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.

Wonder pe Thunder !

Today’s song is from film ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ (1971). When I found that this very popular and famous song of the early 70s was yet to be covered in the blog, my first reaction was to disbelieve it. I was almost sure that there was some mistake. I scanned the entire ‘H’ alphabet film list, bur could not see this song under any heading. Then I checked the year wise and MD wise lists – with same result. I was wondering how this song has escaped from the keen eyes of our contributors, who are specialists in the songs of the 70s ! At the end of it, I even checked with Atul ji, who confirmed that the song, indeed, was yet to be covered by us. This was a bonanza for me.

This is one of the songs of RD Burman, which I liked very much. Comparatively, he was one of the new composers in those times – in my opinion – though he had already done about 40 films before ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ (HRHK). In last few years I had liked few songs from his earlier films like ‘Parichay’ (1972), ‘Seeta aur Geeta’ (1972), ‘Caravan’ (1971), ‘Kati Patang’ (1970) and ‘Teesri Manzil’ (1966). However, he suffered in my hands, due to my biased view of film songs of the period of 70s and beyond and except few more songs of RD Burman, I never liked his music, which in general I felt, was too loud and mostly copied from other sources (see several U-Tube videos on this issue, as a proof). However, I concede that he was a worthy son of a worthy composer compared to some other composer-son composers and that his music was much better than theirs and that he lasted for a longer period, cut short only by his sudden death in 1994, at the age of 55 years.

Today’s song is sung by Asha Bhosle and chorus and its video shows that it was sung on screen by a Hippie Girl (Zeenat Aman) amidst a smoking Hippie crowd. Somewhere in the year 1966, I had visited Goa (Panaji) to participate in a conference. During my visit, we had 2 free days and we roamed around the beautiful beaches of Goa. Goa had been liberated from the Portuguese about 6 years back and the Indian tourists did not have enough time yet to spoil the beaches and cities of Goa. So we could really enjoy our trip. During our beach visits we saw many Hippie groups, behaving in a ‘who cares’ attitude on the beaches. No wonder, many of my colleagues took their photographs to show in their respective private circles. That was a time when the Hippie culture had spread around the world.

Hippie (also spelled hippy) people were members of a counter cultural movement during the 1960s and 1970s, that rejected the mores of mainstream American life. The movement originated on college campuses in the United States, and also spread to other countries. Hippies felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression, and they developed their own distinctive lifestyle. They favoured long hair and casual, often unconventional, attire, sometimes in ‘psychedelic’ colours.

Many males grew beards, and both men and women wore sandals and beads. Long flowing granny dresses were popular with women, and rimless granny glasses with both men and women. Hippies commonly took up communal or cooperative living arrangements, and they often adopted vegetarian diets based on unprocessed foods and practiced holistic medicine. Hippies tended to be dropouts from society, foregoing regular jobs and careers, although some developed small businesses that catered to other hippies.

Hippies advocated non-violence and love, a popular phrase being “Make love, not war,” for which they were sometimes called ‘flower children’. They promoted openness and tolerance as alternatives to the restrictions and regimentation they saw in the middle-class society. Hippies often practiced open sexual relationships and lived in various types of family groups. They commonly sought spiritual guidance from sources outside the Judeo-Christian tradition, particularly Buddhism and other Eastern religions. Hippies promoted the recreational use of hallucinogenic drugs, particularly marijuana and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), in so-called head trips, justifying the practice as a way of expanding consciousness.

By the mid-1970s the movement had waned, and by the 1980s hippies had given way to a new generation of young people who were intent on making careers for themselves in business and who came to be known as yuppies (young urban professionals). Nonetheless, hippies continued to have an influence on the wider culture, seen, for example, in more relaxed attitudes toward sex, in the new concern for the environment, and in a widespread lessening of formality.

Film HRHK was Dev Anand’s idea. Initially, he wanted Zahida to become its Heroine. She, however rejected the offer when she learnt that in the film, she would be Dev’s sister – Jasbir. Dev Anand also wanted SD Burman to do the music. When Dada heard the original story, in which Zeenat falls in love with Dev, not knowing that he was her brother, Dada flatly refused the film and also advised Dev to change the story, as Indian public would be averse to an incest story. Eventually RD Burman was selected as MD.

Similarly, this song – “Dum Maaro Dum” was originally to be a duet of Usha Uthup and Lata Mangeshkar. Possibly Asha Bhosle, who was on the verge of leaving OPN and joining RD Burman (who had applied for a divorce with Rita –  his wife) scuttled the plan and the song came to Asha as a solo and another duet with usha Uthup. RD burman then changed the whole tune of the song, using Asha’s skill of singing in higher pitches.

