FROM HEER RANJHA TO MAUSAM
By Kohinoor Dasgupta
Yeh duniya, yeh mehfil / Mohammed Rafi
Chetan Anand’s musical Heer Ranjha (1970) dealt with a legendary love story of Punjab. It was a meaty project for Kaifi Azmi. The dialogues were in verse.
The most famous song of Heer Ranjha is Yeh duniya, yeh mehfil, mere kaam ki nahin (This society, this assembly, means nothing to me), sung by Rafi. The changing orchestral arrangement of Yeh duniya creates the mood of changing seasons and an unchanging love. Other films and dance dramas had been there, done that. Seasons had rolled round in a single song. Yeh duniya broke through by not relying on the standard Raagmala format. Madan Mohan, mad about Hindustani Classical music, wandered on its hidden pathways and brought us his souvenirs. The music explores seasons of the heart through Azmi’s philosophical lyrics.
How well the harmonium is used! Its rousing play reminds us of devotions offered at both dargahs and gurdwaras, though Ranjha claims not to be a seeker of God.
I have this memory associated with Yeh duniya: I was in Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore for a Sonu Nigam concert, very early in Nigam’s glorious playback career. During the concert, his father, Agam Kumar Nigam, gave an amazing rendition of the song.
Simti si sharmayi si/ Kishore Kumar
Azmi wrote a very different song for Parwana (1971). Kishore Kumar had been singing for Madan Mohan since Ada (1951). Simti si sharmayi si (Timid, shy) is very early-70s in style, obediently situational, yet one imagines that Madan Mohan did not have to strain to find a cool tune to suit Kishore Kumar’s new hotness. He had already composed songs like Dil dil se milakar dekho and Ay hasseno, naazneeno and Zaroorat hai for Kishore Kumar. Color film and a new permissiveness in celluloid flirtation supplied the newness.
Tum bin jeevan / Manna Dey
Humse hai watan /Poornima (Sushma) Shrestha
Two Gulzar films were Madan Mohan’s truly novel projects. While Bawarchi (1972) is about a dysfunctional joint family, Koshish, released in late 1972, is about a man and a woman who cannot hear or speak.
Bawarchi has a famous romantic number, sung by Manna Dey: Tum bin jeevan kaisa jeevan? (What’s life without you?) However, Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Bhaduri are not lovers in the film. More naina bahaye neer (I cry) by Mangeshkar is for a stage performance by Krishna (played by Bhaduri), and Bhor aayi, gaya andhiyara (Morning dispels darkness) based on Alhaiya Bilawal, is an ensemble effort by Manna Dey, Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Kishore Kumar, and Classical vocalists Lakshmi Shankar and Nirmala Arun.
Nearly two decades before Bawarchi, Durga Khote acted in another Madan Mohan film about a dysfunctional family. The film was Chacha Chowdhary (1953) directed by Raja Paranjpe, and its music included a brisk Master Class on Raag Chandrakauns given by one of the chachas played by Paranjpe. Madan Mohan had called on Hindustani Classical vocalist Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande to sing the demo.
It is remarkable that Gulzar asked Madan Mohan, master of nuanced sound and unheard-of melodies, to do the honors for Koshish. No doubt the writer-director had faith in Madan Mohan’s ability to cue us into the silent inner vibrations of good human beings. Hari (Sanjeev Kumar in another National Award winning role) and Aarti (a brilliant Jaya Bhaduri) first sense outer music by touching a radio, when their young son dances to a peppy beat.
Earlier, the little boy (Master Chintu) performs at his school’s Annual Day. The feisty number Hum se hai watan hamara aur watan se hum (We are responsible for our country and our country makes us who we are), written by Gulzar, was given to a child singer, Sushma Shrestha, for a change. In the film, Hari and Aarti sit with other parents in an auditorium and proudly watch the show and listen to the silence of the song and the orchestra.
Saqia qareeb aa / Lata Mangeshkar
The story of Prabhat (1973) was written by Manik Banerjee. Nargis (played by the queenly Zaheeda) is trapped in a brothel. The man she loves tries to get her out and is murdered. Nargis is whipped and forced to sing and dance for a wealthy patron. She is broken hearted; her body hurts and she is consumed by rage. Saqia qareeb aa (Make me drunk) is a sardonic song written by Naqsh Lyallpuri and perfectly composed by Madan Mohan. How eloquently the sitar speaks in the song! The instrument, like the woman’s art, is inviolable. When Nargis was being whipped earlier, she was flung against the musical instruments which were scattered around the room. Madan Mohan made the instruments screech and groan in protest, as though they were being abused as well.
Bhor hote balam / Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle belted out a difficult Bhairavi thumri-style mujra number, Bhor hote balam chale jayenge (Romeo will leave with the sun) written by Kaifi Azmi for Sultana Daku (1973). Trained dancer Padma Khanna performed an equally kinetic Kathak-style dance for the scene.
Duniya bananewala / Lata Mangeshkar
Har taraf ab yehi afsana hai / Manna Dey
Hai tere saath meri wafa / Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar’s songs for Chetan Anand’s Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973), Duniya bananewale (O Maker!) and Hai tere saath meri wafa (I leave behind my loyalty) have an elegiac quality. With military service in his background, a rare qualification in a music director, Madan Mohan came up with a grand overall score to match the dignity and stoicism of military families. The lyrics were written by Kaifi Azmi.
