Aa ri sakhi main tohe preet sikha doon

Posted by: Atul on: April 11, 2013

In: Actor-Singer song | Century songs for the blog | Feelings of heart | Guest poster century song | Guest posts | Post by Arunkumar Deshmukh | Rare song | Song of 1937 | Songs of 1930s (1931 to 1940) | Yearwise breakup of songs
33 Comments

This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog. This is his 100th writeup in the blog.

I just cant believe that I am writing this 100th post today !

My First write up on ‘Savitri-37’ song came up on 1-10-2012 and in less than 195 days,I am writing the Century Post !!

This is all possible only because of our Leader, ATUL JI. He has been a constant encouragement to me for writing various series on different topics. Most important thing is,right from the First post he has been helping me by writing Lyrics of all my posts hetherto. Due to age factor, as such,it is difficult for me to listen, decipher and write the Lyrics accurately, but with Atul ji’s help I was able to continue with honour.

Thanks Atul ji,for your help,encouragement and Guidance.

For this Century post,I have selected a song from a film which has Historical Importance in Hindi Film Industry of Bombay. MAHAGEET-1937 was THE film for which the FIRST Playback song was recorded and filmed at Bombay.

( In Calcutta,R C Boral had already done this in ” Dhoop Chhaon “-1935 with song-“Main Khush hona chahoon”).

The music Director for Mahageet-37 was Anil Biswas.

For many years, I was aware that this was the film to start playback in Bombay, but I never got any information from any source in any article, book, magazine or Internet, as to WHICH was that song ! There were 7 songs in the film, but no information on WHICH was that song. I had tried all possible sources, but nowhere could I find the wanted information.

When I decided to do my Century post on a song from this film, I was keen to know THAT song, so that it could be used in this post as another Milestone Song on this Blog.

While getting information on Anil Biswas for this write up, I suddenly struck Gold and finally I got the information which I had sought for many years.

Today, FIRST TIME this information is being given on ANY Blog on the Internet.

The FIRST Playback song in a Hindi Film at Bombay, was “Jeewan hai ek kahani,Duniya bhi ek kahani,Tu kya main kya…”. This song, which was written by Zia Sarhadi was sung by Anil Biswas.

This song was filmed on the Director/actor Hiren Bose, on the background of a Samshan Bhoomi.

I got this information from the book, ” Music beyond Boundaries ” by Dr. Ashok D Ranade, pp 183-186

In this book Dr. Ranade has given this valuable information in the small notes on “Early Composers”, where he wrote about Anil Biswas.

He further says, ” Unfortunately,Sagar Film Co. did not make records of this song.”

Thus, neither the record nor the film clip is available for this Historical song. Some other recorded songs from this movie are available on audios.

Anil Biswas (7-7-1914 to 31-5-2003 ) was a born artist. However, after spending early years in and out of jail for anti-British activities, Anil ji came to Calcutta when he was just 17 years old. Initially he composed music for some plays of Rangmahal Theatre (run by Nitai Babu) and also acted in some plays. When he was working in Megaphone Recording Company he got friendly with Kazi Nazrul Islam. Their friendship became so intense that the Kazi composed a song for him to sing in film Watan-38. Even for this song no record is available.

On the advise of his mentor,Hiren Bose, Anil Biswas came to Bombay in 1934. He worked in Eastern Film Company, Sagar film company National Studios and Bombay Talkies during 1942 to 1946, after which he became a Freelancer.

While in Eastern, he met Ashalata,a very attractive and beautiful actress (Mehrunnisa Moosa Bhagat), they fell in love and they got married in 1936.

Hiren Bose gave him his First break as a Music Director in ” Dharam ki Devi’-1935, in which he also sang a song. This song became a hit and established him as a singer also. Though he sang only in his films and also only if necessary, his maximum songs in a movie are 4 ( 2 duets and 2 solos) in the film Ek hi Raasta-1939.

While coming from Calcutta he had brought 4 musicians with him, who knew reading and writing Notations. Later he made his own orchestra of 12 Musicians in Bombay. Lata sang for him First time for Anokha Pyar-1948.

