SN Tripathi Part 1: The Vintage Years – A Multi-faceted Talent

A tribute to SN Tripathi on the 35th Anniversary of his Remembrance Day (14 March 1913-28 March 1988)

Whenever we think of melody, honey-dipped sweetness and beautiful dances to classical/ semi-classical tunes we think of SN Tripathi. We all have many of his immortal songs on our lips: Aa laut ke aaja mere meet, Nain ka chain churakar kar le gayi (Mukesh); Zara saamne to aao chhaliye, Na kisi ki aankh ka noor hun, Lagta nahin hai dil mera ujade dayar mein, Parvardigaar-e-aalam tera hi hai sahara (Rafi), Sakhi kaise dharun main dheer, Nigaahon mein tum ho khayalon mein tum ho jidhar dekhati hun nazar aa rahe ho (Lata Mangeshkar). And it goes on and on. Chitragupta must have got his melody and sweetness under his tutelage.

Not so well known is his work in the vintage years of 1930s and 40s when he was a man of many parts. Besides being a music director as we know him, he acted in many films, sang songs which drastically reduced post-50s, virtually coming to a stop. He wrote stories and dialogues. A multi-faceted talent straddling two eras which overlapped with the stalwart music directors. In that sense his career mirrors Vasant Desai whom I covered last year. But here the comparison ends. Their origins and sensibilities were different. Vasant Desai’s inspirations were Marathi Natya Sangeet, Prabhat Talkies, and the stalwart musicians from that tradition, such as Keshavrao Bhole, Pt Krishna Rao and Govindrao Tembe.

SN Tripathi was born in a traditional Brahmin family in Banaras. His grandfather Pt. Ganesh Dutt Tripathi was the principal of Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Kashi, and his father, Pt. Damodar Dutt Thakur, the principal of Government High School Kashi. Being born into a highly educated family, SN Tripathi had good grounding in Hindi literature and Sanskrit. He had his formal music education in Marris College, Lucknow (now known as Bhatkhande Music Institute) where he was noticed by Saraswati Devi, the famous music director with the Bombay Talkies. He joined the Bombay Talkies as a violinist assisting her. Thus, his folk and classical also had a different feel.

SN Tripathi as Actor
In addition to being a musician with the Bombay Talkies, he also made his acting debut with a small role in their film Jeevan Naiya (1936). Thereafter, there was a gap of 10 years;  he resumed acting with Uttara Abhimanu (1946) and played small roles in several films. The apogee of his acting career was as Hanuman in the film Shri Ram Bhakta Hanuman (1948), in which he was also the music director and composed Mukesh’s superb songs He khag mrig he Madhukar shreni and Beet chali barkha ritu Seete. The film’s success led to SN Triptathi getting Hanuman roles in more mythologicals – his well-built body was eminently suited for that role. There is a wide variation in the number of movies he acted in among different sources. Arunkumar Deshmukh mentions a figure of 83. Even if we take 50 films in which SN Tripathi acted, for someone primarily known as a music director, it is an impressive number.

SN Tripathi as Singer, Music Director
After working as Assistant Music director with the Bombay Talkies for 10 films right from their first film Jawani Ki Hawa (1935) till Bhabhi (1938), he left the Studio and struck on his own. His first assignment as an independent music director was with the film Chandan (1941). His music in the film Panghat (1943) is a vintage era landmark. Along the way he sang songs in many films, including some as actor-singer and some as music director-singer. He gave music in about 100 films, we all know of his famous compositions in Janam Janam Ke Phere (1957); Rani Roopmati (1959), Laal Quila (1960), Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962) etc. His music direction in the Bhojpuri film, Bidesia (1963) achieved great success transcending the boundaries of regional into the national mainstream.

SN Tripathi as Director
It is as Director that SN Tripathi is least known and least recognised. It is surprising because after he debuted as director in the year 1957 with Ram Hanuman Yuddha, he directed several films, including some we remember for their immortal music composed by SN Tripathi, such as Rani Roopmati, Kavi Kalidas, Piya Ke Milan Ki Aas, Sangeet Samrat Tansen, Bidesia. He directed over 15 films.

SN Tripathi is truly a multi-faceted talent. I am thankful to the reader who mentioned this omission on SOY. It would be impossible to do justice to him in one post. His contribution in the vintage era is not so well known. Let me pay my tribute to him on the 35th Anniversary of his Remembrance Day (14 March 1913 – 28 March 1988) with his songs in the Vintage Years, the 1930s and 40s.

