Hemant Kumar’s solo songs under ‘other’ batons

Guest article by Ashok M Vaishnav in the series of Centenary Celebrations of Hemant Kumar (16 June 1920-26 September 1989)

(SOY has launched a befitting Centenary Celebration of the much loved music and film personality Hemant Kumar, starting with N Venkataraman’s foundational article Hemantayan Part 1 on his Birth Centenary, 16 June 2020, which covered his life and career up to 1960. Venkataramanji anchored the post-1960 till the end part of his career with Hemantayan Part 2, published on his 31st Remembrance Day, 26 September 2020. In tandem with that, Ashok M Vaishnav took a closer look at Hemant Kumar’s career as music director with three articles covering his female playback singers, male playback singers and duets.

In the course of his exploration Ashokji felt that with this series, Hemant Kumar’s songs as a singer need a detailed separate post. His songs under his own baton are quite well-known. His songs under the baton of S D Burman and Ravi have been covered earlier in the series on these music directors. Ashokji never chooses the easy path. He expressed a desire to write another article on his songs under the baton of other music directors. I am happy to present it in this calendar year to round off the grand Centenary celebrations of Hemant Kumar. Thank you Ashokji. – AK)

Every major article written on Hemant Kumar, invariably runs into a debate of his being more a complete music director or a singer. The discussion invariably moves to the question – whether he sang better under his own music direction or under the direction of ‘other’ music directors. As can be expected, most of such discussions end with the participants divided equally on either side. However, one view which emerges more often than not is that what he lacked in the range as a singer, he was able to more than compensate that by creating songs that other singers could do justice to. Moreover, it is also very commonly agreed that even when he had had some of the most outstanding songs under ‘other’ batons, use of his range as a singer was utilised in a very narrow band by other music directors.

As I commence the present article with these sentences, I fully realize that my own competence is nowhere capable enough to make such a judgement. So, what I write here is what I recollect from what I have read elsewhere, in other articles, under varying contexts, over all these years.

India is a country of a wide range of geographical, social, cultural and linguistic diversity. The cumulative impact of these ‘environmental’ parameters is very easily evident in the physiology of people of different regions, and of course on clothing, eating habits and other social customs and beliefs, including, of course, on the diction of the spoken language. We normally judge the origin of the person with who we interact with, by viewing his/her physiognomy and listening to the diction of the spoken language, even though both the parties would be conversing in a third, or a commonly known, language like English or Hindi.

In that type of branding, Hemant Kumar’s voice was THE Bengali voice. In the language of musicology, if his voice had a baritone scale, to our ears it was soothingly gentle, profoundly resonating and thought-provokingly grave. His voice would kindle very intense emotions in the mind of the listener. However, having kindled such intense emotions, his voice also acted like balm that smoothed the frayed nerves. It was perhaps this intrinsic ‘Bengali’ nature of the tonal chord that led the leading Bengali music directors of Hindi cinema, Anil Biswas, S D Burman, or Salil Chowdhury, to consider Mohammad Rafi, otherwise a very versatile and adaptive singer, a bit too ‘loud’ – a typical ‘Punjabi’ tone – for their comfort. (Note: In my opinion S D Burman cannot be clubbed in this group. Rafi was his mainstay in many films, he was his singer of choice for many exceptional songs of all ranges and all genres. – AK)

Shakeela, a leading lady of mid ’50s to ‘60s, in one of the conversations described Hemant Kumar’s voice as one that creates the serenity that the leisurely flowing waters of river Ganga create in the evenings, when the Sun sinks down in her waters. His knowledgeable Urdu cotemporaries would classify his voice as ‘Nida-e-maztoob’ (the sound of resonating humming).

Hemant Kumar’s pronunciation of Hindi or Urdu words was considered grammatically fairly correct, even though his diction may not have that natural flavour of delivery that one associates with the natives of those languages. That may have inhibited his being presented as a ‘common man’s singer’ in the Hindi cinema. As a result, even as S D Burman preferred him as Dev Anand’s playback voice, he had to fall back upon Rafi for many of the Dev Anand songs in the same films. As this comparison with Mohammad Rafi has cropped up, it should be opportune to note that Hemant Kumar’s ‘mike-sense’ was considered as good as that of Mohammad Rafi. I will take this opportunity to remind myself that the ‘mike-sense’ is the judgement required to maintain distance from the microphone so as to create the right tonal effect on the final outcome of the recorded sound. The sound recording engineering states that a slight distance from the mike makes the voice sound heavy, and from a close distance, the echo gets subdued.

