Rahe Na Rahe Hum…

The beautiful & romantic rains bring memories of film songs on the theme of rains. Two songs stand out prominently. Both are Madhubala songs, but are poles apart as are picturized on Kishore Kumar & Bharat Bhushan. One is obviously- ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi bhaagi si ’ & the other is ‘Zindagi bhar nahee bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat.’ Our Hindi film makers were sane enough not to exchange the songs among the two heroes. You just can’t imagine Bharat Bhushan saying-‘Uska koi pench bhi dheela hai’! He was better off singing the song in front of the mic, describing the gorgeous Madhubala without even moving a muscle on his face, than making a blunder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqHoALKGmLs

Luckily for Bharat Bhushan, there were music directors who made songs that suited his disposition. He was indeed lucky to play such a long innings in films as he got some good songs to sing & also got some of the best looking actresses as his co-stars. Well, he managed to survive, but was a bane for some of the music directors. Roshan was one of them. Despite having so many beautiful songs to his credit, I don’t think Roshan got his due. Lack of big banner movies was one of the reasons. Though he made Baavre nain, Anhonee & Dil hi to hai for Raj Kapoor, he was never with RK films. Shankar Jaikishan were RK’s favourites. Likewise, Naushad was Dilip Kumar’s first choice & Dev Anand had SD Burman for his NavKetan. Shammi Kapoor had OP Nayyar & SJ. So most of the A list stars had their music directors camped up with them. That left talented music directors like Roshan to work for the likes of Pradeep Kumar (Aarti, Chitralekha, Bahu Begam & Taj Mahal), Bharat Bhushan (Barsaat ki Raat), Dharmendra in his  initial years (Devar & Mamta), Ashok Kumar ( Nau Bahar-as hero & Chitralekha, Mamta, Aarti-as character artist ) & Sanjeev Kumar (Anokhi Raat). Directors like Asit Sen repeated Roshan (Mamta & Anokhi Raat), but that did not catapult him in the front seat of all time greats though both the movies had some wonderful songs.. Director M Sadiq after the success of Chaudhavin ka chand did not repeat Ravi, but went for Roshan when he made Taj Mahal & Roshan indeed reciprocated by literally building a monument through his songs. But then did it brand him as a music director for films based on Muslim themes (also consider Barsaat ki Raat, Bahu Begum, Chandani Chowk, Dil hi toh hai, Noor Jahan)?  Did that in any way affect his career?

Melody was integral part of his compositions & he made liberal use of instruments like flute, Sarod, Sitar, Sarangi. There was no loudness about his orchestration. It was soft & serene. Don’t know much about him as a person, but I have a feeling that he must have been a simple person as most of his compositions reflect that purity & simplicity.

Classical music was Roshan’s forte & the following list is a glowing example of it. Even among many Raagas, Yaman & Kalyan seem to be his favourites as there are many songs based on these raagas.-

Raag Bhairavi-

1)      Laaga chunari mein daag( Manna Dey)- Dil Hi to Hai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efh7sCK6njA

2)      Phul gendava na maaro (Manna Dey)- Dooj ka Chand

3)      Aaya hai mujhe phir yaad (Mukesh)- Devar

Raag Bhimpalasi-

1)      Ae ri main to prem diwani (Lata)- Nau Bahar

Raag Darbari-

1)      Teri duniyan mein dil lagata nahi (Mukesh) – Baavre Nain

Raag Gaud Malhar-

1)      Garjat barsat saawan aayo ( Suman Kalyanpur-Kamal Barot)- Barsaat ki Raat

Raag Kamod-

1)      Ae ri jaane na doongi (Lata) - Chitralekha

Raag Kalavati-

1)      Kaahe tarsaye jiyara (Asha-Usha)- Chitralekha. Also note the 1.20 minutes long prelude music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWXQ0xRhqqY

Raag Pahadi

1)      Jo vaada kiya woh (Lata & Rafi)- Taj Mahal

2)      Sakhi re mera man uljhe(Lata)- Chitralekha.

Raag Piloo- Baharo ne mera chaman loot kar( Mukesh)- Devar.

Raag Yaman/Yaman Kalyan-

1)      Man re tu kaahe na dheer dhare (Mohd Rafi)- Chitralekha.

2)      Nigahe Milane ko jee chaahta hai( Asha Bhosale) – Dil Hi to Hai.

3)      Tum kisi aur ko chahogi( Mukesh )- Dil Hi to Hai

4)      Chhupa lo yun dil me ( Hemant Kumar & Lata) – Mamta
https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjbsr2ul4PVAhUJNo8KHUD1BbEQtwIIJzAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGXgKgZt9Jik&usg=AFQjCNGHMSYLT-pufLnihphg2BVzOkhYrw

5)      Zindagi bhar nahi (Mohd Rafi) –Barsaat Ki Raat.

