Yauwan mein rut basant aayi
Posted on: May 5, 2020
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. 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.
|
Blog Day: |
4309 | Post No. : | 15583 |
Today’s song is from an old film Duniya kya hai-1938.
Silent films era started from 1912, when 2 silent films were made and exhibited. However, they were not feature films made completely by Indians. The cinematographer was British and the films were processed in England. Thus Dadasaheb Phalke’s totally indigenously produced feature film ‘ Raja Harshchandra’-1913 became the first fully Indian Silent film and it was hailed as the beginning of the Silent film era. In that year one more film ” Mohini Bhasmasur” was also made.
One would think that after this, the silent films were made rapidly by ambitious people. However, the fact is that it took a while to get the momentum in silent film making, for whatever and for various reasons. The following table will show the progress and the ultimate decline of silent films, after Talkie films came.
| Year | Silent films |
|---|---|
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1913 | 2 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1917 | 5 |
| 1918 | 4 |
| 1919 | 8 |
| 1920 | 16 |
| 1921 | 45 |
| 1922 | 67 |
| 1923 | 52 |
| 1924 | 63 |
| 1925 | 87 |
| 1926 | 96 |
| 1927 | 93 |
| 1928 | 115 |
| 1929 | 146 |
| 1930 | 201 |
| 1931 | 211 |
| 1932 | 68 |
| 1933 | 42 |
| 1934 | 8 |
(information from Film Index by Hamraz ji)
Harish Raghuwanshi ji informs that the last silent film was ” Shareef Badmash”, made by Shri Ganesh film company.
Censor Certificate No. B-13975 dated 2-11-1934.
There were hundreds of actors, directors, producers, companies and allied artistes involved in making silent films. The cost of making a silent film was around 20000 rupees only. After the Talkie films started, except the actors, almost all other artistes came over to the Talkie films. However, the actors and actresses now needed a good knowledge of speaking Hindi/Urdu and a reasonable singing (for lead actors). In this test, most Anglo-Indians, Jews, European etc actresses failed miserably. Some actors like Master Vithal too had difficulties. Only a handful of the actresses survived, as they quickly learnt this language and singing. Artistes like Ruby Meyers (Sulochana), Beryl Claessen (Madhuri) and Iris Gasper (Sabita Devi) are such examples, from among others.
Some silent actors spilled over the Talkie era and survived for another 10 to 15 years- a few upto upto the 70s, like Wazir Mohammed khan, for example, ( his first Talkie was Alam Ara -31 and the last film was also Alam Ara-1973 !). As I can remember, P.Jairaj and Lalita Pawar were the notable long survivors in Talkie films, coming from the silent era. Both died 2 years apart in the years 2000 and 1998.
Today’s film Duniya Kya Hai-1938 was produced by Lalita Pawar and directed by her husband G P Pawar. The film was based on Count Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel, ” Resurrection”, published in 1900. The cast of the film was Lalita pawar, Madhav Kale, Indira Wadkar, Begum Fatma, Bipin Mehta and many others. The MDs – Annasaheb mainkar and Kikubhai Yadnik composed songs written by Munshi Aziz.
In the film industry, there were 3 people only, who were called Annasaheb. Incidentally, all were Music Directors. They were Annasaheb Mainkar
(Shankar Vinayak Mainkar), K. Datta (Datta korgaonkar) and C.Ramchandra ( Ramchandra Narhari Chitalkar). Even the prefix ” Masterji’ was used with only 3 MDs, if I remember right.
The composer of this film, Annasaheb Mainkar is not a name known to many people. Born in 1904 at Sangli, Maharashtra, he was trained in classical music at Poona,Baroda,Indore, Mysore and Lucknow. Before joining the film line, he had cut many discs of his songs.
His first film was AWARA SHEHZADA-1933.Incidentally,this was also India’s first film having a double role. Shahu Modak had done the roles of a Rajkumar and a commoner Bholaram in it. It was also the first film of Master Vithal as a Director. He himself was the first to do a double role in a silent film in 1928.
