere beech mey - EK DOOJE KEY LIYE
75. Sohani - Kuhoo kuhoo boley re koyaliyaa - SWARNA SUNDAREE
- Prema jogana bana key - MUGHAL - E - AAZAM
76. Sindhu Bhairavi - Laaga chunari main daag - DIL HI TOH HAI
- Ajahuna aaye baalma, saawan beeta jaye - SAANJH AUR SAVERAA
- Phul geindava na maaro, lagat karejawa main chot - DOOJ KA CHAAND
77.Sur Malhaar - Dar laagey garaje badarawaa -RAAM RAAJYA
78. Tilang -Itnaa toh yaad hai mujhey - MEHEBOOB KI MEHANDI
- Chhup gaye sarey nazarey - DO RAASTE
79. Tilak Kaamod - Tumhaare bin jee naa lage ghar main - BHOOMIKA
80. Todi - Duniya naa bhaaye mohe ab toh uthaa le - BAIJU BAAWRA
81. Yaman - Aansoo bharee hai ye jeevan ki raahein - Parvarish
- Jab deep jae aanaa - CHITCHOR
- Chaand phir niklaa - PAYING GUEST
- Jiyaa le gayo ji mora saanwariya - ANPADH
- Re man sur main gaao - LAL PATTHAR
- Jaare badira bairi jaa - BAHAANA
- Chandan sa badan - SARASWATI CHANDRA
- Bhoolee huee yaadon, mujhey itna na sataao - SANJOG (old)
- Saarangaa teri yaad main - TITLE SONG
- Chhupaa lo yoon dil main pyaar meraa - MAMTA
- Ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar - JUNGLE
- Ghar sey nikaltey hi - PAP KEHTE HAIN
- Aaye ho meri zindagi main tum bahaar ban kar - RAAJA HINDUSTAANI

A list of Indian classical Raagas in Hindi film songs - 3

In continuation with the list of hindi film songs which have been based on classical ragas :
46. Kalavati - Koi saagar dil ko behelaata naheen - DIL DIYA DARD LIYA.
- Sanam too bewafaa ke naam se mashahoor ho jaaye - KHILONA.
- Subah aur shaam, kaam hi kaam - ULJHAN
- Hae agar dushman jamaana - HUM KISSI SEY KUM NAHEEN
47. Kalyaan - Rasika balamaa - CHORI CHORI
48. Khamaaj - Aaya kahaan sey ghanashyaam - BUDHDHA MIL GAYAA
- Badaa natkhat hae re kishan kanhaiyya - AMAR PREM
- Nazar laagi raaja tore bangale pey -KAALA PAANI
49. Kaamod - Jao re jogi tum jao re - AAMRAPAALI
- Eree, jaane na doongee - CHITRALEKHA
50. Kedar - Humko man ki shakti dena - GUDDI
- Aap yoon hi agar humsey milte rahey - EK MUSAAFIR EK HASEENA
- Pal do pal kaa saath humaara - THE BURNING TRAIN
51. Kirwaani - Mera dil ye pukaare aajaa - NAAGIN (old)
- Main pyaar kaa raahee hoon - EK MUSAAFIR EK HASEENA
- Meri bheegi bheegi see - ANAMIKA
- Beqaraar dil too gaaye jaa - DOOR KAA RAAHEE
52. Kaushi Kaanada - Ab to maadhava mohey ubaar - Film ?
53. Lalit - Ek shehenshah ne banwaa ke haseen taj mahal - LEADER
- Preetam darasa dikhao - CHAACHA ZINDABAAD
- Too hai mera prem devataa - KALPANA
54. Madhuvanti - Rasme ulfat ko nibhaayen toh nibhaayen kaisey - DIL KI RAAHEN
55. Madhumaas Saarang - Kahaan sey aaye badira - CHASHME BADDOOR
- Aa laut ke aaja mere meet - RAANI ROOPMATI
56. Manj Khamaaj - Kaisey dina beetey - ANURAADHA
57. Malkauns - Mana tarapata hari darasan ko aaj - BAIJU BAAWRA
- Aadhha hai chandrama raat aadhee - NAVRANG
- Ankhiyana sang ankhiyaan laagi - BADA AADMI
58. Malgunji - Nain sey nain naheen milao - JHANAK JHANAK PAAYAL BAAJE
- Ghar aaja ghir aayee badira - CHHOTE NAWAAB
- Unko ye shikaayat hai ke hum kuchh naheen kehate - ADAALAT
- Naa laagena, tere bina mora kaheen jiya - AANAND
59. Maand - Too chanda, main chaandni - RESHMA AUR SHERA
- Morani, baagan main dole aadhi raat main - LAMHE
- Kesariya baalama - LEKIN