All songs of this film became popular, especially “Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai” and “Dum Maaro Dum” were heard everywhere. The lyrics of the song “Dum Maaro Dum” were very apt to indicate and describe the philosophy and frustration of the younger generation in that period –

duniya ne hum ko diya kya
duniya se hum ne liya kya
hum sab ki parvah karen kyun
sabne hamara kiya kya

All this clearly indicated what was eating the minds of young people.

Fortunately, 70s was the period when the Hippie culture was on decline worldwide. As such, this type of philosophy and such cult did not fit into the Indian mind set in any case. Therefore, this culture did not grow much here and had a natural end – like everywhere else in the world.

Two interesting anecdotes about this film. One, Dev Anand in his autobiography -“Romancing With Life “, published in 2007, had confessed that during this film, he had fallen in love with Zeenat. He was to make a confession to her, when he learnt that she had gone very close to Raj Kapoor. In one party, he also saw Raj kapoor hugging Zeenat and she was responding to him. Dev was disillusioned. He knew that Zeenat was keen to work in RK’s film ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, and that all this was due to that only. He simply removed her thought from his mind.

Second is about the Burmans. In the program ‘Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan’, Pancham narrated that – “Papa used to go for morning walk everyday in Juhu. People recognised him and would say, look, SD Burman is going. One day he came back very excited. He told me, today people recognised me and said, Look RD Burman’s father is going. Papa was proud of me that my music in HRHK was famous and popular.”

Nandu Chawathe- a leading fiddler and violinist was associated with Pancham in those days. This person – Nandu Chawathe, was a guest in one of our get togethers of Atulites in Mumbai, thanks to one of our members Nitin ji Shah. He had played some songs on his violin in that meeting,  Chawathe says that Dev Anand was very much upset, when Asha replaced Lata and Pancham took time to compose the new tune for Asha Bhosle. The final product, however, pleased Dev Anand.

The story of the film, as given in wiki, is –

In the background of the rise of the International Hare Krishna movement in the 1970s, is a Montreal-based family of the Jaiswals, consisting of mom, dad, son, Prashant, and daughter, Jasbir. Due to differences, Mr and Mrs Jaiswal separate, leaving Jasbir with dad, and Prashant with his mom. Eventually Prashant and his mom travel to India, leaving father and daughter behind in Montreal. Mr. Jaiswal remarries, and brings his new wife to live in his home. Jasbir is told by her nanny that her mother & brother are dead. Back in India Prashant is sent to a boarding school and his father makes sure that none of Prashant’s letters reach Jasbir, so that it would be easy on her part to get over emotional trauma. Jasbir is upset with her inconsiderate step-mother and ignorant father who is deeply immersed in his business.

Years later, Prashant has grown up to be a pilot. He has received a letter from his dad that Jasbir, who had rebelled and left home, is now located in Kathmandu, Nepal, with a group of hippies. Prashant decides to find his sister and hopefully get her back to the family. When Prashant lands in Kathmandu he does not find Jasbir, but instead finds Janice, who is indeed his sister with a new name. Janice has no recollection of her childhood, and is always in the company of hippies spending most of her time consuming alcohol & drugs with them.

Janice lives with the hippies in the property rented out by local landlord Drona. Drona’s real business is stealing ancient artifacts from Kathmandu and selling it to foreign nationals. Michael, one of the hippies, is the one who does all the dirty work for him. Janice’s boyfriend Deepak misunderstands that Prashant is trying to woo Janice, hence they exchange a few blows every time they meet. Meanwhile, Drona has an eye on Shanti, a local salesgirl working in one of the shops owned by him. Shanti has feelings for Prashant which creates one more enemy for him. Later Prashant and Shanti elope and get married. At the same time a precious idol is stolen from local temple by Michael, which he hides in Janice’s house. Prashant secretly observes all this. Drona tries to frame Shanti for theft by secretly planting another stolen artifact in her house. Later he spreads the word that since the day Prashant has arrived idols are being stolen and he is stalking local girls.