He also craftily blended folk music with classical music creating a different identity of his music. Roshan was also considered to be a Qawwali specialist as he has two of the all time great qawwalis to his credit- Na to karvan ki talash from Barsaat ki Raat (which is a 12 minute song!)
https://youtu.be/BQRHuMBtOYY
& 
Nigahe milane ko jee chahata hai from Dil Hi To hai.

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjc9_fdl4PVAhUMKo8KHQlCBLgQtwIILTAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D2qF4qqVweV0&usg=AFQjCNGSl5qCysMkU1_6Z4MPVCE5EuiFWQ

He teamed up with various lyricists, right from Kidar Sharma (Baavre Nain) to Indeevar (Anokhi Raat). He also worked with Majrooh Sultanpuri for Mamta & gave some wonderful songs like Rahe na rahe hum, Rahte the kabhi, In baharon mein akele etc. He had a creatively fulfilling association with Saahir Ludhianvi for films like Barsaat ki Raat, Taj Mahal, Dooj ka Chand, Dil Hi To Hai, Chitrlekha. Saahir-who appears to be a rebel poet or a heartbroken person with boiling angst against the society in his earlier films. But when working for Roshan, he too mellows down & gives some soft, romantic or philosophical songs. (For example, Laaga chunari mein daag, Sansar se bhaage phirte ho etc)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bDwOaa61bQ

He used many female playback singers apart from Lata & Asha.

For example- he used Rajkumari for Sun bairi balam such bol re for Baavre Nain.

He also used Geeta Dutt for another song in the same movie- Khayalo mein kisike.

Though Lata was his favourite, Roshan did use Suman Kalyanpur in songs like Chand takta hai idhar (Dooj ka Chand), Garjat barsat saavan (Barsaat ki Raat). He also used Kamal Barot & Sudha Malhotra in some songs.

Here are some of Lata’s songs for Roshan which have not been mentioned earlier-

1) Hum gawanwa na jaibe ho – Mamta.

2) Chaahe to mora jiya –Mamta

3) Vikal mora manava un bin haye- Mamta

4) Khushi khushi kar do bida- Anokhi Raat

5)  Jurm-e-ulfat- Taj Mahal

6) Duniya kare sawal to hum- Bahu Begum

7) Kabhi to milegi- Aarti

8) Saari Saari raat teri yaad sataye- Aji bas shukriya.

9) Mujhe mil gaya bahana deri deed ka- Barsaat Ki Raat

10) Dil jo na keh saka- Bheegi Raat

There is a distinctive style that Lata brought while singing for Roshan. It seems she sang more open throated for Roshan.

Among male singers it might appear that Mohd Rafi was his favourite singer, but there are a number of Mukesh songs as well. Here is the list of few of them-

1)      Teri duniya mein dil lagata nahi- Baavre Nain.

2)      Gusse mein jo nikhara- Dil Hi To Hai.

3)      Tum agar mujhko na chaho - Dil Hi To Hai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f4q-rQLjz8

4)      Aaya hai mujhe- Devar.

5)      Baharon ne mera- Devar.

6)      Oh re taal mile nadi ke jal- Anokhi Raat.

7)      Satayega kise tu aasman- Shisham

8)      Hamein ae dil kahi le chal- Chandani Chowk

9)      Apni nazar se unki nazar tak-Hum Log

10)    Dil tujhe diya tha rakhane ko- Malhar

There is a striking influence of K L Saigal on Mukesh’s voice in some of these songs.

Roshan used Talat Mahmood for movies like Anhonee, Raag Rang, & Sanskaar. Manna Dey is of course known for songs like Laaga chunari mein daag, Phul gendava na maaro, Na to kaarvan ki talaash & maara gaya brahmachari (from Chitralekha).

Kishore Kumar also sang for Roshan in early period of both of their career (around 1952-53). There must be some 7-8 songs of this team. Here is one such song, a duet from the film Aagosh-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzqTyMutdz0

Why they did not work later is really a question.

Here is a list of some of Rafi songs which have not been mentioned earlier.

1)      Ab kya misaal doo- Aarti.

2)      Maine Shaayad tumhe- Aarti

3)      Jo baat tujhme hai –Taj Mahal

4)      Dil jo na kah saka-Bheegi Raat

5)      Pao chhu lene do(with Lata)-Taj Mahal

6)      Hum intezar karenge(with Asha)- Bahu Begum

7)      Aapne yaad dilaya(with Lata)-Aarti

In a career spanning almost 20 years, Roshan did around 57 films-which is not a prolific work. May be because he did not compromise on his music or maybe he did not change according to the times or may be his chronic heart ailment came as an impediment. He passed away in 1967 & his film Anokhi Raat got released after his death. It’s 49 years after his death, yet the fragrance of his music remains with us. Fortunately, his music is still his identity & legacy.He is not known as grandfather of Hrithik Roshan, not yet!
https://youtu.be/m3AIVIRc4JU