Aadmee kee is zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
Posted by: Atul on: November 8, 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 : | 6686 | Post No. : | 20677 |
Today’s song is from a “Same Name Confusion” titled film – Alam Ara-1956.
India’s first Talkie film was in Hindi, named Alam Ara-1931. Though the film title is same, these 2 films had hardly anything in common, perhaps except that one of the actors in the cast of both films was the same- W.M.Khan and that he sang himself a song in both films, whose record was not made in both these films !
Today’s film Alam Ara-1956 was produced and directed by Nanubhai Vakil (Desai), for his own banner Desai Films, Bombay. The Music Director was A.R.Qureshi aka Alla Rakha Khan Qureshi. All the 11 songs of this film were written by Shevan Rizvi. The cast included Chitra, Daljit, Maruti, Niranjan Sharma, Rajan haksar, W.M.Khan, Sadiq, Minoo Mumtaz, Prakash and many others.
The storyline of the 1956 Hindi film Alam Ara (directed by Nanubhai Vakil and starring Chitra, Daljeet, and Maruti) is an emotional, romantic musical drama. While it shares its name and basic template with India’s historic 1931 first talkie film, the 1956 version features distinct thematic adaptations centered around a daughter overcoming her father’s tyranny.
The powerful and wealthy King Khakan-e-Azam rules his kingdom with strict justice but harbors a deep, irrational hatred for daughters, viewing them as a profound misfortune. After killing his first four infant daughters, he issues a terrifying decree: if the Queen gives birth to another girl, she will be executed alongside the baby.
To save the innocent child’s life, a loyal palace helper or Fakir manages to safely smuggle the newborn girl out of the palace. Named Alam Ara, the princess grows up completely detached from royalty, raised in a humble, isolated hut under the saintly, modest training of a godly figure, Saibaba.
Under this spiritual and holistic guidance, Alam Ara grows into an exceptionally brave, highly intelligent, and well-educated young woman. While her biological father considers her a curse, her progressive actions and preachings bring peace and hope to millions of ordinary citizens.
Years later, as a strong and capable adult, Alam Ara discovers her true lineage. Confronting the systems of the kingdom, she actively steps in to solve the intense struggles of the populace, ultimately securing the throne and dismantling her father’s tyrannical beliefs. Through her journey, she successfully shatters the societal myth that women are weak, proving to the kingdom that they are capable of achieving anything.
Coming back to the First Talkie film Alam Ara-1931, since songs of this film or even the film itself is not available, there is no chance that this film will be discussed here.
For the benefit of our readers, I am putting up a small write up about this old film. We cant expect our younger generation to know about this heritage,unless they are informed about it.
AALAM AARA was produced by Ardeshir Irani,in 1931.The cast included:
Master Vitthal, Zubeida, Prithviraj Kapoor, Jagdish Sethi, W.M.Khan(Wazir Mohammed Khan), L.V.Prasad(he is the same Prasad,who became a very big Producer and Director in South) etc.
The length of the film was 10,000 feet and the total cost of the entire movie was a staggering amount of Rs.40,000 ! (Considering inflation and Gold prices etc. it amounts to 2.5 crores today). The movie had many songs.Generally believed to be 7 songs,but some researchers put the figure at 50.
The first song was :De de khudake naam pyare
Taqat ho gar dene ki,
kuch chahe agar to maang le mujhse,
himmat ho gar lene ki.This song was actually and on the screen sung by W.M.Khan,who acted the part of a Faqir. Since there was no playback singing, he had to sing it loudly and with the accompaniment of Tabla,Harmonium and Violine. The players had to be careful not to come in the frame,as it was shot live. With this kind of circus,it is unlukely that this first talkie had 50 songs !
Well known producer/director of 40s and 50s, Mehboob Khan ( who worked as an Extra here) was to do the Hero’s role,but it was felt that Master Vithal (called India’s Douglus Fairbanks, because of his handsome looks) was more suitable. So Vithal,who was on the pay roll of Sharada Films, was signed by Irani.
Once the shooting started,Sharada Movies dragged Vithal to court for breach of contract. That time Barrister Mohd.Ali Jinnah defended Master Vithal in court.
After few days’ shooting it was realised that Master Vithal, who was famous in silent movies, had a difficulty in speaking in Hindustani. He was summarily removed and Mehboob was called. This time Vithal went to court with Mohd.Ali Jinnah and Irani had to continue with Master Vithal.
To counter the Hero’s disability in communication,Vithal,who did the role of Army Chief, was either shown wounded, unconcious or murmurring, in the film !
The story was about a prediction of a Faqir about who will be the next king, out of the two queens’ sons. Despite the efforts of Dilbahar (the bad queen), the son of Navbahar (the good queen) marries the daughter of the Army chief, and becomes King.
Aalam Aara was the end result of Ardeshir Irani’s efforts. He was the Producer, Director, Lyricist,Story writer, screenplay writer and distributor of AALAM AARA-1931.
The Music Director of today’s film was A.R.Qureshi. This name does not indicate about the real personality Of Alla Rakha aka as A.R Qureshi, who was internationally famous Tabla player. Let us know more about him today.
Ustad Allah Rakha, born as Allah Rakha Khan Qureshi, was born in Jammu and Kashmir on 29-4-1919. He was an Indian tabla player, who popularised the art of tabla playing all over the world. Allah Rakha was born to a soldier, who later returned from the army and worked as a farmer after that, to earn his bread and butter. Being the eldest of seven sons, his father did not expect him to learn music and opposed his idea of learning classical music.
