Hum panchhi mastaane
Posted on: July 14, 2012
This article is written by Raja, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Today is the death anniversary of Madan Mohan, a music composer who is synonymous with some of the finest music we have seen in Hindi cinema.
It is a tragedy of human nature that we tend to recognize a person’s abilities and qualities only after he has left us. Guru Dutt in his classic Pyaasa, made precisely this point when he “rose from the dead” to mock those who suddenly began appreciating his work, now that he was supposed to be dead.
With Madan Mohan, it was much the same – only in real life. Throughout his career, he was not given quite the due he deserved. He was constantly overshadowed by the bigger names of the time – Shankar Jaikishen, SD Burman and OP Nayyar. That many of his films did not do particularly well at the box-office could hardly have helped. Right till his last days he kept churning out gems – and totally deserved to be accorded as much respect as any of his contemporaries.
The purpose of this piece is not to compare music composers. We know that each one of them has contributed in his own way to the wealth of Hindi music available to us. Comparisons are indeed odious – and more so, when we compare artistes. The point I’m trying to make here is just that it would be so much nicer if an artiste got recognition during his lifetime and not just after his death. In the case of Madan Mohan, it is perhaps entirely in keeping with his luck that even his last fim, Laila Majnu – which he could not complete for all songs (Jaidev helped to complete it) – became a success that he did not live to enjoy.
Madan Mohan will however always be remembered fondly for his ghazal compositions, especially for Lata Mangeshkar. She has said many a time that he brought out the best in her. I remember reading this – and soon after , listening to “Yunh hasraton ke daag” (Adalat). And I couldn’t help agreeing with her – what an outstanding song that is! Lata Mangeshkar has sung some absolutely outstanding songs for Madan Mohan – off the top of my head I can remember songs of Adalat, Anpadh, Sanjog, Aap Ki Parchhaiyaan, Haqeeqat, Jahan Ara, Wo Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya, Heer Ranjha and the beautiful “betaab dil ki tamanna” and “aaj socha to aansoo bhar aaye” from Hanste Zakhm, late in Madan Mohan’s career. Many of these songs will feature in my all-time Lata favourites list.
And let’s not forget Rafi saab for Madan Mohan in most of the above movies – too many songs to be mentioned individually. And I will always remember fondly Talat Mahmood’s “phir wohi shaam wohi gham” and “teri aankh ke aansoo pee jaaoon, aisi meri taqdeer kahaan” from Jahan Ara. Why, even Kishore Kumar had his Madan Mohan moments with the lively “zaroorat hai” in Manmauji (which had the lovely Lata song “main to tum sang nain milaake”, btw) and the lovely “simti si” in Parwaana.
Yes, Madan Mohan composed some wonderful songs which we remember very fondly today and have to thank him for. Today I have picked a song in his memory from a film that I like a lot – it is such a fun film. Dekh Kabira Roya – one of the true rollicking comedies that Hindi cinema offered in the 50s.
This film was different in that it did not feature big stars. No Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand. No Vyjanthimala, Madhubala, Nargis or Nutan. But maybe it was precisely this reason that the film, with its fun storyline, turned out to be so endearing. Directed by the fairly respected Amiya Chakrabarty (of Seema fame), this film featured then-smalltime actors like Shubha Khote, Ameeta and Anita Guha in the female leads, opposite equally small-time Anoop Kumar, Jawahar Kaul and Daljeet. And there is comedian Sundar in one of his better roles, in my opinion. The storyline is hilarious, the dialogues are crisp and the actors all look like they are having loads of fun. I think the film may have done well too – a rarity for a Madan Mohan film of the time.
The songs are just fantastic – the two best-known songs of the film are “kaun aaya mere man ke dwaare” by Manna Dey and “humse aaya na gaya” by Talat Mahmood. But I loved every single song of the film when I saw it, though I was listening to most of them for the first time.
Today’s song is one such song that I had not heard till I saw the movie a few years ago. It is a fun song, sung with full gusto and in a spirit of masti, by Shubha Khote and Anita Guha on-screen (and Geeta Dutt and Lata Mangeshkar as playback). I also see the name Seeta Agarwal mentioned as one of the playback singers – this is the first time I’ve heard her name. Can somebody shed some light on her and whether she is one of the singers. On-screen, there are two actors – it is of course possible, though a bit odd, that there are three singers doing playback.
As I said earlier, in this movie, it looks like the actors are having loads of fun. And this song epitomizes it better than any other. So much joie de vivre, so much positive spirit in this song. If I remember correctly, Shubha Khote and Anita Guha have been stood up by their “boyfriends” at the coffee house, so they say “What the heck! Let’s enjoy anyway” and go out for a walk and song on Marine Drive (which looks so lovely back in the time).
I really like this song a lot – and hope you like it too. Sure it is not a classic ghazal but it is a humble tribute to Madan Mohan saab.
Audio
Video
Song-Ham panchhi mastaane (Dekh Kabira Roya)(1957) Singers-Geeta Dutt,Lata, Lyrics-Rajinder Krishan, MD-Madan Mohan
Geeta Dutt + Lata
Lyrics
Hum panchhi mastaane
hum panchhi mastaane
ek hi dhun hai
ek hi manzil
pyaar ke hum deewaane
hum panchhi mastaane
hum panchhi mastaane
dharti ko chhod kar peechhe
baadal ke paar jaana hai
dharti ko chhod kar peechhe
baadal ke paar jaana hai
chun chun ke shokh taaron ko
ek aashiaan banaana hai
ek lagan hai
ek hi masti
ek jaise afsaane
hum panchhi mastaane
hum panchhi mastaane
dil ki lagi ye kehti hai
rukne ka naam mat lena
dil ki lagi ye kehti hai
rukne ka naam mat lena
toofan rastaa rokey
jhukne ka naam mat lena
pyaar shama hai
hum dilwaale
usi ke hain parwaane
hum panchhi mastaane
hum panchhi mastaane
ek saath chal padey hain to
manzil ko dhoondh hi lenge
ek saath chal padey hain to
manzil ko dhoondh hi lenge
jis dil mein ghar banaana hai
us dil ko dhoondh hi lenge
hum albele aaj chaley hain
duniya nayi basaane
hum panchhi mastaane
hum panchhi mastaane
ek hi dhun hai
ek hi manzil
pyaar ke hum deewaane
hum panchhi mastaane
hum panchhi mastaane
4 Responses to "Hum panchhi mastaane"
September 4, 2014 at 9:38 am
Raja Ji… lovely ode to Madan Mohan saab. Yes it is sad that we do not recognize the good of people when they are alive. It is so much of a lesson for all of us to just say it if we like something right there. Loved reading your write-up and the song was so happy. I also liked the way the two ladies let loose and are enjoying themselves. By the way, could this song also be tagged as a MouthOrgan song?
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July 12, 2022 at 10:23 pm
A few things that I like about this song and the characters on screen:
The almost OP Nayyar type song beat including the *horse hoof sound*
&
The tomboyish Shubha Khote.
&
synchronized steps that the ladies undertake
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
July 14, 2012 at 8:47 pm
I saw this movie long back, on DD. Don’t remember this song, I need to hear it again. If I HAD to pick on favorite MD, it would be MM, his songs are so sweetly emotional, somehow they strike the right chord in me.
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