Unforgettable Maestros: Chitragupta & N Dutta, by Ravi Patil Options

[Charulata]

Unforgettable maestros: Chitragupta & N Dutta
Ravi Patil
Posted online: Friday, March 28, 2003 at 0000 hours IST


indi cinema has been greatly enriched by the works of music stalwarts like Naushad, C Ramachandra, Shankar-Jaikishan, SD Burman, OP Nayyar, Madan Mohan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji and RD Burman, to name some. Here, we wish to focus on the works of two music directors whose names are not mentioned in the same breath as those of the above-mentioned composers, i.e. Chitragupta & N Dutta. The songs composed by them are as melodious as other composers, the only difference being that they didn't do much work, and not with many big banners. One of the biggest banners of the South, namely AVM Productions, had opted for Chitragupta for many of their Hindi productions, which proves, in a way, that he could deliver. The songs composed by Chitragupta for some of the AVM classics such as Bhabhi, Barkha and Main Chup Rahungi are unforgettable. We mention some here and you will agree — 'Chal ud jaa re panchi ki ab ye desh hua begaana...' sung by Mohd. Rafi, 'Chali chali re patang meri chali re...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, and 'Chupakar meri aankhon se...' again sung by Rafi and Lata. All three songs are from Bhabhi. The first mentioned is a real gem, thanks to the splendid lyrics by Rajendra Krishan and a soulful rendition by Rafi. The songs from Barkha like 'Ek raat mein do do chaand khile...' sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar, 'Tadpaoge tadpa lo hum tadap tadap kar bhi...' sung by Lata Mangeshkar, and the song from Main Chup Rahungi, namely 'Main kaun hoon main kahan hoon...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and 'Koi bata de dil hai jahan kyun hota hai dard wahan...' sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi are remembered to date.

Other beautiful compositions of Chitragupta are 'Agar dil kisise lagaya na hota...' from Bada Aadmi sung with a lot of depth by Mohd. Rafi, 'Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na tha...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and 'Dil ka diya jalake gaya, Ye kaun meri tanhai mein...' sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The last two songs are from the film Akashdeep. Also, one can't forget 'Saathi hai albela phir bhi koi akela...' sung by Mukesh from Hum Matwale Naujawan, 'Balma maane na bairi chup na rahe...' sung by Lata Mangeshkar from Opera House, 'Kaanha jaa re teri murli ki dhun...' from a strangely titled film Tel Maalish Boot Polish (but the song was very classical and beautifully sung by Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar).

A devotional song composed by Chitragupta 'Jai Jai he Jagdambe Maata...' sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Ganga Ki Leheren is among the few good ones. The duet from the same film by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, namely 'Machalti hui hawa mein chum chum hamare sang sang chale Ganga ki lehren...' written well by Majrooh Sultanpuri, takes us straight to the banks of the holy Ganga.



Talking of duets, you have some of the best duets coming from Chitragupta like 'Dekho mausam kya bahar hai, sara alam bekrar hai...' sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar from Opera House; 'Tumne haseen hi haseen mein kyun dil churaya jawab do...' sung by Mahendra Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar from Ghar Basake Dekho; 'Laagi toote na ab to sanam...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar from Kali Topi Laal Rumal; 'Ye parbaton ke daayre ye shaam ka dhuan...' sung by Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar from Vaasna; 'Ajnabi se banke karo na kinara...' sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar from Ek Raaz; 'Teri duniya se door chale hoke majboor humein yaad rakhna...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar and 'Mehlon ne chheen liya bachpan ka pyar mera...' sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar, both from Zabak.

