Ye maayaa aanee jaanee hai
Posted on: June 20, 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 : | 6546 | Post No. : | 20370 |
Today’s song is from an early era film – Jailor-1938.
1938 was an interesting year in the early life of the Talkie films. The film making studios had firm footing with a studio system and they tried a variety of subjects in their films. In the 88 Hindi films produced in 1938, one finds almost every Genre of film subjects, except perhaps the usual Folk stories and Historical themes. Comedy, Tragedy, Fiction, Jungle stories, Costume, Socials, Musicals, Mythologicals, you name it and you had it. Content and technical expertise had improved as films on famous novels were made.
Well known studios like Imperial, Sagar, New Theatres, Prabhat, Ranjit, Bombay Talkies, Praksh, Vishnu Cinetone, Huns Pictures, Wadia Movietone, Saroj Movietone etc. were very active bringing out 3 to 4 films each. Huns and Prabhat continued bilingual films in Hindi and Marathi, while New Theatres made Hindi and Bangla films. Many new actors debuted. Many new actors matured and the old scrap from silent films slowly disappeared giving way to new entrants. The Imperial film company, which had the honour of making India’s first Hindi Talkie film – Alam Ara in 1931, downed its shutters in 1938. The last of the Southern languages, Malayalam, produced its First Talkie film BALAN in 1938. Film Industry celebrated its Silver Jubilee -from 1913 to 1938 and several programmes were held all over India.
Let us take a look at some of the films of 1938….ABHAGIN – Debut film of actor Chaman Puri (eldest brother of Madan puri and Amrish Puri). ADHIKAR – Music Director Timir Baran Bhattacharya. After Independence, he was invited to West Pakistan and East Pakistan to give music to their films. Film Adhikar was on the importance of how bringing up makes a person. BAGHBAN – Debut film of Ram Avtar. BAHADUR KISAN – First directorial venture of Master Bhagwan. During this film’s making he developed a lasting friendship with C.Ramchandra, who assisted Meer Sahab, the M.D. BHABHI – Renuka Devi’s second film and first with Jairaj. BILLI – Based on P.G.Wodehouse novel ” Damsel in Distress”.
BRAHMACHARI – Debut film of Minakshi Shirodkar. She appeared in a swimming suit, first time in Hindi films. It created a sensation. DHARATIMATA – Complete film was shot outdoors. Saigal and Pankaj Mullick created havoc with this musical film. The song ” Duniya rang rangeeli baba’ is still popular. DIVORCE – Minerva’s film on Husband – Wife relations. DUNIYA KYA HAI – Lalita Pawar’s production. Based on Tolstoy’s ” Resurrection”. GRAMOPHONE SINGER – Sagar’s musical with Bibbo and Surendra. Zohrabai sings for the first time for Anil Biswas. GOPAL KRISHNA – Hit film from Prabhat. Trick scenes were superb.Ram Marathe as Krishna,lifting Govardhan Parvat on a finger produced clapping from the audience for several minutes. HIMALAY KI BETI – Bhavnani production with Enakshi Rama Rau-his wife. JAILOR – Minerva’s film on a Psycho-Neurotic person. Remade in the 50’s again. MERA LADKA – Story of an unwed mother. Marathi and Hindi versions from Prabhat. MR. X – Stunt film with Rattanbai , from Prakash. NIRMALA – Bombay talkies. Devika rani- Ashok kumar. After this film, the Germans In Bombay talkies, including director Franz Osten were arrested by the British as Nazis and jailed in Igatpuri during the Second World War. PROF. WAMAN, M.Sc. – Ranjit presents a Sci Fi fiction film about travels into the future. SAATHI – Durga Khote and Mubarak produced in Hindi and Marathi (as Sawangadi). STREET SINGER – Saigal’s musical feast from New Theatres. VASANT BENGALI – Last film from Imperial film co., after 109 Silent films and 52 Talkie films in several languages. Just one year ago, i.e. in 1937 Madon Theatres of Calcutta- once a giant in film production, had closed down with their last film ‘ Zinda Laash‘.
