My maternal grandfather used to work in the Gramophone Company of India. Mummy grew up in a house full of LPs, and a lot of those—including dozens of albums from Hindi films of the 50’s and 60’s—ended up in our house. I grew up listening to music; but for a long time, I couldn’t tell one singer from another. The first singer whose voice I learnt to identify (I must have been about 11 or 12 at the time, I think) was Hemant.
Hemant Kumar Mukherjee was born on June 16, 1920, and went on to become one of Hindi cinema’s great music directors—and a singer with a very distinctive voice, rich and deep and sonorous.
So, as a birthday anniversary tribute: my ten favourite Hemant songs. These are all from the 50’s and 60’s, from films that I’ve seen, and in no particular order. Frankly, each song is a masterpiece in itself.
1. Tum pukaar lo tumhaara intezaar hai (Khamoshi, 1969): Khamoshi has much to recommend it: the story, the acting, Hemant’s music—and his voice in this hauntingly beautiful song. Gulzar’s lyrics, Dharmendra’s restless pacing on the balcony, Waheeda Rehman’s stricken face: all go into making this song and its picturisation one of the most memorable in Hindi cinema. But without Hemant’s low, aching voice, throbbing with passion and anguish, echoing through the halls of the hospital, Tum pukaar lo wouldn’t have been quite the same…
2. Yeh nayan dare-dare (Kohra, 1964): Biswajit isn’t one of my all-time great actors, but he certainly had some awesome songs picturised on him. The songs of Kohra and of Bees Saal Baad, for both of which Hemant sang playback for him, are a case in point. And this is one of my favourite songs, ever; so gloriously romantic and gentle, it gives me gooseflesh every time I listen to it. Hemant’s humming, and that low, soothing singing is nothing short of mesmerising.
3. Ya dil ki suno duniyawaalon (Anupama, 1966): Another favourite song from another favourite film which, incidentally, had Hemant as its music director. There’s a sensitivity and a beauty about Anupama that few films can match, and the same could well be said of Ya dil ki suno duniyawaalon. Kaifi Azmi’s lyrics are touching, and Hemant does full justice to them, in a voice full of pain and sympathy for another who finds it difficult to articulate her feelings.
4. Jaane woh kaise log thhe jinke (Pyaasa, 1957): This song resembles Ya dil ki suno duniyawaalon in that here too the singer is standing in the midst of a party and singing a song of woe. But Jaane woh kaise log thhe jinke is more heart-rending, I think, with far more bitterness and none of the comfort of knowing that there is someone to share the burden of that sorrow. Kisko fursat hai jo thhaame deewaanon ka haath (“who can spare the time to befriend a madman?”) sings the disillusioned poet, and you can feel that emotion in every breath of Hemant’s voice. Heartbreakingly poignant.
5. Na tum humein jaano na hum tumhe jaanein (Baat ek Raat ki, 1962): Hemant also sounds so perfect when he hums, doesn’t he? And this song starts off with that, before moving into an equally beautiful set of vocals. High notes, low notes: he sings it all in a smooth, romantic style that’s enhanced by the warm intimacy of that faintly Bengali accent. I love it!
(And Suman Kalyanpur’s cameo in the song is just so. It couldn’t have been better).
6. Hai apna dil toh aawaara na jaane kis pe aayega (Solvaan Saal, 1958): A far cry from the romantic softness of Yeh nayan dare-dare and the melancholy of Jaane woh kaise log thhe, Hai apna dil toh awaara allows Hemant to show off his adeptness at more light-hearted songs. This one’s deliciously flirtatious, and Hemant’s voice, smooth and oh so attractive, is perfect playback for the equally attractive Dev Anand. No wonder he has everybody (or almost everybody) in the compartment grinning at him!
7. Mujhko tum jo mile yeh jahaan mil gaya (Detective, 1958, with Geeta Dutt): This has been one of my favourite romantic songs for many, many years: an exceptionally melodious tune in the voices of Hemant and Geeta Dutt. And remember what I said about Hemant’s humming? This song starts off with that too, and Hemant’s voice itself is particularly velvety and attractive. And so well suited to Pradeep Kumar.
8. Beqaraar karke humein yoon na jaaiye (Bees Saal Baad, 1962): Hemant sings for Biswajit, in Biswajit’s debut Hindi film. Bees Saal Baad had a stunning score (by Hemant himself; another superb song is Zara nazron se keh do ji) —but the best, in my opinion, is this song. It’s a flirtatious yet romantic tune brimming with the imagery of a beautiful day in the countryside: the dark, rain-filled clouds; the roses; the bees… and a lovely girl who needs just a little bit more wheedling to bestow more than just an amused smile on a smitten admirer.
9. Ay dil ab kaheen le jaa (Bluffmaster, 1963): An unusual combination, this: Hemant sings playback for Shammi Kapoor—and creates a moving song of remorse, of a young man suddenly realising that life is not a bed of roses and that his far-from-scrupulous past has finally caught up with him. I wouldn’t have believed that Hemant could be such a convincing playback for Shammi Kapoor, but he is: the deep but controlled emotion of the song comes through perfectly in Hemant’s voice.
10. Teri duniya mein jeene se toh behtar hai ke mar jaayein (House No. 44, 1955): Hemant sang a lot of playback for Dev Anand. This song, though its lyrics are far from peppy, has a light tune punctuated by an unusual hooting. It begins with Hemant’s trademark humming, and then flows along, gentle as the ripples in a pool, finally soaring up into a plea to the Almighty for a little bit of happiness. Very distinctive, and very easy on the ears, especially as the background music (dominated by a harmonica) is minimal.
Happy birthday, Hemant!
Dustedoff 
Great list! I wont change a thing there; not even sequence. ‘Tum Pukar Lo’ is really-really haunting… It’s complete pain, it’s disturbing, arouses such feelings of helplessness, and you dont know what to do with this frigging life….. It’s a great song which should not have been made… hehe :)
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Thanks again, dustedoff! Apart from Jaane woh kaise log thhe jinke I did not know any of these songs, and your post has also made me more determined than ever to get hold of Bluffmaster Being a fan of Hindi oldies way up here at the top of the world is an expensive affliction. :)
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Hero Heera Lal: Yes, Tum pukaar lo is one of those songs that, once you’ve heard, you can’t get out of your consciousness, it’s just so completely (and in the truly literal sense of the word) haunting. The lyrics, the music, Hemant’s voice – I can’t imagine a better combination.
stuartnz: Happy discovering Hemant! Jaane woh kaise log thhe jinke is of course fabulous, but yes, there are a lot of other equally gorgeous Hemant songs out there… by the way, Bluffmaster has the strange distinction of having four different singers sing playback for Shammi Kapoor: Hemant, Rafi (of course!), Mukesh, and Shamshad Begum – the latter for that qawwali in which Shammi’s in drag.
I wish I’d known of you at least a month earlier. Some good friends of my sister’s are New Zealanders, and were passing through Delhi on their way to Europe before heading back to Auckland… I might’ve been able to send a couple of DVDs for you. Some other time, maybe. :-)
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Lovely. You’ve got all my favourite songs in there. And now that you mentioned it, I realized that Hemant Kumar’s was the first voice I learned to identify too. I’d compiled a cassette of these songs, and I loved them as a teenager. Still do.
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Wonderful list..For me ‘Ye nayan dare dare’ and ‘Tum Pukaar Lo’ would be the best of Hemant Kumar’s.
On reading this list, what struck me most is the quality of Hemant as a music director. His tunes were so simple, yet behind that simplicity was a complex thought process.
I would include 2 more songs as my personal favourites, ‘Vande Mataram’ (sung with Lata, music by Hemant), where his sonorous voice is a perfect foil to Lata’s amazing rendition and a Marathi song ‘Mee Dolkar Daryacha Raja’ (sung with Lata, music by Hridaynath), which is a fantastic ‘koli’ (fishermen) song.
