Duniya rang rangeeli baba
Posted on: February 21, 2009
In the series of K L Saigal songs that I am posting everyday, today I post a song sung by three singers.
This is a song from “Dharti Mata” (1938). The song is sung initially by K C Dey ( a blind singer who was also the uncle of Manna Dey). Then the singing is taken over by Uma Shashi. After her, it is the turn of K L Saigal. In the end, all three sing together.
These three singers are also the three actors in the picturisation of this song. And I suspect that they had recorded this song “live” while acting out their roles. And that is not an easy thing to do.
As a child, not able to appreciate the history as well as the technological limitations of 1938, I would have laughed at this singing, but not now. I marvel at the quality of singing, which is nothing short of phenomenal. Their voices sound so clear, and so natural. Let us also not forget that they were breaking new grounds in Bollywood singing those days because the talking movies themselves were only a few years old, and they did not have any precedences to fall back on. It is the singers like them who were setting precedences and pioneering new techniques for singing.
And it is quite a cheerful song too.
PS-Now, Sudhir jee has provided the translation for this iconic song from “Dharti Mata” (1938). So one can now enjoy this song more knowledgeably than before.
Song-Duniya rang rangeeli baba(Dharti Maata) (1938) Singers-K C Dey, Uma Shashi, K L Saigal, Lyrics-Pt Sudarshan, MD-Pankaj Mullick
K C Dey + Uma Shashi + K L Saigal
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Lyrics
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duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
yeh duniyaa ik sundar bagiyaa shobhaa iski nyaari hai
yeh duniyaa ik sundar bagiyaa shobhaa iski nyaari hai
har daari par jaadoo chhaayaa
har daari par jaadoo chhaayaa
har daari matwaari hai
adbhut panchhi phool manohar
adbhut panchhi phool manohar
kali-kali chatkeeli baabaa
duniyaa rang rangeeli
duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa, a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa
kadam kadam par aashaa apnaa roop anoop dikhaati hai
kadam kadam par aashaa apnaa roop anoop dikhaati hai
bigde kaaj banaati hai, dheeraj ke geet sunaati hai
bigde kaaj banaati hai, dheeraj ke geet sunaati hai
iskaa sur misri se meethaa iski taal sajeeli baabaa
duniyaa rang rangeeli
duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa, a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa-a-ha-haa
dukh ki nadiyaa jeewan naiyaa aashaa ke patwaar lage
dukh ki nadiyaa jeewan naiyaa aashaa ke patwaar lage
o naiyaa ke khene waale
o naiyaa ke khene waale
naiyaa teri paar lage,
paar basat hai desh sunehraa
paar basat hai desh sunehraa
kismat chhail-chhabeeli baabaa
duniyaa rang rangeeli
duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
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Translation (Provided by Sudhir)
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duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
duniyaa rang rangeeli baabaa, duniyaa rang rangeeli
Behold, my dear friend
This life, this colorful world
These wondrous vibrant creations
This amazing play of colors in the nature
This multi hued universe
Behold and be enchanted, my dear friend
yeh duniyaa ik sundar bagiyaa shobhaa iski nyaari hai
har daari par jaadoo chhaayaa, har daari matwaari hai
adbhut panchhi phool manohar,kali-kali chatkeeli baabaa
duniyaa rang rangeeli
This world
A charming garden of beauty
Its splendor unequalled
Its opulence refreshing
Like a new day, everyday
Each leaf, every branch is alive with magic
Swaying with a cheerful carefree abandon
Each bird, a remarkable wonder
Each flower, a brilliance that steals the heart away
Every budding blossom
Fresh with life, alluring
Ah, this life, this colorful world
Behold and be enchanted, my dear friend
kadam kadam par aashaa apnaa roop anoop dikhaati hai
bigde kaaj banaati hai, dheeraj ke geet sunaati hai
iskaa sur misri se meethaa iski taal sajeeli baabaa
duniyaa rang rangeeli
At every step in life, every moment
Hope and expectation manifests itself
In images unseen, anew, incomparable
Mending fortunes, healing destinies
Whispering songs of comfort
In melodies sweeter than honey
Adorned with rhythms bejeweled
Ah, this life, this colorful world
Behold and be enchanted, my dear friend
dukh ki nadiyaa jeewan naiyaa aashaa ke patwaar lage
o naiyaa ke khene waale ,naiyaa teri paar lage
paar basat hai desh sunehraa, kismat chhail-chhabeeli baabaa
duniyaa rang rangeeli
Ah, this ferry called life
Paddled with oars of anticipation and hope
Through this grim river of sorrows
O ferryman, be blessed
May your boat safely get across
Where awaits the gleaming land of splendor
And the ever shifting providence, playing mischief
Wonder at this play,
And be enchanted, my dear friend
Ah, this life, this colorful world
9 Responses to "Duniya rang rangeeli baba"
January 13, 2010 at 12:23 pm
This is unique song of past years,in those days its popularity
was on its peak,every Hindi films fans was buzzing and singing
this song!!!
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October 16, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I saw this movie as a three year old with my parents @ Delhi. This song is etched in my memory and it gives me a lift whenever I hear it. I took a lot of trouble to find this song till the internet came to my rescue only recently and was thrilled . It has spirit as well as a message. I try to hear this first thing every morning or whenever I feel upset or depressed and it restores me.
Thank you Atul for this service you are rendering to lovers of old music.
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October 16, 2010 at 12:16 pm
That must have been many decades ago ! Thanks for your memories of this song.
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February 3, 2018 at 7:43 pm
ये गीत दिल को तड़फने पर मजबूर कर दे ता है इस गीत में वो जादू है जिस को कोई भी गायक छू नहीं सकता,इसकी उमा शशि की ह्रदय के भीतर तक जाकर मार करने वाली आ आ आ आ की तान झकझोर देती है
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May 29, 2011 at 5:20 am
I started at the top of your playlist and this is the earliest song that I can recall. We played records on a “wind-up” gramophone at the time. It had a megaphone attached and I believed that the singers were somewhere in there.
Thanks for a nostalgic journey “home”.
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November 27, 2012 at 10:31 am
In the record version, Pankaj Mullick sang in place of K C Dey.
Audio clip :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Ne5sFSv10
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December 11, 2020 at 8:37 pm
As a child I used to listen to Radio Ceylon thanks to my father who was a big Saigal fan. I am proud to say that my 19 year old son is now a fan too!
What I love in this song, is how each of the subsequent singer starts off by seamlessly blending into the previous singer’s voice….it’s like a flawless relay.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
February 21, 2009 at 12:51 pm
This is a real treat, getting to hear all these great songs, and then there is a K.L. Saigal song, as the icing on the cake, just like the Purani filmi geet of Radio Ceylon. I have just one suggestion – can we also listen to some songs by C. H. Atma, Pankaj Mullick, Suraiya, Kanan Devi, etc., or are these difficult to obtain?
As you said, we probably laughed at these songs when we were young, and now we are appreciating them. It reminds me of the time when I was telling the teenaged daughters of my friends about the song, “Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidiyan …” and suggested that they do a dance to that song for Independence day, and I was greeted by a chorus of groans, saying that they need songs with a beat, not slow songs! Maybe they will also appreciate these songs when they get older!
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