Kiradu: Another Khajuraho

 

In the ancient times as the legend has it that when King Daksha decided to conduct the great Brihaspati yagna{sacrifice}, he excluded his Shiva and Sati, his son in law and daughter respectively, from the ceremony, as Daksha hated Shiva. But his daughter,Sati, who loved him dearly, could not stay away and journeyed to his father’s place, thinking, “ my father will not be able to turn me away when he sees me.” Poor Sati did not comprehend the extent of hardhearted Dakshs’s anger. When the king saw his child, he spat out a stream of abuses about Shiva. The devoted wife, Sati was unable to tolerate the insult to her husband. An obedient daughter, she was equally unable to cross her own father. So, overpowered by grief, she immolated herself in the yagna fire itself before her father and other gods. Shiva, in his abode on mount Kailash, heard the sad tidings and flew into a mighty rage, swearing to take revenge upon an unrepentant Daksha for his injustice. Coming down to the earth, Shiva and his army of spirits marched to the site of the king’s yagna and decimated Dakshs’s army. Shiva beheaded the monarch and threw his head into the sacrificial fire. Then sorrowfully he picked up Sati’s body and wandered with it across the land for many years, aimless and disconsolate. Lord Vishnu finally took pity on this mighty go and decided to end his mourning. Using his powerful weapon, the Sudarshanchakra{discus}, he cut the corpse into many pieces. As the 51 parts of Sati’s body fell on the ground they turned into stone and sanctified the soil upon which they landed, creating 51 holy and potent Pitha-s or places across India. And thus it came to be, the ancient Vedic texts tell us, that Bharatvarsh{the Indian sub-continent} became a “ sacred land” with the holy mountain in the north and the Nav-kanyakas{nine maidens} or holy rivers like Ganga and Yamuna flowing through it. A land of seven Kshetra-s or regions of active power, the Saptpuri or seven ancient cities of Ayodhya, Mathura, maya(Hardwar), Kashi(Benaras) Knchi, avantika, and Dvaravati(Dwarka), where Moksha(salvation) can be attained. A country which, according to the epic, the Mahabharta, has thousands of tirtha-s (places of pilgrimage) where devotees can ford the river of life and reach the sublime shore beyond.

 

From its northernmost regions to the tip of its southern peninsula in Indian Ocean, India is filled with places of worship. It would be impossible to walk a mile here without coming upon a shrine, a temple of some sort or the other, be it a historic monument or simply a piece of stone symbolizing a village deity. Each is significant in its own way, commemorating the occasion of a god’s visit or deed of valor in the area or explaining its existence due to divine creation or patronage. Everyone wanted to be near god.

 

In the southwest of Rajasthan 220 km from Jodhpur and at about 35 km from Barmer lies one such place Kiradu, a not very much known destination. Kiradu, now a desolate and deserted place was once a prosperous temple township of Chalukya and Parmar dynasties in 10^th to 13^th centuries Ad. Here are five of the finest temples of that era. Parmar rulers as a representative of the Chalukyas ruled Kiradu, which was earlier known as Kiratkoop. Three stone edicts of that period, which are intact at the temple of Someshwar, tell us about these rulers. These contain details of the Parmar kings from Sindhuraj to Someshwar. It seems that Kiradu temples were built over a long period when these Parmar rulers ruled this place. In the Jain scriptures, Sakal Teerrth Srot and Nabhinandan Jinoddhar kiradu is also referred as a Jain center of religious importance. From available sources of history and scriptures it appears that Kiradu was a place where along with Shaiv, vaishnav the Jain religion also co-existed.

 

Though at present there are only five temples, it is said that at the beginning of this century there were about two dozen Hindu and Jain temples. This seems plausible from the ruins of other structures and a lot of raised sand Teelas with the structure of the base of the other temples.

 

The five dilapidated Hindu temples at Kiradu are representative of the western Indian style during the late Pratihara period. This style loosely termed as Nagara or metropolitan style refers to a large wide range of temples built over a large expanse of time and space across the trunk of the Indian sub-continent. In the history of northern Hindu architecture, the regions that stand out as excellent examples of Nagara style, are Rajasthan-Gujrat, Orissa and central India. The typical Kiradu temple has a squire sanctuary adjoining a small porch or columned mandapa, also known as “rang mandap” as it was used for religious and dance performances. The sanctuary walls raised high on a moulded basement are covered with niches for sculpture. Above rise the clustered elements of the curved tower or the Shikhara of the temple, which are covered with arch like motifs. Doorways and columns are generally richly carved; ceilings are fashioned as corbelled domes. Many of these features anticipate the Solanki style, which became prevalent in the region by the 12^th century; some of the temples even belong to this later phase.

 

The best-preserved temple of the cluster is the Someshwar temple. The basement reliefs of the sanctuary are of interest, especially the elephants, horses, courtly episodes and epic scenes; most of the wall panels are intact. Above rises a cluster of turrets that once formed the base of the central tower, now fallen. The mandap is an impressive structure with an octagonal arrangement of the central columns; only the beams and lowest courses of the corbelled dome are intact. The elaborately decorated columns, covered with miniature figures and ornamental motifs, resemble those of the better-preserved monuments of this style at Modhera and Khjuraho. The epic motifs carved on the walls are from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Also carved are the episodes of the life of the lord Krishna as Pootnabudh, Gberndhan Dharan etc. on a panel there is Punch Ganesh, five Ganeshas playing different musical instruments, also carved on a panel is the episode of Samudramanthan, the figures and bodyline of the characters are a fine example of the accuracy of humanform. The upper niches of the temple contain some of the finest female figures carved in various poses.

 

The four other temples of the Kiradu complex are of smaller size. These temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahmma are also decorated with carvings but the carvings are not as fine as the Someshwar temple.

 

The site definitely is in the need of conservation. The vagaries of weather and local neglect are fast taking over the health of this matchless heritage. Though the site is a protected monument yet a lot more is needed to be done. 

 

 

 

Anil Biswas The Magician of folk in Hindi Film Songs

 

बाबा अँगनवा खिलावे ललनवा
मैय्या बरोठे झुलावे पलनवा
ललना की मोरे बलाएँ दूर ,
तेरी गली में बरसे नूर अल्लाह तेरी गली में बरसे नूर .......

