Best songs of 1944: Wrap Up 3

And the Award for the Best Duet goes to?

In my list of 81 MEMORABLE SONGS in the Overview Post on the best songs of 1944, I counted 17 duets. This is quite a small number, but as we have seen in the reviews of other years, duets always punch above their weight. There is something special about combination of different voices, generally a male and a female, and some very unlikely combinations. The eight ‘Special Songs’ in the overview post included six duets, only two of which were in the list of Memorable Songs. Remaining four were discoveries made between compilation of the Memorable Songs and writing the post. In the vintage years, we never cease to make new discoveries, and every time some beautiful song turns up, it gives immense joy and makes this exercise worthwhile. After the Wrap Up 1 on the best male solos and the Wrap Up 2 on the best female solos, let us discuss the best duets of 1944.

The year is known for Rattan which had two eternal duets, Saawan ke baadalo unse ye ja kaho and O jaanewale baalamwa laut ke aa laut ke aa. If there is a duet with KL Saigal, that will be exceptional. That is the case with Kya humne bigada hai, kyun humko sataate ho from Bhanwra. Bhartrihari has a very nice duet between Surendra and Amirbai Karnataki. Those days Surendra had his own niche. Lal Haveli starring him and Noorjehan had some outstanding duets. Let us see the choice of the readers.

Arunkumar Deshmukh chooses O jaanewale balamwa from Rattan. Canasya goes for Kya humne bigaada hai from Bhanwra. Anoop also goes for O jaanewale balamwa, Mahesh says the same thing quite dramatically: “Everything else (other than KL Siagal) for Rattan.” Rattan had two immortal duets as I have mentioned above. I suppose he is equally disposed towards either.

N Venkataraman has given a list of his best ten duets, eight are from my main list, and two from the four special songs that were not in the main list. This further signifies the importance of ‘new’ discoveries beyond the main list, which I accommodate in ‘Special Songs’.

Raunak’s comments are always cerebral, very different from bland choice of different bests. He reserves special praise for Bhiksha de de maiya (from Bhartrihari) as one of his all-time favourite duets. He is quite a lover of the New Theatres music, and expectedly he chooses Pankaj Mullick’s My Sister as the best album of the year. He is a good company with several NT fans here. Neeruahaf is another reader who forces us to think. In fact, most readers not only responded to the question posed, but also stretched the envelope with their general comments, which I don’t intend to repeat. Hans and Shalan Lal gave very incisive comments on music and songs in general.

It is not difficult to choose the ‘Best Ten’. But before we come to that, let me start with some ‘Special Songs’. These year-wise reviews have shown the importance of this category. Many in this category are as good as the any in the main list, but there are limitation of slots, or there are ‘new discoveries’ or they have some unique qualities.

Special Songs

1. Balamji balamji ye kya jaadu daara by Zohra Ambalewali and Gope from Aaina (1944), lyrics Pt. Faani, music Gulshan Sufi

This is my top choice of Special Songs. The male singer must be the roly-poly comedian we know so well. We didn’t know that he sung, too. Here Zohrabai Ambalewali sings an absolutely melodious duet you are not likely to forget soon.

2. Aao chalein us paar sajani by Sheela and Rajkumari from Pattharon Ka Saudagar (1944), lyrics Sudarshan, Music Mir Saheb

We all know Rajkumari. Sheela became famous for her song in Minerva Movietone’s Pukar (1939), Tum bin hamri kaun khabar le Govardhan Girdhari, also composed by Mir Saheb. Here they sing a nice duet.

4. Aao more pyare sanwariya by Chitalkar and Hamida Bano from Bahadur (1944), lyrics Ehsan Rizvi, music Ram Chitalkar (C Ramchandra)

This song bears uncanny similarity to Teri yaad aye sanwariya from Lal Haveli in the same year.