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BTW, had ‘Tum Pukaar Lo’ been picturised on someone else, it wouldnt have been as heartrending as it became. I mean, a ten-out-of-ten man (Dharmendra) singing that sort of a song…. but again, had it not been sung by Hemant Kumar, then too the effect would not have been there….
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Banno: I guess Hemant’s voice is so distinctive that for someone who’s too young to appreciate the differences in tone and pitch, his voice is the easiest to identify. Come to think of it, I still find it difficult to distinguish between Asha and Lata in places…
Shantanu: Yes, Hemant as a music director too is awe-inspiring. His tunes are uncomplicated and tend to showcase the singer’s voice rather than drown it out with orchestras.
I love Vande Mataram too, but tend to think of it as more a Lata song than a Hemant song (which is also the case with the beautiful Jaag dard-e-ishq jaag from Anarkali. Thank you for telling me about Mee dolkar daryacha raja: am off to try and find it to listen to!
P.S. Found it! I remembered having heard it once I heard the refrain. Beautiful song, though I think Lata begins a little too shrilly. :-)
Hero Heera Lal: And the interesting bit is that all through the film you almost never see Dharmendra’s face! Khamoshi is a fine example of very skilled film-making. Superb.
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Yu have ’em bang on DO, super ten of Hemantda, let me increase .) the list and off hand and these come to my mind (must check my collection esp duets)……
Manzil(1960)-Yaad aa Gayi woh Nasheeli Nighaahen
Munimji (1959)-dil ki umangen hain jawaan
Nagin (1954)- Tere Dwar Khada Ek Jogi
House No. 44 (1955)- chup hai dharti chup hai chaand sitaare mere dil ki dhadkan tujhko pukaare
Anarkali (1953)- zindagi pyaar ki do chaar ghadi hoti hai
Ek Hi Raasta- (1956) CHALI GORI PEE SE MILAN KO CHALI. CHALI GORI PEE SE MILAN KO CHALI. NAINA BAWARIYAN MAN MEIN SAWARIYAN … HAN KAHO GHAR CHALO TUM KO MERI KASAM …
Bin Badal Barsaat – jab jag uthe arman to kaise neend aaye
and from same movie a duet with Latadi-
-zindagi kitni khoobsurat hai aaiye aapki zaroorat hai
Post Box 999 (1958) -O Neend Na Mujhko Aaye
Gunga Jumna (1961) -Insaaf Ki Dagar Pe, Bachchon Dikhao Chalke”)
Patita (1953) -Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan Ho Tum
Oops yeh kya ho gaya DO, Taap Tveenty bana dala .).)
I cud add many more… but must say he was a man of all seasons and a all rounder. Producer, Director, MD… and also acted as a hero in – Gul Bahar (1954) , with one of my top fav from teeny days and still is SHAKILA. .).)
These guys of the same era had total devotion for their work.
Cheers .)
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Hi,
The list is superb. Though I am not a great fan of Hemant Kumar (I perfer Rafi any day, and i think Kumar’s rendition was too flat) as a singer, he did compose some great songs. Lovely post :)
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Dustedoff, thanks for thinking of me about the DVD. I had a dilliwali friend get me some when she went home in January and Bluffmaster was on my wishlist but she couldn’t find a copy in the time she had, unfortunately.
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ash: Your additions include some other ones that I like a lot! Yaad kiya dil ne kahaan ho tum, Insaaf ki dagar pe bachchon dikhaao chalke, Dil ki umangein hain jawaan and Chup hai dharti chup hain chaand sitaare. Another song that I’ve only heard (I haven’t seen the film, Duniya jhukti hai), is Gumsum sa yeh jahaan, with Geeta Dutt.
Sharmi: We’ll agree to disagree! ;-)
stuartnz: Bluffmaster is one of those films that can be a little hard to get hold of if you only look in the stores, even in Delhi. It’s easier to find and order online, for instance from http://www.induna.com.
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Thanks for the reminder about Induna – I got dvds from them in 3 days once from India and ordered on a weekend. I simply MUST own a film with a qawwali featuring Shammi in drag, especially if he’s voiced by my 2nd-favourite female singer. I adore Shamshad!
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I am glad I can love Hemant AND Rafi AND Manna Dey AND Kishore Kumar AND Saigal….
thanks for this superb post.
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Dusted off (sorry don’t know your name!) – Thanks for checking out my favs.
Ash: chup hai dharti! That’s a simply great song ..
Another great thing about Hemant was his role as a producer. Bees Saal Baad, Kohraa and Khamoshi were all produced by him. All these films were unique thrillers, with great stories.
I am now envying those who have heard his Bengali songs..Does anyone have a link to his Bengali songs
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bawa: AND Talat Mehmood AND Mahendra Kapoor AND Bhupinder, AND lesser known talents like Subir Sen and S D Batish. There were so many wonderful voices back then.
Shantanu: My name’s Madhulika, though nearly everybody addresses me as Madhu. :-)
By the way, some searching on youtube yielded a list of some of Hemant’s Bangla songs. I’m not familiar with these, so can’t comment or recommend, but for what it’s worth…
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@bawa “I am glad I can love Hemant AND Rafi AND Manna Dey AND Kishore Kumar AND Saigal….”
Interesting you should say this. I commented on another filmi blog about how rare such an attitude seems to be in the filmi blogosphere. Desi fans who care enough to either write blogs or comment on them seem to be overwhelmingly exclusive in their devotion, acting as if having a favourite requires one to trash and contemn all others. Thanks for being an exception to this pattern!
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Speaking of Madhulika, you wouldn’t happen to know of any NZ booksellers carrying her work at present would you? :) I can’t find “The Englishman’s Cameo” in stock anywhere here.
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“I commented on another filmi blog about how rare such an attitude seems to be in the filmi blogosphere.”
I agree with that entirely! A Brazilian writer, Carlos Eduardo de Magalhaes, had once said that there’s very little tolerance going around these days, and I’ve noticed that on a lot of blogs. I don’t have problems with people’s taste differing from mine – as bawa mentioned in an earlier comment, the world would be boring if everybody shared the same likes and dislikes – but the sort of foul-mouthed and absolutely putrid comments that I’ve had to either respond to (or in extreme cases, delete) are legion…
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“SD Batish”
Your mentioning the writer of all those great qawwalis from Barsaat ki Raat MUST be an omen, a reminder of a task that awaits you. :)
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Spot on! Top-of-the-mind recall. But I just may do the Lata list first…
P.S. Re: the book. Not yet, unfortunately. :-( But October onwards, Little, Brown will begin distributing The Englishman’s Cameo across the world (other than North America), so one should be able to get it in bookstores or at least online.
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Thanks – I look forward to October!
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Oye oye almost forgotten about this g8 song yu just mentioned DO,
Gumsum Sa Yeh Jahan with Geeta Dutt, another super duper voice, I was kinda shocked to see how many songs she sang in late 40s/50s/60s, IT IS AMAZING…..
I am getting Gumsum right now and refreshing me memories, yu know something I have a collection somewhere which has Hemantda rare songs, gotta dig it out and see what the treasure holds…….
Oh another guy who needs attention is the champ Chitalkar Ramchandra, pardon me if he has been written about earlier, but then again no harm bringing him back, kyoon mein koyee jhoot boleya .).)
Cheers .)
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Wonderful post as usual, dustedoff.
A very sweet gesture on his birth anniversary.
I thought of adding some of my own favourites but ash has listed nearly all the others which you didn’t.
In fact, thanks ash for reminding me of those wonderful ones from Bin Badal Barsaat especially the duet Zindagi kitni kubsoorat hai.
Great to be discussing Hemant Kumar songs.
Love these posts where we can concentrate on one theme – Mohd Rafi, or Johny Walker or Bela Bose.
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Re: The Englishman’s Cameo. There is still no news from amazon about it. Is it still available in India? I’ll be there in October and will try my luck then. :-)
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ash: Geeta Dutt is another of my all-time favourites! Such a lovely voice – and so much versatility. She is oomph personified with a song like O babu o lala, and on the other hand, I can’t think of anybody else singing Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam or Koi door se aawaaz de chale aao. Magnificent. And C Ramachandra? Another of those music directors who must be brought to greater public notice! He’s very underrated. :-(
pacifist: Thank you so much! I love doing posts like this too, because Hindi cinema has had so many great talents, and sometimes the very act of thinking up ten favourites can be a real challenge!
Yes, I’m sorry about the international availability of The Englishman’s Cameo – there was some delay because of the rights. :-(
Outside of the US and Canada, Amazon and other online stores should start distributing the book in October. If you’re in India in October, it’ll probably be easier (and cheaper!) to buy it here. Most major stores – Om Bookstore, Landmark, Oxfordbookstore, Crossword, etc – stock it. May be even more convenient if you order it online (at flipkart.com, for instance) and have it delivered to wherever you’ll be staying.
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O, it was Hemantda’s birthday!
Happy birthday Hemant Kumar!
Just by chance the film which I watched yesterday also had music ffrom him Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam.
I’ve this song of him, a duet with Geeta Dutt, which is on the tip of my tongue but can’t remember, something to do with chanda!
Great List, this!
Another song of his which couldn’t feature in your list since it si from the 70s is ‘Aaja mere pyar aaja, ab to aise na satha’!
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Fabulous list!!!! Happy Birthday Hemant Da!!!
Just the other day I was raving about Hemant Kumar and my newly discovered love for him @ Harvey’s blog .
Very true…Hemant’s voice is very distinctive. And like bwa I’m also very glad that I can love Hemant AND Rafi AND Manna Dey AND Kishore Kumar AND Saigal AND Talat AND Mahendra Kapoor AND Asha AND Geeta Dutt AND Suman Kalyanpur AND Shamshad Begum….
Inspired by your post on Rafi’s moods, I was also thinking of doing a post on Rafi but was thinking of concentrating
on Shammi-Rafi duets rather than moods. I know that’s too huge a list to compile, but will give it a try. And since that would be dedicated to the two men I love the most, I didn’t want to leave the third man behind. So I had actually listed down ten Hemant Da’s songs –
1. Yeh nayan dare dare
2. Tum pukaar lo tumhaara intezaar hai
3. Na tum humein jaano na hum tumhe jaanein
4. Zara nazron se keh do ji
5. Hai apna dil toh aawaara na jaane kis pe aayega
6. Mujhko tum jo mile yeh jahaan mil gaya
7. O Neend Na Mujhko Aaye
8. zindagi kitni khoobsurat hai aaiye aapki zaroorat hai
9. Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan Ho Tum
10. Jaane woh kaise log thhe jinke
I somehow forgot that he had sung for Shammi in Bluffmaster. And the Anupama song completely skipped my mind. But I was pleasantly surprised to see quite a few songs in our lists matching. :-)
He has such a sonorous voice and all his songs are so hauntingly melodious that I get gooseflesh most of the times when I listen to them.
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Lovely, lovely list! Must have been a tough job picking just 10 favorites – ALL his songs are lovely. All my other favorite songs Much as I love his Hindi songs (and I do love them a lot!) I like Bangla numbers even more. I happened to hear a couple of his Rabindra Sangeet songs that turned up, of all places, in Siddhartha – and spent hours and hours hunting up his Bangla songs on youtube. The two recently discovered songs that I haven’t been able to stop playing over and over are Purano sei diner kotha, Tumi robe nirobe. I need to get hold of the films, just for those songs!
Also, I discovered Dhanno dhanney pushpe bhora which I am pretty certain is Hemant da, too – though there are quite a few other Bengali singers who sound like him (like Subir Sen and Dwijen Mukherji).
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harvey: I’m looking forward to reading your review of Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam: it’s one of my favourite Guru Dutt films, and had such superb music.
A Hemant-Geeta Dutt song and something to do with chanda?… no, I can’t recall anything of that sort. But there are dozens of songs out there that I haven’t heard! In fact, I don’t even recall the song Aaja mere pyaar aaja: which film was it from?
Sunheriyaadein: Our Hemant lists are uncannily alike! The only song that I’m not especially fond of (and this is for reasons completely personal!) is O neend na mujhko aaye. I remember, when I was a kid, my father used to occasionally pass comments on songs that were being aired on Chitrahaar or whatever, and this song plus Karvatein badalte rahe saari raat hum used to invariably elicit the remark: “Kyon? Khatmal kaat rahe thhe kya?”! Ufff. That really soured those two songs for me, even though both are good songs by themselves.
Can’t wait for your Shammi-Rafi post! :-)
bollyviewer: Thank you for finding those lovely Bangla songs! Purano sei diner kotha sounded vaguely familiar – a bit like Ol’ man river, I think. Now I need to try and find the films as well. Oh, and thank you so much for Dhanno dhanney pushpe bhora! I’ve loved that song ever since I learnt it back in school (we had to learn a bunch of patriotic songs in regional languages, and this was the only one I really liked). It does sound like Hemant – I can’t vouch for Dwijen Mukherji, but I can recognise Subir Sen, and I don’t think that’s him. By the way, guess where I heard Dhanno dhanney pushpe bhora? Being played by the Bangladesh Army band at the International Military Music Festival in Delhi this spring!
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Hey,
I just visited your website. You stay in Delhi. That’s great. And, you are sooo famous. I really really feel honoured that you read my blog. I have to meet you soon. And, you have such a great body of work. Fabulous :)
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Its funny how strong childhood memories are! I remembered Dhanno dhanney pushpe bhora too, and looked it up on youtube. There’s even a Hindi translation which sounds just as lyrical (the translation was done by Hindi writer Shivani). I am not surprised at the Bangladesh Army Military band playing this. Youtube has Bangladeshi singers singing it, too. And I remember a Bengali friend back in grad school singing a Tagore song – Amar shonar Bangla – which I later found out was Bangladesh’s national anthem! The ties of Bengal seem to have survived a lot of partitioning!!!!
Harvey, were you looking for Na yeh chand hoga?
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My proofreading skills are clearly away on vacation today! Or maybe its Hemant da‘s velvety voice that is responsible for my forgetting to even read what I’ve typed, before pressing “submit”. :( I meant to say that “I remembered Dhanno dhanney pushpe bhora from my school days, too.“
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Hei Harvey,
Mayb this fab one –
na yeh chaand hoga na taare rahenge magar ham hamesha tumhaare rahenge
was sung as solo by both Geetadi and Hemantda ?
from SHART 1954
MD was HEMANTDA AND
Lyrics by S H Bihari ?
Cheers .)
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Hemantda’s version is on our fav YT under-
.)
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DO/Harvey, if I may pls
we had one song of Hemantda-
aaja mere pyaar aaja dekh aise na sata
from Heeralal-Pannala, MD by another maestro Panchamda ?
Oh now I know why yr dad was passing those remarks, it has to be that the khatmaals were making him karvatein badalding while trying to sleep and neend not aandhing bcos they were biting.
He sure had a link ther all right .).)
Cheers
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Sharmi: You’ve just made my day! Thank you so much; I love a little bit of flattery now and then. :-))
bollyviewer: Yes, our ties with Bangladesh seem to be pretty strong. I had no idea Amar shonar Bangla was their national anthem. According to this article on the music of Bangladesh, Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti seem to be very popular too.
ash: Hah! I don’t think my father’s ever had any problems with khatmals; he’s just got a very whacky sense of humour which makes him poke fun at a lot of cinema and a lot of music, even if he likes it.
Oh, so that Aaja mere pyaar aaja is from Heeralal Pannalal? I seem to recall watching the film ages ago, but can’t remember the song.
harvey: Please, please tell: is it Na yeh chaand hoga? Bollyviewer and Ash seem to think so, and anyway, I’ve been wondering how I could’ve forgotten such a great song. I may not have put it on my top ten list, but still…
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stuartz: Nothing to thank me, although compliment appreciated :)
I do not know how one can claim to love music/singing/ and then be so deadset against ALL works of the rival’s of one’s own favourite.
I can understand people not liking some singers or a type of music or a song, but to actually trash someone esp. with some very bad language: that is totally uncomprehensible.
I can just say they must lead very poor lives if they get satisfaction out of this. (spanish= pobre de espiritu)
Very difficult for me to choose a favourite anyway. Love to listen to anyone who sings well or a good song.
Madhu:- thanks for adding all those names- I forgot to put in etc. at the end, because my list goes on for so long (including all those classical/ghazal/pakistani, etc. singers).
am waiting for the englishman’s cameo too!
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Fabulous list there.. Hemant Kumars voice always seemed so warm and buttery to me :) :)
Interestingly, the bangla song pointed out by bollyviewer “Tumi robe nirobe” is actually the bengali version of the movie “Kohraa” which had the other song on the list “Yeh Nayan dare dare”
Another very melodious song was from “Door Gagan ki chhaon me” .. the music was by Kishore.. and probably the most famous song was “Aa chal ke tujhe”./.. but this one by Hemant Kumar is fabulous
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Great post as usual, i love that first song from Khamoshi so hauntingly cool if i must deccribe how it made me feel. Happy belated Birthday from me to Hemant, i had no idea he was a singer too, the first time i noticed/came across his talent was in Ek hi raasta which had fab songs like chali gori pe milan se chali, ‘sanware saloni’ amongst others then in Nagin where he totally stole my heart with ‘jaadugar Saiyan’, another film of his i saw recently is Jagriti, but i didn’t like the songs in that as much as all his previous work that I’ve stated above.
And I’m so with you on Biswajeet he has some really good numbers on him(i guess that’s not a bad way to be remembered for life) though i have to say that I quite like him as an actor too, he was no Dilip but i just love his energy and slight campiness
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bawa: I’d go so far as to say that blind devotion to the extent of deriding everything that falls outside the boundaries of that devotion is a symptom of being ‘poor in spirit’. Disagreement is fine, even welcome – but not when it takes the form of a vicious, virulent attack.
Random Musings: Thank you so much for that lovely Hemant song from Door gagan ki chhaaon mein! I hadn’t heard it before – the only song I remember from that film is Aa chalke tujhe, and this one was a fabulous discovery. Thank you also for telling me what Kuheli was about. I have seen Kohra (and the film from which it was inspired – Rebecca), but I didn’t know about this one. Will look out for it!
bollywoodeewana: Oh, thank you for reminding me of those ones. :-) Nagin had some superb songs, and I like Saanwre salone aaye din bahaar ke – it’s one of my favourite bicycle songs!
I find Biswajeet a little too feminine; otherwise, he seems to me no better or worse than most of the actors of that era. But yes, he does have some absolutely awesome songs picturised on him – in Bees Saal Baad, Kohra, Mere Sanam, Kismat, etc.
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Me too, I did not mind Biswajeetda at all, I used to go home happy humming the songs and wud admire his skin tight pants and white shoes, so only good memories for me… well I have for most of them from that era.) .)
Cheers
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“skin tight pants and white shoes,”
Do you like Jeetendra too? ;-)
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Oh Jeetu Bhai aka Jumpin’ Jack in his earlier phillums was acceptable, after he went to Southies full speed, NO.
As they say variety is the spice of life .).)
Oh we also had Dev Kumar in quite a few movies with white shoes, and Ajit aka Loin, and if I am not mistaken saw one bandido in Murder In Circus, or was it white and black combo….. now this movie I was so glad to get esp as it my fav N A Ansari, the man of 101 disguises, a Master, in all phillum departments. The print was a VHS converted to a VCD, so kinda shaky but since no other alternative I had to get it and
… oh ho what do we see, one Bombshell BELA BOSE song, must rip it out and share with folks.. as u know Bela has been in the news in the Blogs.
We have a 2 songs on YT I think from Murder In Circus but cud not see Bela there or……
Cheerio DO
Ash .)
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Murder in Circus? Goodness, I’ve not even heard of this. Would love to get hold of a copy! Must look around for it.
Like you, I find Jeetendra in his early films pretty tolerable; it’s beyond the mid 70’s that he started to irritate me. But in films like Humjoli, Waaris and Ek Naari Ek Brahmachari, he’s fine. Even Ajit, in his earlier films, isn’t bad. I liked his role in Mughal-e-Azam, and there’s a good film called Nastik, which starred him opposite Nalini Jaywant.
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Yeah nice name, incidentally in color, Gevacolor from 1971, B K Adarsh was the Producer, he was also was a known Director, just wait til yu hear some of the movies he made as a Producer-
NOTE NUMBER 7 NAME……
1. Putli Bai -Jan 1 1972
2. Shera Shamsera- May 25 1990
3. Nasoor- Aug 16 1985
4. Murder In Circus- Jan 1 1971 .. unfort not listed in IMDB !
5. Gupt Gyan- Jan 1 1974
6. Daku Hasina- Jul 24 1987
7. Aurat Pair Ki Juti Nahi -Jun 14 1985- WITH
Gulshan Grover
Deepti Naval
Marc Zuber
Note his love for releases on JAN 1.
Remember Harishchandra Taramati (1963) , fantasy film ? with Prithviraj ?
His other regulars were Bela, Helen, BM Vyas and ofcors Jaymala
As a Director a thoroughly enjoyable movie-
Fashionable Wife (1959)
Spy in Rome (1968)… lost my VHS
Balak (1969)… hunting for this
Babasa Ri Laadi (1961)… not seen this yet, no copy available so far !!
and a few more.
One thing we must say these guys made what they believed in, they went out and made it. That’s a big plus for these guys for sure.
A final on Jeetu… he did a recommendable job in all Gulzar Sahebs movies-
Khushboo (1975)
Kinara (1977)
Parichay (1972)
and in
Apnapan (1977)
Caravan (1971) ……
and our desi James Bond, Farz… he sure was jumpin’ up n down, super songs here.
Cheers
p.s. Murder in Circus is on Friends label, they are bringing in quite a few VHSrips of oldie goldies, and yu hv much more choice in Del, esp for oldie goldies. Friends is also based there incidentally.
Cheers .)
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A belated happy birthday to Hemant Kumar. (Wow, there sure are a lot of Golden Age Bollywood birthdays in June!) I have been away from my computer for more than a day (I know, it’s nearly unthinkable…), so I have yet to see/listen to much of this list (which looks very good, with songs described so well – though unfortunately, the only one I can recognize instantly is the song from Pyaasa). Also, I will have to go through the lists in the comments section… I usually like Hemant Kumar’s songs, quite a bit.
And “seconding” some of the comments that I see above… My own Hemant Kumar list (if I ever got one together) would have to include songs from Nagin… That film was actually my introduction to Hemant Kumar, and it was an excellent soundtrack (and groundbreaking too – with the first Bollywood use of a synthesizer (of sorts)), and Hemant sang very nicely in some of the songs. (Of course, Vyjayanthimala did some nice dancing too. Otherwise, I’m not so sure about this movie…)
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ash: Those are some very impressive lists! And thank you for letting me know that Friends is based in Delhi – I’m going to go clobber them someday for messing up old films the way they do. Random editing, a very gaudy logo plastered all across the screen, little or no digital improvement: they have a lot to answer for. It’s a pity that they seem to be the only ones putting out DVDs or VCDs of the more obscure old films.
Richard: And the Golden Age Bollywood birthdays of June aren’t over yet – there’s Rehman’s on the 23rd. Maybe Harvey should have left his review of Chaudhvin ka Chaand for later…
I agree Naagin had great music. Vyjyantimala’s dancing too is good – or what I remember of it. I saw the film years ago, I guess when I was a teenager, and the only thing that’s really stuck with me is that it was a very avoidable film as far as story was concerned. Somehow, all that business of people shapeshifting and becoming snakes (weresnakes?) was just so… um, hard to swallow. And Bollywood seems to have continued to think it a good idea over the years.
