My Favourite Madan Mohan, rare solos & duets from the 50s and 60s Options

[sri]

Madan Mohan is one of my most favourite music directors along with Roshan, Naushad, O P Nayyar and Salil Chowdhury. In this topic I will be discussing Madan Mohan's songs and providing links to various Madan Mohan songs in the relevant singer forum ( Rafi / Lata / Mukesh / Asha / Kishore etc. ).

Here are the links to some reasonably rare Madan Mohan songs :

1. Yeh cycle ka chakkar - Rafi & Asha - Akeli mat jaiyo
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14328#

2. Yeh hawa yeh mastana mausam - Rafi & Lata - Akeli mat jaiyo
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14328#

3. More naina bahaaye neer - Lata - Bawarchi
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14698#

Sri

[sri]

song : "Yeh to kaho kaun ho tum" - see link below
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?show...&st=0&#

[sri]

A Madan Mohan number from the film 'Jab yaad kisi ki aati hai' 1967 - It's a Lata-Mahendra Kapoor duet - Dhoonde tujhko nain diwaane

Click on the link below to go to the Lata thread and look for post #119
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?show...mp;gopid=221764&#

Sri

[sri]

A lovely Lata solo number. Click on the link below and look for post # 195

http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?show...4698&st=180#

Nainon mein pyar dole, dil ka qarar dole....a rare gem of Madan Mohan which is hidden in the flop film Sheroo 1957 !! If you don't have this number ...don;t miss it !!

Sri

[sri]

MADAN MOHAN RADIO PROGRAM ON JUNE 25th - 9 TO 11AM IST

ALL ARE INVITED......... Sri

[sri]

ALL ARE INVITED......... Sri

[sri]

Remembering Madan Mohan, 30 years later

Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, July 14, 2005

Madan Mohan, who never got his due in his lifetime, is today talked of as a retro-legend of Bollywood music.

As his 30th death anniversary was observed Thursday, the musical emperor in exile was back in the hearts of his admirers - ever more because of his haunting tunes in Veer Zaara.

"His ghazals have no parallel. But he could also compose every other kind of song like the folk tune Jhumka gira re, which my sister Asha sang. Why don't we regard talent for what it's worth when it's with us?" wonders Lata Mangeshkar who sang a majority of Madan Mohan's mind-numbing melodies.

"Madan bhaiyya - he was my rakhi brother - was enormously gifted. His ability to create tunes was like an illimitable ocean. Some of his most loved compositions, for example, Aapki nazron ne samjha, came to him in a jiffy.

"He was very, very particular about the sur and other components of the composition. During the recording of Naino mein badra chhaye for Mera Saaya, he broke the glass partition in the recording studio because a musician was playing off-key.

"That's why even today his numbers like Lag ja gale and Aaj socha to aansoon bhar aaye sound so fresh. Really, when I think of him today, there are tears in my eye. I remember when he lost the Filmfare award for his very popular score in Woh Kaun Thi, I told him he deserved it. His response was a quiet, 'Your saying so is enough'."

His career, which began in earnest in 1950 with Aankhen, was a litany of 'wows'. Critics and connoisseurs alike raved over Madan Mohan's songs. But the charts told another story. Eighty per cent of Madan Mohan's classic melodies went into 'b' and 'c' grade movies. Apart from Chetan Anand and Raj Khosla, no top notch filmmaker gave Madan Mohan a chance to compose in big-banner projects.

His son Sanjeev Kohli recalls how hurt and bitter his father would be by the lack of commercial success.

"I remember while driving for a family picnic, my brother and I were singing all the popular songs of the time like Shankar-Jaikishan's Baharon phool barsao and RD Burman's O mere sona re. He just looked into the backseat with a pained look that I'll never forget. It's sad, but despite his obvious talent he had to settle for lesser films. The biggies just went to the others."

Until his death in 1975, Madan Mohan did 104 films. The continued failure of his films and the changing environment in the industry led to depression.