5. Dil le ke mukar na jana by Surendra and Noorjehan from Lal Haveli (1944), lyrics Shams Lakhanavi, music Mir Saheb

Lal Haveli had three excellent duets. Two I am including in the list of the best ten, this one also deserves special mention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQrZRDoTWfo

6. Zara bolo kya logi is dil ka kiraya by Mukesh and Kusum from Us Paar (1944), lyrics Pt. Madhur, music Firoz Nizami

If you recall the overview post, this song is of historical importance. We all know that Mukesh debuted as actor-singer with Dil hi bujha hua hai to in Nirdosh (1941). But his debut as a ‘playback’ singer, which was thought to be in the film Pahli Nazar (1945), has to be advanced by a year with the discovery of this song, courtesy Sudhir Kapur who wrote a post on it on Atul Song A Day.

Now here is the list of the Best Ten duets.

Best Duets

1-3. Saawan ke baadlo, unse ye ja kaho; taqdeer mein yahi tha saajan mere na ro by Karan Dewan and Zohrabai Ambalewali from Rattan (1944), lyrics DN Madhok, music Naushad

There are years when it is impossible to choose one best song. There are two or three which have received iconic status. I find 1945 was one such year when I chose three duets as joint winners. It goes to the credit of Naushad that he catapulted Zohrabai Ambalewali to great heights as the lead female singer. He also made the hero Karan Dewan, who was not known to be a great singer, achieve everlasting fame for this duet in the Barahmasa tradition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajG3_kOfBfU

1-3. Kya humne bigada hai kyun humko sataate ho by KL Saigal and Amirbai Karnataki from Bhanwra (1944), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Khemchand Prakash

If you get over the dazzle of Naushad in Rattan, his mentor and elder, Khemchand Prakash was one of the stalwarts of the vintage era. He gave great music in Bhanwra, as he did in many others in the 1940s. He was a Titan even before Mahal’s Ayega aanewala (1944). If the singers are KL Saigal and Amirbai Karnataki, the song has to be top of the tops.

1-3. O jaanewale balamwa laut ke laut ke aa by Shyamkumar and Amirbai Karnataki from Rattan (1944), lyrics DN Madhok, music Naushad

The third duet that makes the joint top is again Naushad’s O jaanewaale balamwa laut ke aa lautt ke aa from Rattan (1944). This got renewed fame by clever referencing by the crazy Panchratna Natak Mandali in the film Padosan (1968). This duet evoked dozens of research across the globe to finally identify the female and male dancer in this song. But before this, let me carry forward the mission of Arunji that the singer Shyamkumar is different from the famous short-lived star of those days Shyam. The confusion gets compounded in some films, such as Dillagi (1949) in which the hero Shyam’s songs were sung by the playback singer Shyamkumar who also happened to be the villain in the film.

Now the big discovery, the female dancer was cracked soon – she is Azurie, the earliest great dancer in the tradition of Azurie-Cuckoo-Helen. The identification of the male dancer took some more time and trial and errors; he is Krishna Kumar (Tony) who was the choreographer of Awara (1951), but died before the film was completed (said to have been murdered), and his work was carried forward by his brother Surya Kumar (Robert). Surya Kumar choreographed a number of early songs of Cuckoo and Helen and trained several dancers in films. It is worthwhile to read the story of the identification of Krishna Kumar as the male dancer in O jaanewale balamwa. Richard has also posted some excellent dance songs of Krishna Kumar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUAYL3TSSSU

4. Bhiksha de de maiya Pingala jogi khada hai dwar by Surendra and Amirbai Karnataki from Bhartrihari (1944), lyrics Pt. Indra, music Khemchand Prakash

Bhartrihari legend is one of transformation from passion to renunciation. The King Bhartrihari realises the futility of the worldly pleasures and becomes the sage Bhartrihari when he sings this song of asking for alms from Pingala who used to be his wife.

5. Kuchh hansi hai subah-o-sham kuch ghami hai subah-o-sham by Jagmohan Sursagar, Anima Dasgupta and Munir Alam from Subah Sham (1944), music Subal Dasgupta

This wonderful duet is not in my list of Memorable Songs, but it was posted by Arunkumar Deshmukh. ‘I fell instantly in love with it’ would be an understatement. Subal Dasgupta is an unknown name except for those knowledgeable about non-film songs. He is credited with Talat Mahmood’s first non-film song (NFS), Sab din ek saman nahin tha. His more famous elder brother, Kamal Dasgupta has given music for many films, and he is an essential part of many iconic NFS of Talat Mahmood and Jagmohan, along with the lyricist Faiyyaz Hashmi. I find the male voice uncannily similar to Hemant Kumar, but Arunji is very sure that it is Jagmohan. Experts may give their views, but there is no doubt that the duet is absolutely superb, and deserves to figure in the final list of the best ten.

