My Friend Geeta - Meena Kapoor Remembers Geeta Dutt
Ritu
Meena Kapoor recently wrote an article for the swar alaap magazine
remembering her close association with Geeta Dutt who was her dear
friend. It is a charming article recalling their association. It's not
as much about one great singer remembering another as it is one
childhood friend remembering another.
I am reproducing the article here.
Enjoy!
Cheers
Ritu
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My Friend Geeta - By Meena Kapoor Biswas
Yes, I am writing about none other than the renowned playback singer
the Late Geeta Dutt who enthralled the world of music lovers with her
fascinating mellifluent voice from the year 1946 to 1972.
Born in Faridpur, East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Migrated to Bombay in
1942. Sang 1400 songs for Hindi movies plus around another 400 songs
inGujarati and Bengali.
Discovered by music composer Late Hanuman Prasad who gave her an
opportunity to lend her voice in a movie named Bhakta Prahlad in 1946.
But actually it was the song Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya for the film
Do Bhai (music SD Burman) which brought her into the limelight.
Then came Jogan in 1950 (Music Bulo C Rani). All the songs, though
bhajans including Jogi Mat Jaa became all time favourites with music
lovers.
While in Jogan she sounded like a true devotee in Baazi she sounded
totally different as she sang emulating cabaret singers. Tadbeer se
bigdi , suno gajar kya gaaye (music SD Burman). The movie was directed
by Guru Dutt and produced by Navketan.
Her Babuji Dheere Chalna a seductive number in Aaa Paar (music OP
Nayyer) was again a contrast to Na yeh chaand hoga where she sounded
innocently romantic in the film Shart (music Hemant Kumar).
Then she sounded very mischievous when she sang for Geeta Bali in Jaal,
a duet with Kishore Kumar De bhi chuke hum in the year 1952 (music SD
Burman). All this proves her versatility though she did not have any
formal training in classical music.
Around this period - a movie named Ghayal. Music by late Gyan Dutt in
which I had to sing a duet wih Geeta.
While we were having the rehearsal of the song Tera kis pe aaya dil . I
suddenly stopped singing and asked Gyan Dutt ji in Bengali
"Gyan Kaka Aami ki second ta gaibo?"
Immediately, a very surprised Geeta asked me "Are you a Bengali?"
Me - No
Geeta - Then how could you speak such fluent Bengali?
Me - (very shyly) just like that...
Geeta was very much impressed with my Bengali. By the time the
rehearsal was over we had already become very friendly with each other.
So much so, that she used to send my car back home with the driver and
make me sit in her car to drop me home and vice versa.
She was a very affable and gregarious person, full of zeal and
indefatigable energy. While not recording often she would appear at my
door and plan for an impromptu picnic.
Me- Picnic? Only the two of us?
Geeta - Oh - Don't be silly! I have already gathered all our chorus
girls - Renu, Kavita, Shailaja....
Me - Bas Bas, And where are we going?
Geeta - Well... anywhere. Powai, Vihar Lake, National Park
Borivili....
Me: And what do we eat?
Geeta: Er.... Oh Meenu darling, please ask one of your boys to catch
hold of that man selling guavas...
Then not waiting for the boy to come we both ran down and started
shouting in duet - Eh - Oh - Arre Bhai - Oh Amrud wale....
And both of us bought lots and lots of guavas!
Looking at the huge number of guavas my surprised mother asked us,
"What are you going to do with sooo many guavas?"
"Mashima! (auntie) This is going to be our lunch for the picnic",
answered Geeta.
"Chalo Chalo, sab koi gaadi mein baith jao. Kuch log Meena ki gaadi
mein aur kuch meri mein"
Packed like sardines all of us managed to fit into the two automobiles.
Both the cars started and Geeta with her full enthu shouted. 'Bolo
Durga Maa Ki Jai'
Chorus - "Durga Maa Ki Jai"!
Now, how did Durga Maa come into the picture? That was a subject for
research!
However the chauvinistic Maharastrian girls were not happy only with
Durga Mai. They shouted angrily "Kya Geeta Didi aapne khali Durga Mai
ka naam liya! Apna Ganpati bappa kahan gaya?" To save the precarious
situation I promptly started shouting
"Ganpati Bappa Moriya". And everyone shouted "Purcha varshi lokdi
aa"
And we reached our destination peacefully. We did have a very
scrumptious lunch sent by my mummy and papa comprising of halwa, puri,
sabzi and lots and lots of mangoes ....The poor guavas were completely
neglected by all of us!
