When it comes to artists of 1940s, there was a plethora of two names. One name was Khursheed and another was Shyam. There were far too many persons being called Khursheed and Shyam. The onfusion was further enhanced by the fact that the two Shyams will act together in the movie and one Shyam would give playback for the other Shyam.
It is all so confusing that I have given up trying to make sense out of all this confusion.
Here is a song from “Pehle Aap” (1944). This song is sung by Shyam Kumar or Shyam, I am not sure. But based on my previous information, I would go for the name of Shyam Kumar. The song is written by D N Madhok and music is composed by Naushad.
The song exhorts Indians of different communities to wake up and and realise that it is their country. So this is a (not too) subtle call to the Indians to fight for their independence. apparently the song got through the British controlled censors unscathed. In any case, this subtle patriotic song was rather more subtle than the “Kismat” (1943) patriotic song that managed to get passed by the censors.
I request our knowledgeable readers to help us solve the mystery of the singer who has sung this song. Only the audio of this song is available so it is not known how and on whom the song has been picturised.
PS-Going by the entry in myswar, this song is in two parts.
Song-Bekhabar jaag zaraa (Pehle Aap) (1944) Singers-Shyam Kumar, Lyrics-D N Madhok,MD-Naushad
Lyrics
Bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
kiski aulaad hai tu itni khabar hai ke nahin
aaj bhi qadmon mein tere ye jhuki jaaye zameen
kyunke ye teri hai har zarraa hai iskaa teraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bulbulen aaj bhhi baagon mein yahi gaati hain
haaye kyaa shaan thhi nawaabon ki duhraati hain
sun ke jo phool khilaa jhoom ke ye kahne lagaa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
jang mein Mirzaa Qalandar Ali Khan kaa jaanaa
qahar barsaanaa thaa dushman pe qayaamat dhaanaa
haaye wo josh nawaabon ki ragon mein naa rahaa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
Raajpooton ki shujaat ki kahaani sun le
kaun thhey tere bade meri zabaani sun le
unki aulaad se mujh ko hai bas itnaa shiqwaa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
kaun Rajpoot kaa jaayaa kabhi madhosh huaa
jaag o oonnche nishaan waale tu behosh huaa
ud gayi sone ki chidiyaa rahaa khaali pinjraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
phoot aapas mein padi ghar teraa barbaad huaa
teri barbaadi pe dushman teraa aabaad huaa
hosh kar ab to gale bhaai ke bhaai lag jaa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
mujhe din raat lagi tere jagaane ki hai dhun
maadar-e-Hind ke laadon pale kuchh meri bhi sun
tez-raftaar zamaane se qadam uthh ke milaa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
aaj har mulk ke soye huye bedaar huye
tifl jo ghutnon ke bal chalte thhey hushiyaar huye
magar o neend ke matawaale tu soyaa hi rahaa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
bekhabar jaag zaraa
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 17, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Atul ji,
You are right when you say that there were too many people with similar names like,Khursheed,Shyam,Bimala,Rajkumar etc; adding confusion and endless discussions among people with half knowledge bits,on various blogs.I saw one such discussion on Memsaab,where people were giving confusing bits of info to each others about various Shyam s.
Let me try to give you my take on these 2 Shyam s.
Actor Shyam,whose full name was Shyam Chadha lost his mother when he was barely 2 yrs.His stepmother raised him and he loved her very much.She too loved him,as she did not have her own children.Shyam was acting in 40s actively.He died in 1951,while shooting a scene on horse back.He was a good rider,but that day,the horse was changed and Shyam fell down getting trampled.He was rushed to the hospital but he died.Shyam had married a rich muslim girl-Yasmeen-,who left for pakistan after his death,with her 2 daughters.Both these daughters-Shama and Nasreen-were active on Pakistan TV.His wife Yasmeen died in 1979.This actor Shyam was A.R.Kardar’s favourite and was in most of his films.
The singer Shyam kumar’s real name was Syed Gul Hamid.He too acted in films,but in villain or character roles.He gave playback to others but never to himself on the screen.Probably the roles he did, did not have any such scope.His singing stopped after 1952 and there is not much info about him after that,but he is believed to have died in 1981.He was doing bit roles in films till the end.
Any new info on any Shyam will be welcome.
-AD
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September 17, 2011 at 8:08 pm
contd……..
The film was “SHABISTAN”,in which this accident took place,when the actor Shyam died.
-AD
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September 18, 2011 at 10:19 am
contd……..
Here is some more info about actor SHYAM.
SHYAM SUNDER CHADHA came from lahore.Urdu writer Saadat Hassan Manto and Omprakash were his fast friends.Shyam’s photo was hung in Omprakas’s sitting room..Shyam and Rehman were the handsome Heros of the second level.His acting was not very artful but his films became hit because of the Heroines and the music.Patanga(Nigar S. and Poornima),Bazaar(Nigar S.),Kaneez(Munawwar Sultana),Meena Bazar(Nargis),Nirdosh(Rehana),Naach(Suraiya)Kamara No.9(Geeta Nizami),Mann ki Jeet(Nina) were his famous films.In Samadhi,he was Ashok Kumar’s elder brother.
Kuldeep Kaur and Shyam’s affair was the staple of film magazines those days.It is said that due to this only,Taazi Yasmeen-his wife- left for Pakistan with her close friend.
When Shyam was brought to the Hospital,after the accident,his make up was still on when he died.
-AD
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September 18, 2011 at 11:46 am
Thanks a lot for this additional rare information.
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September 10, 2022 at 11:09 am
I am thankful to this blog for getting to know many unknown gems of Golden Era music.
I read somewhere that actor Shyam Chadha has sung only two songs in his carrier and they were in the movie Dillagi.
Have you written any article on other combination of actors under Same name confusion?
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September 10, 2022 at 12:47 pm
gandhivp ji,
Actor Shyam Chadha never sang any song in his life. Dillagi songs were sung by the other actor/singer Sham kumar. All this information is repeated several times everywhere. If you want authentic information on same Name Confusion artistes of Hindi films, please read my book ” Forgotten artistes of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion” available on http://www.pothi.com
-AD
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September 17, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Thanks for explaining the difference between the two Shyams. Indeed your explanation makes identifying the two Shyams quite simple. Indeed the singer Shyam was doing villainous roles in Hindi movies even in 1960s and 1970s.
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