Happy 100th birth anniversary, Chitragupta!
A couple of years back, in celebration of the birth anniversary of C Ramachandra, I’d posted a selection of my favourite songs from his oeuvre. In my post, I’d described C Ramachandra as ‘underrated’ (a reflection of the fact that the average person who listens to old Hindi film music—not the diehard enthusiast who knows, or tries to know, just about every detail about the songs of yesteryears—tends to talk about ‘bigger names’ like SD Burman, Naushad, OP Nayyar, etc). A couple of readers refuted that: they said C Ramachandra wasn’t underrated; among the music directors of that period who were underrated was Chitragupta.
I may not have agreed with AK and Kersi Mistry on C Ramachandra, but I do agree about Chitragupta: very talented, and oh, so overlooked when it comes to lists of great composers. Yet, when you listen to his songs, you’ll find some of the loveliest tunes, the most nuanced of compositions. Even some immensely popular songs.
Born on November 16, 1917 in Gopalganj district of Bihar, Chitragupta ended up in the film industry after an initial stint as a lecturer in Patna (interestingly enough, he held a master’s degree in both journalism as well as economics). In Bombay, Chitragupta began his career as an assistant to SN Tripathi; from about 1946 onwards, he was composing on his own. He went on to compose songs for both Hindi as well as Bhojpuri cinema, right up to 1990 (he passed away in January 1991). It’s sad that more people know of Chitragupta’s sons—Anand-Milind—than they do about the duo’s much underrated but extremely talented father.
Here, therefore, are ten Chitragupta songs that I especially like. Some are well-known ones (though a lot of people would probably not be able to say who had composed the song in question). Some are less popular, but undeservedly so. All, as always, are from pre-70s films that I have watched.
1. Ae saba unse kh zara (Ali Baba aur Chaalees Chor, 1954): What an absolutely lovely song this is. I confess that I fell in love with it the first time I heard it, decades ago on Chitrahaar (the lucky thing was, we had a blank VHS cassette in the VCR when this song came on, and were able to record it—which meant we watched it over and over again in the years to come, and never tired of it). Just listen to the simple charm of the music: it’s so gentle, so melodious, and so very not in your face. Asha’s and Rafi’s voices are allowed to be the song; the instruments just provide a wonderfully subdued background to them.
2. Agar sun le toh ek naghma huzoor-e-yaar laaya hoon (Ek Raaz, 1963): I remember this song from my childhood: it was on one of the LPs my parents were always playing at home. I grew up, therefore, loving Agar sun le toh ek naghma, and didn’t realize till about a year ago that not too many people knew about it (that emerged when I listed this in my post on male pianists). Even if it’s an obscure song (as Ae saba unse keh zara is, too, I concede), it’s a good song: the tune is wonderful, Kishore’s voice is perfect, and the interludes—so very different from when he’s singing—are a superb contrast to the rest of the song.
3. Ae meri zindagi tu nahin ajnabi (Pyaar ka Sapna, 1969): Like Ek Raaz and Ali Baba Chaalees Chor, Pyaar ka Sapna was another fairly obscure film (a contributing factor, perhaps, in Chitragupta’s lack of popularity, that he ended up composing far too often for B- or C-grade films?). The music for this prettily romantic song is appropriately gentle and soothing. I like the occasional notes—on different musical instruments—which come in now and then, bridging the words and lending a somewhat Western touch to the song (apt, considering most of the film is set in Europe).
4. Ek raat mein do-do chaand khile (Barkha, 1959): Chitragupta’s versatility is undeniable, if you examine his repertoire closely, going all the way from peppy Westernized tunes to very classical Indian ones, from the delightfully comic to the mournful. Yet one type of song that stands out as his forte (even in this list, actually) is the romantic song. Melodious and lovely, like Ek raat mein do-do chaand khile, in which a newly-married young husband serenades his shy young bride, comparing her to the moon: one moon shines in the sky, he says, for everyone—and one moon shines here, just for him, wrapped in a ghoonghat.
