S.D.Burman-A Natural Composer

After a long gap I hve been able to continue my nosta lgic journey of film music and now I recpllect some old memory wit S.D.Burman music.Yhe first compsition of Burman which struck the responsive chord in me as a child was the song sung by Geeta Dutt(then Roy) from the film "Do Bhai".It was :Mera Sunder Sapna Beet Gaya".I have a very faint memory of the film whic I had seen with my mother and aunt in the laadies class of the local theatre.But this song is still alive in my memory.Geeta Roy was a new discovery with a distinct lusture in her voice which provided a new dimension to the melodies of that era due to a special mould given by the musical genious called Kumar Sachin Dev Burman.S.D.Burman throghout his career never disappointed uswith his composition; be it the mellow and serene melodies of Pyasa ot the lilting,lively aand yuthful songs of Munimji.Paying Guest,Chalti ka naamGari,Kala Pani ,Aradhana and many others.His musical spectrum was vide enough to cover different shades of composition required to fit a film situation,ranging from Bengali folk to classical,modern and Western.He was the only music director with an uncanny sense of composing songs befitting the fim situation and the characters.He was a master craftman in selectingg the sngers for his songs.His songs are syudded with the gems of voices of every hues and sheen that were available .He utilized the range and timbreof these voices perfectly.Talat Mahmood and Hemant Kumar are such two vices.He extracted the best from Talat Mahmood in his three songs,1)Jayen to Jayen Kahan(Taxi Driver),2)Mitwa(Devdas)3)Jalte hain Jis ke liye(Sujata) Hemant Kumar A baritone with a lmited range of voice sang his best songs under the direction of S.D.Burman.Remember "Teri duniya mmen Jine se'(hOUSE NO.44)jANE WOH Kaise Log The" (Pyasa),"Hi Apna Dil to Awara"(Slva Sal" nd Yd Aa gayin Woh Nashili Nigahhen"(Mnzil)
These songs are tailord made for Talat Mehmood and Hemant Kumar only.Burman as a film musician is par excellence

My Other Favourite Hindi Film Music Composers

In my earlier two blogs I paid a critical obeisance to Naushad's music in details.Though I have put Naushad on a pedestal,nevertheless there are equally talented music composers who have enlightened me with their tilting melodies through my musical journey from my childhood to youth. I have shortlisted five music directors whose compositions always give me a sense of dej vu.

1. Khem Chand Prakash

Khem Chand Prakash is a very respected name in the annals of the history of Hindi film music. My first experience of film songs based on Indian classical music as a child ofthree wassongof the filmTansen sung by the legendary K.L. Sehgal and composed by Khem Chand Praksh.I still remember my father's gramophone of HMV make with a collection of records and Hindi ffilm songs of that era.We enjoyed all sorts of music but the record which always fascinated us {my elder brother and me} was that of Tansen which had on one side "Rumjhum Rumjhum Chal Tumhari" and on the other side 'bagh Laga Dun Sajni sung by K.L. Sehgal. At that time we were too young to read the prints on the record but by sheer instinct we usd to recognize the exact song on either side of the record. My mother very proudly preented this feat of ours before visitors at our home.Later when I grew up I could know that the music director of Tansen was Khem Chand Prakash, real Guru of Indian fim music. His music is so eternal that even today after fifty yers I stop all my activities whenever the song "Aaga Aane Wala" of the film Mahal sung by Lata is being played. This is the immortal magic of Khem Chand Prakash.

Naushad - The true Indian composer

Naushad unlike his contemporaries never plagiarized from western music while composing his songs.He was an Indian by heart and a true protagonist of Indianness in film mussic. In this sense he has carved his own niche in the history of film music.All his songs are based on Indian music viz.classical,semiclassical,folk or any other forms.Seelect any of his songs and listen carefully and repeatedly,you will realize how painstakingly the melody is casted with each note and pause cut and polished like diamonds in a jewellery.

He was a hard task master and insisted his playback singer to rehearsal for weeks unless he is satisfied with the result. One can feel the result of this "Riyaz" in the flow and pace of his songs.
His songs are never composed in haste.There is a feeling of tranquality and spirituality in them,supported by mellow orchestra. I mention two songs which exude
these qualities of his music :
1) "Jane wale se molakat na hone payee" by Lata from the film Amar based on the raga Bhopali
2) "Zindagi aaj mere nam se sharmati hai" by Rafi from the film Son of India base on raga jaijainvanti
Naushad music is incomplete without mentioning the rare charm of his background music.For his background score he used a large orchestra whic gave the symphony effect using various indian musical instruements going with the mood and the demand of the scenes.Feel the musical effect in the background score of Mughale Azaam and Pakizah

NAUSHAD'S MAGICAL BATON

I have a very vivid memory of a film song which I enjoyed s child of eight while watching the film Andaz starring Dilip Kumr, Raj Kapoor nd Nargis in a rickety thetre of a smll town of Bihar in early 50's.The song was 'Uthai ja unke sitam"sung by Lata Mangeshkar rendered on the screen by Nargiss.Of all the popular melodies mostly sungukesh in this film composed by Nausha d this particular song struck the chord in me which later years I discovered that this lilting melody was composed in raga Kedara.This was my first experience of the geniuss of Naushad who could mould an indian classical raga into popular film song with such a dextrity.Another classical number which mismerised me in my childhood was from the film Shabab "man ki been matwali baje" by Rafi and Lata set in ragaw Basant Bahar.
I still visualise in my memory, a young boy running on the street of a sleepy town of Bihar after the loud speaker on a carriage which was playing this song while dvertising for this film to be shown in the local theatre.Those days in 50's this was the way for promoting a film.The boy who is now 67 is still under the charm of Naushad magical melodies.This is Naushad.
I will write more about some immotal songs composed by Naushad.