Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs

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.

Today’s song is from the film Ghayal-1951.

This social film was produced and directed by Ramchandra Thakur. The music was by Gyan Dutt. In this film, there were 11 songs-including a 2 part song-but unusually there were 7 Lyricists whose songs were sung by 6 different singers. While 5 singers were well known, the sixth name ” Bhola ” was unknown. For a long time no one knew who this Bhola was. Many people thought that Bhola was Bhola Shreshtha, the M.D., but it’s not true. This Bhola was Bulo C Rani,M.D. He joined the industry to be a singer. Khemchand Prakash gave him an opportunity to sing in the film Mehmaan-1942. Later, the same year,Gyan Dutt also gave him songs.Bulo C Rani sang 34 songs in 19 films – initially in his own name, and from 1944 onwards as ‘Bhola’, as he had become a Music Director himself by then, with the film Moorti-1944.

Bulo C Rani was a Science graduate. In those days of early cinema, most people who joined the film line were less educated and mostly from lower middle class or poor families. Not ALL of course. There were few highly educated actors, directors, MDs etc but their number was much less. Actresses like Renuka Devi, Vanmala, Nalini Tarkhad etc. were graduates. Actors like Ashok kumar and Ranjan were graduates. Artistes like Dewan Sharar, Devika rani and Shakuntala Paranjpye had International experience, they wrote books also. Director Nanubhai Vakil and actor Surendra were BA,LL.B.

Coming back to film Ghayal-1951,all songs were good. There were 2 solo songs by one of my favourite singers- G.M.Durrani. If there is a contest to rate the male singers of films, I would include G.M.Durrani in the First 3 singers. The other two would be Rafi and Kishore Kumar. I know some of my friends may not become happy, but the personal choices differ from person to person. It certainly does not mean that other singers were any less liked by me, but the difficulty is, you can’t have 5-6 names in the ” First 3 ” !

Bombay (now Mumbai) was a Maya Nagari for millions of wishful film aspirants from the beginning of Talkie films. Those who joined this industry could be categorised into 3 types….

1. Those who joined and succeeded. They fulfilled their desire to become what they wanted. Many artistes in this category had a filmi background. The rest were the luckiest and those who did hard work to get what they wanted. Some examples- Kapoor khandan, Dev Anand, Lata, Rafi, Bimal Roy etc.

2. ” Jaate the Japan, pahunch gaye cheen” walas. Those who joined to become actor, singer, Lyricist etc, but became something else in the industry and succeeded to a great extent in their compromised career. Some examples Talat, Mukesh, Kanhaiyalal, Mirza Musharraf, Kishore Kumar etc.

3. Those who joined but soon realised that this field was not for them and left as soon as possible. Some examples- most wellknown classical singers and Instrumentalists. One example was that of Mukund Rai Trivedi. He was the joint M.D. of the film Gogola-1966, with Frank D’souza (Frank and Rai). After this film Trivedi left films and joined the family business of Mining in M.P. He prospered therein.

The Maya of Bombay was such that some artistes lived a life like a Prince, but died like a Pauper and in a very bad state. Here are some such cases. In Hindi films, there have been three actors who were very handsome and very lucky but zero in acting – Karan Dewan, Pradeep Kumar and Bharat Bhushan. They all appeared in leading roles opposite all leading actresses of their times. They had the best films, best songs and best roles. Karan Dewan had about 25 Silver Jubilees to his credit and was considered a lucky star. Bharat Bhushan had the most musical films to his credit like ‘Baiju Bawra’ (1952), ‘Shabaab’ (1954) and ‘Mirza Ghalib’ (1954) etc. Pradeep Kumar had ‘Anarkali’ (1953) and ‘Taj Mahal’ (1963).

All three had their brothers producing films for them. Gemini Dewan made films for Karan Dewan, R. Chandra made films for Bharat Bhushan and Kalidas for Pradeep Kumar. Unfortunately, in later years, all three lost everything and died in poverty and neglectful anonymity. Karan Dewan was a manager with BR Chopra’s production company. When he died no one came for his funeral except for Chandrashekhar and Manmohan Krishan from the Cine Artist’s Association. Bharat Bhushan even worked as a watchman in a film studio, in his last days. He too died unsung and only the men from the Association were present at the cremation.

Pradeep Kumar’s case is the saddest. He lay seriously ill in the ICU of a Calcutta nursing home, abandoned by his relatives. The hospital was not discharging him, unless the bills were paid. Luckily one Mr. Pradeep Kondaliya, an estate agent, recognised him, despite his grown beard. He paid the huge outstanding bill of the hospital and took Pradeep Kumar to his home, where he passed away after a few days. He was cremated by his fan. Such is the film industry – cruel and ruthless, where the recognition lasts only till one is successful, and even close relatives desert you in bad times.

