Commemorating the International Women’s Day with female duets
Men may not be from Mars nor women from Venus, but there is a fundamental difference in the way the two genders bond with each other. In semi-urban settings at a party, the two genders automatically segregate, each forming their own group. We generally ascribe it to patriarchy. But at a recent get-together for three days at a resort with colleagues, including women colleagues and their spouses, we were at a dinner hosted by a local friend. As the number of guests increased, there was a need for some to move into another room to decongest. We didn’t realise there was anything unusual when men moved into another room until, after some time, the ladies led by some feisty colleagues trooped into the room slamming the gender segregation. Patriarchy surely does not explain this.
The same thing happened at a small lunch get-together of male colleagues from another affiliation. Here most of the spouses were homemakers, but we share easy friendship with all, having had vacations together a number of times. But in the small dining room the genders imperceptibly segregated, women taking one side of the table. One of the ladies asked us pointedly, ‘why have you guys kept us out of your WhatsApp group’? Patriarchy fails to explain this either.
Our co-bloggers, Anu and Madhu, writing on female duets long ago, observed that no sooner do you put two women together in our films than they start singing and dancing. I had then thought that this was their amusing style of describing the phenomenon of female duets. But I came across an article by the eminent sociologist, Dipankar Gupta from JNU, titled “Scenes From A Cocktail Party” in which he observes that this spontaneous gender segregation happens even in modern India’s cocktail circuit.
Is this an Indian thing? Gupta answers himself that it happens everywhere even today, in Europe and America too. He proceeds to give a great insight. If you only focus on the “segregation”, patriarchy may seem an attractive explanation, but once you focus on their “conversation”, you realise there is something more fundamental going on. “Women form a convivial chat group of their own where they talk about little joys and trials…Men can spend the entire evening without once asking about the health and welfare of those around them. Contrarily, when women interact with other women, there is a richness of details and a strong bonding intent.” Next time you are at a party be aware of the difference between the female ‘rapport’ talk and male ‘report’ talk.
We saw this rapport on display on the beaming faces of women cricket players who won the Asian Gold Medal at Zhangzhou. They enjoyed playing in the team, they enjoyed being in each other’s company; there were no rumours of dressing room bickerings.
Female duets have attracted the attention of bloggers for their verve and variety. Besides Anu and Madhu, Anup has carpet-bombed female duets. To be sure, there are also male duets trying to show great male bonding, but they are much less in number – perhaps bonding is a female thing. A couple of years ago I wrote a specific type of women songs titled, Songs of women for the women by the women. These were our traditional folk songs of sanskars, rituals and daily chores. These were entirely women’s domain, and I made some observation on the co-existence of lok and shaastra in our traditional sanskars and rituals. I had also mentioned that someday I may get around to writing a post on ‘filmy’ duets. Hans Jakhar had sent me a big list.
Now I am more educated and realise that Madhu and Anu were telling some fundamental truth in a light-hearted manner that a sociologist would describe in an academic language. Let us commemorate International Women’s Day with our female duets which describe their unique bonding. The Mangeshkar sisters so dominated the music scene that the music directors often chose one of them in the duet as a reflex action. IWD is all about balancing the asymmetry; intra-asymmetry also needs balancing. Hence I am choosing female duets without any of the Mangeshkars.
1. Chori chori aayi gori milne piya, dhadke jiya O ji rasiya by Mubarak Begum and Sulochana Chonkar from Harihar Bhakti (1956), lyrics SP Kalla, music K Datta
An unknown song but extremely melodious. A good duet showing female bonding.
2. Ghunghat hataye ke nazrein milaye ke balma se kah dungi baat by Sudha Malhotra and Mubarak Begum from Rangeen Raatein (1956), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Roshan
Roshan does not disappoint even in never-heard songs. Rafi-Lata duet Bahut aasan hai chilman se lagkar muskura dena in the film was quite famous. But this female duet I had not heard before. It is a dance performance before villagers in the night. You can see three main dancers, but only two voices are covering them. Pure joy.
3. Albele sainya jhulna jhula ja re by Suraiya, Shamshad Begum & chorus from Maalik (1958), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, music Ghulam Mohammad
Ghulam Mohammad has created so many gems in his career that I can’t attribute it all to Naushad’s mentorship. This is an excellent female duet.
