I understand most people on SOY know that Saraswati Devi was technically not the first female music director of Hindi film music. As per the current knowledge, two women preceded her – Ishrat Sultana (the singer Bibbo) was the first who composed music for the film Adal-e-Jahangir (1934) and the second was Jaddanbai who gave music for Talaash-e-Haque (1935) in which she also introduced her daughter, the famous Nargis, as a child artiste under the name Baby Rani. Saraswati Devi was really the third with her debut film Jawani Ki Hawa (1935) under the banner of the famed studio, the Bombay Talkies.
But if we have to anoint someone as The First Lady, how many of us can name any song composed by Ishrat Sultana or Jaddanbai? I can’t, and I guess hardly anyone can (A site states that no commercial records of their songs were made). In the men’s world of film music, Saraswati Devi was the First Lady to break the glass ceiling, to be remembered till today for her songs for the Bombay Talkies films like Achhut Kanya, Jeevan Naiya, Bandhan, Kangan, Jhoola etc. This was the era of the New Theatres in Calcutta, which had stalwarts like KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, KC Dey, Pahadi Sanyal and Kanan Devi. And what was the material she had at her disposal? Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani and Leela Chitnis. Getting known non-singers to sing songs that are remembered till today is an amazing feat.
Born Khorshed Maneksha Minocher-Homji in an affluent Parsi family in 1912, she had love for music from childhood. She got training in classical music under the renowned scholar, Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Later she joined Marris College, Lucknow, which was the nursery of many budding talents, and is now known as Bhatkhande University of Music.
In the late 1920s she and her younger sister Manek Homji hosted a popular music programme at the recently-established All India Radio, Bombay. The programme was known as Homji Sisters’ Orchestra. There are several versions of how the sisters got into the Bombay Talkies. One version has it that Himanshu Rai was impressed by Khorshed Minocher-Homji at a music conference in Lucknow and he instantly invited her to come to Bombay and join his Studio in the music department. Another version credits Harendranath Chattopadhyay with introducing her to Himanshu Rai. To cut a long story short, the sisters joined the Bombay Talkies, recently established by Himanshu Rai and his wife Devika Rani, in around 1934.
In the studio era, as a paid employee in the music department, she did more than just composing music. She also looked after orchestra, instrument players, recording and training the actors to sing etc. In her team of musicians was also SN Tripathi who acted in some films, assisted her in music, later himself becoming an independent music director.
Bombay Talkies had a number of eminent Parsis as Directors. Two Parsi girls from ‘decent’ families working in the dirty world of Hindi films caused uproar in the conservative Parsi community. Himanshu Rai gave them new names: Saraswati Devi for the elder sister Khorshed Minocher-Homji, and Chandraprbha for the younger sister Manek. This provided some fig-leaf, but what would have mattered must be the success of the sisters, and the realisation that it would be improper to associate indecency with the Bombay Talkies as both Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani were highly educated from Europe and happened to come from families with high pedigree.
Her debut film was Jawani Ki Hawa (1935). Shooting for their next film, Jeevan Naiya was under way when Devika Rani eloped with the film’s hero Najmal Hussain, causing a big scandal. She was persuaded to come back, but the doors of the Bombay Talkies were shut on Najmal Hussain. A replacement had to be found. And a lanky lab assistant Kumudlal Kanjilal Ganguly was asked to act in the film opposite Devika Rani. He was given the screen name Ashok Kumar. Many had doubts about this man “with tremendous jaws” succeeding as a hero. But Ashok Kumar-Devika Rani pair became wildly popular from Achhut Kanya (1936) onwards.
The Second World War starting in 1939 and Himanshu Rai’s sudden death in 1940 brought turmoil in the Bombay Talkies. Its German director, photographer and other technicians were interned in jail. The Studio passed through some internecine conflicts. Devika Rani remained the titular boss, but she created two production teams, one headed by Amiya Chakravarty; the other by Rai Bahadur Chunnilal and Sashadhar Mukherjee which finally broke apart and formed the Filmistan Studios, but not before giving a spectacular hit Kismet (1943) for the Bombay Talkies, composed by Anil Biwas. Saraswati Devi’s own last films for the studio were Jhoola and Naya Sansar (1941). Kishore Kumar, the young brother of Ashok Kumar and Madan Mohan, the son of Rai Bahadur Chunnilal used to hang around the studio; Saraswati Devi gave an opportunity to them to join in chorus.
After the end of her association with the Bombay Talkies, she was invited by Minerva Movietone’s Sohrab Modi to compose music for his films Bhakt Raidas, Prarthana and Prithvi Ballabh (1943), but her simple style did not match with Minerva’s grand spectacles. She also composed as a freelancer for outside films, such as Amrapali (1945), Khandani (1947) and Usha Haran (1949), in which she also used Lata Mangeshkar. But the best of Saraswati Devi was over. Film offers declined, her last was the film Inaam (1955) in which SN Tripathi composed 6 songs, and she got only one.
I came across a most amazing information while researching for this post that in the 1950s when her film assignments had dwindled she composed the two iconic ghazals Lagta nahin hai jee mera ujade dayar mein (Bhadur Shah Zafar) and Ye na thi hamari kismet ki visaal-e-yaar hota (Ghalib) sung by Habib Wali Mohammad. I found it odd, because almost all sites on Sarswati Devi mention it, but no other site mentions this connection.
Disappointed by the changing trends of film music, Saraswati Devi started teaching music to children. The sisters remained spinsters and lived in obscurity. Saraswati Devi had an unfortunate accident in getting down from a bus fracturing her hips. She passed away on the 10th August 1980 in penury and solitude, ignored by Bollywood. Sad end to a great talent of the vintage era who was an integral part of the Bombay Talkies.
I pay my tributes to her with some songs we are all familiar with.
1. Koi humdum na raha koi sahara na raha by Ashok Kumar from Jeevan Naiya (1936), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi
Saraswati Devi gave the accidental hero to sing in his debut film Koi humdum na raha koi sahara na raha. A difficult song which his youngest brother Kishore Kumar reprised in his voice 25 years later in the film Jhumroo (1961). And another important trivia – SN Tripathi acted as a villain in the film and sang his first song.
2. Main ban ki chidiya ban ke ban ban dolun re by Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani from Achhut Kanya (1936), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi
Achhut Kanya with the story of love between a Brahmin boy and an untouchable girl was far ahead of its times. The film became a roaring success on the back of music by Saraswati Devi. Here is the duet sung by the two non-singers which was on everyone’s lips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABth5XKNoyE
3. Kit gaye ho khevanhaar naiya doobti by Saraswati Devi from Achhut Kanya (1936), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi
All the songs of Achhut Kanya were gems. I have earlier used the terrific dance song Chudiyan laya anmol re in the post on Mumtaz Ali. Here is a different song sung by Saraswati Devi herself for her sister Chandraprabha. Some sites mention this song as the start of playback in Bombay, though it is commonly acknowledged that playback started in Bombay with the film Mahageet (1937), composed by Anil Biswas. There is no dispute that the first person to discover and use playback was RC Boral in Calcutta in the film Dhoop Chhaon (1935).
4. Jai jai janmbhoomi pyari mata by Saraswati Devi (?) from Janmabhoomi (1936), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi
This patriotic song, picturised for a Dandi March-type scene during the Independence Movement created a lot of stir those days.
5. Piya aavan kah gaye na aaye, man nahin dharta dheer by Mumtaz Ali and Sunita Devi from Izzat (1937), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi
Mumtaz Ali was a common feature in many Bombay Talkies films. We know him better as the father of Mehmood and Minoo Mumtaz. He was a terrific dancer. This dance song is beautifully composed. Mumtaz Ali and Sunita Devi are the singer-dancers in the film. There is also a third woman whom I don’t know.
6. Nai naveli chali akeli maalaniyan albeli by Mumtaz Ali and Sunita Devi from Prem Kahani (1937), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’
Mumtaz Ali was an important element as choreographer-dancer-singer in many Bombay Talkies films. In many dance songs Sunita Devi or other women came first on the screen and Mumtaz Ali would join later. This is another beautiful song; Mumtaz Ali as the dancer in formal suit is a novelty.
7. Jhuki ayi re badariya saawan ki by Renuka Devi from Bhabhi (1938), lyrics JS Kashyap ‘Naatwan’, music Saraswati Devi
P Jairaj and Renuka Devi (real name Khursheed Mirza) were the lead actors in the film. Renuka Devi sings an immortal Meera bhajan in the film.
