Bahaar aayee pyaaree
Posted on: October 26, 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 a revolutionary social film of the late 30’s, which caused a sensation in that era – Aadmi-1939.
The film was made by Prabhat Film Company and it was directed by V. Shantaram. Music was by Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar, for songs written by Munshi Aziz. The cast included Shahu Modak,Shanta Hublikar, Sundara Bai, Ram Marathe, Master Chhotu, Gauri and others.
With the rise of K.L.Saigal and his fame, a trend was setting to make films with a sad end, showing the Hero’s failed Love affair or his death. Such films became popular not because of the tragic end or failure, but because of Saigal’s heavenly singing.
V. Shantaram was against such philosophy. He wanted to promote “Life is for Living”. With this motive he made today’s film. The film tried to project the principle that even the downtrodden or the Policememen have human feelings and they too deserve understanding them. The film was released on 9-9-1939. The II World War had just started on the 1st September and the country was already under stress. In such circumstances Shantaram brought a film which boldly said ” LIFE IS FOR LIVING ” !
The year was 1939 and the British Government had declared war against Germany and Japan, as soon as the WW II began. All countries ruled by Britain were – willingly or unwillingly, drawn into the war efforts and its effects. The war began in the month of September and soon various restrictions came into operation – like rationing, blackouts, shortages etc. The film industry which was still under its development stage suffered. It also realised the importance of remaining united as one industry. However, all that came after 1 or 2 years. In 1939 there was not much effect seen on the film industry.
The industry had its own problems. In spite of the playback system in operation, their problem was that because there was no technique of recording from the film negative yet, the singers had to sing twice. Once for the actual film shooting of the song, and later, with the same set of orchestra, for commercial records. Sometimes, the original singer was not available due to any reason, some other singer had to sing for commercial records. Thus we have many such examples, where the singer in the film song and the record is different. However, this problem continued only till the mid 50’s when the Tape and the required technique became available. With just one time recording, the film and commercial recording were taken care of.
Directed by legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram, Aadmi (1939) (also titled Life’s for Living) is a landmark social reformist melodrama produced by Prabhat Films. Simultaneously shot alongside its classic Marathi counterpart Manoos, the film tackles the harsh social prejudices surrounding the rehabilitation of sex workers.
Moti (Shahu Modak) is a kind-hearted, honest police constable who crosses paths with Kesar (Shanta Hublikar), a young woman trapped in a brothel, during a police raid. Instead of treating her like a criminal, Moti helps her escape.
Despite Kesar’s deep internal resistance and cynicism about her profession, the two gradually fall in love. Recognizing her desire to start a new life, Kesar leaves the brothel to join him. However, acutely conscious of his image in an unforgiving society, Moti initially hesitates to bring her directly home and places her in an independent apartment instead.
Even outside the brothel, Kesar faces severe societal ostracization. She is unable to secure standard employment due to her past reputation. Despairing and on the verge of returning to her old life, she is comforted by Moti, who eventually takes the ultimate step of bringing her home to meet his pious, deeply traditional mother.Moti’s mother represents an epitome of virtue and religious purity. Instead of comforting Kesar, this overwhelming image of “purity” triggers a crushing sense of internalized guilt. Feeling entirely unworthy of this family, Kesar flees to the countryside to hide.
Kesar’s abusive, drunken uncle tracks her down to drag her back to her former life. In a desperate attempt to protect her freedom and prevent him from revealing her location to Moti, a struggle ensues and Kesar accidentally kills him. She is arrested, accepts her fate, and willingly heads to prison, refusing any release or rehabilitation, leaving behind a heartbroken Moti.
Rather than offering a standard happy ending, Shantaram used the tragic conclusion to critique an unyielding patriarchal society that claims to value morality but refuses to offer a genuine second chance to marginalized individuals. The film was highly acclaimed for its progressive stance, and its Marathi counterpart was famously commended by global cinema icon Charlie Chaplin.
Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre (18 November 1901 – 30 October 1990), referred to as V. Shantaram or Shantaram Bapu, was a filmmaker, film producer, and actor known for his work in Hindi and Marathi films. He is most known for films such as Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959), Duniya Na Mane (1937), Aadmi-1939, Pinjara (1972), Chani, Iye Marathiche Nagari and Zunj.
V. Shantaram started his film career doing odd jobs in Maharashtra Film Co. owned by Baburao Painter at Kolhapur. He went on to debut as an actor in the silent film Surekha Haran in 1921.
Shantaram, fondly known as Annasaheb (अण्णासाहेब), had an illustrious career as a filmmaker for almost seven decades. He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. V. Shantaram had a very keen interest in music. It is said that he “ghost wrote” music for many of his music directors, and took a very active part in the creation of music. Some of his songs had to be rehearsed several times before they were approved by V. Shantaram. [He Was Also Praised By Charlie Chaplin for his Marathi film Manoos. Chaplin reportedly liked the film to a great extent.
He directed his first film Netaji Palkar, in 1927. In 1929, he founded the Prabhat Film Company along with Vishnupant Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, who made Ayodhyecha Raja, the first Marathi language film in 1932 under his direction.He left Prabhat co. in 1942 to form “Rajkamal Kalamandir” in Mumbai. In time, “Rajkamal” became one of the most sophisticated studios of the country.