4. Kaune rang mungawa kawan rang motiya by Sudha Malhotra and Suman Kalyanpur from Heera Moti (1959), lyrics Prem Dhawan, music Roshan
This duet has long been my favourite, it has appeared earlier on the blog. You see women enjoying themselves while doing daily chores with this song. Roshan was a master of folk.
5. Phulwa band mahke dekho lahke daali daali by Geeta Dutt and Suman Kalyanpur from Hum Bhi Insan Hain (1959), lyrics Shailendra, music Hemant Kumar
6. Garjat barsat saawan aayo re, layo na humre bichhade balamua by Suman Kalyanpur and Kamal Barot from Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Roshan
Roshan shows a deep connection between folk and classical. An excellent credit-title song in Raag Gaud Malhar. He had earlier composed this song solo in the voice of Lata Mageshkar in the film Malhar (1951). The following link gives both the songs, first the later duet followed by the old solo.
7. Shehnai dwar pe baaji re by Suman Kalyanpur and Madhubala Chawla from Bhagwan Balaji (1961), lyrics Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, music P Nageshwar Rao
NT Rama Rao who later became the CM of Andhra Pradesh is the hero in this film. The song is about Balaji-Padmavati legend, but since there are two female singers there is joy and very nice female bonding.
8. Mohabat ka mara ghadi yun guzaare, kabhi is kinare kabhi us kinare by Suman Kalyanpur and Shamshad Begum from Jai Bhavani (1961), lyrics Gopal Singh ‘Nepali’, music S Mohinder
S Mohinder gave some great music in his career. This film has a superb Suman Kalyanpur solo – Jhoom ke piya ki gali, aaj main khushi se chali. This duet I heard for the first time and I enjoyed it a lot.
9. Dil gaya to gaya dilruba mil gaya by Suman Kalyanpur and Shamshad Begum from Shama (1961), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Ghulam Muhammad
This long duet in qawwali style is absolutely delightful. It has been my great favourite since long.
10. Kanha bhi kaale naina bhi kaale, kaale ko kaale se pyar ho gaya by Shamshad Begum and Suman Kalyanpur from Maya Jaal (1962), lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi, music SN Tripathi
Interesting explanation for the gopis’ love for Kanha, black eyes falling for dark-skinned Kanha.
11. Wafaon ka aalam mitne laga hai..Main to ho gayi re badnaam by Mubarak Begum and Kamal Barot from Sunehri Nagin (1963), lyrics Vedpal, music Kalyanji-Anandji
12. Na na na na na re, haath na lagana, tose baar baar kahun by Suman Kalyanpur and Minoo Purushottam from Taj Mahal (1963), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Roshan
I mentioned Roshan’s felicity with folk. Here is another gem, a joyous female duet as you can expect.
13. Mehfil mein aap aaye jaise ki chaand aya by Suman Kalyanpur and Mubarak Begum from Mohabbat Isko Kahte Hain (1965), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Khayyam
Courtesan pair song. Shashi Kapoor with a friend are the patrons.
14. More sainya gulabiya ke phool hamaaro rang kesariya by Suman Kalyanpur and Minoo Purushottam from Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal (1965), lyrics Niraj, music Roshan
Another great duet in joyous folk style by Roshan.
15. Neend ud jaaye teri chain se sonewale, ye dua maangate hain nain se ronewale by Krishna Bose, Mubarak Begum and Suman Kalyanpur from Juari (1968), lyrics Anand Bakshi, music Laxmikant Pyarelal
A rare song by three female singers, none of them a Mangeshkar sister. Picturised on Nanda, Tanuja and Naaz. You can take this song as an exception that proves the rule. There is no dance, and one of the women seems to be singing in a pensive mood.
16. Naache ang ve chhalke rang ve by Jagjit Kaur and Shamshad Begum from Heer Ranjha (1970), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Madan Mohan
Enjoy the original Punjabi wedding dance and song which has now become ubiquitous in Bollywood and, hence, in all of India.
I have curated the above female duets by excluding the Mangeshkar sisters to validate my point about female bonding. Generally these are about a joyous song and dance situation. Without this exclusion the song selection becomes very easy, you get dozens of superhit songs, but without them too, you have a large number of excellent duets. Are there any sad duets? There must be, but you would need to look with a microscope. Two or more females together form a convivial group.
