Hemant Kumar’s songs by SD Burman

Hemant Kumar, a singer-composer par excellence, and SD Burman, a Titan among singer-composers. And the former was quite open to singing for other composers too. That brought the two great Bengalis together. Hemant Kumar was another name for melody and sweetness – he is among those who never sang anything which was less than extremely melodious. SD Burman’s motto seemed to be ‘give me the singer and I would give you a great song’. So, you know what happened when they combined. Even with a handful of songs (14 songs including 10 solos) they left an everlasting impact. I put Ye raat ye chaandni phir kahan at the very peak of Hemant Kumar solos (along with Naushad’s Chandan ka palnaa). Its duet version with Lata Mangeshkar has also figured in their best duets in my earlier post. Aa gup chup gup chup pyaar karein, Hai apnaa dil to aawara, Jaane wo kaise log the jinke – you can name one after another, each is a landmark song.

SoY regulars are aware 2014 has become the Year of the Rise of the Planet of Bengalis on this blog. I had not intended this kind of takeover, but it happened because a number of factors – the Centenary Year of Anil Biswas, revival of SD Burman with his remaining major singers on some readers’ suggestion and frontloading of some ideas which were on the backburner – coalesced together.

Born on June 16, 1920 in Varanasi at his nanihaal, Hemant Kumar belonged to a lower middle class family of Bengal. His father, Kalidas Mukherjee, was a clerk in a shipping company, and his ambition did not go beyond seeing his son as a Babu in some office. But Hemant Kumar was drawn to music from childhood. He would bunk schools, go to music soirees, and managed to get some recognition by singing in Durga Puja and the All India Radio. His ‘security’ minded father got him to take admission in Jadavpur Engineering College, but Hemant Kumar remained disenchanted with studies. He started doing the rounds of recording companies, but his voice was rejected (!) by them in the beginning. He then dabbled into writing stories for magazines like Vatayan and Desh. The editor of Vatayan introduced him to Shailen Dasgupta, the music director of Columbia Company, on whose advice Hemant Kumar learnt Rabindrasangeet. His first record for Columbia Jaani te jodi go tumi became a roaring hit, leading to Columbia brining out his 12 records in a year.

His first Bengali playback song was in the film Nimai Sanyaas (1940), composed by Hariprasanna Das. Thus started a successful era of his playback singing in Bengali films. Impressed by his singing, Hariprasanna Das made Hemant Kumar his assistant. His first song in Hindi films was in Meenakshi (1942) – Ankhon ki ote jo rahtaa tha, composed by Pankaj Mullick.

(Acknowledgement: The above information is based on Pankaj Raag’s Dhunon Ki Yatra and Anil Bhargav’s Swaron Ki Yatra).

In Bombay, it was Anandmath (1952) which brought him fame as a music director. His music in Nagin (1954) was a runaway hit and brought him his first (and last) Filmfare award. His compositions bore his sweetness, but it was as a singer that he was irresistible. Besides his own compositions, he freely sang under other composers. SD Burman was one of the most important for him, making him the voice of Dev Anand – one of the big three – in many films. Continuing the series on SD Burman for various singers, let me present his songs for Hemant Kumar as a tribute to the latter on his 25^th death anniversary a few days away (b. 16 June 1920; d. 26 September 1989).

1.  Aa gup chup gup chup pyar karein (with Sandhya Mukherjee) from Sazaa (1951), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

This seems to be the first time Hemant Kumar sang for SD Burman. One of the most romantic duets, it has a unique chorus-backed prelude and interlude provided by a travelling group of singers, passing by the love-struck Dev Anand and Nimmi in moonlit night.

2. Ye raat ye chaandni phir kahan from Jaal (1952), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi

SD Burman was very eclectic in his choice of singers. He first used Mukesh for Dev Anand in Vidya (1948), followed by Hemant Kumar in Sazaa. He got his favourite Kishore Kumar in Baazi (1951), and he wowed everyone by coming back to Hemant Kumar with a stunning two version song: one of his greatest solos, and a slightly slower paced, melancholic duet with Lata Mangeshkar. As the incredibly dapper Dev Anand in his check-sweater, with guitar in his hand, croons this lovely song, Geeta Bali becomes restless, and by the time the song ends, she sways, as if in a trance.