1. Ae ri daiyya lachak lachak chalat Mohan aave, mann bhaave by SN Tripathi from Jeevan Naiya (1936), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi

This has to be a rare find, the first song of SN Tripathi as actor-singer from 1936, composed by the legendary Saraswati Devi. The audio quality is excellent. The video quality for a 1936 film is very good. You can see SN Tripathi performing as a classical vocalist in a squatting pose on the stage. His classical training is in display in this song. Grateful thanks to the channel Cinemazzi TV for uploading this gem.

2. Nahin dekh behatar satana kisi ka by SN Tripathi from Bhabhi (1938), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi

Here is another vintage era gem sung by SN Tripathi in his last film as Assistant Music Director with the Bombay Talkies under the baton of Saraswati Devi. Excellent quality audio and video. The song is of a very different, Urdu shayari style. As the song coming from a radio distracts a chess player, he crosses through the card room to the radio to switch it off. The chess players bent over the chessboard, the cardplayers on several tables, the radio playing the song, all are picturised in a very natural manner.

3. Nanha sa dil deti hun pardesi preet nibhana by Rajkumari and SN Tripathi from Chandan (1941), lyrics Pt. Indra, music SN Tripathi

Chandan was SN Tripathi’s debut as an independent music director. Here he sings a nice duet with Rajkumari.

4.  Choodi laya nahin manihar by Amirbai Karnataki and SN Tripathi from Choodiyan (1942), lyrics Ramesh Gupta, music SN Tripathi

SN Tripathi next got Prakash Pictures film Choodiyan (1942). As the name suggests this should be a film based on rural background, village fair and nautanki. There are several ‘choodi’ songs sung by Rajkumari, Prem Adib and GM Durrani. In this song SN Tripathi combines with Amirbai Karnataki to sing a nice Banarasi folk song. The lady is angry that the manihar has not brought choodiyan, she cannot survive without it for a moment – she would stop eating. The man tries to placate her by various other temptations: he would get her bracelets from Kalkatta, he would take her to bazaar and mela and get a necklace made for her etc.

5. Panghat ko chali panihari by Rajkumari & others from Panghat (1943), lyrics Pt Indra, music SN Tripathi

Panghat (1943) was a musical landmark in the career of SN Tripathi in the vintage era. In the detailed review of the songs of 1943 music of this film came for special attention. This was the only film in which the other Rajkumari (Shukla) has also sung a song, besides the more well-known Rajkumari (Dubey) who was the lead singer in the film. Her songs Mori gagri ka neer raja chhalak na jaye and Amma mori ho, mohe kisan Kunwar var deejo have been posted earlier on SOY. If Chodiyan had several choodi songs, Panghat had several panghat songs creating an idyllic village scene of those days. In this song you see a couple of women drawing water from the community well, and another group of women coming for the same chore with gagri on their slender waist, singing this joyous song of teasing and fun.

6.  Panghat par paani bharne ayi thi gaaon ki chhori by SN Tripathi and Rajkumari from Panghat (1943), lyrics Ramesh Gupta, music SN Tripathi

Here is another panghat song in which SN Tripathi sings a duet with Rajkumari. Two male friends are fantasising that a village belle has come to fill up water. The person singing the song is also enacting a panihari. In their fantasy they also imagine the scene of a group of women with their gagris. Their reverie is broken and the male voice continues.

7. Aayi balloonwali aayi re by Geeta Roy (Dutt) and SN Tripathi from Aadhar (1945), lyrics MA Razi, music SN Tripathi

After choodiyan, panihar  it is the turn of balloonwali, and now SN Tripathi combines with Geeta Dutt to sing this nice folk song. The balloon seller is asking the purchasers not to buy from her on credit. An interesting point of this song is that Geeta Dutt’s singing debut is supposed to be in 1946 film Bhakta Prahlad, composed by Hanuman Prasad who, impressed by her voice upon chance hearing, gave her a chance to sing in a chorus. A Geeta Dutt-fan, Parag Sankla has created a nice site dedicated to her. He also mentions the same known-story about her debut. But he also has a YouTube channel on which he has uploaded this song. He might have missed to update geetadutt.com, but her debut has to be antedated at least by a year. I may here mention that HFGK erroneously credits songs of Aadhar (1945) to the actor who would have lip-synched the song, and not the singers. Geeta Dutt’s voice is quite clear. I am sure our encyclopaedia Arunji would be able to throw light on this.

