Archive for the ‘Translations by readers’ Category
This article is written by Sudhir,a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Rewinding back to 1950. The earlier year, 1949, had proved to be a golden year for music and songs in Hindi films. Many a memorable films and many many memorable songs got released in this year, and many relatively new artists got launched on hugely prolific careers. Some writers accord the period from 1949 to 1952 as the best period of music in Hindi film industry. But one voice was relatively unheard. A very new singer by the name Asha Bhosle, was just fledgling, and a career that was still to take a shape. Sixty one years hence, she would be celebrated as the most recorded singer in history. But back, in 1949 and 1950, you could count her songs on your fingers. All of sixteen years old at that time, and already saddled with turbulent personal affairs, no wonder that she did not have many songs to her credit in this golden period of Hindi film music.
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Raam duhaayi hai raam duhaayi hai
Posted on: March 26, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Roshan, a name that immediately brings to mind the iconic qawwalis of ‘Barsaat Ki Raat’ (1960), or the perennial sentimental favorite “Caarvaan Guzar Gayaa, Gubaar Dekhte Rahey” from the film ‘Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal’ (1965). A master musician who would blend the classical and the folk with graceful ease, Roshan had his training under famous masters such as Ustad Allauddin Khan and Ustad Bundu Khan (saarangi king). After working with All India Radio in Delhi for about a decade, he moved to Bombay in 1948 in search of a career as a music director in films. He got introduced to Kidar Sharma, who was so impressed by his musical acumen that he actually made some changes to his next production. Plans were underway for the film ‘Neki Aur Badi’, and Snehal Bhatkar was already assigned the music direction responsibility. After meeting with Roshan, Kidar Sharma had a talk with Snehal Bhatkar, who agreed to let Roshan handle the music department. That is how the debut break came Roshan’s way.
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Hain abhi aur ae dil tere imtihaan
Posted on: March 23, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie songs and a regular contributor to this blog.
Today is 23rd March, a day that is remembered as the day of martyrdom of the three young and brave sons of this earth, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru. In 1931, the supreme sacrifice that these young men in their twenties chose to make for the cause of our nation, became an inspiration for the subsequent generations – a ideal that still arouses the patriotic fervor.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
“Caarvaan” (1971) is one of the first films that I remember having seen on the big screen. And I was then too young to understand the sentiments of sensuality. In later years, when I would revisit this film, on TV and in reruns, I would be more mature to appreciate the emotions and passions ensconced in this song. This film was the probably the first film in which Aruna Irani attracted attention as an accomplished character actor with a wholesome meaty role as a gypsy girl, so much in love with a truck driver.
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Jai Jaikaar karo maata ki
Posted on: March 23, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Greetings to all on the arrival of the Navratri festival, a nine days celebration of Maa Durga, the Mother Goddess. And even more – hearty greetings for a Happy New Year, Nav Samvatsar 2069, the beginning of the new year as per the Vikrami calendar, established by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. The calendar starts with the first day after the new moon in the month Chaitra, and generally falls in March-April time frame.
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Mujhko sahaara dene waale
Posted on: March 23, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
A lovely and endearing song – a song that I encountered just today for the first time. Sometimes, well not only sometimes, but quite often, some of the songs by Asha Bhosle, give you a sudden surprise – oh OK, so it is Asha. On first hearing in passing, if one did not know the singer’s name, the mind would not easily pick out Asha ji’s name as the singer. Yes, a very soft, a very humble, and a very mellow composition.
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Kaisa ujda chaman khushi ka
Posted on: March 23, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
A very remarkable song indeed. Not just for the words and music, but the way the music is arranged, and the manner in which it has been rendered. The special feature of remark-ability can either be told, or can be perceived by listening to the song itself. Maybe some of the readers would pause reading this write up, listen to the song and then come back to read the rest of it. And possibly, some readers can recognize what is special about this song.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Ravi Shanker Sharma departed from the mortal world last evening (7th March, 2012). Better known as simply Ravi, to the masses and the audiences of Hindi films, Ravi was 86 years, having just celebrated that milestone 5 days ago.
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Zindagi jab bhi tere bazm mein
Posted on: March 1, 2012
“Umrao Jaan” (1981) is a treasure of some of the finest ghazals that have been created in Hindi movies. Most of these songs are sung by Asha Bhonsle in the movie, but there are songs in other voices too in this movie.
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Main hoon apni lagan ka maaraa
Posted on: February 24, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Digging for songs by the so called second rung music directors is the same as wading through unheard and lost melodies from films that are now obscure, and even more rare than the songs themselves. One can just imagine – the time that these movies would have been created and released. Whatever the film, the team that creates it always has a motivation for enthusiasm – whether that motivation be money, or fame, or simply the love of the art. The team knows that it does not have the (so called) best of players or directors or writers or composers. And yet, I am sure, as the film is being created, as the songs get written, and as the music gets composed, there would be a keen eagerness in the minds of the team members, that they have a winner this time. The songs, the story line, the music, the acting, all seems very great to the folks who are doing those things. And the release and distribution is planned, posters are printed, and then displayed for generating public interest. The film comes to the cinema hall, some people do surely go and see it. If the star attraction is more, and the hype about the film is great, then a large, very large number of people will go and see it. And at times, the music is so catchy that it becomes the talk of the streets.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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