Mubaarak ho
Posted on: October 27, 2015
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
Today’s song is a special song in more than one way. It is from a stunt film called Naghma E Sahra-1945, Directed and produced by Master Bhagwan, under his own studio banner of Jagriti Films. The Music Director was C. Ramchandra.
Generally C Ramchandra never gave music to Bhagwan’s films under his own name. He used names like Annasaheb or Ram Chitalkar or simply P. Ramakant-using his assistant’s name as a cover. That was the case till this film. After this, when he left Jayant Desai Productions and joined the prestigious Filmistan in 1946. This film ‘Naghma E Sehra’ was special for both C Ramchandra and Bhagwan, because their GOD- Master Vithal was the Hero of this film- for the last time perhaps in Hindi films. By 1946, Master Vithal had become sidelined in Hindi movies, though he continued to figure in Marathi films, doing small roles there till 1966.
Master Vithal was the First Superstar of Silent Films, who became the Hero of the First Talkie film of India “Aalam Ara-1931”. He got this role only because of his unparallelled popularity in silent films. He was the first ‘Angry Young Man’ of Indian Cinema in the 20s and the 30s. His films were full of stunts, fighting and daredevil acts. Master Vithal was very handsome with a very muscular physique. He was the ideal of many aspiring young actors like Bhagwan.
So, when Bhagwan became a stunt film Hero and a Director, his ardent wish was to act with Master Vithal or direct him. By 1940, Master Vithal was almost a spent force, with very few Hindi films for his to act. So when Bhagwan got him to act in his film ‘Naghma E Sahra’-45, both Bhagwan and his close friend C Ramchandra were overjoyed. C Ramchandra not only gave music to this film, but also did playback singing for Master Vithal and fulfilled his cherished dream to doing so.
Today’s generation has no idea what position Master Vithal held in the minds of Indian audience in those days. Stunt films were very popular and Master Vithal, with his handsome looks, muscular physique and daredevil stunts was extremely popular. I am perhaps one of the very few remaining now ,who has seen his film. I only remember one scene from that film, in which Master Vithal jumps from a tree onto an open car, fights with the goons and takes away the Heroine, who promptly embraces him. I do not remember name of the film or the Heroine’s name. She might be Zebunnisa.
Master Vithal ( Vithal Raghunath Desai)’s debut was on the stage as a child artist with Raja Pur Natak Mandali. He then started his career as a film editor with the film company in Maharashtra Films, Kolhapur which was owned by Baburao Painter. His first film role was as a female dancer in Kalyancha Khajina, the silent era film directed by Painter. He continued to work as film editor and a dancer and played minor roles in films.
His first break as a male lead was in the film Ratna Manjiri (1926) produced by Sharda Studios whom he had joined earlier in 1925. After that, he was a permanent fixture in the role of a hero and he was the star attraction of the Sharda Studios, owned by Nanubhai Desai, Anand Prasad Kapoor and Harshadrai Mehta. Nanubhai Desai was the studio founder and director of many stunt films produced by the company in which Vithal appeared in swashbuckling roles with Zebunnisa as his heroine. A professional wrestler, he became a very popular fearless hero acting in films in historical themes related to Rajasthan and Maharashtra; thus giving him the title “the Indian Douglas Fairbanks”, a title Vithal hated. Audience adored him in his stunt hero role, which became his “forte”. By 1930, he was the highest paid male star in Indian cinema industry.
In 1930, Vithal’s popularity in Stunt films attracted Ardeshir Irani of Imperial Film Company to invite him to join his company to make India’s first talkie, though Mehboob Khan was also vying for the role. Vithal, who was quite excited by Irani’s offer, accepted and moved to Irani’s newly formed film company Sagar Studios in Bombay, breaking his contract with Sharda Studios, only by few days. Nanubhai Desai was furious and he kidnapped Master Vithal. He was kept a captive, forcing him to extend the contract with Sharda Films.
When Irani came to know this, he went to the court against Sharda films. Eminent lawyers like Setalwad and Mohmmed ali Jinnah were employed by both parties. When the case started in the court, the judge asked Master Vithal, where he would like to join. That time Sharada was paying him Rs. 300 pm. Master Vithal replied that whichever company gave him more salary, he would join them. After this, there was an auction in the court and sums were spelt for master Vithal. Imperial Film company won when they offered Rs. 1200 pm as salary. The judge gave his judgement and Master Vithal joined Imperial. Thus he became the First actor to get a four figure salary in Indian Films. He was also the First actor to own a Car, in the cinema industry. ( After losing Master Vithal,Sharada Film company wanted a replacement for him. They appointed P. Jairaj,an upcoming handsome and Muscular actor, on a salary of Rs. 100 pm ! )
The following year, Vithal played the hero in the first Indian talkie Aalam Ara with Zubeida as the female lead. Alam Ara was also the first film in which music was introduced, and as many as seven music scores were part of the film. As his Hindi diction was poor, he could not deliver the dialogues properly; his acting quality in histrionic roles was also questioned. He was shown mostly in a state of trance or semi consciousness in the film and hardly had any dialogue. It is said that Vithal could not adopt himself to the new genre of talking-singing films in Hindi as he was “reduced to a hero who is (was) magically stuck dumb in Alam Ara.”. In 1932, he did some more silent films, which were no more in flavour. The talkies led to his decline in Hindi films; Vithal would never get a major role in Hindi films again. From 1934 onward, he started doing some Marathi films realizing his limitations. From the 1940s onward, he regularly appeared in films by Bhalji Pendharkar and those featuring Lalita Pawar and Durga Khote. He also played in a side role in the 1944 blockbuster film Ramshashtri. Towards the end, he played only minor roles in Marathi films; his last film appearance was in 1966.
