Season 2 of the year-wise reviews begins
I have explained in my final wrap up of the review of songs of 1945 how the idea of year-wise reviews of the best songs of the year started and why I termed the year 1945 as the end of Season 1. There was doubt in my mind whether the series would or should at all continue after that. That had to do with the culmination coinciding with 10 years of SOY, which ended neatly in 2020. But the readers urged for continuation – some for taking up 1956 onwards, some preferring 1944 backwards. Since the blog is not shutting down, I veered towards continuing the series.
My own preference is for vintage years. There are more unknowns, therefore, there is an excitement of new discoveries. 1944 is the year of Rattan with which Naushad skyrocketed. Naushad gave music for three more films in the year – Geet, Jeevan, and Pahle Aap. There are some excellent songs in these films too, though not as popular as Rattan’s. Besides, I remember many other songs of the year and earlier years with great fondness. While I was mulling on this, Arunkumar Deshmukh sent me his notes for the year, and also his notes for earlier years. That settled the matter. So here I start the Season 2 of the year-wise reviews with 1944, with special thanks to Arunji.
Macro snapshot
| No. of films in 1944 |
86 |
| Less, no. of films for which no details known | (-) 1 |
| Net number of films in which song titles known | 85 |
| No. of songs in which song titles known | 769 |
| Less, no. of songs of which singers not known | (-) 354 (46%) |
| Net no. of songs of which singers known | 415 |
| Male solos | 65 (15.66%) |
| Female solos | 240 (57.83%) |
| Duets | 110 (26.51%) |
| Male solos: Female solos: Duets ratio | 1: 3.69: 1.69 |
For data-minded readers the above snapshot of the year gives a lot of information. In 46% of the songs, nothing is known beyond the song titles. That is a lot, and as we go back we would encounter more and more unknowns. The songs available on the net would be far less than even the net number of songs of which singers are known. Yet I can assure you the year has some absolutely gorgeous songs, some of which you would be hearing for the first time. I would strongly urge that if you have time, do look up the songs on the net. I have not included in the list of Memorable Songs any song which I have not heard, many of which I heard for the first time while working for this post and was charmed by them.
The other major takeaway is the ratio of male solos to female solos to duets. I have been referring to this phenomenon in my earlier reviews, I am leaving further qualitative analysis to ethnomusicologists.
Musical landmarks
Rattan was a jewel in the crown of Naushad and its songs have been in our memory even after 77 years. The film was a diamond jubilee hit which is an exceptional success for a film. But the film was essentially Naushad’s music to which some story had been attached. With this film Naushad himself became a star, and the film started the era of star music directors.
KL Saigal had two films in the year: Bhanwra (music Khemchnad Prakash) and My Sister (music Pankaj Mullick). Saigal did not sing a song in his career which didn’t become immortal. So it is with these two films. Talking of Khemchand Prakash, Bhartrihari was a landmark in his career. He gave some superb songs in the film Shahanshah Babar, too.
Noorjehan had created a big impact with her debut in Hindi films with Khandan two years earlier. 1944 was a very productive year for her. Her songs in Lal Haveli (Mir Saheb) and Dost (Sajjad Hussain) achieved great acclaim and consolidated her position as the premier singer-actress of the period.
Besides the above musical landmarks, many other films in the year had great songs, such as Man Ki Jeet (SK Pal), Pahle Aap (Naushad), Chaand (Husnlal-Bhagatram) and Jwar Bhata (Anil Biswas).
Debuts
Mukesh’s first ‘playback’ song was thought to be ‘Dil jalta hai to jalane de’ from Pehli Nazar (1945). But he had a duet with Kusum in the film Zara bolo kya logi is dil ka kiraya in Us Paar (1944). He is not mentioned in the cast of the film, therefore, we have to correct our knowledge of history, and treat Us Paar (1944) as the beginning of his ‘playback’ career. For avoidance of doubt I have to remind the readers that Mukesh actually debuted in 1941 as an actor-singer with the song Dil hi bujha hua hai to in the film Nirdosh, as distinct from singing for other actors.
There is similar confusion about the debut of Hemant Kumar as a singer in Hindi films. Wikipedia and many sources mention that his first songs were in the film Irada (1944). But many sources, including N Vankataraman’s omnibus article celebrating his centenary last year, mention that he debuted with Meenakshi (1942). Arunji also endorses this, therefore, now let us take it as settled that Hemant Kumar started his singing career in Hindi films in 1942.
Rafi’s first songs in Hindi films are with Naushad in Pahle Aap, but he had no solo, his was only one of the voices in a duet or chorus. If you refer to the review of the songs of 1945, Rafi’s first recorded song in Hindi films is said to be Aji dil ho kaabu mein to dildar ki aisi taisi in the film Village Girl (1945), composed by Shyam Sundar, but the film’s release was delayed by a year.
Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan) debuted with Jwar Bhata under Bombay Talkies, directed by Amiya Chakravarty. Devika Rani was so impressed by him that he offered him the role without a screentest. Among several suggestions for his film-name, Dilip Kumar was suggested by the Hindi writer Bhagavati Charan Verma, and he became forever Dilip Kumar.
The actor Shyam and singer Sitara Kanpuri debuted with Man Ki Jeet.
Sushila Rani Patel debuted in the film Draupadi, which was directed by her would-be husband Baburao Patel, famous more for his barbs as the irreverent editor of the film magazine Filmindia. She also sang all the songs in the film. The film failed, but Patel persisted with her in Gwalan (1946). This film, too, flopped badly, marking the end of her career, though her duet with Mukesh from that film, Lagat nazara tori chhalaiya more gore badan ki is well remembered.
Husnlal-Bhagatram debuted as a music director with Chaand, which had Manju’s everlasting song, Do dilon ko ye duniya milne bhi nahin deti. Bulo C Rani’s first film as music director was Pagli Duniya.
Fact file, Trivia
Alla Rakha gave music for Ghar Ki Shobha in which he also sang some songs. He is the famous tabla player, who in later years gave music under the name AR Qureshi. Snehal Bhatkar, later year music director in a number of films, sang under the baton of Anil Biswas in Lady Doctor. His duet with Hamida Bano is available on the YouTube. Anil Biswas himself sang a very nice Holi chorus song in Jwar Bhata, composed by him. Many other music directors, too, sung playback in the year, such as Vasant Desai, Bulo C Rani and C Ramchandra (under other music directors too). The lyricist Bharat Vyas sung some superb songs in the year.
Chal Chal Re Naujawan was the first film made by the newly established production house Filmistan, led by Ashok Kumar and S Mukherjee, an offshoot from Bombay Talkies.
In the film Panna, Shamshad Begum had sang the songs, but HMV records were issued in the voice of Rajkumari, as Shamshad Begum was contracted to Xenophone Records.
Bhanwra was the second film of KL Saigal in Bombay. This film was made by Ranjit Movietone who had also made his first Bombay film Tansen (1943). Kidar Sharma in his autobiography, ‘The One and Lonely Kidar Sharma’, writes that Ranjit had engaged Saigal for a fixed period, rather than the film project, for Tansen. Nine days were left in the contract, therefore, Chandulal Shah contacted Kidar Shrama whether he could write a story in which Saigal’s work could be completed in nine days. After the story was approved, Kidar completed the job as director in nine days. Arun Kumar – the father of Govinda – also acted in the film.
In between Saigal had gone back to Calcutta to complete My Sister (1944) as he had promised the New Theatres and his friend Pankaj Mullick. In the interregnum Pankaj Mullick had also cut records of Saigal’s songs in his voice. Thanks to the YouTube, now we can hear the ‘cover’ version of ‘Chhupo na chhupo na O pyari sajaniya humse chhupo na’ and ‘Ae qatib-e-taqdeer’ in the voice of Pankaj Mullick. Utpala sen sang her first Hindi film song, Main in phoolon sang dolun re, in this film.
Bhartrihari became the last film of Jahanara Kajjan in Bombay and she sang her last two songs. After this film she migrated to Pakistan.
Bhool jana chaahti hin bhool paati hi nahin (Jwar Bhata) has a solo version and a duet version.
Pradeep wrote lyrics in the name of his daughter Miss Kamal for the film Kadambari (made by Lakshmi Productions) because of his contract with Bombay Talkies.
Baby Meena (Meena Kumari) played the role of the child Noorjehan in Lal Haveli.
