Man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
Posted on: July 4, 2024
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 the 86 year old film Bhabhi-1938.
Writing with fervour and emotions on old films is like being a doctor with a very odd and unknown speciality, e.g. Medical geneticist, which is a very rare type of speciality. In the entire USA there are less than a thousand such specialists. Another odd speciality is Aviation Medicine. In the USA, there are hardly 500 such specialists. For a common man these specialities are a waste of time and these are not big income earners. Nowadays, everything is measured in terms of earning money. Liking and choice have no value. I am sure, in India specialists of the above two categories may not have marriageable values even !
For a retired old man like me, a sure shot question people ask is ” how do you spend your time ?” When I tell them that I am busy full day with my writing and allied work on old films, they are apparently reluctant to accept my answer. “Old films” means only old songs for most people. That too the oldest for them would be “Awara hoon” or Saigal songs- if they stretch their imagination to the wildest !
This is because a small percentage of the population is involved in this subject. I too thought so before I entered this field. If just one Blog (atulsongaday), dealing with old film songs, gets visited by 16,575,713 ( that is more than 16.5 million) visitors in a span of just 16 years, is it not a wonder ? This works out to more than a Million per year, 1,27,497 per month or more than 4300 per day. There are thousands of Blogs and sites on the Internet dealing with old films and songs in all languages. All this means, there must be millions of old film and song lovers. By any standard, it is not a small number.
This proves that there are enough lovers of old films and songs and it is not a negligible number. I am, ofcourse, least bothered about what other people think of this subject. I like it, I do it and I am satisfied that thousands of people read what we write ! Just a few days back, some of my old school friends came to visit. While discussing many things, when I told them about my 3 books, they wanted to see them. I showed them. After browsing through them, they said that they can’t understand anything and all those names are not known to them. I laughed and said ” Naturally. If you give me a book of ” Atomic Energy”, I would also be lost. Unless I have some basic knowledge or interest, I would not understand the contents at all “.
While writing on old film artistes, sometimes I come across artistes who are unique or there is something exclusive in them. One such artiste was Renuka Devi- Heroine of today’s film. Film Bhabhi-1938 was made by Bombay Talkies, who did a monumental service to Hindi films by introducing many new talented artistes through their films.
Film Bhabhi-1938 was directed by a German, Franz Osten- who knew India very well. The MD was Saraswati Devi and the Lyrics were by J.S.Casshyap Natwaan(he did Mahatma Gandhi’s role in ” Nine Hours To Rama “). The cast was P.Jairaj, Renuka Devi, Pithawala, V.H.Desai, Meera, Maya Devi, Rama Shukul, Agha Jani Kashmiri(the lyricist-who was the younger brother of actor Nawab kashmiri, a fixture in calcutta films), Lalita Deulkar(later Mrs.Sudhir Phadke), Bimladevi, Surve etc etc. There were 11 songs in it sung by Renuka Devi, Meera, Saroj Borkar and S.N.Tripathi.
Very few people know that Indian Cinema had a little known connection with the rise of Hitler in Germany in 1932-33. A group of men, engaged in Cinema in Germany, flocked to India in the 30’s and played a vital role in Indian Cinema and the arts of that time. After Hitler took over Germany in 1933, the German Cine Studio’s glory days were over and they were turned into Nazi Propaganda Machines ! It was at this time that several of its men left the studio and arrived in India, and contributed during the Indian cinema’s formative years.
The foremost among them was Frantz Osten, a German whom Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani met at the UFA when they went to Germany to train there (they worked with Lang and Marlene Dietrich). Osten had already been directing films for the couple since 1925, when he made Light of Asia for them from Germany. In 1934, he came to India and the next year, after Rai founded ‘ Bombay Talkies ‘ the legendary film studio in Malad that now lies in ruins, Osten directed its first film.
