Koi kyaa jaane
Posted on: October 9, 2012
his article is writteb by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
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Lesser known singers- Singer 4 (Ira Nigam)
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India is a very peculiar country.
It is rather Unique.
If one sees the world history, one will find that most nations have changed culturewise and they have adapted themselves to the modern times and needs. Thus,things which were taboo a century ago are not taboo anymore. U.K. accepts jokes and cartoons on its Royalty now, whereas hundred years ago, person would have been hanged in public for this.
USA can today tolerate parody of Christ and Christianity whereas hundred years ago the person would have been dead for such an act.
But our country has not changed its basic culture inspite of hundreds of years. Barring few exceptions,that too,in upper class society, Indian women are still ruled by the whims and dictates of men.
When women from educated families entered the film industry, it looked like our women are finally going to be liberated, but Alas ! Even in the film industry women are ruled by males.
A seemingly rebellious star of yesteryears-SHANTA APTE-had to accept her own brother as Husband in a film because she was not allowed to be touched by other males !
The most daring and couragious star of the 40s-MINAKSHI SHIRODKAR- who stunned everybody by donning a swimsuit and bathing in the waters of a river openly,in Bramhachary-1938,had to give up her acting career midway because her husband refused to allow her to do any roles other than Heroine.
Who knows how many women had to forgo opportunities in film line only because their men-folk would not allow.
Today we will talk about a Singer who had to forgo wonderful opportunities in playback singing in Hindi films, first because of her father and then because of her husband. These days she only recalls and weeps.
IRA NIGAM (NOT Ira Nagrath-wife of Roshan. She was different person) was born in October 1930 in Seoni (M.P.) in her mother’s Mayaka.
She had a God given gift os singing. She was educated in Delhi and Shantiniketan. Her father Hriday Narayan Nigam was a singer himself. With his help she started singing on AIR Delhi.
She completed her graduation in Music form DU.
Her voice was sweet and melodious. Roshan,who was also working in AIR Delhi, one day brought the famous composer Khurshid Anwar to her house. They convinced her father to allow her to sing in films. She was so lucky to sing her first song in PARAKH-1944,under the baton of Khurshid Anwar. She was only 14 years old then. Here her father put a condition that only he will sing duets with her and no other male. Due to this strange condition ,she got only one more film Asmat-44 and they had to go back to Delhi.
Ira got married meantime and came back to Bombay again in 1948. This time with her husband P.N.Nigam.
Harmandir Hamraz,who interviewed her in Kanpur in Aug 1984 says that she wept when she told him that as her Husband did not like her work in hindi Films, she had to give up singing after doing just 5 films.
She sang in Rakhi-49,Char Din-49, Ek teri Nishani-49,Veer Ghatotkach-49 and last film Guru Dakshina-50.
There were hundreds of singing offers to her when she left Bombay the second time. First it was due to her father and next it was due to her husband that a promising singing career was cut short.
here is a sweet song from PARAKH-1944 “Koi kya jaane”. It is written by Aarzoo Lucknowi and its music is by Khurshid Anwar.
Enjoy…..
Song-Koi kyaa jaane (Parakh)(1944) singer-Ira Nigam, Lyrics-Aarzoo Lucknowi, MD-Khurshid Anwar
Lyrics
koi kyaa jaane
koi kyaa jaane
koi kyaa jaane
ise
dard hamaara kyaa hai
dard hi jab nahin maaloom
to chaara kyaa hai
koi kyaa jaane
ise
dard hamaara kyaa hai
dard hi jab nahin maaloom
to chaara kyaa hai
koi kyaa jaane
ae ae ae ae
koi kyaa jaane
kya kehna bhi khayaal
kehna hai un lafzon mein
kya kehna bhi khayaal
kehna hai un lafzon mein
ismen aur ye na samjhe
ki
ishaara kya hai
ismen aur ye na samjhe
ki
ishaara kya hai
koi kyaa jaane
ise
dard hamaara kyaa hai
koi kyaa jaane
ae ae ae
koi kyaa jaane
ham mit jaayen magar
khwaab na mitne denge
ham mit jaayen magar
khwaab na mitne denge
aur ham aise ghareebon ka sahaara kya hai
aur ham aise ghareebon ka sahaara kya hai
koi kya jaane ise
dard hamaara kyaa hai
koi kya jaane ise
dard hamaara kyaa hai
dard hi jab nahin maaloom
to chaara kyaa hai
koi kyaa jaane
ae ae ae ae
koi kyaa jaane
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
October 9, 2012 at 11:28 pm
It is a sweet Ghalib style ghazal. Thanks for sharing this with us.
The missing word could be “khwaab”.
ham mit jaayen magar “khwaab” na mitne denge
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October 10, 2012 at 12:00 am
Thanks , it sounds like “Khwaab”.
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