Raadha ke rasiyaa Gokul ke basiyaa
Posted by: Atul on: October 12, 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 Narsi Bhagat aka Ram Dhun – 1957.
1957 – what a year it was ! The best year in the Golden Era! The best year in the 50s! The best year for melody and music! Such wonderful films came this year!!! The lineup of 1957 films looks like the selection of the creamy layer in everlasting music – ‘Mother India’, ‘Pyasa’, ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’, ‘Bhabhi’, ‘Asha’, ‘Miss Mary’, ‘Naya Daur’, ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’, ‘Paying Guest’, ‘Nau Do Gyarah’, ‘Dekh Kabira Roya’. ‘Nausherwaan e Adil ‘, ‘Gateway Of India’, ‘Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke ‘, ‘Kathputali’, ‘Sharada’
Films like Baarish, Ab Dilli door nahin, Abhiman, Bada Bhai, Begunah, Beti, Chhote Babu, Coffee House, Dushman, Johnny Walker, Miss Bombay, Miss India, Mr. X, Narsi Bhagat, Paak Daman, Pawanputra Hanuman, Ustad, Zamana. Films produced in Madras were quite popular. AVM’s ‘Bhabhi’, ‘Miss Mary’ and ‘Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke’, Prasad Production’s first Hindi film ‘Sharda’, and MV Raman’s film ‘Asha’ played havoc with their captive audiences. Films from south somehow have always concocted a success formula, mixing comedy, tragedy, social message, excellent production values and above all superb music, which made their films very popular everywhere.
Satyen Bose’s ‘Bandi’ brought together all the three Ganguly brothers in one film for the first time. Later he would repeat this feat in ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in 1958. ‘Musaafir’, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s first Hindi film as a director, was an experimental film depicting the phases of life – birth, life, death and rejuvenation, symbolically through a succession of tenants in a house on rent. Director Amiya Chakravarty’s competition with Gyan Mukherjee came to an end with his unexpected demise while the making of ‘Kathputali’ was in progress. The film was completed by Nitin Bose. (Later, Gyan Mukherjee also passed away while making ‘Sitaron Se Aagey’ (1958) which was later completed by Satyen Bose. Both films had the same story and same heroine).
With the musical blockbuster ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’ from Filmistan, Nasir Hussain introduced his own success formula of entertaining films and minted crores by repeating it several times, in a new garb. This film changed Shammi Kapoor’s luck, and made him an A grade actor. However, it did not much benefit the heroine Ameeta. She remained where she was – a second grade actress. Filmistan also released ‘Paying Guest’, with chocolate hero Dev Anand, with superb music and songs composed by SD Burman. Dev also featured in ‘Nau Do Gyarah’, another musical entertainer from Navketan, his home production company.
A surprise hit that year was the socio-religious film ‘Janam Janam Ke Phere’. The song “Zara Samne To Aa O Chhaliye” became the unexpected top song of the year and an iconic one at that! ‘Apradhi Kaun’ was genuinely an excellent detective story. Amiya Chakravarty’s ‘Dekh Kabira Roya’ was a hit due to its superb music, though its cast was quite ordinary. ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’ got the National Award. Amiya Chakravarty and Gope passed away this year. Nimmi got married. Vividh Bharati started its broadcast on 3rd October 1957.
Film Narsi Bhagat-1957 was produced and directed by Devendra Goel, for his own banner Goel Cine Corporation, Bombay. The music was by Ravi. The cast consisted of Shahu Modak, Nirupa Roy, Radha Kishen, Lalita Pawar, Madan Puri, Pratima Devi, Eruch Tarapore, S.N.Tripathi and had a long list of B grade artists.
The Bhakti Movement was India’s own way to combat foreign attackers, cruel rulers and the sleeping people of India. The movement from 1300 to 1600 AD produced many religious Saints and social reformers from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and from Assam to Gujarat. Indian culture is such that the advice given by a religious saint is more acceptable than that given by a social reformer. Thus, in this hour of need, India’s Saints tried to teach message of reforms such as removal of Untouchability, freedom from Varnashram lifestyles, importance of education, Women’s emancipation and other such matters,through their poems, dohas, Abhangs and writings as well as kirtans. They tried to make the masses wake up against the ill effects of social practices that were being observed those days.
Saints appeared in ALL areas of India,during this period. However,due to language problems, knowledge and information about Saints in other regions trickled down very slowly. States which shared the use of Devanagari script were aware about them in a better way. Thus,Maharashtra,Gujarat,Rajasthan and the Northern Hindi belt states exchanged their knowledge about their saints more frequently than other regions such as Bengal, the Eastern states or the southern states where the scripts were different. Andhra and Karnataka were closer as their scripts are similar, except perhaps the alphabet ‘K’. Tamil and Malayalam scripts have Dravidian origins and were not easily accessible for the rest of India.
