Badlee oat chhip chhip jaaye
Posted on: September 10, 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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6263 | Post No. : | 19382 |
Today’s song is from a film from the early era of the first decade of the Talkie films – Postman aka Abhilasha-1938. First of all, let us take a look at what was happening in 1938, in the Hindi film industry….
1938 was an interesting year in the early life of the Talkie films. The film making studios had firm footing with a studio system and they tried a variety of subjects in their films. In the 88 Hindi films produced in 1938, one finds almost every Genre of film subjects, except perhaps the usual Folk stories and Historical themes. Comedy, Tragedy, Fiction, Jungle stories, Costume, Socials, Musicals, Mythologicals, you name it and you had it. Content and technical expertise had improved as films on famous novels were made.
Well known studios like Imperial, Sagar, New Theatres, Prabhat, Ranjit, Bombay Talkies, Praksh, Vishnu Cinetone, Huns Pictures, Wadia Movietone, Saroj Movietone etc. were very active bringing out 3 to 4 films each. Huns and Prabhat continued bilingual films in Hindi and Marathi, while New Theatres made Hindi and Bangla films. Many new actors debuted. Many new actors matured and the old scrap from silent films slowly disappeared giving way to new entrants. The Imperial film company, which had the honour of making India’s first Hindi Talkie film – Alam Ara in 1931, downed its shutters in 1938. The last of the Southern languages, Malayalam, produced its First Talkie film BALAN in 1938. Film Industry celebrated its Silver Jubilee -from 1913 to 1938 and several programmes were held all over India.
Let us take a look at some of the films of 1938….
ABHAGIN – Debut film of actor Chaman Puri (eldest brother of Madan puri and Amrish Puri)
ADHIKAR – Music Director Timir Baran Bhattacharya. After Independence, he was invited to West Pakistan and East Pakistan to give music to their films. Film Adhikar was on the importance of how bringing up makes a person.
BAGHBAN – Debut film of Ram Avtar
BAHADUR KISAN – First directorial venture of Master Bhagwan. During this film’s making he developed a lasting friendship with C.Ramchandra, who assisted Meer Sahab, the M.D.
BHABHI – Renuka Devi’s second film and first with Jairaj.
BILLI – Based on P.G.Wodehouse novel ” Damsel in Distress”
BRAHMACHARI – Debut film of Minakshi Shirodkar. She appeared in a swimming suit, first time in Hindi films. It created a sensation.
DHARATIMATA – Complete film was shot outdoors. Saigal and Pankaj Mullick created havoc with this musical film. The song ” Duniya rang rangeeli baba’ is still popular.
DIVORCE – Minerva’s film on Husband – Wife relations.
DUNIYA KYA HAI – Lalita Pawar’s production. Based on Tolstoy’s ” Resurrection”.
GRAMOPHONE SINGER– Sagar’s musical with Bibbo and Surendra. Zohrabai sings for the first time for Anil Biswas.
GOPAL KRISHNA – Hit film from Prabhat. Trick scenes were superb.Ram Marathe as Krishna,lifting Govardhan Parvat on a finger produced clapping from audience for several minutes.
HIMALAY KI BETI – Bhavnani production with Enakshi Rama Rau-his wife.
JAILOR – Minerva’s film on a Psycho-Neurotic person. Remade in the 50’s again.
MERA LADKA – Story of an unwed mother. Marathi and Hindi versions from prabhat.
MR. X – Stunt film with Rattanbai , from Prakash
NIRMALA – Bombay talkies. Devika rani- Ashok kumar. After this film, the Germans In Bombay talkies, including director Franz Osten were arrested by the British as Nazis and jailed in Igatpuri during the Second World War.
PROF. WAMAN, M.Sc. – Ranjit presents a Sci Fi fiction film about travels into the future.
SAATHI – Durga Khote and Mubarak produced in Hindi and Marathi (as Sawangadi).
STREET SINGER – Saigal’s musical feast from New Theatres.
VASANT BENGALI – Last film from Imperial film co., after 109 Silent films and 52 Talkie films in several languages. Just one year ago, i.e. in 1937 Madon Theatres of Calcutta- once a giant in film production, had closed down with their last film ‘ Zinda Laash’.
Film Postman-1938 was a presentation of Sagar Film company, which was growing fast and making films on a variety of Genres. The film was directed by a pair of youngsters-Mahendra Thakur and Zia Sarhadi. Zia also wrote all the 10 songs of the film. The Music Director was Anil Biswas who sang 2 songs himself. Other singers were Sitara Devi, Bibbo, Maya Banerjee and Harish ( real name Tarachand Anand Biharilal Mathur-also known as Tara Harish). The composer Anil Biswas very young, just about 24 years at this time His career was on an ascending growth. Unfortunately, at the end of his career, he had to see bad periods.
Anil Biswas, the Bhishma Pitamaha of HFM,was a respected person in the industry.He started from the mid 30s and for the next 25 years or so,he created many everlasting gems in film songs. In Bombay,the Playback was first started by him in the film Mahageet-1937. By the mid 50s his magic started waning and by 1960,he was almost gone from the industry. Initially he did 10-11 films with Sagar,then with Mehboob for National studios and then in Bombay talkies- where his name became immortal with the film Kismet-1943.
He married Ashalata in 1936. Along with her he started variety pictures and they produced films like Laadli-49,Laajawab-50;Badi bahu-51,Hamdard-53 and Bajuband-54. ( a less known fact is-Anil da had made a Guest appearance in the film Hamdard-53 as a barber.) He also acted in the film Mehman-53 (produced by Ashalata),as a Pujari and a song was shot on him.In both cases he did not get any payments. As a Producer he lost heavily, because Ashalata usurped all the money. Frustrated, he gave up everything and separated from her in 1954.
