O topeewaale baabujee lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
Posted on: May 23, 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 from a film having a very ‘confusion causing’ title- Lachak-1951.
Yesterday morning, one of my Facebook friends, who is also a lover of old hindi film songs, sent me a message on messenger….” Today SLBS had broadcast a song from the film Lachak-1951,naming Inayat Ali as the Music Director. As per HFGK Lachak-1951 had music by Pt. Motiram. I am confused. Can you please solve this issue ?”
In the last more than 10 years, I have been asked several times about this film. Everytime I have given an explanation, but yesterday I was shocked to find that even SLBS ( Sri Lanka Broadcasting Service , which, in olden times, was Radio Ceylon) had a confusion about this film. I feel Lachak is the film causing “Same Title Confusion” among old song buffs. For one more time, here is the explanation again….
The film was produced by ShriRam Vohra, under the banner of Shree films, Bombay. It was directed by M.I.Dharamsi and the music was by Pt. Motiram. The title of this film is slightly misleading, causing a little confusion about the Music Director’s name.
There was another film Dil Bahar aka Lachak, made in the mid 50’s. 8 songs were recorded and released in the name of Dil Bahar, but due to some reasons this film could not be censored. Finally the film name was changed to Aakash Pari and it was censored and released in the month of April 1958 with the same 8 songs reissued as Aakashpari songs. This film is on our Blog, duly Yippeed already. The Music Director for this film was Inayat Ali. This caused confusion since Dil Bahar was also called the film Lachak. Some sites, Blogs and writers along with Youtube uploaders started showing a M.D. pair of Pt. Motiram and Inayat Ali for today’s film Lachak-1951. It is wrong. It is a case of ”Same name confusion for Film Titles” !
Mayanagari Mumbai attracts people. Earlier, when it was BOMBAY (Bambai), it acted like a magnet for all those who wanted Name, Fame and Wealth. Bombay gave this all to the Lucky and the Deserving with both hands stretched fully. Particularly for the Film Industry it sure acted as “The Ultimate Destination.” Whether one was an aspirant or an achiever, whether poor or rich, whether from the lower strata or from a Royal clan, everyone wanted to try his luck here.
Film Industry has seen many ‘Rags to Riches’ and also ‘Riches to Rags’ stories. Not all people coming here succeeded in getting their goal, but atleast they could survive. Bombay gave chances to everyone, you were on your own after that. In the Music field too there were stories of climbing from the lowest to Highest and vice versa.
A simple, ordinary looking, frail girl with torn chappals and cotton saree and tightly tied hair, stood on the Platform of Malad station waiting for the Local train. Years later Lata Mangeshkar got the Highest Civilian Award ‘ Bharat Ratna’, riches, fame and respect from the world !
In MD Rafiq Gaznavi and Pt. Govind Ram’s ” Laila Majnu “-1945, the main singer was Khan Mastana and in the Chorus was a young man called Mohd.Rafi. Many years later ,in K.Asif’s film “Laila Majnu”-1976 the main singer was Mohd. Rafi and in the chorus was a Paralytic Khan Mastana ! These are the ways of Fate !!.
In the Music field, there are two clear cut classes-1) Filmi Music and 2) The classical Music-a) Vocal and b) Instrumental.
Traditionally, Filmi music is considered lower than classical music. Leading classical singers were appointed as Darbari gayaks in many kings’ courts, but for the common man he understood and enjoyed filmi music best. Many classical music singers of repute were attracted towards films as it ensured a reach to the millions all over the subcontinent. It also gave them name, fame and money. Whatever may be the reasons, many classical singers joined films as singers and some tried their hand becoming composers.
The singers were Begum Akhtar, Jaddanbai, Malika Pukhraj, Amir Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, D.V.Paluskar, Niyaz Ahmed Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Vasantrao Deshpande, Kishori Amonkar, Shobha Gurtu, M S Shubhalaxmi, Laxmi Shanker, Phiroz Dastur etc etc.
Among those who tried to become Composers were- Phiroz Dastoor, Govindrao Tembe, Master Krishna Rao, Shankar rao Vyas, Ali Akbar Khan, Pt.Amarnath, Pt.Ganapat Rao, Pannalal Ghosh, Pt.Ravishanker, Bhupen Hazarika,Shiv kumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasiya etc etc.
In the Hindi film Industry, most of the successful and popular M.D.s were assistants to senior composers, during their early careers. Naushad, C.Ramchandra, Shankar Jaikishan, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant Pyarelal,R.D.Burman etc all have been assistants to start with. Looking at their success, many of the assistants had ambition to become independentmusic directors. Nothing wrong with it. However, 90 % of such attempts proved to be failures and only 10 % became well known independent music directors.
Pt. Motiram was one such case. He was an assistant to Naushad. Film Lachak-1951 was the only film he did as independent music director was released. He gave music, at the same time , to another film ” Imaan”, which had 7 very good songs. After this film, he went back as Naushad’s assistant. Not much is known about him. He died on 10-9-1976 in Bombay.
By the way, the name Motiram is also a Same Name Confusion name. Father of famous classical singer Pt. Jasraj was Pt. Motiram. Sometimes these names are confused for each other. However Pt. Motiram-father of Pt. Jasraj – never sang or gave music to any film, in his life.
Lachak-1951 was a Social love story having a crime event involved in the story. Its cast included Geeta Bali, Amarnath, Ram singh, B.M.Vyas, Agha, Paro, Nayantara, Mukri, Shaikh etc. The story of the film was……
Durjan( B M Vyas) is a villainous type of Zamindar who indulges in many illegal activities. He wants a land plot in the coastal area of the town, to facilitate his smuggling activities. Bur Seth Laxmi Das(Ram Singh) and Rita(Kuldip Kaur) are not prepared to part with it.
