Nainon mein barsaat chhaayee
Posted on: August 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.
|
Blog Day : |
6243 | Post No. : | 19307 |
Today’s song is from a Mythological film – HariHar Bhakti-1956.
1956 was the Silver Jubilee year of Indian Talkie Films. This year, the most successful films were entertainers. There were of course some films carrying social messages. One of them was ‘Jaagte Raho’ (‘Ek Din Ratre’ in Bangla), which tried to bring out the upper middle class hypocrisy in a metro city like Bombay. Initially, the film did not make any ripples, but after it won International awards, it became very popular. (People of other nations have to tell us that our film is good !). A social message, excellent music and solid story – the hallmarks of an RK film were all there in it.
Then, the film ‘Ek Hi Raasta’ tackled the issue of widow re-marriage and acceptance of a new father by the child. Comedy entertainer ‘Nai Dilli’ emphasized the need for inter language marriages in India. Satyajit Ray’s ‘Aparajita’- the sequel to ‘Pather Panchali’ (1955), hit the screens in India after winning accolades internationally.
Musical entertainers like ‘CID’, ‘Chori Chori’, ‘Basant Bahar’, ‘Rajhath’, ‘Bhai Bhai’, ‘Funtoosh’ and ‘Inspector’ were quite popular.
Amongst all these, a powerful tear-jerker like ‘Toofan Aur Diya’ from Rajkamal stood out. It also brought actress Nanda into limelight and made her drop “Baby” from her name.
Film HariHar Bhakti-1956 was directed by C.Raghuveer and the Music Director was K.Datta aka Datt Korgaonkar. The cast of the film included Trilok Kapoor, Shahu Modak, Asha Mathur, Ulhas, Durga Khote, Indira and many others.
Mythological films are based on stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. But many films use stories from different Puranas. There are 18 Puranas. So there is no shortage of stories for films. The 50’s decade for Hindi films was a Golden period for religious and Mythological films. Ever since the Talkie films started, the maximum and consistently religious films were made in this decade. In the 10 year period 124 religious films were made, which works out to an average of one such film per month for 10 continuous years. I have been watching films since the late 40s, but I too have seen maximum films in this decade only.
I loved seeing religious films. As such ours was a religious minded family. Due to all this, I became interested in reading Vedas, Purans and other religious books. I am not a religious person. I hardly visit temples. I do regular daily pooja at home. But I am a strong believer in my religion and I am convinced that the Hindu religion is the greatest in the world. However, I don’t go out and show off my religious opinions. I believe that Religion is a Personal matter and one should limit it to his doorstep only.
Nevertheless, I am pained to see the apathy and ignorance of our religion in the younger generation. The other day, I saw one video in which questions on religion, Ramayan and Mahabharat were asked to college students and to my dismay 99 % of students gave wrong answers or no answers. It is not their fault. Today the lifestyles have become such that the parents themselves do not set any example for their children in this matter. In addition, school or college curriculum does not teach anything that is Hindu, but details of other religions are taught. Anyway, this is a different issue…..
Initially, I used to like religious films for their trick scenes and miracles. Later on I started observing how the original stories have been twisted, adapted or even changed to suit the cinematic needs. The efforts are to exaggerate in order to impress the audience, no matter if the story gets distorted.
I am sure that very few people today know there are two major sects in Hindu religion. They are ” SHAIV ” s – those who worship Lord Shiva and the other is “VAISHNAV ” s – those who worship Lord Vishnu. Few generations ago, there were no marriages between these two sects. During my childhood, I remember there used to be separate lines for God Darshan in temples, for Shaiv and Vaishnav Bhakts. Today, of course people do not even know which sect they themselves belong to.
Film Harihar Bhakti-56 is about this division of sects and how in one case, Shiv ji and Vishnu ji came face to face in case of a Shiva devotee whom Shiv ji had given a Boon and Vishnu ji wanted to kill him for Mankind. HARIHAR BHAKTI-1956 is a story of the age-old feud between the Vaishnaites (Vishnu Bhakt) and the Shaivites (Shiv Bhakts).it tells us that the GOD is one,in different forms. The name of the film is very apt. Hari means Vishnu and Har means Shiv.
This was a story from Vishnu Puran. It is also mentioned in Shiva Puran and Bhagwat Puran as a story on Banasur. Of course the story was adapted to suit the film requirements. When such stories are used for films, naturally there is plenty of room for adaptation and imagination, because every detail is not mentioned in the original story. As an example, here is the true story as given in Puran, about Banasur, Usha and Anirudha marriage, the war of Shiva and Krishna etc.
