Jagdambaa jai jai maata Ambaa
Posted by: Atul on: November 10, 2026
- In: "Battle cry" song | "War" song | Devi Durga related song | Duet | Guest posts | Maa Durga related song | Manna Dey songs | Manna Dey Suman Kalyanpur duet | Post by Arunkumar Deshmukh | Songs from dubbed films of 1950s | Songs of 1950s (1951 to 1960) | Songs of 1960 | Suman Kalyanpur songs | Yearwise breakup of songs
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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 Historical, dubbed film – Amar Shaheed-1960.
It was a Tamil film ” Veerpandiya Kattabomman”-1959, made by Padmini Pictures, Madras. The film rights were sold to Alok Bharati, Madras for exhibition etc. The Hindi version was produced and directed by B.R.Panthulu and the music was by Jamal Sen. The main cast included Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Padmini, Ragini and other Tamil artists.
“Same Name Confusion ” is not only seen among artists but even Film Titles were victims of this evil. While the Same Name Confusion for actors reduced to almost zero, this continues still for film Titles. In this field the Hindi filmmakers are the poorest ! When I went through the Film Title index-1913 to 2012, by Hamraz ji, I found that there were 80 films titles which were repeated 4 times, 23 films repeated for 5 times,5 film titles repeated for 5 times and there was 1 film- Insaaf- which was repeated 7 times !. Film Titles repeated 2 and 3 times were too many, beyond a count !
Today’s film also falls in this category. When Atul ji first posted a song from this film on 12-2-2014 on this Blog, one comment on this song caused a doubt in his mind as the commenter claimed that the film was not of 1960 but 1959. Atul ji then tried to go into the details and he wrote to me for my views. He was 100 % correct. There were actually 2 films called ” Amar Shaheed”. The posted song was from a film which was made in 1959 (the songs were recorded in 1952) but it was never released. The other film was released in 1960. I sent him the details as follows….
AMAR SHAHEED-1960… Producer/ Director -B R Panthulu MD- Jamal Sen A Dubbed film from Tamil movie- Veerpandiyan Kattabomman-1959 Cast, Sivaji ganeshan,Gemini Ganeshan,Padmini,Ragini and other Southern actors Total 10 songs
Amar Shaheed- Unreleased film of the 50s
Producer/Director- Gajanan Jahagirdar
MD- Vinod and Vasant Desai
Cast-G.Jahagirdar,leela Chitnis etc.
Total 8 songs.
The songs of this film were recorded in 1952 only,but remained unreleased.
One commenter had also written that his father Arjun Joshi wrote all the songs. Actually Arjun wrote for the 1960 film-i.e.today’s film. Even the son of the lyricist got confused !
In conclusion, today’s song is from the released film. The original Tamil film became a landmark hit film in Tamil Cinema, taking Sivaji Ganesan to the top of the actors’ list. The Tamil film of 1959 was famous for dialogues written by S.T.K.Krishnasamy and delivered forcefully by Sivaji Ganesan. This benefit did not come to the Hindi version, resulting in the film being a boring one. The dubbing was also not very good, taking away all the melodrama. The result was this film did not do well in Hindi.
Since the Music Director Jamal Sen was compelled to use only the Tamil tunes for his songs, he could not do any justice to his music. Consequently, the songs did not become popular. Basically, the Hindi audience never identified themselves with the story and the dialogues like the Tamil audience.
Jamal Sen. His name is not a famous name, because he gave music in just a few films, but the industry wallahs and lovers of classic music know him too well. He was one of those few ones who had immense capability, but like Sajjad Hussain,he too was stubborn, unbending, egoistic, outspoken and reserved. In an industry full of Chamchaas and cut throat competition, artistes like Jamal or Sajjad were misfits.
Lata Mangeshkar respected him so much that to sing in his films, she sent several feelers and messages to him till she was called by him. Lata sang 10 songs for him in 4 films. 6 were solos, 2 male duets and 2 were Female duets.
If talent were the only criterion for a composer to succeed, Jamal Sen should have been the most successful music director of his time. But he was not.
Jamal Sen’s proficiency in Singing, dancing (Kathak) and poetry, lent a touch of completeness to his musical acumen and set him apart from the run-of-the-mill composers, became a liability for him in an industry which had no value for real class. The result: a composer who gave such brilliant scores as in Shokhiyan and Daaera, died unsung, after a long spell of isolation.
