Best songs of 1948: Wrap Up 3

And the Songs of Yore Award for the Best Duet goes to?

As per the long-term average, female solos outnumber male solos by a big margin, with duets somewhere in between. The same is true for the year 1948. My list of 114/115 MEMORABLE SONGS in the Overview post has the following break-up:

Male solos        –  26
Female solos    –  53
Duets                  –  36
       TOTAL    –   115

Besides the significant number, the duets present  interesting variety of combinations of singers. This category also includes all male or female duets, and songs by more than two singers (which could be all male or female or mixed). I count the chorus songs in which there is only one identifiable dominating voice as a solo of that singer.

We have seen in Wrap Up 1 that Mukesh was far ahead of the pack in solos. His dominance in duets is even more pronounced, accounting for 14 duets in which he is pairing with a female singer. No other male singer crosses three in my list of memorable songs.

Arunji’s choice for the best duet is Kyun unhe dil diya. Gaddeswarupji continues his unconventional run with his choice of Ayi gori Radhika by Neenu Majumdar and Meena Kapoor from Gopinath. I like this song, and I had included it in the list of ‘Special songs’ for the reason that it is the original tune of LP’s Jasumati maiya se bole Nandlala from Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Shalan Lal’s choice is Taaron ki toliyon par kaisa ye nikhaar by GM Durrani and Shamshad Begum from Ghar Ki Izzat. KS Bhatiaji mentions three songs – Kyun unhe dil diya, Main bhanwra tu hai phool and Layi Khushi ki duniya, and selects Main bhanwra tu hai phool by Mukesh and Shamshad Begum from Mela as the best duet.

As usual I go down the list and shortlist the best duets male singer-wise in the first cut.

FIRST CUT

Mukesh duets
1. Raat ko ji chamke tare – Mukesh and Shamshad Begum (Aag)
2. Bhool gaye kyun de ke sahara – Mukesh and Shamshad Begum (Anokhi Ada)
3. Tere naaz uthaane ko ji chahata hai – Mukesh and Shamshad Begum (Grihasthi)
4. Dharti ko akash pukaare – Mukesh and Shamshad Begum (Mela)
5. Ayi sawan ritu ayi – Mukesh and Shamshad Begum (Mela)
6. Main bahnwra tu hai phool – Mukesh and Shamshad Begum (Mela)
7. Ek teer chalaanewale ne dil loot liya – Mukesh and Sitara Kanpuri (Pugree)
8. Layi Khushi ki duniya – Mukesh and Suraiya (Vidya)
Rafi duets
9. More Raja ho le chal nadiya ke paar – Rafi and Lalita Deulkar (Nadiya Ke Paar)
Surendra duets
10. Kyun unhein dil diya – Surendra and Shamshad Begum (Anokhi Ada)
GM Durrani duets
11. Taaron ki toliyon par kaisa ye nikhar – GM Durrani and Shamshad Begum (Ghar Ki Izzat)
Other duets
12. Sansar ke aadhar daya hum pe dikhaao – Pankaj Mullick and Utpala Sen (Anjangarh)
13. Ayi gori Radhika – Neenu Majumdar and Meena Kapoor (Gopinath)
14. Kathwa ke naiya banaihe re malahawa – Chitalkar, Lalita Deulkar, P Chandar and SL Puri (Nadiya Ke Paar)
15. Maar gayo re more dil pe katari – Chitalkar and Shamshad Begum (Nadiya Ke Paar)
16. Khushiyan manayein kyun na hum – Chitalkar, Rafi and GM Sajan/ Shamshad Begum, Mohantara and Lata Mangeshkar (Khidki)
17. Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan shaheed ho – Rafi and Khan Mastana (Shaheed)

Special songs

1. Taaron ki toliyon pe kaisa hai ye nikhaar by GM Durrani and Shamshad Begum from Ghar Ki Izzat, lyrics IC Kapoor, music Pt. Govind Ram

We should thank Shalan Lal for introducing us to this beautiful duet. Since we have a large number of outstanding well-known songs, I am not including it in the main list.

2. Sansar ke aadhar daya hum pe dikhaao by Pankaj Mullick and Utpala Sen from Anjangarh, lyrics Pt. Bhushan, music RC Boral

The songs has the feel of New Theatres, but they were no longer at the peak and the Hindi film music had changed. Let us enjoy this song which is a throwback to the era of the New Theatres.

3. Kathwa ke naiya banayihe re malahawa by Chitalkar, Lalita Deulkar, P Chandar and SL Puri from Nadiya Ke Paar. Lyrics Moti B.A., music C Ramchandra

R Ramchandra composed many outstanding songs in Nadiya Ke Paar in the backdrop of boatmen’s village. Here is one such song which has two unknown singers: P Chandar and SL Puri.

BEST TEN DUETS

1. Kyun unhein dil diya by Surendra and Shamshad Begum from Anokhi Ada, lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, music Naushad

One of the best compositions of Naushad ever. Surendra’s virtually last gasp of singing career, but what gorgeous singing.

2. Main bhanwra tu hai phool by Mukesh and Shamshad Begum from Mela, lyrics ShakeelBadayuni, music Naushad

3. Ayi saawan ritu ayi by Mukesh and Shamshad Begum from Mela, lyrics ShakeelBadayuni, music Naushad

This is one of the joyous songs from the tragic film. It has beautiful orchestra and chorus interludes, which was the hallmark of Naushad.

4. More Raja ho le chal nadiya ke paar by Rafi and Lalita Deulkar from Nadiya Ke Paar, lyrics Moti B.A., music C Ramchandra

I have earlier mentioned that C Ramchandra was among the music directors who gave important place in his early career. This is one of his early superhit songs.

5. Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan Shaheed ho by Rafi and Khan Mastana from Shaheed, lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, music Ghulam Haider

Rafi would be the undisputed King of patriotic songs. Watan ki raah mein is his everlasting song.

6. Tere naaz uthaane ko ji chaahata hai by Mukesh and Shamshad Begum from Grihasthi, Shakeel Badayuni, music Ghulam Mohammad

This was the year of Mukesh and Shashad Begum. Divine singing, composed equally beautifully by the highly talented Ghulam Mohammad.

7. Ek teer chalanewale ne by Mukesh and Sitara Kanpuri from Pugree, lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, Ghulam Mohammad

8. Dil kaahoo ko deo na..Maar gayo re more dil pe katari by Chitalkar and Shamshad Begum from Nadiya Ke Paar, lyrics Moti B.A., music C Ramchandra

C Ramchandra had a great sense of fun in his singing. I think his conviction made most of the sings sung by him superhits. Here is a sample of his magic with Shamshad Begum, which he would repeat in Patanga, a year later.

9. Layi khushi ki duniya my Mukesh and Suraiya from Vidya, lyrics Anjum Pilibhiti, music SD Burman

Dev Anand-Suraiya’s off-screen romance has made this on-screen romantic duet doubly appealing.

10. Khushiyan manayein kyun na hum, kismet hamaare saath hai…Da da daa da da daa by Rafi, Chitalkar and GM Sajan

Da da daa da da daa da daa da daa became a cult tune down south as was mentioned by N Venkaramanji in one of his posts in the influence of Hindi film songs on Tamil films. Chitalkar had great chemistry with Rafi in many funny songs.

I what could be the only example of a male triad song having a female triad counterpart, this song also has an all-female version, sung by Shamshad Begum, Mohantara and Lata Mangeshkar

In conclusion,

The Songs of Yore Award for the Best Duet of 1948 goes Kyun unhein dil diya sung by Surendra and Shamshad Begum, composed by Naushad.

Tagged as: Best duets