Film Jailor-1938 was an experimental film, like few other such films in that time, when filmmakers were trying to ascertain the choice of the audience and to be different from others. The film’s story and Lyrics were by Kamaal Amrohi and the screenplay was by J.K.Nanda. The cast was Sohrab Modi, Leela Chitnis, Eruch Tarapore, Sheela, Shareefa, Sadiq, Baby Kamla, Kusum Deshpande and others. The music was by Meer Saheb. His assistant was one young, enthusiastic man called Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar, called simply Ram. He was later on, known as C.Ramchandra. His salary was only Rs. 15 p.m.
He served in Minerva for 3 years and worked under different Composers like Bundu Khan, Habib Khan,Meer Saheb, and B.S.Hoogan. About Meer Saheb, CR said in his autobiography, ” He was truly a very knowledgeable musician and I learnt many things from him. He gave me the confidence that I can become a Composer myself. He was very forgetful. He forgot the tunes he made the next day.” It was during his period that CR became a friend of Master Bhagwan, for whose film Meer Saheb was the M.D.
Film Jailor was a Psycho-social melodrama. The film showed the transformation of a tolerant, kind-hearted jailor into a ruthless, intolerant tyrant when his wife leaves him for another man. Modi in his psychodramas tended to use a “misogynist viewpoint” regarding problems in marriage. The role was “chillingly portrayed” by Sohrab Modi. Film Jailor was a reasonably successful film. Later in his career and on the downhill in late 50’s, he made this film again with the same story and the same title in 1958. Jailor-1958 was an outdated theme and people were no more interested in such stories. The audience’s tastes had changed over the years. However the music by Madan Mohan was very popular.
The story of Jailor-1938 was…
Dilip (Sohrab Modi) is a good natured kind hearted jailor. He has a good looking wife Kanwal and a doting girl child – Bali. Kanwal likes to enjoy modern life , like attending clubs etc, which Dilip does not like. Kanwal does not like her husband. She contacts her ex-lover Dr. Ramesh and they both elope. She is not worried about her child either. This shock changes the life of Dilip and he becomes cruel, hot tempered and a nasty person, as if to avenge the world for what happened to him.
Kanwal and her lover meet with an accident. Ramesh loses his sight and Kanwal’s face is badly injured. When Dilip learns about her accident, he brings a repentant Kanwal back home. However he locks her in a room and tortures her, taunts her and tries to take revenge. She is not allowed to meet her daughter, who is told that her mother has died. Once the daughter Bali falls sick, but Dilip does not allow Kanwal to tend her daughter also. Frustrated and sad Kanwal commits suicide. Due to illness the daughter also dies.
This is another shock for Dilip, but it changes him to his old good nature. He becomes more kind, loving and helpful to others. One of his ex-convicts Prem kills the village rowdy when he tries to trouble his blind sister Chhaya. In the jail, Prem requests Dilip to look after his sister. Dilip meets and helps her. He starts loving Chhaya. Unknown to him, Dr. Ramesh, now blind, comes to the same temple in which Chhaaya lives. They get to know each other and develop love.
When Dilip comes to know about their love, he spends his savings and helps both blind people to get operated upon. They regain sight. Dilip ensures that they are united, before dying in the end.
One of the actresses in this film was Shareefa. Her story is very strange. Sharifa was an actress in the 20s and the 30s. She hailed from the Central provinces and joined the Corinthian Theatre company of Calcutta, in which the famous Urdu writer Agha Hashra Kashmiri was also working. She and Agha fell in love. However during one performing tour, the Maharaja of Charkhari in Central Province, fell for Shareefa. He followed the drama company to Calcutta and bought the already debt ridden Corinthian Theatre company for Rs. 40 Lakhs. This included the entire property and the services of Agha and Shareefa too. Soon they resigned and Shareefa started acting in films.
