Best songs of 1942

And the winners are?

As we go back more and more into vintage years there is a concern whether we would come across some familiar songs. There are indeed some undiscovered gems, but there are also many songs which have become immortal and have been part of us since the radio era. KL Saigal was a phenomenon. His starrer Bhakt Surdas ensures that all his songs including his duets and also some female solos are unforgettable. Basant of Bombay Talkies was a big musical based on a theatre-based story, and had many memorable songs and dances. If 1943 had Ram Rajya, 1942 had Bharat Milap with the same music director, Shankar Rao Vyas. Bharat Milap had some incredibly beautiful songs by Amirbai Karnataki. Jawab with music by Kamal Dasgupta had some famous songs by Kanan Devi. And there are many songs by Khemchand Prakash, Naushad and others scattered in the year which are either well-known or stick with you on the first hearing. On Naushad, I should mention that he gave music to three films in the year – Nai Duniya, Sharda and Station Master – of which the last two celebrated silver jubilees. That is some achievement for a young person of less than 23.

Broad statistics
Before I proceed further, let us take a look at the broad statistics of songs in the year, based on the Hindi Film Geet Kosh (HFGK). 915 songs in 95 films, i.e. an average of 9.63 songs per film matches with the trend in that era. This number per film has significantly come down because a film song’s purpose and the way a song is now made has completely changed. Of the 915 songs for which song titles are known, nothing is known with respect to 419 (43%) about their singers, lyricists or music directors. The “known unknowns” would increase progressively as we go further back. The last row showing the inter-se ratios between male solos to female solos to duets also follow the general trend: Female solos outnumbering male solos by some multiples, and the duets being somewhat more than male solos.

Macro snapshot of 1942

(Note: More song details are now available on the YouTube, but that would not be in a large number and the inter-se ratios would broadly remain the same.)

Fact file and Trivia
India was going through a churn with a landmark moment in the Independence Movement: Quit India. The world was going through its biggest turmoil in history as the World War II entered a critical phase with the Japanese strategic blunder of Pearl Harbour attack bringing the US directly in the war. Now it could end only one way – it indeed ended that way, three years down the line, but at a terrible cost to humanity.

This affected the film world, too, in a general way: shortages of raw stock, black-marketing leading to some unscrupulous, unfamiliar moneybags investing in the industry. But all the major studios – The New Theatres, Prabhat, Bombay Talkies, Sagar Movietone/National Studios – were going, too, through a turmoil because of their internal dissentions. The stalwarts of the New Theatres were leaving the studio due to ego clashes or for seeking greener pastures in Bombay. KL Saigal debuted in Bombay with Ranjit’s Bhakta Surdas; he would go back to Calcutta to complete My Sister (1944).

V Shantaram left Prabhat, and set up his own studio Rajkamal Kalamandir, which produced its first film Shakuntala in 1943. The film Roti in the year was a stinging criticism against  capitalism. This was the last film Mehboob Khan directed for an outside production house, National Studios (the successor entity of Sagar Movietone for which Mehboob Khan-Anil Biswas combo had a great run). He set up us his own Mehboob Khan Productions with the famous hammer & sickle logo and an invocation in the voice of Rafiq Ghaznavi, Muddai lakh bura chahe to kya hota hai, wohi hota hai jo manzoor-e-khuda hota hai, the famous lines of Agha Hashr Kashmiri. Roti had Begum Akhtar in an important role in the film. She sang six ghazals for the film of which four were finally removed. This film also marked the end of Mehboob Khan’s long association with his friend and the stalwart Anil Biswas. He would try different music directors from Rafiq Ghaznavi to others, until finally settling for Naushad. The readers might remember that the first film under Mehboob Khan’s banner was Najma in 1943.

