Roshan and the adorning of the Hindi Film Song with Shringar Ras
March 27, 2007
There is an apocryphal story about Roshan requesting S. D. Burman's permission to use the tune of Thandi hawaein, lehera ke aayen from Naujawan for a song Roshan was composing for Mamta. It seems Burman agreed and Roshan used it to create that lilting Rahein Na Rahein Hum. Parables like these, almost always have more than one lesson. First: that genuinely creative people are marked by a magnanimity and a respect for creative ownership that others, less endowed, lack. Second: the stamp of an individual's genius can forcefully wipe out every trace of the original material that he starts with. Listen to the ravishingly embellished Lata voice, the little tinkles in the background, the small flute interludes, the perfectly orchestrated flourishes - the little musical Shringars in the Mamta song and you will see Roshan sweetly dress-up Sachin Dev's musical gift with care and respect. Many years later, in the age-old Indian tradition of the son laying claim to his father's legacy, R. D. Burman's reversioned his father's Naujawan song for Sagar: Sagar Kinare is positively flat in comparision to Roshan's.
The Incredibly Sweet Sound of Impending Doom: Madan Mohan (1924 - 1975)
February 19, 2007
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.
Theke ke Thekedar: Sachin Dev Burman (1906 - 1975)
January 7, 2007
A beat in a song is a strange thing. Most often composers use it as a simple benign metronome, providing a reference point for the orchestra and the singer to move around and periodically return to. Sometimes it can be overpowering as in O. P. Nayyar's compositions tightly reigning the singers to its unchanging and unyielding authority. Between these extremes lies a third role: percussion as accompanying singer with equal role and prominence with the singer and the beat making openings for one another as in a duet. None used this to sweeter effect and success than the master Sachin Dev Burman. Here are 5 five songs that best illustrate this: