Ek nek tabeeyat raaja thha
Posted on: April 6, 2013
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
In the early era there was a fair exchange of film themes and music between all the centres of film production like Bombay, Lahore, Calcutta, Madras, Poona and Kolhapur( and Hyderabad and Bangalore at a later time). That is why sometimes Bilingual films were made. Madras was not directly interested in making films in Hindi upto 1948,till Vasan’s CHANDRALEKHA-48 had an All India release with over 700 prints, in those days.
Marathi-Hindi Bilingual films were common till then. Calcutta usually made quick Remakes with different casts rather than making Bangla-Hindi Bilingual films. So, till about 1950 or so Hindi film goers had enough opportunities to see Marathi and Bangla artists in movies.
Bilingual films were almost abandoned in due course and remakes came into vogue. At times remakes were made even if the original film was made 10-15 years ago.
Bengal was in the forefront in using a very strong Story line and for this purpose they fell back on the famous artworks by Bangla writers and Dramatists. This is the reason why we could see world class films based on the novels and stories by wellknown writers like Sarat babu or Tagore etc.
Since their storylines were very strong,they could even make films without any songs,which the Hindi film makers could never dare to do. That is why barely two or three songless Hindi movies were made from 1931 (when the first Talkie was made) till about 1960. On the other hand,Bangla Film makers, backed with strong storylines, made about a Dozen Songless films during the same period.
Upendranath Ganguli was a very well known name in Bangla literature and many films were made on his stories. He was one of the staunch followers of the modernist, reformist Sarat Babu.
Abhigyan-1938 was one such film made in Bangla,on the story of Upendranath Ganguli. A remake of this film was made in the same year in Hindi, with the title ABHAGIN. It was made by New Theatrs,Calcutta which was the leading film production company of Bengal.
The star cast of this film was Vijay Kumar and Molina Deviin the lead. Both these names are unknown to most Hindi viewers. Both of them were comparatively new, having done just 3-4 films earlier.
VIJAY KUMAR PANDIT hailed from Shimla. He was born in 1905. He was a very good looking person. After schooling in Shimla, he studied in Mahindra college in Patiyala and graduated from S D College, Lahore in 1930. he also did a Master’s degree from oriental college Lahore in 1932.
While in school and college, he was interested in doing Drama roles, including a female role in Agha Hashra Kashmiri’s drama ‘Aasir – E Hins’. After education while he was in the service of maharaja of Patiyala, he formed a drama club and staged dramas, in which even the composer/singer S D Batish acted with him. Based on his recommendation ,Vijay got Hero’s role in a silent film-Dukhtar e Zamana made by Premier film company.
Then he went to Calcutta and worked in Hindi films. from 1935 to 1938 he featured in 6 films-
1. Azaadi-35..with Ashalata (Mehrunnisa-first wife of Anil Biswas,)
2. Shadi ki Raat-35… with Nargis
3. Sajeev Murti-35… with Ashalata again
4. Sunehara Sansar-36 with Rampyari and Kamala Jhariya
5. Abhagin-38 with Molina Devi and
6. Asha-38 with Kamlesh Kumari (This was also a film of KAMRAN, later a stunt film hero-also father of Sajid Khan and Farah khan.)
After this film Vijay Kumar left film world. he was the FIRST hero in Hindi films from Shimla. Later SHEILA RAMANI who was the Miss Shimla in 1951,became a Heroine in Hindi films.
Vijay kumar also sang 6 songs in films.
Molina Devi was born in Calcutta in 1916. She was from a wealthy family. She worked in over 80 Hindi and Bengali films and also sang several songs. She was the Heroine of the Bangla film as well which was remade as Abhagin.
ABHAGIN-1938 was a New Theatre presentation. The director was Prafulla Roy and the music was by R C Boral. His assistant was Pankaj Mullick. The writer of the screenplay was Phani Muzumdar,based on the story of Upendranath Ganguli.Hindi dialogues were by A H Shor. The cinematographer was Bimal Roy, who,later gave us classic Hindi films as a Director.
