Laila Laila pukaaron main ban mein
Posted on: March 10, 2025
This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, 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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‘Mr Sampat’ (1952) was produced and directed by S S Vasan under the banner of Gemini Pictures. The film starred Motilal in the title role of Mr Sampat with Padmini, Vanaja, Sundari Bai, Swaraj, Agha, Kanhaiyalal, Badriprasad, Kailash Nath, J S Casshyap, B S Kalla etc. This was Padmini’s first Hindi film in a lead role. The film was adapted from R K Narayan’s novel, ‘Mr Sampat – Printer of Malgudi’ (1949). It is a satirical film.
The genesis of this film started with Tamil film, ‘Miss Malini’ (1947) produced under the banner of Gemini Studios for which the story was written by R K Narayan specifically for the film. Although the film received the critical appreciation and was liked by the intellectual audience, it did not fare well at the box office. Incidentally, Gemini Ganesan debuted as an actor with ‘Miss Malini’ (1947) in a small role where he was credited as ‘R. G.’ (Ramaswamy Ganesan). At that time, he was working in the casting department of the Gemini Studio.
In 1949, R K Narayan rewrote the story of ‘Miss Malini’ (1947) and got it published as a novel. S S Vasan decided to make the film in Hindi with story adapted from the novel. The Gemini Studio’s Story Department headed by Kothamangalam Subbu took cinematic liberties to make some variations from the story in the novel. The role of Mr Sampat was made more like a conman and the role of Malini turning more as a stage dancer than as a stage actress. The character of Swaraj as the director of Kala Mandir Theatre was twisted to appear like he was attracted towards Malini while she treated him with respect as his protégé.
I had watched the film on a VCD years back. To recapitulate the story, I have recently watched on a video sharing platform with somewhat better video and audio quality. The film is interesting one to watch except that I had to fast forward some of the longish songs with dances. Probably that may be one of the reasons that the film failed to create its expected impact on the box office collections. The story of the film is as under:
Mr Sampat (Motilal) is travelling in a train to Mumbai in a crowded III class compartment. He is in conversation with a group of passengers to whom he boasts of his capability to travel in I class but he prefers travelling in III class to get the feedback from the poor people of their problems which he can pass on to his friends in higher positions in Government. He is actually traveling without ticket but he hoodwinks the ticket checker by telling him that he knows his boss and he would recommend his name for a promotion for doing an excellent job. This scene sets the role Mr Sampat is expected to play.
Sampat arrives at his office in Mumbai in an immaculate western dress with cowboy hat. His name plate indicate that he is a commission agent consultant. None of the hotels around his office are prepared to serve him tea as he has run into huge outstanding amount which is yet to be cleared. Sampat goes out for tea in a hotel where he has no outstanding due. While sipping tea, he finds a series of photographs of Malini (Padmini) hanging on the wall. The hotel owner (Agha) is a huge fan of Malini. Sampat goes to the hotel owner for settling the bill when he boasts that he knows Malini since her childhood and he is instrumental in making her the popular stage artist. While refusing to take the money for the tea, the hotel owner pleads Sampat to bring Malini to his hotel so that he can personally serve her tea. Sampat promises him to do so.
Malini has joined Kala Mandir Theatre where her excellent performances as a stage artist have made her popular among the audience and created huge fans. The director (Swaraj) of the theatre has his own idealism which he conveys through his stage plays. Both Malini and the director of the theatre admire each other for their capabilities. The Director has a soft corner for Malini while she has a high respect for him.
One day, among a couple of creditors coming to Sampat office for collection of their outstanding dues, Seth Makkhanlal Gheewaala (Kanhaiyalal), a Ghee merchant, has also come with a different reason. He has come for canvassing of vote in his favour. With his ‘make believe’ talks, Sampat lures him in believing that he can be his good campaign manager for the election. He tells him that because of his adulterated ghee business, he will not get votes from his ghee consumers. He boasts to him that he can bring the Malini for his election campaign which can result in her huge fans voting for him. He takes Makkhanlal to her stage show but he fails to get audience with Malini. He assures Makkhanlal that he would bring Malini as one of the guests for which he has to host a tea party.
Sampat goes to Malini’s residence as a newspaper reporter and convinces her father (Badriprasad) to let Malini to give an interview for his newspaper which she reluctantly agrees. During this period, he apprises her that Seth Makkhanlal has arranged a tea party in which many dignitaries are attending among which her theatre Director is one of the guests. This makes Malini to agree to attend the tea party. Earlier, Sampat had promised the hotel owner that he would bring Malini to his hotel where he can personally serve her tea. Now he tells the the hotel owner that he should arrange a tea party for Makkhanlal which will give him an opportunity to serve tea to Malini. After the tea party, Sampat arranges inpromptu meeting of Malini’s fans and other guests in which the admirers of Malini demands her speech rather than the speech by Seth Makkhanlal.