GUJARAT- the name itself evokes thoughts of Trade and Business. Due to their Business talents, Gujarat was known to Romans, Greeks and Persians, since the pre Christ era. Gujarat Maritime merchant history dates back to the First century after Christ.
Gujarat had produced many worthy souls who made the country proud of them. The top being Mahatma Gandhi ji. Then there were Sardar Patel, M.A.Jinnah, Vikram Sarabhai(Space Ace), Morarji Desai, the Ambanis, Azim Prem ji, Parsis of Navsari etc etc. In the religious field, Gujarat had its share with Jalaram Bappa, Narsi Bhagat, Dadu Dayal, Dayanand Saraswati, Rang Avdhoot ji, Rameshbhai oza, Hemchandra Surishwar, Pramukh Swami etc etc. (these are only indicative examples,not exhaustive).
The ADI KAVI of Gujarati-Narsimh Mehta aka Narsi Bhagat (1414 to 1486), who is one of the most popular saints of Gujarat. No wonder then,that the First Talkie in Gujarati was a film called NARSI MEHTA-1932. There is an interesting history of films made on Narsi Bhagat. In the silent era of films, the first film on Narsi Mehta was made in 1920 by oriental Film company. Later in 1924, Kohinoor Film company made the film Narsi Mehta. When Talkie films started, the first Gujarati Talkie film was made by Sagar Movietone in 1932 as Narsimh Mehta. The second film came in 1940 as Narsi Bhagat and the third film was Narsi Bhagat-1957.
By a strange coincidence, all the 3 Talkie films on Narsi Bhagat featured Marathi actors in the main role. The first Gujarati film in 1932 featured Maruti Rao Pehalwan, the second was with Vishnupant Pagnis – who had become famous for his role as Tukaram in Prabhat’s film Sant Tukaram. The third and today’s film had Shahu Modak as Narsi Bhagat !
Here is a short biography of Narsi Bhagat…..
Narsinh Mehta was born in Vaishnava Nagar community at Talaja and later shifted to Junagadh (then Jirndurg) in Saurashtra, Gujarat. He lost his parents when he was 5 years old. He could not speak until the age of 8. He was raised by his grandmother Jaygauri.
He married Manekbai probably in the year 1429. Mehta and his wife stayed at his brother Bansidhar’s place in Junagadh. However, his cousin’s wife (Sister-in-law or bhabhi) did not welcome Narsinh very well. She was an ill-tempered woman, always taunting and insulting Narsinh Mehta for his worship (Bhakti). One day, when Narasinh Mehta had enough of these taunts and insults, he left the house and went to a nearby forest in search of some peace, where he fasted and meditated for seven days by a secluded Shiva lingam until Shiva appeared before him in person. On the poet’s request, the Lord took him to Vrindavan and showed him the eternal raas leela of Krishna and the gopis. A legend has it that the poet transfixed by the spectacle burnt his hand with the torch he was holding but he was so engrossed in the ecstatic vision that he was oblivious of the pain. Mehta, as the popular account goes, at Krishna’s command decided to sing His praises and the nectarous experience of the rasa in this mortal world. He resolved to compose around 22,000 kirtans or compositions.
After this dream-like experience, transformed Mehta returned to his village, touched his bhabhi’s feet, and thanked her for insulting him. In Junagadh, Mehta lived in poverty with his wife and two children, a son named Shamaldas, and a daughter for whom he had special affection, Kunwarbai. He revelled in devotion to his hearts’ content along with sadhus, saints, and all those people who were Hari’s subjects – Harijans – irrespective of their caste, class or sex. It also seems that he must have fallen into a somewhat ill repute for his close relations with Lord’s sakhis and gopis, Narsinh mehta’s women followers, with whom he danced and sang. The Nagars of Junagadh despised him and spared no opportunity to scorn and insult him. By this time, Mehta had already sung about the rasaleela of Radha and Krishna. The compositions are collected under the category of shringar compositions. They are full of intense lyricism, bold in their erotic conception and are not without allegorical dimensions, this saves the compositions from being something of erotic court poetry of medieval India.
Soon after his daughter Kunwarbai’s marriage (around 1447) to Shrirang Mehta of Una’s son, Kunwarbai became pregnant and it was a custom for the girl’s parents to give gifts and presents to all the in-laws during the seventh month of pregnancy. This custom, known as Mameru, was simply out of the reach of poor Narsinh who had hardly anything except intransigent faith in his Lord. How Krishna helped his beloved devotee is a legend depicted in ‘Mameru Na Pada’. This episode is preserved vividly in the memory of Gujarati people by compositions by later poets and films. Other famous legends include ‘Hundi (Bond)’ episode and ‘Har Mala (Garland)’ episode. The episode in which none other than Shamalsha Seth cleared a bond written by poverty stricken beloved, is famous not only in Gujarat but in other parts of India as well. The Har Mala episode deals with the challenge given to Mehta by Ra Mandlik (1451–1472) a Chudasama king, to prove his innocence in the charges of immoral behavior by making the Lord Himself garland Narsinh. Mehta depicts this episode. How Sri Krishna, in the guise of a wealthy merchant, helped Mehta in getting his son married is sung by the poet in ‘Putra Vivah Na Pada’. He went to Mangrol where, at the age of 79, he is believed to have died. The crematorium at Mangrol is called ‘Narsinh Nu Samshan’ where perhaps one of the greatest sons of Gujarat was cremated. He will be forever remembered for his poetic works and devotion to Lord Krishna. He is known as the first poet – ” Adi Kavi” of Gujarati.
