Best songs of 1941

And the winners are

The regulars of SOY who have been following year-wise reviews of the best songs of the year would have noticed an interesting feature. Every vintage year was characterised by some film(s) whose music became timeless. If we had Rattan in 1944 by Naushad, we had Kismet and Tansen in 1943, and Basant and Bhakt Surdas in 1942. 1941 too is no exception. If KL Saigal is there in a year, you can expect some everlasting songs. But besides Lagan (1941), Doctor helmed by the actor-singer Pankaj Mullick from New Theatres turned out to be an artistic and musical masterpiece. It is remarkable that New Theatres achieved that with a social message.

Khazanchi by Ghulam Haider launching Shamshad Begum in Hindi films was a path breaker. It heralded what came to be known as Punjab School of Music with an infectious beat. Saraswati Devi with Jhoola achieved what she had done in so many Bombay Talkies films – creating everlasting songs by non-singers, Ashok Kumar and Leela Chitnis.

Other remarkable music scores were Chitralekha by Ustad Jhande Khan. This eternal classic by Bhagawati Charan Verma directed by Kidar Sharma was a superhit, but when he remade it in 1964, despite excellent music by Roshan, it received a tepid response. Bahen composed by Anil Biswas, and a couple of films by Khemchand Prakash had some memorable songs. Quite a large variety on the plate to discuss and enjoy.

Broad statistics

As we go back further into the vintage era, we are going to encounter more unknowns: in some cases only film’s name is known, nothing else is known about the song titles, singers, lyricists or music directors; in some cases information is partly available. When I say this, it is important to note that out of many unknowns in Hindi Film Geet Kosh, YouTube and other sites have now discovered some gems. We have to be also alert that some of the information available online may not be accurate, and it is always prudent to crosscheck with more sources. With this general caveat let us now look at a snapshot of 1941.

Macro snapshot of the songs of 1941

(Note: Songs with more than two voices are counted in duets. Choruses with one or more distinct voices are counted as a solo or duet. Some songs have multiple versions.)

The total number of films made in 1941 is quite low. This must be due to the uncertainty caused by the World War II. It was still going the Hitler way and the turnaround would come much later. In the above table chorus with one or more clear voices is identified as a solo or a duet. And for convenience I am including songs with two or more singers in duets.

Fact file and Trivia
The making of Chitralekha is quite a story of David-Goliath, luck and the then underdog Kidar Sharma prevailing over the giants. The story is nicely narrated by Sadanand Kamath on ASAD. Due to some differences with Debaki Bose, Kidar Sharma left New Theatres after completing his assignment as a dialogue writer and lyricist for Vidyapati (1937), and resolved only to work as a director. When he got an offer from the Film Corporation of India of directing Chitralekha, Debaki Bose was in the midst of directing Nartaki (1940), with Pankaj Mullick as actor-singer and music director. He invited Kidar Sharma to write its dialogues and lyrics, but he refused. A furious Debaki Bose told him Chitralekha stood no chance before Nartaki. To compound Kidar Sharma’s troubles Wadia Movietone was making Raj Nartaki a.k.a Court Dancer with Prithviraj Kapoor and an eminent dancer Sadhna Bose in the lead and Timir Baran as the music director. This film was promoted as the first film simultaneously made in three languages – Hindi, Bengali and English. Bhagwati Charan Verma openly criticised that Kidar Sharma had ruined his novel; the Film Corporation India’s creditors had got their studio sealed. Kidar Sharma somehow completed the film. Initially the film opened to a lukewarm response due to some backbiting, but finally it was declared as one of the most successful films. Kidar had done another daring thing – he had hired the renowned classical musician Ustad Jhande Khan (and AS Gyani) as the music director and asked him to compose all the songs of the film in the same raga Bhairavi.

Jhoola had a bathroom singing scene with Ashok Kumar shivering and humming Ek chatur naar kar kar singar. This became the prototype of full-fledged slanging song Ek chatur naar badi hoshiyar mere man ke dwar mein ghusat jaat in Padosan (1968).

