Guest article by DP Rangan, with annotation by Subodh Agrawal, as a joint tribute to Roshan on his 101^st birth anniversary (14 July 1917 – 16 November 1967) and to Madan Mohan on his 43^rd death anniversary (25 June 1924 – 14 July 1975)

(Subodh Agrawal once said that we often think of music directors in tandem: RC Boral & Pankaj Mullick; Naushad & C Ramchandra; Shankar-Jaikishan & OP Nayyar; Khayyam & Jaidev and so on. They had either similar musical sensibilities, or they were the dominant players at some point of time, or they had something else in common. Roshan & Madan Mohan stand out in tandem in many ways: Punjab origin; their classical-based, melodious music far from the ‘Punjab School’; both acclaimed for high quality of their music, but commercial success not commensurate with their quality. One earned fame as the King of Qawwalis; the other, King of Ghazals. After the special series on the stalwarts Anil Biswas, SD Burman, Naushad, C Ramchandra, Shankar-Jaikishan and OP Nayyar, I had planned to write on Roshan-MM in tandem, when DP Rangan wrote to me that he wanted to do a post on Madan Mohan. I passed on my idea of the tandem post with focus on their classical-based songs. That brought in Subodh to a subject that belonged to him in the first place. It is befitting that this post is being written by two guest writers in tandem: One highly motivated to take up any challenge; and the other, learned in classical music with the ability to explain it in a fluent style. Thanks a lot Mr Rangan and Subodh for this excellent post as a joint tribute to the two highly respected music directors. – AK)

While woolgathering I often relapse into old memories reliving the moments when songs used to blare from transistors, a technology gift from Japan, making it possible to carry Music with us on the go. I was particularly mesmerized by songs based on classical music, Hindustani and Carnatic. In the initial years after birth of talkies circa 1931, music directors used to rely on classical music for setting tunes in films and branched into other genres as ghazal, light songs, qawwali etc. in subsequent years. Many of Saigal’s film songs were microcosms of classic music, like Baalam aaye (Devdas), Babul mora (Street Singer), Hat gayi lo kaari ghata (Lagan). The contemporary situation in Kollywood was practically the same. Classical music-inspired film music pieces will hold sway over years and grow in value over ages as there will be no dearth of music lovers to lap it up.

I had wanted to do a post on film songs based on this theme. But I am aware of my crippling limitations in this regard, i.e., lack of expertise in Hindustani classic music. Merely being an avid listener will not impart such knowledge. Inspiration struck when perspiration failed. I decided to take help of Subodh Agrawal for this post and he agreed to add his comments on classical ragas to my post. I am greatly obliged to him for enhancing this post immensely.

As per the advice of blog master, I am writing a tandem post on the music composition of two great stalwarts of yesteryears – Madan Mohan Kohli (1924-1975) and Roshan Lal Nagrath (1917-1967). Birth and death may look antipodal, but in fact are two faces of the same coin of life. 14^th July was a special date in the calendar. While one genius came into the world bringing joy to his household, another left for heavens leaving behind a bereaved family on the same date. Each of them is worth several posts on diverse aspects of their music composition. Combining the works of both in one post calls for extraordinary skill in brevity and I do not know whether I am successful in the venture. I will be waiting with bated breath for the verdict of the blog followers – pat in the back or brickbat.

