Bol re bol re mere pyaare papeehe bol re
Posted on: February 5, 2026
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 obscure film, but it is a special song because it is a duet sung by Meena Kumari – The Tragedy Queen – and A.R.Oza.
This Ranjit Movietone film was directed by Manibhai Vyas (27-4-1920 to 14-11-1993), who directed 20 Hindi films from film Dukhiyari-1937 to film Shri Krishna Bhakti-1973. The music was by Bulo C. Rani for songs written by Pt. Indra. The cast of the film was Khurshid Jr., Meena Kumari, Anjum, Nihal, Qamar, Shaikh Hasan, Nafeej Khalili etc. Except the 2 sisters i.e. Khurshid Jr. and Meena Kumari, I am not aware of any other cast members mentioned here. None of them are found in any other films. There were 11 songs and some of the singers like Savitri Gidwani, Chunilal Pardeshi are not known to me. Others like Mohd. Faruqi and A.R.Oza are atleast known to me.
Despite being known to be a writer on old films for the last 14 years, such unknown names give me an Inferiority Complex and a feeling that no one can know everything in any field, which makes the person humble too !
After all, what is an ‘Old Film’ ? The question seems to be a funny one, but you will agree that ‘old’ is a highly subjective and relative term, as far as Music is concerned. What is considered as ‘old ‘ by a 25 year old young man, may be different than what a 65 year old thinks as ‘old’. I feel that ‘old music ‘can be roughly defined as “Film or Music which is of 10 years before one’s birth”. Thus for a 25 year old youngster, all songs in or before 1980 are old, before 1970s are very old and before 1960s are Antiques. Same way, for a 70 year old man old music means in or before 40s and very old is of the 30s.
| sl no. | Age today | old (from or before) | very old(from or before) | Antiques(from or before) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25yrs + | 1980s | 1970s | 1960s |
| 2. | 35yrs + | 1970s | 1960s | 1950s |
| 3. | 45yrs + | 1960s | 1950s | 1940s |
| 4. | 55-65yrs + | 1950s | 1940s | 1930s |
| 5. | 75yrs + | 1940s | 1930s | Nil |
Please note that it is only a casual observation, not based on any technical or research database. I have found that generally the above is more or less correct while understanding the tastes of different age groups. For people who are in their 45s ( most of us regulars) today, they must have grown up listening to songs from movies of the 70s and 80s, so what was before their birth naturally will become old music. However personal choices and variations will remain. For example, someone in his 20s likes songs from the 40s and 30s. These are exceptions, but then exceptions prove the rule !
Meena Kumari, one of the finest actresses of Hindi cinema, was born on 1-8-1932, at Bombay. She started doing child roles in films like leather face-39, Ek hi bhool-40, Behan-41, Pratigya-43, Lal Haveli-44 etc . In all, she acted as a child in 15 movies. Her first break as an adult heroine came when she was just 14 year old. The film was “Bachhon ka khel”-46. She joined Ranjit where she did films like, Piya ghar aaja-47, Duniya ek sarai-47, and Bichhade Balam-48.
After this film, her Luck took a pause. She lost her mother and elder sister, got married and went away. She had to look after the family. However,in 1949, she got a role in the Mythological film,”Veer Ghatotkach”-49. After this, she also worked in a few Mythologicals, like Shri Ganesh Mahima-50, Hanuman Patal Vijay-51, Laxmi Narayana-51 etc. This made her a small Goddess in religious films and there was a danger of her getting stuck in this. Luckily, Bhatt Brothers selected her for the lead role in Prakash Films’ “Baiju Bawra”-52 and then, as they say- there was no stopping her.
While doing Baiju Bawra, she suffered from an attack of Typhoid fever. She was sent to Mahabaleshwar to recover. On return journey to Bombay, she met with a serious car accident and her hand was fractured badly. At one point of time it was considered to amputate her hand, but luckily Plastic Surgery helped her and the hand and her career was saved. After this incident, according to her, in every film that she did, she had a minor accident till the end. Ultimately, she accepted it as her fate.
Meena Kumar’s life is an open book, how destiny plays only hide and hide, instead of hide and seek in case of some people.She never got happiness in her life. Neither from a Husband, nor from any of the lovers. She never got peace of mind in spite of drinking so much and…..On 31-3-1972, the Queen of Tragedy in Reel and Real life went to God to ask him why she suffered so much !
Even her elder sister had lived a tough life. Khurshid Jr. – the film Heroine – was the eldest daughter of Master Ali Baksh, Music Director and Iqbal Begum, film artiste and one time a famous and popular stage artist of Madon, Alfred and other Drama companies in Eastern India. The family actually belonged to Sargodha in Punjab, but Khurshid was born in Bombay on 10-4-1930. Being born in a filmi family, the atmosphere was very conducive for Khurshid to join films.
After getting school education upto 12 years of age, she entered films. Her first film was Zameen-43 as a side character. Then came Minerva’s Dr. Kumar-44 and Naghma E Sehra-45 – in which she was the Heroine of Master Vithal. Due to her good acting skill, there was no shortage of film offers. She had to add Jr. to her name , as there was a more famous actress, singer Khurshid Bano, already in the film line, in the same period.
Khurshid’s younger sisters Baby Meena (later Meena Kumari) and Baby Madhuri Later actress Madhu-( Mehmood’s wife) were also working in films. Khurshid Jr. married her handsome co-star Altaf. who did few films as a Hero but then shifted to side roles soon. After Partition, the couple considered shifting to Pakistan, but decided to stay here as her both sisters were here and doing better.