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“Rehman’s on the 23rd.” Which Rehman? Not Waheedaji? I find her DOB listed as May 14. That’s a “10 moods” I’d love to see. I watched Delhi-6 last night, and besides being filled with a longing to see the city my dadaji was born in, I was again struck by how awesome that lady STILL is, she rocked that film. I also loved that there was a reference to my favourite of her films (and 1 of my top 5) in Delhi-6 with a snippet playing of saajan re jhoot mat bolo (also, IMO the best opening I’ve seen yet). So if anybody is looking for ANOTHER list idea, have that one – just be sure that you dislike Guide as much as I do.
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Very nice list dusted off–Tum Pukar Lo is a favorite.I have many of these on my Hemant Kumar playlist. Also like Kaha le chale ho from Durgesh Nandini (sung by Lata but also by Hemant) a lot. And some of the songs on Dev Anand such as Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kaha Ho Tum. Also love love love Kuch dil ne kaha from Anupama–Hemant da was the MD which is probably why it is not on your list. It’s my all time Bolly favorite. Hemant da gave us such great music.
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Thank you for making this nice list. Of singers I have heard very little of him, and this is a great way to become familiar with his work. Thus far I’ve only listened to “Yeh nayan dare dare” which is very pretty, and Bisawajit looks pretty good in black-and-white with a mustache. I’ve only seen him in color without.
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Visiting here after a long time, Madhu.
And am so glad I did.
What a fantastic top-10 list. “Tum pukar lo”, “Ya dil ki suno”, “Jaane wo kaise”- just very very special songs.
I see that many more have been added here (mainly by Ash! He is an encylopaedia :-) ).
I will add just one more. For a special reason. I heard this song as a very young boy, way back in the early 1970s. For years, I thought it was Saigal saab’s song.
I had not heard the song for years so wanted to listen to it again. Checked it on youtube a few years back – and was totally surprised to see it is a Hemantda song.
The song : “Tere dwaar khada ek jogi” (Nagin-1954).
For this one reason alone (carrying this misconception for more than 30 years!), I have something special with this song. :-)
I believe this was a pretty popular song in its time – but then many songs of Nagin were popular.
Have a lot of catching up to do on your blog. :-)
And I am TOTALLY with you and others here who cannot stand people who insult singers purely because they are fanatical about one singer. I have enjoyed songs of almost ever one of the golden voices (including lesser-known names like Subir Sen and SD Batish) and have a lot of respect for them all. If you are a true music lover, your love rises above personality. It is about the music first and foremost.
The other day I was listening to songs of Dholak (1951). Very nice to listen to Satish Batra and Sulochana Kadam. I had never heard of them before – such a fantastic experience to listen to their voices. Songs of this movie are just so much fun.
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Stuart: No, no – not Waheeda. I mean Rehman, the male character actor who acted in films such as Chhalia, Chhoti Bahen, Dulhan ek Raat ki, Waqt and Shikar. His best known roles are probably the ones he played in some of Guru Dutt’s films: as Meena Kumari’s neglectful husband in Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, as Mala Sinha’s husband (and the publisher) in Pyaasa and as Guru Dutt’s friend and unwitting rival in Chaudhvin ka Chand.
Yes, a Waheeda Rehman list would definitely be in order! Sunheriyaadein did one earlier this year, and it was lovely. :-)
sophy: Kuchh dil ne kaha is a beautiful song. Wonderful lyrics, and such gentle music. Maybe next year, to celebrate Hemant’s birthday, I’ll do a list of my top ten Hemant songs as a music director and not as a singer. Thanks for giving me that inspiration!
kenjn60: Thank you for stopping by! I hope you like the rest of the songs too. :-)
raja: Good to have you back! I’ve heard Tere dwaar khada ek jogi too, but will need to go listen to it again… I remember it’s by Hemant, but need to refresh my memory a bit.
I’ve not even heard ot Satish Batra and Sulochana Kadam! Fortunately, Dholak is in my rental queue, so sometime or the other (hopefully within the next few months) I’ll watch the film. But will go off and check the song out on youtube or somewhere. :-)
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That is embarrassing – to have seen Rehman in two movies I really liked (although I may not like Chaudhvin ka Chand quite so much next time) and not know him. I really enjoyed Waqt, so much so that I rant at anyone who calls the modern atrocity Waqt:Race Against Time by its short name.
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I admit I’m not a fan of Hemantda as a solo artist (I really only like one solo by him – tum pukar lo), but I think he makes a fabulous duet partner – especially with Lata. And when I think of Hemant-Lata duets, the first song that comes to mind is the Shanker-Jaikishen masterpiece from Badshah – Aa neele gagan ke tale pyar hum karen.
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Stuart: Waqt (the real one, not the Race Against Time one) was so entertaining, wasn’t it? One of my favourite formula films. Rehman was a good actor; it’s sad that even in his younger days, when he was as dashing as (if not more!) than most leading men, he never made it to the hero bracket.
Shalini: I’d never heard that song from Baadshah before. Have just finished listening to it – very gentle and nice! Thank you. :-)
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Absolutely DO, Rehman Saheb was a chip of da ol block, he had flair and am told he cud carry any lady with his charm.
As a actor very much forgotten and that is sad, def need to remember him in our Blogs and did yu know he was Air Force pilot b4 he joined films ?
Chinoy Seth in Waqt def left a mark for ever. I am digging out some ol movies where he played the main lead, gotta refresh the memory once again .)
His death was very painful really-
In 1977, he suffered three heart attacks after which he got throat cancer and died after a prolonged and painful illness in 1979.
May his soul RIP.
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And guess what, there are yet more Golden Age birthdays in June! June 16 was the birthday of Kumari Kamala/Kamala Lakshman Narayan (also formerly known as Baby Kamala, for fans of’40s films). (I thought it was June 26, because that’s when they celebrated her birthday at her dance school (i.e., the one that she was still teaching at last year and must still be teaching at this year!)… But her actual birthday was June 16.
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ash: Do let me know if you’re able to recall any films in which Rehman played the lead – and thank you for that bit of information about him being an Airforce pilot. I didn’t know that! The IAF’s loss was Bollywood’s gain, huh? :-)
Richard: The little girl who danced so beautifully in Kismet? I hadn’t seen her in any other films (or not that I remembered) until I saw Kismet, but even that brief appearance was enough to impress me a lot. Happy birthday, Kamalaji!
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One comes to my mind immy as just released n posted, SUNEHRE KADAM 1966 with dazzler Shashikala, Agha and Sabita Chatterjee. Super MD Bulo C Rani and S. Mohindra
and in Batwara 1961, he along with Pardeepda and Balraj Saheb had equally strong role, ditto with Chhoti Bahen (1959).
And on equal footing with K L Saigal Saheb in Shahjehan (1946), Rehman Saheb played Shajehan appropriately here .)
Can we add Nargis (1946) along with Nargis ofcors, and David ?
Tohfa (1947) ?
Roop Rekha (1948)
not to forget the super musical Bari Behen (1949) along with Suraiya … Shyama
Ulhas
Geeta Bali …. 2 heroines
Badi Bahen (1950) – with Geeta Bali
Pran
Suraiya
Pyaar Ki Manzil (1950)
I am astonished a man of his caliber was ignored after the 50’s as a main hero, perhaps no role was written/given which wud have suited his capabilities. Or mayb our Bollywood is just like that ?
He is right on the top in my books, super actor and I understand a nice human being. I managed to see a lil part of an interview with his wife on TV, I wish I cud have recorded that and shared with all movie fans .)