Jamal Sen’s forefather Kesarji who hailed from Sujangarh in Rajasthan, was said to be a disciple of Tansen and was hence called Kesar Sen. Jamal Sen was born on 26th November 1904, at village Churu. The family tradition in music was passed on to Jamal at a very young age by his father Jeevan Sen, a court singer and an acknowledged Ustad. Jamal, who could sing and play various musical instruments was especially good on the dholak, tabla and Pakhawaj.
Jamal Sen had been in Calcutta initially and sang on AIR Calcutta. He met Pankaj Mullick and studied Ravindra Sangeet too. Due to this link, he joined Pankaj Mullick in giving music to film Kasturi-54 also. From there ,he shifted to Lahore in 1938.
While in Lahore, Jamal Sen was introduced by music director Shyam Sunder to Master Ghulam Haider, which marked the beginning of a fruitful association spanning 12 years. Sen’s knowledge of classical and folk music and his mastery over the dholak made him an asset to Ghulam Haider in films from Khazanchi (1941) to Majboor (1948), until Masterji migrated to Pakistan in the wake of Partition.
He shifted to Bombay, after partition. Then a chance meeting with director Kidar Sharma gave him a break in films as a composer, and he proved his virtuosity in his very first film, Shokhiyan in 1951.
The imaginative use of the raag Yaman Kalyan in “Sapna Ban Sajan Aaye” sung by Lata Mangeshkar was a testimony to the composer’s command over classical music. The songs — “Raaton Ki Neend Chheen li” by Suraiya, a ghazal where melody is predominant, and “Aai Barkha Bahar” by Lata, Pramodini & chorus, bore the richness of Rajasthani folk music. A “Door Desh Se Aajare” by Suraiya, Lata is a classic example of folk and classical music intermingling to create an enchanting melodic pattern.
Shokhiyan was followed by Kamal Amrohi’s Daera in 1953. Though a flop, the film is remembered for the perennial appeal of the bhajan, “Devta Tum Ho Mera Sahara, Maine Thhaama Hai Daman Tumhara” by Rafi, Mubarak Begum, & chorus, in Raag Bhoop. When the situation required, Sen could also compose a Western tune “Sun Sun Meri Kahani” by Rafi for Bhagwan’s ‘Rangeela’.
Jamal Sen, who had begun his career as a singer on AIR, Calcutta—he was among the first to sing Vande Mataram on radio—should have stuck to a career in classical singing. With his talent and lofty ideals, he was a misfit in films. His inability to manipulate and his refusal to compromise, made him a loner, and the mediocre films which he scored music for led to a colossal waste of his rich talent.
Jamal Sen knew Producer Director K.Asif for many years. Once they met somewhere and Asif took Jamal to the sets of Mughal-E Azam. There a dance sequence was to be shot and Gopikrishna was rehearsing the steps. Jamal saw everything but did not comment anything. As Asif knew him well, he suspected something and asked Jamal what was wrong. Jamal told him that the sets are absolutely appropriate but the dance steps and the ‘Bol’ were not commensurate with the period when Akbar was reigning. Asif asked him then and there to make new Dance steps, prepare the ‘Bol’ and make music for that sequence. Jamal Sen did that and Asif was more than happy.
However that piece of Dance and music was not used by Naushad in the film, possibly due to professional jealousy.
Later, when K. Asif announced Sasta Khoon Mehnga Paani, which had a Rajasthani backdrop, he-asked Jamal Sen to be an advisor to bring authenticity to Naushad’s compositions. But luck once again played truant with him and the project never saw the light of day.
A proud and arrogant man, Jamal Sen never went out of his way to grab work. As a result, he was slowly relegated to the periphery of the music scene, and then to oblivion. Shokhiyaan and Daaera were a thing of the past. A commerce-oriented cinema had little use for his talent. Under the circumstances, it was a poor consolation to him that his imaginative score in the documentary,Madhumakhi, won laurels abroad.
Jamal Sen knew his prowess. And was proud of it. Once, after hearing him sing, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan called him a `Tansen’ and a ‘Sur Ka Bichhu’, Ustad Amir Khan described him as ‘Sangeet Shastri’. Notwithstanding the impressive titles and tributes, Jamal Sen continued to exist in a state of penury, unwanted and uncared for.