Bombay Talkies faced internecine warfare with the demise of Himanshu Rai, in 1940. Between the factions led by Devika Rani-Amiya Chakravarty and that by Shashdhar Mukherji-Ashok Kumar-Gyan Mukherjee an uneasy truce prevailed for sometime with the two factions remaining under the same banner but producing films by different directors. Basant in the year was a musical blockbuster directed by Amiya Chakravarty. Pannalal Ghosh is credited as its music director, but Anil Biswas claimed that actually he was the music director and Panna Babu only gave orchestration and background music. His claim is now widely recognised. Anil Biswas could not lend his name officially as he was under contract with the National Studios. To complete the Bombay Talkies story, as we all know, immediately next year the other faction made a spectacularly successful film, Kismet (1943), directed by Gyan Mukherjee. But they were finding it increasingly difficult to remain under the same umbrella, and set up their own production house ‘Filmistan’.

Basant has the credit of a unique achievement. Baby Mumtaz, who would go on to become the Venus of India under the name Madhubala, debuted in a child role in the film playing the leading lady Mumtaz Shanti as a child. She also sang a child version of the song, Tumko mubarak ho unche mahal ye, humko mubarak hamari galiyan. Some sources mention that this version was sung by Parul Ghosh’s daughter Shanti Sudha Ghosh, which Baby Mumtaz lip-synched. Of course we know the iconic mature version by Parul Ghosh, picturised on the leading lady Mumtaz Shanti. I may mention that there was also another child song, Mere chhote se man mein chhoti si duniya re, picturised on Baby Mumtaz (Madhubala) as the child Mumtaz Shanti.

The year also saw the demise of Wadia Movietone. The property was purchased by V Shantaram where he set up his Rajkamal Kalamandir. The brothers JBH Wadia and Homi Wadia split with Homi establishing his new production house Basant Pictures. He later married the Wadia’s stunt queen the Fearless Nadia.

AR Kardar set up his own studios in the year. Kardar had directed Nai Duniya (1942) under an outside production house. This film had music by Naushad. But with Sharda in the same year, Naushad’s long association with Kardar Productions started on a fixed salary. By the 1950s, realising his market value Naushad broke apart from Kardar.

Debuts
The year was a cornucopia of some famous debuts. Suraiya debuted as a singer in the year with Boot karun main polish babu, boot karun main polish (Nai Duniya). Suraiya sang playback for other actors, such as the well-known Mehtab in some films; she would start her journey as a great actor-singer for herself for the first time a year later in Hamari Baat (1943), though she is also listed in the cast of Station Master (1942) lower down, and also sang some female duets and chorus. Hemant Kumar sang his first Hindi film song, Aankhon ki oat jo rahta tha, in Meenakshi with music by Pankaj Mullick. Ghulam Haider introduced Noorjehan with Khandan in the year, just as he had Shamshad Begum a year earlier in Khazanchi (1941) with some great songs. Noorjehan would go on to become the leading actor-singer until she migrated to Pakistan. Jagmohan Sursagar sang his first Hindi film song in Bhakta Kabir. Bharat Bushan debuted in a leading role with this film. Manna Dey debuted as a singer in Hindi films with the film Tamanna (Jaago usha aayi panchhi bole jaago), under the baton of his uncle KC Dey.

Prem Adib and Shobhna Samarth played their first roles as Ram and Sita in the film Bharat Milap. This film became a great hit, and established them as Ram and Sita in the public mind.

Vasant Desai’s first movie as an independent music director was Shobha in the year. C Ramchandra debuted as a music director with the film Sukhi Jeevan, under the name Ram Chitalkar. In his initial years he tried different variations of his name before finally settling on C Ramchandra. As a singer, he continued to be known as Chitalkar. Ninu Majumdar debuted as a music director with the film Black Out. The famous music director of several non-film songs, Kamal Dasgupta made a successful entry in Hindi films with Jawab.

The lyricist Qamar Jalalabadi debuted with Zamindar; he would go on to achieve great fame in collaboration with Husnlal-Bhagatram, OP Nayyar and several other music directors.

Now let me present my list of memorable songs, some of which are well-known, and some impressed me on the first hearing while researching this post.

