An article on Suraiya
Kolachala Kalyan
Included below is an article by Raju B written on the occasion of
Suraiya turning
70 (on June 15th). Thanks to Satish for mailing it to me. Given all the
Lata/Suraiya
discussion/flames going on, I hope that this post is instrumental in
generating even
more flames. More Suraiya articles will be posted tomorrow.
Regards,
Kalyan
Vocal marvel
By Raju Bharatan
>From Midday.
9 Jun
If Suraiya means a cluster of seven brilliant stars, did even
Naushad create, in a single film, seven gems to match this
singing-stars Tera khayal dil se bhulaya na jaayega, Chaar din
ki chandni phir andheri raat hai, Tu mera chaand main teri
chaandi, Murli waale murli baaja, Nirala mohabbat ka dastoor
dekha, Duniya kya jaane mera afsaana, and Zaalim zamana mujh ko
tujh se chhuda raha hai?
It is 50 years since our dillagi with this cluster of seven
began. And they abide on our mental screen, as forming part of
an oeuvre whose flavour we eternally savour. Come Tuesday,
therefore, and you say Suraiya as one symbolising the spirit of
the age, Many happy returns! The age of chivalry is not past,
so you do not pause to ask Suraiya how old she is, you only
think of how her melodies are still memories, and memories
melodies. Side-by-side, you also stop wondering what is the
secret of the aura by which, if Gulzar collaborates with Jagit
Singh on a fresh ghazal album, it comes to be tele-introduced to
you, via Suraiyas voice, as Nukta chin hai gham-e-dil.
This very special vocal charisma of Suraiya is tellingly brought
out by Anil Biswas in Waris, as his pet performer. Talat Mahmood
holds you spellbound with his melisma in Rahi matwaale. In fact,
Talat is almost through with his silken rendition of Raahi
matwaale, when the genius of Anil Biswas has Suraiya making her
velvety entry with Naina ho chaar zara naina ho chaar. Thus
does Suraiya, ear-rivetingly, take up from Talat the Waris
refrain of: Raahi maatwale, tu chheD ek baar man ka sitaar/
Jaane kab chori chori aayee hai bahaar, aayee hai bahaar/ Raahi
matwaale.
Naushad put his hand on the public pulse when he noted that
Suraiyas dulcet draw lies in the fact that she gives you while
singing, the feeling of being the girl nextdoor. Nainon mein
preet hai, hoton pe geet hai, evocatively sums up Naushads
Suraiya Dastan; epitomised by Aaya mere dil mein tu, Yeh mausam
aur yeh tanhai, Ae shama tu bata tera parwaana kaun hai and
Mohabbat bada kar juda ho gaye. Not even Lata Mangeshkar, with
all her schooling, could quite steal Suraiyas thunder. Even as
Lata arrived, under Husnlal-Bhagatram, with Chup chup khade ho,
Chale jaana naheen nain mila ke and Jo dil mein khushi ban kar
aaye, Suraiya was right there, as a singing-star with Woh paas
rahen ya door rahen, O likhne waale ne, and Bigdi baanane waale
bigdi bana de.
In fact this face-off with Lata is the point on which I chose to
chivvy Suraiya as I drew close to her. Is it true, I sought to
know, that you even tried to poison Lata, jealous of her
meteoric rise?
Me and try to poison Lata! laughed Suraiya tinklingly. If
anything I wanted Lata to take over, as my ghost voice and even
tried to persuade C Ramachandra to employ her as my playback in
Fazils Duniya. So smitten was I by Dev (Anand) those days, that
I seriously considered giving up singing altogether to me, in my
life, in that misty moment!
But surely Dev himself, I pointed out, would never have wanted
you to risk your by then unique status as a singing-star.
When you are in love, you are in love, even your career doesnt
matter! came back Suraiya. Imagine, every single day, no matter
where I was at Andheri or Goregaon, I had, at the end of the
shooting to make it to Kardar Studios, at Parel, on my way back
for song rehearsals with Naushadsaab. Actually, it was this
regimen of Naushad that made me think of quitting singing.
Since Naushads hold on me was such that there was no question of
saying no to him. I decided that I would get Lata to sing
playback for me, in a film scored by a man C Ramachandra whose
feelings for her were well-known. I cleverly ventured to play on
the mans emotions by suggesting that Lata should be my ghost
voice in Duniya.
Ramachandra was aghast, reveals Suraiya, he was still in a daze
as he responded: What are you saying, Suraiya, did I hear you
right? Dont you know that Duniya is a film sold to distributors
on your reputation as a singing star first and my name as a
music director after? Lata singing playback for Suraiya did you
hear of anything more ridiculous! Lata is great, the best we
have today, but why are you confusing, Suraiya, your singing
star personality with Latas playback identity? So long as a guy
called C Ramachandra is composing the music of Duniya only a
girl called Suraiya will sing its songs!
Saying which, went on Suraiya, C Ramachandra came up with some
fine songs for me to put over in Duniya, even offering to come
to my make up room, with his harmonium, to rehearse me for
ditties like Mera dil mein aao aur bus jaao, Haay yeh tu ne kya
kiya, Woh aaye aur dil mein samaa kar chale gaye, Kismet ke
likhe ko mita na sake, Armaan loote dil toot gaya, Jis tarah se
hum barbaad huye' and Badi bedard hai duniya. And, as Duniya
proved a spot hit, I knew I had to make time for Dev even while
continuingto sing my songs myself!
Yes, much as C Ramachandra loved Lata, it is safe to presume
that he did not remain untouched by the beauty of Suraiya. It
was her looks, blending with her lilt, that made Suraiya the
sweetheart of the nation. Happy birthday to you, Sur you remain
a voice for all seasons.
ani...@my-deja.com
Thanks for posting the article.
> secret of the aura by which, if Gulzar collaborates with Jagit
> Singh on a fresh ghazal album, it comes to be tele-introduced to
> you, via Suraiyas voice, as Nukta chin hai gham-e-dil.
>
Has anyone heard this gulzar/jagjit album yet? I have not seen it in
the stores in US yet. Would appreciate a review.
--
Cheers,
Anil P. Hingorani
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
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