Kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
Posted on: June 7, 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 the film Shankar Parvati-1943.
The film was made by Ranjit Movietone, Bombay. This was a rare occasion when Ranjit was making a Mythological movie, but to make use of the dancing skill of the film’s Heroine Sadhana Bose, it decided to make this film, in which there was plenty of scope for her dancing. The film was directed by Chaturbhuj Doshi and the music was by Gyan Dutt. Songs were by Pt. Indra. The cast of the film included Sadhana Bose-as Parvati, Arun Ahuja-as Shankar, Kamala Chaterjee, Rewa Shankar, Narmada Shankar, Mahipal, Sulochana, Shyam and others.
The 40’s decade was the beginning to make the Mythological and religious films popular and 3 major films succeeded in this. The first one was Ram Rajya by Prakash Pictures, the second was Shankar Parvati and the third was Har Har Mahadev-1950, made by Jayant Desai productions. In 1949 there were 13 such films and even in 1950 there were 13 religious films. This number went on to 124 religious films in the 50’s decade i.e. from 1951 to 1960 period.
These religious films were mostly about Shri Ram, Shri Kishna and Shiv ji, obviously being the most popular deities in India. Today’s film was based on the well known story of the marriage of Shiv ji and Parvati.
‘SHANKAR PARVATI’ was quite a successful movie in those days, as it appealed to the religious minded Indians, who have grown up listening to mythological stories. I remember seeing this movie in its second run, as there was an attraction of trick scenes in this movie. The story is about how Sati (Sadhona Bose) the daughter of King Daksha, goes to attend Yagnya by Daksha, uninvited and gets insulted for her husband – Shankar (played by Arun Kumar Ahuja- father of actor Govinda). She jumps into the fire and dies and on hearing this, Shankar is very angry and he performs the Tandav Nritya. Sati is reborn as Parvati, who, to regain her love back, dances and wins Shankar. Their elder son Kartikeya ,destroys Tarakasur etc.
Sadhana Bose was an internationally acclaimed dancer. She acted in Hindi and several Bengali movies in the 1940s and 1950s. Her most famous film was ‘RAJNARTAKI’ (1941), opposite Prithviraj Kapoor and it was made in Hindi, English and Bengali at the same time. Though a box office failure, it had fabulous dances by her.
There are few songs sung by Sadhana Bose in ‘Shankar Parvati’ and ‘Paigham’ (1942). According to Timir Baran, these are not sung by her, but by Suprabha Ghosh. However, famous music Historian Kamalakar Pasupuleti says that Sadhana Bose was an accomplished dancer and singer too. In her all time favourite ‘ALIBABA’ in Bengali she, as Marjina, and her director husband Madhu Bose, as Abdulla in the film, sang many duets which are popular even today in Bengal. She was typically called ” Sadhona Bose”.
Granddaughter of Brahmakesari Keshab Chandra Sen, Sadhona was born on 20-4-1914, in a prosperous Brahmo family and received education as was common with Brahmo girls of those days. Her father was Saral Chandra Sen and she was the second of his three daughters. Her elder sister Binita was married into a royal family of Chittagong (now Bangladesh)and settled into household life, while the youngest Nilina pursued a career in Indian Classical music and earned herself a position of eminence and was known in record circles as Naina Devi.
Sadhona married Madhu Bose, film maker working in Bengal, British India, at a young age, and joined the Calcutta Art Players, a theatrical company owned by husband Modhu Bose and took part as heroine in the plays produced by the unit. Later on Sadhona joined films and played Marjina in Alibaba (1937), made in Bengali under the banner of Bharata Lakshmi Pictures. This film was a runaway hit and is remembered well by film enthusiasts. Modhu Bose had earlier directed a number of films but he tasted real success with Alibaba. For Sadhona this film meant a permanent place in the history of Bengali films. This was followed by Abhinoy (Bengali-1938), another major success for the couple.
They migrated to Bombay and again created history with the immensely popular Kumkum (1940), made in two languages, Hindi and Bengali and thereafter went on to create the first triple version (English, Bengali, Hindi) film of India, Rajnartaki (1941). Sadhona did come back to Calcutta for a double version Bengali movie Meenakshi (1942)with the handsome Jyoti Prakash as the hero. Going back to Bombay soon after the completion of this film where she starred in major films like Shankar Parvati, Vishkanya, Paigham, For Ladies Only, Bhola Shankar and Shin shinaki Boobla Boo.She also sang 7 songs in 2 films, namely Paigham and Shankar Parvati- both in 1943. She firmly established herself as a heroine in her own right without the backing of husband Modhu Bose.
In fact they had fallen quite apart by the mid forties and most unfortunately Sadhona started living much too abandoned a life heavily engaged in drinks,parties and men and slowly lost her carefully earned position. She came back to calcutta after a reconciliation with Modhu Bose but had by this time lost her magic hold over the audiences and acted in films again directed by her husband like Shesher Kabita and Maa O Chhele, without remarkable success.
Sadhona was a dancer in the first place and all her film successes were in dancing roles, although she was also a very fine actress and sang her own songs in some of her films including her first Alibaba.With film offers becoming too infrequent, she formed a dance troupe of her own and made all India tours with plays like Wither now, Hunger and others and met with success again as she was bound to be as a personality trained in dancing. She passed into oblivion slowly.
Even in retired life she could not part with the bottle and without any income worth the name she found herself in the most difficult conditions financially. Modhu bose was ill and it was difficult to get treatment for him. She lost her husband in 1969 and had no money to sustain herself and thereafter came the greatest tragic period of her life when she had to resort to begging in the streets, in and around Park Street of calcutta. It was during this phase of her life that passers by and street walkers came across an old lady, looking distinguished, dressed in clothes that were expensive at one time but now showing the wear and tear asking for help. Some recognised her and gave her enough to go on for some days while some others gave her a rude rebuff. She took all that with a smile.