Annasaheb worked for Saraswati cinetone, Imperial, Venus, Huns, Atre and Sunrise films. He gave music to 21 Hindi films, composing 187 songs. His singers were,Master Vinayak, Vanmala, Shahu Modak, Shanta Hublikar, kalyanibai, Sarla Devi, Vatsala Kumathekar etc. His last film was Ashirwad-1943. He died young at 41 yrs.in 1944.
Kikubhai Yagnik was a small time composer from 1933 to 1938 and was not very popular. He had given music to 10 films, composing for 86 songs.
The film Heroine Lalita Pawar was one of a kind artiste. One of the major actors who succeeded in both Silent and Talkie films equally,that too for 70 active years,was LALITA PAWAR.
Today’s generation probably knows Lalita Pawar only as an actress doing crooked Mother in law’s roles only, but in her hay days she was called a ‘ SEX BOMB ‘ !
Born Ambika Laxmanrao Sagun on 18-4-1916, at Indore, her father was a rich person.She started acting very early when she was 10-12 years.Her first silent film was ‘Patitodhar’-1928.
She became a heroine soon and acted in as many as 30 silent films. In the silent and early Talkie era,she did adventurous and stunt films,just like Fearless Nadia did. Because of her boldness she did sexy and romantic roles.I have seen some of her costumes from her early films and those will match any sex-siren of today,I can guarantee !
She was a Heroine till 1942,when while shooting a scene for “Netaji Palkar”-1942, her co-star slapped her during a shot, so hard that she suffered from facial paralysis and damage to her eye.
Inspite of 3 years’ treatment she became unfit for heroine’s roles and at the age of just 25-26,she switched over to character and supporting roles.
She acted in some 7oo Hindi and Marathi films.Some of her roles like the Kelewali in Shri 420,mrs.D’sa in Anari(she won Filmfare award for this role) and Manthara in Ramayana,are quite memorable,though mainly she is known for her wicked roles.
In case of marriage,she competed with Noorjahan(4 marriages) and Meena Shorey(5 marriages).Lalita Pawar’s first husband was Hanuman More,second was G.P.Pawar,her director for stunt films.This marriage went sour when he had an affair with Lalita’s younger sister. Then she married a film producer Rajprakash Gupta, who established Ambika Studios in Bombay.
Her death was tragic. She was found dead-for 2 days-when her husband, son and daughter in law had gone to Mumbai. She was staying alone in her bungalow in Aundh, a suburb of Pune.
She died on 24-2-1998 and it was known on 26th February 1998.
I reproduce here, an obituary as appeared in a Marathi Newspaper of Pune, after her death…(Freeway translation from Marathi)
” Lalita, an actress and a gentlewoman !
Lalita Pawar, the renowned actress of yesteryear who passed away in Pune early this week, enjoyed a most chequered career on the silver screen.
In her seven decades on screen, she has played roles of all variety — from a heroine of the silent era to the squint-eyed mother-in-law of the talkies.
Born as Ambika Laxman Sagun on April 18, 1916 at village Yeole in Nashik district, she made her debut as a child artist in the film Patittodhar. Arya mahila was her first film as a teenaged heroine.
In a career spanning 72 years, she acted in more than 800 Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi and Bhojpuri films. She was the leading lady of the silent era and, later, a character artiste till she retired from the celluoid.
Her classic silent films include Thugsen Rajputra and Chatursundari. She also tried her hand at the production of Himmat-e-marda and Duniya kya hai. But the films did not do well. Lalita acted as heroine to Baburao Pendarkar’s Netaji Palkar and Jai Malhar. An accident on the sets abruptly ended her career as a leading lady. During the shooting of Jung-e-azadi, Master Bhagwan had to slap her. Her left ear started bleeding profusely. The left part of her face was paralysed and she developed a squint in the left eye.
Talk about courage and turning what would have been a fatal blow to her career into a distinct advantage. That squint alone possibly made her into a famous woman in all her mother/mother-in-law roles.
The Bombay film industry mourned the death of this ‘actress par excellence’ and ‘fine human being’. Shammi Kapoor, with whom she worked in evergreen classics Junglee and Professor said she was a thorough professional. “It is sad that age catches up with people,” Dev Anand said, “We have losta tremendous artist.”
