I am requesting to our kind and wonderful administrators that a separate forum for Hemanta Mukherjee/ Hemant Kumar should also be formed.....
He is no less than Rafi, Mukesh or Talat Mehmood who are all indeed my favorites.

The music composition of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam was given to Hemant Kumar after S.D. Burman refused and Guru Dutt's criteria for the music director was that above all he has to be a Bengali who was brought up in Calcutta----AND HEMANTA MUKHERJEE is as Bengali as it gets, with a strong training in Rabindrasangeet, influenced by the Master Pankaj kumar Mullick.

The Title Music of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is an example of his excellence.....

(Also personally sahib Bibi Ghulam appeals to me because i am from South Calcutta, where it was filmed in the mansion of Gaine brothers of Dhakuria, a 10 minute walk from my residence in calcutta. It is a delapidated mansion now. The culture shown there is exactly as Calcutta was during that time, I have experienced the reminiscence of that.....from the Chaudhary's of zorabagan who were a close friend of ours and I spent several days in such a zamindar mansion in Calcutta while growing up. everything was depicted accurately by Guru dutt and Abrar Alvi.)

Dear Chatterjee, I fully endorse your request for a separate forum dedicated to Hemant Da, who gave melodious music in all his films whether it was Bees Saal Baad or Nagin and many more including Anand Math, Shart, Jagriti, Taj, Durgesh Nandini, Miss Mary, Ek Jhalak, Girl Friend, Khamoshi, Champakali, Ek Hi Rasta, Anupama, Sannata, Bin Badal Barsaat and Majhli Didi.

Thanks for your support in this.

Also in Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam he used two tunes from his Bengali Adhunik Songs:-

Na Jao Saiyan (Oliro kothha shune bokul hashe)
Mere baat rahi mere (aami door hote tomarei dekhechhi)

Bappa

and what about manna day,s forum--only compelete singer in indian film induystry---

Bappa-da,
Indeed this is probably one of the finest title themes I have ever come across, with a clear identity and even hummable as a song by itself.

And thanks for reviving our interest in movies set in the old Bengali aristocracy - aren't they called "bhadralok"?

Cheers,
50Some1

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This is exactly what my Telegu, Hyderabadi friend asked me!!. Here is my answer!!
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No 'bhadrolok' has nothing to do with aristrocracy. 'Bhadrolok' exactly means gentleman....It is a class of people who are educated, economically middle to rich and are generally referred to as 'cultured'.(A word that Bengalis use almost everyday) The other class is "chhotolok" which is used an abuse!!

Aristrocracy are called "bonedi" ghar and they practiced 'bonediana'. It was also sometimes referred to as 'Babu culture' by the British, but later on 'Babu' culture included other 'bhadroloks' also!! In fact I would refer to my professors as Bidhan Babu or they would adress each other as Babu after their names. My mother would refer to my father's friends as Bablu Babu etc.

Then there are the 'antel' (pronounced as atel with a nasal tone after the a) who are the intellectuals as the ones shown in Mrinal Sen movies, bearded 30-ish with a jute bag on one shoulder and chappal on both feet with a kurta pyjama.

That's all I think is enough for one session!!!

Regards-
Bappa

Does any one know why Burmanda refused to compose music for Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam?

Thanks
Parag

parag,
the film wasn't offered to sdb.sdb and sahir had some differences after pyasa;when sahir sahab claimed that pyaasa's success was solely because of his poetry.they refused to work with each other.
guru dutt was keen that sahir should write lyrics for sahib biwi aur ghulam.so the sahir-hemant kumar team finalised for the film.but sahir who was a moody person ,didn't turn up for the sittings for 3-4 days.so sahir was sacked by guru dutt and shakeel badayuni brought in.
so sbg was made without both sdb and sahir.this is according to an article by isaac muzawar.


regards,
mahesh

Hi Mahesh

Many thanks for the clarification. In my school days, I have read a lot of articles by Isac Mujawar in a Marathi magazine devoted to films. The name of the magazine was Chitraanand.

In one of its annual issues (on Deewali) there was a very long and detailed article on Guru Dutt. In the same article, I remember reading a lot of information (and many pics of) Geeta ji.

I wish some one can find that article...