By Dr Amjad Parvez

Daily Times August 31, 2014

                                                                                            


A Lata-Mukesh duet “Teri shokh nazar ka ishara” became very popular from this film. The main film of Chitergupt in 1962 was ‘Main Chup Rahungi’ directed by A Bhimsingh. The film starred Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt in lead roles. I remember a musical slogan that used to appear on Radio Ceylon before the advertisement of this film. This film had seven hit songs sung by Muhammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. These were “Aaye na baalam”, “Chand jaane kahan kho gaya” (a very lilting number) and “Koi bata de dil hai” by Mangeshkar and Rafi, “Mere Dil Kabhi To Koi Aye Ga” and “Tumhi ho mata pita” by Mangeshkar alone.

The 1962 Chitergupt film were ‘Zabak’, ‘Bezubaan’, ‘Burma Road’ (songs such as ‘Banke Piya Kaho Ha Dagabaaz Ho’ (this was a very catchy solo by Lata)). ‘Aik Raaz’ and ‘Main Bhi Larki Hun’ were made in 1963. ‘Baghi’, ‘Ganga Ki Lehrain’ and hit film ‘Mera Qasoor Kya Hai’; were made in 1964. The latter movie starred Dharmender, Nanda and Om Prakash. I remember a beautiful song by Lata with lyrics ‘Dar Dar Ki Thokro Itna Mujhey Bataao, Mera Qusoor Kaya Hei’ that became one of the popular sad songs of the day. The other worth mentioning song was a duet ‘Koi Aaney Walla Hei’ by Lata and Mahinder Kapoor. The movies ‘Oonche Log’, ‘Akashdeep’ and ‘Mahabharat’ appeared in 1965. The movies ‘Afsaana’ and ‘Biradari’ appeared in 1966. Lata never left the hands of Chitergupt in his days of struggle. Chitergupt’s interest in classical music was evident the moment some of his songs started being aired on Radio, especially in the dance numbers. For example in the songs ‘Balma Maanei Na’ from the movie ‘Opera House’ the Tabla and Violins play and inter-act with each other on the beat of Tabla ‘Toras’ (rhythm sequences) and the tonal variations thus exhibited, depict Chitergupt’s style, immediately noticeable once his songs started playing. Similarly the explicit beat of the Frontier Province is overtly well used in the song ‘Dagha Dagha Wai Wai’ by Lata from the 1960 movie ‘Kaali Topi Laal Rumaal’. The rhythmic hop in the ‘Been-Sapera’ song ‘Tera Jaadu Na Chaley Ga O Saperey’ from the 1959 movie ‘Guest House’ was amazingly popular at the time of its release.

Sahir Ludhianvi, penned numbers like ‘Ye Parbato Ke Daayare Yei Shaam Ka Dhuaan’ (Lata and Rafi) for 1968 movie ‘Vasna’. To summarize, Chitragupt’s notable films include ‘Vasna’, Aik Raaz’, ‘Bara Aadmi’, ‘Opera House’, ‘Oonche Log’ , ‘Main Chup Rahun Gi’, ‘Mera Qusoor Kaya Hei’ and ‘Zabak’. Lata had a role to play in the success of music of these films. 1959 movie ‘Guest House’ with Shakila and Ajit was one of this type but it is remembered for its songs ‘Dil Ko Laakh Sambhala Ji’ and ‘Tera Jaadu Na Chalei Ga O Saperey’; two scintillating melodies by Lata. This able crooner also gave lovely treatment to Chitergupt’s compositions in songs such as ‘Tarpaao Gei Tarpa Lo’ from the movie ‘Barkha’. I remember a 1959 movie ‘Kangan’ in which Lata sang a lovely number ‘Muskurao Kei Ji Nahin Lagta/Paas Aao Keh Ji Nahin Lagta’ in Dadra beat – a ghazal format that was very catchy number. The notable song of’ film ‘Oonche Log’ is ‘Hayeye Rei Terey Chanchal Nainewa’ by Lata Mangeshkar. At the 13th National Film Awards it won the award for Second Best Feature Film in Hindi language. For 1962 movie ‘Burma Road’ everybody used to hum its Lata-Usha duet ‘Bankey Piya Kaho Haan Daghabaaz Ho’. The other notable songs of this movie were ‘Aankh Jhuki Si’, ‘Zulfain Uljhi Hain’ by Lata and a Lata-Talat duet ‘Mausem Yei Pukarey Masti Mein’. Movie ‘Nachey Nagin Bajey Been’ in 1960 had B Grade cast like Helen, Kumkum, Chander Shekar, K. N. Singh, Agha and Sunder but the songs were good like Rafi-Lata duets ‘Beet Gai Hei Aadhi Raat’ and ‘Chalei Hain Kahan Sarkar’. Another Tara Harish movie ‘Kali Topi Laal Rumaal’ made in 1959 had very catchy songs such as ‘Dagha Dagha Vai Vai’ (Lata’s solo) and ‘Lagi Choote Na’ a duet by Lata and Rafi. This movie had Shakila in place of other actresses. 
Sajjad Hussain & Mangeshkar: Ironically Mangeshkar opposed Sajjad Hussain to bag films through the latter half of his career despite Hussain making Mangeshkar sing beautiful melodies initially. Critics believe that Hussain was his own enemy and in the absence of any diplomacy and public relations and in a place full of flatterers and hypocrites, it became difficult for Hussain to survive. The man who once told Mangeshkar when she was trying to woo Hussain to give her a song, that she should take more effort and that Naushad Sahab’s tunes should not be taken lightly.