Roshan was born on 14^th July 1917 at Gujranwala, Punjab now part of Pakistan. From boyhood he had a predilection for music and lapped up K L Saigal songs. He began his music lesson under Guru Manhar Barve. He joined Morris College of Music, Lucknow to further his knowledge of music. He was hired by Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, Producer (Music), AIR, Delhi as staff artist. In 1948, he quit the job and came to Bombay to further his career as a film music director. He assisted Khurshid Anwar in music composition for the film Singaar. Thereafter it was a virtual struggle until he met Kidar Sharma, the producer. His first assignment for the film Neki Aur Badli (1949) did not hit off as the film floundered at the box office. He shared his longing for committing suicide with Kidar Sharma. The latter dissuaded Roshan from such morbid thoughts and gave a second assignment for the film Baawre Nain (1950), which was a runaway success. He knew about the calibre of Roshan more than Roshan himself. That was the start of his glorious career as a music director. His nature was reticent and, hence, he kept a low profile in the film world. He started getting assignments in the1950s but on the whole, his genius was not given its due recognition. His career took a vertical takeoff with the film Barsaat Ki Raat (1960) and stayed afloat in the air thereafter. He gave music for 54 films and his film Taj Mahal bagged Filmfare Award for music and lyrics in 1963. Many of his songs had different rhythm, one for antara and another for mukhda starting with the Rafi-Lata duet from Bawre Nain – Mohabbat ke maaron ka haal ye duniya mein hota hai. He was badshah of the qawwali genre of film songs, which began with an all-ladies affair from the film Chandni Chowk (1954) to the last one in Bahu Begum (1967). He was very sensitive to poetry in the lyrics and more than 20 lyricists wrote the film songs of his composition starting with Kidar Sharma. His strength was in fusion of folk music with classical ragas and bringing out several iconic songs with this amalgam. He had been suffering from heart problem for more than 20 years and died on 16^th November 1967.

Madan Mohan Kohli was born on 25^th June 1924 at Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal was employed as an Accountant General. From the age of two he was deeply engrossed in listening to the music from his father’s collection and could pick out any record asked for. At the age of five, his family came back to India and he was left in the care of his grandfather Hakim Yograj while his father proceeded to Bombay to start life afresh. He joined school in Lahore where his grandfather had his practice. During his stay in Lahore he got basic training in classical music from a local teacher for a short time and he never had a formal training in classical music. After establishing himself in Bombay Talkies, his father brought the family to Bombay. Raj Kapoor and Suraiya were his neighbourhood buddies. He was commissioned in the Army in 1943 as per his father’s wish. Music was his first love and he quit the army and joined All India Radio, Lucknow as programme assistant in 1946. He moved with many musical prodigies of the time when they gave performances for broadcast. He also composed music for a few programmes broadcast by the radio station. In 1948 he drifted to Bombay and started as an assistant to music directors SD Burman and Shyam Sundar for a short time. He launched his music composition independently with his maiden assignment Aankhen (1950). Thus began a career which was to last for another twenty five years (92 films in all including two posthumously released). He gave melodious and lilting music to the films. His misfortune was most of the films with his musical gems were not box office hits. He was a master of ghazals and had no equals in this field. Lata Mangeshkar called him Prince of Ghazals and he finds a place in her 2011 calender – Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet, her reminiscences of 28 music directors including Roshan. Madan Mohan’s film Woh Kaun Thi was nominated in 1964 for best music but did not win the coveted Filmfare Award. He won the National Film Award for best music direction for the film Dastak (1970). He had a tough time staying in the competitive field with several other music directors with their own associated producers/actors in the fray. He started drinking heavily and succumbed to liver cirrhosis on 14^th July 1975.

I have not done full justice to the biography of both these music directors, because of the focus of the post and constraints of space. The songs posted are based on classical ragas. Unlike Roshan, who had learnt classical music in a formal manner, it is a wonder that Madan Mohan without such advantage, composed many songs based on various raags brimming with brilliance, verve and sweetness. It can be attributed to his inborn penchant for music or due to his inherited genes. I can only think of the property of a common segment between two intersecting parabolas in comparing their classical raga based songs.

Because of my limited knowledge of classical music, the ideal option of taking a raga and posting songs from both the music directors is ruled out. I am trying to post one song from each of the music directors side by side. Very few of the songs are contemporaneous. Please excuse the unsystematic manner of posting resorted to by me. I would like to thank Subodh Agrawal again for agreeing to add his comments even on such an inadequate material.

