Laal laal gaal
Posted on: November 18, 2008
1950s saw many changes in Bollywood movie songs. Many music directors were introducing folk music into Bollywood music with great success. Then there were other music directors who introduced western music popular at that time.
Rock and Roll music was introduced at that time by music directors like C Ramchandra and others. 1957 was the year that saw two very popular rock and roll numbers hitting the Binaca geetmala chart. Tunes of both the songs sound so similar. One song was “eena meena deeka” from “Asha”. This song, sung so wonderfully by Kishore Kumar was 15th in Binaca geetmala 1957 final. But there was one rock and roll based song that finished 3rd in Binaca geetmala final of 1957, that is how popular that song was.
This song was composed by N Dutta, lyrics were written by Majrooh and it was sung by Rafi.
The song sounds so similar to the “eena meena deeka” song, and it is clear from the Binaca geetmala standings of 1957 that this song was more popular than the “Asha” song.
Of course, much water has flown under the bridge since. This song “laal laal gaal” has been forgotten by now whereas “eena meena deeka” is becoming more and more popular. That is how the laddoo crumbles in Bollywood music world.
PS- If one listens to the song for only the first time now, then one may not think much of it on the first listening. But just listen to it a few times, then it will grow on you and then one can realise why this song must have been such a big rage with the listeners of 1957. This song has already grown up on me after I listened to it some 4-5 times. In fact, that is how songs become popular,i.e. one needs to listen to them a few times.
Song- Laal laal gaal (Mr X) (1957) Singer- Rafi, Lyrics- Majrooh Sultanpuri, MD-N Dutta
Lyrics
laal laal gaal, jaan ke hain laagu
dekh dekh dekh, dil pe rahe kaabu
chor chor chor, bhaag pardesi baabu
laal laal gaal, jaan ke hain laagu
dekh dekh dekh, dil pe rahe kaabu
chor chor chor, bhaag pardesi baabu
chor chor chor, ye nahin hain maal udhar ke
mor mor mor ye to hain dil-o-jigar ke
peele peele peele inke baal hain niraale
neele neele neele, inki ankhiyon ke pyaale
chor chor chor, ye nahin hain maal udhar ke
mor mor mor ye to hain dil-o-jigar ke
peele peele peele inke baal hain niraale
neele neele neele, inki ankhiyon ke pyaale
ajnabi pe bedhadak khuli sadak chalate hain ye
chalate hain ye jaadu laal laal gaal
laal laal gaal
laal laal gaal, jaan ke hain laagu
dekh dekh dekh, dil pe rahe kaabu
chor chor chor, bhaag pardesi baabu…
haay haay haay, ye nigaahon kaa nishaanaa
vaay vaay vaay, koyi teer khaa na jaanaa
maan maan maan, meri jaan meraa kahanaa
inke chaal-dhaal ke khayaal mein na rahnaa
haay haay haay, ye nigaahon kaa nishaanaa
vaay vaay vaay, koyi teer khaa na jaanaa
maan maan maan, meri jaan meraa kahnaa
inke chaal-dhaal ke khayaal mein na rahanaa
ajnabi pe bedhadak khuli sadak chalate hain
chalate hain ye jaadu
laal laal gaal
laal laal gaal, jaan ke hain laagu
dekh dekh dekh, dil pe rahe kaabu
chor chor chor, bhaag pardesi baabu
11 Responses to "Laal laal gaal"
November 19, 2008 at 1:29 am
Oops, here it is. I had posted it, but there was some typing mistake on my part. Now I have corrected it.
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December 6, 2015 at 9:13 pm
Please post a link to the video of this song. We have tried in so many
links but it is not available anywhere. It will also be possible to see who
is the actor singing on screen, if we can see the video. Thanks!
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November 22, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Wow…I last heard this song no later than 1972.
Like you say, it has “fallen away” since but it feels so good to listen to it again now.
Thanks for reviving this “golden oldie” Atul.
And I am talking about the song. 😉
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July 1, 2010 at 10:23 pm
I badly want to see the picturisation of this song.
Cannot find it on youtube. 😦
It should be fun.
This sounds like an obscure movie – so maybe I request Greta to try to look for the film/video? 😉
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December 7, 2015 at 9:42 am
The story line of “Mr X” has a scientific aspect involved in it. A Scientist professor is trying to create a remedy in his laboratory for the treatment of Cancer. He experiments all such medicines on his pet cat (Who perhaps is suffering from Cancer). When the professor makes the cat to drink the newly prepared medicine, the cat becomes invisible. Then he realizes to his surprise that by mistake he had created a medicine which when taken makes a person invisible. The Hero (Ashok Kumar) is in love with the daughter of Professor (Nalini Jaywant). By mistake Ashok Kumar also drinks the medicine and he also becomes invisible. As the professor had not invented the antidote for his newly prepared medicine, the hero can not come to its live form, and others cannot see him (Hence Mr X). With a view to make others feel his presence he wraps a black bandage tape around his body, which others can see. There is a criminal minded villain (Pran), who is trying to marry Nalilni Jaywant. He commits a lot many crimes, which are all attributed to Ashok Kumar, as he (Ashok Kumar) is termed as an absconder after such crimes. All strange incidents like a car running without a driver, or a girl flying in air etc. are due to invisibility of Ashok Kumar. With lots of misunderstanding & confusion, Ashok Kumar is finally able to prove his innocence when the Professor is able to invent an antidote for his earlier medicine, that can make the invisible person as visible. Hero takes revenge with Pran, who is punished. Ashok Kumar’s friend Johny Walker acts as a comedian, who runs a laundry.
The famous song “Lal Lal gal” is picturised on Johny Walker, when he is ironing the clothes. While doing so, he starts dozing off and then he imagines that he was in a Paris Night Club and singing the above song there. He wake s up when the ironed cloth starts burning. With beautiful music, and very interesting story line, the film was a great hit. This was perhaps the first Hindi Movie on the theme of invisibility, which gave follow up themes for other such movies like “Mr ‘X’ in Bombay”, Mr India.
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December 7, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Bimal Srivastava ji,
Thanks for the interesting story of the film. This story has already appeared in this Blog on 23-11-2012.
This theme is taken from the film The Invisible man- 1933 based on the H G Well’s famous novel of 1897, of the same name.
In India the first film on this theme was made by Prakash Pictures in 1938 itself. It was also titled “Mr. X “. The lead pair was Jayant and Rattanbai.
In Hollywood atleast 4 films were made on this theme-like Hollow man-2000, Gemini Man-1976 etc.
-AD
December 7, 2015 at 6:16 pm
Dear Bimal Srivastava ji,
Thanks so much for the film details, and especially the on screen picturization of this song.
Rgds
Sudhir
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January 29, 2016 at 11:35 pm
Resent:
On 12/06/15, I requested the following which is still unanswered. Should I presume that no video is available?
“Please post a link to the video of this song. We have tried in so many
links but it is not available anywhere. It will also be possible to see who
is the actor singing on screen, if we can see the video. Thanks!”
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January 30, 2016 at 5:39 am
Dear KS Mehta ji,
The video of this film is not available. Hence, this song cannot be viewed as a video clip.
However, in one of the above comments, please read the detailed description of this film and this song, by Shri Bimal Srivastava ji. That detail tells us about the on screen picturization of this song.
Rgds
Sudhir
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
November 18, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Atul, where is the video ?
Did you forget to post it, by any chance ?
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