As long as Meena Kumari was alive, they were comfortable, but after her demise, they became helpless and went down financially. They had to live in smaller tenements and roles also dwindled.
Khurshid Jr. acted in 65 films. Her last film was Oh Bewafa-80. Altaf acted in just 21 films from Sipahi-41 to Pakiza-71. Even Khurshid had also acted in it.
The story of the film Bichhade Balam-1948 was…..
Radha was an artisan. She was an expert at embroidery. That was her source of livelihood. . She was showing a specimen of her work to a shopkeeper. Ramesh was studying at the college. He was a great lover of Art. He happened to pass by the shop and just peeped in. He liked the hand-craft of Radha so much that he purchased all the embroidered things that she had brought to the shop. . This chance meeting developed into acquaintance to be later on mature into love.
Both went to Ramesh’s father Dinanath to obtain his blessings on their marriage. . But things took an adverse turn. Dinanath suffered a heavy loss in business. In that dire calamity his son was his only solace. He called him telegraphically and explained the whole situation to him. It became evident that Ramesh had to give up his college studies and seek a job. But Radha intervened saying that Ramesh should continue his studies further and that her skill at embroidery would enable them to pull on together.
Her skill attracted the attention of another Artist, Sudhakar. It was decided that Radha should draw paintings at Sudhakar’s studio. Radha went to the studio daily and Dinanath used to accompany her to and from the studio. . But the whispering tongue began to sway. They claimed that Dinanath was encouraging Radha’s visit to Sudhakar and all sorts of things began to be aired. The whisper reached Ramesh’s ears. He was terribly upset. He got wild-came home in a rage and began to call her all sorts of names. Dinanath just came there and explained how innocent Radha was. But it was to no avail.
At last the father had to drive the son out. Days passed. Sudhakar left the place. Radha and Dinanath began to suffer from evil days. They left the place…Dinanath died on the way . Fifteen years passed by. Radha and her son Anil were living in the city. History repeated itself. Radha was working at embroidery to educate her son just as she was doing when Ramesh was studying in the college. .
Anil was studying in the college and as luck would have it Sudhkars daughter Pushpa was also studying in the same college. Both were in love with each other. Anil was working as a typist at Seth Rameshchandra’s place, but he posed before Sudhakar and Pushpa that he was Rameshchandras son. This deceit was later on exposed. Sudhakar forbade Anil to meet his daughter when he learnt that he was the son of a woman who refused to give the name of her husband. . Radha fell on evil days.
She got a job at Rameshs place. Little did they know that they were husband and wife! One day she came across Ramesh’s photo, studied it, and then recognition came to her. She wanted to take away the photo, but the servant spotted her-she became the thief ! Ramesh scolded and insulted her…Anil came there. Anil could not tolerate insults to his mother. He insulted Ramesh. . But the tangle was cleared. Ramesh recognised Radha. He was convinced of Sudhkar’s innocence. He repented. All met… And Anil and Pushpa were married.
Here is a song from today’s film, sung by Meena Kumari and A.R.Oza.
Amritlal R. Oza was a Nagar Bramhin from Gujarat. He joined Ranjit when Khemchand Prakash, Gyan Dutt and Bulo C Rani were paid musicians there. His first song came in Pujari-46.
He was very friendly with Bulo C Rai and Hansraj behl. He sang maximum songs for them only. At the same time he sang in Gujarati films and he became very famous and popular there.
Some Hindi films in which he sang are, Lakhon mein ek-47, Nanad Bhojai-48, Bichhade Balam-49( he sang with Meenakumari also), Bhool Bhulaiyan-49, Nili-50 etc. He sang 39 songs in 23 Hindi films,but sang much and many more in Gujarati. After retirement he settled in Ahmedabad, where he died on 13-5-1985.
Enjoy today’s duet….
Song- Bol re bol re mere pyaare Papeehe bol re (Bichhde Balam)(1948) Singers- Meena Kumari,A R Oza, Lyricist- Pt. Indra Chandra, MD- Bulo C Rani
Both
Lyrics
Bol re ae
bol re
mere pyaare Papeehe bol re
mere pyaare Papeehe bol re ae
bolan ke din aaye
dol re ae
dol re
meree bulbul sang sang dol re
meree bulbul sang sang dol re
dolan ke dil aaye
khelo humse na aankh michaulee
khelo humse na aankh michaulee
piya khelo
piya khelo to khelo holee ee
piya khelo to khelo holee ee
ghol re
ghol re
nainon mein preet rang ghol re
nainon mein preet rang ghol re
phaagun beeta jaaye
bol re ae
bol re
mere pyaare Papeehe bol re
mere pyaare Papeehe bol re ae
bolan ke din aaye
mil mil ke bichhad mat jaana
mil mil ke bichhad mat jaana
mere sapnon mein bhee aana
mere sapnon mein bhee aana
mol re
mol re
in sapnon ka naheen mol re
in sapnon ka naheen mol re
?? paaye
bol re
bol re
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
February 5, 2026 at 10:22 am
Arun Ji
thanks for the post. It was a plesant surprise to know Meena Kumari sang a song for a movie.
As rightly observed Meena Kumari did not get happiness at any stage of life in spite a great acting career.
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