Padosi was the last film of V Shantaram before he left Prabhat. The theme of the film was national integration and communal harmony, an apt film for the fraught times. The Muslim protagonist was played by Gajanan Jagirdar and his Hindu friend by Mazhar Khan.

Mala had music by Naushad, Its remake Amar (1954) also had music by Naushad.

JBH Wadia became the Chairman, Film Advisory Board the year. The elder Wadia’s interest in multifarious affairs also led to a break with his younger brother Homi Wadia, who later set up his own production house, Basant Pictures.

Bata do koi kaun gali gaye Shyam in Kanchan was Naushad’s first song. But the film’s release was delayed, and he got independent assignment in Premnagar (1940). He did not compose any other song for Kanchan which was done by Gyan Dutt. He had two more films in the year: Darshan and Mala. He seemed to be trying to find his feet. You can find traces of future greatness in some songs. In Mala two songs are said to be ‘Shrimati Ghosh’. One knows female singers with masculine voice, but the songs by the said Shrimati Ghosh, available on the YouTube are clearly by a male singer.

Raj Nartaki (1941) alias Court Dancer was produced by Wadia Movietone. This movie was made in Bangla, Hindi and English. This movie was publicised as the first English language movie produced in India with Indian actors. The songs though were in Hindi in the English version movie. It was directed by Madhu Bose. It had Sadhana Bose (director’s wife) in the title role of the court dancer Indrani. Prithviraj Kapoor played prince Chandrakirti, Sadhana Bose’s lover.

There were two films – Sasural and Ummeed – with Noorjehan Sr. These are often wrongly credited to the Malika-e-Taranum Noorjehan who would debut a year later.

Debuts
Nalini Jaywant debuted as an actress in the film Radhika. She sang her own songs in the film and two other films in the year: Bahen and Nirdosh. Nirdosh was also the film in which the legendary singer Mukesh debuted as an actor-singer with Dil hi bujha hua hai to fasl-e-bahar kya. He also sang two duets with Nalini Jaywant.

Amritlal Nagar’s debuted as a writer with the film Sangram.

SN Tripathi had his first assignment as a music director with Chandan.

Amiiya Chakravarty debuted as a director with Anjaam (1941) of Bombay Talkies. This film also marked the debut of RD Mathur as the photographer. On return from his training from US he had been so far working as assistant to Josef Wirsching, the German photographer of Bombay Talkies. There is another kind of first associated with this film. So far Saraswati Devi or Ramchandra Pal had been music directors for Bombay Talkies films. With this film for the first time they had another music director, Pannalal Ghosh (he had though debuted as a music director a year earlier).

SD Burman debuted as a singer in Hindi films in the film Taj Mahal, composed by Madhulal Damodar Master. This would be the first and the last time he would be singing under a non-Burman. This film also marked the debut of Suraiya’s acting career as Baby Suraiya.

Talat Mahmood started his singing career with the non-film song Sab din ek saman nahin tha at the age of 17.

Let me start with a list of Memorable Songs of the year. You will find name of lyricists missing at some places. This has happened when a film has several lyricists and writing all names would be clumsy. In many cases the lyricists are not separately credited. Multiple version songs are not separately counted.

