Abroo ki kamaanon mein
Posted on: November 19, 2016
This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, 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.
I came to know about a film made in 1940 with a title ‘Intezaar’ through Filmindia magazine. Later, it was given a new title ‘Sneh Bandhan’ (1940) and was released with the same name. I did not evince much interest in knowing about the film until I came across the mp3 clip of a beautifully worded song from the film.
SNEH BANDHAN (1940) was produced by Kikubhai B Desai (father of Manmohan Desai) under the banner of Great India Pictures. The film was directed by J P Advani. Bibbo and E Billimoria were in lead roles supported by Navin Yagnik, Pratima Devi, Rajkumari, Muzamil, S L Puri, Dhulia etc.
Kikubhai Desai was known mainly for producing films belonging to the genres of crime thrillers and fantasies. However, with ‘Sneh Bandhan’ (1940), he ventured into social films. The shortened version of the story of the film based on the review of the film in January 1941 issue of ‘Filmindia’ magazine is as under:
Snehlata (Bibbo), the daughter of a Post Master, falls in love with Gopal (Navin Yagnik) who is educated but orphan. Snehlata’s mother wants her to marry a rich man. Gopal promises Snehlata that he would earn enough money in one year and come back to marry her.
Gopal goes to the city looking for a job. But circumstances prevent him from returning home in time. So Snehlata is married to Pratap (E Billimoria), a rich man who loves her. However, Snehlata cannot reciprocate the same love to Pratap. Disgusted with one sided love, Pratap soon takes to wine and women.
One day, Snehlata manages to meet Gopal and reveals her predicament to him. She decides to treat him as his brother and starts showering love and affection on her husband, Pratap. One day when he returns home, Pratap finds his wife with Gopal. With intense suspicion, in a fit of anger, Pratap shoots Gopal dead.
Snehlata takes the murder charge on her in order to save her husband and she is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In the jail, a son is born to her. However, in the interest of the future of her son, she entrusts the care of child to the jail matron and takes a promise from her to keep the parentage of the son a secret.
With wife in jail, Pratap continues with wine and women and loses everything. One day he kills a singing girl. On the day, Snehlata is given freedom, Pratap is taken to the jail. Having no one to live for, she decides to commit suicide. She is however saved by a film producer who induces her to become a film actress. Snehlata becomes a big star and with comfortable financial position, she pays for the education of her son, Kamal who becomes a lawyer.
After completion of his jail terms, Pratap returns home and start blackmailing his wife that he would reveal the parentage of their son, Kamal. Snehlata begs him not to do so but Pratap is adamant. Snehlata threatens him with a revolver. In the struggle, Pratap is accidentally killed and Snehlata is held for the trial. Kamal who is not aware that he is the son of Snehlata is asked to defend her.
Kamal successfully defends Snehlata and the film ends with a happy note.
The film had 10 songs all written by Pt. Narayan Prasad ’Betab’ which were set to music by Pannalal Ghosh. I was very much swayed by the simple yet meaningful lyrics of a song to which I will come later. I was aware of Pt. Narayan Prasad ‘Betab’ who was associated with Parsi theatres in Bombay (Mumbai) but was not aware that he was also associated with films. His profile which I gathered from his autobiography translated in English in condensed form in a book ‘Stages of Life: Indian Theatre Autobiographies’ by Kathryn Hansen is very interesting. He was a poet and a playwright in Urdu/Hindustani without having done any schooling.
Pt. Narayan Prasad ‘Betab’ was born in 1872 in Aurangabad town in Bulundshahar district of U.P. His father was a sweet maker. He lost his mother when he was around 2 years. Although Betab was interested in going to school, his illiterate father instead trained him in his family profession. His father though illiterate was good at composing folk plays. Betab inherited this art from his father.
As a teenager, Betab started reciting his poems in public competition. During his formative years, he learned the rules of Hindi poem’s pattern and rhythm from a local pandit but soon gave up. He turned to Urdu ustads and gradually developed taste and skills to write Urdu ghazals. By the time, he left home, he had become proficient in writing Urdu ghazals in classical form.
Betab got his first job in ‘Kesar-e-Hind Press, Delhi as a compositor. Once on a work of delivering the hand bills to Jamdar Drama Company in Delhi, he got a chance to compose a song for the Company. In appreciation of his work, the Company allowed him free entry in the theatres. Gradually, he developed an interest in writing plays and songs.
