Shair Aur Sargam, Songs From Movies of 7 Great Lyricists Options

[swarapriya]

(Javed Akhtar) Angaaray (1998)

Even though Mahesh Bhatt produced and directed many fine films based on original material, he also famously made many movies based on English films without an iota of acknowledgement. This is one of those films. However he was not the producer. It was adapted from the 1990 English film “State of Grace” that starred twice Oscar winning actor Sean Penn. Penn’s movie was critically acclaimed but fared badly at the box-office. Bhatt took the material and Indianized making it into a taut and well-made thriller. Akshay Kumar who led the cast performed all his own stunts including some risky ones. The female characters have little to do in the film. Most of the supporting actors performed well. The movie was a decent hit.

Only five years later Mahesh Bhatt decided to make this movie once gain. This time he hired Vikram Bhatt to direct it. The movie starring Aftab Shivdasani, “Footpath”, was a flop.

There are two music directors for this film, Aadesh Shrivastava and Anu Malik. In general Mahesh Bhatt’s films have some very good songs. This film has some decent ones but a cut below Bhatt’s other movies. I am uploading songs from this film in two back-to-back posts. Here is the first set…

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Angaaray (1998)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

(Majrooh) Zimbo (1958)

Homi Wadia produced and directed this film in which he introduced actor Azad in the title role. It may be a new hero and a new name for the ape-man hero “Zimbo”, but the movie was simply a remake of “Tarzan”. However, the movie was a surprise hit with several popular songs in it and spawned two sequels, also starring Azad.

I am uploading songs from this film in two back-to-back posts. Here is the first set…

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Zimbo (1958)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this album...

[swarapriya]

(Shailendra) Dilli ka Thug (1958)

Songs from this film were uploaded few months back in this very thread. If anyone is interested I will be happy to re-load them.

[swarapriya]

(Shakeel) Door Ki Awaz (1964)

Devendra Goel introduced Ravi as a music director in his film “Vachan” in 1955. Incidentally the film also introduced Rajendra Kumar. The songs from that film were hit, especially Asha’s solo “Chandamaama Door Ke”. After that successful debut, Ravi was a constant for most movies either produced or directed by Goel. This film was one of them.

In this film Ravi once again joins hands with Shakeel Saab. All songs from this film were huge hits. Out of the nine songs in the film, Rafi Saab had five solos and two duets. The other two are solos by Asha. Of all the Rafi Saab’s songs from this film the one that became most popular was “Husn Se”. The song was almost picturized like the title song from Guru Dutt’s “Chaudvin ka Chand (1961)”. Incidentally that song also had the combined talents of Shakeel Saab and Ravi.

I am uploading “Husn Se” and other songs from the film in two back-to-back posts. Here is the first set…

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Door Ki Awaz (1964)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this fine album...

[swarapriya]

(Anand Bakshi) Pati Patni (1966)

This was the second association of Anand Bkashi Saab with R.D. Burman. Their first association was in 1965 for the film “Teesra Kaun”. It did not set anything on fire. But that changed with this film. Several songs from this album, sublime to zany, became very popular. This foundation paved the way to the hit parade this pair was collaborated with, in nearly 100 films.

My favorites from the album are the solos by Lataji. Lataji had three solos, even though the song “Saare Jagat” is the continuation of “Naa Mujh Mein”. But the song of the album is Lataji’s stirring and mellifluous rendition of “Kajre Badarwa”. If you did not know that the music was composed by RD, a listening to this song can easily convinces that it has to be Senior Burman’s music. The musical arrangement was that impeccably close to SD’s trademark imprint.