He went on to direct the famous Devika Rani-Ashok Kumar starrer, Achhut Kanya (1936), without much knowledge of Hindi. The film, which featured the song “Main banke chiriya”, was shot by Joseph Wirsching; the sets were designed by Karl von Spreti and the laboratory was headed by Zolle, Osten’s team of UFA ex-members from Germany, who worked for Rai’s state-of-the-art studio.
Osten and his fellow Germans directed 16 films for Rai. It was a remarkable feat for people who knew little Hindi ‘ mistaking the word “bulbul” once for a pair of bulls. While in Bombay, he became a member of the Nazi Party (1936). He was interned by the British at the outbreak of Second WW while shooting his last film there, Kangan. Released and allowed to return to Germany (1940).
Then there was Walter Kauffman, a scholar and composer interested in Oriental music, and Wilhelm Haas, a writer and a friend of Franz Kafka. Both were Jews, and Haas came to India because of Kauffman, who went on to found the Bombay Chamber Music Society. Kauffman arrived in 1934 after meeting director-producer Mohan Bhavnani at the UFA (where V. Shantaram also did a stint). Haas was in Czechoslovakia, but left the country for India just after Hitler’s invasion.
Kauffman, Haas and Bhavnani worked together in Premnagar (1940), Naushad’s first film as music director. Kauffman composed the background score; Haas wrote the screenplay. Kauffman is also the person behind the All India Radio signature tune. Haas was a member of the Indian chapter of PEN. Haas also wrote the script for Bhavnani’s Jhooti Sharam (1939).
The story of Paul Zils ( 1-6-1915 to 30-3-1979 ) stands out, though. Zils, believed to be a Nazi sympathizer, turned up in India under strange circumstances: he was bound for Indonesia in a steamer that got torpedoed by an Indian naval ship during World War II and he was taken prisoner.
After his release, because of his film experiences, the leadership of the sales department where Ezra Mir led a government documentary production company, called him to join Information films of India. End of October 1945, he came to Bombay and started his work. In March 1959 he returned to Germany.
As the studio system came to an end and individual producers took over, the days of the Germans in Indian cinema were over. Many, including Osten, went back to Germany. Set designer Spreti was appointed German ambassador to Guatemala and was later shot dead by terrorists. Josef Virsching-the Cinematographer, however, stayed back in India till his death in 1967. He did few Hindi films too.
Paul Zils directed 3 Dev Anand films, according to the documents. Hindustan Hamara-50 and Zalzala-52 are found in HFGK, but the third film called ‘ Shabash”, though listed in 1949, gives no details, except the film name. ( Information adapted from the book ” Walter Koffman” by Amit Gangar, with thanks and my notes).
(Incidentally, another foreigner – an American – named Ellis Roderick Dungan was in the Madras film industry from 1935 to 1950 and he directed over 20 Tamil films, not knowing a single word of Tamil language till the end. He went back to the USA but kept visiting India, making Hollywood films and Documentaries etc, till 1994. Just for extra information.)
I was talking about Renuka Devi. Few years back I bought one book and when I read this book – ” A woman of substance-Begum Khursheed Mirza”’ I was very much impressed. Begum Khursheed Mirza is none other than the famous Heroine of the 30s and 40s-Renuka Devi. She was perhaps one of the most educated, upper class, sophisticated and highly cultured Muslim ladies, who ever joined the film industry then. One more striking feature of Renuka Devi was that she was one of the very few actresses who joined films after their marriage. The other such examples I remember offhand are that of Meenakshi Shirodkar (Bramhachari-38 fame), Shobhana Samarth and actress Neena ( real name Shahida- first wife of Mohsin Abdulla, brother of Renuka Devi).
Renuka Devi had studied upto Masters degree in English Literature, from Aligarh Muslim University. The only other nearest example I remember offhand is that of actress Vanmala (real name Susheela Devi Pawar), who had done B.A and B.T. and was a Teacher in the college before joining films,at the behest of writer, journalist and Director P.K.Atre.