MEMORABLE SONGS

Aasra: Lyrics Safdar ‘Aah’, Music Anil Biswas
1. Bitaai kahan ratiyan O maharaja – Husn Bano
Anjan: Lyrics..; Music Pannalal Ghosh
2. Mere jeevan ke path par chhayi ye kaun, poonam ki chandni – Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani
3. Chhalko chhalko na ras ki gagariya mori panghat pe bheeghi chunariya – Rajkumari (Lyrics Kavi Pradeep)
Bahen: Lyrics Dr Safdar ‘Aah’; Music Anil Biswas
4. Aayi jawani jiya lahraye – Nalini Jaywant
5. Kiye ja sabka bhala kiye ja – Anil Biswas
6. Mujhe le chal apne naagariya, Gokulwale saanwariya – Husn Bano and Nalini Jaywant
7. Preet nahin jaane balam more bhole – Miss Iqbal
8. Nahin khate hain bhaiya mere paan – Nalini Jaywant, Sheikh Mukhtar
9. Tore kajra lagaun mori rani – Beena Kumari and Baby Meena (Meena Kumari)
Beti: Lyrics DN Madhok, BR Sharma; Music Gyan Dutt
10. Arman kuchh to dil mein tadapte hi rah gaye – Khursheed
11. Ye dard-e-mohabbat hai kaise wo bhala jaane – Khursheed
Charnon Ki Dasi: Lyrics Pt. Anand Kumar; Music Annasaheb Mainkar
12. Bhari dupahari kamini ikli dukili mat jaye – Master Avinash & Saraswati Rane
Chitralekha: Lyrics Kidar Sharma; Music Jhade Khan; AS Gyani
13. Jaga kirnonwala…Aankhen kholo Nand ke lala -Ramdulari, Rajendra Singh & Siddheshwar Kukherjee (Music AS Gyani)
14. Neelkamal muskaye bhanwra, jhoothi kasmein khaye – Ramdulari
15. Tum jaao jaao bhagwan bane insaan bano to jaane – Ramdulari  
Darshan: Lyrics…; Music Naushad
16. Ho pardesi babu aate jaate rahna – GM Durrani
Doctor: Lyrics Arzoo Lakhanvi, AR Shor; Music Pankaj Mullick
17. Aaj apni mehnaton ka – Pankaj Mullick
18. Aapan jeevan darshan pyara – Ila Ghosh (picturised on Bharati), lyrics AH Shor
19. Aayi bahar aaj aayi bahaar – Pankaj Mullick (lyrics Arzoo Lakhanvi)
20. Chale pawan ki chaal jag mein – Pankaj Mullick
21. Guzar gaya ye zamana kaisa – Pankaj Mullick
22. Kab tak nirash ki andhiyari – Pankaj Mullick
23. Mahak rahi phulwari apni – Pankaj Mullick
Ghar Ki Laaj: Lyrics Ehsan Rizvi; Music Annasaheb Mainkar
24. Dil hai tumhari yaad ki duniya liye huye – Kalyani
Himmat: Lyrics Aziz Kashmiri; Music Govind Ram
25. Inhin logon ne le leena dupatta mora – Shamshad Begum (In Aabroo 1943 on Yaqub in drag)
Holiday in Bombay: Lyrics (?); Music Khemchand Prakash
26. Jaaye na paiyo hamari gali aay ke – Vatsala Kumthekar
Jhoola: Lyrics Pradeep; Music Saraswati Devi
27. Na jaane kidhar aaj meri naao chali re – Ashok Kumar
28. Aaj mausam salona salona re – Ashok Kumar
29. Main to Dilli se dlhan laya re ae babuji – Arun Kumar and Rahmat Bano
30. Dekho hamre raja ki aaj sagai hai – Arun Kumar and Rahmat Bano
Kanchan: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Gyan Dutt
31. Bata do koi kaun gali gaye Shyam – Leela Chitnis (Naushad’s first film song)
32. More man ki nagariya basai re Madhoji Madhoji – Leela Chitnis, Mazumdar
Khazanchi: Lyrics Wali Saheb; Music Ghulam Haider
33. Diwali phir aa gayi sajni – Shamshad Begum, chorus
34. Ek kali naazon ki pali – Shamshad Begum
35. Laut gayi papan andhiyari – Shamshad Begum
