Aji kyaa rakkha hai gyaanam mein
Posted on: March 11, 2012
The article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Remembering IS Johar on the anniversary of his passing away on 10th March.
I S Johar, the redoubtable and simply irrepressible personality of the Hindi cinema world is well known for his versatility, his topicality, and his penchant for being in the news for a variety of reasons. Whether it be multiple marriages or open support for male sterilization, he was a strongly opinionated person, with emphatic views, and yet and aloof and a suave demeanor. He is also known to be a very well read person, and his ‘Question Box’ in the magazine Filmfare, was popular for many years.
I remember, in 1971, he was awarded the Filmfare award for the Best Comedian, for the film ‘Johnny Mera Naam’ (1970). The next year, the award was not given – apparently no comedian made the mark. One reader posed a question to him, whether comedy was a dying art in Hindi films. And his response was, not while the king is still the king. Referring to himself as the de-facto champion, for the follow up year too.
‘Akalmand’ (1966) is a comedy film produced and directed by Roop K Shorey under the banner of Mukul Pictures, Bombay. Johar appeared in many films, teamed up with another comedian actor, and most of these films were wonderful comedies. In this film, he pairs with Kishore Kumar. The remaining star cast is Sonia Sahni, Praveen Chaudhry, Kamal Kapoor, Raj Kishore, V Gopal, Majnoon, Jeevan Kala, Madhu Malti, Hari Shivdasani, Protima Devi, Wazir Mohammed Khan, Kumar, Tuntun, Ram Kamlani and others. The music for this film is composed by OP Nayyar and the lyrics are from the pens of PL Santoshi and Aziz Kashmiri. This particular song is written by PL Santoshi.
Johar’s films almost always had a social, national or a patriotic angle to them. ‘Akalmand’ is also a film about two bumbling friends who are out to vanquish the enemies of the country. They find out about a plot to bomb a religious site. All the henchmen of the gang are to reach the place disguised as sadhus, carrying explosives in their ‘kamandal’ or the small pot that the sadhus carry. They are to meet the ring leader for this plan, whom none of them has met before. The ring leader is supposed to reach out to them with the code words ‘Aji Kya Rakha Hai Gyaanam Mein’. Having found this out, IS Johar also disguises himself as a sadhu, and starts to sing this code message as a song. He is able to attract the gangsters. During the song, he quietly throws all the explosive laden ‘’kamandals’ into the river. And then he makes them board a leaking boat and pushes it off towards the middle of the river. During all this confusion, Johar is dancing and singing this wonderful song rendered by Rafi Saab. And by the way, the actual ring leader is also around, and he is also trying to catch the attention of his gang mates. But as we all know, the power of music is definitely overpowering, and this non-singing real boss does not have a chance to get in a word sideways. The interludes are funny, as one sees the real gangster boss trying to encounter Johar, and fail repeatedly.
Enjoy this fun filled performance by Johar, as he outdoes and outsmarts the enemies of the nation.
Song-Aji kyaa rakha hai gyaanam mein (Akalmand) (1966) Singer-Rafi, Lyrics-P L Santoshi, MD-O P Nayyar
Chorus
Lyrics
aji kyaa rakha hai gyaanam mein
aur kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
aji kyaa rakha hai gyaanam mein
aur kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
dho lo apne paap sabhi tum
ganga ke ashnaanam mein
aji kyaa rakha hai gyaanam mein
aur kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
dho lo apne paap sabhi tum
ganga ke ashnaanam mein
har gangey
abey hatt nangey
bhed bhaav na jaane gangaa
kya badey kya chhotey mein
bhed bhaav na jaane gangaa
kya badey kya chhotey mein
ganga ji mein aaye lotaa
ganga jaaye lotey mein
aanandam aanam jaanam mein
aji kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
dho lo apne paap sabhi tum
ganga ke ashnaanam mein
har gangey
hari har gangey
ganga maiyyaa khud behti hai
sadhu mein sanyaasi mein
ganga maiyyaa khud behti hai
sadhu mein sanyaasi mein
haridwar mein dubki maaro
niklo jaa kar kaashi mein
shiv shambhu ke asthaanam mein
aji kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
dho lo apne paap sabhi tum
ganga ke ashnaanam mein
aji kyaa rakha hai gyaanam mein
aur kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
dho lo apne paap sabhi tum
ganga ke ashnaanam mein
aji kyaa rakha hai gyaanam mein
aur kyaa rakha hai dhyaanam mein
dho lo apne paap sabhi tum
ganga ke ashnaanam mein
har gangey
hari har gangey
har gangey
hari har gangey
5 Responses to "Aji kyaa rakkha hai gyaanam mein"
March 16, 2012 at 12:17 am
Inder Sen Johar was the first double MA in Hindi film industry so he thought he was the most intellectual person in the industry. He made some very good films in the beginning when he was not too snobbish. But later on he made some very disastrous movies : Johar-Mehmood in…. Yes, the only contribution of his worth remembering is Filmfare’s Question Box which now is being done by Shatrughan.
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February 14, 2019 at 4:45 pm
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy2Xc9hivWY
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
March 11, 2012 at 7:21 pm
I used to be an avid fan of his Q&A in Filmfare. I distinctly remember one.
Q: In Brazil, a mother delivered her 32nd child. Your comments please
A: A stitch in time would have saved twenty-nine!!!
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