The story of Renuka Devi is quite interesting. Khursheed jehan was born in Aligarh on 4-3-1918, to Shaikh Abdulla and his wife Waheed jehan Beg. She was the 6th of 7 siblings. Her father Shaikh Abdulla (1874-1965) was originally a Hindu. He was the son of a rich jahagirdar and Landlord from Poonch,Kashmir. They were Kashmiri Brahmins. His name was Thakur Das. He embraced Islam in 1890, while studying in Aligarh. When his family learnt about it he was disowned by them. He took the name Shaikh Abdulla.
He became a leading Advocate of Aligarh. After he married Waheed Jehan Beg, they both- being of progressive thinking- decided to work for the Muslim womens’ education. They faced a lot of resistance from the fundamentalists, but they established a Muslim women’s college in Aligarh. To provide students for this college, a school was also started for Muslim girls. Soon girls started joining the school and college. Shaikh Abdulla ensured that all his children were educated. One daughter became a Doctor, another Advocate and two daughters did master’s degrees and later on became Principal of the women’s college. Khursheed also studied upto masters but due to her marriage could not complete it. ( she completed her masters in English Litterateur in 1963, at the age of 45 years, later).
Khursheed jehan was married to Akbar Mirza, a Police Officer in Aligarh. Soon she gave birth to 2 sons. Her husband, Akbar Mirza, was a well-placed official in the colonial police force and she enjoyed playing the part of hostess and homemaker. At a women’s club fundraising event organized by her, a senior British official commented that she had a flair that would be perfect for a film career. This set the 21-year-old Khurshid thinking and when her brother, Mohsin Abdullah, told her about “the professional atmosphere at the [Bombay Talkies] studios and the charming Mr Himansu Rai and his wife Devika Rani”, she could not resist. She wrote to Rai enquiring about a job, even sending him a recent photograph. What ensued was a struggle between the claims of domestic life and the increasing attractions of an independent and lucrative career.
This she did without informing her husband. She received a letter from Devika Rani,inviting her to Bombay for an interview. Now she confided in her husband and he wholeheartedly supported her. Akbar stood by his wife in the face of stiff opposition from both their families. Precisely because she had anticipated controversy, Khurshid had adopted the screen name “Renuka Devi” but it could not protect her identity. In her autobiography she says, “My mother wrote asking me not to visit Aligarh until the hue and cry had died down. As a result, I did not meet my family for nearly two years.”
Thus started her acting career. She was 21 years old, married and had 2 children too. Her first film was “Jeewan Prabhat”-37. She was given the name RENUKA DEVI. This was the Debut film for Kishore Sahu as well. Bombay Talkies bosses were very happy with her performance and she was offered the Heroine’s role opposite Jairaj in the film ” Bhabhi”-1939. Jairaj was also from a rich background, cultured and highly educated. Their tuning was excellent and the film was a grand success. Renuka also sang a few songs in Bhabhi-39. When the news of her acting in films reached Aligarh,there was a hue and cry. Her mother wrote to Renuka,’not to visit Aligarh for now’. Renuka did not go to Aligarh for the next 2 years.
She was invited to Calcutta By New Theatres to act in the film, Dadi Didi-39. Her other films were Naya Sansar-41 (Ashok Kumar), Sahara-43 (S D Narang), Ghulami-45 ( Masood Parvez) and Samrat Chandragupta-45 ( Ishwarlal ). Her film career was very short. She announced her retirement from films in February 1944, while shooting for her last films.
After partition, her family migrated to Pakistan. In Pakistan, though in demand, she refused to do any films. Instead, she decided to devote her time for women’s uplift, education, welfare and social work. She also did some work on Pakistan Radio.
When TV came to Pakistan, she became very active and she was a popular figure on Pak TV for the next 15-20 years. She completed her master’s degree in 1963, at the age of 45 years. She published 9 instalments of her autobiography in the popular magazine ” Herald ” from August 1982 to April 1983, under the title ” The uprooted sapling”. This was later on edited and published by her daughter Lubna as a Book in 2004, titled- ” A woman of substance- the memoirs of Begum Khursheed Mirza “.
