Chalta rahe saaghar bhee bharta rahe paimaana
Posted on: December 10, 2025
This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, 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, December 10, 2025, is the 24th Remembrance Day of Kumudlal Ganguly, well-known by his screen name, Ashok Kumar (13/10/1911 – 10/12/2001), the first super star and the Bhishma Pitamah of Hindi films. He was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1988 for his contributions to Indian Cinema and Padma Bhushan Award in 1999.
Ashok Kumar was the eldest among four siblings and his father, a practicing lawyer in Khandwa wanted him to follow his profession. He was admitted to a law college in Kolkata where he may have been influenced by New Theatres films thus creating his interest in cinema. But his interest was confined to the technical side of the film making. He joined The Bombay Talkies as a laboratory technician where his brother-in-law (sister’s husband), Sashadhar Mukerji was a sound engineer and production manager in 1934.
Kumudlal Ganguly became Ashok Kumar when he was taken as a lead actor by default for ‘Jeevan Naiya’ (1936) when the film’s lead actor, Najmul Hassan had eloped with heroine, Devika Rani, the wife of Himanshu Rai, boss of the Bombay Talkies. Subsequently, Devika Rani did return to Himanshu Rai. Ashok Kumar was to act for only this film. However, after the box office success of ‘Jeewan Naiyya’ (1936), he was signed for ‘Achhut Kanya’ (1936) in the lead role with Devika Rani which also became a hit film. Thereafter, he became a regular actor of the Bombay talkies in lead roles.
The hat-trick of silver jubilees of his films, ‘Kangan’ (1939), ‘Bandhan’ (1940) and ‘Jhoola (1941), in which he was paired with Leela Chitnis raised his status to a star actor. In ‘Kismet’ (1943), he became the first anti-hero of Hindi films. The film was a superhit which became the first Hindi film to attain the business of Rs.1 crore. This film raised the status of Ashok Kumar as the first super star of Hindi films and the highest paid actor of his time. After a gap of 24 years, he again took a negative role of a thief in ‘Jewel Thief’ (1967).
In the 1950s, Ashok Kumar continued his success with ‘Samaadhi’ (1950) in which he was paired with Nalini Jaywant for the first time. In the same year, another film, ‘Sangraam’ (1950) with Nalini Jaywant also became a hit. He worked with Nalini Jaywant in 11 films during 1950-57. Thereafter he did varied roles when he was in the transitory phase from the romantic lead roles to the character actor’s roles. His roles of an errant husband in ‘Bhai Bhai’ (1956), a misogynist in ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ (1958), a composed and morally upright husband in ‘Gumraah’ (1961) and a husband trapped between his ex-lover and a rich wife whom he does not love, in ‘Bandini’ (1963) show his versatility. Incidentally, I saw all these films in theatres.
In a career spread over six decades, Ashok Kumar acted in over 300 Hindi films, sang nearly 100 songs and produced a dozen films – both on behalf of Bombay Talkies as well as on his own behalf.
‘Nirmala’ (1938) was Ashok Kumar’s 7th film of Bombay Talkies as a lead actor which was directed by Franz Osten. Besides Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani in lead roles, other actors in the film were Maya Devi, Mumtaz Ali, P F Pithawala, M Nazir, Saroj Borkar, P R Joshi, Yusuf Suleman, Meera, Pratima, Nazeer Bedi, Balwant Singh etc.
The story of the film is as under:
Nirmala (Devika Rani) is the only daughter of Rajnikant (P F Pithawala) and Maya Devi (Saroj Borkar). She is a girl with a modern outlook who wish to complete her education. She always gets 1st rank in her class and also in the college where she is the only girl student. But in the college, she always shares the first rank with Ramdas (Ashok Kumar).
During her childhood, Rajnikant had given his words to his close friend that he will get Nirmala married to his son, Loknath (M Nazir). Now, Nirmala having come to a marriageable age, her parents think of her marriage. Her father reminds his wife of his commitment to get Nirmala married to Loknath. However, knowing very well that Loknath has now turned out to be a cruel man, Rajnikant feels that Nirmala’s view and the suitability of the groom is more important than his commitment to Loknath.
Nirmala has arranged a party in her house for her girlfriends. Loknath visits her house at the last without notice which spoils her party. She goes with him in his car more as a courtesy than anything else. This action of Nirmala gives an impression to her parents that she likes Loknath. With this assumption, Nirmala’s parents fix the marriage date in consultation with an astrologer with Loknath’s presence. When she returns home with her friend, Pramila (Maya Devi), she and Pramila are shocked to learn that her parents have fixed her marriage with Loknath. It is at this point of time, Pramila discloses to her parents that Nirmala likes Ramdas.
Ever Since Ramdas has seen Nirmala in college, he has fallen in love with her and his friend, Moti (?) knows that. Being of shy nature, it is Moti who takes initiative and talks to his mother (Pratima Devi). So, Ramdas’s mother visits Nirmala’s house to discuss the marriage. The marriage of Nirmala Devi is now fixed with Ramdas on the same date which was earlier fixed for Loknath. In the meanwhile, Rajnikant meets Loknath to say that he is not going ahead with the marriage of Nirmala with him as she has decided to marry Ramdas.