When New Alfred Theatre Company came to Delhi in 1899, he met Murad, a well-known Urdu poet. After challenging the accuracy of one of his verses, Betab earned Murad’s respect. His proximity to Murad made him improve his skill in writing plays. One of his earliest plays was ‘Qatl-e-Nazir’(1901) which was based on an incidence of the murder of a well-known courtesan. He wrote many plays for Parsi Theatres, Bombay, Alfred Theatre and Madan Theatre in Calcutta. Prominent among them was ‘ Zahri Saanp’ (1906), ‘Gorakhdhandha’ (1912), ‘Mahabharat’ (1913), ‘Ramayan’ (1915), ‘Krishna Sudama’ (1920), ‘Mother India’ (1928), Hamaari Bhool’ (1937). The last play he wrote was ‘Shankutala’ (1945) for Prithvi Theatres.
With the advent of talkies, Betab came back to Bombay in 1931 and joined Ranjit Studio as screenplay/dialogue writer and lyricists. During his 14 years of association with Hindi film industry, he was associated with 25 films and wrote over 200 songs. Unfortunately, most of his songs are not available as those days records for songs were hardly issued. Some of the films he was connected with were ‘Devi Devyani’ (1931), Zahri Saanp’ (1933), ‘Barrister Ki Biwi’ (1935), Prabhu Ka Pyaara’ (1936), ‘Kal Ki Baat’ (1937), ‘Sneh Bandhan’ (1940). His last released film was ‘Parashuram’ (1947).
In 1933, Betab suffered a stroke paralysing a part of his body. But he continued to write for the films. He breathed his last sometime in 1945.
I am presenting the first song from ‘Sneh Bandhan’ (1940) to appear in the Blog. The song-‘abroo ki kamaanon mein aur nain ke baanon mein’- is sung by Bibbo and Khan Mastana. Pt. Narayan Prasad ‘Betab’ wrote the song which was composed by Pannalal Ghosh. The lyrics are written in simple words but some of the imageries used by Betab in the song are unique by the standards of lyrics of early 40s. Pt Pannalal Ghosh has composed the song in unusual tune against the trend prevalent in the 40s. His orchestration for the song is soft in keeping with the mood of the song.
With this song, the film ‘Sneh Bandhan’ (1940) makes its debut in the Blog.
Song-Abroo ki kamaanon mein (Sneh Bandhan)(1940) Singers-Bibbo, Khan Mastana, Lyrics-Pt Narayan Prasad Betaab, MD-Pannalal Ghosh
Both
Lyrics
abroo ki kamaanon mein
aur nain ke baanon mein
abroo ki kamaanon mein
aur nain ke baanon mein
masti ke taraanon mein aen
masti ke taraanon mein
dekha to tu hi tu hai
abroo ki kamaanon mein
aur nain ke baanon mein
bechain ki aahon mein aen
ghaayal ki nighaaon mein aen
bechain ki aahon mein aen
ghaayal ki nighaaon mein aen
dabi(?) huyi chaahon mein aen
dabi(?) huyi chaahon mein
dekha to tu hi tu hai
abroo ki kamaanon mein
aur nain ke baanon mein
Ganga ki tarangon mein aen
premi ki ummangon mein aen
Ganga ki tarangon mein aen
premi ki ummangon mein aen
deepak ke patangon mein aen
deepak ke patangon mein
dekha to tu hi tu hai
abroo ki kamaanon mein
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
November 19, 2016 at 5:42 pm
Pannalal Ghosh
Anjaan (1941)
Basant (1942)
Bhalai (1943)
Duhai (1943)
Sawaal (1943)
Police (1944)
Beesvi Sadi (1945)
Andolan (1951)
Bibbo
Jagirdar (1937) Anil Biswas Pt. Indra Chandra
Pujari More Mandir Mein Aao with Surendra Nath
Manmohan (1936) Zia Sarhadi
Tumhi Ne Mujhko Prem Sikhaya with Surendra Nath
Gramophone Singer (1938) Anil Biswas Zia Sarhadi
Bindraban Me Kabhi Na Aana with Surendra
Main Tere Gale Ki Maala Tu Sagar Main Sarita with Surendra
Akela (1941) Khan Mastana Pyarelal Santoshi
Ha Re Banungi Dulhaniya Banungi
Mai Maina Aazad Bano Me Udne Wali
Lagti Hai Chot Jigar Par Khan Mastana
Maharaj Shikari Ban Gaye Ho Khan Mastana
Watan (1938) Anil Biswas & Kazi Nazrul Islam Wajahat Mirza
Kis Liye Duniya Se Nafrat Ho Gayi Anil Biswas
Rag e Jaan Se Khoon Uchhal Pade with Anil Biswas
Sabjaye Ko Saar Par Barsin Usse Nehla Gayi
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