Says Sanjeev: "My dad began to drink heavily. He died when he was only 51. Providentially, in 2004 I was able to trans-create his unused tunes in Veer-Zara. And I have only Yash Chopra who's my boss, guru and a surrogate father to thank for this. Today, when I hear little kids singing Aisa des hai mera, I feel my father has come alive again."

Ironically both of Madan Mohan's posthumous scores for HS Rawail's Laila Majnu and Gulzar's Mausam released in 1975 turned out to be money-spinners. The man who composed gossamer feelings dressed up as songs had arrived.

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Don't miss the Madan Mohan Special Radio Program on HF Radio - on June 25th - his 82nd birthday - see the earlier post for more details Sri

[Inaam]

Thanks for the article, Sir Ji I am a die-hard fan of Madan Ji.

[sri]

Thanks for the article, Sir Ji I am a die-hard fan of Madan Ji.

In that case...here is one more.... Sri
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The Incredibly Sweet Sound of Impending Doom: Madan Mohan (1924 - 1975)

Raghunandan R Bhat
October 19, 2005
Whenever I have listened to many of the incredibly beautiful melodies of Lata singing for Madan Mohan, my heart has always gone out to the unfortunate character who sang it on screen. Nothing good was ever going to come her way. Even the happiest of melodies seemed only a brief interlude in this tragedy called life. The most passionate of songs were only an invitation to a doomed love. Each note from these beautiful compositions seemed to ride on a background of melancholy - sometimes only a hint like in Main To Tumse Nain Milake Haar Gayee Sajana from Manmauji, sometimes so completely suffused with it as in Rasm-e-Ulfat ko Nibhayen to Nibhayen Kaise from Dil Ki Rahein. Except for a few honourable exceptions, Sadhana (Mera Saaya, Woh Kaun Thi), Nutan (Dulhan Ek Raat Ki) and Nargis (Adalat), almost all Madan's compositions were sung by heroines who were never quite top-rung. Two of his great compositions Woh Bhuli Dastaan and Chala hai kahan from Sanjog was picturised on Anita Guha. Enduring classics Hai Isi mein Pyaar ki Aabroo and Aap ki nazron ne samjha were shot on Mala Sinha and Bindu sang Jiya le gayo jee mora sawariya in Anpadh. The number of Madan's gems wasted on Priya Rajvansh is an indication of the saturnine misfortune that dogged him all his life. When the heroine was right, the film flopped. Nutan's Dulhan Ek Raat Ki with Sapnon mein agar mere was removed from theatres after just four days. Just once, Madan had his moment in the sun. The Director was right. The Heroine was right. And the film was a certified hit - Raj Khosla's Woh Kaun Thi with Sadhana ran for 25 weeks and every one thought Madan's work in the film would surely get the Filmfare award for that year. It got a nomination. But as the rumour goes a rival Music Director rigged the poll and laughed all the way to the podium. Raj Khosla who had worked with him before on the musically memorable Mera Saaya used him in the flop Chiraag and then never worked with Madan again.

Many years after Madan's death, his son Sanjeev Kohli wrote in a touching tribute to his father (Filmfare, 1997):

When we went on long car drives, dad would tell us to sing a song. Small and unfeeling that we were, we would start singing the songs composed by other music directors. He'd turn around and say, "Hey, even you!" At that time, we couldn't understand what he meant. We wouldn't sing his songs because they weren't easy to sing. That used to hurt him. Even his family didn't appreciate him.