If you compare Naushad in 1944 with Anil Biswas in 1943 (Kismet, Hamaari Baat) and in earlier years (Roti, Basant, Bahen, Aurat, Alibaba, Hum Tum Aur Wo, Gramophone Singer and Jagirdar), you can view 1944 as the year of passing the baton from the Bhishma Pitamah to the new Great Mughal of Film Music. Naushad’s bête noire C Ramchandra gave music for some films in the year, but none that overwhelmed me. In a couple of years, he would become a worthy competitor to the Great Mughal, making the scene a duopoly for a number of years. Later, the 1950s became an era of a thousand flowers blooming with the entry of Shankar Jaikishan, OP Nayyar, not to forget the old horse SD Burman, and several others. In short, 1944 is a kind of watershed year.
MEMORABLE SONGS
Aaina: Lyrics Pt Faani, Tanvir Naqvi; Music Gulshan Sufi, Tanvir Naqvi
1. Balamji, ye kya jaadu dara, jiya nahin laage – Zohra Ambalewali and Gope (Pt. Faani/Gulshan Sufi)
Bahadur: Lyrics Ehsan Rizvi; Music Ram Chitalkar (C Ramchandra)
2. Aao more pyare sanwariya – Chitalkar & Hamida Bano
Bhanwara: Lyrics Kidar Sharma; Music Khemchand Prakash
3. Kya humne bigada hai kyun humko satiate ho – KL Saigal & Amribali Karnataki
4. Diya jisne dil lut gaya wah bechara – KL Saigal
5. Muskuraate huye yun aankh churaya na karo – KL Saigal
6. Hum apna unhein bana na sake – KL Saigal
7. Thukra rahi hai duniya hum hain ki so rahe hain – KL Saigal
Bhartrihari: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Khemchand Prakash
8. Madhuban mein mat ja re bhanwra – Surendra
9. Mora dheere se ghunghata hataye piya – Amirbai Karnataki
10. Chanda des piya ke ja – Amirbai Karnataki
11. Koeliya kookat kunjan mein – Kajjan
12. Bhiksha de de maiya, jogi khada hai dwar – Surendra & Amirbai Karnataki
13. Alakh naam ras peena, prani do din jag mein jeena – Surendra
Caravan: Music Bulo C Rani
14. Aankhon mein intezar ki duniya liye huye – Zohrabai Ambalewali (Lyrics Aziz)
15. Sooni padi hai pyar ki duniya tere bagair – Amirbai Karnataki (Lyrics Kidar Sharma)
Chaand: Lyrics Qamar Jalabadi; Music Husnlal- Bhagatram
16. Do dilon ko ye duniya milneb hi nahin deti – Manju
17. Mere dilruba aa ja mere dilruba – Sitara Devi
18. Ae dil muhe rone de – GM Durrani
Chaar Ankhen: Lyrics Narendra Sharma; Music Anil Biswas
19. Ram kare kahin naina na uljhe – Rajkumari
Chal Chal Re Naujawan: Lyrics Pradeep; Music Ghulam Haider
20. Mere devta lo meri aarti – Shamshad Begum
Daasi: Lyrics DN Madhok, Music Pt. Amarnath
21. Mil ke bichhad mat jaana, meethi nazar mila ke – Zeenat Begum
22. Wo din yaad karo – Zeenat Begum
23. Khamosh nigaahein sunati hai kahani – SD Batish
24. Balam mohe chhedo na – Shamshad Begum
Dost: Lyrics Shams Lakhanavi; Music Sajjad Hussain
25. Badnam mohabbat kaun kare aur ishq ko ruswa kaun kari – Noorjehan
26. Koi prem ka de ke sandesa haye loot gaya – Noorjehan
Gaali: Music Hanuman Prasad and Sajjad Hussain
27. Holi main khelungi un sang dat ke – Manju (lyric Sugun Piya)
28. Pardesi ho ab humse rakhiya bandhao – Manju (Pt. Indra)
Geet: Music Naushad
29. Main akeli raja aa ja aa ja re – Nirmala Devi
Irada: Lyrics Aziz Kashmiri; Music Pt. Amarnath
30. Phir mohabbat ke payam aane lage – Hemant Kumar
31. Aaram se jo raatein kaatein wo ahsq bahana kya jaane – Hemant Kumar
Jeevan: Music Naushad
32. Aaj mora man mora man naach raha re – Hamida Bano (Lyrics Mahar-ul-Qadri)
Jwar Bhata: Lyrics Narendra Sharma; Music Anil Biswas
33. Arr ra ra gaao Kabir, udao abir – Anil Biswas & chorus
34. More aangan mein chhtki chaandni – Parul Ghosh
35. Saanjh ki bela panchhi akela – Arun Kumar
36. Bhool jana chahti hun, bhool paati hi nahin – Parul Ghosh/ Parul Ghosh & Chitalkar
Kadambari: Lyrics Miss Kamal BA (Pradeep); Music HP Das
37. Mere janam maran ke saathi chalo chita par so jaye – Shanta Apte
Lal Haveli: Lyrics Shams Lakhanavi; Music Mir Saheb
38. Yahi fikra hai shaam pichhle savere, hassenon ki galiyon ke hon here phere – Surendra
39. Tum bhool ke phande mein haseenon ke na ana – Chitalkar
40. Kyun man dhhoden prem nadi ka kinara – Surendra
41. Mohaniya sundar mukhada khol – Surendra, Noorjehan
42. Dil le ke mukar na jana – Surendra and Noorjehan
43. Mohe le chal balam mele mein – Vatsala Kumthekar & Mir Saheb
44. Bhaiya hamaroji – Noorjehna & others
45. Teri yaad aye sanwariya – Noorjehan
Ma Baap: Lyrics Roopbani; Music AR Qureshi
46. Jaate ho to jaao musafir itna magar samjhaate jaao – Rajkumari
47. Bhole musafir itna to jaan, ki din saare hote nahin ek saman – Zohrabai Ambalewali
Man Ki Jeet: Music SK Pal
48. Nagri meri kab tak yun hi barbaad rahegi – Sitara
49. Pardesi kyun yaad aata hai – Sitara
50. More jobna ka dekho ubhar – Zohrabai Ambalewali
My Sister: Music Pankaj Mullick
51. Main in phoolon sang dolun re – Utpala Sen
52. Do naina matware tihare hum par zulm karein – KL Saigal
53. Chhupo na chhupo na O pyari sajaniya humse chhupo na chhupo na – KL Saigal
54. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe itna bata de – KL Saigal
Mumtaz Mahal: Music Khemchand Prakash
55. Jo humpe guzarati hai – Khursheed (lyrics Wali Saheb)
Pahle Aap: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
56. Tum Dilli main Aagre mere dil se nikale haye – Rafi, Shyam
57. More sainyaji ne bheji chuniri – Zohrabai Ambalewali
58. Aaja kahin door chalein – Shyam, Zohrabai Ambalewali
59. Hindostan hain hum hain hindostan hamara – Shyam Kumar, Rafi, Allauddin Naved, BM Vyas etc.
60. Chale gaye chale gaye, dil mein aag lagaanewale chale gaye – Zohrabai Ambalewali
Panna: Lyrics Wali sahb; Music Amir Ali
61. Jo humpe guzarati hai hum kaise batayein – Rajkumari
62. Sanwariya re kaahe maare nazaria – Rajkumari
Parbat Pe Apna Dera: Lyrics Diwan Sharar; Music Vasant Desai
63. Humse preet karle jogan – Vasant Desai and Naseem Akhtar
64. Jo dard ban ke zamaane pe chhaye jaate hain – Zohrabai Ambalewali
65. Pareshan hun ki kyon meri pareshani nahin jaati – Amirbai Karnataki
Pattharon Ka Saudagar: lyrics Gafil Harnalavi; Music Mir Saheb
66. Aao chalein us paar sajani – Sheela and Rajkumari (Lyrics Sudarshan)
Rattan: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
67. Rumjhum barse baadarwa mast hawayein ayi – Zohrabai Ambalewali
68. Ankhiyan mila ke jiya bharma ke chale nahin jana – Zohrabai Ambalewali
69. Pardesi balma baadal aya, tere bina kacchu na bhaya – Zohrabai Ambalewali
70. Jab tum hi chale pardes laga kar thes – Karan Diwan
71. Angadai teri hai bahana – Manju
72. Saawan ke baadlo unse ye ja kaho – Karan Diwan & Zohrbai Ambalewali
73. Ayi Diwali ayi Diwali, deepak sang jale patanga – Zohrabai Ambalewali
74. O janewale baalamwa laut ke laut ke aa – Shyamkumar & Amirbai Karnati
75. Mil ke bichhad ke gayi ankhiyan – Amirbai Karnataki
76. Jhoothe hai sab sapne suhane – Manju
Shahenshah Babar: Music Khemchand Prakash
77. Humein bhool mat jaiyo rajaji – Aziz & Zohrabai Ambalewali (lyrics Pt. Indra)
78. Mujhe kare sanam badnam – Hamida Bano (lyrics Pt. Indra)
79. Mohabbat mein sara jahan jal raha hai – Khursheed (lyrics Shams Lakhanavi)
Us Paar: Music Firoz Nizami
80. Zara boloji, kya logi is dil ka kiraya – Mukesh and Kusum (lyrics Pt. Madhur)
Special songs
Let us enjoy some Special songs of the year. I will post some more ‘Special songs’ in category-wise posts. This becomes necessary to give you a good flavour outside the best ten songs in each category.
