Hemant Kumar’s Non-film Songs

Concluding the series of centenary tributes to Hemant Kumar (16 June 1920-26 September 1989) with his non-film songs

My introduction to the last post by Ashok M Vaishnav on Hemant Kumar’s solo songs under the baton of other music directors conveyed that that rounded off his centenary celebrations. But it rankled me that his centenary celebrations would be incomplete without a post on his non-film songs. Fortuitously, a slot made itself available in the calendar year, enabling me to fulfil my desire and round off the centenary celebrations with my favourite non-film songs (NFS) of Hemant Kumar.

If I have to describe Hemant Kumar’s NFS I can do no better than borrow the words of our engineer-poet K S Bhatia, “There is no place on the earth where one can find silence! Expecting silence in deep woods and forest is also thin ….as it carries the gentle melodies of chirping of birds, chattering of cricket and buzzing of bees. Of all, butterflies are the ones that makes no sound. Sweet solitude is all that they make. Hemant Kumar’s soft charming voice is a combination of all these sounds.” He said it in the context of his film songs. I relate it equally to his NFS.

The films songs and NFS were two different compartments – some earned fame as a singer of NFS, such as Jagmohan and Juthika Roy, and most playback singers earned their fame for their film songs. Yet some playback singers straddled both the worlds with equal acclaim. You can count these on fingers; in the vintage era I would put the New Theatres stalwarts, K L Saigal, Pankaj Mullick and K C Dey, and in the Golden Era, Talat Mahmood and Hemant Kumar in this category. I have already written on the best NFS of Saigal and Talat Mahmood in glowing terms, and also posts on Pankaj Mullick and K C Dey in which NFS were as prominent as their film songs. Hemant Kumar’s NFS was long overdue, and I am happy that, finally, I am doing it as the Grand Finale of his centenary celebrations.

N Venkataraman’s magnum opus Hemantayan 1, which set off the celebrations, mentions how Hemant Kuma’s singing career started with his first Bengali NFS record Janite jodi go tumi (1937). Bengali NFS, including his Rabindra Sangeet songs, remained an important part of his singing career. There is often a controversy whether his debut as a singer in Hindi films was in Meenakshi (1942) or Irada (1944), but there is an agreement that his initial Hindi film songs are not well-known, and his great fame as a Hindi film singer started in the early 1950s with Ye raat ye chaandni phir kahan (Jaal, 1952). However, his first Hindi NFS Kitna dukh bhulaya tumne pyari (1943) has remained immortal ever since. His other Hindi and Bengali NFS are enormously popular among his fans.

To give you a perspective about Hemant Kumar’s output of NFS and films songs, I am borrowing this Table from Venkataramanji’s equally awesome work Hemantayan 2.

Hemant Kumar’s total career at a glance

Drawing from the above table, his career as a singer can be presented as under:

Hemant Kumar’s NFS and Film songs

For Hindi audience Hemant Kumar is one of the most melodious playback singers, even with a relatively small output. Thanks to this series now we realise that he was a much bigger icon in Bengali, both as a singer and music director. In Bengali his NFS account for about 49% of the total songs sung by him.

But Hemant Kumar’s magic does not rest on numbers. Let me pay my tribute to him as my contribution to the centenary celebrations with his non-film songs.

1. Kitna dukh bhulaya tumne pyari (Hindi NFS, 1943), lyrics Faiyyaz Hashmi, music Kamal Dasgupta

This is a song you would like to hear in the silence of nights. His first Hindi NFS remains my eternal favourite. This song was included in Hemantayaan 1, but it is worth a repeat. A befitting song to open the post.

2. Main saaz bajaaun tum gaao

Imagine you are with your beloved in the moonlight night by the side of a flowing river with a guitar in your hand. You play the instrument and she sings, the music will make the flowing stream restless, but the soothing song will calm the waves into the stillness of the night. The lyrics, the music and Hemant Kumar’s sonorous voice create a magical impact. This will make even a stone-heart a poet.

मैं साज़ बजाऊं तुम गाओ, तुम गाओ
तारों मैं तुम्हें सुना दूं इस दिल की झनकार
गीतों में तुम मुझसे कह दो छुपी बात एक बार
मैं तुमको कुछ समझाऊं तुम मुझको कुछ समझाओ
मैं साज़ बजाऊं तुम गाओ, तुम गाओ

मेरे सुर में दर्द छुपा हो एक जादू हो गीत तुम्हारा
हम तुम दोनों मिलें जहां झूमे वो दरिया का किनारा
मेरी धुन पर मौजें तड़पें तुम गीत से लहरों को शरमाओ
मैं साज़ बजाऊं तुम गाओ तुम गाओ

3. Mere andhere ghar mein aakar…Raat ko din bana diya, lyrics Kanwar Kumar, music Hemant Kumar

Another song which pulls at your heartstrings.

मेरे अंधेरे घर में आकर
चादर अपने सर से गिराकर
दुनिया को जगमगा दिया
रात को दिन बना दिया

When I started compiling songs for this post long ago, I had noted that this song was based on a Bengali NFS sung by Hemant Kumar, Bhebechhinu chirodin, composed by Kamal Dasgupta, but its video is no longer accessible. I would be grateful if a reader posts this song. Hemant Kumar had improved upon its tune in his Hindi version.

