Archive for the ‘Song of 1940’ Category
Main rotaa hoon mat manaa karo
Posted on: October 14, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Comparatively, the treasure of Hindi songs by Pankaj Babu is limited. In the Hindi/Urdu domain, Pankaj Babu has scored music for about 25 films from 1933 to 1954, some of them in collaboration with RC Boral. He has rendered less than 40 songs in all, in Hindi films. Outside of films, and excluding the live programs and recordings, the non-film Hindi songs number about 20. And so comparatively, his contribution appears to be not as significant (in the Hindi domain) as that of his contemporaries. His musical creations are more prolific in the Bengali film and non-film space. By some accounts, Pankaj Babu has composed over five thousand songs. Simply going by the numbers, it is evident that his major contribution has been in Bengali.
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Teri dayaa se ae daayee
Posted on: October 12, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie songs and a regular contributor to this blog.
‘Nartaki’ (1940), a production by New Theatres, was considered a musical bonanza, with a number of wonderful songs.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
An almost sublime piece of music, whose author is not known (as yet). This non film offering by Pankaj Babu is a gem that ensconces within itself, immeasurable depths of emotions. The words are just so beautiful, and the rendering by Pankaj Babu highlights the expressions to the utmost.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
In the beginning of the 30s, when the talking films made a debut on the Indian silver screen, and Calcutta was the premier center for film making, with a gathering of renowned stalwarts guiding the industry through its infancy. Names like BN Sircar, Nitin Bose, PC Barua, Debaki Bose, Premankur Atorthy, Prafulla Roy, Kidar Sharma, Aga Hashr Kashmiri, RC Boral, Pankaj Mullick and many more come to mind when one thinks of the film industry, Calcutta and 1930s.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
This song by Pankaj Babu, is a non film offering. Another one of his iconic recordings that is without comparison. Another great favorite of mine for many decades. It appears that during the years from 1930s to 50s, there was a more serious interest in music, as in there is a huge body of great music that was recorded as non-film music. I am not saying that the recording of non-film music is any less in the current years, but the content and quality is a matter of debate. No doubt there are some good quality songs that still get produced, but compared to the entire music that gets generated in a year, the percentage of music that is memorable, and that carries along with the collective memory of the society is definitely diminishing. When one thinks of the singers of the 30s, 40s and 50s, names like Saigal Saab, Pankaj Babu, Jagmohan, KC Dey, and more, their level of good quality memorable songs, in films and outside of films, is almost one hundred percent of what has been recorded. Rather, it is a misfortune that probably a much larger body of their work, as part of live programs and music conferences that happened in those years, is lost now, because it is not recorded, either as audio or even as documentary records of what all they sang. And yet, we are fortunate that we have, what ever that is available on record.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
A tongue in cheek song, if ever there was one. The first line itself suggests that this one is going to be a very very interesting song. Recorded sometimes late 30s or so, this is a gem of a song from the pen of Pt. Madhur. What a pace and a rhythm, reminds one of, ‘aayee bahaar aaj aayee bahaar’.
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Praan chaahe nain na chaahe
Posted on: September 25, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
In the world of Indian cinema, most famous names are known and recognized for specific contributions, in specific aspects of film making. There are a rare few, whose breadth of talent goes beyond a single aspect, and whose influence and impact is evident on the society at large, and not just on the film industry. Their contributions are limited not just to the movie goers and critics, but pervade across the culture. Pankaj Babu is one such luminary figure. Composer, musician, audio innovator, singer, music director, teacher and a part-time actor, he is a colossal figure not only in the field of cinema but recognized as one of the greatest cultural icons of Bengal.
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Madbhari rut jawaan hai
Posted on: September 21, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Pankaj Mullick, the name that shines in the Bengali music and culture as one of the brightest stars. Most of us are familiar with Pankaj Babu as being an accomplished composer and singer. But, much more than that, he was an innovator par excellence. Not many are familiar with the fact that this gifted musician, through his experimentation with providing music to films, originated the concept of background music in Indian cinema, to accentuate the emotions, the action and the pace of the scenes on screen.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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