1. Mori atariya pe kaga bole by Meena Kapoor from Aankhen (1950), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Madan Mohan

This was the start of the epoch making career of Madan Mohan. Shekhar and Nalini Jaywant were the leading lights, yet it can be classified as a B-grade film. Nalini Jaywant is flitting like a butterfly for the song. It is based on the raag Pahadi. The original live video from film is below par and I chose this one.

Subodh Agrawal adds: I covered Pahadi in my third post in ‘Classical Songs from Films’ series. I missed out on this beautiful song. Thanks a lot to Mr Rangan for introducing me to it.

2. Garjat barsat bheejat ayilo by Lata Mangeshkar from Malhar (1951), lyrics Indeevar, music Roshan

Coming on the heels of his previous box office topper, Bawre Nain, this title song from the film is sung in a sweet sedate manner by Lata Mangeshkar in the raag Gaud Malhar. All the songs from this film were hits. Indeevar was introduced as a lyricist from this film thanks to the efforts of Roshan himself. The same song was sung by Sumant Kalyanpur and Kamal Barot in another block buster film, Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). The duet proceeds at a fast pace with verve. Both versions are listed below.

Subodh Agrawal adds: Gaud Malhar has been covered in one of my favourite posts in the classical songs series. Both songs given here by Mr Rangan are outstanding examples of the raga. Gaud Malhar is a more joyous version of Malhar, also known as Miyan ki Malhar – which has a certain gravity suggestive of thunderclouds. Gaud Malhar, on the other hand, is pure joy like rivulets formed by rainwater.

3. Main paagal mera manwa paagal by Talat Mehmood from Ashiana (1952), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Madan Mohan

Nargis and Raj Kapoor‘s love affair runs into rough weather and Raj Kapoor is left to moan over his broken heart. In the end, Nargis in ghost form leads Raj Kapoor to his doom. It is another run-of-the-mill film and as usual Madan Mohan has given heavenly music. Only a crooner like Talat can lift this song full of pathos into greatness. This is based on raag Kedar.

Subodh Agrawal adds: Kedar is a raga ideally suited for devotional compositions – as in ‘Darshan do ghanshyam’ song covered in my first post on best films songs based on classical ragas. Here Madan Mohan has deftly and sensitively used this raga to depict a sad, reflective and introspective mood. Other famous songs in Kedar are ‘Ham ko man ki shakti dena’ from ‘Guddi’, and ‘Bekas pe karam keejiye’ from ‘Mughal-e-Azam’. The last one has a slight touch of Kamod.

4. Ae ri main to prem diwani mera by Lata Mangeshkar from Naubahar (1952), lyrics Meera Bai/Satyendra Athaiya, music Roshan

This is one of the all-time classics composed by Roshan. The first line ‘Aeri main to prem diwani’ is borrowed from Meera Bhajan and the rest of the lyrics were composed by the lyricist as mentioned above. Nalini Jaywant glows with divine fervour in singing this song on Lord Krishna. This is based on raga Bhimpalasi. There is also another lovely song based on classical raga – Kajrari matwari madhbhari do akhiyaan sung by Raajkumari, a dance number. The film will fit in AK’s formula G-G-B category with a happy ending. This was posted as this film is also of 1952. (AK: G-G-B refers to Girl-Girl-Boy – a love triangle with a hero and two heroines.)

Subodh Agrawal adds: Bhimpalasi is a beautiful raga with easy appeal to lay listeners of classical music – much like Desh, Durga and Pahadi. I used the haunting song ‘Beena madhur madhur kuchh bol’ in my first post referred above, under the mistaken impression that the number of songs in this raga will be small. However, I have discovered many more songs in this raga and hope to do a post on Bhimpalasi along with some other afternoon ragas like Patdeep, Madhuvanti and Multani. (AK adds: The readers would be delighted that Subodh has plans of covering so many more ragas.)

The next two songs are based on the raag Bhairavi, one of Madan Mohan and Roshan each.