Cheers
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Madhu, if you’re interested in Rehman in leading man mode, I recommend a pair of movies from 1950:
“Magroor” co-starring Nigra Sultana, Jairaj and Meena Kumari
“Pardes” co-starring Madhubala(!) and Karan Dewan
I believe both are available on VCD/DVD now and if you need additional enticement, here’s a super cute duet from Pardes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viUF3cEhb3w
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ash: Thanks! Those are a lot of films. :-) I’ve already seen Chhoti Bahen, but none of the others, though Shahjahan is on my list. I had Badi Bahen on my wishlist too, but after Memsaab gave it a ‘red mist’ rating, I decided I didn’t want to see it! By the way, where was Sunehre Kadam posted? I couldn’t quite figure that out…
Shalini: Oh, thank you soooo much! I just watched Ankhiyaan milaake, and was enchanted. ‘Super cute’ is the perfect way to describe that song and its picturisation. I did find it on induna, though Magroor doesn’t seem to be around. Will keep an eye out for it.
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Oh tru yu may pass off Badi Bahen just as G did, but as far as songs are concerned, absolutely TOP of the world.
I am Pagal Deewana .) for songs also so I have to get some of these movies which may be a ‘drag’. Yu must hv heard some of these –
Lyrics by Rajendra Krishan and Qamar Jalalabadi Saheb, MD Maestro Husnlal Bhagatram .)
-bigdi banaanewaale bigdi bana de -Suriya
-chale jaana nahin hai nain milaake saiyyaan bedardi saiyyaan bedardi -Lata Mangeshkar
-chup chup khade ho zaroor koi baat hai pehli mulaaqaat hai- Lata Mangeshkar [+], Premlata
-jo dil mein khushi ban kar aaye -Lata Mangeshkar
-likhanewaale ne likh di -Suraiyya
-muhabbat ke dhoke main koi na aaye koi na aaye- Mohammed Rafi
-muhabbat ke dhokhe mein koi na aaye -Mohammed Rafi
-tum mujhko bhool jaao ab humna mil sakenge- Suraiyya
-woh paas rahe ya door rahe nazron mein samaaye rehte hain Suraiya
Am req Memsaab for yr email id as I am not able to see it, wanna send info on Sunhere Kadam and it’s where about’s, .)be back soon and also just posted AARAM 1950 DVDrip with-
Dev Anand … Shyam
Madhubala … Leela
Talat Mahmood … Talat
Prem Nath … Kumar
Durga Khote … Sita
Manmohan Krishna … Chamanlal
Ramayan Tiwari … Ramnath (as Tiwari)
Hiralal … Bhagwan
BABY Tabassum
and here we have good ol Manmohan Krishan singing in his own voice ZINADGI HAI YO YO,, just for this song, its worth it d/l .).)
ER….. Sry if I over looked DO but this is a very sentimental duet-
aaja o jaane vafa sunle tu meri sada · Hemant Kumar [+], Lata Mangeshkar MD- S S Mohinder · LYRICS Tanveer Naqvi · N MOVIE IS Shirin Farhad 1956
Cheers .)
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I will look for those songs on youtube! Yes, I can certainly recognise some of them, but will still give Badi Bahen a miss; would much rather just enjoy the songs without sitting through the pain of watching the film! ;-)
I’m mailing you my mail address, so you can send me the information about Sunehre Kadam and Aaram. Thank you so much in advance! I remember the Zindagi hai yo-yo song very well; you’d posted a link to it on my blog, and I’d enjoyed it a lot. Am looking forward to seeing it. :-)
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‘Ya dil ki suno duniyawaalon’ is SUCH a beautiful song. All of the others are yet to be discovered by me, which is great! I am always excited about discovering ‘new’ songs…
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I envy you the discovery of gems like Tum pukaar lo and Yeh nayan dare-dare! The others, too, but these two songs at least give me gooseflesh every time I even think about them.
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Now folks,
am sure all Hemantda fans wud like to hear a wonderful aarti sung and composed by the Maestro himself, entitled-
bhaagwat bhagwaan ki hai aarti
lyrics by-
Saraswati Kumar Deepak
movie name-
Bhagwat Mahima 1955
and look at the star cast of the phillum-
Kishore Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Nimmi
Shyama
Om Prakash
Krishna Kumari
Madan Puri
David Abraham
Sunder
Nirupa Roy
Prem Adib
S.N. Tripathi
Sheela Naik
Navin Yagnik
Super.. unfort have not got hold of this phillum yet, but wil def do.
And oh yeah b4 I forget the song is zipped and located under-
http://www.filefront.com/16850675/bhaagwat-bhagwaan-ki-hai-aarti–Jai-Bhagwatan.7z/
Enjoii.
Cheers
Oh boy how can I forget this loveeeely duet by Hemantda and Latadi from Tangawali-halke halke chalo saanwre-
MD Salilda, Lyrics Prem Dhawan Saheb.
If any 1 wants this let me know. Check it out yu will like to play it over n over again.
Cheers .)
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Was checking my Hemantda list and suddenly remembered a beautiful number, superb phillum, acting and above all kiddie song-
“kabuliwaala aaya”-
Sung by Hemantda , Usha Mangeshkar, Sabita Banerjee, Ranu Mukherjee
Music by Salil Choudhury
Lyrics by Gulzar and Prem Dhawan
Check it out folks, yu will love it.
Cheers .)
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Which film is Kabuliwala aaya from, ash? Tried searching on youtube, but could only find the songs of Kabuliwala (Not that I have a problem with that – it has amazing music, too – including my favourite patriotic song, Aye mere pyaare watan)…
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DO
it is probably the title or the start of the song and also this particular song that is not easily avail on the Internet, but never mind I have it ready in my HD so here refresh your kiddie days and check out the start of the song, luckily this is a full song, no cuts.
Yu can find it here-
http://www.filefront.com/16868767/19%20Kabuliwala%20-%20Idem.7z
kaabuliwaala aaya kaabuliwaala aaya kaabul-khandahar se
Remember we also had another Hemantda track- Ganga aaya kahan se Ganga jaaye kahan re.. superb rendition.
Enjoii the song
Cheers
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Yep indeed Mannada the Maestro did a fab job with Aaye mere pyaare watan, sung with his soul…), total devotion.
.)
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Am listening to Kabuliwala aaya, right now. Thank you! I recognised it as soon as I heard that initial “Kabuliwala!” Very cute. :-)
And yes, I really like Ganga aaye kahaan se too: beautiful song, and somehow Hemant’s voice suits it perfectly. BTW, have you heard Bhupen Hazarika’s rendition of Ganga behti ho kyon? Another great paean to the Ganga.
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Ganga behti ho kyon, this one has both Hindi and Bengali bhasha, right ? and big orchestration ala Shankar Jaikishen style ?, I saw a rendition live on TV and d/l a MP3 also, superb all around, without doubt.
.)
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Yes, that’s the one. Beautifully sung!
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And how come noone is talking about ‘Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni Phir Kahan’ from jaal? A great great song.
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Very true. That’s another wonderful Hemant song.
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I am back DO, .)
and pardon me if this song has been mentioned b4 but I wanted to share this for sake of good order as it came up yday in my collection, a super gentle and romantic Geet from-
Movie: Chabili Music: Snehlal Bhatkar Lyrics: S Ratan
Lehron Pe Lehar
From 1960 I think and had the sisters Nutan and Tanuja in it. G8 jodi.
Enhanced version avail on YT under-
Am sure yu and readers who may not have heard this Hemantda super number will like it.
Cheers .)
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Ash, lovely song! You know, I’d never actually heard this one (or didn’t remember), but as soon as I began listening, I realised that it was a very familiar tune – Dean Martin’s The Man Who Plays the Mandolino. This should probably be going into the ‘inspired songs’ list!
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Awesome list! It was so nice to see a list on my favorite singer.
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I’m glad you liked it, Ini! I have a very soft spot for Hemant, as you can see!