Seth Makkhanlal wins the election but at a huge cost which has made him almost pauper. He also finds that Sampat has claimed a sizeable amount as his expenses. However, Sampat brings a cheer to him by his proposal to starts a bank with an ex-prince, Raj Mohan Bahadur providing the required share capital and deposits. The bank will offer a high interest rate to attract deposits. Makkhanlal agrees to become the bank’s managing Director with a salary of Rs.10000/- and Sampat also will get the same amount of salalry. Initially, the bank grows in business because Sampat is able to lure Malini and the hotel owner to open deposit accounts with banks offering 20% interest. But over time, because of high interest rates, the bank is in verge of near bankruptcy.
Knowing fully aware of the bank’s financial position, Sampat comes out with another tempting offer. This time, it is for Malini. With his convincing talk, he makes Malini to believe that Kala Mandir Theatre has failed to see her potential which he can make her fully utilise. With his sweet and ‘make believe’ talks, Sampat is successful in creating a rift between the Director of Kala Mandir and Malini. Some arguments between Malini and the Director over her late coming for the rehearsals makes Malini to leave Kala Mandir and starts her own theatre company for which Seth Makkhanlal provides the financial backing with Sampat as its Manager. He has also arranged the inauguration of her own theatre company’s first stage play by the ex-prince. Raj Mohan Bahadur. With the collections from Malini’s shows, Seth Makkhanlal gets a breathing time to manage the banks. Still the banks financial position is not good enough as the interest outgo continues to eat up large collection of fresh deposits.
The real problems for Seth Makkhanlal comes when Ex-Prince Raj Mohan Bahadur withdraws his entire bulk deposit from the bank in retaliation of the refusal of Malini of his romantic advances. This news spreads like a fire. There is a run on the bank. Seth Makkhanlal calls Sampat to come to the rescue of the bank. This time, Sampat, instead of providing his new scheme, walks out by telling him cooly that as a Managing Director, it is his duty to take care of the bank.
On Malini’s front, there is a problem for her new theatre company that artists and crew members have not been paid for a long time. They have threatened to stop work at a time when the show is to begin. With a great persuasion from Malini and with her assurance of payment, they postpone their agitation. When the play is in progress, a High Court order is served on behalf of the creditors under which Malini’s assets and her house are to be auctioned. Malini is shocked as her stage plays were always houseful. Then where did the huge collections go? Then she realises that it is Mr Sampat who turned out to be fraudster. On the day of the auction, it is Malini’s Director of Kala Mandir who clears the creditors thus saving her house and property from auction. Malini rejoins Kala Mandir Theatre.
Just as the film begins with Sampat traveling in III class compartment, the film ends with Sampat traveling in a train with his destination unknown. He has employed a new trick as a Godman who delivers lectures to his fellow passengers on spirituality. This time also, he hoodwinks a ticket checker by giving him ‘Vibhuti’ with his blessing to him.
With the lead actor, Padmini in the role of a stage singer/dancer, the film had as many as 13 songs. While 11 songs have been accredited to Pandit Indra, there is no certainty as to who had written the remaining two songs between Pandit Indra and J S Kashyap. Similarly, 10 songs have been accredited to Balkrishan Kalla, while one song has been accredited to E Shankar Shastri. The remaining two songs have been jointly accredited to Balkrishan Kalla and E Shankar Shastri. Four songs have been covered on the Blog.
I am presenting the 5th song which is an unusual medley song comprising five different songs of five different genres as under with the possible original sources indicated in brackets:
1. gul mein paa zulfon baande qataar dee (Folk song in Pashto language).
2. zakhm-e-jigar peete hain bas gham mein tere yaar (Probably from some stage play)
3. Laila Laila pukaaroon main ban mein (From the play, ’Laila-Majnu’)
4. kaaga sab tan khaaiyo so chun chun khaaiyo maas (first two lines are a Sufi couplet written by Baba Sheikh Farid. )
5. andheriyaa ho raat sajan jaiyyo ke rahiyyo (A traditional Dadra in Raag Pahadi)
The medley song is accredited to Pandit Indra as a lyricist and Balkrishan Kalla as the music director. But I feel that these five songs are based on traditional lyrics and the tune. B S Kalla has only arranged the music. The medley song is rendered by Shamshad Begum and Talat Mehmood with Pashto part of the song being rendered by female chorus. It appears that gramophone record of this medley song was not released. I did not find the mp3 clip of the medley song on saregama.com
We have been used to watching and listening to medley songs in some of the Hindi films which are more like fun songs. The medley song under discussion is not based on some of the popular Hindi film songs but a part of the different stage performances of Padmini when Mr Sampat, after becoming the manager of her shows, insists on doing multiple stage shows in single day to earn more money. So, in single day, Padmini performs different stage shows with title like ‘Gulru- Zarina’, ‘Laila-Majnu’, ’Tegh-e-Sitam’, ‘Madhur Milan’. These were the titles of plays which were staged during the pre-talkie era.