Notes and Acknowledgements:
1. While at this, it deeply pains me when I see men from even upper middle class strata of society not being conscious of a woman’s sensitivities in their company. Whether unintentional or deliberate, men behaving in a mixed company in a manner that makes women uncomfortable is more common than we realise.
2. Gupta, Dipankar. “Scenes From A Cocktail Party.” The Times of India, 2 September 2023.
Disclaimer:
3. The song links have been given/embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog has no commercial interest, and makes no claims about the copyright which vests with the respective owners.
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful selection of songs, AK – some of my very favourites are here. And of course a few I will listen to aaraam se, since I don’t recall having heard them before.
Here is another one I love: Na main dhan chaahoon from Kaala Bazaar. Geeta Dutt and Sudha Malhotra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCJJevxQpfE
P.S. Thank you for saying this:
“Whether unintentional or deliberate, men behaving in a mixed company in a manner that makes women uncomfortable is more common than we realise.”
Madhu,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. The songs require listening because some of them are uncommon. I wanted to exclude the dominant sisters.
Na main dhan chaahun was on my radar screen, but I skipped it as it was a bhajan. I was looking for duets more fitting the theme. But thanks a lot for mentioning this everlasting song.
The last sentence – If I have felt it from the other side, women must have experienced it more strongly.
The topic selected of the female duets is a wonderful one and we could get a wide variety of songs. Perhaps , the next in this would be the three voices with one male and two female songs like the songs from PRINCE (Muqabla humse na karo) and PEHCHAN (Woh pari kahan se ). Coming back to female only duets as I said a wide variety of songs exist like :
Hamari kahan mano rajaji (DULHAN EK RAAT KI ) Asha Bhosle &Usha Mangeshkar ) Kya ho phir (NAV DO GYARAH ) Asha Bhosle & Geeta Dutt . Dulhania Bata de ( CHHOTI BANU ) Asha Bhosle & Usha Mangeshkar , Yeh ankhen jhuki jhuki si (KAB KYOON AUR KAHAN )
Asha Bhosle& Usha Khanna and so on it goes. Highly enjoyable blog.
KB,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. Yes, there are innumerable female duets if you don’t put any filter. I excluded songs having any Mangeshkar sister. I have explained my reasons too.
Very enjoyable post AKji. Loved it. Thank you for mentioning me.
How about these songs?
Dola re dola
https://youtu.be/lzdB7JBrF-c
And,
Pinga a pori pinga
https://youtu.be/tzRFLMn4kpM
And,
Your favourite, and mine too
Nigahon se dil ka
https://youtu.be/XVWAKXPdbUI
And,
One of my all time favourites
I don’t know but I love this song from Jaalsaaz by G S kohli
Suman Kalyanpur and Krishna kalle
Tujhe kiya o kitna Mana
https://youtu.be/71bbqJgiw2o
Anup
🙂
Anup,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. The first two songs belong to a period when the Mangeshkar sisters’ era was over. But they are excellent. Nigahon se dil ka is quite similar to Wafaon ka aalam mitne laga hai. Both my favourites.
AK ji
You have lucidly summed up women bonding and put icing on the cake by providing a feast of non Mangeshkar songs.
Your list is dominated by Suman Kalyanpur and Mubarak begum, two singers often cited as examples of intra-asymmetry .
At number 15 there is a song from Juari ( Composed by KA as per IMDB) rendered by three female non M singers. Here is another one
O Mamma, dear Mamma – Sajan Bina Suhagan – Indeevar- Usha Khanna- Aarti and Chandrani Mukherjee and Shivangi Kolhapure.
This is, perhaps, rarest of rare because
It’s composer is the only women composer of the golden era
And mother’s birthday is being celebrated by daughters.
https://youtu.be/aODy9F8NjfE?si=t1fPT2Lt48G9ztg3
Mr Muli,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. If you think of it there was also second degree of intra-asymmetry – intra-intra asymmetry? Kamal Barot and Krishna Kalle seemed to be consigned to duets.
O Mama, dear Mama is a very nice song. It ticks many boxes. Someone mentioned Mother’s Day. But that is on another day.
AK,
The scenario you describe was beautifully picturised in a recent movie Three of us.
I think, things have changed for the better in the later generation.
Liked your getting out of the box and excluding Mangeshkar sisters.
I was bowled over by the first song from Harihar Bhakti. Beautifully composed by K Datta, Mubarak Begum has sung sobeautifully nicely accompanied by Sulochana Chonkar.
