Mere aasha ke jeevan mein aayee bahaar
Posted on: June 4, 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.
| Blog Day : | 6530 | Post No. : | 20313 |
Today’s song is from an 86 year old film-Aurat aka Woman-1940.
The film was produced by National Studios, Bombay and it was directed by Mehboob Khan. The Music Director was Anil Biswas. The songwriter was Dr. Safdar ‘Aah’ Sitapuri. The story and dialogues were by Wazahat Mirza. The cast of the film included Sardar Akhtar, Surendra, Yakub, Harish, Arun Ahuja (Govinda’s father), Jyoti, Vatsala Kumthekar, Sunalini Devi, kanhaiyalal Chaturvedi and others.
This was the first film made by National Studios, Bombay, after the original company Sagar Movietone had merged with National. All the staff of Sagar and its property and assets were transferred to National Studios. This film became an outstanding success and won laurels from National and International critics. The reviews of the film by national papers and film magazines praised the film and the audience responded wholeheartedly.
17 years later, Mehboob Khan remade this film with new cast members as “Mother India’-1957. This film too won several awards and accolades. 3 people from the original film Aurat-1940 were repeated in this film. Story and dialogue writer Wajahat Mirza, actor kanhaiyalal and Cinematographer Faredoon irani. Film Mother india-1957 is considered as one of the biggest hits of all time in Indian Cinema.
The Director Mehboob Khan was an ambitious, daring and talented personality. Originally he wanted to become an actor,but fate had other plans for him. Born as Ramzan Khan in 1907 in Bilimora, Gujarat, Mehboob was from a Gujarati Muslim family. He never got a formal education in his young age, but he was keen on two things-5 times Namaz and seeing films. His father being in the Police Department, films were free for him. One day he ran away to Bombay to become an actor. However his father found him out and brought him back. He was immediately married off, with a belief that he would improve.
Two years after marriage and one child, he ran to Bombay again and worked in Imperial film co. as an extra for Rs.30 pm. This too after he worked without any pay for 5 months due to the mistake of the clerk ! He worked in crowd scenes and sundry roles-without a dialogue, of course, starting as one of the 40 thieves of Alibaba. He worked in several uncredited films. His first, big and credited role came in the film “Shirin Khushru”-1929.
Meanwhile, Imperial started a new company,’Sagar Movietone’, along with Dr. Patel and Chiman lal Desai. Some artistes and techies were shifted to Sagar-including Mehboob- from Imperial. Mehboob continued to work in 12 silent films. Here, he met Faredoon Irani, Cinematographer and they became thick fIn 1927, after the Talkie film “The Jazz Singer” was shown in the US, the world started making Talkie films. India too jumped into the bandwagon. In 1931, Imperial-competing with Madon Theatres of Calcutta- wanted to make a Talkie and started work fast. Mehboob Khan was almost finalised as the Hero. Even his costumes were made ready, but he was destined for something different, and Master Vithal was made the Hero of India’s first Talkie. Ardeshir Irani’s safety valve of minimizing the risk of the first venture by selecting the existing popular Hero, scuttled Mehboob’s dream. Somehow Mehboob was unlucky on quite a few occasions in his bid to become a Hero in films. First, he missed his chance in Torney’s silent film, when E.Bilimoria became the Hero, secondly he was replaced by Master Vithal as a Hero in India’s first talkie “Alam Ara’-1931 and lastly he was replaced by newcomer Motilal in ‘Shahar ka jaadu’ as a Hero. Mehboob understood that he was not made out to be an actor.
During this period, Mehboob wrote a film story and convinced the owners to allow him to direct this film. Owners were hesitant, naturally, to allow this young extra actor to direct a film. Lastly a deal was struck, that Mehboob and Faredoon should be allowed to shoot one reel film. If they like it, continue or else, scrap it and recover money from these two chaps. After one reel shooting the owners realised that they had struck Gold in the process and Mehboob completed his first Directorial venture ” Al Hilaal “-35. The film was a great success and Mehboob ‘chal pada’. Mehboob went on to direct 7 more films for Sagar. All his films were successful. From film Jageerdar-37 Mehboob and Anil Biswas pair teamed up for 8 films-till Roti-42.
His friendship with Anil Biswas was unique and was the talk of the entire cine world in those times. Due to strange circumstances and fate, it broke up, never to to be the same again. Life is like that. Their relationship had sweet and bitter moments. Let’s take a look at it. Mehboob had wanted to make the film Alibaba -1940 in Hindi and Punjabi. Anil Biswas was his pet MD for so many films. He asked Anilda to do the music of Hindi and Punjabi versions. Anilda flatly refused saying that he did not know Punjabi. Even after a lot of discussion, he was not ready. Mehboob left the matter as it is. After a week or so, there appeared in papers that ” Anil Biswas, a Bengali, gives music to Hindi films but can not give music to Punjabi films”. Someone showed this news to Anil Biswas. He was agitated and ran to Mehboob. Anilda said, ” OK, I will give music in any language that you make films in. French, English, Arabic, Spanish…any language, but stop spoiling my reputation.” Mehboob just smiled and said, ” Ja Bangali ja. Punjabi gaanon ko music de “. Anil Biswas sought assistance from a Punjabi technician-Shahji- who helped him to understand the basic nuances of Punjabi music. The music he ended up composing for the Punjabi version was much better than the one given to the Hindi version, according to Anil Biswas himself !