1. Tum Dilli main Aagre mere dil se nikle haye by Shyam Kumar and Rafi from Pahle Aap (1944), lyrics DN Madhok
Listen to Rafi’s effectively first Hindi film song in which he is following Naushad’s then favourite Shyam Kumar in this duet. He would be similarly second singer to GM Durrani and Khan Mastana for some films. How the fate changes. He started flowering from 1946/47, soon becoming the leading playback singer of Hindi films.
2. Morey jobna ka dekho udhar by Zohrabai Ambalewali from Man Ki Jeet (1944), lyric Josh Malihabadi, music SK Pal
If anything, this song is more explicit than Choli ke peechhe kya hai. It must have caused some stir during the time.
3. Arra ra ra arra ra ra gaao Kabir by Anil Biswas & others from Jwar Bhata (1944), lyrics Pt. Narendra Sharma, music Anil Biswas
Anil Biswas had a special talent for composing situational chorus songs, many of which he sang himself. He has composed several such Holi songs. Here is another from the Master.
4. Tujhko karun main salam sipahiya by Bulo C Rani and Kusum Mantri from Shahenshah Babar (1944), lyrics Pt. Indra, music Khemchand Prakash
This was a Ranjit Movietone film. Ranjit had many regulars on its payroll, for example Gyan Dutt, followed by Khemchand Prakash, and thereafter Bulo C Rani. Here Bulo C Rani sings under the baton of his senior, Khemchand Prakash
5. Madhur suron mein gaye chaandni chaand so ja by All Rakha (AR Qureshi) and Rajkumari from Ma Baap (1944), lyrics Roopbani, music AR Qureshi
Continuing the phenomena of unusual music directors singing playback is this nice duet by AR Qureshi with Rajkumari.
6. Aankh milne ka bahana ho gaya by Snehal Bhatkar and Hamida Bano from Lady Doctor (1944), lyrics Wali Saheb, music Anil Biswas
Snehal Bhatkar’s voice is as melodious as the songs composed by him in later years.
7. Humse kar le preet re jogan by Vasant Desai and Naseem Akhtar from Parbat Pe Apna Dera (1944), lyrics Deewan Sharar, music Vasant Desai
We have read about ‘jogis’ that they are not trustworthy. The lady is quite clear about the invitation of the ‘jogi’ for a love affair – ‘Jogi kiske meet re moorakh’.
8. Chhip chhip kar mat dekhoji bhanwarji by Bharat Vyas and Shanta Thakkar from Man Ki Jeet (1944), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music SK Pal
There are too many songs I would like to post as ‘Special songs’. I stop here with now the lyricist Bharat Vyas singing a marvellous duet in the year with an unknown actor-singer Shanta Thakkar.
Now I present it before the knowledgeable readers for their comments and views on the:
Best male playback singer of 1944
Best female playback singer of 1944
Best duet of 1944
And,
Best music director of 1944
Acknowledgements:
1. Arunkumar Deshmukh for his generous sharing of his Notes
2. Surjit Singh’s site
3. HFGK
4. Atul Song A Day
5. YouTube
Disclaimer:
This blog does not claim any copyright over the images used in this post, which rests with the respective owners. The song videos have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. The copyright over the songs rests with Saregama India Limited and other owners.
{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
AK ji,
I am glad you chose to discuss older films. This way the songs will have an exposure to new members and enjoyment for those who have heard them earlier, providing nostalgia.
You have summarised the year 1944 musically, very nicely. There is not much to choose from the duets, but difficult to zero in on Female singer, as there are few songs which almost equally earn same points.
My choice is….
1. Best Male Singer – K L Saigal (My Sister- Chhupo na Chhupo na)
2. Best Female Singer – Amirbai Karnataki (Parbat pe apna Dera- Pareshan hun ki kyun meri….)
3. Best Duet – O Jaanewale Balamwa…(Shyam kumar/A.Karnataki in Rattan)
4. Best MD – Naushad- Rattan.
Thanks.
-AD
Akji,
First of all let me thank you for continuing the series. Your decision gives us a scope to explore and be acquainted with the unknown. As I had always held, Vintage films and songs have a special charm. Although I was not an active participant in this series for the last couple of years, I do go through the postings. A great curtain raiser, lots of information and statistics and an exhaustive list to listen and deliberate. A great job indeed. Let me listen to the special songs and hope to be back soon.
Thanks to Arunji too.
AKji:
So glad the series continues. Each post in this series has been a revelation–so informative, and full of melodious discoveries for me–and this one is no exception. 1944 was another milestone year in HFM’s history with so many iconic songs and memorable debuts .
The early 1940’s is going to be Saigal territory. I see that Arun ji has also voted for Saigal. Should we give other singers a handicap to make it a level playing field? Here are my top choices:
Best male solo: ‘Do naina matware’ (KL Saigal in Meri Bahen; MD: Pankaj Mullick)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz_Rd1jYIew
Best female solo: ‘Do dilon ko ye duniya’ (Manju in Chand; MD: Husnlal Bhagatram)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL8n1YPz3ak
Best duet: ‘Kya humne bigada hai kyun’ (KL Saigal & Amir bai Karnataki in Bhanwara; MD: Khemchandra Prakash)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed4QHPJAAsI
Best MD: Pankaj Mullick (Meri Bahen)
Here is a version of ‘Piya milan ko jana’ by Seema Alimchandani and Pankaj Mullick from ‘Meri Bahen’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0be5noKMEU
THANK YOU. Thank you so much AK ji. I had my fingers crossed since April had begun and I was wondering whether there would be any announcement from your side. I am very happy though I wish in this new season, you had included a category for Best Lyricist too. I remember quite a few had requested you to consider including it so if it can be done, please do so.
I am flabbergasted that Kidar Sharma could complete the direction of Tansen in just nine days! Remember watching it during Doordarshan days and the songs are immortal, of course. “Saigal did not sing a song in his career which didn’t become immortal.” I have to agree. There will never be another Saigal.
Thanks once again.
I agree with Canasya ji @3. Perhaps the Male singer category could be bifurcated into Best Saigal song and Best Other Male Singer song.
neeruahaf ji @4,
Film Tansen was already completed and still 9 days were balance.
Kidar Sharma finished the shooting for the part of Saigal, within 9 days for film BHANWARA. The rest of the shooting , editing etc etc must have taken more number of days, anyway.
-AD
Arunji @1,
Thanks a lot. My own inclination was for vintage years, your Notes removed any doubts. KL Saigal was beyond compare. Everyone would have his own preference. You are right, female playback singer is the real crowded field. Thanks also for your clarification at @6.
Akji,
Thank you for continuing the series. I’m glad you chose to travel backwards, though I would have been glad if you would have gone beyond 1955 as well.
Thank you ArunKumar ji for your help.
And a great informative post it was. I agree with Arun Kumar Deshmukh ji about the female playback singer.
Next to impossible for me to choose a single name. I just can’t. And I’m so much partial to Amirbai karnataki. Can’t think of anything else when I listen to her songs.
It might sound funny, but I’ve three names for the best female playback singer of 1944 position
1 Amirbai karnataki
Desh piya ke Ja & Sooni padi hai pyar ki duniya.
2 Noorjahan for dost, both the songs
3 Johrabai Ambalewali
akhiyan Milke Jiya bharmake
Johrabai enchants me no end too. What a raw yet expressive voice. Had a different charm.
Best Male playback singer
K L Saigal for
Do naina matware tihare
Best duet of 1944
O janewale balamwa from Rattan. Oh Amirbai again.
And
Best composer
Naushad for Rattan.
I would also mention, Jo humpe guzrati hai by Rajkumari from Panna and Bhool Jana Chahti hoon by Parush Ghosh as one of my great favourites from the year 1944.
Anup
🙂
Venkataramanji @2,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. As I explored, 1944 turned out to be a very important and interesting year. And with the reception of music lovers like you the effort is worthwhile.
Canasya @3,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. It is nice to have more people looking for vintage years. And thanks for the last clipping. A great trivia. In the clipping we don’t ‘hear’ Pankaj Mullick’s voice, do we? The uploader must have meant him as music director.
Neeruahf @4, 5,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation and support. On best lyricist, I have to frankly admit I am confused how to judge it. It is difficult to view lyrics separate from the melody and tune of the song. I would welcome a guest article if someone is willing to write the Wrap Up for the best lyricist of the year.
