Dr Amjad Parvez

He was reputed to be famous or moulding his voice to the actor’s personality he was singing for. Since he was considered the god of Hindi songs, it invited jealousy and certain lobbies’ succeeded in ousting him in favour of Kishore Kumar for some time. Ironically the same lobby was forced to bring him back but by then it was too late and he was sick with heart ailment and sang a few songs. 
After this brief history we must mention the wonderful songs, this quartet created. The first movie was 1948 movie ‘Mela’ and the hit song was “Ye zindigi kei mele”. The next movie was 1951 movie ‘Deedar’. The best song of this movie was Lata-Rafi duet “Daikh liya main nei qismet ka tamasha” picturised on Dilip and Nimmi; the latter ousting Nargis in acting in this movie like she did Madhubala in a subsequent film ‘Amar’. This song uses the crooner’s broad ranged voices in the second half climax in both antaras (stanzas). This Nitin Bose directed movie had Ashok Kumar in it as well. Rafi’s solo “Hue hum jin kei liye barbad” with Dohra “Aseer-Panja-e-Ehd-e-Shabab”. Imagine that in the disguise of Hindi language, all Urdu vocabulary is used, not only in this song but in most of Indian film songs. The only difference is that Hindi script is used in place of the Arabic one. That is why Urdu language has been extinct in India now. This is the outcome of deliberate policies of those who matter there. Irony is that still they cannot do without Urdu language in poetry. Dilip sang this song with harmonium around his neck begging for money and Ashok gives him some money as Dilip plays a blind man in this movie with Motilal as his partner. He commanded a powerful role assisted with Rafi’s powerful vocals. Another duet “Bachpan kei din bhula na daina” with Lata-Shamshad singing the children playback needs mention. The adult version was rendered by Rafi when Dilip recalls his childhood with Nargis (who had conveniently forgotten it) sitting at the back of horse cart (buggy) with Nargis on the front seat. This movie had three nice songs but by Lata and Shamshad. 
The next worth discussing movie was the 1952; first colour venture of India namely ‘Aan’. 1952. This was a super-hit movie of that time, produced and directed by the legendary Mehboob Khan.

Amongst all the song that best describes the theme of the movie, that is, a poor villager Dilip Kumar overcoming the pride (Aan) of the Princess Nadira is “Maan mera ehsaan arre”. Another Rafi song was “Muhabbat choome jin kei haath”. A horse riding song “Dil main chuppa kei pyaar ka toofan” sung by Rafi and picturised on Dilip in disguised personality was an interesting situation in the movie. Another worth listening song is “Khelo rang hamare sang” featuring Dilip Kumar, Nimmi and Nadira. The song is sung by Rafi and Shamshad Begum. A song “Main rani hun raja ki, raja mera piya” sung by Shamshad Begum with Prem Nath teasing Nimmi while passing in his car in the fields, is also featured in this movie. Until then Naushad Ali used to utilise Shamshad’s powerful lungs for his songs.

Two years later the great Mehboob Khan got the quartet together again for the movie ‘Amar’. The song that is close to my heart is the bhajan “Insaaf ka mandir hai yei bhagwan ka ghar”. Just imagine all four Muslims getting together and making a mandir (Hindu temple) song! This was the essential greatness of the society, the movies and songs of that era: people of all communities participated in hymns of all religions, unlike today’s polarisation. The movie had three Lata’s songs “Na shikwa hei koi”, “Tere sadque balam” and “Na milta ghum tau barbadi kei afsaane”. This movie revolved around the guilt of Dilip Kumar who had made love to Nimmi in a perturbed frame of mind and ultimately he had to sacrifice his love of Madhubala for Nimmi. This movie touched this sensitive issue in very delicate and subtle manner.

The next movie of the quartet was the 1955 movie ‘Uran Khatola’ that was produced by Naushad Ali. The storyline of this movie revolves around an airplane crashing near an isolated town that is ruled by women. The other songs worth mentioning are “Na toofan se khelo”, “Hue ham jinke liye barbaad” and “O door kei musaafir”. Rafi is at his best in the song “Mohabbat ki rahon mein chalna sambhal kei”.

It is said that Kumar went into depression after playing tragic roles in films such as ‘Devdas’ and his psychiatrist recommended to do lighter and comic roles. One such role that he took up was that in ‘Kohinoor’ opposite Meena Kumari who played prince and princess of different kingdoms respectively and was full of sword fights, songs and dances.