Geeta Dutt and Meena Kapoor had true female bonding.
Mark the similarity in their singing, dificult to differntiate.
Aadhi Raat 1950 – Maine Baalam Se Puchha Miloge Kaha… Geeta Dutt, Meena Kapoor
https://youtu.be/Qo1Fc4ow2x8
Jalte Deep 1950 – Aayi Milne Ki Raat Karo Mithi Mithi Baat Tumhe Meri Kasam.Meena Kapoor,Geeta Dutt
https://youtu.be/xw_fHZK8AT8
Ja Ri Ladli – Meena Kapoor & Geeta Dutt (1952) (Non Film) Rare Song First Time On Youtube
https://youtu.be/_CwsyQAUEsw?si=bj4Hhlgf6BEempN-&t=26
Mumbaikar 8,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. I had missed ‘Three Of Us’. It is on my watchlist now. But the reviews of the movie show the theme is very different from patriarchy.
You are a known Geeta Dutt and Meena Kapoor fan. Their voices were quite similar an it was difficult to tell one from the other. Thanks for adding the three songs.
The songs from Harihar Bhakti also floored me on the first hearing. I was happy that I embarked on balancing the intra-asymmetry.
AK ji,
You got a really interesting topic for discussion.
This is what I expect on SOY.
There are so many good female duets in Hindi films that no wonder if there is a shower of such songs in coming few days.
Songs like ‘ Chup chupp khade ho ‘ by Lata and Premlata in film Badi Behan-1949 and Aplam Chaplam by Lata and Usha from film Aazad-1955 are some memorable duets by female jodis.
Thanks for a lovely opening for a feast now.
-AD
AK ji
In a comment above you have mentioned that you did not include na main dhan chahu as it is a bhajan. I can’t resist adding this devotional song as it is rendered by three leading voices of vintage era.
Bolo bolo re bhagwan – Sanam – Qumar Jalalabadi – Husnlal Bhagatram – Suraiya, Shamshad and Amirbai
And another from vintage era which is more in line with the theme
Udan khatole PE ud jaau – Anmol ghadi- Naushad – Tanveer Naqvi – Shamshad and Joharabai
AK ji
In a comment above you have mentioned that you did not include na main dhan chahu as it is a bhajan. I can’t resist adding this devotional song as it is rendered by three leading voices of vintage era.
Bolo bolo re bhagwan – Sanam – Qumar Jalalabadi – Husnlal Bhagatram – Suraiya, Shamshad and Amirbai
https://youtu.be/nBlGmlZzIL4?si=Hpf0inF121GcLsVF
And another from vintage era which is more in line with the theme
Udan khatole PE ud jaau – Anmol ghadi- Naushad – Tanveer Naqvi – Shamshad and Joharabai
https://youtu.be/NVgCt3cDHyk?si=vlrOBCp4ZwCDi1GC
AK ji,
I remember reading the same article of Dipankar Gupta that you refer to and wondering how true his inferences were! But I think it was published last year (i.e.2023 and not 2022).
Here are some of my thoughts on Women’s day as well as female bonding. Women’s day has turned out to be another occasion for encouraging retail therapy. This is another opportunity for brands to offer special/additional discounts and make more profit. It is as though that is what women actually care for. Personally, I do not take days dedicated to the woman/man/mother/father/daughter etc. very seriously.
I must recount what actually happened once on women’s day in my office. The women daily wagers went from one room to another asking for a special bakshish on the occasion of women’s day. When they came to me, I was actually saddened by this because it defeated the entire purpose of the day to be treated as an occasion to encourage and cherish empowerment of women. I did not enrich them monetarily and they were rather cross for that.
Coming to female bonding or bonding in general in parties, I must say that working women like me are caught in between. While the homemakers sit together and chat about issues that are of interest to them, beyond a point, it becomes difficult for working women, who have their hearts in the hearth no doubt but in the workplace too, to participate in the conversation. On the other hand, if you manage to eavesdrop (pun not intended), you hear office gossip being shared by male colleagues, which you feel you ought to know of.
Another major problem is of the teetotallers being saddled with the drinkers (social or otherwise). It is very amusing to see people drink at parties but with the glass covered with a tissue paper! I wonder why they do that!
Since women who drink are still less in number when compared to men (I hope I am not accused of hinting at gender inequality while I also sincerely hope that my assumption is correct), the segregation also takes place on this count.