I could get the lyrics of the Pashto song with English translation from an Audio clip of the full Pashto song uploaded on a video sharing platform. This Pashto song seems to be very popular if I go by the millions of hit on a video sharing platforms. The full Pashto song is here which sounds pleasing to the ears. I have jotted down the lyrics as pronounced by the Pashto singers.
Video Clip:
Song-Laila Laila pukaaroon main ban mein (Mr Sampat)(1952) Singers-Shamshad Begum, Talat Mehmood, Lyrics-Pt Indra Chandra, MD-B S Kalla
Chorus
Lyrics:
gul mein paa zulfon baande qataar dee
baande qataar dee
dwaanraa chasmaan dee mehbooba
gul daa anaar dee
tobaa tobaa
gul mein paa zulfon baande qataar dee
dwaanraa chasmaan dee mehbooba
gul daa anaar dee
tobaa tobaa
gul mein paa zulfon
zakhm-e-jigar to peeten hain bas gham mein tere yaar
zakhm-e-jigar to peeten hain bas gham mein tere yaar
main tadap tadap kar rotee munh aansoun se dhotee
haay haay
main tadap tadap kar rotee munh aansuon se dhotee
meraa kahaan gayaa wo motee re bas gham mein tere yaar
zakhm-e-jigar to peeten hain bas gham mein tere yaar
laila laila pukaaroon main ban mein
laila pyaaree basee morey mann mein
laila pyaaree basee morey mann mein
kaagaa sab tan khaaiyo
so chun chun khaaiyo maas
kaagaa sab tan khaaiyo
so chun chun khaaiyo ma……as
do nainaa mat khaaiyo
mohe piyaa milan kee aas
maine laakhon ke bol sahe
sitamgar tere liye
maine laakhon ke bol sahe o sitamgar
haay haay sitamgar
haan haan
sitamgar tere liye
maine laakhon ke bol sahe
andheriyaa ho raat sajan jaiyo ke rahiyo
andheriyaa ho raat sajan jaiyo ke rahiyo
sone kee jhaari mein gangaa jal paani
sone kee jhaari mein
sone ki jhaari mein
sone kee jhaari mein
gangaa jal paani
bhojan manjhdhaar sajan jaiyo ke rahiyo
bhojan manjhdhaar sajan jaiyo ke rahiyo
andheriyaa ho raat sajan jaiyo ke rahiyo
andheriyaa ho raat sajan jaiyo ke rahiyo
———————————————–
The English translation of Pashto part of the medley song
You have adorned flowers in your hair.
Darling, your eyes resemble the beauty of a blooming pomegranate flower.
5 Responses to "Laila Laila pukaaron main ban mein"
March 20, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Sadanandji,
Just to point out a factual information.
“Kaga sab tan khaiyo:” I believe it is attributed to Baba Sheikh Farid, a Sufi poet of 12th/13th century. This song or its some variant has been used in many songs. You are generally thorough in your research. You may like to check it again.
AK
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March 20, 2025 at 7:40 pm
Ak ji,
Thanks a lot for pointing out the correct author of ‘Kaaga sab tan khaaiyo’ as Baba Sheikh Farid.
Incidentally, Baba Sheikh Farid’s famous desciple was Nizamuddin Auliya whose desciple was Amir Khusro. So, Baba Farid’s style of Sufi poetry seems to have percolated to Amir Khusro.
Atul ji,
Please replace the words ‘probably Amir Khusro’ in the article ( Sr.No. 4) with Baba Sheikh Farid.
Thanks.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
March 10, 2025 at 12:40 pm
As I recollect Mr. Sampath was one of the few movies in hindi for which P B Sreenivas the famous singer lent his voice. He also sang with Lata Mangeshkar in MAI BHI LADKI HOON the mwlodious Chanda se hoga .
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March 10, 2025 at 5:05 pm
Yes. In fact, Mr. Sampat was his debut film as a playback singer in Hindi films.
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