Having recently seen a 25th anniversary special screening of Saving Private Ryan, I would like to point out that just as four sons of Mrs. Ryan fought in World War II, three of whom were lost, Mrs. Batra (played by Veena) in Hindustan Ki Kasam, a War widow, loses her elder son in the war with Pakistan, and has her other son and a daughter in harm’s way.
Squadron Leader Rajeev Shukla (played by Raaj Kumar) sings Manna Dey’s romantic number Har taraf ab yehi afsana hai (The signs are everywhere) while taking an evening stroll. The charming and hopeful song nevertheless is melodically akin to the two Mangeshkar songs. This is often the case in Madan Mohan films. The songs are connected, they form a set. Their connection was crystal clear to the composer, and a discovery for most of us.
Tum jo mil gaye ho / Mohammed Rafi
Yeh mana meri jaan / Mohammed Rafi
Betaab dil ki / Lata Mangeshkar
Aaj socha toh aansu bhar aaye / Lata Mangeshkar
Chetan Anand also directed Hanste Zakhm (1973), which was based on a story by Gulshan Nanda. Kaifi Azmi wrote the unforgettable lyrics.
Madan Mohan said that Tum Jo mil gaye ho (Now that I’ve found you) was deemed to be a departure from his style. He also pointed out that it was difficult to insulate oneself from noise in a modern city (he was talking about the early 1970s). Whatever the reason or inspiration, we are grateful for this madcap, this rogue which burst out of the composer’s music room! Another number by Mohammed Rafi, Yeh mana meri jaan (I agree, my love) carries over the mood of emancipation and rebelliousness from Tum jo mil gaye ho.
In contrast, Lata Mangeshkar’s numbers in Hanste Zakhm are somber. Even Betaab dil ki tamanna yehi hai (The only wish of my throbbing heart) is not a jubilant number. The singer of Betaab dil ki is Chanda/Minno (whom Priya Rajvansh gave an extraordinary presence as a high-minded and witty young woman). Ever since she was kidnapped as a child, Chanda has undergone such trauma and abuse, that she is surprised by joy. Madan Mohan invariably nailed the nuance. When Chanda sings Aaj socha to aansu bhar aaye (Now that I think of it, tears welling up), she has given up even that tenuous hold on happiness. The tune of Tum jo mil gaye ho breaks up the stanzas of Aaj socha, as though a free, fragrant breeze steals into the garish room and mixes with its stale air. Chanda/Minno almost smiles in agony.
Musically, Hanste Zakhm is an intricately synthesized film. Interlacing musical memories yield a moment of exquisite pain at the end, when Somesh (Navin Nischol) and Chanda look at each other, and the music of Betaab dil ki tamanna plays for a second. Lata Mangeshkar’s voice joins in with Azmi’s words, but there is no need. Enough was said.
Aap ki baaten karen ya / Lata Mangeshkar
Rasm-e-ulfat / Lata Mangeshkar
Dil Ki Rahen, starring Rehana Sultan and Rakesh Pandey, was released on the last day of 1973. The interesting film was directed by B.R. Ishara and dedicated to Rehana Sultan’s mother, "Late Begum Majida Sultana”. Endearingly, the film begins at a bookstore, "Bangalore Book Bureau”. Since the male protagonist is a violinist and Hindustani Classical vocalist, Madan Mohan called upon Manna Dey to voice the character’s riyaz. Rehana (Rehana Sultan) is drawn to the music she hears from the house across hers. Upon gathering that the artiste is drinking himself to death, she does her physician’s due diligence. The artiste and the doctor fall in love with each other. They hail from conservative families; she is a Muslim and he, a Hindu.
Madan Mohan was fond of the title song, Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhayen toh nibhayen kaise? (How can I follow the religion of love?) He composed an astonishing tune for Naqsh Lyallpuri’s words. The song appeals intellectually and emotionally and suits the character Rehana, who is a responsible, humane and serious individual. While she is deeply respectful towards her cultural heritage and her mother's (played by Sulochana) wish, she loves this man who does not share that heritage. Here is a couplet from the song:
Dil ki rahon mein uthaten hain jo duniyawale
Koi keh de ke woh deewar girayen kaise?
Someone tell me, how do I break down those walls
Which society builds between hearts? [My translation]
Aap ki baaten karen ya apna afsana kahen? (Shall we talk about you, or shall I relate my saga?) is a song that stands on its own in Hindi films. It revels in newfound companionship and understanding. If you ask me, Lata Mangeshkar sang Aap ki baaten karen with a smile on her face. I get the same impression while listening to Ay humsafar, bata de, her Mohar duet with Mohammed Rafi.
Both Rasm-e-ulfat and Aap ki baaten mainly rely on sitar and tabla to amplify the emotion conveyed by the words and the tunes. Ustad Rais Khan (1939-2017) probably played the sitar for both songs. The tabla too is crisp, mesmerizing.