Some of Talat Mehmood's lingering duets composed by Chitragupta are 'Do dil dhadak rahe hain aur awaaz ek hai...' sung with Asha Bhosle from Insaaf; 'Laagi nahi choote Rama...' from the film with the same name, 'Mausam ye pukare masti mein lekar...' from Burmah Road; and 'Baagon mein khilte hain phool kasam teri aankhon ki...' from Suhaag Sindoor, all the three duets sung with Lata Mangeshkar. There is a unique feature about the Chitragupta-Majrooh Sultahpuri team - i.e. two different pairs of singers were used for the melodious number 'Jabse hum tum baharon mein kho baithe...' from the film Main Shaadi Karne Chala. The first time it was sung by Mukesh and Kamal Barot, and then by Mohd. Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur. Even in one of Chitragupta's last films, namely Intezar, we have a lovely Kishore solo 'Chanda ki kirnon se lipti hawaein aake mil jaa...'

N. Dutta's class is justified by the fact that filmmaker BR Chopra had taken him as the music director for the early BR productions. The songs composed by Dutta for some of the BR films like Dhool Ka Phool, Dharamputra and Sadhana are masterpieces. The songs from Dhool Ka Phool penned by the great Sahir Ludhianvi still echo in our ears. Sample this: 'Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hoon...' sung by Mahendra Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar, 'Dhadakne lagi dil ki taaron ki duniya...' and 'Jhukti ghata gaati hawa sapne jagaye...' both sung by Mahendra Kapoor and Asha Bhosle. The other Dhool Ka Phool song, 'Tu Hindu banega na Musalman banega/ Insaan ki aulad hai insaan banega...' is a landmark example of a patriotic and human value song, and certainly ranks among Rafi's best songs. Not to forget Lata's sweetly rendered song 'Tu mere pyar ka phool hai...' from the same film.

Other Dutta gems for BR films are: 'Bhool sakta hai bhala kaun ye pyari aankhein...' from Dharamputra sung by Mahendra Kapoor; 'Main jab bhi akeli hoti hoon tum chupke se yaad aate ho...' from the same film sung by Asha Bhosle; 'Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko...' from Sadhana, touchingly rendered by Lata Mangeshkar; 'Sambhal ae dil tadapne aur tadpaane se kya hoga...' again from Sadhana sung by Asha Bhosle and Mohd. Rafi, and the Geeta Dutt classic from the same film 'Tora manva kyun ghabraye re...'.

Some more Dutta hits include 'Mujhe dekho hasrat ki tasveer hoon main...' from Baaz, and 'Ashkon ne jo paaya hai woh geeton mein diya hai...' from Chandi Ki Deewar, both sung by Talat Mehmood, 'Maine chaand aur sitaron ki tamanna ki thi...' from Chandrakanta sung by Mohd Rafi, 'Ye baharon ka sama chand taaron ka sama...' sung by Hemant Kumar from Milap, 'Main tumhi se poochti hoon mujhe tumse pyar kyun hai...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar from Black Cat, and 'Ponchkar ashq apni aankhon se muskurao to koi baat bane...' sung by Mohd. Rafi from Naya Rasta.

Even in some unheard films, Dutta's compositions are catchy, like 'Aaj ye aanchal muh kyun chupaye...' sung by Mukesh for Holiday In Bombay, 'Dhoonde nazar nazar mera chaand hai kidhar...' sung by Mahendra Kapoor and Asha Bhosle for Dilli Ka Dada, 'Pyar ka jahan ho chhotasa makaan ho...' sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhonsle for Jaalsaaz, a qawwali, 'Meri tasveer lekar kya karoge...' sung by Mohd. Rafi and Asha Bhosle for Kaala Samunder.

That Asha Bhosle's voice sounded very different under Dutta is evident from some lively songs like 'Kitna haseen hai jahan jaadu bhara hai sama...' from Mr. X, 'Ye hawa ye fiza ye sama...' and the Rafi-duet 'Aana hai to chale aao suhani shaam hai...', both from the film Taxi Stand and the catchy 'Jaan gayi main to jaan gayi, koi banaye bahane...' from Naya Raasta.
(source: http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=2798 )

[sri]

Thanks Charu - for the article

Sri