This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enhusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Greetings to all on the occasion of Basant Panchmi today.
Basant, the season of spring, is a season of new beginning, a season of rejuvenation and a season of arrival of happiness. It is the season of rebirth and bloom, the season of new love. In the Hindu tradition, Kaamdeva is the god of love and desire. As per the Rig Veda, the goddess Vasanta (Spring) is a companion of Kaamdeva. The weapon ascribed to Kaamdeva is a bow and arrow – the bow being made of sugarcane, stringed with honeybees, and the arrows are made of the fragrant flowers of spring. In the Hindu mythology, the season of spring is the season for love and amorous relationships. The first encounter of enchantment between Shakuntala and King Dushyanta is in Vasant ritu, the season of spring.
The celebration of Basant, like the festival of Holi, finds a significant expression in Hindi films. As one searches for musical episodes and songs related to Basant in Hindi films, one comes across a fairly large number of songs that are related to a community celebration of this festival, and also related to intimate expressions of love between a man and a woman. Even in the examples of community celebrations, the premise of the songs always revolves around and touches the themes of love.
The song in this post is from a film that was released seven decades ago. The film ‘Saugandh’ (the pledge) is a 1942 film produced under the banner of New Theatres, Calcutta, and is directed by Hem Chander. The star cast of this film includes Pahadi Sanyal, Bharti, Asit Baran, Chandrawati, Suprabha Mukherjee, Shrilekha, Chhavi Biswas, Vinay Goswami, Khagen Pathak, Farouk Mirza, Dar Kaashmiri, Nemo, Tulsi Chakravarty, Puttan, Narayan Rao, Maya Bose, Gopal Das, Kaali Ghosh, Heera Bai, Natwar, Jawahar Lal, Kaalo, Dwijen Sanyal. The songs of this film are penned by Pt. Natwar, and the music is RC Boral. The singing voice is that of Asit Baran, who also performs the song on screen. In the video clip, there is a lady companion, at whom this song is directed. I am not certain of the identity of this actress, and would request other knowledgeable readers to please help identify her.
The song is an intimate expression of amorous emotions between a man and a woman. The words of the song acclaim that the emotions of love have brought a revival in the desolate life, just like the spring rejuvenates the entire nature. Enjoy is lovely creation from the baton of the great RC Boral.
ab aayee basant bahaar
ujdey se is jeewan mein sakhi
chhaayaa niraalaa nikhaar
Behold, the season of spring is here
And this deserted lonely life (of mine)
Is infused with a refreshing change
mere kitne hi janmon ki thi jo saadh piyaasi
wohi roop rach aayee ho tum sapnon ki abhaa si
bani prem saakaar
The craving desires of many a lifetime
Is manifest as your beauty
Radiant like the dreams
Like love itself is personified
aankhen apni aankh churaati, vaani behri chup reh jaati
mann ki batiyaan geet gawaati, adbhut roop nihaar
On glimpsing your magnificent loveliness
The eyes are trying to hide from themselves
The voice is bereft of words, is silent
But the emotions echoing in the heart
Compel this song from my lips
ab aayee basant bahaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
ujdey se is jeewan mein sakhi
ujdey se is jeewan mein sakhi
chhaayaa niraalaa nikhaar
chhaayaa niraalaa nikhaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
bahaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
mere kitne hi janmon ki
thhi jo saadh piyaasi
mere kitne hi janmon ki
thhi jo saadh piyaasi
wahi roop rach aayee ho tum
sapnon ki abhaa si
wahi roop rach aayee ho tum
sapnon ki abhaa si
bani prem saakaar
yoon bani prem saakaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
bahaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
aankhen apni aankh churaati
vaani behri chup reh jaati
aankhen apni aankh churaati
vaani behri chup reh jaati
mann ki batiyaan geet gawaati
adbhut roop nihaar
haaan
mann ki batiyaan geet gawaati
adbhut roop nihaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
bahaar
ab aayee basant bahaar
Thanks for this wonderful song. I remember these from childhood (early 40’s). The song immediately came to my mind the moment I read the first line of the lyrics. Thanks again!
Sudhir ji,
After a long time,a song from 40s is being posted.The heroine of this film,Bharati devi,expired early this month in calcutta.
SAUGANDH-1942 was a New Theatres film,based on totally a Bengali background.The s/play and direction was by hemchandra Chunder and the story and dialogues were by Boney Chatterjee.
Bipin was a hardworking man who built his business single handedly.His family was,wife,son Kumar-who studies in Calcutta and Arun-who is about to complete school in the village.Arun is more interested in loving Shanti-d/o their neighbour and enemy Nilamber.Bipin falls sick and Kumar is called back.Kumar leaves his love-Prove,d/o his prof.Laxmidas,and returns only to see the father dying.He gives father a promise that he will take care of business and family.
Kumar patches up with Nilamber to marry shanti with Arun and sends Arun to Calcutta for further education.In Calcutta,Arun meete Bilas,who takes him waywards and introduces to Gunsundari-a society girl.Kumar learns about all this,meanwhile their mother is ill and dies before Arun comes back.Kumar admonishes Arun,but he goes back to Calcutta to meet Gunsundari who throws him out.next day Arun is arrested for her murder.Kumar reaches Calcutta and takes all the blame on himself.
Shanti and Prova together with help of police find out that the murderer is Bilash.
Arun’s eyes open,they all return to village and both brothers get married.
This pattern of story was repeated several times not only in Hindi,Bengali but also many other languages later.
-AD
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This blog discusses Bollywood songs of yesteryears. Every song has a brief description, followed by a video link, and complete lyrics of the song. This is a labour of love, where “new” songs are added every day, and that has been the case for over SEVENTEEN years. This blog has more than 19700 song posts by now. This blog is active and online for over 6000 days since its beginning on 19 July 2008.
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
January 28, 2012 at 8:39 am
Sudhirji:
Thanks for this wonderful song. I remember these from childhood (early 40’s). The song immediately came to my mind the moment I read the first line of the lyrics. Thanks again!
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January 28, 2012 at 10:15 pm
DK ji
Welcome; I feel glad to read your message.
Sudhir
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