“भारतीय संगीत में शास्त्रीय संगीत की महान परम्परा को हमारे संगीत में मौजूद समृद्ध लोकसंगीत की परम्परा से ही महानता प्राप्त हुई है. लोकसंगीत की परम्परा से ही शास्त्रीय संगीत की परम्परा का जन्म हुआ है. और वह उस की बदौलत बनी रह पाई है. संगीत में शास्त्रीय परम्परा के प्रति निष्ठा में मैं किसी से पीछे नहीं हूँ, लेकिन भारतीय लोकसंगीत प्रेमियों के बीच मैं इस संगीत के प्रति अपनी निष्ठा में किसी से हरगिज़ पीछे नहीं रहना चाहूँगा. “
                                                                                                                                                (अनिल बिस्वास)
This is a portion of the paper on ‘भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीत तथा लोकसंगीत की संपदा और फिल्मों में उसका उपयोग’ which Anil Biswas presented in the seminar organized by Sangeet Natak Academy in 1957. He read the paper in English which was translated in Hindi By Shamsher singh  and the above quoted portion is from this Hindi Translation.

In the same paper Anil Biswas  latter says that that India is a country of Temples and Fields . The music of Temples has its roots in classical while the music of fields which are more connected to the common man ( Janasaadhaaran ) always has the love for Loksangeet which has local idiom and flavor both.  And because in Indian films both Temples and fields, Cities and villages, are  part of the depiction and story line so the nature of our film music is such that these two streams of music classical and folk are there in plenty. Also we should understand this fact that the kind of films we made,  require both these genres of music.

And those who know and have listened and enjoyed Anil Da’s songs can very well see how true and faithful Anil Da remained to this belief and commitment   to the classical and folk traditions of Indian Music in his compositions.

Though he had a great flavor for  both classical and folk music in his songs but  his knowledge , command and approach to the folk music traditions of India is something unrivalled in HFM.

Here I would also like to mention another aspect of Indian Music which is constant interaction between folk and classical music from centuries. A folk bandish or a folk song when sung by the hardcore classical exponents can easily become a milestone in classical rendition. Also there is a whole genre of semi-classical songs which are replete with folk traditions and folk songs.

But despite that interaction Indian Folk Music and traditions and songs has their own personality when it comes to pure or as they say in folk language ( Khantee) folk with some distinct and easily identifiable features.  The rustic flavor, lyrics depicting the concerns, joys and sorrows of common man and woman of the land , the powerful  throw of singers voice , the rural and rustic imagery and the kind of limited number instruments used ,a Dholak or Dhol or Duf here and a set of Manjeera, khanjadee, khadtaal  there with Harmonium and Ravan Hattha thrown in many a times.  In folk songs one may also notice how certain word or a phrase will keep on recurring in form of a call or a (teep) in a buland voice from the group of singers piercing through the listeners and giving the song a distinct rustic and earthy  touch and feel .  Also various regions of India are replete with their own genres of folk traditions , be it Kirtan from Bengal , Hori,  Sohar, Jhoola Nautanki  from UP , Alha Udal from Bundelkhand , the list can go on and on and on...

What surprises me most about Anil Da’s folk songs is the kind of range he has in folk traditions of India. At one place He could easily use folk music of Punjab, U P , South, Bihar , Bengal in a single song seamlessly creating a classy folk melody (kachhi hai uamariya ….)   at the second place he could easily convert a folk genre song in to semi classical rendition by introducing the classical notes bereft of the rusticity and earthiness of the folk ( Ka sang khelun faag ree…..) and at the same time keeping the folk intentions of the lyrics intact not an ordinary task ! And for a man from Bengal to know and understanding about the ‘Paipatta ‘ singing which is practiced in a very limited part of UP and Rajasthan in Holi singing is nothing short of a wonder . Anil da introduced this ‘Paipatta’ singing in a sophisticated veiled way ,as in the original form it at times crosses the boundaries of decency, in his Holi song in Raahi , the composition of which can be a case study in folk music !

But Then if I go on discussing individual songs this post is going to become somewhat unmanageable so let me mention some of Anil Da’s songs with distinct features of folk and which are very dear to me as keep on listening these off and on …

As I have written here some time back that Anil Da composed one of the most authentic Sohar songs ,which is a distinct folk genre of UP BiharMP and Rajasthan , in HFM in Aurat 1940 ‘ Ghoonghar wale hain baal mere lala ke…’  celebrating the ’ Chhatee’ after the child birth. In the Muslim community of these areas also Sohar Songs were sung but the ‘Chhatee ‘ was not celebrated as in the case of Hindu Families.  In 1954 film Mhatma Kbeer AnilDa adopted a tradition tune from these areas used in Sohar, and Banna and Banni songs (sung in marriages ) and composed this beautiful Sohar song of Muslim Families  listen it enjoy the flair which Anil da has for the folk tradition of India as the lead song of this post.

In Aarzoo 1950 Anil Da not only composed but also sung a Nutanki  style song  ‘ Hamen maar chala ye khyaal ye gham na idhar ke rahe na udhar ke rahe….’ , not the instrumentation and the style in which the he sings the antara and visualize a Nautanki performance taking place before your eyes !

And then there is the Abhiman 1957 song  ‘ Palla dori palla…..’  set in Lavanee mode  and a mix of Nautanki style is kind of a fun song which has all those elements of a folk song , note the use and adayagee of the words ‘ ae samhaal’ and ‘ phirrr’ by Anil Da himself and you know how deeply he knew the finer and rustic nuances of folk music and how well he could put these in the use to give the somg an authentic folk personality !

And the epitome of Anil Da’s  command on the folk genre can be seen in the two Holi songs , one which he composed in Mahatma Kabeer  ‘ Holi hai be , siyavar Ramchandra ki jai …..’  I am yet to come across a Holi song in Toli style in rural India where the Toli of Holi Hulladbaazi and the delicate singing of holi by womenfolk of the villages is composed in better way than in this song. 

   होली है बे... :)

हे कद्दू काट मृदंग निम्बू काट मंजीरा
चहार ( चार) सुरैय्या मंगल गावे नाचे बालम मेरा :) :)
भर भर मारे पिचकारी मोहे बालमा होली  आयी रे ......

Holi is a festival which not only celebrated with color and love but also sung equally colorfully.  And various shades and colors of Holi or Faag singing outnumber the numbers of colors used in celebrating Holi.

The Radha -Krishna lore is a central motife of Holi and Faag singing and Hfm and Non Film arena  specially the non film , classical and light singing arena of Hloi singing is a separate universe altogether where Holi singing encompasses the realm of Romance and Spirituality with great musical beauty.

But Holi and Faag singing has a 'Hudadangi' motif also and this Hudadangi motif runs equally deep in Indian Holi singing.

In HFM though many or if I may say almost every MD has explored these genres of Holi singing and many of the songs are already here to enjoy. But the way Anil Biswas explored the Holi and Faag genre in HFM has its own special place. Though I wanted to share and explore some beauties from non film arena today but then decided to share and explore one of Anil Da's masterpiece compositions of Holi singing from Mahatma Kabeer a 1954 film. And it is not without reason that I chose this song from his many compositions on Holi songs.

This song is kind of a case study in Holi or Faag singing on the occasion of Hloi in small towns and kasba-s of India. This is typical Holi song where the Hudangi Toli of man's way of Holi singing and the gentle and romantic Holi singing and celebration by Women folk not only come together in a single song but in a seamless and most realistic manner too.

Listen the song and see the picture taking shape in your mind through music and lyrics where at the start of the song the listener can not only feel but can become the part of a Hudadangi Toli of Holi Rasiyas who are having fnu and teasing whosoever comes across, Not the collective call of 'Siyavar Ramchandra Ki Jay ...' this motif is used to silence the opposition and the kind of angry response by the teased person. And Just after this call a Holi Hudadangi saying to the teased person ' Hloi hai Be....' i.e why mind freind it is Holi and thereby making the teased person also a part of the Gang so the next moment this teased soul becomes the teaser for other victims.


And Then after having this Hudadangi Fun in the streets of the village this Toli reaches the residential Mohallla where the womenfolk of the village are singing on the Thaap of Dholak and dancing by taking gentle circles with the Rang And Gullal saying ' Bhar Bhar Maare Pichkaarii mora Baalmaa Holi Aayee Re..' and the gentle and romantic Play of Combined Holi is on with rang and Gulaal and Pichkaariis. And the intensity of the Rang from the pichkaari is so that one feels as if Saawan has come in the Faagun and it is raining the rang.

And the way Anil Da himselfe renders the funny and teasing part of the song is the proof oh his great command and knowledge of Indian Folk Music !

There are very few songs in HFM which so completely gives such a vivid picture of the celebration of the festival of Holi in its fine gentle romantic flavor  and at the same time in its truly rustic manner. It is one of finest combination of Romance and Rusticity of the Holi singing ...  !!


And finally the Holi song which Anil Da  composed in Jwaarbhaata 1944 ‘ sarara arara gao kabeer…..’ is kind of a song which only a maestro like Anil Da could have composed , the way he brings the ‘Alah Udal ‘ style of singing in the antara and then with the Harmonium and by repeating the words Chali ae cahli aji chali … returns to a Khantee UP and Bihari Holi is the kind of stuff of which melodious dreams are made of …. !!

 

तो साहबान मेहरबान कदरदान बीच हिंदुस्तान हम हलफ़िया करते हैं बयान के..... :) :)

वृन्दावन से जड़ी मँगायी हिमालया से बूटी
और काशी जी में धोई भिगोई अयोध्या में कूटी
अरे ढलते चंद्रमा पीसी छानी चढ़ते सूर्य सुखाई
चालीस कतरे अमृत डाला तब ये बनी है दवाई
हमारी दवाई लेलो सुनो जी बड़े भाई लेलो :) :)
...........
 राजे क्या महाराजे क्या एजी जैसे साधू जोगी,
सुनलो जैसे साधू जोगी
अरे वैद्य न देखा होगा ऐसी दवा न देखी होगी
ऐसी दवा न देखी होगी
अरे चमचा भर के जिसे पिला दो दर्द रहे न रोगी
हमारी दवाई लेलो सुनो जी बड़े भाई लेलो ..... :) :)

Well many old timers from towns and rural / semi rural settings will be aware of this 'Mazme baaji' style and the magic potion sellers at the footpath at times as 'Shilaajeet' sellers which was preached to to be the sure shot medicine for all kinds weaknesses and 'Beemaarees' ..... and the kind of phraseology used by these 'Mazme baaj' vendors ..... :) :)

But one normally does not associate this 'Mazmebaaji' style with Kaifi Azmi's poetry or writings. Most of the time he is known and remembered for his ' Sanjeeda- Maniikhej' poetry. Be it Romance or the commentary on social issues and concerns his elegance and felicity with words is well known.

But at the same time Kaifi Azmi being associated with peoples movement and ipta and socio-political issues also had a great sense of humor , satire and the art of spoofing.

Though this side of his creativity is not much seen in his poetry but his prose ' Gadya' writings are a living testimony to his semse of humor and satire specially political satire. For almost a decade his column ' Naii Gulistan' ran in Hindi and Urdu editions of 'Blitz' weekly in sixties and seventies, which latter got published in two volumes by Rajkamal as 'Naii Gulistan' . And the style he adopted for his column was the style of a mazmebaaji with his own stamp over it and great 'Kafiyabaaji'. ajaust quoting a portion from the introduction of the first volume of 'Naii Gulistan'

" जहाँ तक शैली का सवाल है, राजनितिक व्यंग के इन नमूनों में कैफ़ी साहब ने अपनी खुद की एक शैली विकसित की है. हर रचना का आरम्भ एक हिक़ायतनवीस के माध्यम से होता है जो ज़ाहिर है की कैफ़ी साहब का ही हमज़ाद है. अक्सर किसी सुप्रचलित नीतिकथा या फिर किसी लतीफे का, किसी ऐतिहासिक घटना का इस्तेमाल किया गया है, और जिस तरह जातक कथाओं में बुद्ध अंत में एक नीति वाकया बोलते दिखाई देते हैं उसी तरह इन हिक़ायतों में कैफ़ी अंत में एक राजनितिक वाक्य बोलते नज़र आते हैं. सभी तो नहीं, अधिकांश हिक़ायतों का अंत कुछ शे 'री मिसरों पर होता है जो या तो कैफ़ी साहब के खुद के गढ़े हुए हैं या फिर कुछ सुप्रचलित अशआर की पैरोडी हैं. कॉलम के बीच बीच में नस्र (गद्य) की जगह नज़्म की मिसालें भी देखने को मिलती हैं जो एकरसता तोड़ने में एक हद तक सहायक हैं.

लेकिन हक़ की बात यह है की इस पूरे संकलन को नज़्म में लिखी गयी नस्र का नाम दें, जो तथाकथित नस्री नज़्म (गद्य काव्य) से कहीं बहुत ऊँचे दर्ज़े की चीज़ है, तो कुछ गलत नहीं होगा. पूरी नई गुलिस्तां में शायद ही कोई ऐसा वाक्य आपको मिले ९उम्मेद है नहीं ही मिलेगा) जिसमें कैफ़ी साहब ने अपनी शे'री फितरत छोड़ी हो और क़ाफ़ियापैमाई न की हो. दुसरे अलफ़ाज़ में, कैफ़ी की नस्र भी बड़े ठस्से के साथ यह कहती हुई नज़र आती है की मैं किसी नस्रनिगार की नहीं, एक शायर की रचना हूँ. किसी शायर ने कहा है की -

'नज़्म का अपनी तबियत से तअल्लुक न गया
नस्र भी हमने जो देखि तो मुक़फ़्फ़ा देखी "

And apart from his class poetry this 'Nasree' side of Kaifi's creativity always had a great attraction for me, I remember how eagerly I used to wait for the arrival of 'Blitz' in my scdhool and college days and how eagerly I used to go to the last page to read 'Naii Gulisten' by Kafi Azmi and ' Azzad Kalam' by Khwaza Ahmad Abbas.

