Sitaarey raah takte hain
Posted on: November 19, 2011
When one talked of “Black Cats” two decades ago, one meant the elite commandos who protect VVIPs. These days they are called SPG (special protection group). But in the distant past, black Cat actually meant “kaali billi”, and there was this belief that a black cat crossing your path when you are going out somewhere was bad omen. As it is, I have a black cat for a pet and that black cat must have crossed my path hundreds of time by now, that is when it is not seated on places like my lap, my laptop, sofa, bed, mat etc.
There was a B grade Hindi movie called “Black Cat” (1959). I wonder what exactly was the theme of the movie. Was it about a black cat or was it about some organisation called black cat. I have no idea and I request our knowledgeable readers to throw light on this movie. Personally I would like this movie to be about a black cat, of course, and preferably with a few songs picturised on the said black cat.
I have discussed as many as three songs from this movie, and so far I have been unable to notice a black cat in these songs.
Here is another song from this movie. It is sung by Lata. Jaan Nisaar Akhtar is the lyricist. Music is composed by N Datta.
As with the other songs of this movie, here too I am unable to detect a black cat in the picturisation of the movie. The fact that only the audio of the song is available may have something to do with it. 😉
PS-Now I have become aware of a video link and also the details of the song and the movie. Black cat is the name of a criminal gang in this movie and a black cat is only shown in the beginning of the movie just as the title of the movie appears on the screen. And this song is picturised on Minu Mumtaz.
Audio
Video
Song-Sitaarey raah takte hain (Black Cat) (1959) Singer-Lata, Lyrics-Jaan Nisaar Akhtar, MD-N Datta
Lyrics
sitaare raah takte hain
chaley aao chaley aao,
chaley aao chaley aao
hazaaron dil dhadakte hain
chaley aao chaley aao,
chaley aao chaley aao
kahaan ho tum
jo apne ko
meraa deewaanaa kahte thhe
wo aankhen tum kabhi jinko
haseen paimaanaa kahte thhe
haseen paimaanaa kahte thhe
wo paimaane chhalakte hain
chaley aao chaley aao
chaley aao chaley aao
yahi waadi yahi saahil,
yahi rangeen nazaare thhe
yahi gham mein muhabbat ke,
jawaan lamhe guzaare thhe
jawaan lamhe guzaare thhe
kahaan ham bhool sakte hain
chaley aao chaley aao,
chaley aao chaley aao
muhabbat ke haseen waade thhe,
donon ki nigaahon mein
kabhi aankhen thhin aankhon mein,
kabhi baanhen thhin baanhon mein
kabhi baanhen thhin baanhon mein
akele ab bhatakte hain
chale aao chale aao,
chale aao chale aao
sitaare raah takte hain
chale aao chale aao,
chale aao chale aao
12 Responses to "Sitaarey raah takte hain"
November 19, 2011 at 5:21 pm
There’s another wonderful song in this movie. It goes…’Main tumhi se poochti hoon, mujhe tumse pyar kton hai….’
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November 19, 2011 at 5:29 pm
This song has already been discussed.
Main tumhi se poochhti hoon mujhe tumse pyaar kyun hai (Black Cat)
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November 19, 2011 at 8:01 pm
What a wonderful song! This movie seems to have been chock full of great songs.
Talking of black cats, my aunt used to have one, which she named Hari, and my grandfather renamed Kari (meaning coal)! That cat used to play a game of Hide and seek with my aunt, he would hide behind a door and when she would go looking for him, he would swipe at her with his paw. He knew never to play that game with my grandfather, though! Does your cat play such games, Atul?
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November 19, 2011 at 8:25 pm
She not only plays games, she can teach those games to others too !
The cat, named nuppy,has another two companions, namely two dogs, named Bholey and Chhotey. They are together from their young days and they are quite close to each other. Nuppy, the then kitten and the seniormost of the three pets in age taught the then pups to play like cats. Wrestling with each other is now the favourite pastime of the two dogs and they apply wrestling tricks on each other that they have learnt from the cat !
Another favourite game that nuppy loves to play with the dog (with Bhhole mostly) is chor -police. On her prompting, Bhhole chases her and she runs away, trying to protect herself by climbing over, trees, walls or any such places where the dog cannot catch her. And in case she is unable to escape, she knows that the dog will not harm her.
By now, the dogs are ten times bigger than the cat in size, but nuppy still tries to wrestle with the dogs. It is normally the younger dog, viz Chhote who is game for a wrestling match with her.
Swiping with her paws is a game that she loves to play with everyone, be it fellow pets or human beings.
But the most interesting thing that nuppy can do is just unbelievable ! Chhotey the youngest of the three pets, who has been spoilt silly by my wife often runs away from the home. Unlike the other two pets, he often does not even know the way back home. On these occasions, my wife sends nuppy out to bring Chhote back. Nuppy knows that she has been entrusted with the job of bringing Chhote back. And unbelievably, nuppy locates Chhote, and persuades him to come back home and leads him home. It has happened at least half a dozen times or so.
Watching such behaviour, I am convinced that these pets are far more intelligent than we think. The cat and dogs communicate with each other through some mysterious method that human beings have yet to discover. It is not verbal communication, that is for sure. It must be some sort of telepathy.
I have not discussed what my two dogs can do. They are no less unbelievable in what they do. But I think I will need to discuss that at some other time.
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November 19, 2011 at 9:38 pm
I am definitely going to pay a visit to your home if and whenever I visit India next time – notice that I am not even waiting for an invitation! Mrs. Atul will be wondering who this grey haired old hag is, turning up on her doorstep without an invitation!
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November 19, 2011 at 9:48 pm
I have a blog dedicated to my pets, but this song blog takes so much time that I have only been able to make only one post in that blog.
The solitary write up gives some idea about the cat, but I need to add more articles on the blog. One can notice that these pets stay at two places, viz place A and place B, depending on where my wife and daughter are at that moment.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
November 19, 2011 at 12:57 pm
The film’s titles start with a big black cat looking suspiciously followed by the name of the moivie. The black cat was the name of the gang in the film that indulged in criminal activities.
This song was picturised on Minoo Mumtaz, the lead actress in the film..
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November 19, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Thanks for the details. So Black cat plays no role apart from being present in the beginning ? How disappointing. 🙂
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November 19, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Those days, story/screen play writers were not innovative. If it was so, they could have shown some shots of sudden appearance of black cat or jumping from somewhere in the midst of discussion in the police head quarters on nabbing the head of black cat gang 🙂
Video link : http://youtu.be/Lw1Zk64TpR0
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November 19, 2011 at 1:44 pm
hey thats exactly what i wanted to say. i saw this movie last weekend. it is a typical chor police story with Balraj Sahni playing a cop. and the main smuggler being the heroine’s brother who is shot by the police and dies next to his pet “Black Cat” . also his gang is also called the “black cat gang”. hope this gives some indication towards the reason for the title.
oh and i wud like Mr. Deshmukh’s help in identifying the main smuggler
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November 19, 2011 at 2:22 pm
The heroine is Nita Gupta played by Minu Mumtaz.
Her brother is Professor Gupta played by Nisar Ahmed Ansari
(N.A.Ansari-who is also the director of this film)
-AD
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November 19, 2011 at 3:25 pm
thank you Deshmukh sir
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