4. Keno chokher jole bhijiyee dilem na (Rabindra Sangeet)

There are songs you hear once from anyone, and they get embedded in your memory forever. Keno chokher jole I heard once decades ago from a friend, and I have never forgotten it since. My romance for this songs is because from what I can make out from some words, it reminds me of Mahadevi Verma’s teary-eyed ‘Jo tum aa jaate ek baar’. Only Venkataramanji can confirm if the song has any similarity to Mahadevi Varma’s poem.

जो तुम आ जाते एक बार
कितनी करुणा कितने संदेश
पथ में बिछ जाते बन पराग
गाता प्राणोंका तार तार
अनुराग भरा उन्माद राग
जो तुम आ जाते एक बार

हंस उठते पल में आर्द्र नयन
धुल जाता होठों से विषाद
छा जाता जीवन में बसंत
लुट जाता चिरसंचित विराग
आंखें देतीं सर्वस्व वार
जो तुम आ जाते एक बार

But this is a song you enjoy without any barrier of language.

5. Shawan gagane ghor ghanghata (Rabindra Sangeet)

Continuing the Rabindra Sangeet mood enjoy this lovely song of monsoon, cloudy sky and lightning in the night.

6. Mon moro megher shangi (Rabindra Sangeet)

Rabindranath Thakur’s one of the principal themes of his poetry has been nature. The clouds again, and the poet flies along with the clouds to unknown lands with the music of the pitter patter of raindrops (रिमझिम रिमझिम). Many years later I became aware of its Hindi film adaptation in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar, Man mera udta jaaye (Ma Beta, 1962). I don’t know if I am being too dismissive, but if you hear Hemant Kumar’s original you would realise why I find Lata Mangeshkar song so forgettable.

7. Aanchal se kun bandh liya mujh pardesi ka pyaar (1945), lyrics Faiyyaz Hashmi, music Kamal Dasgupta

This was my introduction to Hemant Kumar’s NFS through radio, and it was always among the top songs played frequently in the segment, ‘Sugam Sangeet’. In the comments on the YT link there are conflicting views about its lyricist and its music director. I believe the lyricist is Faiyyaz Hashmi and music was by Kamal Dasgupta – the duo were Shakeel Badayuni/Naushad of NFS.

8. Aaj sharaabi aankhon se peene ki humne thaani

The poet now does not need tavern, the barmaid or the drink, because he is soaking the intoxicating beauty of the eyes – they are the saaqi and pyala.

9. Madhuban mein na Shyam bulao (c. 1945), lyrics Faiyyaz Hashmi, music Kamal Dasgupta

Another honey-dripping song from Hemant Kumar.

10. Bhala tha kitna apna bachpan, lyrics Faiyyaz Hashmi, music Kamal Dasgupta

Memories of childhood, playing around the trees, stealing fruits, chased by their enemy the Maali, play-acting groom and bride, would fill anyone with joy.

11. Yaad humein kyun aati ho, ab yaad humein kyun aati ho, lyrics Faiyyaz Hashmi, music Francisco Casanovas

This song has been my perennial favourite. It is of remonstration by a lover whose heart is broken by his beloved, but her memories he is not able to shake off.

12. Ashq aankhon se rawaan aur jigar jalta hai (ghazal), lyrics Santokh Singh, music Tarsem Lal

Hemant Kumar renders this ghazal in his typical melodious style.

13. Abhi na parda giraao thahro (NFS nazm), lyrics Gulzar, music Hemant Kumar

We are aware of some most exquisite Hemant Kumar’s film songs penned by Gulzar, such as Tum pukaar lo, Saawan mein barkha sataye, Janam se banjara hun bandhu, and Bas ek chup si lagi hai. I now discover they have collaborated for many non-film songs too. Hemant Kumar has composed and sung these songs. From the tonal quality of his voice and the music arrangement, they appear to be of the last phase of his singing career, probably when his normal career had practically come to an end. Among the songs I have browsed I particularly like this one, both for its poetry and music. Hemant Kumar’s voice is superb. A befitting song to end the post with.

अभी न परदा गिराओ ठहरो, कि दास्ताँ आगे और भी हैं
के इश्क़ गुज़रा है इक जहाँ से, इक जहाँ आगे और भी हैं
अभी न परदा…

अभी तो टूटी है कच्ची मिट्टी, अभी तो जिस्म ही गिरे हैं
अभी कई बार मरना होगा, अभी तो अहसास जी रहे हैं
अभी न परदा…

दिलों के भटके हुए मुसाफ़िर, अभी बहुत दूर तक चलेंगे
कहीं तो अंजाम के सिरों से ये जुस्तजू के सिरे मिलेंगे
अभी न परदा…

And here is my rough translation.
Please don’t bring down the curtains yet, there are many tales still to be told
The romance has gone through one experience, many episodes are still to come
Please don’t bring down the curtains yet..

Only the clay which was raw has broken, only the limbs have worn out
We have still to die many deaths, as our breath is yet not stilled
Please don’t bring down the curtains yet..

The travellers disoriented by heartbreak would carry on for quite long
Somewhere the goal of their yearning would meet their final destination
Please don’t bring down the curtains yet..

Notes:
1. I had to bring down the curtains at some stage, though I am aware many exquisite songs are still left. I trust our erudite readers to fill us up with the rest.
2. I request Venkararamanji and other readers to complete the missing details of year, lyricists and music directors, and also correct any mistakes.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
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.

Tagged as: Best non-film songs