Shantaram introduced his daughter Rajshree (his daughter with Jayashree) and Jeetendra in the 1964 film Geet Gaya Patharon Ne. That was the debut film for both of them. He also introduced his second wife Sandhya’s niece Ranjana Deshmukh into the Marathi film industry through Chandanachi Choli Ang Ang Jaali, directed by his son Kiran Shantaram in 1975. Ranjana dominated the Marathi silver screen in the 70s and 80s.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was conferred on him in 1985. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1992. His autobiography Shantarama was published in Hindi and Marathi. Shantaram was honoured on a 2001 stamp of India. The V. Shantaram Award was instituted by the Central Government and Maharashtra State Government.
The V. Shantaram Motion Picture Scientific Research and Cultural Foundation, established in 1993, offers various awards to film-makers. The award is presented annually on 18 November.[A postage stamp dedicated to Shantaram was released by India Post on 17 November 2001.
Shantaram was born in 1901 at Kolhapur to a Marathi Jain family. V. Shantaram’s family moved from Kolhapur to Hubbbali also known as Hubli in Karnataka in 1917 facing tough times financially. Shantaram a teenager then joined as a fitter in the railway workshop at Hubli, for a salary of 8 annas (50 paise) per day, impressed by his hard work his salary was raised to 12 annas per day. In the evenings he worked as a door keeper at NEW Deccan Cinema Theatre at Hubli. Though he was not paid for this job, he was allowed to watch all movies for free. There he watched movies of Dadasaheb Phalke, father of Indian Cinema, and developed passion for the movies. He learnt photography and sign board painting in Hubballi. He said later that the first time he touched the camera he instantly connected to it.
In 1921, aged 20, he married 12-year-old Vimalabai in a match arranged by their families. He had four children with Vimalabai, Prabhat Kumar (after whom Shantaram named his movie company) and daughters Saroj, Madhura and Charusheela. Saroj, the eldest daughter, is married to Soli Engineer, a Parsi gentleman, and they run the Valley View Grand Resort at Panhala near Kolhapur, built on Shantaram’s farmhouse, which was inherited by Saroj.
Shantaram’s second daughter, Madhura, is the wife of Pandit Jasraj and mother of music director Shaarang Dev Pandit and of TV personality Durga Jasraj. Shantaram’s third daughter, Charusheela, is the mother of Hindi and Marathi actor Sushant Ray a.k.a. Siddharth Ray.
In 1941, Shantaram married the actress Jayashree (née Kamulkar), with whom he had worked together in several films, including Shakuntala (1942). He had three children with Jayashree: a son, the Marathi film director and producer Kiran Shantaram, and two daughters, the actress Rajshree and Tejashree.
In 1956, just before the law was changed to prohibit polygamy for Hindus (but not for Muslims), Shantaram married another of his leading ladies, the actress Sandhya (née Vijaya Deshmukh), who had already starred in his films Amar Bhoopali and Parchaiyan and would go on to star in many of his future films like Do Aankhen Barah Haath, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Navrang, Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli and Sehra. They did not have any children together, but Sandhya bonded strongly with Vimalabai and her children, and she lives with them as a respected mother.
Shantaram died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai. He was survived by his three wives and his seven children. Vimalabai died in 1996 after being bedridden for four years. Jayashree died peacefully in her sleep in 2003. Shantaram used to live at Panhala near Kolhapur in Maharashtra state. His daughter Saroj has maintained his house and has converted the rest of the property into a hotel named Valley View Grand.
Here is a song from this film, sung by Shanta Hublikar. Enjoy….
Audio
Video
Song- Bahaar aayee pyaaree (Aadmi)(1939) Singer- Shanta Hublikar, Lyricist- Anant Kanekar, MD- Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar
Lyrics :
bahaar aayee pyaareeaa aa aa aa aa aa
bahaar aayee pyaaree
phool phalon se kehtee(?) daaree
phool phalon se kehtee(?) daaree
aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa aa
bahaar aayee pyaree
??? belaa
ketakee champa
?? belaa
ketakee champa
khil gayee rang mein
phirtee umang mein
hmm hmm hmm hmm
khil rahe rang mein
phirtee umang mein
bahaar aayee pyaaree
aa aa aa aa
pinjre mein chahke
haa haa haa haa
pinjre mein chahke
man ka panchhee
aa aa aa aa aa aa
man ka panchhee
pankh pasaare
ho ho ho ho
??
jaa na jaa na jaa
bahaar aayee pyaaree
phool phalon se ?? daaree
hmh hmm hmm hmm
armaan hain dil mein
armaan hain dil mein
ae ae ae ae
jaage
jaage
ae ae ae ae
jaage
jaage
jaage
mangal gaayen
aa aa aa aa
rang rachaaye
aaj aaj aaj
bahaar aayee pyaaree
phool phalon se sahjee ye daaree
aa aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa aa
bahaar aayee pyaaree
phool phalon se sahjee ye daaree
aa aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa aa
bahaar aayee pyaaree
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