The Split…….Anil Biswas joined Sagar Movietone in 1936 and Jagirdar-37 was his first film as an MD there. He became a very good friend of Mehboob. Together with Cinematographer Faredoon Irani, they made a close group of friends.In every film that Mehboob directed from 1937 to 1942 ( 8 films ),Anil Biswas was his Music Director. In 1940 Sagar staff shifted to National and in 1942, National Studios was to be closed. All employees, including Mehboob, Faredoon and Ail Biswas were worried about their future. In that period, Anil Biswas got an offer first from Ranjit Studios, but he rejected it as his friends did not get offers. Then he got an invitation from Bombay Talkies for Rs. 2500 rupees pm as salary. This was too lucrative to reject. Though his friends were jobless, Anil Biswas joined Bombay Talkies.
Mehboob Khan was upset that being a friend also, in their bad days, Anil Biswas deserted them for personal gain.Mehboob and Faredoon felt let down. Their relations soured and thereafter Mehboob khan never ever took Anil Biswas as an MD for films of his company. After establishing his own Mehboob Productions, he did not invite Anil Biswas. Mehboob Khan prospered and teamed up with Naushad as his MD from film Anokhi Ada-48 onwards, in place of Anil Biswas.
By 1954, Anil Biswas broke up with his first wife Ashalata . He divorced her,but lost everything he had, to her in settlement for freedom. He was not getting any films. For survival he unsuccessfully tried doing Truck business. Seeing his condition, Mehboob offered him the contract for his Canteen,on request from Anil Biswas. That too failed miserably. Mehboob Khan was so bitter about him that even in that condition Mehboob did not offer him any film.
When Mehboob Productions planned the film ‘Paisa hi paisa’-56, Mehrish was made the Director. Being a great fan of Anil Biswas, he asked Mehboob’s permission to call Anil Biswas as its Music Director. As one who believed in work ethics, Mehboob very reluctantly permitted Mehrish, but went on a Foreign trip to avoid meeting Anil Biswas. Film ‘Paisa hi Paisa ‘was a comedy film, with Kishore kumar, Mala Sinha,Shakeela, Shyam kumar, Murad,Mukeri,Kumud tripathi etc etc. Basically Anil Biswas specialised in Tragedy or Serious films. Comedy film was not in his comfort zone, but his financial condition forced him to bow to the circumstances. Being a talented composer, he did well in this too, though the film bombed at the Box office. (post based on information collated from the book ” Mehboob khan” by Shashikant Kinikar, with thanks.)
The story of the film Aurat aka Woman-1940 was..
Radha (Sardar Akhtar) is an indomitable woman, toiling away to feed her three sons and to pay off Sukhilala (Kanhaiyalal), the village’s rapacious moneylender. When she learns that she is pregnant again, her husband, Shamu (Arun Kumar Ahuja), runs away, leaving her to fend for herself against poverty and the lecherous advances of Sukhilala. Later, the two eldest children die, leaving her with only two sons: the straight-laced Ramu (Surendra) and the wild Birju (Yakub). The latter of the two becomes a bandit, who kills Sukhilala and kidnaps his childhood sweetheart. As a result, Radha and Ramu are cast out of the village. Eventually, Radha kills Birju for dishonoring her.
This is how Mehboob Khan married Sardar Akhtar, his Heroine in the film Aurat-1940. In the film Alibaba-1940, Surendra was to do the double role of Alibaba and his son. Now, Mehboob needed two Heroines. He selected Waheedan Bai and Sardar Akhtar. Akhtar was the younger sister of Bahar-wife of A.R.Kardar. In an article in Filmfare dated 16-8-1957,Mehboob wrote ” the moment I saw Sardar Akhtar, I fell for her and knew that one day she will be my wife.” Sure enough, he married her later.
It was during the shooting of film Aurat, Mehboob was attracted towards Jyoti- sister of Waheedan Bai and one of the cast of Aurat- and he started spending time with her, having Tea together, Lunch together etc. Sardar Akhtar noticed this and played her cards well. She encouraged Jyoti to accept outside film offers lest she would be out of circulation. Then she poisoned Mehboob by telling him that Jyoti was not a good girl and that she was more interested in outside film roles. Consequently, Jyoti’s role in the film Aurat was reduced. By the time the film Aurat was completed, Akhtar had fully influenced Mehboob and then insisted on getting married. He too wanted it and they got married just before the film was released.
Here is a song from today’s film, sung by Sardar Akhtar and Anil Biswas. Enjoy….
Song-Mere asha ke jeevan mein aayee bahaar (Aurat)(1940) Singer- Sardar Akhtar, Anil Biswas, Lyricist- Dr. Safdar ‘Aah’ Sitapuri, MD- Anil Biswas
Lyrics:
mere asha ke jeevan mein aayee bahaar
mere asha ke jeevan mein aayee bahaar
chale sheetal pavan
khile phoolon kee daal
chale sheetal pavan
khile phoolon kee daal
banee apne piya ke galey ka main haar
banee apne piya ke galey ka main haar
mere asha ke jeevan mein aayee bahaar
suno panchhee ke raag
kare koyal pukaar
suno panchhi ke raag
machee baagon mein dhoom
huye patte nikhaar
machee baagon mein dhoom
huye patte nikhaar
hua phoolon ke gahne se ban ka singaar
hua phoolon ke gahne se ban ka singaar
suno panchhi zara
kare koyal pukaar
suno panchhi zara
kare koyal pukaar
haan haan
kheton pe padtee hai jal ki phuhaar
haan haan
kheton pe padtee hai jal ki phuhaar
padee naina se chot
lagee dil mein kataar
padee naina se chot
lagee dil mein kataar
chale chhaila sajanva jo saathee uthha(??)
chale chhaila sajanva jo saathee uthha(??)
padi naino se chot
lagi dil mein katar
padi naino se chot
suno panchhee zara
kare koyal pukaar
suno panchhee zara
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
Leave a comment