Hum unko dekhnewaale ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Posted on: April 13, 2023
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 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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Today’s song is from an early film of Geeta Roy, from a stunt film- Jeene Do-1948.
If the 50’s decade was that of Religious films, the 40’s decade was dominated by Action, Stunt and Costume films. As many as 28 such films were made in 1948 alone, which gives an average of more than 2 films every month, which is quite high. The reasons were many for such films being made in abundance. The audience for stunt/action films generally belonged to the lower middle class, poor, daily wage earners and labourers. They looked for fights,stunts, dances and cheap humour in these films.
The ‘C’ grade films (as they were called) were usually screened in the older parts of the town. The theatres would be old and without any amenities. The audience did not mind it because the ticket rates were also lower. Entire film would be completed within a budget of about 15 to 20 thousand rupees in the silent era, 25 to 50000 rupees in the 30’s decade and 50 to 75000 rupees in the 40’s decade. It was only after 1945, when the II world war ended and many people having Black money to invest, that the ‘C’grade films too became costlier to make-i.e. 1 to 1.25 lakh rupees in the early 50’s decade !
Did you ever see films like, Khooni Khanzar, Dagabaj Doctor, Shaitaan ka paash, Char chakram, Daku Rani Talwarwali, Jaadu ka dandaa, Zinda Laash, Revolver Rani, Sindbad-Alladin-Alibaba, Flying man, Fighter Sheela, Khooni Darinda, Tarzan aur Jadugar, Tarzan aur Jadui Chiraag, Golden Gang, Murde ki jaan khatre mein, or Jadui putli ?
Obviously, these are the titles of all Stunt/Action films in Grade C. Considering the captive audience of such films, more spicy, odd and sensational titles were coined for these films to arouse curiosity. In the era of silent films, C grade stunt films were extremely popular. In fact a major part of the silent films was such films. Maybe that is the reason, why going to see a cinema was not considered good for impressionable girls and children of middle class and upper class, in those days.
In addition to all this, actors with odd and weird names were to be always found in stunt film casts. Have you ever heard actors with names like Bajar Battu, Phool kumari, Maruti pehelwan, Batata, Mitthoo Miyaan, Fatty Prasad, Boken Chattu, Minu the Mystic, Manchi Tuthi, Gareeb Raja, Kurbaan Jaoon, Pandit Dukhi, Vilayatu, Loveji Lavangiya, Adam Sandow, Sandow Safar, Dunlop, Chic Chak and a very strange name CHEMIST ! This name is found in 5-6 films.
Besides the human actors , some trained animals as well as a car and a motorcycle were also fixtures in stunt films. What’s more, these non-living and non -human participants too were named. So, you had Punjab ka Beta (Horse), Gunboat (Dog), and Austin ki Beti (car) in films made by Wadia Movietone. For Basant Pictures, it was Rajpoot (Horse), Moti (Dog) and Austin ki Bachhi (Car), even the Motorcycle had a name-Runniyo !
Besides specific audiences of workers,daily wagers and such other lower social strata, the stunt films had their own fixed Producers, Directors and even the actors. Most times, a set of action film actors was regular and specific to the production houses. For example, Fearless Nadia, John Cavas, Sayani Atish, Boman Shroff, the Billimorea brothers, Basheer etc were fixtures in stunt films of Wadia Movietone. Master Bhagwan, Chandrarao, Harischandra rao, Azeembhai, Vasantrao and Baburao pehelwan, Leela Gupte, Prakash, Habeeb etc were with stunt films made by Bhagwan and Harischandra rao.
Film Jeene Do-1948 was made by jai Hind Chitra, Bombay. The film was produced by actress Menaka Devi from Calcutta. It was directed by 2 people. K.A.Majeed started with the film first but suddenly left it to migrate to Pakistan. Then it was taken over by Adi F. Keeka (assistant with Wadia Movietone), who had earlier directed the film Shama in 1946.