36. Naino ke baan ki reet anokhi – Shamshad Begum (and Ghulam Haider)
37. Peene ke din aye piye ja – Umrao Zia Begum
38. Sawan ke nazarein hain- Shamshad Begum, (Ghulam Haider) &chorus
Lagan: Lyrics Arzoo Lakhanvi, Music RC Boral
39. Kaahe ko raar machai, chhodo bhi ye nithurai – KL Saigal
40. Hamri laaj nibhao swami – Kanan Devi
41. Hat gayi lo kaari ghata chhitak gaye tare – KL Saigal
42. Kaise kate ratiyan baalam – KL Saigal
43. Main sote bhag jaga dunga, mai jaage bhag sula dunga – KL Saigal
44. Tum bin kal na aave mohe – Kanan Devi
45. Ye kaisa anyay data – KL Saigal
Mala: Lyrics..; Music Naushad
46. Kaahe barse jaye badariya – Amirbai Karnataki
47. Kyon nain bhar aye bawre – Mrs Ghosh (?)
48. Dekh liya jag tera – Mrs Ghosh
49. Madhoji Madhoji, Bharat mein phir aao – Miss Heera
Naya Sansar: Lyrics Pradeep; Music Saraswati Devi and RC Pal
50. Ek naya sansar basa lein – Renuka Devi, Ashok Kumar
Nirdosh: Lyrics…; Music Ashok Ghosh
51. Dil hi bujha hua ho to fasl-e-bahar kya – Mukesh (lyrics Neelkanth Tiwari)
52. Main hu pari, ban ki pari – Nalini Jaywant & Mukesh
Padosi: Lyrics Pt. Sudarshan; Music Master Krishna Rao
53. Kaisa chhaya hai ujala rasiya, manohar pyara pyara – Anees Khatoon, Balwant Singh, chorus
Pardesi: Lyrics…; Music Khemchand Prakash
54. Do nain tihare do nain  hamare – Khursheed
55. More angana mein ambua, ambua ki daali, daali par koel bol gayi re – Khursheed, Kantilal
56. Mori atariya hai sooni, Mohan nahin aaye – Khursheed and Snehprabha (Lyrics DN Madhok)
57. Pahle jo mohabbat se inkaar kiya hota – Khursheed (Lyrics DN Madhok)
Pyas: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Khemchand Prakash
58. Jaake naina matwale hain, baal ghunghar wale hain – Shamim, Ishwarlal, Snehprabha Pradhan & chorus
Rajnartaki: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Timir Baran
59. Raas rache Banwari – Suprova Sarkar
60. Shyam se mili tori nazariya, saheli tori jani chaturai – Suprova Sarkar
Sant Sakhu: Lyrics…; Music Keshavrao Bhole
61. Roop ye anoop dekh ke nayan – Vasant Desai and Vinodini Dixit
Sasural: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Gyan Dutt
62. Aankhon meinn aa gaye ho to dil mein bhi aa ajao – Brijmala
63. Ek meethi nazar ban ke aankhon mein sama jaao – Rajkumari
Shadi: Lyrics…; Music Khemchand Prakash
64. Bhigoyi mori saari re, dekho bheege na choli – Khursheed, Ishwarlal & chorus (lyrics Munshi Dil)
65. Bhoolne wale bhulane pe bhi yaad aate hain – Khursheed
66. Ghr ghir ayi badariya..o gori ji ke saheba ghar aa – Khursheed
67. Tera anokha singar re dulhan albeli – Khursheed
Sikandar: Lyrics Pt. Sudarshan; Music Mir Saheb, Rafiq Ghazanvi
68. Phulwaran laage chor maalaniya soye rahi – Sheela
69. Zindagi hai pyar se pyar mein bitaye ja – Rafiq Ghazanvi, Khan Mastana & chorus
Taj Mahal: Lyrics Munshi Dil, DN Madhok; Music Madhulal D. Master
70. Prem ki pyari nishani jaag rahi – SD Burman
Ummeed: Lyrics DN Madhok, Music Khemchand Prakash
71. Gend samajh ke uchhalo na sajaniya – Ishwarlal, Noorjahan Sr