In this film he also met Meena Kapoor, who was already an established singer. By now Anil ji had separated from his first wife Ashalata due to incompatibility. After few years he started staying with Meena Kapoor. They stayed together till his end.

Anil Biswas gave music in almost 80 films.

He is considered as a very original composer.

Mahageet-1937 was a film by Sagar Film company. It was directed by Hiren Bose, who also did a small but important role in the film-that of Ranjit,hero’s close friend.

The MD was Anil Biswas and the lyrics were by Zia Sarhadi.

The cast was Surendra, Maya Banerjee, Ashalata, Sankatha Prasad (a regular of Sagar and elder brother of actor Kanhiayalal), Hiren Bose, Sitara, Bhudo Advani, Pesi Patel etc.

The story was-

Prashant (Surendra) is a very brilliant research scholar and a pet of his Professor, Roy. Prashant has invented a technique to prove that sound waves do not die. As a proof he has also rediscovered 5000 year old Veda chanting. The world was stunned. He was also due for a scholarship to go abroad for further research and the Professor wanted him as his Son in Law.

Unfortunately, Prashant loved Maya (Maya Banerjee) from his village, so he refuses professor’s proposal. The professor is very angry and ensures that his scholarship is cancelled and job taken away. Prashant goes back to village and marries Maya. Prashant’s widowed sister- Shanti- is a crook and troubles Maya always.

When Prashant goes back to Town to search for a job, Shanti makes Maya’s life miserable and Maya leaves the house. When Prashant learns about it, he comes back,traces Maya and brings her back.

Again Prashant has to go looking for a job in the city. In the city, he meets with an accident by Aruna’s car. Aruna (Ashalata) is the professor’s daughter. She takes him home and nurses him, falling in his love also, side by side. Prashant is already frustrated. He does not know what to do. He goes back to his home. Shockingly, he finds Maya in the arms of his best friend Ranjit. Dejected, he returns to the city and marries Aruna. the professor is very happy.

One day Ranjit comes to meet him and tells him that Maya was a pure girl. She did all this drama only to ensure that Prashant should leave her as,because of her,Prashant’s career was spoiled.

On learning this Prashant and Ranjit come to the village only to find Maya dead.

The film ends with a song filmed on Hiren Bose, sung by Anil Biswas.

Here is a song from “Mahageet” (1937). It is sung by Maya Bannerji. Zia Sarhadi is the lyricist. Only the audio of this song is available but it is clear that the song is picturised on Maya Bannerji herself.

Song-Aa ri sakhi main tohe preet sikha doon (Mahageet)(1937) Singer-Maya Bannerji, Lyrics-Zia Sarhadi, MD-Anil Biswas

Lyrics

hahahahahaha
hahahahahaha

aa ri sakhi
main tohe preet sikha doon
aa ri sakhi
main tohe preet sikha doon
aa ri sakhi
dharti mein
jeene ki
dharti mein
jeene ki
reet bataa doon
reet bataa doon
aa ri sakhi
main tohe preet sikha doon
aa ri sakhi

o sakhi ganga jal
mere saath chal
o sakhi ganga jal
mere saath chal

o sakhi ganga jal
mere saath chal
jhaadiyon mein chhupke
un ko dekhti rahoon
jhaadiyon mein chhupke
un ko dekhti rahoon
o sakhi ganga jal
mere saath chal
o sakhi ganga jal
mere saath chal

aa ri sakhi
main tohe preet sikha doon
aa ri sakhi

Tags: 1937, Actor-Singer, Anil Biswas, Mahageet, Maya Bannerji, Zia Sarhadi

33 Responses to "Aa ri sakhi main tohe preet sikha doon"

1 | Sadanand Kamath
April 11, 2013 at 8:32 am

Dear Arun,

Hearty congratulations for your first ‘official’ century on the blog. I say ‘official’ because for me ( for other readers in this blog too), you may have already reached the figure close to 600 when your informative comments about old films on this blog are taken in to consideration. Those comments, in my view, are in fact mini articles or write-ups.

Please keep them coming in the days to come.

Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs

Aa ri sakhi main tohe preet sikha doon

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