Continuing the series on Vasant Desai, his best songs for Lata Mangeshkar as a tribute to her on her 93rd birthday (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022)

Lata Mangeshkar would have been 93 today. This is her first birthday after she left this mortal world and this calls for a tribute to her. Coincidentally SOY is paying a series of tributes to Vasant Desai who was a class composer but was not counted among the top by the conventional pecking order. His songs for Lata Mangeshkar were exceptionally melodious. Vasant Desai Part 1 was devoted to his multifaceted talent in the vintage era (pre-50s) as an actor, singer and music director. The part 2 onwards are devoted to the post-50s era with which we are all more familiar. Vasant Desai Part 2 was devoted to his male singers in which I also included MF duets. Lata Mangeshkar is by far his most preferred female singer (no surprise there), and quite a good number are unforgettable. It became appropriate to post a tribute to her on her 93rd birthday with her best songs by the maestro in Vasant Desai Part 3. This would also include her duets with a female singer.

Even though their association started in 1946 itself (Jeewan Yatra; Subhadra) and he used her as the main singer in her Tsunami year 1949 in Narsinh Avatar (creating an absolutely melodious Hari ko bisaaro na, Hari na bisaarenge) and gave gems after gems post-50s, it appears Lata Mangeshkar was lukewarm in mentioning Vasant Desai as one the music directors who composed some of her all-time great songs. This was surprising because they shared a common cultural legacy: Actor-singer in Marathi theatre and films, and solid training in classical music. Vasant Desai, on his part, did not boast about doing something special for Lata Mangeshkar unlike the other greats – someone taught her Urdu talaffuz, someone taught her voice control and some groomed her in mike training etc. This must be due to Vasant Desai’s modesty.

Many people attribute this chill to Vasant Desai giving a spectacular break to Vani Jairam in the film Guddi (1971). But this came quite late for Lata Mangeshkar to hold any grudge. She has been quite public on Silver Jubilee of her singing career (1967, counting from her first Marathi song in 1942), and coming out with her best 10 or 20 songs, or other public occasions when there was no mention of Vasant Desai. But music lovers do not care for artistes’ personal biases. Let us enjoy some of the best songs of Vasant Desai-Lata Mangeshkar combination as our continuing tribute to him and a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar on what would have been her 93rd birthday.

By 1950-51 Lata Mangeshkar was the Female Playback Singer, but Vasant Desai used vintage-era singers in his films in these years. Lata Mangeshkar became a regular fixture in his work from Hyderabad Ki Nazneen.

1. Kya kya na log chal base shauq-e-jamaal-e-yaar mein by Lata Mangeshkar from Hyderabad Ki Naazneen (1952), lyrics Noor Lakhanavi, music Vasant Desai

Here is a less-known but gorgeous ghazal, composed by the maestro and sung by the nightingale. This ghazal has the same meter, therefore, has close similarity to Parul Ghosh’s Aye bhi wo gaye bhi wo ab to fasana ho gaya (Namaste 1943, Naushad). Another Lata Mangeshkar song in the film, Jaao chamka subah ka sitara is also quite melodious.

2. Ye dil ki dhadkanon se khabar pa rahi hun main/ Shayad ki unhein yaad aa rahi hun main by Lata Mangeshkar from Aanand Bhavan (1953), lyrics Noor Lakhanavi, music Vasant Desai

There are a number of unknown songs of this combination which sound great even on first listening.

3. Sainya jao jao mose na bolo ab na mohe satao by Lata Mangeshkar from Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, Vasant Desai

JJPB was a landmark film in the career of Vasant Desai. Among many gems by Lata Mangeshkar, here is my favourite.

4. Piya te kahan gayo nehra lagaye by Lata Mangeshkar from Toofan Aur Diya (1956), lyrics Meerabai, music Vasant Desai

There are three Meerabai songs in the film; this one set in Raag Asavari and Jaunpuri has to be one of the most melodious.

5. Meri chhoti si bahen dekho gahne pahan asural chali re by Lata Mangeshkar and Geeta Dutt from Toofan Aur Diya (1956), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

This brother-sister teasing song from the same film is a delightful composition. Geeta Dutt sings for the little brother and Lata Mangeshkar for the sister, Nanda.

6. Sainya jhoothon ka bada sardar nikla by Lata Mangeshkar from Do Aankhen Baarah Haath (1957), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

Do Aankhen Barah Haath was the next landmark in the career of Vasant Desai. Based on the theme of reforming twelve hardened and convicted criminals by keeping them in an open jail, the toy-seller Sandhya enters with this folksy song, creating ripples in the all-men’s facility. The toy cart with its unique sound provides the beat and the folk string instrument completes the beautiful instrumental music.

7. Ae maalik tere bande hum by Lata Mangeshkar from Do Aankhen Baarah Haath (1957), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

V Shantaram used to lead the criminals in his voice with this prayer. I have used his version in Part 1 of my tribute. When he himself is seriously injured, the convicts ask the sole woman Sandhya to lead the same prayer. This became known as the quintessential school prayer song until it was displaced by Humko man ki shakti dena.

8. Roothi jaye re gujaria by Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle from Do Phool (1958), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music Vasant Desai

We have this gem next year picturised on Master Romi (singing in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar) and Baby Naaz (in Asha Bhosle’s voice), as childhood lovers.

9. Door andhera hua mast savera hua, main naachun ri by Lata Mangeshkar from Do Phool (1958), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music Vasant Desai

From the same film here is an excellent Lata Mangeshkar solo I heard for the first time.

10. Apne sainya se naina ladaibe hamaar koi ka karihain by Lata Mangeshkar from Ardhaangini (1959), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri

As the song ends the sainya Rajkumar who is an airline pilot returns from his duty.

11. Ja main baaz ayi sainya tere pyar se by Lata Mangeshkar from Do Behnen (1959), lyrics Pradeep, music Vasant Desai

Except Kavi Pradeep’s solo Mukhada dekh le prani, Lata Mangeshkar is there in all the remaining six songs. Here is a perfect mujra song which starts with a recital:

किसकी अँखियों से ली मैंने अँखियाँ लड़ा
ये तो सौदा मुझको मँहगा पड़ा
आज कहती हूँ मैं करके दिल को कड़ा
जा रे जा जालिमा तू है चिकना घड़ा
Ja main baaz ayi sainya tere pyar se

12. Dil ka khilauna haye toot gaya by Lata Mangeshkar from Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

Goonj Uthi Shehnai became famous for Ustad Bismillah Khan’s shehnai. He single-handedly lifted the shehnai to the level of an instrument for solo performance in classical concerts. He did not look down upon the ‘popular’ and was willing to play this tune on the demand of the audience.

13. Mere angana mein ujiyala meri godi mein Gopala by Lata Mangeshkar and Geeta Dutt from Pyar Ki Pyas (1961), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

Skipping Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan and School Master (best known for Talat-Lata Mangeshkar duet, O dildar bolo ek baar) of 1959, we come to a special song Mere angana mein ujiyala, meri godi mein Gopala from Pyar Ki Pyas (1961). There was another Meri godi mein Gopala, a Lata Mangeshkar solo in the film Mausi (1958), but I find this far more melodious.

14. Bharat ki sitaaon ke dukhde jab tak honge choorna nahin, hey Ram tumhari Ramayan tab tak hogi sampoorna nahin by Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle from Sampoorna Ramayan (1961), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

In the same year a mythological blockbuster, Sampoorna Ramayan was released which became a must for family viewing for families which looked down upon films as a bad influence. This had a memorable Lata Mangeshkar solo, Baadalo barso nayan ki kore se. But my memory is of Lav-Kush song in the court of Ram’s Ayodhya who is unaware that these kids are his sons. They sing the ballad of Ram taught to them by Valmiki in his Ashram in the forest. The song makes Ram restless as it charges him with being unfair to Sita. This is common to all Ramayan stories. Ram Rajya (1943) had Bharat ki ek sannari ki hum katha sunaate hain. And the DD National’s eponymous serial had Hum katha sunaate Ram sakal gundhaam ki (by Kavita Krishnamoorthy, Hemlata and Ravindra Jain) which in the end shames all the people of Ayodhya for Sita’s banishment due to a washerman maligning her for her abduction by Ravan..

15. Dar laage garje badariya, saawan ki ritu kajraari kaari chamke matwari bijuriya by Lata Mangeshkar from Ram Rajya (1967), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai

Thereafter Lata Mangeshkar had some in the films Amar Jyoti and Bharat Milap (1965). But the next superlative Lata Mangeshkar song is in Ram Rajya (1967).

16. Jhir jhir barse saawani ankhiyan by Lata Mangeshkar from Aashirwad (1968), lyrics Gulzar, music Vasant Desai

This is probably the last memorable song of Lata Mangeshkar composed by Vasant Desai.

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer:
The YT links of songs have been embedded only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over the songs, which belongs to the respective owners.

The post Vasant Desai Part 3 (post-50s): His best songs for Lata Mangeshkar first appeared on Songs Of Yore.