Jairaj, a veteran actor from the silent era, described Lalita Pawar as a capable actress who had a mind of her own. “She expressed herself very well,” he said, “We acted together in Kirtiwhich was remade as Sharda starring Raj Kapoor and Meena Kumari many years later. She also acted as the leading artiste in my home production Mohar.”
The Marathi film Sasurvashin, where Lalitha played the role of a wicked mother-in-law, earned her much popularity. In the Gujarati Mehndi rang laee, which was remade in various languages, Lalitha acted in all the remakes.
In Raj Kapoor’s Shri 420, Lalita was a banana vendor which earned her the Filmfare award. She had this to say about the film: Raj Kapoor gave her a clean and ironed Maharashtrian nine yard saree and dialogues with neat Hindi diction and accent. She told the showman she was prepared to do the role, but would rather do it her way. She improvised the dialogues into the typical Maharashtrian colloquial Hindi and got a very old and shabby saree. Accordingly, she performed the role and won rave reviews.”
The Hero was Madhav Kale. Madhav Kale was born in Nashik in 1903. After his school education at Nashik, he joined Deccan college at Poona and passed Intermediate course. He was interested in playing in dramas, which was opposed by his mother. But he used to take part in dramas while in college. He was a good singer too. Wanting to join films, he sent applications to many companies. Saroj and sharda companies responded. He acted in several silent films like Mukti sangram, kanak kesari etc. He entered the Talkie films with Vikram Charitra-32, Mera Imaan-34 and Vishnu Bhakti-34. During this period, he got married in 1934.
He acted in 21 films. His last film was Gokul ka chor-59. He even directed one film, Sacha Sapna-42. He sang 13 songs in 7 films till 1942.
There is no information about him after this.
After writing this biography of Madhav Kale, I came to know that after the films, Madhav went back to Nashik, where he was active in local politics. He became a Municipal Councillor, but lost Assembly elections, which he was very hopeful of. He died somewhere in 1980.
In the cast there is one more name Indira Wadkar. Hansa Wadkar’s father had three sisters, Kesharbai, Indirabai and Sushilabai. Sushila was married to Master Vinayak, a renowned actor-director of the early era of Indian cinema. The elder sister as well as Indira Wadkar were acting in films and Indira was a classical singer as well. Indira acted in several films including Duniya Kya Hai (Resurrection) (1937) and in Vinayak’s production company “Hans Films” like Devata (1939) in Marathi. Indira used the surname Wadkar to avoid using the family name Salgaokar, for fear of reprisal from society against women acting in films. Her older sister, Kesharbai, was working in a film made by M.G. Rangnekar and suggested that Wadkar work in films to sustain her family. She acted in 11 Hindi films. She was popular mother in law in Marathi films.
Today’s song is sung by Lalita Pawar herself. I have got it confirmed from Girdharilal Vishwakarma ji. Lalita Pawar sang 10 songs in 3 films. Today’s song is her last song in her career, as a singer.
Song-Yauwan mein rut basant aayi (Duniya Kya Hai)(1938) Singer-Lalita Pawar, Lyrics-Munshi Aziz, MD-Annasahab Mainkar
Lyrics
Yauvan mein rut basant aayi
Yauvan mein rut basant aayi
prem badariya chhaayi
prem badariya chhaayi
priytam aawan ka sandesa
priytam aawan ka sandesa
koyal kook sunaaye
koyal kook sunaaye
sajni basant aayi
Yauvan mein rut basant aayi
Yauvan mein rut basant aayi
sajani prem badariya chhaayi
sajani prem badariya chhaayi
ankhiyaan tarasen tumhre daras ko
ankhiyaan tarasen tumhre daras ko
?? kyun na bhaawe
?? kyun na bhaawe
man ko chain na aaye
man ko chain na aaye
sajani basant aayi
Yauvan mein rut basant aayi
Yauvan mein rut basant aayi
sajani prem badariya chhaayi
sajani prem badariya chhaayi
Yauvan mein rut basant
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
November 2, 2022 at 7:30 pm
audio link:
LikeLike