Best Songs of 1944: Wrap Up 1

And the award for the Best Male Solo goes to?

In my Overview Post of the best songs of 1944, I had mentioned that in the total songs in the years in which the singers’ names were known, male solos to female solos to duets followed a ratio of 1: 3.69: 1.69. Thus, the male solos were about 16% of the total songs in the year. In my shortlist of 80/81 Memorable Songs in the year (one song had a female, and a duet version), the number of male solos is proportionately more at 19, accounted for by the following 9 singers:

1. KL Saigal:               7
2. Surendra:               4
3. Hemant Kumar:    2
4. Karan Diwan:         1
5. GM Durrani:           1
6. Arun Kumar:          1
7. Chitalkar:                1
8. SD Batish:               1
9. Anil Biswas:            1
               Total         19

KL Saigal was always a class apart. His seven songs are from two films in the year: Bhanwra and My Sister. The other great actor-singer of the era, Surendra, had two famous films in the year, Bhartrihari and Lal Haveli, which explains his four songs in the shortlist. Hemant Kumar’s early songs were not very famous, but now we discover that he was as sweet as ever, which is true of true of his songs from the film Irada. (This was erroneously believed to be the debut of Hemant Kumar as a singer in Hindi films, but now it is accepted that he debuted with ‘Meenakshi’ in 1942.) Karan Diwan’s solo entry – Jab tum hi chale pardes – is due to his being the actor-singer in his brother Jaimini Diwan’s production Rattan, which happened to get the Midas-touch of Naushad.

Anil Biswas’s entry, Gaao Kabir udaao abir, from Jwar Bhata is an interesting song. It is a pronounced chorus, as such Holi songs usually are. Anil Biswas had composed several outstanding chorus songs, some of which he also sang. Since his is the only prominent voice, I have included it in the category of male solos. This song was in included as one of the ‘Special Songs’ in the overview post.

I had limited myself to the most popular songs in my shortlist. The knowledgeable readers added many songs from outside the list. One deserves special mention: Hai kaun dil nahin jo pareshan-e-arzoo by Jagmohan Sursagar from the film Arzoo. Since this song impressed many people, some rating it very high worthy of inclusion in the year’s best, I have decided to include it in the year’s Main List. That would mean one of the good songs from the shortlist has to make way, but so be it. But before I come to that, let me mention some ‘Special Songs’ of the year. This has become an indispensable feature of the year-wise reviews. This year has some very special reasons to have some truly exceptional ‘Special Songs’.

Special Songs

1. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer by Pankaj Mullick, cover version

Who doesn’t know the immortal KL Saigal song, Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe itna bata de? By now SOY regulars also know about its cover version by Pankaj Mullick. Saigal had left for Bombay in 1943 when My Sister was still in the making, but he had promised to come back to complete the film. True to his promise, he did come back and completed the film. But in the interregnum, because of the uncertainty, Pankaj Mullick had recorded some of Saigal’s songs in his own voice, which were eventually not used in the film.

2. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer by Nashenas, cover version

Ae qatib-e-taqdeer is a favourite of many singers who claim a voice resembling Saigal. Another version that would floor you is by the Afghani singer, Nashenas. Nashenas had an eclectic upbringing, thanks to his father’s posting in the British India where he got exposure to Indian classical music. He has sung many famous songs of Saigal, Talat Mahmood and Mukesh, but Ae qatib-e-taqdeer is by far the best.

3. Chhupo na chhupo na by Pankaj Mullick, cover version

Here is another of the iconic songs of My Sister in the voice of Pankaj Mullick. He was not only a great singer and music director in his own right, he also played an important role in promoting Saigal in Calcutta.

4. Do naina matware tihare by Pankaj Mullck, cover version

Now the cover version of the third famous song from the film, in the voice of the music director Pankaj Mullick. We are conditioned to hearing these songs in the voice of Saigal, but Pankaj Mullick’s versions are simply awesome. These records were issued on Columbia in 1948 after Saigal’s demise.

