Sapnon Mein Koi Aaya
Posted on: April 14, 2020
This article is written by Sudhir, 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 other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
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Saga Of Sleepless Nights – 7
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kal raat sapne mein aaye thhey tum
mere mehboob mere mehboob
Sound of a temple bell – that is how the renowned music director OP Nayyar once described the voice of Shamshad Begum. The clear sound of the tinkle, the chime and the ringing – the quality of sound that can maybe best described with the word ‘खनकती हुई’ – I could not locate a commensurate word in English. I am sure friends and readers who have heard her songs will easily relate with what I am getting at.
Remembering Shamshad Begum today on the 101st anniversary of her birth. She was born in 1919, this day, just one day after Baisakhi, and the horrific massacre at Jalianwaala Bagh in the nearby city of Amritsar. She was born into a traditional and conservative family of limited means. One of the eight children in the family, her father was a mechanic with limited income and a large family to feed.
Shamshad was not formally trained in singing or music. She had a natural flair for it. When she was five, her singing came to the attention of her teachers at primary school. The principal of the school was so impressed, she asked her to lead the daily morning prayers. By the time she was 10, she began singing at religious functions and at family functions and marriage events. One of her father’s brother, Ameer Khan, was interested in listening to music, especially ghazals and qawwaalis. In 1931, when she was twelve, he secretly took her to the offices of Jenophone Music Company. He personally knew the resident music director incharge – Ghulam Haider. At the initial audition, the young Shamshad sang a ghazal of Bahadur Shah Zafar – “Mera Yaar Mujhe Miley Agar”. Duly and thoroughly impressed, Ghulam Haider Sb immediately offered a contract to record some songs and ghazals for the Jenophone label. Her father was quite upset when he discovered this subterfuge, but Ameer Khan Sb convinced him to give permission. Her father finally agreed, albeit on one condition – that she would not be photographed, and that she would sing from behind the burqa. For the next 5 to 6 years, Shamshad made a very large number of recordings, all under the baton of Ghulam Haider Sb. Her recordings became very popular with the listening public.
Her next major break came in 1937, when she came on to the rolls of the recently organized institution of All India Radio. Earlier known as the Indian State Broadcasting Service, this was renamed as All India Radio in 1936. Shamshad started to make singing appearances at the Lahore and Peshawar stations. While at the AIR, her singing caught attention of sarangi maestro and musician Hussain Bakshwale Saheb. She accepted him as her guru, and he imparted to her training in classical music.
Her popularity grew well enough to catch the attention of Dalsukh Pancholi, owner of the Pancholi Art Films in Lahore. He was starting work on ‘Yamla Jatt’, the first Punjabi film. The film became the launch vehicle for many – Pran as actor, Ghulam Haider as film music director, Shamshad Begum as a playback singer, and of course, the formal organization of the Punjabi film industry in the north.
A side anecdote here that was new for me also. Pancholi Sb wanted her to act in the film also. She agreed, gave the screen test, and was selected for some role. However, when this information reached her father, he put his foot down and threaten to even stop her singing career. Young Shamshad relented, and gave up the idea of becoming an actress. Her father reinforced his edict that she would not allow herself to be photographed, a promise that she dutifully kept all her life. Her photo images are so rare, and earlier I used to wonder why.
‘Yamla Jatt’ became a musical hit, especially the songs “Cheechi Wich Pa ke Chhalla”, “Mera Haal Vekh Ke” and “Kankaan Diyaan Faslaan”. The next film by Pancholi – ‘Chaudhry Saab’ was also a big hit. Ghulam Haider and Shamshad Begum became established names in the fledgling Punjabi film industry. The next step was only logical. Pancholi Sb went on to produce Hindi films – ‘Khazaanchi’ (1941), ‘Khandaan’ (1942), ‘Zameendaar’ (1942), ‘Poonji’ (1943), ‘Dhamki’ (1945), ‘Kaise Kahoon’ (1945), ‘Shirin Farhad’ (1945) and ‘Patjhad’ (1948). In 1947-48, he shifted based from Lahore to Bombay (now Mumbai).
Ah yes, an important interlude from her life – her marriage. At the age of 13, in 1932, the young lass got friendly with Ganpat Lal, a little older boy in her neighborhood. The alliance was bound to create huge friction, being an inter-religion choice. The families from both sides were dead against this relationship. But the young lovers stuck to their stand, and they got married in 1934. They were outcast from their families for some time, but slowly the relations were established again. The couple had one daughter, she is named Usha. She got married to Lt Col Yogesh Ratra of the Indian Army. Sh Ganpat Lal passed away unexpectedly in 1955. He had been a great supporter and a driving force in managing her career. After his passing away, although she continued to be active, but she became more and more reclusive. In her later years, she stayed with her daughter and her family.
Today’s song is from the 1945 film ‘Ratnavali’. The film is produced under the banner of Amar Pictures, Bombay and is directed by Surendra Desai. The star cast of the film is listed as Surendra, Ratanmala, Usha Mantri, Maya Bannerji, KN Singh, Nand Kishore, Leela Mishra, Ansari, Jani Babu, and S Nazeer.
There are eight songs listed for this film in the Geet Kosh. The songs are written by three songwriters – Brajendra Gaud, Ishwar Chandra Kapoor, and Ram Murti Chaturvedi. Today’s song is from the pen of Ram Murty Chaturvedi. The music is by Pt Gobind Ram.