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Hello DO,
We can never get enough of Hemantda, can we, here is another number, beautiful Lyrics, music, and sung, do check it out if not in the collection already. Even the movie was a entertainer, look at the star cast…
song-
CHANDI KE CHAND TUKADO KE LIYE
FILM – SATTA BAZAR [1959]
CAST : BALRAJ SAHNI, MEENA KUMARI, VIJAY CHAUDHARI, SURESH, JOHNY WALKER
MUSIC : KALYANJI ANANDJI
LYICS : GULSHAN BAWRA
SINGER : HEMANT KUMAR
Cheers
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Good lord
was supposed to add another beauty from same phillum
Tumhe yaad kabhi kam mile the- a duet by Hemanttda and Lata di
pls check it out
In fact all songs of Satta Bazar were evergreen, excellent Lyrics By Gulshan Paajee, may his soul RIP.
Also Johnny Bhais peppy number JARA THEHROJI ABDUL GAFFAR RUMAL
Cheers
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Oh, yes! I love the songs of Satta Bazaar (one of the main reasons I saw the film). Another of my favourites is Tumhe yaad hoga kabhi hum mile the.
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How about this one from Sazaa, a romantic duet again with Dev Saheb and Nimmi Begum ??
aa gupchup gupchup pyar kare -hemant kumar,sandhya mukharjee
MD SACHINDA
Lyrics Rajendra Krishan Saheb
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Have you seen Sazaa, Ash? I’ve never had an opportunity to watch the film, but want very much to – not just because I like Dev Anand (and Nimmi, provided she’s not being tragic!), but also because it features one of my absolutely favourite songs, Tum na jaane kis jahaan mein kho gaye. My tauji played the guitar solo for the recording of that song, so it’s especially dear to me. :-)
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No not seen Sazaa yet, but yeah got a VCD, do not recall from where and how, have to dig out and see it one of these days… er why dont we have 720 days in a year ?.).
Thx for da reminder DO abt this ever green Tum Na Jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye…. wah wah what a song… and I can imagine Tauji playing this on a guitar, must hv made a wonderful listening .)
Hv yu kept any recordings ? Wud be fun to hear ’em ?
I know I have somewhere a collection hundreds of instru, mayb more of old phillums on guitar, piano, mandolin, saxophone, violin, of O.P. Saheb, from the 50’s etc
In fact when I see my Media library there is quite a big collection on instrumentals- always been fond of them. I think if Tauji heard my collection he wud refuse to get up .).)
p.s. and I must add a wonderrrrful collection of instrumental from Rajisthan, out of this world folksies.
Cheers n good night til tmrw, back on the scene.
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Did we miss this DO ?
Very nice Lyrics and sung ofcors and composed .0
zameen chal rahi aasmaan chal raha ha
MD Chitalkar Ramchandra
Lyrics- Rajendar Krishan
Phillum- Pahli Jhalak
Cheers…..
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Valo laglooo… really nice comments…….
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Lovely song, Ash! I seem to recall hearing it before, though can’t remember. Who is that behind all the shrubbery? Shivraj?
BTW: No, don’t have any recordings of my tauji’s. Perhaps his son may have access to some. But at least as far as gems like Tum na jaane kis jahaan and Aayega aanewaala are concerned, the recordings of the song as sung by Lata are my tauji’s recordings too. :-) He was the one playing while Lata sang. So if you listen to this clip, his guitar is the one at 1:24, and so on.
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Yep it is Shivraj behind the SHRU-BERRY .) and yu know something I have a tendency to mix him and Chaman Puri, g8 artists no doubt, both of them.
And in case yu may not know SA-RE-GA-MA has come out with a wonderful MP3 collection, after a long time, entitled TUM PUKAR LO, as the name suggests- it is a wonderful collection of Hemantda, a must have and its priced at a reasonable INR 75.00. It has 40 songs, GOOD QUALITY DESPITE AT 128 kBps
Is it really yr Tauji on the guitars, he is def very good at it, that’s something to be proud of, cos as we all know we never encouraged, at least more so those days to become a musician .)
If yu can get Tum Pukar Lo let me know, will share the usual way.
Cheers
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I didn’t know about Tum Pukar Lo: will check out the tracks of the album on the Sa Re Ga Ma site – I suppose they have the list there. Thanks for the information!
Yes, tauji was a very good guitarist. His parents (my grandparents) were very staunchly anti-cinema, so it’s even more of an achievement that he defied them and managed to get a toehold into Bollywood. He used to have interesting stories to tell us – for instance, of his neighbour, Talat Mahmood and his family. Talat’s son Khalid used to play with Jalal Agha when they were children, and tauji used to sometimes listen to their childish prattle. It seems Jalal Agha had as wicked a sense of humour as his father Agha!
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Do,
here is the track list-
My experience with these Co is not good DO, updating has never been their forte unfort, I am saying from my oldie goldies search…, hv a look and see the choice here.
And tru, one cud sense naughtiness in the eyes of Agha Bhai and his son Jalal Bhai. I have seen more of dad Agha bcos after 1970, my movies came less as I was away from home, but just the first frame of Agha Bhai was enough to tickle yr bones .)
Gutsy Tauji, the pressure I can imagine, quite a few of my buddies had very very strict parents too and they were not allowed any movies at all, though we managed to brain wash at least 2 of our langotia yaars and secretly, we saw many movies together. One Sardar Paajee used to make wooden heals from his wood work shop) for ladies shoes and by selling them we used to finance the first day first show, first bench, we were 3 in latter years.
The second yaar, very much as crazy in UK helped his dad as tailor assistant and made some cash on the side for more movies .)
Bachpan ke din bhi kya din the….. and Tauji sure made a good use of it, and then many stories to tell, I shud hv met him too .)
Luckily my family all crazy for movies and we never had any restrictions.
Cheers
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Hmmm… there are a lot of songs in that list that I don’t remember having heard (or maybe I haven’t heard them more than once, so can’t relate to them offhand, just reading a track name).
Agha, by the way, was quite a scream on the sets too. He had a great (sometimes iffy!) sense of humour that used to be pretty entertaining. I wonder if there are any instances of good comedians who were terribly serious in real life.
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I am sure once yu hear the Hemantda tracks, yu will at least recognize 60-70% of the songs, most of them were played on Radio earlier days .)
I am told Rajendranath Paajee was a shy character, a serious character in real life. But in reel life we just adored him and his antics, they were all original and had no need to copy each other, that was a big USP if we compare today and yester years .)
I wud have loved to hear live interviews and shows with Gope, Ram Avtar, Moolchand, Maruti, Sunder, Mohan Choti, Radha Krishan…… Luckily we have seen quite a bit of the super duper Tun Tun, Johnny Bhai, Mehmood…
Cheers
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Just goes to show what a fine actor Rajendranath was! He was so funny, and I cannot even imagine films like Dil Deke Dekho, Mere Sanam, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon etc without him.
I must add two more names to your list of great comedians: Om Prakash and Keshto Mukherjee. Both of them were fabulous too!
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Oh yeah how cud I forget. I knew I was certainly missing a few names, thx a lot for filling them in. Om ji and Keshtoda also chip of da ol block, must keep on adding more as they come into our memory ‘blocks’, yu can say Gulshan Bawara Saheb was another one who had the flair of kaamedy, besides ofcors writing songs, Polson yeah yeah, Meher Mittal Paajee the Punjabi ace,Kamal Mehra- remember Budtameez with Shammi Bhai ?,and from good ol 50 s and years ahead BABU SHEIKH BHAI, was in many DARA Singh and mythological movies.
Bhagwan Dada, Anup Kumar, Utpal Dutt, Asit Sen, Dhumal, Mirajkar, Mirza Musharaff.Jagdeep, Charlie,Kumud Tripathi and why shud we leave the ladies behind DO >>>?
Shammi had flair for kaamedy
Manorama the g8
Indra Bansal cud just make yu laugh when she raised her eye brows
There has to be more, we need a permanent compilation for these g8s, perhaps yu can make a Blog just for them where we cud add their names ? wot say ? Yu know as a easy ref, bcos really it is so easy to forget them .)