Arunji had already clarified what I have written. Nine days were left out in the contract after Tansen was completed. For Bhanwra Saigal’s part was shot in 9 days. Though there is element of hyperbole in Kidar Sharma’s autobiography. You have to look at all such claims with a pinch of salt.
Saigal and ‘Others’. I sub-divided like this for female playback singers in some years between Lata Mangeshkar and ‘Others’. In transition years the other female singers too sang a number of great songs, and it was obvious splitting the category in two made sense. That is not the case in male singers in 1944, the ‘others’ do not stand up to comparison, and the songs are not that many. I was counting male solo songs in my list of 80/81 songs. I could count only 14. Hardly enough for one post.
Arun Kumar Deshmukh ji @6
Thank you for clarifying that. Guess I was just too excited when I saw that the series was continuing that I didn’t pay attention that those 9 days were for Bhanwara and not Tansen. And like others, I also extend my thanks and appreciation for the help you extended to AKji so that this series could continue.
Anup @8,
Thanks a lot for your support. One more for vintage bandwagon, and someone who is equally comfortable with 1990s. I am very blank about new songs or I don’t relate to them.
I, too, have a great weakness for Amirbai Karnataki. Noorjehan-hype seems more due to her ‘star’ status. Your choices are unexceptionable. They stand out.
AK ji,
Thanks for continuation of the series.
K.L Saigal for My Sister and everything else for Rattan will be my choice.
Many thanks for the important and factual Mukesh trivia too. Needs to be highlighted time after time.
As rightly pointed out there are some great songs by other artists. Will be an apt exercise to honour them too.
Mahesh
Mahesh,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. About Mukesh, you have made sure that we don’t mix up the history. At the end of a year’s review we have a very fair idea of the artists’ contribution.
AKji
Your plan to travel back in time beyond 1945 is really daring and I always found you to be someone who will never hesitate to plunge into unchartered seas of such ventures. Your forays into history of music is very similar to Christopher Columbus voyage across Atlantic in 1492 to discover a western route to India. His misconception that he was in an island next to India led to the naming of natives as Red Indians. Let me wish you success for future journeys into mists of time. I was aware of only song No. 8 from your postings. I plead to be included as an apprentice to you.
Here is a song by Noorjehan from film Zeenat (1944) titled
Bulbulo mat roh yahan
https://youtu.be/1WH-mQHSQMc?list=PLJRWgt8jlb2_thhvVM3yDR8dwVZxhFkmG&t=163
Mr Rangan,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. Song #8 is one of the unfamiliar songs. Most people would remember at least 20 songs, I am talking about those who have some familiarity with old film music.
1944 film Arzoo songs by Jagmohan Sur Sagar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk6fp0vc4Ko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFt7Aoheo38
Manoj,
Thanks a lot for mentioning this exquisite ghazal sung by Jagmohan. I came across this song, but passed it over because in my mind I associated him with ‘Geet’. All the more reason that I should have included it for his different flavour. Thanks for adding it.
AKji, culling out and compiling such information is no mean task. I, for one, do have in-depth knowledge of songs of the early 1940s. Your post is quite educative.
I felt I should mention here that Kishore Kumar had the habit of throwing in a line of two of the songs of the 1930s and 1940s in his own songs/movies. ( Man Ki Aankhen Khol Baba from Dhoop Chhaon (1935) in Half Ticket . In Padosan there is Sunil Dutt singing O Jaanewale Balamuwa from the movie Rattan, Teri Gathri Mein Laaga Chor Musafir from Dhoop Chhaon again which he used in the song Paanch Rupaiyya Barah Aana of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
It is such associations that make me remember these old melodies.
AKji,
Loved the special songs. Bringing them out of their endangered existence is praiseworthy. “Madhur suron mein gaye chaandni chaand so ja” by All Rakha and Rajkumari was super. This one and “Chhip chhip kar mat dekhoji bhanwarji” by Bharat Vyas and Shanta Thakkar, hearing for first time. Humse kar le preet re jogan’’ by Vasant Desai and Naseem Akhtar too made good listening. I will not post any songs and thus pre-empt your efforts, I presume another 30-40 more special songs are to follow in the wrap-ups.
Moving on to the main list; 81 out of 415, almost 20% of the songs for which singers are known. The number of songs for which links are available, I guess, must be even less. You have given us a quite a good number of songs to mull over.
Let me start with male solos.
Out of the 81 songs in your main list, 19 are male solos.
K L Saigal 7, Surendra 4, Hemant Kumar -2,
Karan Dewan 1, K D Batish 1, Anil Biswas 1,
Arun Kumar 1, G M Durrani 1 and R Chitalkar 1
Saigal will remain unrivalled and unmatched. Resisting the temptation to include all the seven songs of K L Saigal, I would restrict myself to selecting only five and all at the top.
1. Do naina matware tihare hum par zulm karein, K L Saigal, My Sister, Pt.Bhusan, Pankaj Mullick
2. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe itna bata de, KL Saigal, My Sister, Pt.Bhusan, Pankaj Mullick
3. Chhupo na chhupo na O pyari sajaniya, K L Saigal, My Sister, Pt.Bhusan, Pankaj Mullick
4. Muskuraate huye yun aankh churaya na karo, KL Saigal, Bhanwara, Kidar Sharma, Khemchand Prakash
5. Hum apna unhein bana na sake, KL Saigal, Bhanwara, Kidar Sharma, Khemchand Prakash
Managing to get out of the sheer-Saigal-magic, let me try to put forward my bottom five.
6. Jab tum hi chale pardes laga kar thes, Karan Diwan, Rattan, D N Madhok, Naushad
7. Madhuban mein mat ja re bhanwra, Surendra, Bhartrihari, Pt. Indra, Khemchand Prakash
8. Ae Dil Mujhe Rone De, G M Durrani, Chand, Qamar Jalalabadi , Husnlal Bhagatram
9. Yahi fikra hai shaam pichhle savere, Surendra, Lal Haveli, Shams Lakhanavi, Mir Saheb
10. Aaram se jo raatein kaatein wo ahsq bahana kya jaane, Hemant Kumar, Aziz Kasmiri, Pt.Amarnath
will be back with my choices for other categories.
AKji @21 above, I meant to say – I, for one, do NOT have in-depth knowledge of songs of the early 1940s.
Venkataramanji,
Thanks a lot. My pick of the best Special Songs is identical to yours. That is why they were included in the list. I hope to add about 30 more Special Songs in different categories.
KL Saigal is at an unassailable pedestal. Male songs do not create much difficulty. Female solos really presents a difficult choice. Let us see how it goes.
Anita,
I understand. Vintage Era songs present a natural barrier because of the distance in time, and a very different singing style. The radio broadcast only a few most popular songs. For those whose major listening happened in the Radio Era, familiarity with Vintage Songs was easy.
One can write a whole article on Kishore Kumar’s clever referencing of Vintage Era in his parodies. Just a sample:
1. In Ek roz hamari bhi daal galegi, he inserts smoothly Saigal’s ‘Panchhi kaahe hot udas’. And later, Main ban ki chidiya ban ke ban ban dolungi (Achhut Kanya, 1936).
2. In Paanch rupaiya barah ana, he not only parodies KC Dey, but also SD Burman’s Dheere se Jana bagiyan mein, bhanwra. He later sings its parody Dheere se Jana khatmal mein in Chhupa Rustam, composed by Dada again. And,of course, Burman Dada’s son, RD Burman was the music director of Padosan
3. In Gunijanon re bhaktjano (Aansoo Aur Muskan, 1970), he cleverly inserts Pankaj Mullick’s Sundar nari pritam pyari. Thus he has covered the Great Trinity of the New Theatres.
4. Padosan is a goldmine of trivia for a Trivia buff like you. He starts calling Anuradha, Anuradha in a very stylised way, before correcting himself, ‘Dhat tere ki, bhool gaya’, and singing Meri pyari Bindu. ‘Anuradha, Anuradha’ was not accidental. That was Kanan Devi’s character in ‘Vidyapati’ (1937), and you can hear KC Dey calling her exactly with same intonation. For example, see the song Gokul se gaye Giridhari. And to neatly tie it up, Kishore Kumar’s character’s name in Padosan was Guru Vidyapati.
5. The jewel of ‘Pancha Ratna Natak Mandali’ hane names on cities: Kalkatia, Lahori, Banarasi, and each speaks his dialogue in that place’s accent. In real life too, perhaps they are from that region.
6. In Paanch rupaiya barah ana, ‘Maarega bhaiya na na na na’ is a nice reel-real leg-pulling of the bhaiya. Kishore Kumar did that in Ek roz hamari bhi daal galegi, too.