MEMORABLE SONGS

Apna Paraya: Lyrics Pt. Indra, Music Anil Biswas
1. Gori kaahe khadi angana atariya mein aao – Anil Biswas and Maya Banerjee
2. Pardesi ghar aa ja – Rajkumari
Baadal: Lyrics Tanveer Naqvi; Music Mushtaq Hussain
3. Aao chalein us paar sajni – by Zahoor Raja & Amirbai Karnataki
Basant: Lyrics PL Santoshi; Music Pannalal Ghosh (Anil Biswas)
4. Tumko mubarak ho oonche mahal ye – Parul Ghosh/ Baby Mumtaz  (or Shanti Sudha Ghosh, Parul Ghosh’s daughter)
5. Balam dheere bol koi sun lega – Amirbai Karnataki and Arun Kumar
6. Mere chhote se man mein chhoti si duniya re – Parul Ghosh /Shanti Sudha Ghosh
7. Ek duniya basa le mere man duniya basa le – Parul Ghosh & Arun Kumar
8. Kaanta laago re saajanwa mose raah chali na jaye – Arun Kumar & Parul Ghosh
9. Hua kya qasoor jo humse ho door – Amirbai Karnataki
10. Aya basant sakhi viraha ka ant sakhi – Arun Kumar & Parul Ghosh
11. Gori mose Ganga ke paar milna – Arun Kumar & Parul Ghosh
12. Ummeed unse kya thi aur kar wo kya rahe hain – Parul Ghosh
Bhakta Surdas: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Gyan Dutt
13. Madhukar! Shyam hamaare chor – KL Saigal
14. Jis jogi ka jog liya wo jogi base bides – Khursheed & KL Saigal
15. Chandni raat aur taare khile hon – Khursheed & KL Saigal
16. Madhur madhur ga re manwa – Khursheed
17. Panchhi baawra chaand se preet lagaaye – Khursheed
18. Rain gayi ab hua savera – KL Saigal
19. Sar pe kadam ki chhaiyaan muraliya baaj rahi – Rajkumari & KL Saigal
20. Nain heen ko raah dikha prabhu – KL Saigal
21. Nis din barsat nain hamaare – KL Saigal & Mohinder Saigal
22. Maiya mori main nahin maakhan khayo – KL Saigal
Bharat Milap: Lyrics several; Music Shankar Rao Vyas
23. Utho utho hey Bharat tumhare Ram abhi hain aate – GM Durrani (?) & chorus
24. Rani Kaushalya kahe lalna nahavavoji more lalna nahavavoji – Amirbai Karnataki (lyrics Pt. Anuj)
25. Ban chale Ram Raghuvir – GM Durrani (lyrics Pt. Indra)
26. Prabhuji pahle paaon pakhaarun, Prabhu phir Ganga paar utaarun – Male voice+Amirbai Karnataki
Chandni: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Khemchand Prakash
27. Giridhari O Giridhari! Chhed muraliya pyari – Khursheed
28. Nindiya jhulave meri munni ko sulave – Khursheed
Chowringhee: Lyrics several; Music Kazi Nazrul Islam (and Hanuman Prasad Sharma)
29. Sara din chhat peeti haath hun dukhaai re – Anis Khatoon (lyrics & music Kazi Nazrul Islam)
Chudiyan: Lyrics several; Music SN Tripathi
30. Chudi laya nahin manihar main chudi bin na rahihaun – Amirbai Karnataki & SN Tripathi
31. Gehun ke khet mein jo ho more raja to deejo pukar – Rajkumari & Prem Adib
32. Maan jaao tohe saree Banaras ki la dun – Unkown (lyrics Ramesh Gupta)
33. Amua taley phir se aao sajaniyan phagun ki aayi bahaar – Rajkumari & Prem Adib
Dukh Sukh: Lyrics Wali Saheb; Music Khemchand Prakash
34. Mori atariya pe aa ja ho, o pardesi panchhi – Sitara & Mukesh
Fariyad: lyircs DN Madhok; Music Khemchand Prakash
35. Ae dil-e-beqaraar bol kaahe ko ashqbar hai – Shamim
Gharib: Lyrics several; Music Anil Biswas
36. Mujhko jeene ka bahana mil gaya – Surendra (lyrics Dr Safdar ‘Aah’)
37. Kabhi jalwe dikhaye jaate hain – Surendra (lyrics Dr Safdar ‘Aah’)
38. Muhabbat ki duniya hai sabse nirali – Surendra (Dr ‘Aah’)
39. Baadal chhaye humse kya – Surendra
Ghar Sansar: Lyrics Ehsan Rizvi; Music Shyam Babu Pathak
40. Jhoolun hindola Shyam sang main to jhoolun hindola – Miss Kajjan
Iqraar (aka Tyag): Music Khemchand Prakash
41. Aankhon mein pani kis liye, ye zindagani kis liye – Master Vitthal of Sholapur
Jawab: Music Kamal Dasgupta
42. Toofan Mail, Ye duniya Toofan Mail – Kanan Devi (lyrics Buddhi Chandra Agrawal ‘Madhur’)
43. Balaayein lun main us dil ko jo duniya ke liye ro de – PC Barua (lyrics Bekal)
44. Chhup na jana, Ae chand chhup na jana – Kanan Devi (Bekal)
45. Kuchh yaad rahe to sun kar ja, tu haan kar ja ya na kar ja – Kanan Devi (Bekal)
46. Door desh ka rahnewala, aaya des paraye – Kanan Devi & Asit Baran (Bekal)
47. Dulhaniya chhama chham chhama chham chali – Anima Dasgupta (Madhur)
Jungle Princess: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Madhavlal Damodar Master
48. Agar insan mein himmat ho to kya kar nahin sakta – Sardar Mansoor
Khaandan: Music Ghulam Haider
49. Chalo paniyan bharan ko chalein – Noorjehan & Shamshad Begum
50. Tu kaun si badli mein mere chand hai aa ja – Noorjehan
51. Mere liye jahan mein chain na qaraar hai – Noorjehan
Lajwanti aka Radio Singer: lyrics (?); Music Shyam Babu Pathak
52. Teri mahima aparampar, tu hai jag ka paalanhar – Ratan Bai
Lalaji: Lyrics several; Music Vasant Kumar
53. Nindiya khoye diyo nainan mein aye ke – Anil Biswas
54. Meenakshi: Lyrics Pt. Bhushan; Music Pankaj Mullick
55. Aankhon ki oat jo rahta tha, wah kaan ke andar aan basa – Hemant Kumar
56. Tu gaye ja tu gaye ja, koi tera geet sune na sune – KC Dey
57. Man moorakh kahna maan, dukh sukh mein bhed na jaan – KC Dey
58. Ab preet ki jeet manayein saajan – Hemant Kumar & Suprova Sarkar
Mehmaan: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Khemchand Prakash
59. Aayi atariya pe sone, na sone diya – Shamim
Muqabala: Lyrics A Karim; Music Khan Mastana
60. Mujrim hun mohabbat ka jo chaahe saza de do – Khan Mastana
61. Piya nainon mein aan samaye – Rajni
Nai Duniya: Lyrics Tanveer Naqvi; Music Naushad
62. Boot karun main polish babu, boot karun main polish – Baby Suraiya
63. Dil loot liya ji dil loot liya – GM Durrani & Rajkumari
Roti: Lyrics several; Music Anil Biswas
64. Phir fasal-e-bahar aayi dil-e-deewana – Akhtari Bai (lyrics Dr Safdar ‘Aah’)
65. Char dinon ki jawani, matwale pi le pi le – Akhtari Bai (Dr ‘Aah’)
66. Meghraj aaye, meghraj aaye, barkha laye – Sitara, Anil Biswas & chorus (Wajahat Mirza)
67. Garibon par daya karke bada ahsan karte ho – Ashraf (Dr ‘Aah’)
68. Sajna saanjh bhayi, aan milo aan milo – Sitara Devi
69. Wo hans rahe hain, aah kiye ja raha hun main – Akhtari Bai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
70. Rahne laga hai dil mein andhera tere bagair – Akhtari Bai (Behhzad Lakhanavi)
Saugandh: Lyrics Pt. Natwar; Music RC Boral
71. Ab aayi basant bahar ujade se is jeevan mein – Asit Baran
72. Sakhi tori chaturai sab jaan gayi – Vinay Goswami
Sharda: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
73. Panchhi ja, peechhe raha hai bachpan mera – Suraiya
74. Ghir aayi badariya ghar aao – Nirmala Devi
Society: Lyrics Hasrat Lakhnavi; music Rafiq Ghaznavi
75. Dost hua hai dushman-e-jaani, haye mohabbat haye jawani – Rafiq Ghaznavi
Station Master: Lyrics several; Music Naushad
76. Chalo chalo ri sakhi madhuban mein – Rajkumari & Suraiya (PL Santoshi)
77. Arey raja bade jatan se seenchu tori phulwari re haan re – Rajkumari
78. Baras gayi ram badariya kari, bujhi na pyas hamari – GM Durrani & Rajkumari (PL Santoshi)
79. More pardesi sajan lagi hai tumse lagan – Rajkumari
Tamanna: Lyrics SK Kalla; Music KC Dey
80. Jago aayi usha, panchhi bole jago – Manna Dey
Uljhan: Lyricist Kailash Matwala; Music Ramchandra Pal
81. Samdhi to darzin ka yaar, lagan ke kapde bane – chorus
Zamindar: Lyrics several; Music Ghulam Haider
82. Duniya mein garibon ko aaram nahin milta – Shamshad Begum (Qamar Jalalabadi)
83. Ja ri sakhi mere pi ko suna de sawan ke din aye ghar aa ja – Shamshad Begum & Umrao Jan Begum
84. Mere devra ki hogi sagai re – Shamshad Begum (Behzad Lakhanvi)

