Dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyya
Posted on: October 2, 2010
I always thought that the song “dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyya” from “Mother India” (1957) was a brief song, almost an afterthought. I do not know how I came to believe that. Perhaps I may have watched a brief portion of this song when I watched this movie (some 25 years after the movie was released) or perhaps because I have not heard this song in detail in the past.
When I finally got down to listen to this song in the right earnest (prompted by a farmaish for this song), I realised that this song is a full fledged song, over four minutes long in fact. And this in fact, instead of being an afterthought (as I thought) is in fact quite a pivotal song in this movie.
Though I am a believer of watching songs in isolation from the story, it is not always possible. When one watches the picturisation of a song like this, one cannot help but offer some comments on the picturisation.
Thinks have come a long way in the last half a century, and it is difficult to imagine today how bad the things were back then in India. Though the population of India was half the present population, the country was a truly underdeveloped nation with no industry to speak of. And the country was not even self sufficient in food stuffs. The agriculture was totally reliant on monsoon.If monsoon failed to arrive, that meant no crops and famine would take place. The country itself was financially bankrupt and it would go to World Bank and developed nation with a begging bowl. The country was dependent to foreign aid to tide over its crises, including crisis of shortage of foodstuff.
India, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru decided to embark o the path of development. Towards this end, large dams,factories, and organisations were set up. Simultaneously, five year plans were set in motion. Plans were thought to eradicate poverty.
Movies of the time also caught on the mood of nation building and we had moving made on this theme. Movies like “Jaagriti” (1954) “Nayaa Daur” (1957) etc readily come to mind when one thinks of movies that discussed nation building.
“Mother India” (1957) is not exactly a movie discussing nation building per se. This movie was a brain child of Mehboob Khan. This movie in fact was a remake of his own movie called “Aurat” (1940).
When he began to remake “Aurat” (1940) into a grander movie, India was into nation building on the model of Soviet Union, often in collaboration with Soviet Union. Mehboob Khan too followed the same route. He made ‘Mother India” (1957) as an Indo-Soviet Union collaboration.
Nargis is the central character of this story, and this song shows her travails and struggles to improve her lot against heavy odds. She alongwith her two songs work hard to cultivate their land and grow crops in it so that she may be able to repay the debt her family had falled into.
This song depicts the joy that hard working people fell after their hard work begins to pay off. And in Hindi movies, expressing the joy needs only one way to express itself , viz in the form of a song and dance. And indeed this song is a joyous song where the characters feel that their worst days are behind them and better days lie ahead.
Their optimism may often turn out to be misplaced, but that does not prevent them from celebrating their happiness.
Here is this iconic song from an iconic movie. The song is sung by several singers (Rafi, Manna Dey, Shamshad Begam,Asha Bhonsle) and it is picturised on many actors, too numerous to be mentioned (which is an euphemism to say that I do not recognise many of them).
The song is written by Shakeel Badayuni and music is composed by Naushad.
Here is this delightful joie de vivre song from “Mother India” (1957).
Audio
Video
song-Dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyya (Mother India) (1957) Singers-Rafi, Asha Bhonsle, Shamshad Begam, Manna Dey, Lyrics-Shakeel Badayuni, MD-Naushad
Lyrics
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
ho ho ho
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
hoy hoy
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa,
beete re bhaiyaa
dekh re ghataa ghirke aayi
ras bhar-bhar laayi
dekh re ghataa ghirke aayi
ras bhar-bhar laayi
o ghataa ghirke aayi,
chhed le gori man ki beenaa
rimjhim rut chhaayi
ho ho ho ho
chhed le gori man ki beenaa
rimjhim rut chhaayi
ho ghataa ghirke aayi
ho ho ho
ho ho
prem ki gaagar laaye re baadar
bekal moraa jiyaa hoye
prem ki gaagar laaye re baadar
bekal moraa jiyaa hoye
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
ho ho ho
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
hoy hoy
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
beete re bhaiyaa
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
ho ho ho
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
hoy hoy
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
beete re bhaiyaa
madhur-madhur manwaa gaaye
apne bhi din aaye
madhur-madhur manwaa gaaye
apne bhi din aaye
ho madhur manwaa gaaye,
saawan ke sang aaye jawaani
saawan ke sang jaaye,
ho ho ho ho
saawan ke sang aaye jawaani
saawan ke sang jaaye,
o madhur manwaa gaaye,
ho ho ho ho
ho ho
aaj to jee bhar naach le paagal
kal na jaane re kyaa hoye
aaj to jee bhar naach le paagal
kal na jaane re kyaa hoye
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
ho ho ho
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ab sukh aayo re
rang jeewan mein nayaa laayo re
hoy hoy
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
beete re bhaiyaa
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ho ho
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
ho ho ho
dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyaa
10 Responses to "Dukh bhare din beete re bhaiyya"
April 5, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Mother India was not an Indo-Soviet production(It was Pardesi featuring Nargis),but a 100% Mehboob Productions movie.