5. Tu pyar kare ya thukaraye by Lata Mangeshkar from Dekh Kabira Roya (1957), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Madan Mohan

A film with an interesting theme. Three boys looking for job in their chosen profession and three girls also looking for husbands in pursuit of arts, like actor, singer, and painter. The girls’ choice of partner is not the one pursuing the avocation they were dreaming. On realizing their mistake, they are sad and a string of three songs is sung by each one of them and this is the last one by Shubha Khote. The genius of Madan Mohan is revealed in the three ragas in which they are composed. The usual YouTube video combines all the three and after a search I landed on third one. It ends with a line of the first song based on raga Aahir Bhairav. All the songs are exemplary in quality. The song by Manna Dey – Kaun aya mere man ke dware – in Raag Rageshree is also enchanting.

6. Laaga chunri mein daag by Manna Dey from Dil Hi To Hai (1963), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Roshan

Roshan could not have chosen someone better than Manna Dey to render this song. This song of love and the dance scene coalesce admirably. The dance notations are sung so very well. Roshan had created another immortal tune.

Subodh Agrawal adds: Bhairavi is one of the most popular ragas with music directors; at least it used to be in the golden era. A good number of popular songs of Saigal: ‘Babul mora’, ‘A qatib-e taqdeer’, ‘Madhukar shyam hamare chor’, ‘Jab dil hi toot gaya’ are in Bhairavi. Manna Dey and Lata have given several wonderful songs in this raga, though injustice has been done to the former by giving many of his songs a lighter touch and presenting them on screen by comedians. Bhairavi is usually the last raga to be presented in a concert, and I hope to round off my series with this raga as and when the time comes. Bhairavi is capable of expressing a wide range of moods and Mr Rangan has chosen two very good examples: the first one by Madan Mohan presents a sweet romantic mood, while the second one is playful and energetic, despite the sufiana lyrics.

7. Ae ri jaane na doongi by Lata Mangeshkar from Chitralekha (1964), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Roshan

Pradeep Kumar, Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar are the main artistes. It is a historical movie and did not do very well at the hustings. As usual Roshan had given songs of enduring excellence and very sweet for the ears. This song is based on the raga Kamod and depicts a dancing scene.

Subodh Agrawal adds: It is a pity that a beautiful raga like Kamod has so few songs in it. This one figured in my post on romantic ragas along with ‘Sharabi sharabi yeh sawan ka mausam’ – the only other song to my knowledge that is definitely in this raga. Even classical pieces are relatively rare. The best one I know is by Rajan and Sajan Mishra, mentioned in my article.

8. Ja re badra bairi ja by Lata Mangeshkar from Bahana (1960), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Madan Mohan

Leading role is that of Meena Kumari. She plays the role of a mentor and cures the calf-love of the hero for her and unites him with the lady who loves him. The film is littered with songs that can be heard again and again without tiring. This song is based on raag Yaman Kalyan. Tum chaand ke saath chale ao by Lata Mangeshkar from Ashiana (1952) is also set to the same raga.

The following two songs are based on the raga Yaman, one from each of the two music directors.

9. Zara si aahat hoti hai by Lata Mangeshkar from Haqeeqat (1964), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Madan Mohan

Haqeeqat showed the experience of a soldier in war based on the 1962 Indo-Chinese war on the Himalayan front. Dharmendra and Priya Rajvansh were the lead pair with others like Balraj Sahni and Jayant. The film was produced and directed by the leading director Chetan Anand. Chetan Anand started a dialogue with the Army and with their active involvement produced the film. As usual Madan Mohan rose to the occasion and gave many musical gems. This song is picturized on the heroine, a girl from Northeast. Another popular song, Ho ke majboor, was a group effort by four singers, led by Mohammad Rafi, the other singers being Bhupendra, Manna Dey and Talat Mahmood.

