Sundar hoon sakhi
Posted on: February 14, 2013
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Films made in the early era of Indian Talkie are a national heritage. Unfortunately, most of the films from the period 1931 to 1939 are not available . Very few films of that era are available. Even the leaflets and film books of these films are not traceable in most cases. In few books like Encyclopaedia of Indian Films the short notes on some films are to be found.
Films of the early era were available for second or third runs till about 1945 to 1950 period. After that even those prints disappeared. Only films of Prabhat Film company were preserved carefully. In the national Archives at Pune few more films are available but I do not know their conditions, seeing that it is a Government Organisation.
People like us should be considered lucky because we were able to see atleast few such films in our younger days.
This film 300 DAYS AND AFTER – 1938 is one such film, which I had seen in Hyderabad,m ay be somewhere in 1949 or 1950 or so, or may be a little later-not very sure.
This film was based on or in today’s language ” inspired” by MGM’s ” A Billionair’s story” in which Edward Arnold and Mary Nash had acted under the Direction of the legendary Haward Hawks.
This was the first comedy film of Sarvottam Badami,the director.
Badami was born in Bangalore and worked as a Car mechanic ,though he was attracted towards films. He was called to Bombay to organise and help in the sound recording of a Tamil film from Sagar Movietone. Seeing his interest in films and the knowledge of languages, he was offered the chance to complete the direction of a half made Tamil film. He grabbed the opportunity and succeeded. His first few Hindi films were social like Chandrahasa, Grihlaxmi and Dr.Madhurika.
300 days and after was his first comedy film. When he did a good job of it he got Aap ki Marzi-1939 (already revied in this Blog on 3-2-13) and Ladies Only-39. After this film Badami left Sagar and started his own Sudama films and went back to social films again.
The film 300 days and after was from Sagar Movietone. The cast of this film was Motilal, Sabita Devi, Miss Bibbo, Yakub, Sankata Prasad(elder brother of character artist Kanhaiyalal), Pesi Patel etc.
Now here is an interesting point.
In the initial stage of the Indian films, whether silent or talkie, it was difficult to get girls from good families and background. Slowly this scenario changed. When Talkie started many Tawaifs, singing girls and girls from such families joined films as they fulfilled the requirement of singing and looking good, in addition to their ease on Hindi/Urdu language. At this time slowly many educated girls from high society as well as middleclass families started joining films. So,to distinguish these women from each others, a system of nomenclature was followed. All the Girls coming from Singing families and Tawaif background added the suffix “Bai” to their names, like Jaddanbai, Waheedan bai, Zohrabai, Amirbai etc. The Anglo-Indian and middle class girls took the prefix of ‘ Miss” like, Miss Moti, Miss Rose, Miss Tara,Miss Ajmat, Miss Pearl etc. Those girls who were from high society were called Devi, like Sabita Devi, Kamla Devi, etc. All Marathi actresses used their full names like Shanta Apte, Minaksi Shirodkar etc.
One of the actresses in this film was Miss Bibbo or Ishrat Sultana. She was India’s FIRST LADY MUSIC DIRECTOR. Most people call Jaddanbai as the First lady Music Director, which is NOT correct. Ishrat gave music to Adil e Jahangir in 1934 and later to Qazzack ki Beti-1937(along with Dr.Samad). Jaddanbai started giving music to Talash e haq in 1935.
Bibbo was a Beauty Queen of her times. Born in Delhi’s Ishratabad or Chavadi in 1906, she was the centre of attraction of her area when she was growing up. She came to Bombay in 1933 to join Ajanta Cinetone and worked in Maya jaal, Rangeela Rajput,Dukhtar e Hind, Sair e Paristan and Vasavdutta. She acted and sang very well. Then she did few films for Sagar Movietone and sang” Tumhi ne mujhko prem sikhaya” with Surendra which was an All India hit song. She acted and sang in almost 50 films and sang about 120 odd songs. She never gave playback to anyone. Her last film as a singer was Akela-1941.
After partition Bibbo went to Pakistan and continued her career there till 1966. She died in 1971.
