Archive for the ‘Devendra Mohan song’ Category
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 : | 4022 | Post No. : | 15134 |
Today’s song is from film Nakhre-51. It is sung by Devendra Mohan, Shamshad Begum and chorus. This is a foot tapping song, reminding of a Vinod or O P Nayyar song.The tune of this song resembles a more well known song of later period,but I am unable to identify it. This is a second successive song I am discussing, after song from “Hawai Khatola”-46 which also had a similar tune to some other song.
I have come across umpteen number of songs from Hindi films which have similar tunes-in part or the whole song. I am not talking of Parody songs, because Parody songs obviously use a popular tune to make fun of it,with different but funny lyrics. Here the intention is to make a comedy song.
I am talking of those ‘inspired ‘ songs, which are composed intentionally and can be called a copy song. I remember I had written an article ” Ek dil do jaane- Ek tune do gaane “, in March 2013 on a friend’s Blog called Harveypam’s blog. In that article,I had given 20 songs as examples in which tunes were copied from other Hindi songs. Our Raja ji, Ava Suri ji and our regular commentator Partha Chanda ji were regular readers and had put their comments on my article that time. Other readers had put examples of another 50-60 songs which had similar tunes.
This phenomenon of copying can be found in Hindi films since Talkie films started.Initially,the whole song used to be repeated in another film,by other composers. Later on they settled on copying only the tunes,perhaps !
After 1950 onwards, copying a tune became a frequent practice. SD Burman’s song from film ‘ Naujawan’-51 ( Thandi hawaen,lahara ke aayen) was copied 6 more times in different songs in different films. ( the original song itself was ‘inspired’ by ” C’est La Vie” by Charles Boyer from film “Algiers”-1938 ). A well known case is of Madan Mohan copying the tune of Sajjad Husain’s Sangdil-51 song” Ye hawa ye raat ye chaandni”, for his song from ” Aakhri Daon”-58-” tuze kya sunaun main dilruba”. Famous Music Critic Girija Rajendran had openly proved how all songs of film ” Mera naam Joker”-70 were copies from earlier film songs. For example, the Title song “Kehta hai Joker, saara zamana” was copied from ” apni nazar se unki nazar tak” a song from film Hum Log-51.( See, I can write on Poetry side also !!!)
This is a vast subject and a whole book can be written on it. So far only Hindi songs inspired by other Hindi songs has been discussed. If you see songs from Bangla and other languages, then you may have to write 3 books ! Does it mean that there is no originality in Hindi film songs ? No, there ARE original tunes and songs in Hindi films. To conclude this topic,I quote a few lines from the interview of Music Director Nashad, published in Film Fare of 5th August 1955, where he has spoken about inspired songs……
” Although no one says it to my face, I know that there is a section in the film industry who decry my music as “a re-hash of familiar tunes.”
This amounts to a charge of plagiarism.I have no defense, no apology, to offer, except to say that, if am a plagiarist, I am one unconsciously.
With only seven main notes, six ragas, thirty-six raginis and seventy-two sub-raginis, every “new” musical composition is bound to sound familiar in places.
Try to hum any popular film composition of today and then cast back your mind. Make a careful search for a parallel and you will easily find one in some celebrated songs of yesterday….”
This sounds like an excuse to me. What is to Nashad is same to other MDs too, then how come others are not blamed for plagiarism? Let us leave it at that only.
Film Nakhre-51 was directed by Surya Kumar. Yes, he is the same famous Dance Master/ Choreographer of many hit films of 50s and 60s. Suryakumar and Krishna kumar were brothers. Both were Choreographers. The story of Dance Director brothers Krishna kumar and Surya kumar is very interesting.
Anthony (Tony) Lazarus was born in 1918 and his younger brother Robert Lazarus was born on 14-12-1924. They lost the parents and were raised in an orphanage, from where , the famous film dancer Azurie picked them and trained till they became good dancers. Tony became Krishnakumar and Robert took the name Suryakumar. Krishna Kumar started acting and doing choreography in films of late 40s and early 50s. In every film of Mehboob and Kardar, he was present. Soon he became famous. However, he also developed some enemies. Krishnakumar was murdered by his enemies on 7-7-1951. The culprits were never captured.
It is believed that it was Krishna Kumar, who taught Master Bhagwan his famous Dance steps (later copied by Amitabh Bachhan also), making his film ‘Albela’ a block buster. In one of the famous songs in Albela, you can see Krishnakumar’s photo kept on a table, as a tribute to him.