8. Jogan bhatak rahi hai ban ban wa ko paane by Leela Chitnis from Kangan (1939), lyrics Narottam Vyas, music Saraswati Devi
From Kangan onwards Leela Chitnis started acting opposite Ashok Kumar in Bombay Talkies films. Some songs were composed by Ramchandra Pal in this film. Pradeep Kumar debuted as a lyricist with this film and also sang a couple of songs. Videos of some songs are available, but their audio quality is very poor. I find this song in the voice of Leela Chitnis quite melodious.
9. Kaise chhipoge kaise chhipoge, O salone saajna ab kaise chhipoge by Leela Chitnis from Bandhan (1940), lyrics Pradeep, music Saraswati Devi
Bandhan is now famous for its iconic marching song Chal chal re naujawan which was adopted nationwide by the freedom fighters during the Independence Movement. This song came in the movie several times in different combinations, some solo in the voice of Arun Kumar, some in the voice of Ashok Kumar/Suresh and chorus. But this was composed by Ramchandra Pal. Kaise chhipoge shows Saraswati Devi’s mastery over composing simple, but catchy tunes in the voices of non-singer actors.
10. Piyu piyu bol piyu piyu bol praan papeehe piyu piyu bol by Pradeep from Bandhan (1940), lyrics Pradeep, music Saraswati Devi
Leela Chitnis is wating for her lover Ashok Kumar when an itinerant singer passes by singing this song, which brings tears to his eyes. Pradeep later became famous for his full-throated patriotic, devotional or message songs. In one of his best early songs, he is very soft and melodious. A wonderful composition by Saraswati Devi.
11. Ek chatur naar kar kar singaar by Ashok Kumar from Jhoola (1941), lyrics Pradeep, music Saraswati Devi
Now we come to the movie, starring Ashok Kumar and Leela Chitnis, which became the biggest blockbuster of the year. Its superhit songs in the voice of Ashok Kumar and Leela Chitnis must have had a major role in its success. Here is the original Ek chatur naar in the voice of Ashok Kumar which was reprised by RD Burman in Padosan (1968), sung by Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey/Mehmood. You can notice a novelty in the composition, credit for which should also go to the ‘natural’ actor Ashok Kumar. When he goes to take bath, his voice starts shivering in the cold.
12. Na jaane kidhar aaj meri naav chali re by Ashok Kumar from Jhoola (1941), lyrics Pradeep, music Saraswati Devi
This is another example of simple, catchy tunes which became immortal.
13. Kaahe neha lagaye sajaniya by Jahanara Kajjan from Prarthana (1943), lyrics Dr, Safdar ‘Aah’, music Saraswati Devi
Saraswati Devi’s association with the Bombay Talkies had come to an end after Jhoola and Naya Sansar (1941). For her songs from Prarthana (1943) under the banner of Minerva Movietone, starring Motilal and Sabita Devi, I especially like this thumri in the voce of Jahanara Kajjan.
14. Ye na thi hamari kismet ki visaal-e-yaar hota by Habib Wali Mohammad (Ghalib’s ghazal), music by Saraswati Devi (?)
Saraswati Devi composed music for some more films under different banners, including Usha Haran (1949) which had songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Rajkumari, but none that would set your heart aflutter. Here is this famous ghazal by Habib Wali Mohammad, which among many versions by different singers is my top favourite. I have added a question mark against Saraswati Devi, because this is the first time I am hearing this connection. But this is also mentioned by a knowledgeable person Kamalakar Pasupuleti, therefore, I am posting it here as an important contribution by Saraswati Devi.
15. Tu hi maare tu hi taare, tu hi bigadi baat sanwaare by Rajkumari, Mohantara Ajinkya (née Talpade?) from Inaam (1955), lyrics Narendra Sharma, music Saraswati Devi
For those interested in data, Tu hi maare tu hi taare should be the last film song composed by Saraswati Devi. This was the only song by her, the remaining 6 songs were composed by her once-assistant SN Tripathi.
Acknowledgements
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.
This post first appeared on Songs Of Yore - Old Hindi Film Songs, please read the originial post: here