A lot has been said about Vithal’s inability to speak Urdu dialogues and there is a popular Myth that after Aalam Ara, he did not get any Talkie film and he left the Bombay film industry for Kolhapur to continue his career in Marathi films. Nothing can be farther from truth, because not only Master Vithal was cast as a Hero in another Talkie film, by Imperial Film company itself ( who had made Aalam Ara) – Anangsena-1931, but many other well known production houses like Wadia, Mohan, Pradeep,BKDave,Ranjit etc called him to make Talkie films.
However, Master Vithal who was not very comfortable with Urdu dialogues, was no more interested in doing Hindi films anymore, so he did films very selectively and acted in 8 silent films till 1934 and 16 Talkie Hindi films till 1946. He even gave music to a film “Kashmir ki kali”-46, and also acted in it.
Master Vithal is in History books as the First Hero of the First Hindi Talkie Film and also he also has the credit of directing a talkie movie with a double role (played by Shahu Modak) for the first time. That was in a Bilingual film ” Aawara Shahzada”-1933, which he directed ( “Autghatkecha Raja” in Marathi). Master Vithal himself was the First to do a Double role in silent film in ” Prisoner of Love” ( or Raj Tarang)-1927, made by Sharada films.
Master Vithal acted in a total of 92 films- including Hindi, Marathi and silent movies. He also directed 2 Talkie films-one each in Hindi and Marathi. In one of his interviews, he regretted his decision of shifting to Kolhapur in 1946 permanantly as that, he felt, reduced his participation in Hindi films. He had constructed a big Chawl in Kolhapur and he spent his retirement living off on the earnings generated by its rent. He died in 1969.
The film Naghma E Sahra-45 was produced by and directed by Master Bhagwan. The cast of the film was Master Vithal, Khurshid Junior ( Meena kumari’s younger sister), Bhagwan, Amarnath, Shanta patel etc. The Lyrics were by Ehsan Rizvi and C. Ramchandra was the music director.
Today’s song is a rare one because it is difficult to get a song of a film where Master Vithal was a Hero, because he had stopped getting such lead roles in 1940s.
This film had 7 songs. This song is actually in two parts. Today we will listen to only the first part, as this is all that is available. Let us enjoy this rare song from a forgotten movie called “Naghma e Sahra”(1945). It is sung by Khan Mastana, Hameeda Banu and C Ramchandra. Lyrics are by Ehsaan Rizvi. Music was composed by C Ramchandra.
This movie makes its debut in the blog with this song.
Song-Mubaarak ho (Naghma e Sahra)(1945) Singers-Khan Mastana, Hameeda Banu, Chitalkar, Lyrics-Ehsaan Rizvi, MD-C Ramchandra
Chorus
Lyrics
ye jalta ??
ye ?? ka
ghadi arsi ye din bhar ka
ye jalta ??
ye ?? ka
ghadi arsi ye din bhar ka
gareebon ki dua tujhko
rakhe hardam phala phoola
gareebon ki dua tujhko
rakhe hardam phala phoola
mubaarak ho o o
mubaarak ho o o
mubaarak ho o o
mubaarak ho o o
chaman phoola bahaar aayi
khushi dil ke ?? aayi
chaman phoola bahaar aayi
khushi dil ke ?? aayi
masarrat ki girah kholi
bhari hai dil ki bhi jholi
masarrat ki girah kholi
bhari hai dil ki bhi jholi
hamaaree kismaten badlin
ke ham se raahaten badlin
hamaaree kismaten badlin
ke ham se raahaten badlin
mubaarak ho o o
mubaarak ho o o
mubaarak ho o o
mubaarak ho o o
4 Responses to "Mubaarak ho"
October 27, 2015 at 1:23 pm
Arunkumarji,
Your words are really worth a lot. So many things I read for the first time. Thank you . But why the person who posted this song to YT made the mistake of exhibiting Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy (from Do Bigha Jameen ) is not understood.
D Samant
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October 27, 2015 at 1:31 pm
Samantji,
They would post any picture for want of the actual one. It has become a norm rather than an exception.
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April 11, 2021 at 10:37 am
Atul ji, Sudhir ji and Arun ji,
I have uploaded the full song (Part-1 and 2). The Part-1 of the song is sung by Khan Mastana, Hamida Bano and Chorus and Part-2 by Hamida Bano, Chitalkar and Chorus.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
October 27, 2015 at 12:47 pm
Deshmukh Sir,
Thanks a lot for a detailed filmography of Master Vitthal, the first hero of the Indian talkies.
An extremely rare song.
Regards,
Avadh Lal
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