This song is another one in the series of the sleepless nights saga.
kal raat sapne mein aaye thhey tum
mere mehboob mere mehboob
The lady is telling her saheli about the dream that came to her when she was trying to sleep a night. And in the dream, her beau had visited, keeping her company and keeping her awake, as she swung in his arms.
Again, sundry outcomes of a young heart being in love. When this emotion comes to reside in the heart, then the eagerness and the longing to meet, to see and to be able to touch is so intense within, that the mind plays out these emotions in the dreamland of sleep. The waking hours are full of conscious thoughts of the beloved, and the night hours of sleep are full of his dreams. The mind is not able to make up its mind 🙂 whether it is a dream in sleep or is it a lively thought of wakeful eyes. Be in love, and you will grasp. And I am quite sure, all of us have been through such a life. And some may still be living it.
Enjoy this lovely song of a restless and sleepless heart.
And remembering Shamshad Begum as the singer with this ‘खनकती हुई आवाज़’. Thank you ji, for all the wonderful music and the songs.
Song – Sapnon Mein Koi Aaya (Ratnavali) (1945) Singers – Shamshad Begum, Lyrics – Rammurty Chaturvedi, MD – Gobind Ram
Lyrics
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sajaniya..aa sapnon mein koi ayaa
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sajaniya..aa sapnon mein koi ayaa
naach rahi thi madhur chaandni
gaate gaate prem raagini
naach rahi thi madhur chaandni
gaate gaate prem raagini
neend bhari akhiyan mein meri
aa ke koi samaaya
aa haa haa haa
aa ke koi samaaya
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sajaniya..aa sapnon mein koi ayaa
jab un ki bahiyan mein jhooli
tan man ki sab sudh budh bhooli
jab un ki bahiyan mein jhooli
tan man ki sab sudh budh bhooli
ik pal ke is madhur milan ne
ik pal ke is madhur milan ne
pagli hamen banaaya
aa haa haa haa
pagli hamen banaaya
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sajaniya..aa sapnon mein koi ayaa
naach rahi thi madhur chaandni
gaate gaate prem raagini
neend bhari akhiyan mein meri
aa ke koi samaaya
aa haa haa haa
aa ke koi samaaya
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sapnon mein koi ayaa
sajaniya..aa sapnon mein koi ayaa
———————————————————
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
———————————————————
सपनों में कोई आया
सपनों में कोई आया
सजनीया॰॰आ सपनों में कोई आया
सपनों में कोई आया
सजनीया॰॰आ सपनों में कोई आया
नाच रही थी मधुर चाँदनी
गाते गाते प्रेम रागिनी
नाच रही थी मधुर चाँदनी
गाते गाते प्रेम रागिनी
नींद भरी अखीयन में मेरी
आ के कोई समाया
आ हा हा हा
आ के कोई समाया
सपनों में कोई आया
सपनों में कोई आया
सजनीया॰॰आ सपनों में कोई आया
जब उनकी बइय्यन में झूली
तन मन की सब सुध बुध भूली
जब उनकी बइय्यन में झूली
तन मन की सब सुध बुध भूली
इक पल के इस मधुर मिलन ने
इक पल के इस मधुर मिलन ने
पगली हमें बनाया
आ हा हा हा
पगली हमें बनाया
सपनों में कोई आया
सपनों में कोई आया
सजनीया॰॰आ सपनों में कोई आया
नाच रही थी मधुर चाँदनी
गाते गाते प्रेम रागिनी
नींद भरी अखीयन में मेरी
आ के कोई समाया
आ हा हा हा
आ के कोई समाया
सपनों में कोई आया
सपनों में कोई आया
सजनीया॰॰आ सपनों में कोई आया
4 Responses to "Sapnon Mein Koi Aaya"
April 17, 2020 at 1:26 pm
Sudhir Ji, Thanks for the post on Shamshad Begum. The song is catchy and rendered with some jest and tinge of naughtiness.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
April 15, 2020 at 7:31 am
Dear Sudhir ji,
Have read somewhere that Ganpat Lal, the handsome friendly neighbourhood Lawyer, was roped in by her father to vet her Contracts and take of her Legal matters. That is how he entered the staunchly muslim household. But love blossomed under their very noses.
It was Mehboob Khan who brought her to Bombay. Read below :
“He told his secretary to take my bookings. The Secretary replied ,
‘Saahab yeh artist book nahi hoti’. He asked him the reason for that. The Secretary told him that the singer’s possessive father doesn’t reply and doesn’t let her leave Lahore. Mehboob Sahab would not be deterred and he came all the way to Lahore to convince my father. It was a really big thing that one of the biggest Producer-Directors ever came there to get a new singer to sing for his ambitious movie! He told my father, ‘Yeh abhi chhoti hai. Bologe baith jaao to baith jaayegi, jo kahoge maan legi. Aapne usse kuen ka mendhak banaya hua hai. Woh to samundar ki machhli hai. Samundar mein daaloge to wahaan bhi tairegi. Aap isse ijaazat nahi denge to jab yeh badi hogi to aapko apna career na aage badhne ke liye zimmedaar maanegi ‘. My father understood his point and gave permission. Mehboob Sahab promised to arrange for a house, car and servant for me which he did. I was offered Rs 300 per song for the movie. I came to Bombay “.
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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