Master Shiraz……….During his good times, he had learnt the art of Massaging, as a Hobby and this became his last straw for survival. When film roles were not available, he used to roam about with his kit and do Massaging to earn a living. After doing about 26 films, till Naiya-47, he stopped getting credited in the cast. Now he worked as an extra.

He was last seen in film Guddi-1971- doing massage to Omprakash in one scene. In that film, Dharmendra tells Jaya Bhaduri (Guddi) that Master Shiraj was a star in silent film era. Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee ensured that Shiraj got his name in the film credits of Guddi-71.

Master Shiraj was just one of those unfortunate film artistes who spent their end-time in a very pathetic manner. Some other examples are- actor/singer Parshuram- died on road as a beggar, Singer Vatsala Kumthekar- died on road as a mad beggar,Wasti was seen begging near Liberty cinema and Rattanbai was seen begging near Haji Ali. There are many more such stories. The world of films is the most unpredictable and unless the artiste is wise to secure his future, there is no light at the end of the tunnel !

Film Historian Nalin Shah and Jankidas Mehra have written separate articles and described how film artistes died in penury. Some of the artistes they wrote about were Parshuram, Shanta Hublikar, Cuckoo, Master Nissar, Jaidev, Ghulam Mohd., Saraswati Devi, Rajkumari, Shetty, Chandra Mohan, Mazhar khan, S.U.Sunny, V.M.Vyas, Mahesh kaul, Sulochana (Sr.),Vimi, Vatsala Kumthekar and many more.

Why I wrote about all tragedies here is because my favourite singer G.M.Durrani also faced the same fate. He went to the Top and then went down lower than the bottom in the end.

Ghulam Mustafa Durrani, often abbreviated as G. M. Durrani (1919 – 8 September 1988) was a popular and legendary Indian radio drama artist, playback singer, actor and music director.To his credit, He tried to make his own identity as a playback singer and not try to follow the K. L. Saigal type of singing. G. M. Durrani was notable for Sad songs, Romantic songs, Patriotic songs, Quraan Khani, Qawwalis, Ghazals and Bhajans. He was also one of the first Muslim singers to get to sing Hindu Devotionals. G. M. Durrani was also the most senior Punjabi singer-actor at that time.He was radio drama artist and full-time Singer of Lahore station, Delhi station and Mumbai station of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)). His native language was Pashto but he had a strong command over Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. He sang in many Indian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto language in Indian movies in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. After the 50s Durrani sang very few songs. Durrani was the disciple of radio broadcaster Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari.

Ghulam Mustafa Durrani was born in Peshawar, British India in 1919. He was a Pathan (Pashtuns) and belonged to the Mohammad Zai Durrani Kabila. His was from a conservative family where even tea was not taken. Milk and lassi were the drinks of choice. When he used to go to those shops and some songs used to be heard, he used to hum along with them. Everyone used to say this boy should go to Bombay (Mumbai) as his voice was very good. The thought of becoming an actor entered his mind as well. He soon ran out of money to make ends meet.

His mother expired when he was very young. Father was educated and of artistic mind but very strict, and the only ally at the home was his loving grandmother. But she could also not protect him from his father’s anger. His mother was expired when he was very young. Father was educated and of artistic mind but very strict, and the only ally at the home was his loving grandmother. But she could also not protect him from his father’s anger.

The last job Durrani did in Peshawar was of at a painter’s shop where an artist always used to hum the tunes of the songs composed by highly respected Composer and Actor Rafiq Ghaznavi. He also started imitating those songs and got appreciation from the colleagues which inspired him. Durrani started practising Rafiq Ghaznavi’s songs and assumed him as his master. During this time, his father took him to another job at his uncle’s motor-part shop. But the artist within didn’t stayed long there and Durrani ran away from the home to Lahore with only 22 rupees in his pocket.

In Lahore, Durrani did odd jobs along with singing on radio. This brought him fame and passion for radio singing which took him to Delhi first then to Bombay. He came to Bombay (now Mumbai) on 14 April 1935. In Mumbai, he got somehow job at Mumbai Radio Station and from here he got recognition. Filmwallahs started calling him to sing.

His singing career started from AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)). Durrani was discovered by film producer Sohrab Modi. Modi gave him his first chance around 1935-36 in the movie Said-e-Havas, a historical under the music director, classical musician Bundu Khan popularly known as “Taan-Talwar” Bundu Khan.

When Durrani came to Bombay playback system was not there and one had to act on screen. He didn’t like running around trees and refused to work further. He faced a lot of difficulties and could not return as people would call him a “Kanjar”. Minerva was to close down soon too. He soon joined the Delhi Radio Station of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)).