Coming to the bonding and conversation, I would say that women are multitaskers managing various fronts – family, home, kitchen and workplace – and thus have more things to share unlike many men who still do not participate actively and equally in household chores and child rearing. Thus, all men perhaps tend to talk about is work. Men will just add towards the end of the conversation – बाकी सब ठीक है ? बाकी is an all encompassing term for home, kids, spouse, parents, school etc.
Women on the other hand will enquire about each other’s children, spouses, parents, developments on the work front, share recipes, shopping tips, praise each other’s wardrobe and so on..
This perhaps is the long and short of rapport vs report.
To add a song after a rather long comment – here is a duet of Geeta Dutt and Suraiya – the only duet they both sang – Preet Ka Naata Jodnewaale https://youtu.be/UJcl6KgbZgI
Also, AK ji if you could translate the lyrics sung from the line मुंदरी सोहे मँगवा in the second stanza, it would be great. Since you are from the Hindi heartland with a knowledge of the dialects, I am sure you understand the lyrics better.
This was a rather long comment.
Anita
Arunji,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. There are a very large number of female duets, especially if you allow Mangeshkar sisters. But even without them we have a large number very nice duets. The two duets you have added have become immortal.
Mr Muli,
Thanks a lot for adding the two songs. Of course, Udankhatole pe ud jaaun is well-known but the triad I heard for the first time.
Anita,
I must thank you for your very reflective comment on the theme. You have added two nuances to Dipankar Gupta’s very generalised comments. I am witness to it from the other side. One can appreciate that women colleagues would be equally interested in office talk. The non-working spouses in company with the women colleagues make an uncomfortable combination. Both sides make an uneasy adjustment to find a common ground.
Social drinking creates another situation of discomfort. Teetotaller men are perhaps a greater rarity than women taking drinks in todays social gathering. Both kinds find their own ways not to look the odd man out.
About your query मुंदरी सोहे मुंगवा means मूंगा looks nice on मुंदरी. The question arises what is ‘mundri’. I will refer to a very nice dance duet picturised on Mumtaz Ali and Mumtaz Shanti from the film Basant (1942),’O gori Mose Ganga ke paar milna’. In this song Mumtaz Ali sings Main to sone ki tohe pinhaun mundri. His action shows ‘mundri’ is a ring (an apbhransh of मुद्रिका).
Gori mose Ganga ke paar milna by Arun Kumar and Parul Ghosh from Basant (1942), lyrics PL Santoshi, music Pannalal Ghosh/Anil Biswas
So I would translate it as:
Where does the red stone shine best
The red stone shines best on the ring.
AK Ji,
Superb research( mainly selecting female duets without the ubiquitous Mangeshkar sisters!) and nice selection of songs on a rare theme. I heard some of the songs for the first time!
I do not thnink of any Hindi song to be addeed as many have mentioned in the comments. But if it is OK , I can add a link to a very nice Tamil song that is from the movie Bama Vijayam( it was made in Hindi also as Teen Bahuraniyan). The Hindi version of the same song was sung by the three Mangeshkar sisters: Lata , Asha & Usha- Humre Angan Bagiya, Bagiya Mein Do Panchhi, Panchhi Ud Na Jaye Dekho”
Music by Kalyanji -Anandji and lyrics by Anand Bakshi.
The Tamil version was composed by the legendary M S Vishwanathan, Lyrics by another great poet: Kannadasan , sung by P Susheela, L.R Eshwari & S Rajalakshmi; at the cost of maybe termed parochial, I would say the Tamil version is more brillaintly composed and rendered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DByDNB6SrmA
Sivanandamji,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation.
Hamre aangan bagiya: I recall its tune was identical to the Tamil song. The link you added sounds different to me.
Thank you AKji for another interesting post on female bonding and their duets, sans the Mangeshkars (!), commemorating IWD.
You have perfectly elucidated the basic difference in the way the two genders bond with each other. And, in general, it is the same everywhere.
It was a pressure listening to the songs posted. Most of the duets are less heard or not usually listened to. It gives a feel of freshness to the post. I am in total agreement with Mumbaikar’s appreciation of the song “Chori chori aayi gori milne piya” from Harihar Bhakti (1956). A fabulous song, hearing for the first time. Special thanks for inclusion of the songs “Kaune rang mungawa kawan rang motiya”, “Phulwa band mahke dekho lahke daali daali” and “Garjat barsat saawan aayo re”. Love both the duet as well as the solo version (an traditional bandish of Gwalior gharana) of the last mentioned song.