The story of 300 Days and after is-
Sudhir (Motilal) is a bachelor billionaire,doing nothing and enjoying life to the fullest with wine, women and gambling. As a result, his health starts falling prematurely when he is just 25-26 yrs only.
one day he falls down and a Doctor is called. After many tests and inspection of everything his family doctor tells him that because of his wayward living and uncontrolled lifestyle he is suffering from many ailments.If he treats them now, he may get all those again and again. The only remedy is Sudhir should do hard manual work, exercises and lead a simple living, which,the doctor says, Sudhir will never be able to do.
Sudhir is angry. He challenges the doctor that he will leave all his wealth, go out in the world, do physical work and earn money for himself. The doctor takes a bet with him and the deal is Sudhir should go out for 300 days without using a single paisa from his existing wealth for himself. Sudhir is ready for this.
Next day Sudhir goes out with few ordinary clothes, little money and a strong will to face the big bad world.
The film is full of funny situations when Motilal gets different jobs and does not know how to do them. First he tries to work as a Vegetable vendor, but he does not know the names of any vegetable.
He even takes some fruits as vegetables,to sell. Next he tries to work as an assitant in a Barber shop, where he shaves off half mustache of a customer. He tries to work as a car driver and a Tram ticket collector also.
Finally, he joins as a worker in a Soap factory, where he has to drive sometimes the Seth’s wife -Ramola devi(Bibbo), who tries to entice him. Sudhir starts likng a typist girl in the factory Sharada(Sabita Devi). Sharada teaches music to Ramola, wife of Seth Laxmi Das. Motilal takes her everyday to the tuition. They start loving each others. Motilal stays with a kind hearted Vegetable vendor woman as a tenant. She tends to him , feeds him well and takes his care as her son.
Suddenly the Factory must close down due to some loss. All workers are worried. Motilal secretly sends his own money to the Sethji as an anonymous partner. The Factory is saved.
Now in this all jumble, 300 days come to an end. Surprisingly Motilal finds himself absolutely fit, healthy and understands the meaning of true life and Love.
He goes back to the doctor to claim his bet money, which he donates to a school.
Sudhir marries Sharada and brings the kind vegetable vendor lady as his family member to live with him for ever.
There are 9 songs in the film. There are 3 songs each to Miss Bibbo and Sabita Devi.
Let us enjoy this song from Bibbo-Ishrat Sultana-the First Woman Music Director of Hindi Films.
Song-Sundar hoon sakhi (Three hundred days and after)(1938) Singer-Miss Bibbo(Ishrat Jahaan), Lyrics-Zia Sarhadi, MD-Anil Biswas
Lyrics
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
meri komal boondon me main
meri komal bundo me mai naachati-gaati aati hun
haan naachti-gaati aati hoon
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
man mandir mein mere man ki
man mandir mein mere man ki
poojaa hoti rehti hai
more mandir mein mere man ki poojaa hoti rehti hai
sukh aangan ki raani main taqdeeron ko behlaati hoon
sukh aangan ki raani main taqdeeron ko behlaati hoon
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
sundar hoon sakhi pag-pag par main
sundartaa barsaati hoon
———————————————-
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
———————————————-
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
मेरी कोमल बूंदों मे मैं
मेरी कोमल बूंदों मे मै नाचती-गाती आती हूँ
हाँ नाचती-गाती आती हूँ
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
मन मन्दिर में मेरे मन की
मन मन्दिर में मेरे मन की
पूजा होती रहती है
मोरे मन्दिर में मेरे मन की पूजा होती रहती है
सुख आँगन की रानी मैं तक़दीरों को बहलाती हूँ
सुख आँगन की रानी मैं तक़दीरों को बहलाती हूँ
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
सुन्दर हूँ सखी पग-पग पर मैं
सुन्दरता बरसाती हूँ
2 Responses to "Sundar hoon sakhi"
August 29, 2013 at 9:04 pm
I am zapped by your amazing knowledge and the extent of information you have posted. What a pity so many of our films, part of our national heritage, have been lost forever! Sigh…………..
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
March 13, 2013 at 10:13 pm
Great job as always, Arunkumar Sir. It is great to know such an all – round account of the film. Thanks a lot for clearly explaining the story with your wise experience.
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