A mighty asura, Banasur once ruled over a large kingdom, Śoṇitapura. His influence was so strong and fierce that all the kings – and even some of the devas – shuddered in front of him. Banasura used to worship a rasalingam given to him by Vishvakarma, on instruction from Vishnu. As an ardent devotee of Shiva, he used his thousand arms to play the mridangam when Shiva was performing the tandava dance. When Shiva offered Banasura a boon, the latter requested Shiva to be his city’s guardian: therefore, Banasura became invincible. As time passed, he became even more cruel and arrogant. One day, Banasura’s daughter, Usha, saw a young man in her dream, made love to him, and fell in love with him. Chitralekha, a friend of Usha and a talented artist, helped Usha to identify the young man seen in her dream by sketching various portraits of the Vrishnis. Usha realised that she had dreamt of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna. Chitralekha, through her yogic powers, abducted Aniruddha from the palace of Krishna and brought him to Śoṇitapura.
Usha worshipped her lover and furnished him with priceless garments, garlands, fragrances, lamps, and with beverages, dishes, and works. Breaking her vow of chastity with him, she kept him hidden in her maiden quarters, and the lovers lost track of the days. Catching wind of his daughter’s activities, Banasura rushed to her chambers to find her playing dice with Aniruddha. Even as the prince fended off the guards, Banasura subdued him with the mystical ropes of Varuna. Usha was overwhelmed with sorrow due to this incident. Aniruddha was held captive by Banasura for a month, until Narada informed the Yadavs in Dwaraka, who were searching for Aniruddha.
The Yadus’ army attacked Banasura in a great battle. The Yadu princes and their army besieged his kingdom with 12 akshauhinis, surrounding it completely. Banasura staged a fierce counterattack. During the war, Shiva appeared on the battlefield, riding on Nandi, to protect his devotee, Banasura. Balarama fought against Banasura’s commander, while Samba fought against Banasura’s son. To bear witness, the leaders of the godly souls headed by Brahma came in their celestial vehicles, as also did the sages, the perfected souls, and the venerable personalities, the singers and apsaras of heaven, and the yakshinis. Krishna and Shiva faced each other. Krishna used a brahmastra against Shiva’s brahmastra, a mountain weapon against a wind weapon, a rain weapon against a fire weapon, and his narayanastra against Shiva’s pashupatastra. Kartikeya, assaulted by Pradyumna’s arrows, fled the battlefield on his peacock. After duelling with Satyaki, Bana took up arms against Krishna. However, Krishna blew his conch and instantly, Banasura’s charioteer was killed and his chariot broken and shattered. When Shiva’s forces had been defeated, Jvara, the embodiment of Shiva’s fever, bearing three heads and three feet, attacked Krishna with scorching heat. Krishna produced his own Jvara of frigid coldness, and the two fought each other. Overwhelmed by Vishnu’s fever, Shiva’s Jvara offered its surrender and obeisance to Krishna and departed. Krishna then put Shiva to sleep using ‘Jambhunastra’.
Meanwhile, Balarama defeated Banasura’s commander. Bana rode forth upon his chariot to fight with Krishna, and the latter fought back with his Sudarshana Chakra. When Krishna started chopping Banasura’s arms, Shiva returned to his senses and extolled the glories of Krishna, requesting him not to kill Banasura, whom he had bestowed with fearlessness. Obliging, Krishna replied that he had never intended to kill Banasura, since he was the son of Bali and the great-grandson of the devout Prahlada. Vishnu had promised Bali not to kill any member of his family, and therefore would not slay him. However, Krishna severed Banasura’s extra arms to destroy the latter’s pride, leaving Banasura with only four arms.
Banasura realised his mistake and bowed his head before Krishna, arranging for a chariot to seat Aniruddha and Usha for their wedding in Dwaraka. (as recited in Bhagwat Puran. Ref http://www.purans.com).
Now read the film story. You will then know what cinematic liberties the filmmakers take…..
“.BANASUR the king of Rakshasas was a great Shiv bhakta and after a hard tapasya,he gets a boon from Lord Shiva that he will NOT die at the hands of any mortal.Powered with this boon,he starts torturing Vaishnavites and converting them forcibly to Shaivites.
Baanasur(Ulhas) has a daughter Usha(Asha Mathur). He wants her to marry only Shiv Bhakta. Usha one day sees a young man Anirudha(Vivek) in her dreams and falls in his love. He is a grandson of Krishna. Chitralekha(Nayantara), her saheli brings Anirudha-in his sleep-to Usha and they get married. Baanasur learns this and fights with Anirudha, throwing Sarp-Astra over him. His grandfather Krishna comes to know this through Naradmuni and he is ready to fight Baanasur. Banasur calls for Shiva’s help.
Now Krishna and Shiva are against each other but knowing Krishna as an avatar of Lord Vishnu, Shivji allows him to kill Baanasur.”
K.Datta was known in the film industry as Annasaheb. There were 3 people who were Annasaheb and all 3 were MDs. The two others were C.Ramchandra and Annasaheb Mainkar.