Rita arranges dance programmes, as her profession. One day the main heroine of her dance group is kidnapped. Her friend Ramesh(Agha) calls Amar(Amarnath), a Private detective to investigate the case. While looking for evidence, Amar meets Kammo(Geeta Bali) and promptly falls in love.
Kammo helps Rita by participating in the dance show. Gulabo(Nayantara) Rita’s secretary informs Durjan about all these matters. Soon Kammo is also kidnapped. Ramesh, Rita and Amar start the search, but now Rita’s father is also kidnapped.
With the help of Police HQs, Rita and Amar locate the den of Durjan, who is holding all these people there as prisoners,to pressurise Laxmidas to sell the coastal land to him. Durjan is caught red handed and all are rescued. Durjan goes to jail and Amar is reunited with Kammo.
One actor from the cast – Ramsingh, was one time an actor much in demand. The actor Ram Singh’s name is not very famous or well known, but in his times, he did Hero’s and Villain’s roles in many films. .His entry into films and his life story is very interesting.
During the 1942 ‘Quit India’ movement, there was a riot in Allahabad. Police opened fire and along with several other people, the Secretary of All University Students Union also was killed.
Fearing a backlash from college students, the Government closed down all colleges and vacated Hostels.Two persons became homeless. One was Ramchandra Dwivedi – who later on became well known as Kavi Pradeep- and the other was Ramsingh- who became an actor. After the riots, instead of informing his family about his welfare, Ramsing left for Bombay and then to Poona, to become an actor. He was tall,fair and handsome. V.Shantaram hired him as an assistant in the studio. His family thought that he must have been killed in the riots and grieved, when he never returned.
One day one of the villagers came to their house and told excitedly that he had seen a Hindi film and in that film, an actor looked exactly like Ramsingh. The family went to the town and saw the film.Lo and behold ! There he was. Looking just like Ramsingh. Anxiously a group of elders reached Prabhat Studio in Poona and enquired. The officials brought out their own son- Ramsingh before them !! Everyone was happy. It seems he did not contact his household just to avoid the Police investigations, as he too was an active participant in the agitation.
Ramsingh was born into a rich Zamindar family of village Ishanpur in Pratapgarh (U.P.), in 1920. After graduating, while doing his M.A. he joined films. His first film was Ramshastri-44, then came Chand-44, Lakhrani-45 and Hum ek hain-46….all Prabhat films. While in Prabhat, he became friendly with Dev Anand and Guru Dutt. In his later years, they gave him roles in almost every film.
In his other films, Ramsingh worked with Heroine Ranjit Kumari ( real name Ranjit Kaur), to whom he got married later on. He was already married while in school and also had 3 children from his first wife. From the second marriage he had 4 children.
Ramsingh played Hero, Villain and character roles in 69 films. Some of his notable films were, besides 4 Prabhat films, Gaon-47, Shaheed-48, Khidki-49, Aparadhi-50 ( He was the Hero, opposite Madhubala), Sargam-50, Sangram-50, Shrimati ji-52, Jaal-52, Baaz-53 etc etc. In his later career, he only got insignificant roles in B and C grade films and Mythologicals. His last film was Sati Sulochana-69. ( 2 more films Veer Chhatrasal-71 and Mere Bhaiya-72 were released after he left films).
Ramsingh returned to his native place with Ranjit kumari and children in 1970 and started doing Agriculture. The U.P. Chief Minister H.N.Bahuguna was his classmate and a very good friend. Ramsingh approached him. Bahuguna, to help him, immediately established ” U.P. Film Corporation ” and made Ramsingh its Chairman. However, due to political turmoil in the country, Bahuguna left congress and joined Congress For Democracy, against Indira Gandhi. As a result the film corporation was wound up and Ramsingh returned to the fields again. Ramsing started drinking, against medical advice and died in 1984, in his village.
( adapted, with Thanks, from Javed Hameed’s book “Kuchh kalakar, kuchh yaden “, Vithal Pandya’s book Asli Nakli Chehre, Bapu Watve’s book ” My Prabhat days” and my notes).
Here is a 74 year old song sung by the then 32 year old Shamshad Begum….
Song- O topeewaale baabujee (Lachak)(1951) Singer- Shamshad Begum, Lyricist- S R Vohra, MD- Pt. Motiram
Lyrics
O topeewaale baabujee
o pagdeewaale laalaajee
O topeewaale baabu
mere pagdeewaale laalaajee
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
ho baabu
chatakse matakse lachakse ho
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
ho topeewaale baabujee
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
hoy baabu
jab tak lachak hai
duniya lachaktee
jab tak lachak hai
duniya lachaktee
ho o o o
nikley lachak phir ye
nikley lachak phir ye
duniya khasaktee
duniya khasaktee
duniya khasaktee
loot jaao anmol hai khazaanaa
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
ho baabu
chatakse matakse lachakse ho
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
O topeewaale baabujee
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
hoy baabu
dekh lachak har gham kee dawaa hai
dekh lachak har gham kee dawaa hai
ho o o o
le le ticket munh
le le ticket
munh dekhta hai kya
munh dekhta hai kya
yoon dekhta hai kya
kaheen peechhe padey na pachhtaanaa
chatak meree oy hoy
matak meree oy hoy
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
ho baabu
chatakse matakse lachakse ho
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
ho topiwale baabujee
lachak meree dekhte jaanaa
hoy baabu
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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