Compare this with the story of the film……..
Narsinh Mehta was a poor mute boy, born in a Brahmin family of Junagadh district(Gujarat) in 1414 AD. From childhood, he had leanings towards sadhus and attending Keertans. When he was 8 years old,a Sadhu gave him blessings and he could speak. In order to curb his Bhakti activities, the family got him married to Manik Mehti. He even got a son and a daughter, but his love for God did not diminish. His Bhabhi one dyt insulted and taunted him so much that a sad Narsi left the house and went to Jungle. There he fasted and meditated for 7 days continuously. Finally Lord Vishnu appeared and took him to Vrindavan to see Krishna’s Rasleela. After this experience he returned to the home and thanked his Bhabhi for insulting and prompting him to go to the Jungle.
He became immersed in Krishna Bhakti and recited poems and did kirtans. Sarangdhar, Bhabhi’s brother tried very hard to trouble him and also to get him arrested by Junagadh’s king. In all these ordeals, God came to his help and even the King submitted to him becoming his devotee.
The film has shown several of his miracles and also has several bhajans. All in all this film was very interesting to those who like religious films with miracles and bhajans.
Radha kishen, the popular comedian of those times had also acted in this film. Radha Kishen (Mehra) was born on 13-6-1915 in Delhi. He was a good writer and wanted a job as a writer in films. V.Shantaram, however, offered him a job as an actor in Prabhat. His first role was that of a villain in the film ‘Padosi’-41. It was here that he became very friendly with writer Pt. Mukhram Sharma, who helped him by creating special roles for him in the scripts that he wrote. Radhakishen played the role of a miser to perfection. He became a regular with P.L.Santoshi in films like Shehnai, Sargam, Apni Chhaya etc.
His biggest role as a comedian which brought him to limelight was in the film New Delhi-56. He played important roles in Begunah and Naya Daur also. Changing over to the comic villain’s role in Parvarish-58, he was equally effective. In Sadhana-58 he was a crafty neighbour and in Chhoti Behan-59, he was a greedy trader. Being a writer himself, he would get effective and ironic dialogue. He acted in 58 films.
At the height of his career, he became a Producer with Amar Rahe ye pyar-61. Because of Kavi Pradeep’s left wing songs, the film was held up by Censors for a long time and when finally it was released, it flopped miserably. Before that itself, due to heavy losses, mounting debts and a failed Love affair, Radhakishen committed suicide by jumping to death from the fourth floor terrace of his building, on 18th March 1960. He died after his film Ek ke baad ek-60 was completed. Its Producer Raj Rishi, who was his close friend, put an obituary message in the film’s credits as ” This picture is respectfully dedicated to the fond memories of my friend and great artiste Radhakishen, who is no more with us “.
In May 1960, the well known Distributor Tarachand Barjatya announced a Trophy in the name of Radhakishen, to be given to the Best Comedian of the Year. This is probably the only Trophy of its type in the film industry.
Here is a good song from this film, sung by Sudha Malhotra and chorus. Enjoy….
Song-Raadha ke rasiya Gokul ke basiyaa (Narsi Bhagat)(1957) Singer-Sudha Malhotra, Lyricist-Gopal Singh Nepali, MD-Ravi
Chorus
Lyrics
Radha ke rasiya
Gokul ke basiya
jaadu kee muralee baja ke sun sun man doley
naina churaaye
ya palken jhukaaye
teree muraliya sab ko nachaaye
o o o o o o o o
naina churaaye
ya palken jhukaye
teree muraliya sabko nachaaye
chamke sitaare ya barse badarwa
chamke sitaare ya barse badarwa
chham chham chalen gopiyan
ghoonghat ka pat khole
ho o
Raadha ke rasiya
Gokul ke basiya
jaadu kee muralee baja ke sun sun man doley
Ghanshyam bajaao muraliya
ho o
mohe chain na aaye
Ghanshyam bajaao muraliya
ho o
mohe chain na aaye
mohe chain na aaye
muralee baje to ang ang doley
sang sang dolen sakhiyaan
aa aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa aa aa
muralee baje to ang ang doley
sang sang dolen sakhiyaan
naache jiyarwa
baaje ghungharwa
chamke pyaasee ankhiyaan
o o o
main janmon kee pyaas bujhaaoon
duniya raas rachaaye
ho o
Ghanshyam bajao muraliya
ho o
mohe chain na aaye
mohe chain na aaye
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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