Special songs

The meat of these year-wise reviews is the section ‘Special songs’ which give a unique flavour that can’t fit anywhere. Enjoy some ‘Special songs’ of the year. I may have to mention some more in category-wise wrap ups.

1. Nis din barsat nain hamaare by KL Saigal (& Mohinder Saigal) from Bhakta Surdas (1942), lyrics Surdas, music Gyan Dutt

You must be rubbing your eyes. I always knew this song as a Saigal solo. This was my favourite among iconic KL Saigal solos. Surely this has to figure in the main section of the best male solos in the year. But listen to the song carefully, someone calls Soordasji and sings the last line Soor Shyam bhatko mat dar dar, kholo man ke dwaare. This is clearly sung by another voice. A comment in the YT link mentions that this line is sung by Saigal’s younger brother Mohinder Saigal who also played the role of Shri Krishna in the film. It is sad that this film is no longer available.

2. Utho utho hey Bharat tumhaare Ram abhi hain aate by GM Durrani (?) & chorus from Bharat Milap (1942), lyrics (?),  Music Shankar Rao Vyas

A heart-warming scene of Bharat Milap from the Ramayan story. A most befitting song to the film’s title, but I did not find it mentioned in HFGK.

3. Ui ma.. Abhi chhoti hun baalam jawan hone de by Brijmala, Menhdi Raja, Rewashankar from Return of Toofan Mail (1942), lyrics Pandit Indra, music Gyan Dutt

We lament the decline in the quality of lyrics in today’s songs. This one with suggestive ‘Ui ma, ui ma..’ in the beginning followed by the pleading, I am yet tender, let me ripen to full youth, leaves nothing to imagination. The antaras, too, are equally direct: Mera joban uchhalta hai aane ko ab/ Meri aankhon mein chhayi hai naadaniyan. No double entendres here. You would have noticed this was composed by the same Gyan Dutt who gave us all the devotional and melodious songs in Bhakta Surdas.

4. Agar insan mein himmat ho to kya kar nahin sakta by Sardar Mansoor from Jungle Princess (1942), lyrics Pt. Indra, music Madhavlal Damodar Master

This was a film by Wadia Movietone; the name of the film and Nadia in the star cast means she has to be the Fearless Nadia (born Mary Evans in Australia). The reason why I am including it in ‘Special songs’ is that the song is very good; Madhavlal Damodar Master was a talented and famous music director of the early era. But when he fell on bad times, he used to make his living by performing puppetry, and small tricks with his hands in moving buses and trains in the large metropolis. Imagine his childlike delight when he was among the dignitaries on the dais at the release of one of the volumes of HFGK at Bombay. (Please see comment #15 in the comment box for more updated information on Madhavlal Damodar Master.)