7. Finally a quiz for you, can you think of a connection between Padosan and Paanch rupaiya barah ana? Not the father-son thing. (Hint: Look at KK act after the first stanza of the song).
AK ji,
I have this song in my collection and I, surprisingly, found it on You Tube also.
It is a rare duet song from an obscure film ” Taqrar”-1944.
The singers are not known. The lyricist is Azad and the MD is Sachin Das.
I have 6 songs of this film in my collection and ALL songs are very melodious. Sadly these songs are not available on YT or elsewhere and singers are not known. There is one song in this film sung by Jagmohan Sursagar along with an unknown lady singer. That is also a very good song.
Here is link to the song ” Sapna toot na jaye kahin….”
I am sure listeners will like it.
Thanks.
-AD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcEN-LWqOZY
Arunji @ 26
Thanks Arunji for posting the duet from Taqraar.
Taqraar was the first Hindi film, directed produced and directed by Hemen Gupta under the banner Art Films, Calcutta. It was the remake of his first Bengali film Dwanda (1943). I understand prints of both the versions are not available today. So it was a pleasant surprise to find a song from this film.
Arunji , can you upload the other songs from this film.
Sachindas’s full name was Sachin Das Motilal. He was a classical musician and was a regular performer in AIR from the 40s. He scored music for a few films too. Some of his renditions were recorded by Hindusthan Records and recently reincarnated in CD form.
N Venkataraman ji,
Thank you for the additional information on this film. Anymore information on this would be welcome.
Firstly, I do not have my channel on YT. Secondly, I am ignorant about how to upload songs on YT.
If you want, I can mail you all the songs 6/7 of this film to you in MP3 format.
-AD
Arunji,
That would be great.
I am sure you have my mail id.
Thanks.
Manoj ji @19,
Thanks for posting two lovely songs of Jagmohan Sursagar from the film Aarzoo.
AKji,
One of the songs deserves to be in the best ten. Just to accommodate one of his songs, I would like to replace song no. 5 of K L Saigal with the song “Hai kaun dil nahin hai pareshaan”, Jagmohan Sursagar, Khwaja Kidwai, Subal Dasgupta.
BTW Subal Dasgupta was the brother of MD Kamal Dasgupta
N Venkataraman ji,
I would say it is a good choice.
” Hai kaun dil….” is from film Aarzoo-1944.
I too like this gazal.
I have written a post on this song here…
https://atulsongaday.me/2019/12/11/hai-kaun-dil-nahin-jo-pareeshaan-e-aarzoo/
AK ji has put his comments on the post that time.
-AD
By the way, was Sachin Das MD the son of Motilal Nayak, MD, who operated in Calcutta and gave music to 5 Hindi films ?
-AD
AKji,
On to duets;
You have presented 15 duets. Besides there are another 4 duets in the list of special songs, which are not there in your main list. I have chosen two out of these four duets and rest eight from your main list.
1. Kya humne bigada hai kyun humko satate ho, KL Saigal & Amribali Karnataki, Bhanwara , Kidar Sharma, Khemchand Prakash
2. Bhiksha de de maiya, jogi khada hai dwar, Surendra & Amirbai Karnataki, Bhartrihari, Pt. Indra, Khemchand Prakash
3. O janewale baalamwa laut ke laut ke aa, Shyamkumar & Amirbai Karnataki, Rattan, DN Madhok, Naushad
4. Madhur suron mein gaye chaandni chaand so ja, Alha Rakha Qureshi and Rajkumari, Maa Baap, Roopbani, AR Qureshi
5. Mohe le chal balam mele mein, Vatsala Kumthekar & Mir Saheb, Lal Haveli, Shams Lakhanavi, Mir Saheb
6. Humein bhool mat jaiyo rajaji, Aziz & Zohrabai Ambalewali, Shahenshah Babar, Pt. Indra, Khemchand Prakash
7. Chhip chhip kar mat dekhoji bhanwarji, Bharat Vyas & Shnata Thakkar, Man Ki Jeet (1944), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music SK Pal
8. Humse preet karle jogan, Vasant Desai & Naseem Akhtar, Parbat Pe Apna Dera,Diwan Sharar, Vasant Desai
9. Mohaniya sundar mukhada khol, Surendra & Noorjehan, Lal Haveli, Shams Lakhanavi, Mir Saheb
10. Saawan ke baadlo unse ye ja kaho, Karan Diwan & Zohrbai Ambalewali, Rattan, DN Madhok, Naushad
List of best female solos to follow…..
Arunji @26,
Sapna toot gaya is a very nice song. Thanks for adding it. But your Hai kaun dil nahin jo was really superb. I am happy that it is getting noticed in this exercise. I am enjoying your conversation with Venkataramanji on Taqrar and it’s music director.
Venkataramanji @30,
It is interesting that an unheard song of Jagmohan should impress you so much. I appreciate your approach of Affirmative Action. We don’t have enough songs by ‘other’ singers, therefore, some moderation becomes necessary.
@32,
I think your three choices, #4, 7, 8 are from the ‘Special Songs’ and the rest from the Main List. I am happy about my selection of the special songs.
AK,
Although I was in favour of the review going forward, this year’s review has convinced me 1944 was a great decision. I agree with Arunji about the nostalgia part, but, most of us being born in 50s and 60s even those years represent nostalgia for us. Since one purpose of these reviews is to discover lost gems as also to highlight the best ones, it would apply equally well to the later years. The reader participation is most important and it is clear from the last couple of years that it is reducing particularly for the wrap ups. So I hope from the next year we will move forward.
As for quality, this year’s review is perhaps the best among such reviews. All the milestones have been highlighted. The list of 80 songs is quite large though a number of good songs have been left out. The statistical snapshot is really great and you have joined the group of statisticians. I think, readers would understand the hard work behind the stats which has been summarised in the table which appears small.
I have song summaries for each year from 1941 to 1970. In the last 3-4 days I was updating them again from songs available on youtube. As per details available with me ‘net number of songs where singers are known’ is 447, with 334 solos (257 females and 77 males) and 113 duets. Links of about 320 songs are available on youtube, which is comparatively quite large for the vintage years.
As for songs I would have liked to post the Jagmohan songs from Arzoo which have been posted by Manoj. From Aaina, you have listed only one song, but the best, according to me, has been left out. This song ‘misle khayal aaye the aakar chale gaye’ is shown to have been sung by two different persons Kalyani and Shyamain two separate versions. I am posting the link to this song, which appears to me to be sung by Kalyani.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY0DPb-HNyA
Most of the songs relating to this mukhda appear to be copies of this song, but this link appears to me to present a different voice, though I am not sure. Expert comments required.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCRIVpDqMKc
Another notable song from the film is ‘maa pyari maa god men teri khela bachpan mera’ sung so beautifully by Kaushalya in a child’s voice, perhaps because of her experience of singing as Baby Kaushalya. The mukhda of this song was used in Main Chup Rahungi parody song ‘aaye na baalam’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLVQFavYlYw
Continuing with parody songs, here is a good comedy parody song ‘uske liye jahan men khansi hai aur bukhar hai’ from Manorama sung by Charlie. This parody shows the popularity of the original song ‘mere liye jahan men’ by Noor Jehan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsyejhMQyzE
Hans,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. I was cognizant that with the best of efforts some good songs would be left out. The earlier addition of a Jagmohan song, your addition of a song from Aaina are examples. My exercise ensures that at least no well-known song is left out. Thereafter, I keep on adding songs that I find charming which I would like to go back again and again.
It is true that post-1955 reviews would attract more reader’s response. It is a difficult choice for me, because it seems more constructive to complete vintage years. Later, I may compress more than a year in one post.
Your data might be closer. My purpose is to indicate a trend. Your data gives the ratio of male solos to female solos to duets as 1: 3.34: 1.47. Heavy bias in favour of female solos as compared to male solos is obvious. Was it because our society considered singing a girlie thing? I don’t know whether this was cause or effect, but female playback singing had more depth, whereas in male singing in 1944 you struggle after KL Saigal and Surendra.
The second version of Misl-e-bahar aye sounds different to me. The parody in Manorama is very good. Charlie has sung several such parody songs.
AK ji,
There was a film Subah Shyam made in 1944 in Calcutta. The composer was Subal Dasgupta. I had discussed a duet from this film about 3 years ago, in a post on atulsongaday.me. It is an excellent song, sung by Jagmohan Sursagar and Anima Dasgupta. I am sure everyone will like this song…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXgFibQ6DAc
-AD
AK ji,
Here is an interesting solo song sung by later day Comedian Sunder, in film Shukriya-1944.
This song was discussed by me about 9 years ago on Atul ji’s blog.