8. Saajan jaaye Agra, main jaaun Gujarat—Baageeche mein milay aayi baalam  se nazaria by Shanta Patel and a male voice (SN Tripathi?) from Ji Haan (1945), lyrics Pt. Indra, music SN Tripathi

SN Tripathi shows his mastery over folk idiom. This film also has some more fun songs like Haye mera sainya sattebaaz hai and Mora piya tram chalaave, maayi ri mose tickat mange. Bageeche mein milay aayi baalam se nazaria has all the fun element when the lady starts with a slow recital as the baalam is about to go to Agra, while she sets off to Gujarat. Then the beautiful duet starts which has a superb melody. You may have to raise you speaker’s volume. The song grows on you.

9. Dupatta mora aaj hi rang deejo by Shamshad Begum and Mohammad Rafi from Mansarovar (1946), lyrics Deepak Kapoor, music SN Tripathi

SN Tripathi continues his foray in folk, now with Punjab-tinge. This film is of historical significance as this should be SN Tripathi using Rafi for the first time. A nice lilting duet.

10. Solah singaar sajaaungi, piya ko rijhaaungi by Shanta Apte from Panihari (1946), lyrics (?), music SN Tripathi

This is a beautiful song by the famous vintage era actor-singer Shanta Apte from Marathi background. The lyricist among the three in the film has not been identified. There is another music director too in this film, but HFGK has credited this melodious song to SN Tripathi

11.  Laaj bhare in nayanan mein sakhi adhik sudha bharo na by Ahok Kumar from Uttara Abhimanyu (1946), lyrics Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, music SN Tripathi

This is the film with which SN Tripathi resumed his acting career after a gap of ten years from his first appearance in Jeevan Naiya (1936). I didn’t find any songs sung by him in the film, I don’t know if one of some uncredited songs is by him. However, here is a beautiful song by Ashok Kumar sung for himself (Arunji confirms he was there in the film; HFGK does not mention his name in the cast by mistake). The lyrics are beautiful, one rarely such elegant lyrics. I am quoting some lines in Hindi.

रसिक हृदय की विह्वलता को उग्र अधिक करो ना
…
हे मनमोहिनी मेरे मन को मूर्च्छित अब करो ना

12.  Beet chali barkha ritu Seete sudh na mili tumhari by Mukesh from Shri Ram Bhakta Hanuman (1948), lyrics BD Mishra, music SN Tripathi

Shri Ram Bhakta Hanuman was a superhit movie. It was a landmark in SN Tripathi’s acting career, as also a musical landmark. Out of 10 songs only two are credited to Mukesh who has sung these for Ram played by Trilok Kapoor. Both the Mukesh songs have been discussed during the detailed review of 1948 songs. But they are so beautiful they are worth repeat listening. Here is one of them which shows a sad Ram pining in separation for Sita.

13.  Madhur Ram ka naam jag mein by Rafi from Shri Ram Bhakta Hanuman (1948), music SN Tripathi

Since the focus in this film was on Hanuman, played by SN Tripathi, I thought he must have sung his own songs. It seems Rafi sang for him in the film. Though not credited in HFGK, several YouTube links are available with clear audio and video. Rafi’s voice is unmistakable. A very good song not known so far.

14. Sandesh mera pa ke mujhe daras dikhana by Mohantara Talpade and Rafi from Veer Ghatotkach (1949), lyrics Anjum Rahmani, music SN Tripathi

I end this post with this melodious long-distance duet picturised on Meena Kumari and the object of her love. From the name of this mythological film and having seen a Telugu film on this theme, I guess Meena Kumari is playing Balram’s daughter, Surekha who has set her heart upon marrying Arjun’s son Abhimanyu. But meanwhile Balram has been persuaded by his favourite pupil Duryodhan for the marital alliance with his son Laxman.

Acknowledgements
1. Arunkumar Deshmukh
2. Atul Song A Day
3. Pankaj Raag’s Dhunon Ki Yatra
4. YouTube and several other sites
5. Hindi Film Geet Kosh

Disclaimer
The song links have been added from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over these songs which vests with the respective copyright owners.