6. Mohe le chal balam mele mein by Vatsala Kumthekar and Mir Sahib from Lal Haveli (1944), lyrics Munshi Shams Lakhanavi, music Mir Saheb

This is a beautiful dance duet song picturised in a village fair scene. In the audience you can identify Baby Meena (Meena Kumari) playing the role of the child Noorjehan who will grow up into Noorjehan, with a young boy in the village fair, who will grow into Surendra. HFGK does not identify the singers, but the singers are mentioned in this video clip. Arunji, writing about this song, on ASAD mentions that Vatsala was once highly coveted in the industry for her good looks and voice, but fate was cruel to her with bad marriage, failing career, and finally ending in penury and sad death on road. Before anyone from the film world could know, she was cremated by the Municipal Corporation as an unclaimed body. What makes the song superb is the memorable dance, especially of the male dancer. Now I feel he is the same Krishna Kumar, who was there in O jaanewale balamwa. (PS. As for the female dancer, Tom Daniel confirms in this video that she is Vatsala Kumthekar. We can take Tom as an authority.)

7. Humein bhool mat jaiyo rajaji by Aziz and Zohrabai Ambalewali from Shahenshah Babar (1944), lyrics Pt. Indra, music Khemchand Prakash

From a deeply poignant philosophical Bhiksha de de maiya to a fun-filled folk duet, Khemchand Prakash shows his immense range. The lyrics are equally lovely, in which the lady gives a check-list of places her Rajaji has to avoid, as all these entail getting ensnared by bewitching females. He meekly accepts all conditionalities, including that to remain thirsty because the paniharin has toxic gait.

Ulajh mat jaiyo, haay ulajh mat jaiyo raja ji
Humein bhoool mat jaiyo raja ji

O rani ji jana pade hai videsh
Sandesha deti rahiyo, O sandesha deti rahiyo rani ji
Humein bhool mat jaiyo raja ji

Purab mat jaiyo O more raja
Maalan ke teekhe teekhe nain
Ghayal ban jaiyo, ghayal ban jaiyo raja ji
Humein bhool mat jaiyo raja ji

Dil to rahega paas tumhare
Naadan hai kuch mat kahiyo
O rani ji naadan hai kuch mat kahiyo
Sandesha deti rahiyo, o sandesha deti rahiyo rani ji

8. Aaja kahin door chalein by Shyamkumar and Zohra Ambalewali from Pahle Aap (1944), lyrics DN Madhok, music Naushad

Rattan became famous because it became famous. But Pahle Aap had some equally great songs by Naushad. I put Aaja kahin door chale in the category of the best he composed in the vintage era.

9. Mohaniya sundar mukhada khol by Surendra and Noorjehan from Lal haveli (1944), lyrics Shams Lakhanavi, music Mir Saheb

The childhood lovers, now grown-up, manage to steal some romantic moments against their family opposition. Lal Haveli, with the leading actor-singers of the time, Surendra and Noorjehan had some well-remembered songs.

10. Madhur suron mein gaaye chaandni by Alla Rakha IAR Qureshi) and Rajkumari from Ma Baap (1944), lyrics Roopbani, music AR Qureshi

In my special songs in the overview post, there were several duets including this one. Normally when I include a song in the ‘special’ category, I presume it would not figure in the main list. But it is so sweet and melodious that I am repeating it here as the last song in the list of the best ten. Venkataramanji was so impressed by this song that he placed it at number 4. After the first three, on which there is not much difference of views, the rank of the remaining songs is a matter of personal choice. Suffice it to say that I am very enamoured of this song.

And the Award for the Best Duet of 1944 goes jointly to:
1. Saawan ke baadlo unse ye ja kaho
2. Kya humne bigada hai kyun humko sataare ho, and
3. O jaanewale balamwa, laut ke aa laut ke aa

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog does not claim any copyright over them, which rests with the respective owners of the rights.