Robert aka Suryakumar started his film career as asstt. in a sound department in Saigal’s last film,’Parwana’-1947. During this period,yesteryear actress/Dancer Azurie trained him and krishnakumar in Dancing. In those days the term ‘Choreographer was not used. They were simply called ‘Dance masters’ or ‘Dance Directors’.
Actress Azurie had a German father and an Indian mother. She is considered as the pioneer in Film dancing in India. She was so famous in films,that Cuckoo modelled herself on her dancing skills and succeeded. Azurie(1907-1998) trained Suryakumar in dancing.
Suryakumar then assisted madame Simka(a disciple of Uday Shankar),in film “Awaara”-1951,when he first directed Helen who was in the chorus of Dancing girls that time. Suryakumar later directed Helen in 31 films.Their last film together was Bombay 405 Miles-1980. Suryakumar was also very friendly with dancer Edwina. He visited her London home many times, after she settled after marriage in London.
Surya Kumar himself also trained Suryanarayana, Oscar and many others. After 1970, Heroines themselves became dancing girls and the roles of Dance masters reduced considerably. Posh Choreographers came on the scene.
Surya Kumar had a penchant for acting. He would himself appear in most of his dances in films. During our college days, it was our pastime to search for him in Helen dances. Surya kumar acted in 7 films, in small roles – Singar-49, Naya Raasta-53, Shesh Naag-57, Bus Conductor-59, Aankh Michauli-62, Har Har Mahadev-74 and Shravankumar-88. Surya Kumar also directed 4 films – Kamal-49, Nakhre-51, Laadla-54 and Saazish-59.
He then worked as a Production assistant and as an editor too,before retiring. His last days were spent in poverty and he died on 19-8-1987 in Bombay.
Normally, choreographers, cinematographers, editors,arrangers,dress designers,art directors etc (artists behind the curtains) are the most neglected people and no one writes about them,so not is much known also about them. It was very difficult to gather information on Surya kumar.
Let us now listen to today’s song. If any reader can identify similar tune song from other films,kindly inform us in the comments column.
(Information for this post was collated, culled and edited from books- ‘Edwina’ by Surjit Singh ji, Flash back by Isak Mujawar, several Facebook group pages and especially ‘Dances on the footpath’ by Richard S, Minai’s cinema nritya gharana and my notes)
Song- Chal meri chhallo chhamaak chham chham(Nakhre)(1951) Singers- Shamshad Begam, Devendra Mohan, Lyrics-Bharat Vyas, MD-Hansraj Bahl
Chorus
Lyrics
titi taam titi taam titi taam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamaak chham chham
titi taam titi taam tam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham
titi taam titi taam titi taam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamaak chham chham
manzil apni door hai
kahin nikal na jaaye dum
ek taraf hai saari duniya
ek taraf meri chhalo chhalo chhalo
ek taraf hai saari duniya
ek taraf meri chhalo
moch na aa jaaye kamar mein
dheere dheere challo
chhallo
dheere dheere chhallo
kero maama haaye raama kero mama haaye raama
hatto sainya chhado bainya
tum ko hai meri kasam
titi taam titi taam titi taam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham chham
titi taam titi taam tam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham
tu hai meri kaakdi aur main tero tarbooz
main tero tarbooz
tu hai mhaari jaatni aur main thaaro rangroot
pahan ke aaya dheela suit
paavon mein lambe lambe boot
abe tu aadmi hai ya bhoot
duniya tumko
duniya tumko
teer kahe talwaar kahe bandook kahe
main kehta hoon atom bomb
bomb bomb bomb
titi taam titi taam titi taam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham chham
titi tam titi tam tam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham
aankhen teri gol button si
humko laage pyaari
haaye hum ko laage pyaari
naak tumhaari tote jaisi
mudi hui matwaari
aye haaye mudi hui matwaari
duniya tumko
duniya tumko
veer kahe
balwaan kahe pahalwaan kahe
main kahti hoon choohe ki doomm
dum dum dum
titi tam titi tam titi tam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham chham
titi tam titi tam tam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham
titi tam titi tam titi tam tam tam
chal meri chhalo chhamak chham chham
manzil apni door hai
kahin nikal na jaaye dum
dum dum dum dum
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
Recent comments