As you rightly state,it was a remake of National Studio’s Aurat(1940),Directed by young Mehboob Khan.
One unique feature of Mother India was that Kanhaiyyalal,who did the role of Sukhilala in Aurat,did the same role with the same name sukhilala, also in Mother India.It was the only case of its kind in Bollywood.Incidentally,all important characters’ names were same in both films,like Radha,Shamu,Birju etc.
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August 21, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Dear Atulji/Arunji/Lalitha Maam,
Could any of you tell us why this film is in color when so many films of the same period are in B&W? That too the cinematography is outstanding…Is there a story there?
Atulji, love your blog…wish knowledgeable people of the older generation would add more comments for the benefit of younger viewers like me…
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June 25, 2025 at 2:32 pm
This song is almost the copy of an Assamese folk song with its chorus and taans.
Link of the Assamese folk song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2Q_eq8Vfk
June 26, 2025 at 2:06 pm
Good Afternoon Dear Sadanand ji,
It is very surprising to find another version by you.
I logged the URL given by you. Then I found it was sung by Late Sri Rameshwar Pathak Ji .
Really appreciate your sharing this song with us. So beautiful and melodious.
Then, I checked Wiki to find more details about Sri Rameshwar Pathak ji . (1 March 1938-3 December 2010)
Mother India was released on 14 February 1957 (India) So it looks Late Sri Rameshwar Pathak Ji, has composed copying this Mother India movie. That time he was working on Folk, Ghazals and Bhajan songs.
Apologies if I am wrong.
Regards and blessings
Uma🙏
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June 26, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Uma Maheshwar Nakka ji,
The song was first rendered by the folk singer of Barpetta (Aasam), Jogesh Chandra Bharali on All India Radio, Kolkata around 1935 when he worked with S D Burman during the recording of his Bhatiali songs. Later, HMV recorded this song along with another song on 78 RPM gramophone records. Since then, the folk song has been rendered by many singers.
When Bharali came to know about using this folk song for ‘Mother India’ (1957), he sent a legal notice to Mehboob Productions. The matter was settled by paying the one time Rs.2000/- to Bharali as a compensation.
For details please read the article in the following link:
https://rangghar.blogspot.com/2010/12/jogesh-chandra-bharali-epitome-of-rich.html
Sadanand Kamath
June 26, 2025 at 6:47 pm
Kamath Sir,
I truly appreciate your deep research and for bringing to light such rare and little-known gems from the depths of our musical and cultural heritage. Hats off to you, Sir!
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June 26, 2025 at 1:46 pm
Good Morning,
Beautiful movie and beautiful song.
Always my favourite
Regards and blessings
Uma🙏
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June 27, 2025 at 9:38 pm
Good Evening Sadanand Ji,
I appreciate sharing your knowledge in this field with us.
I am interested in further enhancing my knowledge with the URL you mentioned.
Sincerely grateful and regards
Uma🙏
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
October 2, 2010 at 2:04 pm
For some reason, even I thought this was a very short song.
Maybe the same reason as you, even if we do not know what the reason is. 🙂
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