5. Machalti hui hawa mein chham-chham (Ganga ki Lehren, 1964): Ganga ki Lehren was a relatively forgettable film; what is memorable about it, however, are its songs, composed by Chitragupta—and a very eclectic set of songs too, from the beautiful bhajan (and that says a lot, coming from someone like me, who doesn’t usually care for bhajans) Jai jai hey Jagdambe maata to the frothy Chhedo na meri zulfein. And the title song, about the Ganga—not a solemn religious song to the Mother of Rivers, but one that celebrates the swiftness and freedom of its waves. The music and the singing are, to me, a good reflection of the playfulness of the waves of the Ganga.
6. Koi bata de dil hai jahaan (Main Chup Rahoongi, 1962): Main Chup Rahoongi fared slightly better than most of the films from which I’ve listed songs previously in this post: at least most people have heard about it (possibly because it featured two major stars—Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt?) While not really appealing to me (the lead female character was far too self-sacrificing a Sati Savitri for my taste), it did have some memorable songs. Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho is from this film; so is Mere dil kabhi toh koi aayega; and so is the very romantic Chaand jaane kahaan kho gaya. And another lovely romantic song, Koi bata de dil hai jahaan. I love the melody of this, the playful charm and the rippling, light music.
7. Yeh parbaton ke daayre yeh shaam ka dhuaan (Vaasna, 1968): I will admit that I watched Vaasna mostly for this song. It had a cast (Rajkumar, Biswajeet, Padmini, Kumud Chhugani) that didn’t really appeal to me, but this song helps compensate for the two and a quarter hours of high melodrama. Against a series of backdrops of the heritage monuments of Hyderabad—the Golconda Fort and the Qutb Shahi Tombs in particular—two lovers sing of their love for each other. Sahir Ludhianvi, despite that promising start to what might have been a paean to natural beauty (something he was very good at), turns this into a fairly run-of-the-mill romantic song. And Chitragupta’s music is lovely, haunting and melodious.
8. Mahalon mein rehnewaali dil hai gareeb ka (Tel Maalish Boot Polish, 1961): Tel Maalish Boot Polish was another of those films that really has very little to recommend it—except Chitragupta’s music. He composed some wonderful tunes for this film, and I had a hard time choosing between the classical duet Kaanha jaa re (where Manna Dey sings playback for Chandrashekhar) and this one, where Talat sings playback for the actor. Mahalon mein rehnewaali won by a narrow margin. It’s a lovely, liltingly romantic song (and I personally think Talat’s voice is perfect for it).
9. Jaag dil-e-deewaana rut jaagi (Oonche Log, 1965): Oonche Log was one of the few good films for which Chitragupta composed. Offbeat, unusual: unusual enough to not appeal to an audience which was perhaps too fond of the predictable to be pleased with something so different from what one expected of Hindi cinema. The film didn’t do well, but two songs from it are still remembered. One is the duet Aaja re mere pyaar ke raahi; the other is this dreamily romantic solo. Rafi’s voice caresses the tune: so melodious, so soothing.
10. Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na thha (Akashdeep, 1965): Akashdeep was one of those films I’ve watched simply because of one song—and it was this one, a Chitragupta composition. Akashdeep had other nice songs (Dil ka diya jalaake gaya and Mile toh phir jhuke nahin are among my other favourites from this film), but I have a soft spot for Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na thha: the music, with those little flourishes now and then, the gentle romance of the song, Rafi’s rendition—all combine to make this a very romantic song. Classic Chitragupta.
And, because I couldn’t resist it: a bonus song. I call this a bonus song, because it’s from a film I haven’t seen (and which I haven’t even been able to track down anywhere, so the chances of my watching it—at least in the foreseeable future—are pretty dim). From Insaaf (1956), which, according to IMDB, starred Ajit and Nalini Jaywant, the absolutely lovely Do dil dhadak rahe hain aur aawaaz ek hai. Sung by Asha Bhonsle and Talat Mahmood, this duet is simply sublime—all the way from the brief opening aalaap, to the very gentle sweetness of the tune. The way the two voices meld together, the way the music swells and dips, the soft romance of it all.
(Someone’s commented on the Youtube clip for this that it’s borrowed from Blue Danube, but I think there’s sufficient difference between the two tunes for it to not be immediately recognizable—at least not to me).
Which Chandragupta songs do you like? Please share!
Dustedoff 
it is nice that you remembered Chitragupta!
