Jaane kahan gaye voh din!

I would like to correct an error. The article wrongly attributes lyrics of the film ``Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi`` to Sahir Ludhyanvi; the lyrics of the film were, in fact, provided by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

d-m sahib,

Enjoyed reading this. Some random thoughts:

1. S.C. Burman popularized the ``bhatiali`` from Bengal and other folk tunes from the North-East. Try listening to Abbasuddin (I think he migrated to East Pakistan) if possible.

2. It is said that Sahir Ludhyanvi was openly gay. Makes me chukle, for many like my father had no problem singing ``...mein aadmi hoon, aadmi se pyar karta hoon,....``.

3. Did IPWA metamorphize to IPTA? B. Sahni, Hangal and many other greats were once members.

May follow up later.

nice article..but music and song-writing in hindi movies is not dead yet.. have you listened to ``jawa pe laga lagare, namak isq ka``?

DM:

The era of Naushad Ali and OP Nayyar has gone for ever. However if the music, poetry, art or literature is rooted in the soil then it emerges time after time and never dies.

To give you an example of Junoon group of Pakistan. Their most popular numbers hark back to folk characters like Sanwal, Sohni and Mahiwal. Another example is Buleh Shah who died five hundred years ago. But his poetry still becomes a hit with

Buleha Kee Janaan Mein Kaun.

Naushad, Nayyar and many others have used folk and classical in their songs. That is the reason why people still continue to enjoy their music.

Folk and classical music emerges from the soil over thousands of years. It reflects the hopes, fear, aspirations of common people of certain area.

Since the human beings continue to have these human emotions these songs will never die.

Regarding modern music, I believe it is the influence of dominant western culture. The film songs of current era last for a few weeks and then fade away.

So I am very optimistic about the music of these stalwarts.

Hassan N

I bet old foggies in 1960s were also bemoaning the death of music in Indian films at that time.. ``Hamare zamane main Saigal kya gaata tha. Ye Barman warman kaun hai bhai?``

Dost-mittar,

Wonderful article. But no mention of Gulzar at all ? I mean the ``Humne Dekhi Hai
Un Aankhon Ki Mahekti Khushboo`` Gulzar, or the Gulzar of Aandhi, not the
bartan-chappal-baarish Gulzar of more recent times.

Dost-Mittar,

On TV Asia they have a great programme - ``Abhi to main jawaan hoon``, hosted by one Shiraz Sharif in New Jersey. Its a phenonmenal programme for 1 hr, three days a week, where he plays old movie songs. He plans out different themes and so forth. I just love it!!

Iam still admirer of Kishore Kumar and R.D. Burmans combination even fate 60s into seventys and eights when Kishore died..
Kishores song for Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh in earlier films like Abhiman and Aradhna showed the variation in Kishore kumar fom `Yudling` earlier singing to `tere bindya re`

DM-Sir,
Are you still in India?

I did not know that you were into researching Hindi-Films music.

My $.02; Hindi movies were original and authentic upto 1950ies. Elvis`s invasion and it`s captivation of Desi cinema made the Hindi movie music just an imagery of Rock N Roll.

Once I heard on AIR that in those days(pre 1950ies), directors used to make actors act based on how songs were sung.

Good article.
Regards

Urstruly#1:

Yes, music in films has truly become disposable. But I do not think that it is entirely due to technology. Yes, fewer people had ``bhompoos`` but radio was still there and very popular. People flocked to Radio Ceylone, Goa Radio and even Radio Pakistan because of the elitist attitude of All India Radio which mostly shied away from film music - that is until it was forced to start its own Vividh Bharti program to win back fans who had migrated to off-shore stations. Technology, in my opinion, can always be used to enhance the beauty of a good composition, just as sparingly used jewellery can enhance the natural beauty. Both S. D. Burman and O.P. Nayar made very effective use of western instruments, including electric guitar and drums. But no amount of technology can turn a bad song into a memorable one.

DM-jee,

Sad that all these folks keep falling by the wayside!