Sadhana Bose was responsible for the names of at least 2 actresses in Bombay.
Actress Sadhana Shivdasani’s mother was very much impressed with the dancing skills of Sadhana Bose. She was her fan and saw her films repeatedly. When she was carrying for Sadhana, she had decided that if she gets a girl, her name would be Sadhana only. Thus Bombay Sadhana got the Calcutta Sadhana’s name.
Secondly, actress/Dancer Kumkum’s real name was Zebunnisa. When she was selected by Director Shahid Lateef, for his film Sheesha-1952, first time for Debut, there was already an actress Zebunnisa existing. What’s more, this Zebunnisa was also in the film Sheesha-52, so Shaheed was thinking of a new name for the newcomer. He remembered that his favourite Sadhana Bose had acted in a film by the name ‘Kumkum-the Dancer”-1940, so he selected the name Kumkum for this new Dancer and Kumkum got her name.
After Sadhona stopped her dance films as a Heroine, she resumed her work as a Choreographer. In the early 50s, she choreographed in films like Bhola shankar-51, Nandkishore-51, Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo-52. She used to do bit roles too in these films to earn money.
Just before her death she got appointed as dance trainer in Calcutta’s prestigious Star Theatre, courtesy her one time boy friend Timir Baran. She trained junior artistes for the play Janapad Badhu and once again her name featured in the newspapers in the advertisements of the play. However, the end had come very near and she passed away on 3-10-1973. A very tragic and unfortunate way indeed for an all India star who at a time had captured the heart and imagination of millions. It is very sad that she died in penury and neglect, but artistes in the 40s and 50s-many of them- had similar stories. (Based on some information from the article by Dr.J.P.Guha, ‘Nayika’ by Babu Moshai, muVyz, HFGK with thanks and my notes).
There is another actress in this film, who was not known much. She was Kamala Chatterjee- wife of producer/director Kidar Sharma. She died of heart failure on 10 January 1946 soon after their marriage. They had a son Arun Sharma.
Kamala Chatterjee was born in Chandranagar, Bengal Presidency, undivided India, now in West Bengal, she was the daughter of a military man and of the Bengali family, five girls, including the late Sulochana Chatterjee, later she worked in Hindi movies, and one boy, used to travel along with their parents to wherever their father was transferred.
From Calcutta they moved to Jubbulpore, now Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and it was there that Kamala did her schooling. She also took an active part in school dramatics. After some time the family was shifted to Bombay (Mumbai) & here Kamla was spotted by Sohrab Modi, a friend of their father’s and given a role as a child star in Modi’s picture “Jailor”
(1938).
Geeta Bali had an uncanny resemblance to Kamla Chaterjee and Kidar Sharma helped Geeta Bali establish herself in the film industry, because of this similarity. Kamala Chatterjee was an actress, supporting actress, known for movies like Vish Kanya (1943) Tansen (1943), Shankar Parvati (1943), Adab Arj (1943), Bhanwara (1944), Caravan (1944) & Dhanna Bhagat (1945).
(Thanks to S. Sarvaiya ji).
Let us now enjoy the classical style, an 82 year old song by a 37 year old Amirbai Karnataki…..
Song- Kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree(Shankar Parvati)(1943) Singer- Amirbai Karnataki, Lyricist-Pt. Indra Chandra, MD-Gyan Dutt
Lyrics
kin ko dhoondhat nain
kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
kaun tera chitchor
kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
kin ko dhundhat nain
baalpan gayo beet baawree
ang ang ab preet baawree
baalpan gayo beet baawree
ang ang ab preet baawree
nit sat (?) mukh na baaye
kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
kaun tera chitchor
kin ko dhoondhat nain
tab to thha saawan aangan mein
ab jhukee jhukee aayee aayo tan man mein
tab to thha saawan aangan mein
ab jhukee jhukee aayee aayo tan man mein
nadiya ho gaye nai ai ai ain
kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
kaun tera chitchor
kin ko dhoondhat nain
baat chhotee see hui hai kahaanee
aansuon se aankh ka paanee
bat chhoteei see hui hai kahaanee
aansuon se aankh ka paanee
hui ek maatee rai ai ai ain
kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree
kaun tera chitchor
kin ko dhoondhat nai ai ai ain
4 Responses to "Kin ko dhoondhat nain sakhee ree"
June 7, 2025 at 11:23 pm
Good Evening Arun Ji,
Those days, were a golden era for the pure music, as well for the life style.
God bless you for giving us these gems.
Regards and blessings,
Uma 🙏
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June 8, 2025 at 7:26 am
Thank you, N. Uma Maheshwar ji, for your kind words.
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June 7, 2025 at 10:57 am
Arun Ji
Thanks for the post. I never heard about Sadhana Bose, until now. From your post I take note that she was once a successful artiste adored by film goers. From that position to beggar is pathetic.
Many times. more than fate, the person herself/himself bring upon themselves such fall, mainly by not leading a balanced life financially, emotionally and by getting intoxicated with success.
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June 7, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Satish ji,
Thanks for your comments.
Many times,as u say, the person was responsible for his downfall. However, there are cases where bad luck also was responsible. Like films produced flopping badly or delayed production of films etc.
In early years there were not many opportunities for investments. Most times payments from producers were in instalments etc etc.,for B and C geade artists.
From the 70s onwards, no such cases happened due to awareness of artists.
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