Durrani was working at the Delhi Radio Station where he got acquainted with poet Behzad Lakhnavi whose many ghazals had been sung by Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazals) Begum Akhtar.

He later shifted to the Mumbai Radio Station where he met a big personality at the time, whom he considered one of his ustad (master), Station Director of Bombay station of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)), Baba-e-Nasharayat (Father of Broadcasting) Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari who helped the radio station come up a lot. Durrani called Ustad to Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari for honour. (Z. A. Bukhari, was the Station Director of Delhi station and Bombay station of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)). After the Partition of India and creation of Pakistan, Bukhari was made first director-general of Radio Pakistan (Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation) and later, he served as general manager of PTV (Pakistan Television Corporation).

G. M. Durrani’s salary which was fixed at Rs 40 per month was soon fixed. Here he was working as a Drama Artist. He was soon counted as one of the best drama artist on the radio those days. Over a period of three years his salary had gone up to Rs 70 per month. But fate would soon call him back to films.

Later 1939-40, when the concept of playback singing started he was the first to lend his voice for a film titled Bahurani. The film was made by Sagar Movietone and its music director was Rafiq Ghaznavi. Durrani was then working as a full-time Singer in AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)). Those were British days and they were not allowed to do any private recordings. But Ghaznavi insisted. Durrani laid down some conditions, like; the recording should be fixed on a Sunday night so that no outsiders would be allowed to enter the studio. Secondly, he said that his name shouldn’t appear in credit titles or on discs. The song was a duet with Miss Rose, an Anglo-Indian, who didn’t have much experience as a singer. He was paid Rs.75 for the song as against his salary of Rs.70 a month at AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)). He then chucked up his job on 31 December 1940 and decided to concentrate fully on his film career.

Thereafter he sang for, among others, noted music directors like Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, friend Naushad, Shankar Rao Vyas and A. R. Qureshi (Better known as Alla Rakha, Pandit Ravi Shanker’s famous tabla accompanist) for films like Mirza Ghalib, Humlog, Magroor, Shama, Namaste, Sabak and scores of others. He became very popular. Many singers started their careers with him and he inspired many others too.

He was the idol of Mohammed Rafi who imitated him in the initial days. Now what could be a better tribute to singer than that, that the symbol of divinity in the Indian Music Industry, Mohammad Rafi, followed him. In fact, in 1944 Rafi recorded what he considered his first Hindi language song for the film Gaon ki Gori (1944) for Shyam Sunder, “aji dil ho kaaboo mein to dildaar ki aisi taisi” with G. M. Durrani and chorus.

Geeta Dutt also started her career in her break through movie Do Bhai with the song Aaj Preet Ka Naata toot gaya, a duet with G. M. Durrani for S. D. Burman.

Similarly, Haye Chorre Ki Jaat Badi Bewafa, a duet with G. M. Durrani, was Lata’s first song for composer, Naushad.

Durrani has sung many songs during his career. His output later reduced. According to a story he was influenced not to sing for some time after his Hajj visit and Rafi then helped him get back to singing but by then his career was over. Music composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar in his first film Kurmai (Punjabi-1941) took Durrani as his assistant and later gave him the film Angoori (1943) as music director.

G. M. Durrani was very famous as radio drama artist of Delhi station and Mumbai station of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)).
In the period of K. L. Saigal – Surinder, Khan Mastana and G.M. Durrani were also famous. G. M. Durrani was one of the 40s famous playback singers. Durrani tried to make his own identity as a playback singer and not try to follow the K. L. Saigal type of singing. G. M. Durrani was a legendary Bollywood playback singer. His singing style was to inspire Rafi and others in the years to come. Later G. M. Durrani became a model to many playback singers who followed then. The soulful renditions of Durrani were to be reminded of by Talat’s singing as well.

Mohammed Rafi was influenced most notably, by G. M. Durrani on whose style he based his singing. He sang with his idol in some of the songs such as “Humko Hanste Dekh Zamana Jalta Hai” (Hum Sab Chor Hain, 1956) and “Khabar Kisi Ko Nahiin, Woh Kidhar Dekhte” (Beqasoor, 1950).

G. M. Durrani considered his first famous song was ‘Duniya mein sab jode jode’ of the film “Sharda” (1942) composed by Naushad.

The song Neend Hamaari Khwaab Tumhaare Kitne Meethe Kitne Pyaare, that made him a real rage was however composed by Shyam Sundar for his movie Nai Kahani. This song sung most part by G. M. Durrani with some support by child-star Balakram was playing everywhere. When he sang, this song, the listeners went crazy. This timeless melody can never be forgotten by fans of Indian Cinema:-

Nearly 40 years later, when Tata Oil Mills did a program Mortal Men Immortal Melodies to celebrate fifty years of talkies in India, they invited him to re-render the song. Although many had forgotten him, his voice was still great and he got a standing applause for it.