This is a song which was banned all over Bombay province for about an year, claiming it to be obscene.
Many people may not know that Sunder started his career as a Hero and has sung about 40 songs in 25 films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFv7PycQUVk&t=51s
-AD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1asj4It_4
Here is a solo song by Shanta Apte in film Bhagyalakshmi-1944.
Composer- G M Durrani
Arunji,
‘Kuchh hansi hai subah-o-shaam, kuchh ghami hai subah–o-sham’ is a wonderful song. But the male voice sounds very distinctively as Hemant Kumar’s. The uploader has also posted his pic.
‘Nayanon ke teer chala gayi laundiya’ is a nice comedy song, but it has serious gender insensitivity.
AK ji,
The singer is positively Jagmohan and NOT Hemant kumar as mentioned by uploader. This film has 2 more songs of Jagmohan. Since there were no names in HFGK, this matter was discussed in RMIM in early 90s and it was concluded that it was Jagmohan and not Hemant kumar.
When I discussed this song, I had clartified it. The post has your comment also.
-AD
Arunji,
I take it that it is also your conviction. So this is a Jagmohan song in which his voice bears uncanny similarity to Hemant Kumar.
Arunji,
Thanks for sharing the songs of Taqraar (1944), three female solos and three duets. Do you have the names of the singers? I too am not conversant with converting and uploading the songs in YT. I would seek help to upload them.
@31,
Thanks for sharing the link to your post on “Hai kaun dil….” in ASaD.
I have no idea as to the relation between Sachindas Motilal and Motilal Nayak.
@ 37, 38, 39,
Nice additions.
Hansji @ 35,
Are the 320 songs for which link are available are part of the 447 songs where singers are known?
There may be songs for which links are available, but the names of the singers are not available.
Liked your postings, especially the song “Maa Pyari Maa God Mai Teri Khela Bachpan”.
Shyamain, Shyama Bai, Shama- Which one is correct?
N venkataraman ji @35 and 44
The Aaina-44 singer is Shyamabai, a Maharashtrian-muslim professional singer from Kolhapur. She also sang in films Sunehara Baal-38, Amrit-41, Aaina-44, Prabhu ka Ghar-45, Parshuram-47, Gharana-49 and Gulnar-50. Then she migrated to Pakistan.
AK, @ 36
About more female songs, my view is that one of the reasons may be that our society initially detested women participation in dramas or similar things. That was the reason that nautanki or swang or natak had males playing female characters. Even in late 60s we used to see Ramlila where all characters including Sita, Kaikayi etc were played by men. In our town people used to wonder that in Delhi Ramlila females played Sita. So as a reaction to this our society had a hidden wish to see more of female characters. When films were made, the producers started to take advantage of this wish and gave most of the songs to females. Another theory which was suggested by Arunji sometime back that in old days the songs were situation based and most of the situations were talilor made for women. The house ceremonies were mostly the occasions for female songs and another pet formula of mujra songs needed for success of the stories also had female songs. Most of the famous male songs were from strong male singing stars of those times. If you closely look at the list of songs, you would find that the films in which famous male singer-actors like Saigal or Surendra had more male solos, while in others male solos were almost negligible. Initially, most of the female lead actresses were from kotha background and were thus trained singers. Males on the other hand were normally common people without any such training. So female singers got a healthy lead. Later, after introduction of playback singing, trained singers started coming in and after some time the actors themselves started asking for more songs for themselves. This is my understanding of the situation. May be our stalwarts like Arunji and Venkataramanji can throw more light on this.
Arunji and AK,
On the Subah Sham song Arunji has mentioned three singers on ASAD, the 3rd one being Munir Alam. May be he was having a voice like Hemant, because Jagmohan’s voice is quite different and easily recognisable. Finding another voice like Hemant is hardly a surprise, because there were two others who were his clones in hfm. I found that there appears to be a second female voice too in that song.
Arunji was right, this is a great song and I have heard for the first time. I knew about only one song from this film, ‘nigahon se sharte wafa lijiyega’ by Anima Sen Gupta. After this song I searched further and found another song ‘bhatke hue musafiro aage badhe chalo’. Singers are perhaps Anima and Jagmohan. Here is the link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yVdPnn2XTs
Venkataramanji, @ 44
You are right this figure includes those songs where singers are not known. I forgot to give this disclaimer. But, there are 300+ songs in which singers are known and which have links.
The other singer is Shyama, which has also been clarified by Arunji. I typed out Shayam and ‘in’ and the space key cheated on me so it became Shyamain.
AK,
After the Charlie comedy song here is a comic song on husband-wife relationship, ‘bhabhi bhayya ko dhamkaye, ghar men apna raaj chalaye’ from film Kavita. The song is sung by Baby Tara, written by Ramesh Gupta and composed by Shankar Rao Vyas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZbwzgvenQk
This film has also a song by Manna Dey, ‘yehi preet ki reet re panchhi’, which I had discovered a couple of years back and now remembered due to this year’s review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw4Ye3NRr7w
Hans @46,
Female songs outnumbering male songs by more than a factor of 3 consistently cannot be a chance event. Your analysis nicely summarises the causes.
@47,
There is no confusion about the singer of Bhatke huye musafir, but I can’t get over my feeling that I am hearing Hemant Kumar in Kuchh hansi hai subah-o-sham. Since we are at this let me also mention that I am hearing हंसी, and not हसीं. Your views on this?
I should also add that Faiyyaz Hashmi-Kamal Dasgupta/Subal Dasgupta had a very distinct style of composition. They were minimalist in instrumentation, perhaps just the harmonium and tabla. Kamal did explore more in film songs, but Subal seems to have remained in the same groove, which was typical of their NFS.
@49,
Bhabhi bhaiya ko dhamkaye: This is interesting that in that era someone could create that kind of song even as comedy. The patriarchy becoming looser is a recent phenomenon when such parody would be plausible. You would know better.
Yahi prem ki reet re panchhi: I remember I wrote New Theatres’ Romance with ‘Prem’. All the Prem songs I had mentioned, were out of the world. I have across several Prem/Preet songs from Bambai too, but none that matched NT.
AKji,
It appears 240-257 songs were rendered by roughly 50 female singers in the year 1944. That is quite a crowd. Singers who sang five or less number of songs would be around 30. And on the other end of the spectrum, singers who sang ten or more songs would not exceed 10. You have culled out 47 choices and 16 voices to select our best.
After listening to the songs, it is quite clear that the top two singers were Amirbai Karnataki and Zohrabhai Ambalewali and in my opinion the best female singer for the year 1944 should go to Amirbhai Karnataki. I have included 4 songs of Amirbai Karnataki and 3 songs of Zohrabai Ambalewali for the final ten.
That leaves me with 3 more slots.
Out of the five songs of Manju in the main list, “Angadai teri hai bahana”, “Do dilon ko ye duniya milneb hi nahin deti” & “Holi main khelungi un sang dat ke”, are the ones that I liked the most. I would go with the last mentioned song from Gaali.
Koeliya kookat kunjan mein by Jahanara Kajjan Bai delighted me very much. She was the first super star of Hindi films. Of late, substantial information about her can be found in YouTube. Last year Arunji too had written about her in ASaD. You have mentioned that after Bhartrihari she migrated to Pakistan. I believe, afflicted by cancer she migrated to the other world in December 1945 in Bombay. The other song sung by her in Bhartrihari was also good.
Out of four songs of Rajkumari, I had shortlisted two;. I would go for the song “Sanwariya re kaahe maare nazaria”-Panna , although Shamshad Begum was the original singer in the film. I could not find the song “Ram kare kahin naina na uljhe” (Chaar Aankhen) in the voice of Rajkumari. I found links to audio and video version of the song rendered by Tara. HFGK also mentions Tara as the singer.
Here is my final list of best female songs of 1944.
1. Mora dheere se ghunghata hataye piya – Amirbai Karnataki, Bhartrihari: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Khemchand Prakash
2. Mil ke bichhad ke gayi ankhiyan – Amirbai Karnataki, Rattan: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
3. Chanda des piya ke ja – Amirbai Karnataki, Bhartrihari: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Khemchand Prakash
4. Sooni padi hai pyar ki duniya tere bagair – Amirbai Karnataki (Lyrics Kidar Sharma), Caravan: Music Bulo C Rani
5. Ankhiyan mila ke jiya bharma ke chale nahin jana – Zohrabai Ambalewali, Rattan: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
6. Rumjhum barse baadarwa mast hawayein ayi – Zohrabai Ambalewali, Rattan: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
7. Chale gaye chale gaye, dil mein aag lagaanewale chale gaye – Zohrabai Ambalewali, Pahle Aap: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Naushad
8. Koeliya kookat kunjan mein – Kajjan, Bhartrihari: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Khemchand Prakash
9. Holi main khelungi un sang dat ke – Manju (lyric Sugun Piya), Gaali: Music Hanuman Prasad and Sajjad Hussain
10. Sanwariya re kaahe maare nazaria – Rajkumari, Panna: Lyrics Wali sahb; Music Amir Ali
N Venkataraman ji @ 51
Yes, Jahan Ara Kajjan died on 15-12-1945, at the age of only 30 years, at Bombay. 2 Films, Jadui putli-46 and Tiger Man-47 were released after her death.
-AD
Hans ji #35
Very beautiful songs that you have uploaded from the movie, Aaina. Misl e Khayal is pretty haunting. I also like this song from the same movie, credited to Husn Bano: Khushi Ke Tarane
“Muqaddar ne kis ko sataya nahin hai
kise aasman ne mitaya nahin hai…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz31fElQ2rk&t=69s
*
Also found this gem of a song by Amir Bai Karnatki:
Inkaar Jo Karna Tha, Pehle hi bata dete…
[Badi Baat/ Feroz Nizami/ Saraswati Kumar Deepak]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5RTVFvoub4
*
And this by Hamida Banu
Kyon Dard Deke Bhul Gaye Shyam Salone
[Anban/ Gyan Dutt/ Pt. Madhur]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp3LIPsyRPQ
And another one from Amir Bai Karnataki where I am equally fascinated by the voice of the singer and the music of Bulo C. Rani:
Dariya e Mohabbat ka gar Door kinara Hai
[Caravan]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9RL536Lda8
*
Another one from the same movie though not as good as the first one:
Bijli Girane Wale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhaZfk-_jVc
*
Venkataramanji, @ 51
You said in para 5 that you could not find the Raj Kumari version of ‘ram kare kahin naina na uljhen’. Here it is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-GclmxGXmQ
Although HFGK mentions Tara as singer in the main list, but in Addenda at page 628, Tara has been replaced as Raj Kumari in all 3 songs. Kindly post the Tara versions both in Audio and Video.
Hansji @ 55,
First let me admit my mistake. Both were audio versions, one an MP3 version and the other converted YouTube version. Both the links mentions Tara as the singer. After listening to your link, I find voice in all the the three links are that of Rajkumari. Thanks for the link. Here are the links to the mistaken identity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH_cvFQBbRo
https://pagalworldsongs.me/ram-kare-kahin-naina-char-ankhen-mp3-song.html
Venkataramanji @51,
Thanks a lot for your detailed analysis of the female singers. I am with you. I notice that like me you, too, are not very enamoured of Noorjehan. She has some well-known songs in the year.
AK @ 50
You are right about the Hemant Kumar voice feeling, but there is one point to consider that the voice here is like a fully matured voice of Hemant of 50s which was not the case in 1944. About the song mukhda also you are right. It is ‘hansi’. In fact the word ‘khushi’ could have been used as effectively. Even in the second line he used ‘zindagi ke do hain naam’ to rhyme with ‘subah sham’, when he could easily have used ‘do roop’ instead of ‘do naam’. Overall, he has written very fitting lyrics throughout to highlight the contrast.
Though I am not an expert about instruments, I had also seen the similarity in instrumentation of ‘kuchh hansi hai’ and ‘bhatke hue’. Your observation is great in this regard. Old timers used very few instruments. My father used to say that the old time singers were special because they had to do with minimal instrumentation. I listen to vintage songs in the light of that observation. I have also noticed that in some songs the voice of instruments even suppresses the singer’s voice. Perhaps some composers who were basically musicians loved the voice of instruments more than the singers.
Regarding ‘bhabhi bhaiya ko dhamkaye’ type of songs, I think these were very common from the oldest times. ‘Angdayi teri hai bahana’ is another example from the same year. We see a number of folk songs on these lines which were coming from the past and have been used in films. This type of chhed-chhad was a necessary spice in those times when people worked hard and facilities were minimal. I do not see patriarchy or matriarchy as a problem. I have earlier also said with examples from life, that both systems co-existed and there was a clear distribution of work and responsibility between them.
Hans,
‘Instrumentation dominating the singer’s voice’: In the Vintage Era, generally this did not happen when the singer’s voice came. But during preludes and interludes some music directors did display their special talent. RC Boral had long preludes in many famous songs which became his signature, for example in Ek bangla bane pyara, the significant part is its long prelude.
Angadai teri hai bahana is chhed-chhad by a Nanad about the Bhabhi’s presumed amorous proclivities. Bhabhi bhaiya ko dhamkaye was something different. Bhabhis those days were not even freely conversing with the Bhaiya, so even as a joke this song appeared to me a bit off.
Neeruahaf,
Thanks for the nice words. I know you are a vintage era fan. You have posted nice songs particularly of Amirbai. I am a great fan of her like Anup and AK and now I find you are also her fan. I have been exposed to such voices from childhood as my father did not like thin female voices like Lata. Amirbai was without any doubt Rani of female singers for the year. As Venkataramanji said she dominated the scene. She had 45 solos out of nearly 250 solos in which voices are identifiable. My best song of her would be the one put at no.1 by Arunji ‘pareshan hoon ke kyun meri pareshani nahin jati’.
Song posted by you from Badi Baat is very nice. Here is another from the same film which is not even listed by HFGK, ‘duniya-4 ye duniya ab tak soti hai’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDffDmVg8ms
This film has very nice songs by Rajkumari too and AK has altogether missed this film. Here are two songs by her. First one, ‘mera baalam bada harjai re’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl46mX-Zi-o
And this one is very naughy, ‘jaun kaise main beech bazaar’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoC-DuqC2-s
Hans,
Last song: ‘Sipahiya’ and ’Daroga’ is another cultural reference that would not make any sense to the new generation. Some songs I recall, Jaiyo jaiyo sipahiya bazaar, daal meri chulhe chadhi, O darogo babu bolo, Zara darwaja to kholo, Khadi hun main darwajje pe badi der se.
Venkataramanji,
I was disappointed that there was no video of the Char Ankhen song. I thought this might be the case like Panna where Shamshad sang for the film and Raj Kumari for the records. After this link will your list change.
+ AK
AK mentioned Panna. I searched for songs of this film. Videos of some songs were available. There were 6 female solos and one male-female duet in the film. There are video as well as audio links of 4 songs and for 2 songs only video link is available. So we can listen to both Shamshad and Rajkumari for 4 songs.
I give here links of two songs of those four. First one is ‘sanwariya re kahe mare nazariya, ut(it) bahe jamuna, it(ut) bahe ganga’. In the Rajkumari version she sings ‘it bahe jamuna, ut bahe ganga’ and Shamshad sings ‘ut bahe jamuna, it bahe ganga’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVgUi7CD1vo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPqnkIyzIOE
The second is ‘jo hum pe gujarti hai, hum kaise batayen’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq2-oaBQvv4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxSfZFPwrec
What a wonderful singer Rajkumari was. She matched two diverse singers like Shamshad and Lata in Panna and Mahal.
AK, @61
Absolutely. And Kotwal too.
AK ji,
As far as song no. 2 in the special songs…Mann ki jeet-44…Morey jobna ka dekho ubhaar…Zohrabai, here is some information about this song.
In her first film Mann ki jeet-44, Geeta Nizami acted and had a song and dance. The song was ” More jubna ka dekho ubhar ” sung by Zohrabai, written by Josh Malihabadi and composed by S.K.Pal. The dance Geeta did on this song was very sexy. She was shown emerging from a blooming Lotus and at that time she did such provocative actions that soon the song became the talk of the town. The then Bombay Government, led by Morarji Desai, promptly banned the song, but in the rest of India the song became very popular.
-AD
Arunji,
This is great information. I wish its video was available.
Hello All
I am back, alive and well and I am at present at the Victoria Station, London and not at the Union Station Hollywood, California U.S.A.
So the Oscar goes to AK for a long, service to the exploration of the Hindi Films songs!
I have just gone through the present issue of the Best Songs of 1944.
It is a jolly good article and the discussion is interesting and very intellectual as well.
I shall come back after I had lot of fresh air and good food and my lying in, in my own bed.
I am just out of the hospital after a long spell of suffering from the present pandemics.
I saw on the TV the havoc it is causing in India especially in Bombay and Delhi.
It is very worrying!
I hope I shall make some comments about Baburao Patel and Sushila Rani Patel. Hold your horses for the time being.
Happy Hanuman Jayanti. Hope he should bring to Indi and world in general some Sanjivani Aushadhis from the rare parts of the Himalayas.
For AK I have lost your contact number can you use the present email which belongs to my friend (who kindly came to take me home) at this comment and send me it. I have got some good article pending for your blog.
Once again it is so nice to see all the bubbling contributors to this blog called “Songs of Yore”.
Shalan Lal now in pink.
Shalan,
You can’t imagine how happy we are at having you back amongst us. Many readers were missing you, and I had no clue because there was no response to my mails, and I didn’t have your or your friends contact numbers. Your last appearance here was more than a year ago.
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. Vintage Era is your domain. Looking forward to your detailed participation. Take care.
Shalanji,
Relieved to see you back.
Good to know that you are out of the woods.
Stay well & take care.
Shalan Lal
Happy to see you back in Pink.
I was one of the readers AK mentioned.
Missed you a lot.
Once this horrific time passes we can go back to our jugalbandi.
Hans ji #60
Interesting info about your influential years.
The songs posted by you from Bari Baat are very good esp the first two. Amir Bai Karnatki ji is a singer par excellence.
Shalan ji:
Welcome back. We missed your comments, your contributed posts, and the rich anecdotes from your past. You have a unique style and I always found your prose uplifting. Am looking forward to reading more of it on SoY pages.
AKji,
Coming back to this post after some time. I remembered, I haven’t shared my thoughts on the music directors.
More than 60 music directors were involved in scoring music for the films released in 1944.
Among the list of MDs who scored music in 1944, there were quite a few who started their career in the previous decade. We can find veterans like Pankaj Mullick, Anil Biswas, Saraswati Devi & Ghulam Hyder continuing to score music in 1944. Krishna Chandra Dey, who shifted to Bombay in 1941-42 too was in the field.
Ghulam Chisti, Master Krishna Rao, Ashok Ghosh, Gyan Dutt, Shankar Rao Vyas also started their carreer back in the 30s.
Khemchand Prakash too belonged to this group, making his debut in Bombay in 1939.
The 40s saw an influx of quite a number of aspiring music directors.
Khan Mastana, Pannalal Ghosh and Naushad entered the scene in 1940, Mir Saheb in 1941,
C Ramchandra, Pandit Amarnath, Ninu Majumdar and Hanuman Prasad in 1942.
1943 saw a the arrival of Khursheed Anwar, Vasant Desai, Shyam Sundar, Firoze Nizami, Allah Rakha Qureshi, Avinash Vyas and S K Pal.
Besides Bulo C Rani and Husnalal-Bhagatram, Sajjad Hussain also made his debut in 1944.
Some of the veterans were past their prime and many of the aspiring new comers could not build a successful career.
Going by the number of films, the busiest MD was C Ramchandra (5), Khemchand Prakash(4), Naushad (4), Pt.Amarnath (3), Firoze Nizami (3) and Ninu Majumdar (3).
If one has to choose the best three MDs for the year 1944, the names of Naushad, Pankaj Mullick and Khemchand Prakash would inevitably appear in the list and in that order.
Sajjad Hussain made a grand debut creating a few exquisite songs for Noorjehan for the film ‘Dost’.
Hanuman Prasad music for Draupadi was good. And Pandit Amarnath’s Daasi too calls for a mention.
Venkataramanji,
Thanks a lot that you remembered this post. You have given a very nice perspective of most prominent music directors of the era. Your choices of the three best MDs would be the general choice.
Really happy to see that you are back with Season -2 of year-wise reviews. It especially delights my heart that you are continuing the series in the reverse order by focusing on the music of pre – 1945 years – a period which is home to some sublime music, but often regrettably neglected by our popular media and mass memory.
My exuberance at the continuation of this series under normal circumstances, would have mandated me to go through your delectable post much earlier. But such has been the situation at home and at large within the country in the past few months, that it has become rather difficult to engage oneself in any activity of knowledge persuasion or relaxation. With the covid virus running riot across the nation, and on one’s body; any detailed study or analysis of even the most beautiful subject in the world i.e. music seems strenuous.
Consequently, I haven’t been able to do as minute a study for 1944, as I did for 1945. Yet, there are few songs that I would like to present before the immensely knowledgeable SoY crowd – songs which I hope no one has posted above. By the same belief, I hope everyone finds these songs as beautiful as I do. The songs are as follows-
1.) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj-VeljHrnM
2.) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T3-pKZXCDmY
3.) https://youtu.be/QJWpYwkuUIc
Songs 1 & 2 are two gorgeous ditties from Pankaj Mullick’s slobberknocker of a soundtrack in Meri Behen. Both the songs display Pankaj Babu’s brand of music commendably – sonorous yet very rhythmic tunes, accentuated by some in – depth singing and the wonderful intricate orchestral flourishes that are so much an integral part of PM’s music.
The lyrics of both the songs by Pandit Bhushan are superb and are a scathing critique on the hypocrisy and selfishness of the society; and in my humble view, probably served as the inspiration for Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrical tour-de-force number – Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye toh Kya Hai from Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa.
The 3rd number from Khemchand Prakash’s Bharthari, is a fine example of what made Ameerbai Karnataki such a powerful singer; and why KP’s music was so unique and one-of-a-kind.
KP’ s music was a sophisticated blend of Indian classical and Rajasthani folk, while retaining a shade or two of Bengal school of film-music. For example, when the interlude piece in the above song plays along, reveling in the shades of Tagore’s Khoro Bayu Bege; the influence of New Theatres and Rabindra Sangeet on KP’s music becomes all the more perceptible and clear.
Khemchand Prakash is also my choice for the MD of the year with his diverse scores in multiple films, in a strange year which saw the complete absence of RC Boral from the Hindi film music scene, coupled with the usually reliable composers like Anil Biswas, Ghulam Haider, Kamal Dasgupta, Saraswati Devi & Gyan Dutt also going slightly off-colour.
My choice for the album of the year, though, is Pankaj Mullick’s Meri Behen – a versatile and complete album with songs of each shade and immense beauty jostling with each other to occupy a place of pride in the ears and hearts of the listeners. For the same album, Pandit Bhushan gets my vote for the lyricist of the year, while Saigal too gets my vote for his rendition of ‘ Aye Qatib – e Taqdeer ‘ from the same film.
My choice for female singer of the year would go to Suprava Sarkar for her ‘ Jal Jane Do Iss Duniya ka’ number from Meri Behen, which I posted above. The song with its frenetic pace, and a very complicated structure – almost operatic yet very Indian, is a great favourite of mine; and coincidentally also happens to be a great fav of the Sarangi maestro – Ram Narayan Jii too.
Finally, in a year which saw the irrepressible C. Ramchandra going prolific yet not very particularly impressive, and Naushad hitting the big league with his gem ‘ Rattan ‘, my top seven albums of the year in order will be-
1 ) Meri Behen by Pankaj Mullick, as I mentioned above.
2.) Rattan by Naushad – it has to be there , isn’t it?
3.) Bharathari by Khemchand Prakash – Bhiksha De De Maiya Pingala is one of my all time fav duets ever.
4.) Daasi by Pandit Amarnath – possibly Panditji’s best score ever.
5.) Dost by Sajjad Hussain – Badnaam mohabbat kaun kare.. the magic that Sajjad has created with the word ‘ Badnam ‘ here didn’t bring any infamy..But for sure brought him a lot of fame!!
Munn ki Jeet by SK Pal and Chand by Husnlal-Bhagatram will round off my top 7 for the year 1944.
Raunak,
Thanks a lot for your detailed comments despite your difficult situation. Hope now everything is under control. Both songs of Meri Behen were new to me. I know your fascination for New Theatres music. Last time also you gave a separate category of the best album.
AK ji
Here is my vote for the best male playback:
K.L. Saigal Sahab (was there ever any doubt?!) for Do Naina Matware
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_URwqxX5lE
[My Sister/ Pandit Bhushan/ Pankaj Mallick]
Since Saigal saab is in a class of his own, here are two songs from ‘Singers other than Saigal’ which I heard for the first time and can’t get enough of:
1. Jagmohan Sursagar for Hain Kaun Dil Nahin Jo Pareshaan-e-Arzoo… from Arzoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoAq1RhhOT8
[Khwaja Kidwai/ Subal Dasgupta]
Thanks to Manoj ji @ 19 for posting this song.
2. Manna Dey for Yehi Prem ki reet, Yehi Preet ki reet re panchhi… from Kavita
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw4Ye3NRr7w
[Ramesh Gupta/Shankar Rao Vyas]
Thanks to Hans ji @ 49 for posting the song.
Neeruahaf,
On KL Saigal there could hardly be any doubt. Jagmohan’s Hai kaun dil nahin jo pareshan-e-arzoo is a superb song. Yehi prem ki reet, yehi preet ki reet may not overwhelm others.
AK ji
My choice for the best MD is Bulo C Rani for Caravan.
Neeruahaf,
Bulo C Rani indeed gave superb music in Caravan and some other films in the year.