I will end this prologue with a few mundane issues.

As compared to singing around 90 songs in his own music direction, Hemant Kumar has rendered around 199 songs under ‘other’ music directors during his active career in Hindi Films. His duets-to-solos ratio is almost 50:50 under ‘other’ music directors.

Hemant Kumar’s duets, with Lata Mangeshkar and with ‘other singers’, have already been well discussed on SOY. Therefore, this post has focussed on Hemant Kumar’s solo songs under ‘other’ music directors. While presenting the song in the chronological order of year of release of the film, I have restricted only one solo song for each music director. When Hemant Kumar has more songs under any music director, I have consciously bent my selection in favour of less familiar song that can also help in presenting as wide variety of genres as possible. I have also dropped some music directors from my raw collection of the songs, to avoid over-presentation of any one genre. I have not included here Hemant Kumar’s solo songs composed by S D Burman and by Ravi, since these too have been covered well earlier on SOY. And lastly, I have not gone beyond the year 1972, even though there are a couple of solo songs thereafter too, because, in my personal view, these songs are so unbecoming of Hemant Kumar songs that we cherish.

I present herewith my choice of Hemant Kumar’s solo songs under ‘other’ music directors, in the chorological order of year of release of the respective film.

1. Hum to hain kathpule kaath ke…..hum to hai khel khilone, khelo jee bhar ke raam – Shikast (1953) – Music: Shankar Jaikishan – Lyrics: Shailendra

Hemant Kumar was typecast for Sadhu songs or background songs in Hindi films. Of course, this is the only song that Shankar Jaikishan have composed as a Sadhu song, in Hemant Kumar’s voice. The other solo that they recorded in Hemant Kumar’s voice – Rulakar chal diye ek din (Badshah, 1954) – and a duet each for Patita (1953) and for Badshah have been filmed on the lead actors belong to classic ‘romantic’ genre.

2 Ae dil tu kahin le chal – Shole (1953) – Music: Naresh Bhattacharya – Lyrics: Kamil Rashid

The song has very distinct Bengali music touch.

The song has had a twin version wherein after the initial start by Hemant Kumar for Ashok Kumar on the screen, Shamshad Begum takes over on behalf of Bina Rai on screen.

3 Aaya toofan….kaise koi iiye zehar hai zindagi – Baadbaan (1954) – Music:  Timir Baran/S K Pal – Lyrics: Indeevar

To the extent that this, and its twin song in Geeta Dutt’s voice, remain very well-known songs, the song is an exception to self-imposed rule of selecting less known songs for the present article.

4. Jhoom jhoom Manmohan re murli madhur suna ja – Biraj Bahu (1954) – Music: Salil Chowdhury – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

Salil Chowdhury has used Hemant Kumar very selectively. However all the duets that he has composed with Hemant Kumar and Kaubuliwala (1961)’s solo Bhatiyali folk style-based Ganga aye kahan se have been enshrined into roll of the all-time golden songs.

Salil Chowdhury has selected Hemant Kumar’s voice for Abhi Bhattacharya, the lead actor – there is another Baul folk music based bhajan – Mera man bhoola bhoola kahe dole – in this film and, interestingly, has given a Sadhu song to Mohammad Rafi.

5. Chandan ka palna resham ki dori, jhoola julaun neendiya ko tori – Shabab (1954) – Music: Naushad – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Having heard the solo version in the film when I had seen this film first time, when I purchased the LP record (Odeon ‎– MOCE 4181), I was surprised to find that the song was not included on the record. In fact, the song has three more versions in the film. In one version, we get to listen one line as Bharat Bhushan teaches the song to his ‘alms-seeking’ ‘pupils’ who earn their livelihoods from singing his songs. The second version is a duet with Lata Mangeshkar, which we have been listening to on the records, begins as chorus and then turns into a duet of father and son duo of alms-seeker. The third version has been used, in a very slow-paced rhythm, to end the film.

Hemant Kumar solo, that begins with a saakhi (the couplet):

Sangeet hai shakti ishwar ki, har sur mein base hain Ram
Raagi jo sunaaye raag madhur, rogi ko mile aaraam

is simply so divine rendition that it should be able to cure the insomnia in the real life too.