A Parsi magician named Minoo Kooper ( the actor singer Minu cooper/the mystique of Bombay was a different person) came to Calcutta to give performances. Shareefa was attracted to him and they both left on a tour of Far East. She went as his helper and a consort. For a year they stayed together. When Shareefa became pregnant, Minoo left them in Singapore and returned to India.
Roshan Ara aka Husn Banu was born in Singapore on 8-2-1919. She was very beautiful. She started her career in Calcutta ( just like her mother), by working in New Theatre’s film “Daku Mansoor-34″. After this film, Shareefa brought her to Bombay and she built a very big mansion in Dadar called ” Shareefa Manzil”.
Sharreefa acted in almost 40 films and sang 10 songs in 5 films in early cinema. She continued working till early 50s, when she died.
Another less known actress was Sheela. SHEELA(real name-Roshan Ara) was born on 13-3-1925 at Solapur-Maharashtra. Her father was Station Master at Solapur Rly.Stn.
Once Sohrab Modi had come to Sholapur with his Drama company. He went to the station to make reservations and saw Sheela. They got to know each other and he proposed to give her roles in his films.Thus Sheela came to Bombay in 1936 and Joined Minerva Movietone as a singer/actress.
Her first film was Khan Bahadur-37, in which she sang and acted. Then came Jailor-38 in which she sang 4 solo songs under MD Mir Sahib.Then Divorce and Meetha Zahar came.
She became famous only after her songs in Pukar-39. Bharosa, Wasiyat and Sikander also gave her name and fame. In Sikander she had 6 songs out of total 7 songs. The famous song ‘ zindagi hai pyar se’ also had her voice in the chorus. She was Heroine in the film ‘ Wasiyat’-40.
Ulti Ganga, Bhakta Raidas, Prithvi Vallabh,and Patharon ka Saudagar were all Minerva films.
She had also done films elsewhere-
Alladin and wonderful lamp, college Girl, gaibi Gola, jahan ara, keemti qurbani, Sansar naiya, Shaitan ka pash etc.
After 1943, she almost stopped working. Only in Beete Din-47 and lastly in Billi-49 she sang songs, which was a stunt film of Nadia and Cavas.
She had married the actor Rama Shukla, in 1947. He was a Kanauji Brahmin and they had terrible opposition to their marriage. The marriage was by Registration. Only 4 friends were present in the marriage. They had one son and one daughter. Rama Shukla died by Heart attack in the 50s.
Her voice had a peculiar mixture of Muslim style of Amirbai Karnataki and the Marathi slant of Shanta Apte.
There is an anecdote with one of her songs. When the film Pukar was in the making, C.Ramchandra was working as an assistant to MD Meer Saheb. He has mentioned in his autobiography also that in the absence of Meer saheb, he used to insert his tunes to songs as Meer saheb’s. This was known to many, except, maybe, Meer saheb himself. One of the very popular songs sung by Sheela ” Tum bin hamri kaun khabar le” was actually composed by C.Ramchandra. This is supposed to be CR’s first composed song. The credit ,of course, went to Meer Saheb.
Here is a song from today’s film, sung by Sheela. Enjoy….
Audio
Video (very brief)
Song-Ye maaya aanee jaanee hai (Jailor)(1938) Singer-Sheela, Lyricist-Kamal Amrohi, MD-Meer SahabChorus
Lyrics:
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee haiYeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
ye chadhtee dhhaltee chhaaya hai
ye chadhtee dhhaltee chhaaya hai
ye sab do din kee kaaya hai
ye sab do din kee kaaya hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
ye jag karmon kee khetee hai
ye jag karmon kee khetee hai
jo letee hai wo detee hai
jo letee hai wo detee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
sab kuchh hai jab taqdeer mein hai
sab kuchh hai jab taqdeer mein hai
jeewan se ye sab ?? hai
jeewan se ye sab ?? hai
jeewan se ye sab ?? hai
jeewan se ye sab ?? hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya bahta paanee hai
Yeh maaya aanee jaanee hai
yeh maaya
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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