Venkataramanji,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation.
Thanks for mentioning that Garjat barsat saawan aayo re is a traditional bandish of Gwalior gharana.
AKji,
Posting two songs unfolding in two different situations.
In a water-scarce village in Rajasthan, where bathing is a luxury, women walk great distance to fetch water. While trudging miles through the hot desert, they sing together to get over the torrid condition and share their joy and sorrows.
Pital Kee Meri Gagari Dildi Se Mol Mangai Re by Minoo Purushottam, Parveen Sultana and chorus, film Do Boond Pani (1972), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Jaidev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_9MKYZye8
A different situation.
A widowed women avenges the murder of her husband and breaks into the male bastion of politics and crime in a remote village in Gujarat. She along with her mates is seen rejoicing over their victory.
Raja Kee Kahanee Puranee Ho Gayee by Usha Uthup, Rekha Bharadwaj , Kavita Krishnamoorthy & chorus, film Godmother (1999), lyrics Javed Akhtar, music Vishal Bhardwaj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFBHpr8z9s4
AK Ji -ref #18.. the tune of the Hindi version is entirely different. The link i sent is the exact equivalent song in the Tamil movie. I think the female actors are also same in both versions. This is the Hindi song…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj7ZFcNMdJ4
Mumbaikar @ 9,
You have mentioned the film “Three of us” In your comment. I had the opportunity to see it a couple of months back. As AKji has mentioned it is not exactly on patriarchy, but definitely wr get a glimpse of natural female bonding. A must watch film.
I fully ebdorse your appreciation of the song from Harihar Bhakti. A fabulous duet.
I think you failed to notice, AKji could not resist the tempatation to sneak in a Lata solo.
Venkataramanji @21,
Thanks a lot for the two songs you have added. The second song is not only of a different situation, but a completely contrasting situation. In Pital ki mori gaagri the women are consigned to their gender roles. I have not seen the film, therefore, I don’t know whether they got redemption. In this context I strongly recommend the Gujarati film Hellaro, which won the National Award for the best film a couple of years back. It was available free on MX Player in different languages and subtitles. The women were consigned to fetching water and a similar gender role. But they break free in the end in a collective dance and song. Around the same time the Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen on a similar theme was making waves. Its treatment is very different. My favourite is Hellaro.
In Raja ki kahani purani ho gayi/ Seedhi sadi rani sayani ho gayi, the women have broken free in gay abandon. There is a joy of breaking the male citadel.
@23,
Why provoke a sleeping lioness? The cause is not enough.
Sivanandamji,
Thanks a lot for the clarification. I might be mixing up. Many remakes have recreated songs in the same tunes.
AK ji @ 16
Thanks a lot for the translation!
I think the song I added got lost in the long comment. I am posting it here again.
here is a duet of Geeta Dutt and Suraiya – the only duet they both sang – Preet Ka Naata Jodnewaale
https://youtu.be/UJcl6KgbZgI
Hello, AK, glad to be back on your blog after a long absence. (Well, I have been absent from mine as well until earlier this month.) Thank you for the shout out. Kudos on making a list without a single Lata/Asha song. Let me add a few of my favourites:
Suraiya and Shamshad in Malik
Albela saiyyan jhoolna jhulna re
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yzvYOWfjw
The same duo in Sanam
Dil le gaya ji
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOtQExLLRd0
Geeta Dutt and Mubarak Begum in Haar Jeet
Bechain hai betaab hai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOdJKoFMsNQ
Geeta and Sudha Malhotra in a film called Fashionable Wife
Sadak pyaar ki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-IwASvoQJ4
Geeta and Suman Kalyanpur in a lovely duet from Chandi ki Deewar
Mohe laa de chunariya lal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdZaaYE9kNg&t=2s
And if you haven’t heard this before: Geeta Dutt and Nutan from Chhabili
Yaaron kisi se na kehna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0VDwp8hWMU
Shamshad with Zohrabai Ambalewali in Shama
Gori chali piya ke desh
I have written pretty extensively on what I call the ‘Great Divide’, even here in the US where one would think that men and women were (should be?) on a more equal footing.