ये रात ये चाँदनी फिर कहाँ सुन जा दिल की दासताँ

पेड़ों की शाखों पर सोई सोई चाँदनी, तेरे खयालों में खोई खोई रागिनि
और थोड़ी देर में थक के लौट जायेगी, रात ये बहार की फिर कभी ना आयेगी
दो एक पल और है ये समां सुन जा दिल की दासताँ

लहरों के होठों पर धीमा धीमा राग है, भीगी हवाओं में ठण्ढी ठ्ण्ढी आग है
इस हसीन आग में तू भी जल के देख ले, ज़िंदगी के गीत की धुन बदल के देख ले
खुलने दे अब धड़कनों की ज़बाँ, सुन जा दिल की दासताँ

जाती बहारें हैं उठती जवानियाँ, तारों की छावों में कह ले कहानियां
एक बार चल दिये ग़र तुझे पुकार के, लौट के ना आयेंगे क़ाफिले बहार के
आ जा लगी ज़िंदगी है जवाँ, सुन जा दिल की दासताँ

(My English translation)

This night, this silver moon, when you would get again
So, listen to your heart’s tale

The drowsy moonlit night on the branches of the trees,
The melody lost in your thoughts
They will go back tired after a while
And this night of delight would never come again
This scene is just there for a moment or two, so listen to your heart’s tale

On the lips of the waves there is a languorous lilt
In the moist breeze there is a mellow fire
In this beautiful fire, you too get burnt
And see for yourself the change in the melody of life
Let the voice of the heartbeats pour forth open, listen to the heart’s tale

The receding spring is like waning of youth
They tell a story in the shadow of the stars
Once they go back after serenading to you,
These caravans of delight would never come back
Come here, the life seems so charming,listen to your heart’s tale

3. Teri duniya mein jeene se to behatar hai ki mar jaayein from House No. 44 (1955), Sahir Ludhiyanvi

The song is apparently sad and poignant. But before the song begins, you see Dev Anand reclining on the straw-floor in a barn, with a boy, looking at Kalpana Kartik in her (their?) bed room, through the dividing window, going about her chores, apparently unconcerned. She hums the tune of this song, which obviously has some romantic association between them. Dev Anand then picks up the tune, and this great Hemant Kumar melody follows. In the end, you see Kalpana Kartik looking at him with enigmatic smile. So, after watching the video, I believe this song is not intended in अभिधा, but is a perfect example of व्यंजना.

4.  Chup hai dharti chup hai chand sitaare from House No. 44

This is the second great solo from the same film. Not surprisingly both the songs made it to the best ten solos of 1955 in detailed year-wise review on SoY.

5.  O Shivji bihane chale paalki sajaaye ke from Munimji (1955), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi

1955 was a great year for Hemant Kumar. After poignant and romantic, SD Burman-Hemant Kumar give us a rip-roaring fun song. The song starts with an absolutely funny introduction by a heavily-disguised Dev Anand.

6. Jaane wo kaise log the jinke pyar ko pyar mila from Pyasa (1957), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi

With his heavy and melancholic voice, Hemant Kumar was best suited for a dejected lover. Sahir himself had faced disappointments in his love affairs, which reflected in his poetry. With SD Burman’s music, and actor-director Guru Dutt’s brilliant picturisation, you have an all-time classic.

7.  Hai apna dil to aawara from Solva Saal (1958), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri

We had some exchange earlier with SSW that sad songs leave a more lasting impact than happy songs. Hai apna dil to aawara has two versions: happy and sad. Poignant songs are also a natural forte of Hemant Kumar, yet it is interesting that its happy version is more popular. With RD Burman playng the mouth organ, this train song too has entered the annals of all-time classics.

8.  Yaad aa gayi wo nasheelee nigahein from Manzil (1960), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri

Childhood lovers Dev Anand and Nutan are separated by fate and meet up when they grow up, but there are many misunderstandings on the way. This gives opportunity to SD Burman to compose many versions of Yaad aa gayi wo nasheelee nigaahein. Again, I feel, though counter-intuitive it is the happy version that is more appealing.

9. Na tum humein jaano from Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri

I started with the first Hemant Kumar song by SD Burman. I now end with what must be their last song. This is a Twin song, having a version in Suman Kalyanpur’s voice. In Twin songs I have a general theory that the male version is almost always better. If the male singer is Hemant Kumar, the matter is beyond doubt.