Jamal Sen should have been the most successful music director of his time. But he was not. In his last days Sen had but one friend, composer Ghulam Mohammed, who after being afflicted with a serious heart ailment, had shifted to Bombay’s far off suburb, Borivlii, where Sen was living in a dilapidated room.
In his later years, out of sheer frustration, he turned to liquor, and lived on the hope that his sons Shambhu Sen and Madan Sen would carry forward the family’s rich tradition in music. But Madan suddenly died of heart failure at the young age of 40. And he never recovered from the shock. Within a year, on April 12, 1979, he too died.
Jamal Sen composed music for 13 Hindi films.
Filmography:
- Shokhiyan (1951)
- Daera (1953)
- Dharmapatni (1953)
- Rangeela (1953)
- Kasturi (1954), with Pankaj Mullick
- Ritu Bahar (1954)
- Patit Paawan (1955)
- Amar Shaheed (1960)
- Baghdad (1961)
- Alha Udal (1962)
- Manchali (1962)
- Sankalpa (1974)
- Pehla Kadam (1981)- Actually, Jamal Sen had retired in 1962 itself. When film Pehla kadam-81 was planned, a song which he had composed for film Shokhiyan, but had not used, was utilised in this film-Pehla kadam-81.
Here is a song sung by Manna Dey and Suman Kalyanpur with chorus. Enjoy….
Song-Jagdamba jai jai maataa Ambaa (Amar Shaheed)(1960) Singers- Manna Dey, Suman Kalyanpur, Lyricist- Arjun Joshi, MD- Jamal SenChorus
Both
Lyrics:
Jagdambaaaaaaaaaa aa aa aa aa aa
hey ae ae ae ae
jai jai maa jagdambaaaaa
aaaaaa
Jagdambaaaaaaaa
jai jai maata ambaaaaa
Jagdambaaaaaaaa
jai jai maata ambaaaaa
Hey maa Bhavaanee
Kalyaanee jai ho
Hey maa Bhavaanee(aa aa aa aa aa)
Kalyaanee jai ho (aa aa aa aa aa)
Maa Gauree maa kaalee
Ambe vijay do
Maa Gauree maa kaalee (aa aa aa aa aa)
Ambe vijay do(aa aa aa aa aa)
Durge sharan do
Durge Sharan do (aa aa aa aa aa)
praja ko abay do (aa aa aa aa aa)
Ran mein vijay do
Chaamunda maharani Kalyanee var do
Hey Jagdamba
Jai Jai Mata Amba
Jagdambaaaaaaaa
jai jai maata ambaaaaa
Vikraal Vaital
bhairav jai saadhu
Vikraal Vaital (aa aa aa aa aa)
bhairav jai saadhu (aa aa aa aa aa)
ranchandee mundon kee maala sajaa lo
ranchandee mundon kee maala sajaa lo
khappar uthhaa lo
khappar uthhaa lo (aa aa aa aa aa)
damru sambhaalo (aa aa aa aa aa)
damru sambhaalo (aa aa aa aa aa)
khapparon se shonit kee dhaara bahaa do
Hey Jagdamba aa
Jai Jai maata ambaaaaa
Jagdamba aa
Jai Jai maata ambaaaaa
Veer Shivajee ka saahas de
?? nirbhay kar de
Veer Bheem ka bal de ambaaaaa
Jagdamba
Amba Jagdamba
Amba Jagdamba
garaj garaj ker ye senaayen
Dushman dal mein aag lagaa den
Vijay pataaka phehre ambaa Jagdamba
Amba Jagdamba
Amba Jagdamba
Amba Jagdamba
Ambaa (Jai Jagdambe Ambe)
Ambaa (Jai Jagdambe Ambe)
Ambaa(Jai Jagdambe Ambe)
Ambaa (Jai Jagdambe Ambe)
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November 11, 2026 at 4:10 am
I had heard about Jamal Sen, but never really heard about his story or paid much attention to his songs, if I had heard them. Thank you for introducing me to his compositions. Particularly Lata Mangeshkar’s “Sapna ban saajan aaye” impressed me a lot. Your work is indeed unsurpassable and your service to the history of Hindi films is immense. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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