Special Songs

1. Ek chatur naar kar kar singar by Ashok Kumar from Jhoola (1941), lyrics Pradeep, music Saraswati Devi

I must say HFGK does not list it as a song. The reason is obvious. Ashok Kumar seems to be reluctant to take bath. He whiles away his time singing these lines, and finally when he does go in the bath you can hear his shivering voice. But all credit to the team for creating a future masterpiece.

2. Lakh lakh chanderi chorus from Shejari (1941), music Master Krishnarao

Prabhat maintained its tradition of making bilingual films – in Marathi and Hindi. The Marathi version of Padosi achieved equal fame. The remarkable part was that it had a similar community dance scene. And the chorus on the same tune as that of Kaisa Chhaya hai ujala rasiya, Manohar pyara pyara. Its original in Marathi Lakh lakh chanderi is an absolutely enchanting song. We would have opportunities  to hear the Hindi song. I am presenting the Marathi song for our enjoyment.

3. Roop ye anoop dekh ke nayan by Vasant Desai and Vinodini Dixit from Sant Sakhu (1941), lyrics PL Santoshi, music Keshavrao Bhole

Prabhat had done a yeoman’s service by making films on famous saint poets from Maharashtra, such as Tukaram, Ramdas and Gyaneshwar. Not as famous as them, the female saint Sakhu was popular among rural folk in many states. This song is special because it is very nice and sung by Vasant Desai who earned fame as music director later. (Vasant Desai debuted as a music director a year later with Shobha.)

4. Sanjh bhayi banjara by Anil Biswas from Aasra (1941), lyrics Dr Safdar ‘Aah’. Music Anil Biswas

While Vasant Desai sang the above song before his debut as a music director, Anil Biswas had already established himself as a prominent music director when he sang this song. He was quite a competent singer and has sung many songs under his own baton.

5. Nanha sa dil deti hun pardesi preet nibhana by Rajkumari and SN Tripathi from Chandan (1941), lyrics Pt. Indra, music SN Tripathi

Talking of music directors singing, SN Tripathi did not waste time. He sang this duet with Rajkumari in his debut film as a music director.

6. Dekh liya jag tera, dekh liya jag tera by Shrimati Ghosh (?) from Mala (1941), music Naushad

Here is one of the songs by ‘Mrs Ghosh’ from the film Mala. The YT link mentions the singer’s name as Sheetal Ghosh. Either way it is obviously a male voice. If Sheetal is a common name in Bengal for males, everything would fall in place.

7. Peene ke din aaye piye ja by Umrao Zia Begum from Khazanchi (1941), lyrics Wali Saheb, music Ghulam Haider

We knew Khazanchi as the launchpad of Shamshad Begum into singing for films. We also ‘knew’ that all the female songs in the film were sung by her. But Atul Song A Day credits this song to Umrao Zia Begum, the wife of Ghulam Haider. The voice does sound different from Shamshad Begum, and until we get a contrary view, we may go with Umrao Zia Begum. This also marks the only instance of husband and wife singing in the same film (we know that the male voice in some songs of Khazanchi is that of Ghulam Haider.)

8. Bananewale ghada mujhko banaya hota by Ishwarlal and Gope from Pyas (1941), lyrics DN Madhok, Music Khemchand Prakash

Is this a comic song! The singers are wishing the divine should have made them a pitcher, then Radha would have lovingly placed it on her head or wrapped her around its neck and would have delicately placed it on her waist. A similar comic song with nonsensical lines with classical base is Gana mere bas ki baat nahin (Astitva).

Finally, the SOY Award for the Best of 1941 goes to:

Now I present this review for the readers’ comments, views, opinion on

The Best Male Solo of 1941
The Best Female Solo of 1941
The Best Duet of 1941
The Best Music Director of 1941

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer
1. Arunkumar Deshmukh has generously shared his notes with me for the year 1941
2. Prof. Surjit Singh’s site is a goldmine of information on the vintage era.
Hindi Movies / Films Songs (hindi-films-songs.com)
http://hindi-films-songs.com/articles/1941.html
3. Atul Song A Day
4. Hindi Film Geet Kosh
5. The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This site claims no copyright over these songs, nor does it have any commercial interest. The copyright rests with the respective right holders.