To tell you the truth sir, I have missed your write-ups – which appear to have dwindled to a trickle – very much, and I was a bit worried that you may have yourself joined those folks UP THERE! :)

Thank God, you are still alive and kicking – though the kicks appear to have lost some of their might and punch and eagerness – and they feel a bit weak! :( Khair.

People do sing a lot in India – at least in my part of India. One of my most pleasant memories as a college student is to have taken those long train trips in Second Class unreserved compartments and being woken up in the morning by the sound of somebody or other singing a bhajan – mostly a filmy bhajan!

I have concluded that all music is equally good (or bad)! What touches us is more a function of what is INSIDE us – and what is inside us is rather dynamic. Over time, we change and sometimes wistfully look back – and those tunes from the past stir those dormant connections – to what we used to be! Accordingly, every person has favorites from the past – and what is today shall be recalled fondly by the present lot some day.

However, nobody in their right mind ought to elevate the death-mourning conducted by some groups in a rather ritualistic manner to “singing”! :)

Regarding filimy songs, I quote the following from an interact I posted on my “Caravan” board (of which, incidentally, I am extremely proud – just like I am of all my write-ups and EVERY word I have written here on this website! (And those who take exception to my words can head straight for their usual jahannum!))

In many ways, people in the show biz are like janitors. They have to really work hard and they have to muster all their abilities, creative and mundane, to prove themselves on a regular basis to their employers – the vast masses who can boo them just as easily as they can raise them sky high. For every superstar out there – there are multitudes of little stars who never made it in spite of very hard work – because it gets crowded very quickly in that competitive environment.

That aside, Hindi film songs are an underappreciated commodity – as far as their impact in molding a common Indian identity is concerned. By and large the “high brow” community of writers, poets, and artists looks down on it while conveniently forgetting that the reasons such songs are commercially successful is because they can connect with the common man – where all the “high brow” stuff fails!

Hindi movie songs have helped develop a national bonding which would have been impossible to achieve otherwise. Thanks to the beautiful lyrics of many Hindi/Urdu writers, a vast number of Indians have been able to express their innermost thoughts in simple language. Even more, they have been able to identify with characters who sing (or lip-synch) those songs – and feel what such characters are supposed to have felt – a vicarious thrill which makes happy people of those who have otherwise little to feel happy about.

Hindi movie songs have brought an understanding of the Hindi language all over India in a way no regulation could ever match in success! It has helped bridge the North-South divide like nothing else could!

And sometimes, they do suggest to people new ideas which could make things better for everybody.

I think that if Pakistani men were to start treating their women with even one percent of the respect that the movie song subjects shower on their lady objects – Pakistan would become an instantaneously enlightened nation!

#10 Delhiwala

[My $.02;]

Sir, please do not overprice yourself!

GT#3:

Yes, Burman not only used Bhatiali songs, he often sang them himself, like the famous Bandini song ``meray saajan hain us paar, main is paar``.

I think that Sahir Ludhyanvi was bisexual rather than gay, like many other taraqi-pasand writers, like Firaq Gorakhpuri. Sahir`s affair with Sudha Malhotra [``tum mujhe bhool bhee jao tau yeh haq hai tum ko``] was well-known and he was also known to have relationship with Prakash Pandit, who was reputed to sometimes write pure Hindi songs for him, such as ``Shivji bihaane chale Palaki sajaai kay, bhabooti lagaye kay`` and ``Aaj sajan mohay ang laga lo, janam safal ho jaaye``.

I do not think that IPWA metamorphed into IPTA. Both organisations existed simultaneously though they had shared common inspiration.

#4 Jang:

Vishal Bhardwaj is a serious film maker and Music Director who does show a keen awareness of lending music appropriate to the theme, as in the case of the Omkaara song mentioned by you.

#14 DM-jee

Sir, you ARE on a roll!

[I think that Sahir Ludhyanvi was bisexual rather than gay, …. ``Aaj sajan mohay ang laga lo, janam safal ho jaaye``.]

I must admit I shall never think of that song the same way ever again!

How cruel of you, sir! The one thing a fan hates is his idol brought down to ground, crushed into fine powder, and dragged through cow-dung!