Renuka Devi died on 8-2-1989 at Lahore after a prolonged illness.
In her book she included a chapter of 24 pages ” Renuka Devi-my celluloid identity”, in which she has described many interesting anecdotes. Her detailed description of the times of the 30s and 40s is a lovely chronicle of the history of Bombay film industry. Here are some excerpts from her book…
1) Back in the Thirties, acting in films was not considered an honourable profession for anybody. And for a married woman from a well-educated and respectable upper-middle class Muslim family, it was forbidden to even think about it. But Khurshid Mirza, the daughter of the founders of the Aligarh Women’s College, the wife of a police officer and already a mother of two, was too free-spirited to be tied down by any social norm. She took the plunge and soon a star named Renuka Devi was born.
2) In 1939, Shanta Apte wrote that she received four or five letters each day from young girls wanting to join the movies “due perhaps to this monetary attraction”. Actresses themselves acknowledged in interviews that the money was substantial and more than one actress claimed that her salary rivalled that of the Governor of Bombay! But aside from several myth-building exercises, it is now apparent that film acting was a uniquely high-paying profession for women. According to Filmindia, Shobhana Samarth’s approximate total income in 1942 was Rs 36,000 while Sardar Akhtar, Naseem Banu, and Madhuri earned about Rs 30,000 each. These figures indicate that leading heroines of the day averaged an income of Rs 3,000-4,000 per month (some actresses were freelancers and did not work through the year) at a time when a French chiffon sari cost Rs 9, and a brand new imported Studebaker cost Rs 6,000. It is hardly surprising then, that Khursheed would want to make “a little dough”.
3) ” Akbar stood by me in the face of stiff opposition from both our families. Nevertheless, he maintained a strange attitude towards my work. He enjoyed the benefits the money brought us, such as a new car, expensive game-hunts, and pleasure trips to fashionable Mussoorie in summer and excellent schooling for our children. And, yet, he treated my work as a hobby, instead of giving it its due importance.”
( My thanks to the book, ”A woman of substance“, some information from ” Free Library”,Cineplot and my own notes).
Here is the story of the film Bhabhi-1938.
Kishore Chand(Jairaj) is a good natured young businessman, having a big friend circle. His best friend is dying and Kishore gives him a promise that he will take care of Bimala(Maya Devi),his wife.
Basant dies and Kishore brings Bimala to his house. The society and his parents disapprove of their relationship as brother and sister and they are disowned and thrown out. They rent a house. After a few days, one Mr. Vinay Babu (V.H.Desai) comes as their neighbour with his daughter Renuka(Renuka Devi). Kishore and Renuka fall in love, much to the annoyance of Anupam Babu(Rama Shukul) who too is a suitor for Renuka.
There is one more lover. Bela(Meera),a friend of Renuka, also loves Kishore. Anupam spreads foul stories about Bimala and Kishore creating misunderstandings between the lovers. Luckily, Deshbandhu Upadhyaya(Pithawala) , ex-teacher of Kishore helps to clear all misunderstandings and the film ends in Hero-Heroine’s marriage.
Today’s song is sung by Saroj Borkar, who was a singer and actress in Hindi and Marathi films. The song typically reflects the film song style of the early era of the Hindi films.
Audio
Video
Song- Man moorakh kyun deewaana hai (Bhaabhi)(1938) Singer- Saroj Borkar, Lyricist- J.S.Kashyap, MD- Sarswati Devi
Lyrics
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
aaj rahe kal jaana hai
aaj rahe kal jaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
aaj khili jo dhoop to kal ko
ghan andhiyaara chhaana hai
ghan andhiyaara chhaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
aaj rahe kal jaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
phool chaman mein khila aaj to
kal usko murjhaana hai
phool chaman mein khila aaj to
kal usko murjhaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
aaj rahe kal jaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
jisko hum chaahen kuchh thahre chala
chala usey haan jaana hai
haan jaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaana hai
aaj rahe kal jaana hai
man moorakh kyun deewaanaa
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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