Kaanan morey shyam rang gholey kaun
Posted on: January 21, 2025
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 a duet from the Religious film Raami Dhoban-1953. The film was produced by Ramesh Vyas and directed by Hiren Bose, who was the film’s music Director also.
In the early stages of the Talkie films, there used to be some artists who were multifaceted. As such, the studio system was such that people were hired on the condition that they would have to do any work which the studio wanted. It was like the post of an ” Office Assistant” who has no specific allotted duties. Thus a crop of artists who could do various jobs emerged. Acting as an extra, carrying shooting material like drapery,cameras etc, driving the studio vehicles etc. This was of course for the lower class of employees.
But even among the specialised artists, there were people who did various things like acting, being assistant to the director, joining a chorus song etc. Among these multifaceted artists, two names come to mind. The first one was Badri Pershad. he was an actor, a singer, a Lyricist, a Director, a Music Director and even a Choreographer, in addition to being a producer too. In his private life he was a learned person, an expert in Sanskrit and had a big library in his house. He had also written a book . The other name was S.N.Tripathi. he was an actor, a singer, a Director and also a Music Director.
The director of the film Raami Dhoban-1953, Hiren Bose, was also a multifaceted person. He was an actor, a singer, Director and Music Director also. The tribe of multifaceted artists vanished as the industry grew and a lot of specialists were available at a Beck and a Call, for each department of filmmaking. Nowadays no such people exist in the industry. The last one was perhaps Kishore kumar who was an actor, singer, director, producer and a Music Director. In addition he was also an expert in marriages. He married 4 times !
While Film Music crossed several barriers, the films themselves proved to be a mix of experts from every corner of India. Hindi films have actors, Directors and composers from almost every state. In this, however, Bengal has taken a lead in providing the raw material.
Several well known actors came from Bengal. Many Directors like Bimal Roy ,Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Nabendu Ghosh, Basu Chaterjee, Basu Bhattacharya, Shakti Samant, Amiya Chakravarty, Gyan Mukherjee etc. enriched the Hindi cinema. Music directors who came from Bengal like, Hemant Kumar, Salil Chaudhari, S D Burman, Anil Biswas, K C Dey, Pankaj Mullik etc provided us wonderful everlasting music. Most of the directors and composers from Bengal are well known to most of us,but there was ONE name that appeared in many categories like Actor, Director, Story writer, S/Play writer, Lyricist, and Composer too, yet that name is as obscure today as it can be !
The name is HIREN BOSE ( Hirendra Kumar Bose).
Born in Calcutta on 26-9-1903, Hiren completed his college education and learnt classical music & Rabindra sangeet to such proficiency that soon he earned titles of “Vidya Bhushan” and “Sangeet Ratna “. He wrote in Bengali papers and for Bangla films too. In the years 1928 to 1932, Hiren had joined HMV as a Music Director. Here he became a close friend of Kazi Nazrul Islam and Dhiren Das. Both Kazi and Hiren wrote lyrics for songs in HMV .
Around 1929, a new, young and attractive singer came to HMV. Her name was KANAN BALA. She came to record songs. Soon the handsome Hiren cast his spell on Kanan and she started considering him as her mentor in HMV. They were a quartet of friends, Kanan, Hiren, Kazi and Dhiren. In HMV Kanan recorded many songs set to tune or written by Hiren Bose. In 1932,this team left HMV, on the issue of Royalty and joined the newly formed Megaphone Recording company. Here too after 2 years, this team left Megaphone and joined Columbia recording company. By 1934, Hiren wrote in his autobiography- JATI SMAR (My memories)-later that he had lost interest in Kananbala.
Hiren’s eyes were now set on a bigger Horizon -BOMBAY. he knew that remaining in Calcutta may not be suitable for him. Meanwhile he had met another Struggler, ANIL BISWAS. Hiren advised him to go to Bombay for a brighter future and also promised him all his help. Although, by then ANIL BISWAS was comfortably placed in Calcutta, he left for Bombay as per Hiren’s advice. Hiren Bose was a highly respected name in the musical circles of Calcutta.
Hiren started working in Bombay. His fame as a versatile film person had already reached Bombay and he had no difficulty in getting work there. Hiren directed Dharam ki Devi-35, followed by Piya ki Jogan-36 and then Mahageet 1937. As per his promise he gave a chance to Anil Biswas to give music,independently to DHARAM KI DEVI-1935. As such earlier he had composed a song in Bharat ki Beti-35- “Tere poojan ko Bhagwan” sung by Rattan bai. But then he had shared the Music direction with Zande Khan. That song had become quite popular then.
Hiren Bose was very fond of acting in films and he also acted in MAHAGEET-1937. It was in this film that Anil Biswas FIRST introduced playback singing in a Bombay film. (In Calcutta R C Boral had started playback in 1935 itself). The FIRST ever Playback song in this film was ” Jeevan hai ek kahani, Duniya bhi hai ek kahani ” . It was sung by Anil Biswas and was filmed on Hiren Bose on the screen. Thus Hiren Bose’s name became a Historical name in the Bombay film industry. This was, Anil Biswas repaid the debt of Hiren Bose, in helping him to get established in the Bombay Music field.
(Ref- ‘The early composers- Music beyond Boundaries by Dr. Ashok Ranade pp 183-186).
After Mahageet, Hiren Bose got an offer from Madras to direct a Telugu film- Bhakta Jaydev-1938,which he did successfully.
Hiren Bose kept on shuttling between Bombay and Calcutta, doing some films here and some there. He also acted in some Bangla films during that period. He was so versatile in many departments that he did acting, directing, lyrics, singing, and composing. His complete Filmography is not available but some details are available.