Ustad Allah Rakha, as a young boy of 12 years, found the instrument fascinating while visiting his uncle in Gurdaspur. His inclination towards Indian classical music and the Performing Arts made him run away to Lahore for further learning, as he found little scope of learning the art-form in his home-town. Allah Rakha studied at the Punjab school of classical music (gharana) where he became a student of Ustad Mian Khadarbaksh Pakhawaji (Mian Quader Bakshi). He was trained to be a singer under Ustad Ashiq .
Allah Rakha was also associated with theater as he lived in Pathankot for sometime and worked for a theater company. In 1930, Allah Rakha worked at a radio station in Lahore. According to reports, he moved to Delhi after six years, in 1936, to work with All India Radio. In 1940, he moved to Bombay and worked with Pandit Ravi Shankar and again on All India Radio. He was the station’s first ever tabla solo player then.
After which he even composed music for 42 Hindi films from 1943 to 1958. His first film as a MD was Mahasati Anusuya-43 and the last released film was Idd ka chaand-64. He even sang 14 songs in 7 films between 1942 to 1949.He worked mostly in films made by Hind Pictures, Magnet films, Sunrise films and Mohan studios of Dave brothers. Barring 1 or 2 films like “Bewafa”-52, he got only C grade stunt films or Muslim ibadat films. He gave music in 3 Punjabi Films Madari -1950,Fumman-1951, Jagga-1964. He gave BG music in PYar Ki Baatein 1951. He acted in Aabida 1947. Uma Devi (Tuntun) first sang in Wamiq Azra under MD A R Qureshi.
Ustad Allah Rakha had married twice. He was first married to Bavi Begum and had three sons, Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi and two daughters Khurshid Aulia née Qureshi and Razia. Razia served him in his later years and was like a constant companion to her father. She died after a routine cataract surgery and Allah Rakha could not cope with the shock of her death and immediately slipped into a coma and passed away within 24 hours on 3-2-2000.
Zakir Hussain is one of the most renowned tabla players of India.
Allah Rakha’s son Zakir Hussain grew up to be another legend in the country. Zakir Hussain has also been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1988 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, by the Government of India. The honour that was bestowed upon his father by the Sangeet Natak Akademi came to him as well in 1990. Hussain has been working in films and on albums in India as well as abroad. Hussain owes his career to his father, who had made sure that he remained focused on this art-form.
Ustad Allah Rakha had established the Alla Rakha Institute of Music in Bombay in 1986 and imparted his knowledge of the instrument to all his disciples in the institute. Allah Rakha and sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar brought classical Hindustani music to Western audiences as well. He was honoured with the Padma Shri Award by the Government of India in 1977 for his contributions to elevate the reach of tabla playing as an art form across the globe. Later on, Sangeet Natak Akademi also honoured him.
Ustad Allah Rakha and sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar brought classical Hindustani music to Western audiences as well. Their partnership reached legendary heights with performances at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969. The two performed together in many festivals and elevated the respect and popularity of tabla playing as an art form. Other than Pandit Ravi Shankar, he also worked with renowned Kathak dancers like Sitara Devi and Birju Maharaj.
Ustad Allah Rakha found fans not only in India but abroad as well. Reportedly, American percussionist, the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, was his huge fan. Hart always tried to learn from him even from single visits that Ustad used to make to his country. Hart was also quoted saying, “Alla Rakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of rhythmic development on this planet.”
Other than the Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart, Ustad Allah Rakha inspired George Harrison from The Beatles as well. Both of them performed together for a Concert for Bangladesh in 1971. Mickey Hart also collaborated with him for Rolling Thunder in 1972. The picture we have here is of Hell’s Angels member Terry The Tramp with tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha as they were set to perform together at the Monterey International Pop Festival, June 17th, 1967. He had collaborated with many prominent rock groups.
While Ustad used to generally team up with Pandit Ravi Shankar for his performances, he once collaborated with jazz drummer Buddy Rich for an album, Rich à la Rakha in 1968. Some of his greatest works have been in the form of albums Improvisations, West Meets East, Album 3 (with Ravi Shankar, Yehudi Menuhin, Jean Pierre Rampel, Martine Gelliot), Angel (1976), Master Drummers with Zakir Hussain (1991), Tabla Duet, Chhanda Dhara (1994), Ultimate in Taal-vidya, Magnasound/OMI (1996).
Here is a song from today’s partly coloured film. It is sung by Asha Bhosle and chorus. Enjoy….
Song-Aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai (Alam Ara)(1956) Singer- Asha Bhonsle, Lyricist- Shewan Rizvi, MD- A.R. Qureshichorus
Asha Bhonsle + chorus
Lyrics:
Aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan haiaadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
doosron ke kaam aa ja
ye wohee insaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
aa aa aa aa aa
zahar ka pyaala na ban tu
dard kee ban ja dawaa
o o o o
humdawa humdard ban ke
sab ke dil kee le dua
aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa
chaar din kee zindagee hai
chaar din mehmaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
doosron ke kaam aa ja
ye wohee insaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa
kar bhalaai
is bhalaai mein milega Rab tujhe
aa aa aa aa
sab to tu apna bana
apna kahenge sab tujhe
o o o o o o o o o
uske bandon se muhobbat karna hee imaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
doosron ke kaam aa ja
ye wohee insaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai
aadmee kee iss zamaane mein yahee pehchaan hai ae ae ae ae
Share this:
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
Leave a Reply