From :  Daily Times February 28, 2014

Part VI

Dr Amjad Parvez

I remember singing along with Mushtaq Hashimi two songs “Do sitaron ka zameen par” and “Koi pyar ki daikhe jadugari”; duets by Rafi and Lata in Government College’s Logia for our friends in early 1960s. These songs were from the 1960 movie ‘Koh-i-Noor’. The worth mentioning song by Muhammad Rafi is the classical number “Madhuban mein radhika nache rei” in, which Dilip Kumar is said to have practiced playing sitar for many days before he allowed himself to picture the Sitar playing sequence on the dancing steps of Kum Kum. This song established the classical based singing of Rafi. This film is also notable for some rare comical and funny scenes by Meena Kumari, who is otherwise known as tragedy queen. This movie’s tone was light and it lacked the intense characterizations of their earlier films. It was a major hit of the year. Songs such as “Dhal chuki sham-e-gham”, “Chalain gei teer jab dil par to parwano ka kya” (duet with Lata), “Zara mun ki kaiwaria khol gori tere duware khare” and “Tun rang lo ji aj mun rang lo” (duet with Asha) are worth mentioning songs from this movie.

Then there was a five-year gap after ‘Uran Khatola’ in which no simultaneous movie of the quartet was released though there were other movies for them to accept. The wait was worthwhile. The 1960 ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ was written by Kamal Amrohi and directed by K Asif. It was the biggest box office hit ever (Rs 133 crores after adjusting for inflation) until much later; the movie ‘Sholay’ broke this record. The movie was based on Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj’s story (without giving credit to him) about the love affair between Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jahangir) and courtesan Anarkali. The movie belonged to Lata Mangeshkar who rendered the best and most popular songs like “Mohe panghat pei nandlal chair geyo re”, “Mohabbat ki jhooti kahani pe roye” and “Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya”. Rafi had only one important song but it became very famous: “Zindabaad zindabaad; aei mohabbat zindabaad” picturised on actor Kumar playing the role of the sculpture who raises his voice in support of Prince Salim’s bravely to opt for gallows from the hands of his father Shehenshah Akbar.

In 1961, Dilip appeared as a romantic pair with Vyjantimala in the film ‘Ganga Jamuna’. Rafi’s song “Nain lar jai hain to manva ma kasak hoibi khari” based on Purbi folk dialect was in consonance with the dancing steps of Dilip Kumar. Needless to say Lata excelled in her numbers “Do hanson ka jora bicher geyo re” and “Dhoondo dhoondo re saajna”. Now it was time to use raag Lillat for the song “Ik shehenshah nei banwa kei haseen Taj Mahal”. The location to shoot this love song was Taj Mahal, Agra on Dilip Kumar and Vyjantimala in the film ‘Leader’. The year was 1964 to find the quartet again. This movie belonged to Rafi with songs such as “Apni azadi ko hum”, “Hamin se mohabbat hamin sei laraayi”, Arre maar daala duhai duhai” and “Tere husn ki kya taareef karun” (with Lata). The song that excelled however was “Mujhe duniya walo sharabi na samjho”, if only to enjoy seeing Dilip in assumed drunken attire and Rafi matched the drunken voice in this song.

It was now time to adapt Emily Bronte’s famous novel Wuthering Heights in Indian version as ‘Dil Diya Dard Liya’. Dilip Kumar’s role as the oppressed one later turning into a bully in retaliation to Pran’s tyranny was an excellent piece of acting. Waheeda Rehman played heroine opposite Dilip Kumar with side heroine Shyama. If Lata excelled in ‘Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aai’ and ‘Kaya Rang-e-Mehfil Hei Dildarum’, Rafi excelled in raag Kalawati based song “Koi sagar dil ko behlata nahin” along with “Guzre hain aaj ishq main” with concluding climax lines “O bewafaa tera bhi youn hi toot jaae dil”; excellent piece of poetry by Shakeel. It only matches Saif uddin Saif’s poetry in the Pakistani movie ‘Saath Laakh’ song “Qarar looteney waale” wherein the beloved is given negative entreaty in desperation. Another solo “Dilruba main nei tere pyar main” and duet “Sawen Aei” with Asha are added beauty of this movie’s music. Despite excellent treatment imparted by the director, this movie did not do well commercially. Probably the theme was too serious for the happy-go-lucky cinemagoers of that time.

It was therefore time for the quartet to lean towards comedy again and two years later, this combination returned in the shape of the super-hit movie ‘Ram Aur Shyam’. The theme of twins separated at birth and united later in life made its debut and this theme continued unabated for many years.

The movie had a soul-stirring song by Rafi “Aaj ki raat mere dil ki salaami”.

From :  Daily Times March 01, 2014