I am uploading this and other songs from this album in two back-to-back posts. Here is the first set…

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Pati Patni (1966)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

(Hasrat Jaipuri) Howrah Bridge (1958)

Even though watching this movie now feels very dated yet it has several admirable things going for it. One of the major problems is that some of the important characters in the film look and behave like cartoons. Madan Puri’s Chinese role is a prime example of this. But here are some of the things that one feels good about the overall film…

“Howrah Bridge” made by the producer and director Shakti Samanta (later of “Aradhana (1959)” fame) borrowed heavily from the movies of Humphrey Bogart in which his costars were either Lauren Bacall or Ava Gardner. The whole atmosphere of the movie that was a murder mystery gives that feeling. It was helped by the brilliant cinematography that showed the grimy streets, seedy people, shifting landscape, and shady nightclubs. Yet Kolkata (Calcutta that time) is shown in all its glory with several exotic locales, especially during the song “Eent ki Dukki” sung beautifully by Rafi Saab. The magnificent Howrah Bridge served as an appropriate backdrop for the song.

Ashok Kumar in some scenes impeccably looked like Humphrey Bogart, mainly because he was suited up that way. But Dadamoni was his own actor and he displays that ease and smile with his role that leaves an impression that he was enjoying every minute of it all. By the way, Bogey never smiled in his movies. Incidentally Ashok’s Saab’s lighting up a cigarette in most of the scenes at least dates back to this film, again a habit Bogey had in his films.

Madhubala playing an Anglo-Indian looked absolutely gorgeous and was dressed up very much like Bogey’s costars Lauren Bacall and Ava Gardner. She looked very lush in full skirts and was stunningly radiant throughout the movie. Her infectious smile torches the screen with the sensuality and sexiness seldom seen on the screen. This is further exemplified by the song done beautifully by Asha, “Aaiye Meherbaan”. Incidentally Madhubala’s song from the film “Mahal (1949)”, “Aayega Aanewaala”, with Ashok Kumar made Lata a singing sensation. The song “Aaiye” almost did the same favor for Asha. Even though she was an established singer at this time, the song proved Asha to be one of our great singers, no less talented than her famous sister.

Helen who is an Anglo-Burmese by birth appears briefly in a dance number in the movie, cutely made up like a Chinese doll. She was still new into the movies, only 19 when this film was made. Her song in the night club, “Merra Naam Chin Chin Chu” had sparks flying all over thanks to the singing of Geetaji. This song not only became a perennial favorite among film-goers but is still popular all over the world. For Geetaji, who was instrumental in kick starting the career of music director O.P. Nayyar with several assignments for her husband’s (Guru Dutt) films during OP’s struggling days, this was the last song she sang for him. It is such a pity because together these two who were brilliant in their respective fields and gave us so many winning songs as a team could not come to grips to work together again. OP later acknowledged that it was a mistake on his part not to utilize Geetaji’s talents any further after the “Chin Chin” song. He cited that he was forced to make the decision as Asha apparently threatened to no longer sing for him.

Talking about the music, here OP delivered some of his best work. Every song is such a delight. His music always has that tilt towards lilt, sensibility of sensuality, and caressing carefree feeling. If nothing else the songs mentioned earlier have stood the test of time proving once again what kind of a musical genius he was. G.S. Kohli was the assistant music director of the film.

I am uploading these songs in three back-to-back posts. The first two posts contain songs from an original soundtrack album. The third post has three several instrumentals of the song “Aaiye”.

The songs and the instrumentals start beginning in the next post …

[swarapriya]

Songs from "Howrah Bridge (1958)"...

Here is the first set of highly entertaining and very popular songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Howrah Bridge (1958)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this highly entertaining album...

[swarapriya]

Instrumentals of "Aaiye Meharbaan" from "Howrah Bridge (1958)"...

Here are several instrumentals of Asha's breezy rendition of "Aaiye Meherbaan" song from the film...

[swarapriya]

(Javed Akhtar) Bada Din (1998)

This album is a mixed bag. Some songs, including lyrics, are passable. Then there are others that are excellent. These include Sanu’s “Kehta Hai”, the duet by Alka & Udit, “Oonche Neeche”, and the super duet of Alka & Sanu, “Suno Zara”. I am uploading these and other songs from an original soundtrack album in two back-to-back posts.

Here is the first set…

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Bada Din (1998)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this album...