The following clip has all four versions

6. Main gareebon ka dil hoon, watan ki zabaan – Aab-e-Hayat (1955) – Music: Sardar Malik – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri

Aab-e-Hayat (the fountain of life, elixir) was a film based on Arabian mythical story of a do-gooder a la Robinhood style. We have here a rare Sardar Mallik- Hasrat Jaipuri- Hemant Kumar combination, that was immensely popular in its heydays, and sounds very charming even today.

If I recollect correctly, this must be the only instance when Hemant Kumar has not been able to clearly pronounce a Persian phrase ‘machalati sabaaN (the flowing breeze of early morning air)’ and to many sounds like ‘watan ki jabaaN’. Normally, his diction of Urdu words used to be grammatically correct enough. (Note: Ashokiji had written the second part of the mukhada as ‘machalti sabaaN’ consistent with his write up. But I am not convinced with his reasoning. I have heard it as ‘watan ki zabaan’ for ages. After Ashokji’s write-up I heard the song repeatedly and it sounds the same to me. No lyrics site mentions ‘machalti sabaaN’. To me, ‘watan ki zabaan’ fits better with the song, “I am the heart of the poor and the Nation’s voice”. And lastly ‘saba’ does not have a nasal sound which is very prominent in the song – AK)

7. Ye baharon ka sama, chand taaron ka sama, kho na jaye aa bhi ja – Milaap (1955) – Music: N Dutta – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhyanvi

N Dutta has used Hemant Kumar as Dev Anand’s playback, perhaps, in continuation of the track that his erstwhile senior S D Burman had set up.

The song has a Geeta Dutt–Hemant Kumar duet version too. The clip here has both versions.

8. Le le dard paraya, kar de door gham ka saaya, teri khushi tujhe mil jayegi – Chhote Babu (1957) – Music: Madan Mohan – Lyrics: Chandrasekhar Pandey

A fakir (or a Sadhu or even a street-singer) singing a song that is reflecting the feelings, or gives a useful message to the ruffled feelings, of the principal protagonists had been a popular genre in Hindi films.

Presently, Madan Mohan turns up a signature Hemant Kumar song to a telling effect.

9. Kah rahi hai zindagi ji sake to ji – Jalti Nishani (1957) – Music: Anil Biswas – Lyrics: – Qamar Jalalabadi

The song has an unmistakeable Anil Biswas stamp. There is an interesting story which states that the song was originally recorded without the present chorus accompaniment as obbligato support. No wonder, Anil Biswas thought it prudent to add the chorus effect, as an after-thought! The chorus, as the counter-melody support, has yielded that ethereal feeling to the song!

10. Din raat badalte hain, haalat badalate hain – Naya Sansar (1959) – Music: Chitragupta – Lyrics: Rajendra Krishna

One may not know whether the essential nature of the composition was the cause for selection of Hemant Kumar as the singer or because Hemant Kumar was chosen, the songs has been set to his style of singing. The fact remains that even as the music director and the singer have their unique styles in this song, the outcome is a complete synthesis of the two melodious styles.

11. Kahta hai pyar mera o mere laadle – Santaan (1959) – Music: Dattaram – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri

This is also a twin version song. Lata Mangeshkar version is played in the background of very tragic situation on the screen. Hemant Kumar version then is a song of happy mood, with underlying shadow of those tragic circumstances. The deep voice of Hemant Kumar seems to be an ideal fit for bringing in such complex emotions into the song.

The video clip here has both the versions.

12. Laharon pe lahar, ulfat hai jawan, raaton ki sahar, chali aao yahaan – Chhabili (1960) – Music: Snehal Bhatkar – Lyrics: S R Ratan

This song is so much discussed that I do not need to say anything more about it.

Aside Trivia: The song is inspired from Dean Martin’s 1957 song The man who plays Mandolino, which in turn is inspired by Aurelio Fierro’s 1956 rendition of Giuseppe Fanciull composition Guaglione.

13. Eetal ke ghal ke teetal, bahar achha ke bhital – Bahurani (1962) – Music: C Ramchandra – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhyanvi

Hemant Kumar and C Ramchandra’s singer-music director relationship dates to Anarkali (1953).

Presently, C Ramchandra has innovatively used Hemant Kumar’s voice for a child-like song, filmed on a physically grown but (with deliberately villainous design) mentally retarded Guru Dutt.