To sustain life,he bought a Truck and did a business of transportation. In addition he also took the contract for a canteen in Mehboob Studios. He failed in both ventures. By now,his relations with Ashalata were soured and sweet links were established with singer Meena Kapoor-25 years younger to him, since 1948 itself. They got married with each other on 19-3-1957. The death of Brother in law and close friend Pannalal Ghosh in 1960 and younger brother Sunil in 1961 as well as his eldest son- Pradeep,broke his heart. He left Bombay and joined A.I.R. at Delhi on 1-3-1963,where he worked upto 27-6-1975. Later he was a consultant for Nehru University for a few years.
Like many filmi couples,Anil da’s married life was also a failure. In Bombay,he used to stay in a huge bungalow,called ” Asha-Pradeep “, on Vincent Road. From Ashalata,he got 3 sons-Pradeep,Amit and Utpal and 1 daughter-Shikha. His son Utpal formed a pair as Amar-Utpal and gave music to few films. The other son Amit established the First Digital Recording Studio in Bombay. Daughter Shikha too got married and settled.
However,hardly anything is known about his eldest son Pradeep,anywhere. Here is some information,hitherto not known much,brought specially for our readers.
Pradeep was a very bright student and always topped in school and college. He passed his entrance exam and the interview,with flying colours for entry to NDA college at Poona,to join armed forces. He excelled even in NDA training.Not only was he very popular there but sang well too. He participated in the music Festival of Khadakwasla NDA and sang 3 songs,winning all prizes. He was also a NDA Topper.
Shri Gopinath Talwalkar,an A.I.R. Programmer at Delhi,used to interview the Toppers of NDA every year. That year Pradeep was the Topper, so he was interviewed. Though the interview was in Hindi, after the recording,Pradeep asked Talwalkar,in pure Marathi,whether his interview had been good. Talwalkar was shocked. Pradeep then explained that he was Anil Biswas’s son and he had learnt Marathi from his actress mother Ashalata. Pradeep knew Hindi,Marathi,English and Gujarati languages.
After completing his NDA training,he was posted as Flight cadet at Jodhpur. He was further promoted and became Pilot Officer in 1957. During one Training flight some altitude problems occurred and his plane crashed at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, killing Pradeep instantly. This happened in 1961.
This was also the time of crisis for Anil da. He was struggling to survive. Films were not coming to him. Since he married Meena Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar-a fast close friend of Ashalata , had gone against him and Meena’s singing career was suppressed. He had already lost Pannalal Ghosh and Sunil-his brother and now Pradeep’s death devastated him and he was literally forced to seek employment with Delhi A.I.R., when the opportunity came. After retirement, till his death on 31-5-2003, he spent his life in total anonymity and recluse. So sad for a composer, who was once a fountain of enthusiasm and who was considered Mentor by leading contemporary composers like C.Ramchandra.
The film’s cast included, Kumar (real name Syed Hassan Ali Zaidi aka Mijjan Kumar or M.Kumar), Bibbo, Maya Banerjee, Sankatha Prasad (elder brother of actor Kanhaiyalal and a fixture in almost all Sagar films), Yakub, Bhudo Advani, Sunalini Devi, Krishna Kumari and others. The film was released on 5-11-1938 in the Imperial Theatre, Bombay. The story of the film, as given in the magazine Film India was….
Next time you look at a Postman-a good looking one- don’t forget even to him romance can’t be denied. Shishir, the only son of once rich father has to take up work as a Postman to meet the necessities of life.This hre does under the persuasion of his mother and of a friend, but not without expressing his burning desire to possess a Motor Car of his own someday.
The motor car has become the ruling obsession of his life and even in his rounds as a Postman, any street motor car would help him to deliver letters to the wrong people, till one day he loses an expensive insured letter and finds himself doing a term in jail. And there he meets Vinod, the son of a rich father, paying off his own debt to society for kidnapping a girl.
With Vinod every other girl except his sister was a sweet obsession.Possessed with the idea that all girls should fall for him, he passionately desires Susheela, a friend of his own sister Uma. Susheela , however, hates him and loves Harish. In the jail, Vinod and Shishir arrive at a contract to work together when they go out – Shishir to get his Motor car and Vinod to win Susheela.
Shishir soon becomes an innocent pawn in the hands of the crooked Vinod and through numerous escapades and revolver shots, the drama reaches one grand climax, when in spite of a hundred motor cars, Shishir accepts Uma without a car. The picture is one continuous fun punctuated at places with crime and thrills.
Here is a song from this 87 year old film, sung by an 18 year old Sitara Devi. Enjoy….
Song- Badlee oat chhip chhip jaaye (Postman)(1938) Singer- Sitara Devi, Lyricist- Zia Sarhadi, MD- Anil Biswas
Lyrics
Badleee
o badlee ee ee ee ee
oat chhip chhip jaaye
badlee oat chhip chhip jaaye
chaand ko le ja aaye badlee
chaand ko le ja aaye badlee
oat chhip chhip jaaye badlee
oat chhip chhip jaaye
meree joban jo ?? aage
meree joban jo ?? aage
?? sharmaaye
badlee oat chhip chhip jaaye
badlee oat chhip chhip jaaye
kal tak to main jeet rahee thhee
sajnee
??
kab se jeet rahee thhee
kal tak to main jeet rahee thhee
sajnee
sajnee ee ee ee ee
kab se jeet rahee thhee
aaj magar main haar gayee
aaj magar main haar gayee
joban jyoti kaam na aayee
joban jyoti kaam na aayee
aaj magar main haar gayee
aaj magar main haar gayee
aankhon se main ?? rahee thhee
aankhon se main ?? rahee thhee
usse aaj main haar gayee ee
haar gayee
o haar gayee ee ee
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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