The cast consisted of Vijay Kumar, Molina Devi, Prithwiraj kapoor, Trilok Kapoor, Bikram Kapoor (father of Meena Kapoor the singer), Devbala, Kamala Jharia, Chaman Puri(his Debut film), Menaka (wife of Kamran and sister of Honey Irani and Daisy Irani Shukla), and Nemo.
A wealthy, but tyrannical Landlord-Jawaharlal Chaudhari(Nemo), has a quarrel with one of his tenants for a long time. In one of the disputes with him, the tenant attacks Chaudhari,injures his son Priyalal( Vijay kumar) and abducts priyalal’s wife Sandhya (Molina Devi). However Sandhya escapes from the captors and comes to her relative Prakash (Bikram Kapoor) for help. After everything is settled and the attacker is caught, Sandhya returns to her husband but the Father in law,Chaudhary refuses to accept her back. He expresses doubts on her chastity,as she was with the captors first and later in the house of an outsider. Her husband knows she is pure, but can not do anything and Sandhya leaves the house and a friend of Priyalal- Pramod (Prithwiraj Kapoor) gives her shelter and helps her to stand on her own feet.
When all the misunderstandings etc are cleared, Sandhya is recalled with honour, back to her in laws’ house. She returns but her heart is aching for Promod who has been very helpful to her.
Still as an ideal Indian wife she forgets him and stays with Husband whom she no more loves. Thus she is an Abhagin in matters of true love.
Here is a song from “Abhagin” (1938). The song is sung by Molina Devi. R C Boral is the music director. The lyricist is not known though it could be A H Shor who was involved in this movie as dialogue writer and who was a lyricist.
The lyrics are not very clear at places. Readers with keener ears are requested to point out the errors/ corrections in the lyrics.
Song-Ek nek tabeeyat raaja thha (Abhagin)(1938) Singer-Molina Devi, MD-R C Boral
Lyrics
ek nek tabeeyat raaja thha
ek man ki komal raani thhi
ek nek tabeeyat raaja thha
ek man ki komal raani thhi
unki duniya mein ?? sapnon ki
prem kahaani thhi
unki duniya mein ?? sapnon ki
prem kahaani thhi
ek nek tabeeyat raaja thha
ek man ki komal raani thhi
ek din ek saudaagar laaya
ek niraalaa panchhi
sundar roop
aroop(?) manohar
gaane waala panchhi
ek din ek saudaagar laaya
ek niraalaa panchhi
sundar roop
aroop(?) manohar
gaane waala panchhi
panchhi raaja ke man ke bhaaya
raaja ?? ghar le aaya
panchhi raaja ke man ke bhaaya
raaja ?? ghar le aaya
kudrat ne raani ke man mein
aur khayaal jagaaya
kudrat ne rani ke man mein
aur khayaal jagaaya
main raja ke man se utri
man mein haul(?) samaaya
main raja ke man se utri
man mein haul(?) samaaya
ankhiyan bhar bhar aaye neer
hardam ?? kaleje ??
raani ka ?? nahin thha
prem shiqaayat raani ki
prem shiqaaaayat raaaaani ki
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
August 14, 2013 at 3:54 am
Arunji,
What a gem!!! Thank you for introducing this film.
Atulji,
I tried very hard to find the missing words. Here is what I could hear/guess
unki duniya MEETHE sapnon ki
prem kahaani thhi
panchhi raaja ke man bhaaya
raaja USKO ghar le aaya
(There is no KE before bhaaya)
main raja ke man se utri
man mein AUR samaaya
main raja ke man se utri
man mein AUR samaaya
ankhiyan bhar bhar aaye neer
hardam ?? kaleje CHEER
raani ka KUCHH DOSH nahin thha
prem shiqaayat raani ki
prem shiqaaaayat raaaaani ki
Hope it’s right!
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