14. Jagat bhar ki roshni ke liye….suraj re jalte rahna – Harishchanra Taramati (1963) – Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal – Lyrics: Pradeep

During their initial few films, every call Laxmikant Pyarelal took with a song was a trump, even if the film was mythological or a B-grade thriller. And they could never have had a better ace than Hemant Kumar for such a song. The song first comes up as a credit title song and later on when the King Harishcnadra, with his family, is bidding farewell to his populace, as he leaves all his belongings behind.

The following video clip has both versions.

15. Raahi tu mat ruk jaana… toofan se mat ghabrana – Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964) – Music: Kishore Kumar – Lyrics: Shailendra

Kishore Kumar and Hemant Kumar have now switched the roles. Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein was a dream project for Kishore Kumar. No wonder, he would have opted for Hemant Kumar to render this credit titles-cum-theme song, so passionately penned by Shailendra.

16. Tumhein jo bhi dekh lega, kisi ka na ho sakaega – Majboor (1964) – Music: Kalyanji-Anandji – Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Kalayanji (Virji Shah) when he stepped in as the independent music director in the Hindi Films, paid his respects to Hemant Kumar by composing a duet – Neend na mujhko aye (Post Box 999, 1959) that suited Hemant Kumar’s style of singing. They even dared to experiment Hemant Kumar’s voice for playback to Shammi Kapoor – Ae dil ab kahin na ja (Bluff Master, 1963). But it sems that they got a heavenly opportunity to immortalize their respect for Hemant Kumar here, when they got to compose a solo for Biswajeet on the screen. They have created a song that possibly Hemant Kumar himself would have created similarly. The challenge could not have been more demanding, for Hemant Kumar himself had composed extremely popular, and well-acclaimed, songs in Bees Saal Baad (1962) and Kohra (1964) as playback to Biswajeet.

Aside Trivia: Interestingly, Laxmikant Pyarelal who were assistants to Kalayanji-Anandji in Majboor (1964), went on to compose music for ‘another’ Majboor (1974).

16. Tera hai jahan sara, apna magar koi nahin – Uski Kahani (1966) – Music: Kanu Roy – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi

Here is a song that seems to have been composed with Hemant Kumar as the singer – the song being composed in a Bhatiali (boatman’s) folk style.

17. Jo diya tha tumne ek din mujhe phir woh pyar de do – Sambandh (1969) – with Mahendra Kapoor – Music: O P Nayyar – Lyrics: Pradeep

Sambandh (1969) is one film wherein O P Nayyar has used Hemant Kumar only once in his career, even if we discount the fact that the songs are filmed on Pradeep Kumar. There is full-sized solo song, Apni maata ke dulare, tujhpe main kurban pyare bachche which follows Mahendra Kapoor solo – Mere paas aaj hai na kuchh logo, to bas aankh mein aansoo laya hun – in the first part, in the climax of the film. There quite a few more clips that are recoded in the film (Chirogan ka laga; Kitna payara tha and Sarva mangal mangal) in the voice of Hemant Kumar. However, the present male-male duet remains one of the most remembered songs in the portfolio of Mahendra Kapoor, Hemant Kumar, and of course, O P Nayyar.

18. Hum chaahein ya na chaahein, hamraahi bana letin hain hum ko jeevan ke raahein – Phir Bhi (1972) – Music: Raghunath Seth – Lyrics: Pt. Narendra Sharma

The song is about the journey of life that is hardly under our control. Howsoever we may try to shape our own destiny, the life has its own uncanny ways to guide its course on the track of its own choice, and making. And whether we like it or not, realise it or not, our life travels this path, and meets our predestined destination.

Incidentally, this could not have been more prophetic to the career of Hemant Kumar as well.

Beginning with Hemanyan Part I, SOY has charted this course to track Hemant Kumar’s career to commemorate his birth centenary. At the end, for the time being, of this journey, we too end up wondering, like Kaifi Azmi does:

घुल-सा जाता है सुरूर फ़िज़ा में
तेरी आवाज को सुनूं या तेरी मौसीक़ी को सराहूं ?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
1. I have taken Kaifi Azmi’s couplet and some other information from Sumit Paul’s article titled Hemant Kumar: Singer with a perfect baritone  published in the Indian Express.

2. The song videos have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog does not claim any copyright over these songs which vests in the respective owners, such as Saregama India Limited and others.