And as the tone tenor and soul of SKS is music not politics so I am not quoting for the time being from 'Naii Gulistan' but there are a lot of almost apolitical pieces in 'Naii Gulistan' which are treat to read. And if I could find time would love to share some such pieces.

Now coming to this magic potion seller mentioned at the beginning of the write-up , I deliberately chose this song from Kafi's lyrical universe not because it is funny or shows the humor side of his creativity but for another important feature of the work of a person of Kaifi's calibre. And that feature which ,after my experience of interacting with some of these great poets and writers during some of those fortunate moments which life has been kind to offer me from time to time , I realized is the ability , compassion and concern and connectivity which all these great writers and poets always have with their roots, with their soil and with there social set up. They never ever lost this connectivity with the common man and the environment . and they always remembered this trough out their literary journey and that is the feature which makes these people Great and relevant for all the times to come.

Only a Kafi Azmi who knew his roots best and never lost contact and concern for the common man and the routine life of masses could have written such a song with light humor keeping that common magic potion seller in mind who has been a constant part of the urban and rural life :)

So enjoy this not very commonly listened and tasted 'Jadee Bootee' from Kaifi Sahab , rendered by Asha Usha and Balbeer , a lovely composition by Mohammad Shafi from 1956 film Zindagi ... :) :)https://soundcloud.com/arun-mudgaluser403687381/1956_zindagi_06_vrandavan-sehamari-dawayi-le-lo_asha-usha-s-balbir_kaifi-azami_mohammad-shafimp3

Toofaan Mail

Toofaan  mail
Duniya  ye duniya toofaan mail  …

Indian film industry is replete with those fairy tale kind of rags to riches stories where a nobody arrives and moves from ‘Farsh Se  Arsh Tak ‘ and becomes a heart throb of millions within a short time and then goes on ruling the heart and minds of countless fans for a long time !

And Kanan Devi’s  perhaps is one of the earliest of such ‘ Farsh Se Arsh Tak ‘ dream stories where a young helpless girl living in shabbiest of conditions  with her mother in a slum makes it to the top of the showbiz and establishes herself in the field of singing , acting and film making and that to at the very top. With her sweet , superbly toned and reasonably trained voice clubbed with her  grace , charm and natural acting skills she emerged as a topnotch singer and actress in 30s and 40s and in the later decades as well , her films with New Theatre replete with some of the best film songs in Hindi and Bengali films tuned by likes of R C Boral , Pankaj Mullik, and Kamal Dasgupta , Kalipad Sen, Robin Chatterji, Anupam Ghatak,  Dheeren Mitra ,  Kumar Mitra –Anath Bose- Mrinal Ghosh ,  Umapati Sen, and Gyanprakash Ghosh , Radhacharan Bhattcharya, Nitai Motilal  and Kirodi Gopal Mukherjee made her a house hold name across the country. In the early years of Indian filmdom  Kanan Devi’s popularity  as they say is history!

Nothing defines her life better than the ‘mukhda’ of one of her most famous and evergreen songs :
Toofaan  mail
Duniya  ye duniya toofaan mail  …  She really rode the ‘Toofaan Mail ‘ of this Duniya in style !

But her journey from a nobody to the topnotch singer- actress  of her time was not at all easy she had to travel a road full of thorns and go through the hardships of life at the very tender age.  Kanan Devi was Born in April 1919 in middle class family. Her Father  Ratan Chandra Das and Mother Rajobala lived together without getting formally married . Her Father, Ratan Chandra Das, died  when she was barely 7-8 years old leaving behind many debts with his wife and very young daughter at the mercy of some not very nice , kind and accommodating  relatives. Kanan Devi in one of her interviews at a latter stage recalled those horrible days saying “we wore rags and worked without complaining  in return for food and shelter. Then one day something happened which, as far as I was concerned was the last straw. My mother was bitterly humiliated for breaking a saucer and I couldn’t  bear it. I was only seven years old at that time but I dragged her out of the house. We had nowhere to go. “ 

After this humiliating  event Young Kanan and her mother  shifted to live in a slum without any substantive means to make both the ends to meet but as they say if the world closes the door The God opens a window of hope always . And at this difficult time an acquaintance Tulsi Bannerji  came to her help. It was through Tulsi Bannerji ‘s help that Kanan got her first opportunity to work in films.

At the age of ten years in 1926 she was hired by Madan Theatres for the silent film ‘Jaidev’ for the role of Radha. Though she was hired on a salary of rupees 25 but she received only five rupees as the rest was eaten away by the middle man.  The next year she acted in a small role in Dhiren Ganguli’s  Shankaracharya . These openings in the celluloid world though small gave Kanan the  will and the confidence to face the world , and it also gave her the belief in herself to tread this path in the film industry and create a space of her own.

And then in 1929 took place the event which laid the foundation of Kanan’s future as a singing star. It was in the year 1929 that the legendary Kazi Nazrul Islam, the rebel poet from Bengal, discovered Kanan as a singing talent. Kanan  by that time had already played in the above said two films as a child artist and was taken to HMV for her first recording session , though her voice still raw without any training worth the name , Kazi Nazrul Islam could however spot the hidden talent ,  and as a result the first record in Kanan’s voice was published with the songs ‘ Balo Sakhi Balo Tarey …’ and ‘ Ogo Bolo Keno Sakhi Nayana Jharey..’ under the name Kanan Bala. The Gramophone Company in its advertisement for the records announced the arrival of a new artiste. The record must have sold well because the very next year in 1930 the company brought four more of her songs namely ‘ Ase Boley se gechhey amay …’ , Amar Chokhey Jodi Bhalo Laagey…’ , Banshi Bajey Hara Jouboney…’ and ‘ Manohar Beshe Esechhilo …’ . These records sold well and her songs got reasonably popular.  This was the beginning as a singer from which Kanan Bala ,known to be Kanan Devi in future , started getting a foothold as singer , and after devoting herself to acting and singing in the years to come by through her sheer dedication, hard work  and will to establish herself ,  got herself known as ‘The singer with a Honey Pot in Her throat ‘ and an actress of great ability, and truly so as her films and songs are relished till date .

Kanan Devi left Gramophone company with Kazi Nazrul Islam , Hiren Bose and Dhiren Das and joined Megaphone headed by J N Ghosh.  It was in Megaphone where Kanan  received her first  training in the music as till now she was a raw and untraibed voice. In Megaphone she got lessons in singing from the legendry classical singer and ustad Bhishmdev  Chattopadhyay . She also got  trained by Ustad Allarakkha , Kazi Nazarul Islam as well . Binod Bihari and Gyan Datt were also among her trainers. Apart from training in singing , J N Ghosh also engaged a teacher, Mrs. Gabbey for Kanan to learn English. The training was quite a strenuous exercise which included singing various genres of music , riyaz and performances  in front of Ustads.  Kanan Devi it seems took this training quite seriously and devoted herself to learn from these Ustads and did work very hard to learn , refine and polish her singing skills, the result of this training and dedication was the kind of songs she sang which till date remain favourite among music lovers. J N Ghoshe’s company  began issuing gramophone records under  Megaphone( swadeshi ) Record banner and Kanan was among the first artists to get chance to record her songs. Her first song record had the songs ‘ Chhuona Chhuona Saathi…’ and ‘Priyo tomar laagi jaagi saara raati…’ which was published in 1932 it was followed by another record in Dec. 1932 having the songs ‘ Praney amaar eto byatha diley ..’ and ‘ Besechhi bhalo besechhi…’ . All the four songs were penned by Hiren Bose and were composed by Dhiren Das. It was around this time that the trio along with Kazi Nazrul Islam left Megaphone, and they joined Columbia. Thus Kanan’s journey as a singer got wings and she became a name to reckon with in the field of singing.

In the year 1931 when moving pictures got the voice and the film industry entered the ‘Talkies’ age the Madan Theatres again recalled the slim and sharp featured young and beautiful  Kanan . She did two films ‘Rishi Prem ‘ and Jore Barat’ . Latter she joined Radha Film Company as well. Between 1931 and 1936 wit Madan Films, Radha Film Company and Prafull Pictures she did a number of films namely , Jamaai Shast 1931, ‘Char Darvesh’ 1933,  Hari Bhakti 1934, Basavdatta 1935 , Khooni Kaun 1936 and Maa 1936. She also acted and sang in Radha Films ‘Shree Gaurang, Kanthhar, Krishna  Sudama’  as well .

Her 1935 film ‘Manmayi Girls Scnool ‘ with Jahar Ganguli in which acted and sang  gave her a sort of reall break . The film and the songs were well received and she got a foot hold in the industry  as a successful singer actor.  Her song  ‘ Megh nagarer andha… ‘ became popular , and the effect of her intensive training which she underwent in Megaphone paid , as the way she rendered this song tunefully with her sweet and lilting and negotiating the musical phrases  indicated that she is no more a raw and untrained voice .

Her song  ‘ man ki batiyan ka se bolun …’ which she sang in the 1936 film Maa , a S P Rane composition which is available for listening is again proves that by now she achieved the proficiency in the singing.

Kanan’s entry into Radha Films was a turning point in her career. She had no intention and desire to go back to her early life of misery and penury and carried with great confidence and determination and soon met with success, with the release of films like Maa, Monmoyi Girls School and Kanthahaar she came to be recognized as the leading star of Bengal as a singer-actress with a definite Box office appeal. This fame got her offers from outside Bengal also and at one time she almost made her mind up to move to Lahore , but finally she decided to remain in Bengal only and worked hard and groomed herself to become an pan-India figure. The coming years did show that her hard work , determination and dedication to her profession paid , and she achieved what she wanted ! By this time Kanan was a  known name in the Film Industry of that time, but the big break which would catapult her into the universe of fame and stardom in the field of acting and singing was yet to come.

It was during this period that Kanan was approached by P C Barua fron New Theatres with an offer to act in the NT film Devdas for the role of Paro but because of contractual conditions with Radha Films she could not accept the offer.  At the expiry of her contract with Radha Films in 1936 she Joined the New  Theaters  and it is after her joining the New Theatre the big moment and the break came her way which made her one of the most popular and sought after star of her time both on screen and behind the microphone.

New Theatre which was a storehouse of the finest talents of its time in film making , acting and singing was doing a remarkable work in making cinema of social and literary values relevant to the time and the environment of then Bengal in particular and India in general.  Together with the technical superiority and the talented directors and actors the NT films of that time created a mise-en-scene which drew upon the life styles of the westernized upper classes, and were able to produce an overall sophistication which defined a whole genre. The films of Barua , Nitin Bose, Debki Bose were made by their techbical refinement and Hollywood-like – urbanity. These films set in the houses of the elite and the rich, and displayed sprawling living rooms, grand staircases , pianos, and free mixing of the sexes. While the same films could be critical of the anglicized upper class, they nonetheless created that ethos of modernity  and a consumer culture which Miriam Hansen has called ‘ vernacular modernism,. Particularly notable are the female characters in these films, whose mannered elegance produced a very different class of ‘heroines’ when compared to earlier actresses of the stage and screen.  At the same time NT films were also inspired by the national fervor and the mood of that time and were also making films based on historical background stories depicting the cultural and literary heritage of Bengal and India, alone with the stories which also had a look at the humble people and their desire to grow and shine in their lives. As these stories were routed in the social cultural and political milieu of the time these films were well received and appreciated by the audience.

It was in this kind of background and environment that Kanan Devi joined New Theatres. And as she had all the requisites , Good looks , acting ability, screen presence and elegance and poise , a beautifully toned ,tuned and sweet voice and as she came from a humble background so was quite familiar with the mannerism of the middle and lower middle class people , so she in fact was kind of a stuff which stars are made of and did fit the bill of all genres of films which New Theatre was interested in making at that time . Therefore no wonder that Kanan Devi , despite her humble background, within two years of joining New Theatres became onscreen , the epitome of the fashionable and cultured modern woman, who set the trends for woman’s fashion and other accomplishments . Her entry in New Theatre also gave her the advantage of the important aspect of NT strategy of making double version of the films in Bengali and Hindi. This strategy effectively opened up north Indian market without added risks, and gave New Theatres its ‘all India’ profile. Kanan Devi, who was already a well-known actress in Bengal got the benefit of this double version strategy and after joining New Theatres in 1936  , became one of the country’s top stars and singer through the Hindi versions  of NT films.

After joining New Theatresin 1936  Kanan Devi in the short span two years acted in three films Mukti,  Vidypati in 1937 both in double version in Bengali and Hindi and Street singer / Saathi in 1938. These three films provided Kanan Devi an opportunity to showcase her talent in a variety of acting and singing genres and she excelled in both. Her first film Mukti which  P C Barua directed and played the lead role as well Kanan was in the lead role. Mukti was kind of a film where Kanan Devi got an opportunity showcase her ability to play the role in the milieu of the so called vernacular modernity and she did it with a great elan and finesse. Mukti , though a bit controversial at the time, latter became a hallmark of New Theatres, Kanan stunned the viewers with her charming performance as a sophisticated high society emancipated woman, the use of Rabindra Sangeet signified a touch of class and Kanan by her singing Rabindra Sangeet in the Bengali version of the film under the baton of Pankaj Mullik became among the firsts to sing Rabindra Sangeet in a film, the Hindi version of the film is also replete with wonderfully sung Kanan songs.  Her second film with NT Vidyapati which also came in 1937 was directed by Debki Bose was kind of a historical-cultural film which was publicized by NT as a film with the artistic and literary entertainment in both its versions. The scale and mise-en-scene of the film was grand and Kanan in the role of Anuradha excelled among the giants like Prithviraj Kapoor, Pahari Sanyal and Chhaya Devi ,showing that she has the capability to enact the role to the T in a historical-cultural set-up as well both in the field of singing and acting. And then in 1938 Street singer / Saathi directe by Fani Mazumdar  hit the screens country wide where she was in the lead role with the legendry singer actor K L Saigal as the mail lead. This was in this film she did show her talent in portraying the role of a street singer with accuracy and then her transformation to a famous stage artist to the perfection with all nuances of acting conforming to the emotive graph of the character she played. The film was a runaway success all over India. Kanan Devi emerged as the melody queen and reached the zenith of her fame and glory. Kanan was now a celebrity and it was said that she carried a honey pot in her throat. Again the film had some of the most memorable songs rendered by Kanan Devi.  And after these successful films this ‘Toofan Mail ‘ of acting and singing never looked back. She remained with NT till 1941 and acted in the lead role in films ‘Jawaani ki reet’ , Sapurey Haar Jeet , Lagan, which were made in Bengali version also as Prajay , Sapurey, Abhinetri and Parichay. But for Mukti which was composed by Pakaj Mullik all other films were R C Boral compositions and Kanan  did amazingly superb singing in all these films. Her stint with New Theatres became very significant in Kanan’s carrier in the sense that in NT she got another opportunity to hone her singing skills under the supervision and raining from Pankaj Mullik and R C Boral. It was during this period that she leant the musical idiom of Rabindra Sangeet under the guidance of Pankaj Mullik.

Though she left New Theatres after completion of 1941 film Lagan / Parichay , but her  singing and acting carrier kept on moving from one success to another in her post NT films as well . From 1942 to 1948 the year in which she did her last Hindi Film ‘Chandrashekhar’, she acted  and sang in Jawaab/ shesh uttar 1942 , Jogajog / Hospital 1943. Rajlakshmi and Banphool  1945, and Arebian nights, Krishna Lila 1946, Faisla , Tum aur Main / Tumi aar Ami 1947 . In 1948 apart from her last Hindi Film Chndrashekhar which had a Bengali Version as well she did ‘Bank Lekha’ and ‘Anirban’ in Bengali as well

1949 onwards she  produced 11 films under her own production company Shrimati Pictures and in most of these movies she acted and sang  lovely Bengali songs which were quite popular with the films and she remained a force to reckon with in the Bengal film and music industry.

पनघट पे मधु बरसाय गयो रे ...
A singer with a honey pot in her throat  as Kanan was known and is  hailed as the first melody queen of India. She did rule the hearts and minds of millions and her songs  till date remain an aural treat having a great repeat value.  In her 1947 film faislaa she rendered a song of which the mukhda goes as ‘ Pangaht pe Mdhu Barsay gayo re  wo to shyam salona…’ an Anupam Ghatk composition is kind of a song which melodious dreams are made of. The Mukhda of this  song  sounds literally true when applied for Kanan Devi’s voice. A voice which had the sweetness , flow and glow of ‘ Madhu’ (Honey ) at the same time could become ‘saloni’ also when required.  Her songs are really like a rain of ‘madhu’ (honey) in the ears of listeners.

Kanan Devi’s voice and diction were very clear and almost perfect. She did not carry that Bengali Baani impact when singing Hindi songs replete with Urdu words as well. Despite the fact that Bangla was her mother tongue she could sing Hindi and Urdu worded songs with equal flow and with proper emotive nuances  shows her devotion , dedication and seriousness with which she took her singing.  

Her voice was not thin and at the same time not thick as well , it has the proper level of density and tonal structure with a subtle ‘loch’ and elasticity , so even when she went in higher pitch ranges her voice does not sound shrill as in ‘ Dole  Hriday ki Naiyya..’ in 1938 vidyapati and as the is neither thick so when she moves to lower pitches it did it does not sound cracking . This gave her the ability to maneuver her voice from high pitch to lower pitch in a seamless manner.  And so whenever required to drop her voice in to a middle pitch she could do it with great finesse and could render a song in an even and  liltingly as in ‘zara nainon se naona milaye jao re… ‘ in Hospital (1943), a song so beautifully composed by Kamal Dasgupta  and penned by  Pt. Bhushan  and superbly rendered by Kanan.  Because of This proper density and tonal structure she could brought her voice to almost speech level pitch and could render a song like ‘ Hmari Laj nibhao swami…’ without missing a single note flawlessly. Along with this  features of seamless transition from higher to lower pitch her voice could also handle the change in pace from fast to low in a song while keeping the continuity of the melody intact , her song  ‘ Angan ayob jab rasiya …’ in the Bengali version of Vidyapati a R C Boral composition is a showcase of these  features and her ability to make full use of these to make a song memorable.

After the training and hard work she also acquired the ability in her voice to embellish her songs with those small  ‘harqats’ without letting the song  deviate from the tune and melody structure as in ‘ na jane kya hai dil ka haal….’ In Mukti 1937 under Pankaj Mullik’s baton.  Her singing in mukti is also a testimony of her determination to learn. In Mukti she rendered Rabindra Sangeet after receiving intense training from Pankaj Mullik , and her rendering of Tagore song ‘ Aaj sabar rangey rang… ‘ , mukti and then a few years latter her rendition of another Tagore song ‘ Pran chaye chokhu na chaye…’  under R C Boral’s baton in 1939 Bengali film Parajay which was made as Jawaani Ki Reet; in Hindi  till date remain any and every Rabindra Sangeet  lovers aural delight. Though in her singing career she touched a very tiny portion of the universe which Rabindra Sangeet is , but there is no doubt about her being authentic in her renderings of Tagore songs which is a genre in itself .

This feature of Kanan’s  singing across genres can again be noted in her flawless and superb renderings of Nazrul Geeti, a case in point is her lovely and tuneful renderings with all the nuances of Nazrul Geeti  ‘ Akahse  helan diey pahaar ghumayo…’ and ‘katha koibe na bou….’  . Again in Shesh Uttar the 1942 Bengali film she did sing a song though this time penned by Pranob Roy and tuned by Kamal Dasgupta ‘ ami bon phool…’ in a perfect Nazrul Geeti Mode.  This competence in singing across genres can only be achieved by sheer hard work and devotion to the art which Kanan never lacked in.

When required she could infuse her songs with a suitable and proper emotive motif as in ‘Kuchh yaad rahe to …’ in Jawwab 1942 and in ‘Meri majabooriyan…’ in Hospital 1943.  In other cases, her singing acquired a naturalness of a woman’s song rendered under zero performing pressure with effortless ease.

When she sang Bhajans her voice became the voice of a natural devotee. Her Bhajan ‘ Prabhuji rakho laj hamari…’ from Hospital is one of the earlier Bhajans  sung in a film which became a household choice of listeners and still remain the same , and her rendition ‘ pranam tomaye ghanshyam…’ in Mejdidi a 1950 film produced by kanan herself is a stuff touching Bhajans are made of.

She could paint a picture of nature in the mind of listener with all its grandeur while rendering song like ‘ mast pavan shaakhen lahrayen…’ with Pahari Sanyal in 1940 Haar Jeet.  And her rendition of ‘ Amrit ke barasaiyya… ‘ in Krishna Lila is kind of a song which can be felt only giving a complete emotive graph to the intent of the song she created a song which can easily be said to be sublime in its quality.

Her Rendition of ‘ More ghar aao sajan…’ is an example of her capability to hold on a note and explore a musical phrase to perfection , listening  her rendering  ‘ leti hain angadaiyan mastiyan….’ In this song makes the listener realize that what kind of flawless performnace she could give and what kind of a performance a music director and trainer of R C Boral’s caliber could extract from her.

Apart from all these features her voice, when needed , with her intonation and singing could creat an effect of pure and pleasant exuberance with matchless flow and lilt in a song which is synonymous with the Name Kanan Devi , the rendition of ‘ Tufaan mail , duniya ye duniya tufan mail…’ in Jawaav 1942 which she made immortal .

The kind of status and fame she achieved in her time is matchless. She was so popular and in dmand that in 1948 she was in position to put a condition to demand one rupee more as fees than amount paid to the then reining star of cinema Ashok Kumar for doing the film Chandrashekhar ,and the producers had to comply with her demand, Ashok Kumar in an autobiographical account mentions receiving a remuneration of two lac fifty thousand rupees for the film. This was truly fantastic sum by contemporary standards  and Kanan was in a position to claim it.

Though Chandrashekhar was her last film in Hindi , she did remain active in Bengali cinema till 1965 as an actor, singer and producer.  She established her production company in 1949 ‘Shrimati pictures ‘ and went on making films which were popular and well received by the viewers.  She produced eleven films in many of which she acted and sang , most of these films were directed by her second husband Haridas Bhattacharji, whome she got married  in 1952 after the failure and subsequent divorce from her first husband Ashok Maitra .

Even in this phase of her career despite having well passed her prime , she could carry films as a lead actor on her shoulders and liked by the viewers as in the films like ‘Mejdidi’ 1952 and ‘Darpachurna’ 1952.  In her  sef  produced 1955 film Debatra she acted with Uttam Kumar , and rendered the still remembered song ‘Aano maa aanandamoyi… ‘ composed by Kalipad Sen and penned by Sajanikant das.

Apart from her contribution to cinema and word of music One of her important and humanitarian contribution for the society was  the formation of Mahila Shilpi Mahal , to help those actress who were out of work, living in miserable conditions and were easily forgotten by media and society . This was an initiative to help these women.  Members of this organization performed stage shows where only the  female artists participated.  These plays turned quite popular and in some of these even Knanan herself took part. From the money raised thus a house was bought at Garcha Road Calcutta to provide shelter who needed it.  This tough was a very good initiative soon ran into trouble as some of the members got over ambitious and tried to occupy the house, kanan due to healthreasons could not coup up with these unforeseen  troubles in the organization and was compelled to disband the organization. The house had to be sold and the funds so received  were used for social welfare activities. The Failure of this good initiative left Kanan heartbroken.

Apart from her achievements in cinema and singing , her greatest achievement was perhaps earning the respectability for woman in the film industry , who at that time used to come from humble and not so respectable backgrounds.

Recognizing her great contribution to cinema, music and society, Govt. of India awarded her with a Padmashri in 1968. She also was awarded the greatest honor for cinema personality the Dada Saheb Falke award in 1977 by Govt. of India.

Kana Devi who despite coming from a humble background , created an unforgettable space for herself in the country in the field of cinema and singing and achieved the kind of stardom which is fairytale stuff , after living a successful and creative life breathed her last on 17^TH July 1992.  But she is immortalized in the hearts and minds of countless fans of cinema and music.

Arun Kumar Mudgal

Sources :-
1. Bengali Cinema : An another nation by Sharmistha Gooptu
2. बीते कल के सितारे – श्रीराम ताम्रकर
3. Hindi Film Song  by Ashok Da Ranade
4.The one and lonely Kidar Sharma –an autobiography
5. Welcome to the world of Kanan – wavesite by Dr. Jyoti Prakash Guha
6.Cineplot.com
7. HFGK By Harmindar Singh Hamraz

O moonlight ,
do not go into hiding in the distant blue sky.......

The Play of moonlight in moonlit night in the sky full of patchy clouds always stirs many a whirlpools of emotions in the heart and mind. At times it makes one romantic if one is enjoying the company of the beloved and at times it intensifies the pain of ' virah' separation from the beloved. And at times even in the company of the beloved it stirs the emotions which may be a result of the emotional insecurities for some some reason in the mind and hearts of beloveds.

But what ever may be the emotional set up the moonlit evenings or nights have always a source of creative inspiration for the poets and music makers. There are numerous songs in Indian film in the backdrop of Moonlit nights and most of them are very popular among the listeners.

It was on such a moonlit night in the month of August in 1996 with the sky full of patchy clouds that I first listened this Oriya song on the Chandra Bhaga beach in Konark, where I after doing some 'Bhashan Bazi' on disaster management in a workshop organized by CAPART, was relaxing on the beach with a friend.