There was a time when G M Durani was the favourite and most preferred singer for most composers in the industry. From 1941 to 1951, he sang over 300 songs. He is a case of “Riches to Rags”. Once a rich and famous singer,he spent his last few years fighting with Throat Cancer,poverty and loneliness. His end was quite pathetic.

G M Durani was a leading singer, like Surendra. The difference was Surendra sang only in his own films and thus had limitations,but Durani was a playback singer, without much competition. In the 40s, there were hardly any male Playback singers,because most singers were actors themselves and sang their own songs,like Asit Baran. Karan Dewan, Ashok kumar, Prem Adeeb, Arun Ahuja, Balwant singh, C H Atma, Ishwarlal, kantilal, K L Saigal, Pahadi Sanyal etc etc. There were of course few Playback singers like Khan Mastana, S D Batish, A R Oza, Balbir etc,but they were no competition to Durani at all.

Because of this, some singers were jealous of him and there was an attempt to poison him with Mercury Chloride ( sindur) given in a Paan by another well known singer. All relevant stories point out fingers to Hafeez Khan Mastana in this incident as the culprit. Before he could confess, which he wanted to, it seems, Mastana died in absolute poverty and in total neglect near Mahim Dargah. Later on his only son used to be seen begging there for quite some time. One of the RMIM members had met him there.

After singing assignments dried up, he opened a provision stores in Mahim, Bombay and ran it for 3 years. Finally,when the losses mounted, he sold off the business in loss.

In his last days, Durani had Throat cancer. He was looked after well by his sons and daughters. In his last days,he was interviewed by the famous writer shri Rajnikumar Pandya ji. After I came to know shri Pandya ji,he kindly gifted me a CD containing the last interview ( just one day prior to his death) of Durani. So I have not only Durani’s real voice,but also a song he sang from his deathbed for this interview ! Thanks to shri Pandya ji. G M Durani, in that last interview claimed that he had helped both financially and professionally two rising singers-Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, in their initial struggling period. He describes his first meetings with them in the interview.

G M Durani sang many memorable songs like, ‘Haath seene pe jo rakh do to karar aa jaaye’, with Noorjehan in Mirza Sahiban-47, ‘Lara Lappa’ with Lata in Ek thi Ladki-49, ‘Nazar na phero humse’ with shamshad Begum in Deedar-51, ‘Gaaye chala jaa’, with Lata in Hum Log-51, ‘Humko hanste dekh zamana jalta hai’ with Rafi in Humsab chor hain-56. Durani sang about 300 songs. His last song came in ‘Lal Pathar’-71.

G M Durrani acted in 16 films, from 1949 to 1978. He sang 305 songs in 168 films. He gave music as MD in 8 films and also wrote lyrics in film Nazare-1949. ( This is primarily based on the details from Shri Rajnikumar Pandya ji’s book ” Aap ki Parchhaiyan “. My thanks to him. Also thanks to Listeners’ Bulletin No.70 of Sept.1987, together with my own notes.)

Let us now enjoy a melodious song by Durrani from this film……

Song-Ae muqaddar mujh pe itni kis liye naaraaziyaan (Ghaayal)(1951) Singer-G M Durrani, Lyrics-Pt Indra Chandra, MD-Gyan Dutt

Lyrics

ae muqaddar mujhpe itni kisliye naaraaziyaan
le rahi hain kyun teri tirchhi nazar angdaaiyaan
ae muqaddar r
ae muqaddar mujhpe itni kisliye naaraaziyaan
le rahi hain kyun teri tirchhi nazar angdaaiyaan
ae muqaddar r

chal pada hoon main akela aur na manzil ka pata
chal pada hoon main akela aur na manzil ka pata
har kadam par rokti hain kyun mujhe naakaamiyaan
har kadam par rokti hain kyun mujhe naakaamiyaan
ae muqaddar r

kya kahoon kis’se kahoon
kaise kahoon kya dil mein hai
kya kahoon kis’se kahoon
kaise kahoon kya dil mein hai
sunke hans dega zamaana aansuon ki kahaaniyaan
sunke hans dega zamaana aansuon ki kahaaniyaan
ae muqaddar r

ae dar o deewaar tum
ae dar o deewaar tum
ho kisliye haale-tabaah (?)
pad gayin kya tumpe bhi bolo meri parchhaaiyaan
pad gayin kya tumpe bhi bolo meri parchhaaiyaan
ae muqaddar r
ae muqaddar mujhpe itni kisliye naaraaziyaan
le rahi hain kyun teri tirchhi nazar angdaaiyaan
ae muqaddar r r r