Aao re aao re aao aao re
Posted on: November 27, 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 an eminently forgettable film Ek tha Ladka-1951. The film was produced and directed by Roop Sanwre and the music was handled by 2 MDs- both unknown to most people- Murari Sharma and Rajhans Kataria.
I am sure you must have heard the names of Music Directors Fakir Muhammed, Shambhoo, Dattaraj, Brij Bhushan, Raj Ratan, Ronodev Mukherjee, Kamalkant and Vishnu Khanna.
No ? I am surprised. OK. At least you must be knowing Music Directors Ajay, Baboo Singh or Vijay Honavar ? Your blank face says, you have never heard their names.
I am not asking you names of Music Directors from the 1930s or 1940s. All these were composers in the 1960s. If I ask you about Satyam, Jagdish or Ratandeep-Hemraj, what will you say ?
These were Music Directors in the 1970s. They composed music for 5 to 15 films each in the 70s.
Can one tell how many composers gave music in Hindi films from 1931 to till today ? It is extremely difficult to make a list of Music Directors. This is because there were many who gave music in just one or two movies. In many cases even the names of the composers are not known. If this is the case of the name itself, getting their Biographies is a distant dream !
Right from 1931 till today, according to one estimate, at least 2500 Music Directors operated in Hindi film industry. Most of these were those who gave music to just one film and disappeared. Still- they all contributed to HFM legacy. Hardly any serious effort seems to have been made to collect information about at least those who gave music to 5 or more films.
To my knowledge,there are two books on Music Directors-
1. Dhunon ki Yatra-Pankaj Raag and
2. Film Sangeetkar-Suvarnayugwale- Prof. Yogesh Yadav
The Pankaj Raag book is a solid 800 pages book costing around 1500/- approx. now. This book gives detailed information on 117 Music Directors and Some information on another 137 Music Directors from 1931 to 2000. The book also mentions names and films of another 200 or so composers who did just 1 or 2 films. Prof. Yadav’s book lists short information about 151 composers. Thus we have about 500 composers with some information to talk about. Still, a great number remains without any data.
From time to time, some relative of a forgotten MD springs up and gives some information. Sometime back, the daughter of composer/singer K.S.Ragi appeared on Facebook and gave some valuable information on her father. Likewise the son and daughter of composer V.K.Naidu commented on this Blog to give information. Similarly the daughter of Ghantasala came on the Facebook and gave some information on Ghantasala’s Hindi work. Same way the nephew of C. Arjun commented on ‘songs of yore’and clarified some matters.
But this is by Luck. Otherwise many composers are buried under obscurity and anonymity. How many of us have heard the name of Composer Rajhans Kataria ? There was a film “Gandhi Mandir” produced sometime in the last days of the 1940s (probably 1949). It was made by Meera Pictures, produced by Y.D.Shaikh, directed by Roop Sanware and its cast was Nirupa Roy, Pran, Uday Kumar, Ramsingh etc (according to an advertisement copy sent to me by shri Harish Raghuwanshi ji). The music director of this movie was Rajhans Kataria. The name of the film was changed to Afsana(aka Kalakar). This film features in HFGK as an unreleased film. It was not even Censored. However 12 songs were issued on Records by the name “Gandhi mandir” only. Rajhans Kataria then gave music to 2 more films. “Ek tha Ladka”-51 and “Chhoti Duniya”-53. Then he simply vanished. No information whatsoever is available anywhere on him.
Today’s film belongs to 1951. The year 1951 was a mixed affair. After the end of II WW and especially after our Independence, there was a flood of people with Black money to produce films, earn profits and convert Black money to white money. This caused several films of low quality being made. Some of them tried to make copies of Hollywood films too. Luckily, everything wasn’t that bad and few good films also were made.
AWARA by Raj Kapoor came as a cool breeze in hot times. Everything about it was good, especially the acting and music impressed people. This film was released in Russia as “BROTHIYAGA” . It was sold there for Rs. 50,000, a big amount in those days.
HUM LOG, starring Balraj Sahni and Nutan – as realistic film of the Indian middle class. India has always been a country with the biggest size of middle class in the world.
ALBELA by Bhagwan and C.Ramchandra became an evergreen popular film. This was the high point of Bhagwan’s career, which he could never surpass in his lifetime.
BAAZI from Navketan fulfilled a pact between Dev Anand and Guru Dutt, made during their early careers, while with Prabhat Film co. Both rose high with this film.
DEEDAR – an unusual film of love story, enacted by Dilip Kumar and Nargis.
AANDOLAN made by Filmistan and enacted by Kishore Kumar was an excellent Docu-Commercial film with good content and music by Hemant Kumar for his first Hindi film as a Music Director.
AFSANA – a story of good and bad twins, featuring Ashok Kumar and Veena.
BAHAR – introducing Vyjayantimala, made by AVM with excellent Dances and Songs.
NAUJAWAN – an age old story of the rich and the poor.
JAADU – a costume film by Nalini Jaywant was a hit film due to good music.
NAGEENA – a mystery and romance that had Pakistan- returned Nasir Khan and a pre-adult Nutan.
Some important events of 1951 were….
1) Launch of ‘Screen’ weekly. 2) S.K.Patil’s report on the film industry. 3) Establishment of the Film Federation of India and Central Board of Censors in Bombay. and 4) First Nepali film ‘ Harishchandra’.
Some other notable films of 1951 were Pyar ki Baaten, Aaram, Actor, Baadal, Bade bhaiya, Bedardi( Nimmi sang her only Hindi Film song in it), Buzdil, Daaman, Dholak, Kali Ghata, Khazana, Madhosh, Malhar, Naadaan, Sagai, Sanam, Shabistan (actor Shyam died on the sets) and Taraana. In addition 18 Mythological films were also made.