10. Man re tu kaahe na by Mohammad Rafi from Chitralekha (1964), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Roshan

A historical movie with Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari taking centre stage along with Ashok Kumar and Mahmood, Chitralekha is embellished with sapphire and ruby gems in the form of film songs set to music as only Roshan can. Mohammad Rafi thrills the listeners by singing in his well moulded voice and this will be one of his best in any music album.

Subodh Agrawal adds: Yaman, and its variant Yaman Kalyan, were covered in my second post. Like all great ragas it is capable of expressing a wide variety of moods. It was a favourite raga of Roshan, and one can do a post on Roshan’s songs based on Yaman alone. His son Rajesh Roshan has also used Yaman in the song ‘Papa kahte hain’, although his compositions lack the complexity and depth of the elder Roshan. Madan Mohan has not shown partiality to any particular raga. His two songs given above by Mr Rangan are truly outstanding. ‘Ja re badra bairi’ is one of the most delightful songs set in this raga. ‘Man re’ is more in line with the main mood of Yaman – a combination of Bhakti and Shant rasas.

11. Bainya na dharo balma by Lata Mangeshkar from Dastak (1970), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Madan Mohan

Sanjeev Kumar and and Rehana Sultan are the hero-heroine pair. This song by Lata Mangeshkar is her usual best and she completes the assignment with aplomb. The song is set in the raga Charukesi, an import from Carnatic Music. Despite the passage of more than 45 years, this song is as good to hear now as it was in 1970 confirming the immortality of Madan Mohan sangeet. Another piece from the movie – Maai ri main kaase kahun by Lata Mangeshkar is in raga Marwa.

Subodh Agrawal adds: Charukesi, as mentioned above by Mr Rangan, is an import from Carnatic Music, and it has become very popular in concerts. I do not know enough about it to say anything more. ‘Baiyaan na dharo’ is among the best classical-based songs of Madan Mohan.

I wouldn’t have recongnized Marwa in ‘Mai ri main kaase kahun’. Marwa is a wonderful raga with a mood of pathos mixed with detachment. I am not aware of many film songs in this raga. When it comes to classical music, there is Amir Khan and then everyone else. Amir Khan’s Marwa is among the greatest recordings of classical music.

12. Hum intezaar karenge by Mohammad Rafi from Bahu Begum (1967), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Roshan

A love story with leading roles by Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari, and buttressed by others, such as Ashok Kumar, Lalita Pawar and Helen. A reluctant Meena Kumari is inexorably drawn towards Pradeep Kumar when she listens to his singing with Ashok Kumar as a mute spectator. Mohammad Rafi sails through as is his wont. The song is set in the raga Durga.

Here is the same song as a duet by Asha Bhosle and Mohammad Rafi. This song must have preceded the solo in the film as it is sung in a happy mood by Meena Kumari in the company of Naaz and the male solo is probably a reminder to the heroine.

Subodh Agrawal adds: When it comes to Durga, I defer to AK – whose love for this raga knows no bounds. (AK adds: I am illiterate in music, but somehow I fell deeply in love with raga Durga. You might think that a raga which uses only five shudh notes of the scale and no komal notes would be severely limited. But raga Durga by any classical musician transports you to the divine. My favourite film songs in this raga are Chanda re mori patiya le ja, Brindavan ka Krishna Kanhaiya and Pankaj Mullick’s Sundar nari preetm pyari. However, some film songs may be quite disappointing. In my opinion Kishori Amonkar’s Geet gaya pattharon ne diminished her, and probably she realized that it was a mistake to foray into singing film songs. In the broad light genre, the ultimate in my list is Pankaj Mullick’s non-film song Ye raatein ye mausam ye hansana hansana. I have written a post titled ‘A novice’s romance with Raga Durga’.)

I am presenting a joint post, probably a first in SoY history. Constraints of space forced me to leave out many more outstanding songs in this genre. I expect the experts to do the needful confining themselves to these two music directors and songs based on classical raga. At least that is my hopeful wish. I do not mean to constrain the freedom of blog followers.