As a Director 15 films are to his credit- Chup-31, Mahua-34, Dharm ki Devi-35, Piya ki Jogan-36, Mahageet-37, Bhakta jaidev-38, India in Afica-39, Amar Geeti-40, Kabi Joydeb-41, Daasi-44, Banjarey-48, Sree Tulsidas-50, Ghungroo-52, Raami Dhoban-53 and Ektara-57.
He acted in Rishir prem-31, Chup-31, Udayer pathe-44, Towards the Light-44, Sesh Raksha-44 and Mahageet-37. As a writer- Meerabai (s/Play and story)-32 and Rajrani Meera(story)-33. As a composer- India in Africa-39, Kabi Joydeb-41, Raami Dhoban-53.
After directing his last film Ektara in 1957, Hiren Bose lived a retired life. His last few years were mostly unhealthy and he spent time writing lyrics for geets in Bangla which were usually sung by Hemant Kumar, Kanan Bala and Suprova sarkar. Hiren Bose died on 18-6-1987 and one of the most versatile, multifaceted and multilingual artiste disappeared forever….
HFGK describes this film as a “Religious” film. Film “Ram Rajya”-1943 was described as a “Mythological ” film. Now, what is the difference between these two ? The difference is about the source of the story. All stories from Ramayan, Mahabharat and all Puranas are classified as Mythological and all other stories about the Bhaktas, Saints, Folkstories and stories about The god and the religion carried through generations and storybooks are listed as Religious films. Thus, a film on Ramayan story or Waman Avtar is Mythological and a film on Dussehra or Yatrik is called Religious. I hope this point is clear now.
Today’s film Raami Dhoban-1953 is a Religious film or भक्ती प्रधान film. This is because this story is not from any Holy Scripture but it is a Folklore carried through generations and religious books. In Hindu religion there are 2 ‘DHOBANS’ (washerwomen), who were famous. One was who came in the Uttarakhand part of Ramayana , whose husband refused her entry into his house stating that he is not Shri Ram to forgive her night out somewhere else, like Seeta. This had led to the exile of Seeta etc. The second Dhoban was during the 15th Century, in Bengal, where her love story with a Vaishnav Priest-Chandidas was compared to love of Radha and krishna. In those times this love affair of a Vaishnava invited a lot of criticism also.
The cast of the film Raami Dhoban-1953 was Kamini Kaushal, Abhi Bhattacharya, Tiwari, Ramesh Vyas (he was the producer), Sankatha prasad, Uma Devi, Sulochana Chatterjee etc . Prem Adib was a Guest artist. The story of the love between Chandidas and Raami was not an ordinary one. The other day I found this story on speakingtree.in, on the internet. Here it is….
Chandidas was the son of a Brahman priest. He was very handsome, charming and of a quiet countenance, but was forever lost in some world of his own. His father, tired of him, died, and Chandidas was forced to succeed him as the purohit of the local temple of a goddess.
Chandidas’ heart was never into these frivolities. He was devoted to Lord Krishna immensely. Then, one day, as he was sitting silently on the banks of the river in their village, his heart filled with sadness and disillusionment at the world. Legend has it that the Devi of the temple of their village appeared there, and told him that he would become a great poet and philosopher.
Then, when he was returning, he beheld a washerwoman washing clothes. When she got up, the two looked at each other, and it was love at first sight.
Chandidas thought that Rami, the washerwoman, was divinely beautiful. She was the source of strength and courage to him, just as Radha had been for Krishna. And this marked the beginning of Chandidas’ poetry.
Chandidas’s brother, who was ashamed of Chandidas because of his romantic involvement with the low-caste Rami, forced him to take part in a shudhikaran ceremony and purge himself of the sin of Rami’s touch. But just at that moment, Rami came, weeping and struggling as guards stopped her. ‘Chandithakur, would you leave me forever for society? Do I have just this much value for you?’
Chandidas was put in a dilemma. Here was the woman he loved like no one else, who always stood by him when people turned on him. And on the other side, the society his father had structured, and the people who revered his family, were still stuck in social conventions and stupid rites and traditions.
Chandidas made his decision on the spot. He walked towards Rami, took her hand, and led her away from the village forever. They stopped at the house of Ganesha the singer, where Chandidas and Rami spent the rest of their lives singing hymns for Krishna and Radha.
Here is a duet sung by Geeta Dutt and Hemant Kumar. Let us now enjoy this 72 year old song….
Song- Kaanan morey shyam rang gholey kaun (Raami Dhoban)(1953) Singers- Geeta Dutt, Hemant Kumar, Lyricist- Rammurti Chaturvedi, MD- Hiren Bose
Both
Lyrics
kaanan morey
shyam rang
gholey kaun
hari hari boley kaun
kaanan morey shyam rang gholey kaun
hari hari boley kaun
kaanan morey shyam rang gholey kaun
hari hari boley kaun
kaanan morey peer(?) sang doley kaun
hari hari boley kaun
aise ras naam dhare
ras na sakhi(?) naheen bisre
aise ras naam dhare
ras na sakhi(?) naheen bisre
adhar ratat naaheen thakat
waako bhed kholey kaun
hari hari boley kaun
kaanan morey shyam rang gholey kaun
hari hari boley kaun
chhoote naheen lagan mor
toote naaheen milan dor
chhoote naheen lagan mor
toote naaheen milan dor
jhooley man chandidas prem ke hindoley ko
prem ke hindoley ko
hari hari boley kaun
kaanan morey shyam rang gholey kaun
hari hari boley kaun
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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