Despite the obsequies of fate, Madan's creative muse flowered. For a film called Aap Ki Parchaiyaan with an unknown South Indian heroine opposite Dharmendra, he composed the classic - Agar Mujhse Mohabat hai. For Manmauji he tuned Chanda Ja. And then there were the string of pearls for Chetan Anand. Haqeeqat for which he tuned the most rousing patriotic song ever: Kar chale ham fida jaan-o-tan saathiyon, Ab tumhare hawale watan saathiyon had seven other classics which I fear to rank till this day. And then also for Chetan Anand in Hanste Zakhm was the jazz redux: Tum Jo Milgaye To and the orchestral classic for Heer Ranjha: Yeh Duniya yeh Mehfil, mere kaam ki nahin. If it were not for two Madan loyalists - Chetan Anand who used Madan in Haqeeqat, Naunihal, Heer Ranjha, Hanste Zakhm and Hindustan Ki Kasam and Om Prakash (the character actor known as much for his off screen generosity as his on screen villany) who used Madan Mohan in Sanjog, Jahan Ara, Gateway Of India and Chacha Zindabad, many of Madan Mohan's brilliant compositions would have remained uncomposed. Jahan Ara had three songs by Talat Mehmood - Phir Wahee Shaam, Main Teri Nazar ka Suroor, Tere Aankh ke ansoo and the duet with Lata - Ae Sanam aaj ye kasam khayein. This duet along with the other one from Suhagan - Tumhi To Mere Pooja ho are two of Talat's most melodious duets. The Talat-Madan combination gave some of the most moving songs ever: Meri Yaad mein tum na aanso bahana from Madhosh, Mera Qarar Leja and Main Pagal mera manwa pagal from Aashiana, Humse aaya na gaya from Dekh Kabeera Roya and a multi-singer Ho Ke Majboor from Haqeeqat.

Madan Mohan had the uncanny knack of getting the right singer to sing each of his compositions. Apart from Lata, Madan's choice of Mohamad Rafi was hauntingly perfect. In Chetan Anand's Naunihal Rafi sang that langourously seductive Tumhare Zulf ke Saaye mein Shaam kar loonga, Safar ik umr ka pal me tamam kar loonga, for a Guru Dutt Mala Sinha starrer Suhagan, Rafi sang Tu mere saamne hain and for Sunil Dutt in Mera Saaya Rafi's rendition of Aap ke Peheloon mein akar ro diye is heartbreakingly poignant. Rafi, it seems was hurt at Madan's stubborn choice of Talat for some of the the best songs of Jahan Ara. But not for long. With a portfolio that included Main nigahen teri chehere se from Aap Ki Parchaian, Rang aur Noor ki baraat from Ghazal, Ek Haseen Shaam Ko Dil Mera from Dulhan Ek Raat Ki, Chirag Dil Ka Jalao, bahot andhera hai from Chirag and that hauntingly perfect Tumse Kahoon Ek baat paronse halki halki from Dastak, Rafi had little to complain. And then there the duets - one with Asha - Humsafar saath apna chhod chale and the other with Lata from Heer Ranjha: Meri Duniya Mein Tum Aaye, Kya Kya Sapne Sath Liye - a magical dreamlike duet with almost no orchestration apart from the singers own melodious whispers. For Manna Dey too, Madan conjured that classic from Dekh Kabeera Roya - Kaun aaya mere Man ke dware and the achingly sweet duet with Lata - Bheegi Chandni Chayee Bekhudi from Suhagan.

The seventies saw Madan Mohan at his creative peak. R. D. Burman had gripped the nation's imagination with his western rhythms and was spawning imitations from a growing list of music directors. Madan refused to be swayed and composed some of his greatest songs in this period beginning with Rajinder Singh Bedi's Dastak - a work for which Madan recieved the country's highest honour - the National Award. Dastak had Lata at her melodious best. Baiyan Na Dharo, Hum Hai Mataye Kuchao and Mai Re Mai Kase Kahoon, and then that Rafi's painful anthem for solititude in a decaying urban chaos (the sound of a horse carriage moving through Bombay's Foras Road past midnight, rudely cutting the song in half) - Tumse Kahoon Ek Baat Paron Se Halki.... His work with Chetan Anand for Heer Ranjha and Hanste Zakhm was also in this period.