As I said before, Madan Mohan never uses the sitar in a wishy-washy way. The instrument has its own important piece to say, in these two songs, and in many others, such as Sapnon mein agar mere, Tumhari zulf ke saaye mein, Nainon mein badra chhaye, and Aaj socha toh. To cite one example of what sitar accomplishes in a Madan Mohan composition, a certain phrase of sitar music in Aaj socha toh comes across as an echo of Kaifi Azmi's words. We hear a (mythical) gossamer heartstring at its breaking point.
Ek mutthi aasman / Kishore Kumar
Ek mutthi asmaan was a 1973 film starring Vijay Arora. Its famous song, Har koi chahta hai ek mutthi aasman (Everyone yearns for a fistful of sky) was written by Indivar. It was filmed on INS Vikrant and enacted by Pran. Arora’s character sings it too later in the film. Kishore Kumar’s soulful rendition made the song an instant hit. It is difficult to think of a Madan Mohan-Kishore Kumar song which was not popular.
Dil dhoondta hai / Bhupinder Singh
Dil dhoondta hai / Lata Mangeshkar & Bhupinder Singh
Ruke ruke se kadam/ Lata Mangeshkar
Mausam, written by Kamleshwar and directed by Gulzar, was released in December 1975, when Madan Mohan was no more. He died on July 14, 1975. Salil Chowdhury took care of the background music of Mausam.
"Dil dhoondta hai phir wohi phursat ke raat din/Baithe rahe tasavvur-e-jaana kiye hue” (The heart seeks once more those nights and days of ample time/Nothing to do but think of my sweetheart) are Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib’s words. Ghalib died in Delhi in February 1869. In ample time, his words found Madan Mohan’s timeless music, when Gulzar wrote a song for Mausam that began with those words. Madan Mohan crafted the song into a solo by Bhupinder Singh and a duet by Singh and Lata Mangeshkar.
Singh's magical solo plays while a car climbs a winding road to Darjeeling and the title credits roll. Once again, as he did in Baiyan na dharo, Madan Mohan presents layers of sound, this time persuading us to imagine vast landscapes, precipices, chasms, emptiness and echoes. If you listen to the audio, you might even hear a twig crackling in a bonfire.
The two versions of Dil dhoondta hai have different orchestral music, and in the heart of both songs there is a great silence.
While the solo suggests long memory and little time, the duet, if listened to without Gulzar's visuals, presents Time as sweet, mischievous and long. It both flits by and stops when young people are in love. They may complain that the other person eats up all their time, but they have a lifetime to share! Enjoy the illusion, because Gulzar's film sequence is as sad as it is brilliant.
Towards the end of Mausam, Kajli (Sharmila Tagore in a National Award-winning double-role) has to make an important decision. Ruke ruke se kadam (I drag my feet) plays on the radio while the young woman weighs her choices. It is a farewell song, beautiful and moving, sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Happily, Kajli's leave-taking is not irrevocable.
Husn haazir hai / Lata Mangeshkar
Laila Majnu (1976) used a Madan Mohan tune for the superhit song, Husn hazir hai mohabbat ki saza paane ko (Here I am, punish me for daring to love) sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Laila, played by Ranjeeta. Miraculously, a 2004 Yash Chopra film, Veer-Zaara, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee, adapted a couple of Madan Mohan’s unreleased tunes.
Tere bagair / Mohammed Rafi
Tum juda hokar / Talat Mahmood
To commemorate Madan Mohan’s 85th birth anniversary on June 25, 2009, his loving children gave his fans a collection of 15 melodies in the form of a 2 CD collection called Tere Bagair. These songs were recorded during 1964-72 by Madan Mohan for films that were not completed. Some of these songs were in the album A Treasure Revealed, which was released for limited circulation soon after Madan Mohan’s untimely demise. Tere Bagair has songs by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mahmood, and Kishore Kumar. The title song, Tere bagair (Without you), sung by Rafi, evokes grief and bereavement. Mahmood's Tum juda hokar (When you left), also about separation, talks of human bondage.
Also to coincide with Madan Mohan's 85th birth anniversary, the composer’s family launched a website dedicated to him, https://www.madanmohan.in/
Listening to Madan Mohan’s compositions is a rewarding experience. Masterfully and imaginatively, he incorporated Hindustani Classical music and the unique sound of Indian musical instruments into film songs. With Lata Mangeshkar, especially, Madan Mohan created songs of extraordinary beauty which cannot be classified as either Classical music or Light Classical music, and yet touch a high bar of artistic achievement by exploring the regal ragas and their creative elasticity. He elevated popular taste. There were no cheap seats in his auditorium.
In the collage:
Row 1 (l to r) Sanjeev Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri & Rajesh Khanna
Row 2 (l to r) Navin Nischol & Priya Rajvansh, Rehana Sultan & Rakesh Pandey, Pran
Row 3 (l to r) Priya Rajvansh, Sanjeev Kumar & Jaya Bhaduri, Zaheeda
Row 4 (l to r) Padma Khanna, Madan Mohan as shown in the credits of Ek Mutthi Aasman, Shah Rukh Khan & Preity Zinta in a still from Veer-Zaara
Acknowledgements:
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