The film’s cast included some good and well known stars of those times like Geeta Bali, Bharat Bhushan, Geeta Nizami (this was her last film in India, before migrating to Pakistan), Tiwari, Janakidas, S.K.Prem and many others. I tried very hard to get the story of this film but was not successful. Finally I contacted Harmandir Singh ji and requested for the film’s booklet. As usual, he immediately sent me the fotocopy of the story of this film. I feel i am very lucky to have wellwishers like Hamraz ji who help me whenever needed.
The booklet gives only a very vague synopsis without the names or other details.
This is a story of a handsome and rich young man who thinks that girls are there to play with. At a time he meets several girls and acts like loving them. Some of them really fall for him but he changes the girls.
After few years he realises that what he did was not right and he improves his behavious. However he starts loving a girl and finds that she was only playing with him, like he did earlier. There was another girl who loved him genuinely. The entire film is about solving this problem.
There is one name Janaki Das in the cast, about whom not much is known. Jankidas Mehra was born on 13 th June 1916. He completed his M.A. from Punjab University. He was an athlete and a Cycle champion. By the age of 22 years, he represented India in 3 International meets and in 1938 had established a record for 1/2 mile race. He was the First and the only Indian to win the British Empire Games Distinction Medal.
Janakidas was also an author. He wrote and published books like, “Mahatma Gandhi in his own words”, “Extinction of Tasmanian race’, “From brothel to Victory Stand”, and ” My sports ventures”. He was described as ” a rare combination of Student, sportsman, idealist, Aristocrat and Democrat” by Australia’s leading weekly ” Smith Weekly”, dated 22nd January 1938 !
Jankidas was keen to join the film industry. His first role was in Pancholi’s “Khazanchi”-41. On coming to Bombay, he found that his high qualifications and achievements were deterrents for most illiterate producers, to get him roles. Frustrated, he told a lie to a Producer that he was illiterate and he got a role in the film ” Her highness”-46, but he was not credited. Disgusted, on some friend’s advice, he contacted V. Shantaram. Here he got a role in the film ” Jeevan Yatra”-46 and ” Dr. Kotnis ki amar kahani”-46.
Janakidas went on to do 344 films in his career of 60 years. In the later stage of his career he became India’s First ” Production Designer”. ( Nowadays, this is a very important post in the industry). As a production designer, Jankidas was responsible for the founding of many famous Indian actor’s careers. He was responsible for Madhubala’s role in Sohrab Modi’s Daulat in 1947, and introduced Meena Kumari in Nanabhai Bhatt’s Hamara Ghar, and Khushboo in Sunil Dutt’s Dard Ka Rishta. He also introduced actress Mala Sinha in Hamlet, produced and directed by Kishore Sahu.
In 1985, he wrote the script for the film Yaadon Ki Kasam.
Jankidas was the recipient of numerous national and international awards. In May 1996, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association.
Janakidas always remembered what his dear friend Dalsukh Pancholi told him, just minutes before his death. A film tycoon who carved a film empire at Lahore & made Khazanchi which celebrated Golden Jubilee, breathed his last, as he got into his car, while returning from the office of his distributor, who refused to pay him the installment. Actor Janki Das was with his mentor, when Pancholi uttered his last words “Janki Das ! Never put your children in films’. It was 10th october 1958 & Dalsukh Pancholi was of 53 years. He was driving his own car himself that time. He got an attack and stopped the car and died on his seat itself.
Jankidas expired on 18th June 2003.
Here is a duet song, sung by Shamshad Begum and G.M.Durrani. Enjoy…..
Song- Aao re aao re aao aao re (Ek Thhaa Ladka)(1951) Singers- Shamshad Begam, G M Durrani, Lyricist- Kamal R.C., MD- Rajhans Kataria
Both
Lyrics
aao re aao re aao aao re
o o o o
morey baalma aa aa
ab na sataao re
aao re aao re aao aao re
o o o o
morey balma aa aa
ab na satao re
aao re aao re aao aao re
teree galee mein hua badnaam
kaise aaoon main aen
ajee kaise aaoon main aen
labon pe hai ik tera naam
kaise bataaoon main aen
ajee kaise bataaoon main aen
dil mein lagee hai aag ik
dil mein lagee hai aag ik
isey aake bujhaao re ae ae ae
morey baalma aa aa
ab na sataao re
aao re aao re
aao aao re
dil kee duniya lootne waale
ab na bhool jaana
kaheen hanse na zamaana
shama pe jalne aaye jo
kab lauta hai parwaana
main hoon tera deewaana
chhodo saajan baat ye ae
chhodo sajnee baat ye
ab thhoda sa muskaao re ae ae
more baalma aa aa
gaadee tez chalaao re
chalaao chalaao chalaao re
kaahey jiya ghabraao re
mora kaahey jiya ghabraao re
ruk jaao re jaao re
ruk jaao re
o o o
more baalma aa aa
ab na satao re
aao re aao re aao aao re
in lehron kee chanchalta mein
chhupee huyee hai kahaanee
ik chhupee huyee hai kahaanee
kudrat kee har cheez pe dekho
naach rahee hai jawaanee
ajee naach rahee hai jawaanee
rut rangeelee kahtee hai
rut rangeelee kahtee hai
tum aaj kisi ke ho jaao re ae ae
morey baalma aa aa aa
ab na saato re
aao re aao re aao aao re
ho o o o
morey baalma aa aa
ab na sataao re
aao re aao re aao aao re
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
December 1, 2025 at 9:16 am
Good Morning,
Good song, old songs are always good
G M Durrani was a good actor, singer and composer.
But unfortunate, for unknow reasons, he had a little span of life, in film industry
Thanks for sharing lovely duet..
Blessings,
Uma🙏
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