My own personal Madan favourite is an achingly sweet Khamaj from a film that ran for three days in a seedy Mumbai theatre - Dil Ki Raahein with Rehana Sultan and Rakesh Pandey. In constrast to the immensely popular Lata song from the same film, Rasm-E-Ulfat ko Nibhayein, this one never quite made it to the public memory. The same unfortunate film had a melodious Manna Dey, Usha Mangeshkar duet - Apne suron ko mere suron se milao. Yeh geet amar ho jaye. But the best of the lot was that lilting Khamaj by Lata. The song is almost happy, as if the actor had finally broken free of the melancholia that had run like an invisible thread through her voice and found true love. Like so many of Madan's gems, lyrics and melody are so perfectly matched that even after hearing it a thousand times, the experience is as fresh as it was the first time. Here it is:

Aap se baatein karein, Kya Dil ka afsaana kahein. Hosh mein donon nahin, Ab Kisko Diwana kahein

Close at number two is Madan's composition - a seductive Bhimpalas for Mera Saaya: Nainon mein Badra chaaye. Both seem to bring out that extra something from Lata Mangeshkar. Every note, every twang of the sitar, every word of the lyric is just right and every feeling perfectly nuanced. As with many of Madan's songs, it is difficult to tell what came first - the melody, the arrangement or the lyrics. Like the little known Bawarchi song - Lata's More naina bahaye neer.

Each of these musical classics with a handful of exceptions thudded at the box-office. Yet, Madan Mohan always had the grudging admiration of his peers. Naushad is supposed to have said that Madan ke Anpadh ki do ghazalon par meri zindagi ki sari mausiqui fida hai. Equally none of this fidayeen stopped the carping behind his back. The word that Madan bought misfortune had spread. Some of the industry's giants at that time - Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor - Madan's close friends never used him. There is a rumour that Raj Kapoor was discussing Satyam Shivam Sundaram with Madan just before he collapsed of an exhausted liver at Chetan Anand's house composing for Salim Anarkali - a film that Chetan Anand eventually shelved. Madan Mohan did not survive long. A few weeks later, leaving two doomed love stories Laila Majnu and Salim Anarkali unfinished Madan Mohan died on the 14th of July 1975.

In a tribute Ratna Rajaiah - a columnist for The Hindu, wrote:

His son Sanjeev Kohli recalls that his body was carried on the shoulders of Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna and Rajendra Kumar and when a photograph of this hit the newspapers the next morning, Sanjeev says that he became more popular in college than he had ever been when his father was alive - because they suddenly realised the worth of the dead man by the men who were his pallbearers...

Some of Madan's unrecorded compositions salvaged by his son have been recently re-arranged as a musical score for a film made by a company that his son heads. Like his college friends, sadly, the unfortunate young of today can grasp the measure of a musical genius only when a pouting mega star lips syncs to them to the waves of his blow-dried hair. This time the stars are right, the film director is right and who knows, the film might just about be a hit. But its just not the same. Now that is real tragedy.

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Don't miss the Madan Mohan Special Radio Program on HF Radio - on June 25th - his 82nd birthday - see the earlier post #6 for more details Sri

[Inaam]

This is a fantastic article. Many thanks Sri Ji

[sri]

REMINDER
Madan Mohan Special Radio Program on HF Radio on the 82nd birth anniversary of this great composer.
The program will start on time...and there will be a 'bonus' track for those who tune in 5 minutes BEFORE the program is scheduled to start. All those interested ...please do tune in. The chat session will also be open during the program for those who wish to discuss the music ..and other matters. Sri

[Nimii]

yes yes.. will be there dekhti hoon Bhirgu ji kaise ham se pehle login karenge

[Priya]

Sri, aap graphics bhi karte hain?

[Nimii]

Iss ne ab notice kiya Did u not notice when he sent the pic in pm re

Why cant Sriji not learn grrrrrrrrrrr Priya!!!!!!!!!!!!

N

[nm007]

I hope you have a repeat later at noon EST.
(If not, you have to PM the program to me!)