I love my female friends and have a great time alone with them, but I still detest the gender segregation that takes place in most Indian social settings here.
Anu,
Welcome to SOY and to blogosphere in general. I hope you have overcome all the niggles, and now are here for the long haul. In the US automatic segregation is less pronounced than what it is in India.
Your first song has long been my great favourite. I wondered if I had missed it. It is there at #3. The second song too is outstanding and is my favourite. Except the last song, Gori chali piya ke desh, all other songs were new to me.
Wonderful, AK ji. Exclusion of the Mangeshkar sisters narrows the field, but gives us an opportunity to get to know some less heard/ hardly heard songs.
A female composer gets 4 females to sing in
Ae Sapnon ke Raja…
NATEEJA, 1969.
Shamshad Begum, Usha Khanna, Usha Timothy, Kamal Barot.
Of the 4 femme fatales gyrating to the song, one is Junior Mehmood in drag.
A few favourites:
Ek batta do, do batte chaar..
KALICHARAN.
Hemlata, Anuradha Paudwal.
Chal chal kahin akele mein..
SALAKHEN.
Sulakshana Pandit, Hemlata.
I have a dozen more. Will be back when I get some free time.
Dr Shetty,
Welcome back after a long hiatus! Thanks a lot for your appreciation. The selection would have been a trite exercise if one allowed a Mangeshkar sister. You have given a good number of songs with unique features to look up.
AKji,
A very well-written post on female bonding. Enjoyed reading it.
Anitaji’s comment was interesting.
Talking of gender segregation, from my experience and observation, I would say that in corporate circles and also in medical fraternity, the divide is often less obvious and there is more togetherness. Female social drinking is steadily increasing especially in younger age group and at the same time, male teetotalers are also visible.
Recollecting female duets sans the Mangeshkar sisters is a stimulating exercise.
So, posting couple of duets by the Hemmadi sisters (Suman Kalyanpur and Shyama Chittar)
Dooj ka Chand 1964
Roshan – Sahir
Jhankti hai meri ankhon se qaza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFpRXKmDGAg
Deedar 1970
Usha Khanna – Verma Malik
Aye ghata baras ja aye pawan jhoom ja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C9I61RwNb4
Duet by Sharda and Mubarak Begum
Around The World 1967
SJ – Shailendra – Shailendra
Ye munh aur masoor ki daal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOu5GVt0OE
Dr Deshpande,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. Gender segregation seems to be a generational thing and has a lot to do with social status, though Dipankar Gupta has tried to make some universal observations. Within that there would be variations as you and Anita have mentioned.
Among the songs you have mentioned, Jhankti hai meri aankhon se qaza by the Suman-Shyama Hemadi sisters is outstanding. I have heard Shyama in passing, now I would look for her songs – but she has hardly sung a few songs. I never liked Sharda though she was promoted to death. I have not seen “Around The World“. Now I am not so excited, firstly its print in circulation is quite bad, and the novelty of foreign travel has worn off.
AKji
You really come up with the most appropriate posts to suit the occasion. This post is an outstanding example of your narrative skills and the way it grips the attention of the blog followers. I consider this post as one of the classics from your fertile brain as it has induced even long dormant followers to wake up and comment. You must have done a fair amount of digging to ferret out songs by women pairs other than the top rated Mangeshkar sisters, Geeta Dutt etc.
Mr Rangan,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. I did enjoy writing this post and searching the songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urbluMjrKIA
Julie (1975) Bhajan
Usha Mangeshkar + Asha Bhosale
I do not know whether this is mentioned above https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyelYEaDNQY
This one has Lata Mangeshkar but the Earlier Tamil version and the Telugu version do not have her https://youtu.be/dlW26qnTRkM?si=vckirPNOx6ftdqzl
Gaddeswarupji,
I was not familiar with the song. It seems the readers have also not added it. Thanks for adding anew song. You are coming after a long time. Hope everything is all right and you are engaged with mathematics.
AKJi, I do browse the blog off and on but I am not able to put in the effort due to my age and lack of knowledge of Hindi. I think that Peter Burra said in his introduction to ‘A passage to India’ that some closing of the gates is inevitable after the age of 28. I am much older than that nearing 83 now. I do some mathematics still but more involved in selling the house in what they call ‘downgrading’. It is too big for us now and we are trying to sell our house to move to a smaller house.