Pawan chaley zor lehar machaaye shor
Posted on: October 7, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Zalzalaa (1952), is film produced under the banner of Art Films of Asia Ltd. It is produced and directed by Paul Zils. Paul was a German filmmaker who made India his home for more than two decades from mid 40s to the 60s. He is credited with the rejuvenation of India’s documentary film movement, after the departure of the British in 1947, and a prime moving force behind the Films Division of govt. of India (which was known as Information Films of India under the British regime).
How he landed up in India is a very interesting account. Immensely impressed by the novel, ‘Siddhartha’ (Herman Hesse), he developed a fascination for Asia and India in particular. Defecting to US from Germany, imprisoned by the British army in Bali (Indonesia), while on a film project with Paramaoun (of USA), he was deported with other prisoners to India and interned in a prison camp in Bihar. Amongst the inmates, he found writers and musicians, and started to organize in house music shows. The British authorities were so impressed, they released him on the condition that he works for the Information Films of India. Post independence he settled in Bombay, and apparently worked with the film industry also, while driving the documentary films movement through the Films Division. (A detailed article on Paul Zils and the documentary films in India is available online)
Zalzalaa has a notable star cast that includes Kishore Sahu, Dev Anand, Geeta Bali, Uma Dutt, Krishna Kant, Sunalini Devi, Bela Pramanik, Jagdev, Mohinder Nath, Manju, Satya Kumar, David Cooper etc. The film, based on the novel, Four Chapters by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is an episode from the Indian war of independence against the British. (A detailed synopsis of the film is already posted along with the song Jeewan naiyya behti jaaye).
This film has music by Pankaj Babu, and was one of last few Hindi films that he composed for. The film has nine songs in total, of which two songs are sung by Pankaj Babu himself, along with a chorus. Both these creations are songs of the ‘mallaah’ (boatmen) in the Hoogly river. In the music, one can find a very distinct touch of Bengal and Rabindra Sangeet. The first of these is already posted (as mentioned above). This is the second boatmen song, whose lyrics are written by Satya Kumar. Once again, a song that is an exhortation to row the boat with determination, in the face of rising storms and rough waves.
pawan chaley zor
lehar machaaye shor
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
The winds are stormy, and the waves are rough and noisy
Despite that, row the boat with strength and determination
pakad ke zor haath, utthaa ke baandho paal
haee maaro maaro zor, haee o
With powerful hands, pick up the sails and secure them strongly to mast
And put your strength sturdily to the oars
The sounds ‘haee’ and ‘haee o’ are rhythmic expressions of boatmen applying muscle powers to the oars while rowing the boat.
bedee se baar baar, jhananana jhankaar
ye to nahin naiyyaa ki krandan chitkaar
zulm-o-sitam se kabhi na darnaa
himmat se badh jaiyyo
The clanking sound that you hear is of the chains that bind you
It is not the creaking cry of the boat as it presses through stormy waves
Let not the chains bind you
Let not the tyranny of subjugation frighten you
With courage and strength, move forward, press forward, like boat through the stormy waves
jab pal pal hardam, chanchal karey mann
dil se dil takraaye re
mann ke milan ko, safal banaane
jeevan geet sunaa’o re
When the restless mind agitates time and again
When two hearts encounter each other
Then sing the happy songs of life
And let the rendezvous of the hearts be fruitful
agar ho mahaakaal, pralaye kaa hunkaar
kampit karey mann toofaan hahaa-kaar
daro na ruko na, aagey hi badhnaa
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
Even if it seems to be the hour of reckoning
Even if apocalypse itself is growling nigh
And even if the heart is trembling at the thunder of the raging storms
Fear not, tarry not
Press on forward with purpose and fortitude
And, row the boat with strength and determination
Song-Pawan chaley zor lehar machaaye shor (Zalzala) (1952) Singer-Pankaj Mullick, Lyrics-Satya Kumar, MD-Pankaaj Mullick
Lyrics
haee o
haee o
haee o
pawan chaley zor
lehar machaaye shor
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
haee haee
haee haee
haee haee
pakad ke zor haath
utthhaa ke baandho paal
pakad ke zor haath
utthhaa ke baandho paal
haee maaro maaro zor
haee o
haee o
haee o
pawan chaley zor
lehar machaaye shor
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
pawan chaley zor
lehar machaaye shor
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
pakad ke zor haath
utthhaa ke baandho paal
pakad ke zor haath
utthaa ke baandho paal
haee maaro maaro zor
haee o
haee o
haee o
pawan chaley zor
lehar machaaye shor
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
bedee se baar baar
jhananana jhankaar
ye to nahin naiyyaa ki krandan chitkaar
bedee se baar baar
jhananana jhankaar
ye to nahin naiyyaa ki krandan chitkaar
zulm-o-sitam se kabhi na darnaa
himmat se badh jaiyyo
haee maaro maaro zor
haee o
haee o
haee o
pawan chaley zor
lehar machaaye shor
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
haee haee
haee haee
haee haee
haee haee
haee haee
haee haee
jab pal pal hardam
chanchal karey mann
dil se dil takraaye re
mann ke milan ko
safal banaane
jeevan geet sunaa’o re
mann ke milan ko
safal banaane
jeevan geet sunaa’o re
agar ho mahaakaal
pralaye kaa hunkaar
kampit karey mann
toofaan hahaa-kaar
agar ho mahaakaal
pralaye kaa hunkaar
kampit karey mann
toofaan hahaa-kaar
daro na ruko na
aagey hi badhnaa
naiyyaa ko zor se chalaiyyo
haee maaro maaro zor
haee o
haee o
haee o
haee maaro maaro zor
haee o
haee o
haee o
haee maaro maaro zor
haee o
haee o
haee o
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
November 6, 2014 at 10:51 pm
@ Sudhir ji – Sir, many many thanks for this post and also information about Paul Zils.
Like the post and the song very much. The lyrics are so meaningful and inspirational, and above all singing of Pankaj Babu that has always fascinated me.
It must have been almost a year and half or more, there was a documentary on New Theatres on DD. I watched it and even do not miss its repeat telecast.
Thanks !!
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