Cheers
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Yes, there’s a regular pantheon of the comic kings and queens of Hindi cinema, isn’t there? I don’t have the time or the energy to create yet another blog, but have you checked out the artists’ gallery on Greta’s blog? I think most of these people feature there.
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No no DO wasn’nt thinking on terms a full fledged Blog, I understand it takes time and eneeeergey to maintain it, what I had in mind was a simple Gallery. Only names and if people can add photos and new names if they come across !
Oh yeah very much in with G’s AIG, see most of them there, and adv as and when I see new ones also, but hat is a GENERAL Gallery…..
But koyee baat nahin if not possible.
Cheers .)
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Oh, okay! Haan, may not be possible right now, but I’ll keep it in mind… maybe someday I will get around to doing that. Thank you for the suggestion! :-)
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ER..er……) did we mention this lovely duet DO –
umr hui tumse mile phir bhi jaane kyoun -Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar. MD Chitalkar Ramchandra Bhau and Lyricist Sahir Ludhiyanvi Saheb and the phillum is Bahurani ??
Folks do check out songs from Ek Jhalak also on YT of Hemantda, yu will love ’em.
Ta Tah .)
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This is that Bahurani that starred Guru Dutt, Mala Sinha, Feroze Khan and Shyama, right? Was later remade as Jyoti, with Hema Malini and Jeetendra. I remember having seen it, and I remember the song, but am unable to recall the lyrics or the music exactly. Even youtube doesn’t seem to have it. :-(
Thank you for the Ek Jhalak recommendation! Here’s a lovely song I found from the film: Yeh hansta hua kaarvan.
…and another song, sweet and very peppy: O gori chori-chori jaana buri baat hai.
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Oh really was not aware that Bahurani was remade as Jyoti, my knowledge kinda is less after 80’s, so thx a lot for da update.
Yep it is the same as yu mentioned, it starred Guru Bhau, Malaji, Ferozebhai, in fact all songs were super duper..)
Hum hain na .)DO, here is the zipped file for yu and yr readers for this lovely duet – umar hui tumse mile….. am sure yu will like it .)
http://www.filefront.com/17191865/Bahurani (1963) – Umar Hui Tumse Mile.7z
Enjoii
Cheers
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Sry forgot to add, the 2 songs from Ek Jhalak are humablies and this movie I am after also, hv a look at the veterans here-
Pradeep Kumar
Rajendra Kumar
Vyjayanthimala
Anita Guha
Pran
Om Prakash
Mubarak
Lalita Pawar
Jawahar Kaul
MD was ofcors Hemantda himselF, A WOW factor itself .)
Ash
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Bole toh
ek aur recommend karoon DO-
YEH JHOOMTE NAZARE- LATA MANGESHKAR HEMANT KUMAR- FILM NAI RAHEN
under
Cheerio
Ash
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Thank you for Umr hui tumse mile, ash! I began listening to it, and tut-tutted at my bad memory: how could I have forgotten that song?! Very romantic and nice.
(BTW: the Jeetendra-Hema Malini version is pretty forgettable. Bahurani is definitely better).
Wah, Ek Jhalak certainly has quite a star cast. I’ll look out for it! Yeh jhoomte nazaare is a good song too… it reminded me of some song, I can’t quite figure out which; some thing with Dev Anand in it, B/W film? I don’t know; the orchestration etc somehow sound very familiar.
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Here are some duets between lata and hemanth which haven’t been mentioned here. Incidentally I posted the video of ‘Door Gagan Ki Chaaon Mein’ on youtube. Nice to find it being discussed here.
Anyways, the list
1) Nai Manzil Nai Raahen
2) Nain So Nain
3) Saaware salone aye din bahar ke
4) Jhir Jhir Badarava Barse
Some of Hemanths solos that have been missed being discussed here are
1) Hum Chaahe ya na Chaahe
2) Sooraj Re Jalte Rehana
Hemanth’s voice reaches new heights in this one. One of my fav’s.
3) Rulakar Chal Diye ek Din
There is also a version by Lata Mangeshkar, as a Shraddanjali to Hemanth. Its up on you tube.
4) O Zindagi ke Dene Waale
A great mystical song for me.
5) Raah Bani Khud Manzil
6) Leharon Pe Lehar
I grew up listening to these songs, and reminds me of my grandparents. Nostalgia!
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Oh, thank you so much!! Some songs I recognise as ones I like a lot, and the others I’m going to start listening to right now. :-)
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So many great posts that I’m sure i’m gonna spend hours enjoying – but Hemanda is my favourite male voice so I’m replying to this one :-)
Love all the songs you’ve posted so far. So many great renditions and compositions by this underrated genius.
One of my favourite duets of his is Badli Mein Chhupe Chaand from Shatranj, picturised on Meena Kumari :-)))
Its sung so sweetly, Meena Kumari looks perfect and the lyrics are sheer brilliance:
Badli mein chhupe chaand ne kuchh mujhse kahaa hai
Humne bhi sunaa hai
Gaati hui ek geet nayaa aayi hawaa hai
Humne bhi sunaa hai
Yeh rang bhari raat ye chandaa ye sitaare
Ek saath hamen dekh ke karte hain ishaare
Kehte hain zameen par koyi dil dil se milaa hai
Humne bhi sunaa hai
Do chaand chamakte hain main kis chaand ko dekhoon
Us chaand ko main chhod ke is chaand ko dekhoon
Woh chaand to duniyaa kaa hai ye chaand meraa hai
Humne bhi sunaa hai
Mat dekh mere chaand ko O chaand jalan se
Main tod ke rakh doongi tujhe neel gagan se
Milte huye dil dekh ke ye chaand jalaa hai
Humne bhi sunaa hai
I also really really like Bahaaron Se Poocho:
Thanks for the great write-up and for putting so many of my favourite songs back in my head :-)
Salim
P.S Have you heard this rare track he sang, written by Gulzar. It’s magnificient :-)
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Thank you, Salim! Both for the words of appreciation, and for the songs you shared. The only one I’d heard from those was the song from Fashion – the other two were new to me. I especially loved Abhi na purdah giraao, thehro: very nice. And the lyrics are so good. :-)
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Hemant sir He is a ideal for me & I always salute him thank you
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hemant kumar voice can be compared as rasu gullah immersed in honey. wonder his voice would be when he used to speak. hai. my current favorite is yaad kiya dil ney khaa ho tum from patita. dedicating to him. matlubi jhaa meherbaan ho tum. pyaar sey pukaar lo jhaa ho tum.
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At least add ‘ji’ or ‘shahab’ after the name of such great personalities gulzar sahab and hemant da. Show some respect!
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All these are such gems, aren’t they? I have not heard the Bluffmaster song (off to hear it after I finish typing this). Yesterday, I too remembered Hemant Da and find that I too have five songs mentioned here. The rest? Well,over here:)
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It seems my comment has disappeared, so writing it again (sorry if it appears twice).
All these songs are such gems, aren’t they? The only one I haven’t heard is the one from BluffMaster (so off to hear it once I stop typing). Yesterday, I too remembered Hemant Da on his birth anniversary and now find that five songs from here are on my list too. The rest? Well,find out;)
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You know, you needn’t come by and inform me every time you post a new entry on your blog. Since it is on my blog roll, I will check it out. I go to all the blogs on my blog roll everyday to see if there’s anything new. I may or may not comment on new posts depending on whether I think I have anything to say, but I will certainly visit – and read if I am interested in the subject.
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Oh I am so sorry. Often I get carried away with my enthusiasm for sharing things that I love. And it is wonderful to know that you visit all the blogs on your blog roll. Always lovely to have you visit.
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Oh, no need to apologize. :-) Just saying.
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Heard it. “”Na kisi ko chah meri, na kisi ko intezaar….” Shammi looks so good and Hemant’s voice suits him pretty well.
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:-)
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