Bole re papeehara
Posted on: January 22, 2009
Early 1970 saw a new voice in Bollywood music world and the Indian media, as hasty as always, announced that Lata finally had a rival.
The mediamen had based their judgement on just one song, viz this one. This song from “Guddi” was quite popular in get togethers and cultural functions. The place where I was growing up used to have cultural programmes during Durga puja, where culturally minded people would participate and less culturally minded people ( viz. yours truly) would make up the audience for these programmes. The cultural programmes consisted of dramas and bollywood songs. This song was especially popular with young budding lady singers. Another very popular song with the ladies was from “Mera Gaon Mera Desh”, but I will have the discussion of that song later.
The singer was Vani Jairam and this song was written by Gulzar ( I came to know about the lyricist just now) and the music director was Vasant Desai ( I was aware of him being its music director even then). The song was picturised on Jaya Bhaduri who played the lead role in “Guddi”. This movie was in fact the debut movie for Jaya Bhaduri as an actress and Vani Jairam as a playback singer in Bollywood.
Jaya Bhaduri went on to become a leading actress of 1070s, but Vani Jairam was not much heard of afterwards. She must have sung a few more songs, but this song “Bole re papeehara” remains, to this date, her most well known ( rather her only well known) song sung in Bollywood movies. She went on to have a long and suceesful career in Southern movie industry as a playback singer.
Why did she fail to make it big in Bollwood ? I did not give it a thought till now, and I can only surmise what must have happened. India those days was a nation of monopoly in every field, including playback singing. And the monopolists do not give up their monopoly just like that. It is my theory about why Vani Jairam, or for that matter any other female singers, failed to make it big in the Bollywood music industry.
Vani Jairam singing a great song on debut and simply vanishing from the Bollywood scene,there must be something more than what meets the eye, I am sure.
Video
Audio
Song- Bole re papeehara (Guddi) (1971) Singer-Vani Jairam, Lyrics-Gulzar, MD-Vasant Desai
Lyrics
bole re papeeharaa papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa papeeharaa
nit ghan barase, nit man pyaasaa
nit man pyaasaa, nit man tarase
bole re papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa
palkon par ik boond sajaaye
palkon par ik boond sajaaye
baithi hoon saawan le jaaye
baithi hoon saawan le jaaye
jaaye pi ke des mein barse
jaaye pi ke des mein barse
nit man pyaasaa, nit man tarse
bole re papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa
saawan jo sandesaa laaye
saawan jo sandesaa laaye
meri aankh pe moti paaye
meri aankh pe moti paaye
jaaye mile baabul ke ghar se
jaaye mile baabul ke ghar se
nit man pyaasaa, nit man tarse
bole re papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa papeeharaa
bole re papeeharaa
5 Responses to "Bole re papeehara"
[…] Cultural activity minded ladies would also participate, and they would sing songs that were popular at that time. I recall that in the 1971 Durga Puja function, <a href="Haay sharmaaun kis kis ko bataaun (Mera Gaaon Mera Desh) was the most popular song among female participants, followed by Bole re papeehara(Guddi). […]
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July 24, 2020 at 4:19 pm
A very down to earth lady and has sung many beautiful songs down South. A treasure that the Hindi movie industry lost / missed, like many others. I am curious.. does she spell her name is Vani Jairam or Vani Jayaram? :).
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
December 15, 2011 at 9:54 am
beautiful song frm a 😀 movie!!
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