5. Ye wo jagah hai jahan ghar lutaye jaate hain by KL Saigal from Bhanwra (1944), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Khemchand Prakash

I have said Saigal did not sing a song which was less than outstanding. This song is a proof. I don’t remember when I last heard this song. And I guess for many this song may be new. But it is quintessential Saigal all the same. This is sung in a ghazal style which was entirely his own.

6. Ye wo malaria hai mohabbat nahin huzoor by Arun Kumar (Mukherjee) from Bhanwra (1944), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Khemchand Prakash

There are many distinct features of this song for including it in the ‘Special Songs’. Sung by Arun Kumar (Mukherjee), it is picturised on Arun Kumar (Ahuja), the father of Govinda. The words are funny, but it has been sung in Saigal-style. It does not create comic effect, but Saigal was the Gold Standard of that era. Thus, If you want to make a list of discordant songs, this should find a place in the list.

7. Tum bhool ke phande mein haseenon ke na ana by Chitalkar from Lal Haveli (1944), lyrics Munshi Shams Lakhanvi, music Mir Saheb

After the above ‘discordant’ song, here is a nice light-hearted song. Chitalkar (C Ramchandra) had been assistant to Mir Saheb in several films. This song sung by him, and picturised on Yaqub, is absolutely delightful.

8. Nayanon ke teer chala gayi, ek shahar ki laundiya by Sundar from Shukriya (1944), lyrics

But if you want a full-blown comic song, here is one sung by the well-known comedian Sundar, though it goes overboard in its misogyny. This song was added by Arunji, who also mentioned that Sundar started his career as a hero and sang about 40 songs in 25 films.

9. Khamosh nigaahein ye sunati hain kahani by SD Batish from Daasi (1944), lyrics DN Madhok, music Pandit Amarnath

We know of SD Batish as one of the singers in some great triad songs, such as Chhalla de ja nishani teri meharbani (Bazaar, 1949, with Rafi and Shamshad Begum) and Manmohan man mein ho tumhin (Kaise Kahun, 1964, with Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur). Here is an excellent solo by him, which is here because only ten could be accommodated in the main list of the best songs.

10. Phir mohabbat ke payam aane lage by Hemant Kumar from Irada (1944), lyrics Aziz Kashmiri, music Pt. Amarnath

Venkataramanji had included another Hemant Kumar song from this film – Aaram se jo raatein kaate, wo ashq bahana kya jaane – in his list of best ten. But since I am accommodating Jagmohan Sursagar in the main list, Hemant Kumar has to come here. Between his two songs in the film, Phir mohabbat ke payam aane lage, sung in the traditional ghazal style would keep you mesmerised for a long time. Aaram se jo raatein kaatein had figured in Venkataramanji’s tribute to Hemant Kumar, ‘Hemantayan 1’, in his centenary year

Readers’ comments about the best male solos

Arunkumar Deshmukh has always been very prompt and unambiguous in his choices. His choice for the best male singer is, obviously, KL Saigal, and the best song is ‘Chhupo na chhupo na chhupo na’ from My Sister. I couldn’t agree with him more. This is also my most favourite Saigal song from the two films in the year.

Canasya’s choice is also Saigal, who else? And the best song happens to be from the same film, but another song, ‘Do naina matware tihare’. Anup has the same choice for the best singer as well as the best song.

Mahesh goes for KL Saigal too, for My Sister. I presume he is equally impressed by his three great songs from the film.

N Venkataraman is tempted to include all the seven songs of Saigal, but he selects his five songs, all at the top: 1. Do naina matware tihare, 2. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe, 3. Chhupo na chhupo na chhupo na, (My Sister), 4. Muskurate huye yun aankh churaya na karo, 5. Hum apna unhein ban ana sake, (Bhanwra). Venkataramanji completes the list of the best ten with the following songs making up the tail:

6. Jab tum hi chale pardes lagakar thes wo preetam pyara, Karan Diwan, Rattan
7. Madhuban mein mat ja re bhnawra, Surendra, Bhartrihari
8. Ae dil mujhe rone de, GM Durani, Chaand
9. Yahi fikr hai sham pichhale savere, Surendra, Lal Haveli
10. Aaram se jo raatein kaatein, Hemant Kumar, Irada

Raunak is an expert on New Theatres and he really does an in-depth analysis of their songs and music. His choice for the best singer is KL Saigal for the song Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe itna bata de. He also makes a list of the best album of the year. This list is headed by My Sister by Pankaj Mullick.

Neeruahaf is a vintage expert. She agrees that KL Saigal is in a class of his own. He is her choice for the best singer for the song Do naina matware tihare. She also proposed that we should have two categories in the male solo – one Saigal, and the rest competing for the best among other singers. I did that for the female singers for some years when Lata Mangeshkar was ruling the waves, but ‘other singers’, too, were going great guns. There are not too many memorable male solos in 1944. However, Neeruahaf has proposed Jagmohan Sursagar for ‘Hai kaun dil nahin jo pareshan-e-arzoo’ as the best among others category. This was a song mentioned by Manoj, and it immediately caught the fancy of many.

Best Male Solos

Now it is easy to make the list of the best ten. The three KL Saigal songs from My Sister happen to be everyone’s top favourites, albeit in different orders. No one would disagree to include his two songs from Bhanwra next. For slots 6 to 10, my work has been made easy by Venkataramanji. Rarely someone’s list has such uncanny similarity with mine. The only change I make is to replace Hemant Kumar by Jagmohan.

There is no doubt that KL Saigal is the best singer of the year without any close competition. I take a creative liberty for his best song. I think the fairest outcome would be to declare his three songs from the film My Sister as joint winners of the Best Male Solo of the year.

Thus, here is the list of the Best Ten Male Solos of 1944.

1-3. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe itana bata de by KL Saigal from My Sister (1944), lyrics Pt. Bhushan, music Pankaj Mullick

1-3. Do naina matware tihare hum par zulm karein by KL Saigal from My Sister (1944), lyrics Pt. Bhushan, music Pankaj Mullick

1-3. Chhupo na chhupo na chhupo na by KL Saigal from My Sister (1944), lyrics Pt. Bhushan, music Pankaj Mullick

4. Muskuraate huye yun aankh churaya na karo by KL Saigal from Bhanwra (1944), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Khemchand Prakash

5. Hum apna unhein bana na sake, khokar bhi unko pa na sake by KL Saigal from Bhanwra (1944), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Khemchand Prakash

6. Jab tum hi chale pardes laga kar thes wo preetam pyara, duniya mein kaun humara by Karan Diwan from Rattan (1944), lyrics DN Madhok, music Naushad

7. Madhuban mein mat ja re bhanwra by Surendra from Bhartrihari (1944), lyrics Pt Indra, music Khemchand Prakash

8. Ae dil mujhe rone de by GM Durrani from Chaand (1944), lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi, music Husnlal-Bhagatram

9. Yahi fikr hai sham pichhle savere, hassenon ki galiyon ke hon here phere by Surendra from Lal Haveli (1944), lyrics Shams Lakhanavi, music Mir Saheb

10. Hai kaun dil nahin jo pareshan-e-arzoo by Jagmohan Sursagar from Arzoo (1944), lyrics Khwaja Kidwai, music Subal Dasgupta

I had missed this song in the master list of Memorable Songs, but as soon as it was posted by Manoj, it caught the fancy of the connoisseurs. So much so that N Venkataraman revised his first choice of the best ten by including it in the place of KL Saigal’s Hum apna unhein bana na sake. Neeruahaf desired it to be declared the best among ‘other singers’ songs’. This song does replace a song, but not KL Saigal’s; it replaces Hemant Kumar’s Phir mohabbat ke payam aane lage, that would have been here.

To conclude:

The SOY Award for the Best Male Singer of 1944 goes to KL Saigal.

And the SOY Award for the Best Male Solo of 1944 goes jointly to KL Saigal’s

1. Ae qatib-e-taqdeer mujhe itana bata de,
2. Do naia matware tihare hum par zulm karein, and
3. Chhupo na chhupo na chhupo na
from My Sister.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer: I thank the readers for their active participation which makes this exercise meaningful. My thanks to Hindi Film Geet Kosh goes without saying. YouTube has become a goldmine for vintage songs. The song links have been embedded from the YT only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog does not claim any copyright over these songs, which vests with the respective owners.