Ae Saba unse keh zara is a very delightful duet. I have been singing this since 1956 when i first heard its Tamil version from the Tamil remake of Alibaba where all the original tunes were retained! But the Hindi version is so, so sweet! Lyrics byRaja Mehdi Ali Khan are so simple and sweet! .Thank you for this favourite of mine. But I have seen this music attributed to S.N.Tripathi
There are many good songs of his but not readily recalled because they were not played on the radio often those days. We are now rediscovering his songs on YouTube. Two songs that readily come to mind are:
1.Beemar e muhabbat ka : Hemant-Lata duet from Teesri Gali
2. Muft huye badnam : Mukesh in Baraat.
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Two more songs I have recollected:
1.Tadpaoge Tadpalo: Lata from Barkha
2.Baagon mein khilte hain phool: Duet, Talat-Lata from Suhag Sindoor.
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And one more!
Yeh tu ne kiya Asha Bhonsle from Zimbo (1958)
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Thank you! I’m glad you liked this post. Ae saba unse keh zara is indeed a wonderful song – I have loved it ever since I first heard it, and even today I can go on listening to it again. I hadn’t known it was attributed to SN Tripathi – I have watched Ali Baba 40 Chor just for this song (really! Though the film turned out to be pretty entertaining as well), and there at least the credits show Chitragupta as the music director.
Of the songs you’ve listed, I’ve heard some – mostly only yesterday, at Anup’s blog (Mehfil Mein Meri, listed on my blog roll) where he too hosted a Chitragupta tribute yesterday.
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I heard some back (perhaps on a Anu Kapoor radio program (perhaps it was somewhere else) ) that a major production house from South wanted S D Burman to provide music to their movies. He said he was tied up and recommended an equally talented music director – Chitragupta. This led to Chitragupta becoming the music director for many South India production house Hindi movies. (Was it AVM – not sure) Can’t recollect names or songs off hand.
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That’s an interesting bit of trivia! Thank you for sharing it.
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I also have heard the same.
I think u r right about the production house being AVM
Burman da was also impressed with chitragupt tunes.
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Chitragupta did compose songs for several AVM Productions, so yes, I would think so too.
Didn’t know about SD Burman being impressed by Chitragupta’s tunes – but I’m not surprised!
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As usual, your selection is very good. One of my favourite songs of Chitragupta is “Itni nazuk na bano” by Rafi. I’ve forgotten the name of the movie. Biswajeet was the hero, but I don’t recall the heroine. Unfortunately with so many big banner composers operating at the same time, some talents like Chitragupta, SN Tripathi, N Datta, Vanraj Bhatia etc got B classification. They deserved better.
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This song is from ” Vaasana” , i think.The movie mentioned above.
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As Milind has already answered your question about the film, I won’t repeat it. The actress opposite Biswajeet was Kumud Chhugani, though they weren’t the lead pair – the leads were played by Padmini and Raj Kumar.
“some talents like Chitragupta, SN Tripathi, N Datta, Vanraj Bhatia etc got B classification. They deserved better.”
Very true. Such a shame that very few people remember these names (worse, have not even heard of them, though they may have heard and even liked the songs they composed).
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Hello madhuji
After a lot of efforts, I finally got a good signal and read the post fully.
I’m enjoying a boat ride in panchmarhi while reading this post and the songs added more delight to the ride.
All the songs listed by u are wonderful and are my favorite of course.
There are lots of songs to b added but that I will do once I return home.
I’m happy at least one song is common in our lists
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You should enjoy your holiday instead of surfing the net! :-D But, to be honest, Chitragupta’s songs + boat ride in Pachmarhi = bliss!
I was actually glad that our posts differed so much. It gave me the chance to get to hear some songs I’d forgotten and several which were new to me.
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U r actually right about our posts differing so much.
BTW
I’m planning another post on him in January.
And about the travel writing that I was planning, I will write on Mandu instead.
It as slow a romantic background of Rani Rupmati.
It’s actually not romantic, she had to suffer a lot(so far as the information given by tourist guide is dependable enough) , and it’s a sad ending love story after all.
Have u seen Rani Rupmati?
Has the love story been shown well in it?
The songs are marvelous of course.
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I haven’t watched Rani Rupmati, so have no idea how it is. Lovely music, though! Maybe I should watch it one of these days.
My sister went to Mandu as part of a college trip many years ago, and raved about it. Ever since, I’ve been wanting to visit, but have never been able to go. All that I’ve seen of it is lots of photos – plus, of course, Gulzar’s Kinara, which has a significant portion set in Mandu.
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I was waiting for this post from the time you mentioned this was on the anvil, Madhu. :) From your list, Do dil dhadak rahe hai, Machalti huyi and Koi bata de are particular favourites (apart from some of the other songs you mentioned – Chaand jaane kahaan kho gaya and Chhedo na meri zulfein).
Chitragupt really did have some lovely songs to his credit. Here’s one from a film called Neelmani – Oh Murliwale
and a really chirpy Geeta Dutt number from another obscure film called Baasre ki Hoor – Jaane kaise kaise ho ji
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Anu! Thank you – and thank you for the songs. I especially loved Jaane kaise kaise kaise ho ji tum: so cute.
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Madhu ji,
A melodious tribute to Chitragupta. Your selection is full of gems without including Lata’s solos which put Chitragupta in the category of Madan Mohan and C Ramachandra. Goes to show his versatility. Here are two Kamal Barot songs. The first (Suna hai jab se mausam) is from Ramu Dada. The second (Na jaane chaand kaisa hogaa) is a duet with Mukesh from Rocket Girl.
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Thank you for those songs – I had heard Suna hai jabse mausam for the first time yesterday over at Anup’s blog (Mehfil Mein Meri), where he too had posted a Chitragupta tribute. Nice song, and so is the one from Rocket Girl.
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A great tribute to this underrated composer and a fantastic selection of songs! For a man who produced so many wonderful melodies, Chitragupt definitely doesn’t get his due. For a long time I did not know that Chitragupt was the music director responsible for two songs that I had been listening to since childhood (and that were very popular in their time) – “Teri duniya se door” from Zabak and “Laagi chute na” from Kaali Topi Laal Rumal. Here are some more Chitragupt favourites:
“Dekho mausam kya bahar hai” – Opera House
“Rang dil ki dhadkan” – Patang
“Chali chali re patang” – Bhabhi
“Tie laga ke” – Bhabhi
“Dil ka diya” – Akash Deep
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Thank you! – for the appreciation, as well as for the songs. Rang dil ki dhadkan was new to me, but all the others are old favourites and were on my shortlist. Glad to see them posted here.
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Surprisingly no one mentioned a gem, from “Bhabhi” listening from our childhood and an iconic song of Chitragupta ji.
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I had toyed with putting Chal ud jaa re panchhi on the list, but then dropped it – it was just too predictable, and anyway I could think of songs I like more. But yes, definitely iconic.
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Madhu, when we talk of “underrated” MDs two names comes to the mind instantly, one is N.Dutta and other, Husnlal Bhagatram. Hoping a write up on these two greats from you soon.
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True. N Dutta has been on my radar, especially, for a long time. Have been meaning to do a post on him. Let’s see when…
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Meeting too Madhuji
N Darya post is something that I am planning for.
At the earliest opportunity I’ll do it.
Thanks for mentioning my blog in your comments.
:-)
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Oh
This auto correct. Always annoying than helpful.
It should be
Mee too madhuji
N datta
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Hehe! :-D
True, autocorrect is more annoying than helpful. I remember when I used to use Outlook, it used to invariably change my name to Madhouse.
And yes, N Dutta – definitely!
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(it used to invariably change my name to Madhouse.)
Oh
Such a funny thing!
😀
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I know! :D I had to be very careful to not just re-read the mail before sending, but to also re-read my signature!
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What a lovely set of songs, Madhu. Completely agree with you that Chitragupta was an underrated and underappreciated music director. Even though he never quite achieved the big league, he was a pretty prolific composer with upwards of 100+ films to his name.
I like all the songs you posted, but here are a few more that I’m especially fond of.
I love Lata’s songs for Chitragupta – she displays a softness and lilt in his songs that I find very appealing. Like in this one:
Deewane tum deewane hum – Bezubaan/Lata M
This Rafi-Shamshad duet from Sinbad the Sailor is up there with “aye saba unse kehna zara” as a romantic duet for me.
Ada se jhoomte hue – Sinbad the Sailor/Mohd. Rafi and Shamshad Begum
And finally this Asha solo from Samson is gorgeous in every way.
Teri deed se tasalli – Samson/Asha Bhosle
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What a great trio of songs, Shalini! Trust you to find some lovely ones – I especially liked Aa teri deed ki tasalli: very, very nice. Thank you for that.
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This post re-created from my earlier post on your ‘Inspired songs’ list:
I was listening to Delhi FM Rainbow some days ago and I swear that I heard a foreign song, the opening of which was uncannily similar to the opening of “Dekho Mausam Kya Bahaar Hai” from Opera House.
I cracked this puzzle after a little but specific web search.
The refrain/chorus of “Dekho Mausam Kya Bahaar Hai” was lifted by composer Chitragupt from a 1953 song “Bimbo” recorded by Jim Reeves. Notably, the “bimbo” in the song does not refer to an airheaded young woman but a little/preteen boy who has a mind older than his age.
However, to Chitragupt’s credit, the verses of his song have got nothing in common with the original’s verses.
During my search I also came upon a reference that Chitragupt’s use of western beats and arrangements led to disagreement and parting of ways between him and his mentor S.N. Tripathi.
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Thank you for reposting that comment here – this is where it belongs, too!
I think I mentioned on my reply there too that I’m surprised I never noticed the similarity between these two songs earlier, considering I’ve been familiar with both Bimbo as well as Dekho mausam kya bahaar hai since I was a child. I suppose that does say a lot for Chitragupta’s ability to adapt a song (as against Usha Khanna’s sadly blatant lifting of songs in Dil Deke Dekho….)
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I think that in Bollywood, holding only the composer responsible for lifting tunes can be unfair. It could have been that Nasir Hussain had insisted on incorporating foreign tunes into his film’s music and Khanna, being a novice, had to agree to it. So unless a composer turns out to be a repeat offender – Rajesh Roshan, Anu Malik, Pritam etc. – perhaps we should not be overhasty in accusing a composer.
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I’ll second Hurdy Gurdy Man’s comment, Madhu. That was Usha Khanna’s debut, and I don’t think she had much choice, actually. It must have been hard enough being a female music director in an absolutely male-dominated field. (So I’d always thought that it was amazing she was able to insert an original Hum aur tum aur ye sama into that score.
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My reply to Hurdy Gurdy Man is for you too, Anu. I find myself torn two ways about this… and yes, Hum aur tum aur woh samaa is wonderful. So, too, is Megha re bole-Bade hain dil ke kaale.
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I am conflicted about Usha Khanna re Dil Deke Dekho. Because I too had read that Nasir Husain was very keen on the songs – Sugar in the Morning, Diana, etc. And yes, Usha Khanna was a novice. But – and this is a big but – didn’t she realize that people wouldn’t blame the director for outright copied music, but her? After all, it was she who was billed as the composer. And with not one but three copied tunes in the course of a single film.
On the other hand, she was very young and probably far too intimidated by someone of the stature of Nasir Husain…
As I said, I’m conflicted about this.
P.S. And no, I didn’t bill her as a repeat offender. I just pointed out one instance, which I’ve always found unsavoury. Other than that, I think Usha Khanna did go on to compose some really good music. It’s just her debut that I find a little unpalatable.
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didn’t she realize that people wouldn’t blame the director for outright copied music, but her?
She probably did, but as you point out, being young and female, she was also probably intimidated into doing what was asked of her.
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Which reminds me, I should really do an Usha Khanna post one of these days. She was really pretty talented, and in a world so dominated by men, she did make a mark for herself.
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Great post Madhu on a truly great composer and I agree he was underrated for sure. I don’t think the casual Indian film fans may not even remember his name though they would remember many of his popular songs..
I especially like the last two in your list (Jaag dil-e-diwana and Mujhe Dard-e-dil ka pata na tha) but so many others on your list are wonderful melodies.. He really had fantastic compositions. I notice a special timbre in Lata’s voice when she sings “Dil Ka Diya Jalake Gaya” which I don’t remember her deploying often.. That I think has something to do with what a music director is able to extract..
Here’s one I would add: Chal Ud Ja Re Panchi (Bhabhi) By Rafi. This movie had another beautiful song (Chupa Kar Meri Ankhon Ko).
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” I don’t think the casual Indian film fans may not even remember his name though they would remember many of his popular songs..”
True. That’s what’s so sad about it: that they don’t know his name, though they’re probably very fond of some of his songs. Or that they’ve heard the names of Anand-Milind, but don’t know who their father was.
Chal ud jaa re panchhi was on my shortlist, but there were other songs I liked more. :-)
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Wonderful collection of Chitragupta songs. I thought to add couple of songs below:
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Teri nazar teri ada was something I’d heard before – I’ve forgotten where – and loved immediately. Thank you for this! Really liked it. Sonwa ke pinjra ma was beautiful too. On a side note, this particular Bhojpuri movie is supposed to be pretty much a cult film – I’ve heard a lot about it, and keep wondering if I dare try to watch it without subs, or will it go over my head if there are no subtitles?
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And there is one more by Chitragupta below:
Even though I don’t understand Bhojpuri but I love these songs
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As you can imagine, I hadn’t heard Laal laal otwa se barse lalaiyya. I don’t understand much of it either, but it’s a nice song nevertheless: nice music.
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A better known bhojpuri song by chitragupt is
Lego naahi chhute Rama by Lata and talat.
Sorry net too slow to post the vdo
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I have heard that one! Thanks for reminding me of that song. :-)
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I heard this song a long time ago. At that time I was too young to spot difference between Hindi and Bhojpuri languages -especially since I am from Patna. But I remembered the melody. I searched for this song but couldn’t find it. Thank you for posting it . Reminds me of the carefree days of childhood.
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Oh
Thankfully net connection appears OK.
I was trying to send two songs from Shiv bhakta 1955 since yesterday.
An AVM movie, where chitragupt created some masterpieces and was chosen for their next social movies.
I may not be able to post vdos
But I request u listen to the songs in ur spare time.
1 Kahan Jake yeh naina
2 Kailash Nath prabhu avinashi
Both sung by Lata.
The songs are worth watching for padmini’s dance as well.
Do listen and let me know ur reaction.
I’m hopeful, u will like both.
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I thought I may as well add the links for both songs so that others can listen to them too:
Kahaan jaake yeh naina lade:
Kailashnath prabhu avinashi:
Both nice, though I liked the first one better than the second. Thanks!
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Madhuji,
Apart from these songs in your selection:
1) Ae saba unse keh zare – really melodious and one which I heard after many years
2) Ye parbaton ke daayre – quite a sweet and romantic song
3) Jag dil-e-deewana rut jaagi – I would rate it as one of the top ten of Rafi’s romantic songs
4) Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na tha – A soft melody from a broken heart. I find it unusual. Unusual in the sense that a broken heart tends to be more direct and strident. For instance “Aap ke pehlu mein aakar” from Mera Saaya or “Guzre hai aaj ishq mein” from Dil Diya Dard Liya. Mujhe dard e dil is more like saying sorry for having fallen in love! Like a gentle reprimand.
I would like to add these songs to Chitragupt’s top ten:
1) Laagi choote na ab to sanam – Kali Topi Lal Rumal. I find the lyrics and the music quite nice and a joy to hear.
2) Teri Duniya se door – Zabak. In this song it is mainly the lyrics that makes it a must hear for a broken heart.
3) Dekho Mausam Kya Bahar Hai – Opera House. Nice lyrics and pleasant music makes it worth hearing.
4) Tumse Kuchh Kehna Hai – Guest House. This is also in the same mould as the previous one.
5) Diwana aadmi ko banati hai rotiya – Kali Topi Lal Rumal. This song just grabs one’s attention in the way that a poor, hungry soul is dreaming of food. I don’t think any other song comes close when it comes to personifying hunger.
6) Bahut Haseen Hai Tumhari Aankhen – Aadhi Raat Ke Baad. Another one of those romantic melodies that Chitragupt seemed to compose effortlessly.
7) Deewane Tum Deewane Hum – Bezubaan. One more romantic song with good music and lyrics like the ones from Opera House, Guest House etc.
In the list of forgotten composers, some more unfortunate composers are those who composed for quite a few movies and remained unmentioned. The names are Ravi, Sonik Omi and GS Kohli. I regard Rafi’s song from “The Adventures of Robin Hood” – Mana Mere Haseen Sanam as my favorite Rafi song. The composer was GS Kohli. The only drawback was the movie. If it had been picturised on Dev Anand or Shammi Kapoor or even Rajendra Kumar for that matter, the song would have been more popular than it is. Such is fate.
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Kaali Topi Laal Roomaal had some really popular songs as well as good ones – though I’ve never been able to find the courage to actually watch it! Perhaps I should, someday.
Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na thha had always struck me as a somewhat sad and regretful song about love – until I watched the film, where I discovered that it is supposed to be an outright romantic song. The lyrics are somewhat misleading, in that sense…
Thanks for the songs you suggested. Several there that were in the running for this list.
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I feel the same way about Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na tha.. It is such a beautiful romantic song. The lyrics are meaningful once you know the context..
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Oh, do watch Kali topi laal rumal
I don’t think it would be horrible and the story isn’t that bad.
I’ve read it’s full Story, at least for shakila and the songs (including kumkum in Daga Daga Vai Vai) it appears worth watching.
☺
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Okay, I’ll put that on my list. Thank you for the recommendation, Anup!
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Madhu Ji
I thought to share two more songs of Chitragupta as below. Nobody shared these ones yet in this post:
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Yes. Chaand se hoga woh pyaara and Yehi toh din hai are both good songs – I’d forgotten the latter one. Very nice!
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There is a beautiful philosophical song in “Kali Topi Laal Roomaal”.
There is a stanza which I am reproducing. Man landed on moon in 1969 whereas this movie was made in 1959.Read/listen how realistically poet depicting the fact of human need to explore the moon.
tujh ko patey ki baat bataaun main jaaneman
kyun chaand par pahunchne ki insaan ko hai lagan
kyun chaand par pahunchne ki insaan ko hai lagan
insaan ko chaand mein
insaan ko chaand mein nazar aati hain rotiyaan
nazar aati hain rotiyaan
deewaana aadmi ko banaati hain rotiyaan
deewaana aadmi ko banaati hain rotiyaan
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Well written! This equating of the moon with a roti is there in at least one more song, too. I’ve forgotten which film, though I do recall it’s a B/W one, with Shammi Kapoor and a bunch of children…
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Thank you for highlighting Chitragupta’s work! Ah ‘Jaag dil-e-deewaana’ is simply sublime! ‘Mujhe dard-e-dil ka’ and ‘Yeh parbaton ke daayre’ are sweet too.
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Thank you! Glad you liked this post.
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from Shiv Bhakta 1955
from Afsana 1966
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I hadn’t heard Dekhoji meri ore or Jaate hue nain sulag gaye before, but liked them – especially the latter. Chaand kitni door thha was something I’ve heard a long time back, and was very glad to hear again – lovely song.
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A wonderful post on Chitragupta this time!
Strangely, from the preludes & interludes of many of his songs, one could easily predict the essence of Chitragupta. Though I personally feel that many of his contemporary music directors were honestly far ahead.
His composition Aaja Re Mere Pyar Ke Rahi from Akash Deep keeps you in the humming mode several times. Other nice compositions I would like to mention are Ja Re Jadugar Dekhi Teri Jadugari from Bhabhi & Dil Ko Lakh Sambhala Ji from Guest House.
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Thank you, glad you liked this post.
From what I remember, Aaja re mere pyaar k raahi is from Oonche Log. I could be mistaken. It’s a good song; so are the others you’ve mentioned.
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This is a very useful and informative post for someone like me who has discovered Chitragupta only recently. Last month Scroll published this article which discloses lesser known facts about his life and career:
https://thereel.scroll.in/857882/whos-chitragupta-only-the-hindi-film-music-composer-of-numerous-forgotten-gems
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Thank you. Very interesting article – I learnt a lot (and not just about Chitragupta, either).
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I would say DEKHO MAUSAM KYA BAHAR HAI should surely be in his Top Ten list.
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Possibly. This is not a top ten, however.
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Most of his great songs were discussed here…I would like to add 2 more which I listen to on repeat mode …one is a KK song (rare one a.with him)..chanda ki Kiranon se lipti hawayein and mei kaun hu mei kaha hoon by Rafi…simply awesome both missed out by earlier posts
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Thank you – beautiful songs, both. I haven’t heard these for a long time!
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‘Akhiyan sang aakhiyan laagi aaj’ from ‘Bada Aadmi’ is my favorite Chitragupta song. Surprised that it hasn’t been mentioned yet.
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It’s a beautiful song, yes.
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Thanks for the wonderful website and very unique and tastefully curated blogs. I’m glad I found it.
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Thank you so much. I really appreciate the appreciation!
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