K.Datta or Datta korgaonkar aka D.P.Korgaonkar alias Anna saheb, was born in Sawantwadi in Konkan area on 4-6-1908. He grew up learning to sing. His mother was a Bhajan singer. He started singing on stage during Ganesh utsav melas. He formed a Music school, ” Gayan Kala Mandir”, along with another singer Sadashiv Nevrekar. When Nevrekar became a Music Director, he also decided to become one and closed the school.
He was called to Kolhapur in 1937 to give music to a Marathi film, made by General Films of Siraj Ali Hakeem- Chandrarao Morey’-38. His first break in Hindi came in 1939 with Mera Haq (Hindi and Marathi),followed by Alakh Niranjan-40 (Hindi and Marathi), Geeta-40 ( in Hindi and Marathi) and Yaad-42.
He first came face to face with Noorjehan in Naadaan-43. He was simply mesmerised with her voice and singing style. He composed 7 songs for Noorjehan. After doing Zameen-43 and Maharathi Karna-44, he again composed 4 songs for Noorjehan in the film Badi Maa-45. He also gave a break to Lata and Asha to sing in a chorus with Noorjehan. It is very sad that initially, K.Datta’s name was not mentioned on the 78 RPM records of Badi Maa. Only on the ‘re-issue’ records his name came up.
His other films were Yateem-45,Shaahkaar-47,Rangmahal-48,meri kahani-48,Daaman-51,Gumasta-51,Rishta-54,Harihar Bhakti-56 and Ajanabi-66. In all K.Datta gave independent music to just 17 films,plus one film Badmash-44,with Khan Mastana. His Marathi films were 12 from 1938 to 1965. After retirement in 1965,he spent his time in Bhakti, Pooja and Astrology. He used to have a special Pooja every Thursday,when Bhajans were sung. Many composers and other film industry people used to be his visitors. Naushad, C.Ramchandra, Madan Mohan, Sajjad Hussain etc were the regular visitors to Annasaheb. ( Only 3 people in the Hindi film Industry were called Anna Saheb. By coincidence, all 3 were MDs. They were Annasaheb Mainkar, K.Datta and C Ramchandra). He died of a heart attack in G.T.Hospital, Bombay, on 23-12-1978.
He was a Noorjehan believer to the core. To date K Datta remains the only top composer from Maharashtra to whom Noorjehan came first, Lata later. No one regretted Partition more than K Datta. Indeed, his creativity seemed to come to an end once Noorjehan left him high and dry by moving, with a song on her lips, to Pakistan. He once said, “Noor Jehan left for Pakistan and took my creativity with her”. The four Noorjehan numbers, as fashioned by K. Datta are historically most important. Because it was hearing and absorbing these four nuggets of Noorjehan, while acting with her in `Badi Maa’, that Lata Mangeshkar learnt to shape her vocal technique. If Lata came to sound a Noorjehan replica for so long, the tonal base for this was laid, just imagine, by a robustly tall Maharashtrian from the ghats called K Datta in `Badi Maa’.The last number of Noorjehan fetched him the ultimate tribute from no less a movie stalwart than Mehboob Khan, who said: “Bhai Datta, yeh gaana to aap ne Khuda ke darbar mein baithe hue banaya lag raha hai” (“It sounds as if you created this song sitting in Allah’s abode”).
K Datta used to play ‘Ek anokha gham ek anokhi musibat ho gayi’ on a harmonium presented to him by O.P. Nayyar. How grimly significant that the one music director, O.P. Nayyar, who never in his life commissioned Lata, should have gifted that harmonium to the one Maharashtrian composer who believed only in Noorjehan!
Here is a 69 year old song, sung by a 23 year old Asha Bhosle. Enjoy….
Song-Nainon mein barsaat chhaayee (Harihar Bhakti)(1956) Singer- Asha Bhosle, Lyricist-Chandmal Agrawal, MD-K Datta
Lyrics
Ae chaand kaheen jaa aa
chhip jaa aa
le jaa aa saathh chaandnee apnee
mera chandaa paas naheen hai
bairan laage ye rajnee
nainon mein barsaat chhaayee
nainon mein barsaat chhaayee
nainon mein barsaat
birha ghata palkon mein aayee ee
birha ghata palkon mein aayee
chaatak man tadpaa chhaayee
nainon mein barsaat chhaayee
nainon mein barsaat
kit chhod mujhe chitchor gaye
kyun preet ke bandhan tod gaye
morey meet gaye
mohey peer diye
morey meet gaye
mohey peer diye
ro ro ke katey din raat
nainon mein barsaat chhaayee
nainon mein barsaat
ae dekh hawa kahaan morey piyaa
unke bina ab na laaage jiyaa
hain neer bharey ye nain morey
hain neer bharey ye nain morey
na preet bisaaree jaaaye
nainon mein barsaat chhaayee
nainon mein barsaat
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
Leave a comment