I was enjoying the cool sands of long and pristine beach of Chandra Bhaga in the moonlit evening wher the moonlight was playing hide and seek with the clouds and the roaring sound of waves were providing the background music for this romantic play. When The lonely Chai Waala who was there with his kettle of Chai and a portable AC Player playing some Oriya songs,had sold his last Kullhar of chai to me and was ready to leave , his AC Player began to play this song, and the moment the mukhda of the song began in a sweet and richly toned female voice I was taken over by the sheer sweetness of the voice rich with emotion and 'adayagi' and the superb melodious tune of the song. I stopped the Chai waala and listened this song then and there half a dozen times at repeat mode. When the Chai Waala insisted on leaving as he was getting late , I asked him to give me this AC and he happily parted with it for a princely sum of Rs 25 !

I enjoyed the song on that AC for a few years and then got it converted to MP3. The song is still as dear to me as it was at that moonlit evening and i keep on listening it off and on.
A superb melody rendered by Nirmala Mishra in her richly toned super sweet voice and composed by Balakrishna Dash for the 1970 film Adina Megha is kind of a melody which once listened stays with the listener forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M_6cjqKQT4&feature=related

डफ बाज्यो है छैल मतवारे को डफ बाज्यो है ........

डफ बाज्यो है छैल मतवारे को
डफ बाज्यो है ........

Daf and the month of Faagun has a romantic and musical relationship in the Braj and its neighbouring areas. Come Faagun and the rhythmic, reverberating and beckoning beats of Daf along with the voice of Faag singers are there in the Faaguni air every evening. The Faag is sung in this area during the Faagun till the colorful festival of Holi arrives. These sessions of Faag singing are a regular event in Krishna Temples, in Mohalla Chauks and even in the Aangans of individual homes.

'Aate hee faagun ya braj mein sahi hon lagi fauaan ki baaten......' , or ' Faagun aayo fauno ranga de rasiya .....' and 'Jasoda tero Laalaa bado utpati....' in the rasiya mode can be listened and enjoyed every where. The Rasiya, Chhailaa, Laalaa, and Bhayala in these Faag songs is always the krishna and the songs are a kind of beckoning to the Gopis. I born in Karauli which bosts of having one or more Krishna temples in every street of the town have spent my entire Childhood and adolescent years listening to these beauties.

The most common, popular and loved Faag in these sessions always used to be ' Daf bajyo hai chhail Matwaare ko.......' and the Goonj of this daf has its impact on the one to whom it was addressed can be felt in the lyrics of this Faag which are like this:-

Daf bajyo hai chhail matwaare ko daf bajyo hai ..

Daf ke baje mero sab ghar haale
Halyo hai khambha tiwaare ko daf bajyo hai...

Daf kee dhamak mero tan man haale
Haalyo hai jhubbaa naare ko

Daf bajyo hai chhail matwaare ko.....

And ultimately this Daf and its Goonj  reached inside the recording studios those days, though in a some what modified lyrics as a beckoning call to the beloved where it became a response from the beloved as ' Daf kahe ko bajaye main to aavat rahee daf kahe ko........' ,

And when this response to the Daf of The Chhail Matwaara took its shape in one of the most graceful, 'Lochdaar' and Sozful voices of our time the one and only Begum Akhtar , the effect was stunning. I have listened many live renditions of this Faag those year in Karauli and it is not possible the kind of impact it used to creat without the deep reverberating beats of daf but this rendition by Begum Akhtar is in a class of its own.

http://www.divshare.com/download/16911771-e3f

Music in Ritwik Ghatak's films

Ritwik Ghatak is one of the great maestros of Indian cinema,and a number of his films and the songs of these films which i have been listening since long and still find enchanting, never fails to fascinate me.


Ghatak's films are greatly loved and admired in India especially in Bengal where the sincerity of their sentiment finds ready sympathy, and this very feature, ie the sincerity of sentiment, of his films gives these films a universal appeal as Ghatak's narratives are so strong and close to the real life and picturised in such vivid way that the viewer irrespective of language and Geographical boundaries connects with his films immediately at the emotional level.

Another notable and very important characteristic of Ritwik Ghatak's films and a significant element in their sentiment is the prominence of the songs and the way of picturisation of the songs.Though songs always have their place in commercial cinema as well but Ghatak's use of music is altogether different. His songs are not intended to be especially entertaining in themselves , although many of them are beautifully rendered and most of these are fondly familiar to a Bengali audience, and because of their relevance in the narrative they also appeal to a non Bengali speaking audience as well. The songs of Ghatak's films , chosen from the broad diversity of folk tradition of Bengal and from the vast collection of songs by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore,are intended to awaken an affinity with the Bengali cultural tradition and to enhance the feeling of it in the various parts of the film. And as i have stated above as the content and emotional intent of these songs is universal so it fascinates the viewer across the Geographical and linguistic boundaries, and also the particularly sensitive representation of the songs, makes the artistic quality of the film a blissful experience for the non Bengali and non Indian viewer as well.

I have for today chosen three songs from three of his films to enjoy the music and the superb picturisation by the Maestro.

The first song is a Rabindranath Tagore song from Ghatak's all time classic Meghe Dhake Tara ;

' Je raate mor duarguli bhanglo jhore..........' the song composed by Jyotirindra Moitra is so rich in melody and soulful singing that it takes the listener on a different plane. The picturisation is absolutely superb example of cinematography. There is a memorable combination of lighting , camera and sound through out the song and especially towards the end of the singing in Shankar's darkened room , 'Je rate mor duarguli.....', a song that offers hope of regeneration after the destructiveness of the storm, when the camera looks up to Neeta's face as the tears well in her eyes and the whiplash intruded onto the soundtrack. An out of this world and out of words experience of music and cinematography!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84t7BisdD1M

The second song is also a Rabindranath Tagore song from the film Jukti Takko Ar Galpo in which Ghatak himself plays the main character Nilkantha is:

'Keno Cheye Acho Go Maa...........' is a Debabrata Biswas's rendition of this song which Ghatak used in the film. The rendition by George Da is matchless and again the camera work by Ghatak and the intensity of the emotion captured by Ghatak in picturisation is a thing to remember and relish for a long time for the viewer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olSEE4BEd_o&feature=related

The third song of triple experience is from the film Bari Theke Paliye (The Runaway ) is :

''Aami Anek Ghurea Sheshe Aailam Re Kolikatta...........' Is a great lilting melody composed by Salil Da in Baul style and beautifully rendered by Shyamal Mitra , again Ghatak's Picturisation is class where he views Kolikatta through the eyes of a young boy, the character in the film who has run away from home and arrived in Kolikatta. The song has wonderful photography of Fifties Kolikatta, and a superb listening experience. Salil Da also used this tune three years latter in Half Ticket for ' Arey le lo ji le lo hai ye dil heera .......' a lovely Kishore Kumar rendition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5ancwwOTzk