The police commissioner is a friend of Prashant’s father, and has already received a letter stating the purpose of Prashant’s visit to Kathmandu. He suspects that Drona is trying to frame Prashant because he has married Shanti. He gets a search warrant for the entire property of Drona and recovers a diary which has contact details of his friends abroad who help him sell the stolen artifacts. The police also recover the stolen artifact from Shanti’s home, squarely blaming Prashant for it. Shanti is deeply hurt by this and looks around for Prashant. Prashant meanwhile is with Janice, trying to convince her that he is her brother, who she had been told dead long back. Michael overhears the conversation & conspires to put the blame on the brother-sister duo. Taking advantage of the situation Drona and Michael instigate the locals against Prashant by framing him for the theft and duping Shanti under pretext of marriage. The hippies and the locals are now ready to bash Prashant the moment they come across him.

When Prashant again tries to meet Janice, the hippies give him a solid thrashing. The police commissioner intervenes and Prashant is saved. At the same time the true face of Drona is uncovered and he meets his end trying to run away from police. Janice sees that both her parents have arrived to meet her and realizes that Prashant is indeed her brother. Janice is deeply hurt that her parents had to see her in this state. She runs away from them and commits suicide. In her suicide note she tells Prashant how deeply she loved him and she never intended him to find her in this state and suicide was the only way out for her.

‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ (released on 9-12-1971) was a Landmark film for Navketan – a film production company, which could boast of a world record (yet unbeaten) that the company was run for 62 years by the same person who established it in 1949 ! The cult song “Dum Maaro Dum” became so popular that no function was complete without this song for the next 10 years! Enjoy this song here today…..

[Author’s Note: The article uses information from books ‘Gaata Rahe Mera Dil’ and ‘Music Beyond Boundaries’, Wiki, The Hindu and my notes].

Video (Partial)

Audio (Complete)

Song – Dum Maro Dum, Mit Jaayen Gham  (Hare Rama Hare Krishna) (1971) Singer – Asha Bhosle, Lyrics – Anand Bakshi, Music – RD Burman
Female Chorus
Male Chorus

Lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)

hush..shh..shh..shh

dum maaro dum..mm..mmaaaa
mit jaaye gham..mm..mmaaaa
bolo subah shaa..aam
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram

dum maaro dum..mm..mmaaaa
mit jaaye gham..mm..mmaaaa
bolo subah shaa..aam
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram

pa..aa pa ra pa pa tu tu tu
aa..aa ee..ee
ta raa ta raa ta raa ta raa raa..aa

duniya ne hum ko diya kya
duniya se hum ne liya kya
hum sab ki parvah karen kyon
sab ne hamaara kiya kya
duniya ne hum ko diya kya
duniya se hum ne liya kya
hum sab ki parvah karen kyon
sab ne hamaara kiya kya

aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa

dum maaro dum..mm..mmaaaa
mit jaayen gham..mm..mmaaaa
bolo subah shaa..aam
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram

hush..shh..shh..shh

dum maaro dum..mm..mmaaaa
mit jaaye gham..mm..mmaaaa
bolo subah shaa..aam
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram

chaahe jiyenge marenge
hum na kisi se darenge
hum ko na roke zamaana
jo chaahenge hum karenge

aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa

dum maaro dum..mm..mmaaaa
mit jaayen gham..mm..mmaaaa
bolo subah shaa..aam
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram
hare krishn hare ram

———————————————————-
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
———————————————————-
हश॰॰शश॰॰शश॰॰शश

दम मारो दम॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
मिट जाएँ ग़म॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
बोलो सुबह शा॰॰आम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम

दम मारो दम॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
मिट जाएँ ग़म॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
बोलो सुबह शा॰॰आम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम

पा॰॰आ प र पा पा तु तु तु
आ॰॰आ ई॰॰ई
त रा त रा त रा त रा रा॰॰आ

दुनिया ने हमको दिया क्या
दुनिया से हमने लिया क्या
हम सबकी परवाह करें क्यों
सब ने हमारा किया क्या

आ॰॰ आ॰॰ आ॰॰ आ॰॰

दम मारो दम॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
मिट जाएँ ग़म॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
बोलो सुबह शा॰॰आम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम

हश॰॰शश॰॰शश॰॰शश

दम मारो दम॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
मिट जाएँ ग़म॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
बोलो सुबह शा॰॰आम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम

चाहे जिएंगे मरेंगे
हम ना किसी से डरेंगे
हमको ना रोके ज़माना
जो चाहेंगे हम करेंगे

आ॰॰ आ॰॰ आ॰॰ आ॰॰

दम मारो दम॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
मिट जाएँ ग़म॰॰मम्म॰॰मम्मआ॰॰आ
बोलो सुबह शा॰॰आम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम