The ‘other’ Madan Mohan

Humse nain milana BA pass kar ke

Commuting to your office could be a pain, but if your driver’s musical taste goes back to the Golden Era, ranging from Mukesh to Hemant Kumar to Talat Mehmood to Shamshad Begum to Suraiya, you look forward to the drive; the traffic jam is no longer an irritant, in fact it only lets you linger over the melodies a little longer.

I had become accustomed to these melodies playing on the car stereo. One day it was the turn of Shamshad Begum. After the familiar Kabhi aar kabhi paar, Saiyan dil mein ana re, Chandni ayee ban ke pyar, Kahe koel shor machaye re etc, I was struck by a very peppy, very light hearted number Humse nain milana BA pass kar ke.

I had never heard this song before, and for a lover of old film music, any new discovery brings tremendous excitement. The cheap MP3 cover of the CD, the kind you get in Palika Bazar for 30 rupees having 120 songs, did not mention anything besides the mukhada of the song. But the search for its roots did not take long, thanks to the modern wonder of the internet. In the olden days I remember the restless yearning after hearing a beautiful song for the first time, not knowing when I would hear that again or how I would be able to place its film, singer and composer. It is only now that I am able to place many songs of that era which were deeply etched in memory.

What was so special about Humse nain milana? It was typical Shamshad Begum (as a matter of fact Shamshad Begum-Mukesh duet, but Shamshad Begum obviously leaves a strong impact); and stumbling upon an unheard song is nothing extraordinary. No matter how deep you are into music of that era, there would be hundreds of gems hidden, waiting to be discovered, brought out and appreciated. What, however, came as a big surprise for me, and which I could have never guessed, was that the composer was Madan Mohan of the Madan Mohan – Lata Mangeshkar fame known for the ‘Madan Mohan style’ of music, the Madan Mohan known for his signature songs like Unko ye shikayat hai, Yun hasraton ke daag mohabbat mein dho liye etc.

Humse nain milana is from Madan Mohan’s debut film Aankhen (1950). It was written by Raja Menhdi Ali Khan, who was the lyricist behind many of the Madan Mohan’s greatest compositions, including the songs of Mera Saya and Who Kaun Thi. This song is quite unlike Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, in fact you rarely come across a more playful and zany song:

Humse nain milana BA pass karke
Humse preet lagana BA pass karke

BA pass karke mohe degree dikhaao ji
Mohe degree dikhaao
Ye hai BA ki degree gori gusse me na aao
Ho gori gusse me na aao
Apni ye char sau beesee kisi aur pe chalaao
Jaao ye hai jhoothi degree
Isko koode me phenk aao
Ki isko koode me phenk aao
Jaye bhaad me aisa pyaar
Tere ye nakhre hain bekaar
Humko gussa na dilaanaa bakwaas kar ke
Humse preet lagana BA pass kar ke

BA nahin hoon lekin main hoon ishq mein MA pass
Aji tum kya jaano Mr Majnu dost hain mere khaas
Aji ustaad the mere khaas
Jungle me tum dono jaakar charo ikatthi ghaas
Chale aaye ho tum akal ka satyanash kar ke
Humse preet lagana BA pass karke

Ishq ki hae tune qadar na jani
Degree ke peeche tu to huyi hai deewani
Good bye good bye
Good bye o meri rani
Maine marne ki hai thani
Mere baalmaa na jana dil udaas karke
Humse preet lagana BA pass karke

Humse nain milana BA pass karke
Humse preet lagana BA pass karke

This song belongs to the sweet and innocent era when passing BA was the apogee of academic achievement for most persons; you proudly displayed “BA” after your name on your door plate or letter head. The lady is quite clear the hero has to pass BA before he can court her. Also it is perhaps for the first time that chaaloo words like satyanash (सत्यानाश), bakwaas (बकवास), char sau beesee (चार सौ बीसी), kooda (कूड़ा), bhaad (भांड़), ghaas charnaa (घास चरना) have been used in a film song. I never gave a second thought to the word Shree 420 as the title of the famous RK film. But use of chaar sau beesee in this song set me thinking why out of over 500 provisions of the Indian Penal Code only section 420 entered our lexicon and became so much a part of popular culture ascribing to the word a much more colourful and romanticised view of chicanery not intended by the British lawmakers. You do not hear anyone say Mujhe gussa mat dilaao, main tumhara 302 kar doonga or Woh bada 302 hai. Leaving that to etymologists, enjoy this humorous song from the film Aankhen (1950).

1.  Humse nain milana BA pass kar ke by Shamshad Begum and Mukesh from the film Aankhen (1950), lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

Aankhen had some more surprises. Lata Mangeshkar was missing from the film. Even though they had known each other for a couple of years, it is likely Lata might have refused to sing for this rookie – by that time she had already achieved spectacular success with songs in Mahal, Barsaat, Andaaz etc. (see Lata Mangeshkar vs Noorjehan), though the ‘’official’’ web site of Madan Mohan www.madanmaohan.in quotes him very charitably absolving Lata Mangshkar and blaming some unknown persons of having misled her into not singing for this movie. So you have songs by other singers, some outstanding and very famous such as, Meena Kapur’s Mori ataiya pe kaga bole, Mukesh’s Preet laga ke maine ye phal paya and Shamshad Begum’s solo Mohabat karne walon ka yahi anjaam hota hai.

The musical success of Aankhen must have created a big impact, because the following year you have Lata teaming with Madan Mohan in a big way with everlasting melodies such as Sanwri soorat man bhayee re piya, Preetam meri duniya mein (film Adaa), followed soon after with Mere piya se koi ja ke kah de, Sama hai bahar ka, Main na janu mere dil ko ye kya ho gaya (film Ashiana). In spite of a faint C Ramchandra tinge in early Madan Mohan, these songs are a clear foundation of the famed Madan Mohan-Lata Mangeshkar style of music.

But there was another Madan Mohan of Humse nain milana style with a great sense of fun. So you have nestling among these great Madan Mohan-Lata style songs, this zany duet by Kishore Kumar-Shamshad Begum in Ashiana:

2.  O madam o madam do se ho gaye ek hum by KK-Shamshad Beguam from Ashiana (1952), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

When you think of Madhosh (1951) you think of Talat Mahmood’s iconic meloncholic song Meri yaad mein tum na aansoo bahaana.  But you also have the other Madan Mohan coming up with this zany song in which a gang of naughty girls led by, of all persons Meena Kumari, is teasing the city boy come to the village, in Shamshad Begums’s voice:

3.  Shamshad Begum sings Pagri pahan ke turredaar in Madhosh (1951), lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

You see the dual Madan Mohan throughout his career. In Bhai Bhai (1956) if you have his signature Lata song Kadar jane na, the other Madan Mohan gives a completely different, typical Geeta Dutt song Ae dil mujhe bata de tu kis pe aa gaya hai. 

4.  Geeta Dutt sings Ae dil mujhe bata de from Bhai Bhai (1956), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

Dekh Kabira Roya (1957) is known for Madan Mohan’s iconic songs such as Talat Mahmood’s Humse aya na gaya unse bulaya na gaya, Manna Dey’s Kaun aya mere man ke dware and Lata’s Meri veena tum bin roye. But you also have the other Madan Mohan come up with this breezy song by two carefree girls dancing and singing down the Marine Drive (in saris if you notice – those days the girls could wear sari and be hep):

5.  Geeta Dutt and Lata sing Hum panchhi mastane in Dekh kabira Roya (1957), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

Adalat (1958) established the famed Madan Mohan-Lata Mangeshkar style of music, with songs like Yun hasraton ke daag mohabbat mein dho liye and Unko ye shikayat hai ki hum kuchh nahin kahte. These songs must have cemented his reputation as the Ghazal King. Yet in the midst of his signature songs, you have this song in a typical OP Nayyar style:

6.  Dupatta mera malmal ka by Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt in Adalat (1958), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

Mohammad Rafi singing for Johnny Walker had become a stock genre of comedy songs those days. In this too the other Madan Mohan creates this classic:

7. Rafi sings Bada hi CID hai wo neelee chhatriwala in Chandan (1958), Rajendra Krishna

But nothing can beat Kishore Kumar singing for Kishore Kumar in whacky comedy. The other Madan Mohan has created several Kishore Kumar classics in light hearted comic style. Chacha Zindabad (1959) is known for the quintessential MM-Lata song Bairan neend na aye. You also have this funny Kishore Kumar song in the film:

8.  Ae haseeno naazneeno main dil hatheli pe la ke aa raha hun from Chacha Zindabad (1959), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

Manmauji (1962) had the eternal MM-Lata classic Main to tum sang nain mila ke haar gayee sajnaa, and the other Madan Mohan also gave this funny Kishore Kumar classic:

9.  Zaroorat hai zaroorat hai shrimati ki by Kishore Kumar in Manmauji (1962), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

In spite of great critical acclaim, big commercial success eluded him. With Woh Kaun Thi (1964), he achieved both, again with everlasting Lata melodies such as Jo humne dastaan apni sunayee, Lag ja gale and Naina barse rim jhim rim jhim. And then you have the other Madan Mohan create this playful Asha Bhosle song:

10. Shokh nazar ki bijliyan by Asha Bhosle in Woh Kaun Thi (1964), lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

This duality in Madan Mohan we see also in his next big musical and commercial success Mera Saaya (1966). With his signature Lata songs Naino mein badra chhaye, Tu jahan jahan chalega mera saya saath hoga, you have this classic street dancer song by Asha Bhosle:

11. Jhumka gira re by Asha Bhosle in Mera Saaya (1966), lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

Dulhan Ek Raat Ki (1966) had the signature MM-Lata song Maine rang li aaj chunariya sajna tore rang mein. Yet the playful Madan Mohan gives this peppy duet dancing song:

12. Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar sing O Rajaji hamar kaha mano ji in Dulhan Ek Raat Ki (1966), lyrics Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

It is said Madan Mohan’s forays into peppy light hearted songs was due to the demands of producers to create something in Shankar Jaikishan or OP Nayyar style – they were the reigning kings of commercial success for a number of years. This cannot be a complete explanation. The kind of classics he created in the ‘other’ style throughout his career parallel to the famed MM-Lata style, could come only if there was another Madan Mohan, playful, light-hearted inside him. His known life history does show a colourful personality with diverse interests in games and sports, reading, clubs, cooking and having varied upbringing and background in Iraq, Army, Lucknow, Lahore, Bombay, All India Radio, besides a deep interest in classical music. The work of Madan Mohan is not complete without ‘the other’ Madan Mohan.

Tagged as: Unusual songs