On the marriage day, the marriage procession with groom Ramdas and his friend, Moti is about to reach the venue when some goons hired by Loknath pounce upon the procession and abduct Ramdas. Moti reports the matter to the police where he identifies one of the goons. The police team is deployed in search of Ramdas. At the marriage venue, Loknath reaches with the intention of getting married to Nirmala by default as the elders are forcing Nirmala’s parents that on the auspicious time, the marriage must take place with someone else. But Nirmala is adamant that she will not marry other than Ramdas.
The goons have taken Ramdas in a prison-like room and assure him that he is under their captivity only for a short period until their boss gets married to the girl. Thereafter, he will be released. With this relaxed atmosphere in the room, Ramdas tricks the goons by serving them liquor to their heart’s content by which time police force come and rescue him. The abductors get arrested who reveal the name of Loknath on whose behalf they have abducted Ramdas. Loknath is arrested.
While the debate is going on at the marriage venue, Ramdas reaches on time to get married to Nirmala at the auspicious time. In due course of time, Loknath is sentenced for a long imprisonment for his involvement in other criminal activities also.
The married life of Nirmala and Ramdas has been going on smoothly. However, Nirmala is facing some problem in her pregnancy requiring the still born child to be removed. She is very upset. After about three years, Nirmala is again pregnant. Because of her experience in the previous pregnancy, she is worried. She consults an astrologer who tells her that Ramdas’s mother has a curse because of which Nirmala’s children will not survive. There are two options to overcome this problem. Either Ramdas has to leave his mother or Nirmala has to leave her husband. Ramdas does not believe in astrological predictions and consoles Nirmala that everything will be smooth.
However, because of her previous experience, on one stormy midnight, Nirmala decides to leave Ramdas. The matter is reported to the police about missing Nirmala. They find her scarf near the shore of a river, presuming that Nirmala may have been swept away in the flooded river. Actually, Nirmala is rescued by a beggar woman who lives in a beggars’ colony. Nirmala stays with her and after some time, she gives birth to a baby boy.
Nirmala’s baby boy is abducted by a woman beggar so that she gets more alms on the day of Makar Sankranti. In Ramdas’ house, his mother suggests that he visits a temple on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. Near the temple, Ramdas is surrounded by beggars, one of them is carrying the child of Nirmala. He gives her alms but finds that the child is crying, The woman beggars lies to him that the child’s mother has passed away and she is looking after him. Ramdas offers her good money in exchange for the ‘orphan child’ which he would take care of. The beggar is more than happy to allow him to take the child with him.
Twenty years have passed. The child has grown up and has got married with a baby boy. One day, Ramdas with his son, daughter-in-law and their child go for a picnic. An old beggar woman comes to Ramdas to get alms. When she sees the child, she snatches it from daughter-in-law by telling her that it is her child. A fellow woman beggar tells the entire background story to Ramdas. It does not take much time to presume that the woman beggar is his wife, Nirmala. He takes her back to his house along with a fellow beggar woman who had rescued Nirmala on that fateful day. Ramdas and Nirmala happily live with their son, daughter-in-law and the grandson. The film ends with Ramdas and Nirmala reliving the early days of their married life.
The film had 14 songs written by J S Kashyap which were set to music by Saraswati Devi. Many of the songs are snippets used for connecting the story. One song has been covered on the Blog. I present the 2nd song, ‘chaltaa rahe saaghar bhee bhartaa rahe paimaana’ which is rendered by Ashok Kumar who sang for himself in the initial period of talkie films until the playback system was firmly set in place.
The context of the song is that Ramdas (Ashok Kumar) is abducted by the goons of Loknath (M Nazir) from his wedding procession while entering his marriage venue. He is taken to a room by goons who tell him that he would soon be released when their boss, Loknath gets married to Nirmala (Devika Rani). Ramdas tricks the goons by serving them liquor to their heart’s content to escape from the room and to go back to his marriage venue.
Video Clip:
Audio Clip:
Song-Chalta rahe saaghar bhee bharta rahe paimaanaa (Nirmala)(1938) Singer-Ashok Kumar, Lyricist-J S Kashyap, MD-Saraswati Devi
Chorus
Lyrics (Based on Audio Clip):
chaltaa rahey saaghar bhee
bhartaa rahey paimaanaa
chaltaa rahey saaghar bhee
bhartaa rahey paimaanaa
aabaad rahey saaqee
tu aur teraa maikhaanaa
aabaad rahey saaqee
tu aur teraa maikhaanaa
tu aur teraa maikhaanaa
tu aur teraa maikhaanaa
beemaar e gham-e-furqat ho
jaam ik pilaa de
beemaar e gham-e-furqat ho
jaam ik pilaa de
ujde huye chaman ko
saaqee tu phir khilaa de
ujde huye chaman ko
saaqee tu phir khilaa de
phir jalwe ye jaana na
saaqee mujhe dikhaa de
phir jalwe ye jaana na
saaqee mujhe dikhaa de
bichhde huye sanam se
ik baar phir milaa de
bichhde huye sanam se
ik baar phir milaa de
chaltaa rahe saaghar bhee
bhartaa rahe paimaana
aabaad rahe saaqee
tu aur teraa maikhaana
aabaad
tu aur teraa maikhaanaa
tu aur teraa maikhaanaa
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
December 11, 2025 at 11:52 pm
Good Evening,
You shared a very valuable information of several decades in the past.
Thanks and regards.
Blessings
Uma🙏
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