5. Arey samdhi to darjin ka yaar lagan ke kapde bane (chorus) from Uljhan (1942), lyrics Kailash Matwala, music Ramchandra Pal

This song is culturally significant as it depicts the tradition of singing gaalis in weddings. We are familiar with the baraats going to the bride’s place, but some wedding rituals also require the bride’s side to visit the groom’s place. The familiar accepted etiquette is that the hosts show utmost courtesy to the guests, but in a strange reversal the women of the host family sing gaalis addressed to the visitors. The samdhi is a yaar of the wife of the tailor so his dress for the wedding does not require any expenditure. The samdhin, on the other hand, is involved with the goldsmith who has taken care of her jewellery. The gaalis go on in the same vein. Since the women are shielded by parda, the anonymity gave them the license to be as crude and vulgar as they could, little realising that they were cracking crude jokes against the women of the other family. Growing urbanisation, female literacy and intermixing has led to the demise of this rural tradition.

6. Sajna saanjh bhayi aan milo by Sitara Devi from Roti (1942), lyrics Dr Safdar ‘Aah’, music Anil Biswas

This ‘special’ song is important because it must be the first ‘Item Song’ in Hindi films. It has a skimpily dressed Sitara Devi, dancing seductively as she gets up yawning from a sleep or dream, and there is a shocked audience. This clip is short, but I remember in the full song there were also drooling men, completing all the parameters of an item song.

7. Meghraj aaye, meghraj aaye by Sitara Devi, Anil Biswas & chorus from Roti (1942), lyrics Wajahat Mirza

The most direct-hitting anti-capitalism movie, Roti, was made in a surreal style. The city-slick rich people Chandramohan and Begum Akhtar accidentally land in their biplane in this fictional land populated by Shekh Mukhtar, Sitara Devi and other forest dwellers. They live in a bliss sharing all their produce among themselves, not aware of what is private ownership or what is profit or loss. Here is a group song wishing for clouds and rains.

8. Mohan tum mohan by Kamla from Sewa (1942), lyrics JC Kapoor, music SN Tripathi

This song is special because it is so much like a song from the New Theatres/Calcutta fold. In my mind I was conditioned to differentiate the cultural styles of music from the two centres. This is a beautiful ‘new’ discovery.

9. Nindiya khoye diyo nainan mein aye ke by Anil Biswas from Lalaji (1942), lyrics Arzoo Lakhanvi, music Vasant Kumar

The regular followers of SOY are aware that Anil Biswas has sung about 45 songs. But in some of his early songs he also appeared in the movie and sang for himself. Lalaji is the only film in which has sung for another music director. He has sung two solos and a duet in the film.

10. Sara din chhat peeti hath hun dukhaai re by Anis Khatoon & chorus from Chowringhee (1942), lyrics and music Kazi Nazrul Islam

Chowringhee comprising Esplanade, Maidan and the central areas of Park Street, Camac Street etc. is the quintessential urban district of Calcutta, and also the metaphor for the urban chaos of the metropolis. There is a famous eponymous Bengali novel by Shankar on which a landmark movie starring Uttam Kumar has been made; as also the highly acclaimed 36 Chowringhee Lane made by Aparna Sen. But this song is unique for another reason. The legendary Bengali poet of post-Rabindranath Tagore era, Kazi Nazrul Islam has given music for the only Hindi film in his career in which he also wrote some songs. I hope our Bengali friends would enlighten us more on Kazi Nazrul Islam and on Nazrul Geeti. He was venerated on both sides of the eastern border. After independence, Bangladesh invited him there and accorded him the honour of National Poet. He passed away there a few years later in poor health. This song describes the toil of women construction workers. The hands of women are aching after laying and pounding the roof for the whole day.

And finally the SOY Award for the Best of 1942 goes to?

Now this review is presented before the music lovers for their comments, views and choice of:

The Best Male solos of 1942
The Best Female solos of 1942
The Best Duets of 1942
and,
The Best Music Director of 1942

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer
1. I have been greatly helped by Arunkumar Deshmukh who shared his notes generously with me.
2. Hindi Movies / Films Songs (hindi-movies-songs.com)
3. 1942a (hindi-films-songs.com)
4. Atul Song A Day
5. Hindi Film Geet Kosh
6. The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over them, which vests with the respective owners.