We do not know about the storyline of this film, like other stunt films. These ‘C’ grade stunt/action films were neglected. They did not get even an ordinary review in any newspaper or a film magazine. We only know about its starcast, thanks to HFGK. The cast of this film was Menaka Devi, Harish, Leela Gupte, Pannalal etc.etc. The 9 songs of the film were written by Shevan Rizvi and Music Director was Shaukat Hussain Dehalvi, who later became famous as Nashaad, in the 1950s.
After Partition, there was a rush to migrate to Pakistan and artists continued to shift there from 47 to almost 1950. Some artistes like Noorjehan left immediately. There were few cases where some people borrowed money from friends and then left the country quietly, leaving the money lender high and dry. By about 49-50, almost everything was settled on both sides. The conditions in Lahore and Karachi had stabilised considerably for film making and lots of opportunities existed for film artistes there by mid 50s. That led to a second wave of migration to Pakistan at that time. Those who had continued in India completed their assignments here and went to Pakistan.
This type of Migration continued till almost mid 60s, when actor Kumar, MD Naashaad, producer actor Shaikh Mukhtar etc migrated to Pakistan. For the lucky ones, the talented ones and those who had preexisting ties in Pakistan sustained, prospered and were happy, but a few artistes suffered heavily. Once a popular Heroine, Meena Shorey, one of the most handsome actors of his times-Najmul Hasan and the hopeful Shaikh Mukhtar spent their last days in utter neglect, penury, disillusionment and sorrow. Actors like Noor Mohammed Charlie regretted their decision to migrate, but it was too late. One of the later migrants was NASHAD, music director,who shifted in 1963 or so.
NASHAD was born as Shaukat Haidari,in Delhi,on 11-7-1923.
He was one composer who used several names to give music. His first film was Dildar in 1947. He used the name Shaukat Dehlavi for Dildar-47, Paayal-48, Suhagi-48, Dada-49, Ghazab-51 and Ram Bharose-51. He was Shaukat Hussain Dehlavi for Jeene do-48, Shaukat Ali for Toote Tarey-48 and Shaukat Haidari for Aiye-49.
He was considered a mediocre composer in India. Then one day he was called by producer Nakshab Jarchvi,who offered him a film,with a condition that he changed his name to Nashad. He accepted the offer and used the name Nashad throughout his life. After him his 15 children too used Nashad as their surname.
Nakshab Jarachavi wanted to make a film. Those days Naushad was the Top composer. Films were sold in his name. Naushad worked only for Top banners. Nakshab approached him and offered his film. Naushad scornfully said,” Hum kisi aire gaire ki film ko music nahi detey”. This infuriated Nakshab no end and he challenged Naushad that he will make another Naushad in the industry. He called the comparatively less known but talented Shaukat Haidari,changed his name to NASHAD (to resemble Naushad’s name) and gave him the film.
Nashad, on his part, tried very hard and gave the music to film Naghma. It was,though not like Nashad’s standard, but excellent songs were there and the film became a hit due to its music. Unfortunately, Nashad could not repeat his success again ever in India. As Nashad he gave music to 21 films (total 30 films),like Bara Dari, Bada Bhai, Naghma, Char chaand, Kaatil Jawab, Sabse bada Rupiah, Rooplekha, Darwaza etc
Nashad gave their first hindi movie singing breaks to Mubarak begum, Suman Kalyanpur and Sabita Banerjee.
His friend Nakshab Jarachavi had migrated to Pakistan after 1947 and was making films there. He called Nashad to Pakistan as a composer for his film Maikhana-64 (after his film Fanoos also crashed at the Box office in Pakistan). Nashad accepted his offer. Before leaving , Nashad married singer Premlata and both went to Pakistan. His first film became a major hit and Nashad was on top. He gave music to 64 films in Pakistan.
Nashad died in Lahore on 3-1-1981.
While in India, Nashad was always accused of plagiarism, to which he answered through an interview to Filmfare, dated 5th August 1955, ( Thanks to Cineplot) thus….
” Although no one says it to my face, I know that there is a section in the film industry who decry my music as “a rehash of familiar tunes.”
This amounts to a charge of plagiarism. I have no defense, no apology, to offer, except to say that, if I am a plagiarist, I am one unconsciously. With only seven main notes, six ragas, thirty-six raginis and seventy-two sub-raginis, every “new” musical composition is bound to sound familiar in places. Try to hum any popular film composition of today and then cast back your mind. Make a careful search for a parallel and you will easily find one in some celebrated songs of yesterday.I believe in popular music, music which people will like, humming and singing it in their homes—in moments of joy or sorrow. I try my-best to keep my compositions free from complicated “alaps,” “tans” and those notational cascades which the man-in-the-street (who has no musical training) cannot easily remember and hum. Film music, to be good and popular, must always be the result of team-work. The ego of the music-director as well as that of the lyric-writer needs to be suppressed completely, even to the extent of accepting suggestions from everyone in the unit.
In the music of one of my forthcoming films, the appeal of the songs owes much to suggestions made by the producer and members of his staff. One of the tunes owes its origin to an air I heard the office-boy humming! The producer was no professional musician, but I discarded two of my best tunes to fit in a completely different third one based on his suggestions.
I am glad that I do not live in an ivory tower and am not deaf to the music of ordinary people, I say to myself : “If this is the kind of music they love, it is absurd to give them a high-brow composition. Both in rhythm and structure, I stick rigorously to what is popular, even at the sacrifice of my own preferences. Such film music can be planned scientifically and with precision. My first job usually is to sit with the director and determine the musical “situations”. Once these are agreed upon, I start composing the melodies, in harmony with the “mood” of those situations. Then the lyricist writes the words of the approved tune. After the song has been recorded, our work is finished and it now depends on the director to make or mar it in its picturisation . This, indeed, is a hurdle all film music must take.
Everyone has listened to film songs which sound good on the radio, yet have been “murdered” by poor picturisation. Everyone, too, has heard songs which on the air have sounded mediocre and of no particular merit, yet have been things of beauty in the film—thanks to clever directorial work. A really good song, given to a good director to picturise, seldom fails to go over in a big way with the public.
It is thus necessary for a music director to be careful in signing his contracts. It is important to him to make sure that the film for which he is employed to provide music will be directed by a competent man, so that not only are his songs not “murdered” in transcription to the screen but any possible shortcomings in them are glossed over by good picturisation. Consequently I have always studied the directors of the films for which I am to provide music. One knows that one’s songs are safe with them and gain in appeal from attractive picturisation. To these men, too, my tunes often sound “vaguely familiar”! But, then, what tune doesn’t ?
With only seven notes, six ragas, thirty-six raginis—but we’ve just gone over that! ”
Today’s song is sung by Geeta Roy. Her voice sounds fresh because she was still a newcomer in the industry, having started only in 1946. Surprisingly, in her first year itself she sang in 11 films, in the second year-1947- she sang in 17 films and in the third year-1948- she sang in as many as 37 films. The magic of her voice was recognised by the Industry !
Song- Hum unko dekhanewaale ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen (Jeene Do)(1948) Singer- Geeta Roy, Lyricist- Shevan Rizvi, MD- Shaukat Hussai (Naashaad)
Lyrics
Hum unko
Hum unko dekhanewaale ae
ae chaand
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Hum unko dekhanewaale ae
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
tera jalwa phaile ghar ghar
tera jalwa phaile ghar ghar
ghar unka dil ke andar
andaaz hain unke niraale
ae chaand
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Hum unko dekhanewaale ae
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
wo nain
wo nain bade matwaale
nazron se pilaane waale
nazron se pilaane waale
ham pee ke bahakne waale ae
ae chaand
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Hum unko dekhanewaale ae
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
o o o o o
ghatatee badhtee teri hai mastee
ghatatee badhtee teri hai mastee
aakaash pe hai teree bastee
aakaash pe hai teree bastee
wo aankhon mein basne waale ae
ae chaand
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Hum unko dekhanewaale ae
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
do nain milaa ke nainon se ae ae
do nain milaa ke nainon se ae ae
kya chhootegaa daaman haathhon se ae ae
kya chhootegaa daaman haathhon se
jab dil hai unke hawaale ae
ae chaand
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Hum unko dekhanewaale ae
ae chaand tujhe kya dekhen
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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