That was Geeta, full of life!
Alas we did not realize then, that life is ephemeral not eternal!
Geeta had also sung for some Bengali movies. Shaatihara, Swarlipi
(Music Hemant Kumar) and many more. Her Taalio na taale in Mangal
Phera, 1949 and Tame Thoda Thoda from the movie GunaSundari in 1947
(music Avinash Vyas) were great hits with the Gujarati audience.
........Another afternoon, I heard someone ringing the doorbell
frantically, I ran to the door to open it. I found Geeta again who just
pushed me aside to come in and said "You lazybone, kab se bell baja
rahi hoon, Ek dam buddhu!"
Me : Phir tumne mujhe buddhu raha!
Geeta: Sorry Sorry (She always used to insist that I call her Didi
which I flatly refused)
Geeta: Don't you remember? We have to attend the meeting of
PBSA(Playback Singer's Association) where it will be decided on how
to raise some funds for the old singing artists in distress.
AND....we did, stage a grand show at Bombay's liberty cinema. Where
we both (Geeta and I) had to perform a dance on the song Madhu gandha
bhare by Tagore, sung live by Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar. And a
small play in which Talat Mahmood, GM Durrani, Geeta Roy and I had to
take part.
The last item was a parody in which right from Amirbai Karnataki, Lata
Mangeshkar, Geeta Roy, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Kishore Kumar, Hemant
Kumar and yours truly had taken part.
Each of us had to sing a few line from one of our popular numbers with
funny gesticulation. All of us had to stand in a line on stage, one by
one had to come forward at the centre of the stage sing his/her part
and go back and join the line again.
Amirbai Karnataki came first holding a dagger in her hand singing on of
her very famous numbers Mar Katari Mar Jaana (Shehnai, music C
Ramachandra)
Geeta came in a white saree making a very sad face almost sobbing
singing her very popular number from Do Bhai (Music SD Burman) Mera
Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya. Mukesh came hitting his chest and lit a
matchstick, singing Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De (Music Anil Biswas).
Kishore did some yodeling jumped all over the stage and came back to
join the line as those days he used to feel very nervous singing on
stage. Lata Mangeshkar sang Aayega aane wala from Mahal (music
Khemchand Prakash). Talat Mahmood again with a very sad face Aye Dil
Mujhe Aisi Jagah Le Chal from Aarzoo, (Music Anil Biswas). I sang Mori
Atariya Pe Kaga Bole from Aakhen, (Music Madan Mohan) with some very
funny movements.
Oh it was hilarious!
The year was 1953
In Sujata the very soporific lullaby Nanhi Kali Sone Chali a
scintillating duet with Asha Bachpan ke din bhi kya din the from the
same film. The very sweet Jaane Kya Tune Kahi from Pyaasa(1957). And
the piece de resistance, my most favourite and also in my eyes her best
sung song.....Waqt ne Kiya Kya Hasin Sitam from Kagaz ke phool (1959).
Both Pyaasa and Kagaz Ke Phool had music by SD Burman and were directed
by Guru Dutt.
Immediately after Baazi in 1951, one fine morning, Geeta drags me down
to where her car was parked. A very suave gentleman came out of the
car, smilingly looked at me and asked Geeta "So this is your friend
Meena?". I looked at Geeta with raised eyebrows, she just winked at
me.
"I am Guru Dutt"
"Nice meeting you", I stammered.
And after that I had to accompany both of them when Guru Dutt was
courting Geeta. Going to all the way to Khandala just to have coffee.
To Powai lake or fishing. To China creek a favourite spot of Guru Dutt
for outdoor shooting.
And then the day came when Geeta got married to Guru Dutt
ceremoniously.....
I had to stay with Geeta at her place, seven days ahead of the marriage
ceremony! Eating a lot of Maacher Jhol and Bhaat and singing away till
midnight to Main to dilli se dulhan laya re with many others including
one time actress Smriti Biswas.
Geeta looked a very beautiful bride and Guru Dutt looked a typical
Bengali groom...On the 26th of May 1953.
Guru Dutt met Geeta Roy already established playback singer at the
recording of the song Tadbeer se bigdi hui from the film Baazi
directed by him in 1951. Music was given by SD Burman. She continued
her music career even after marriage only now she was known as Geeta
Dutt instead of Geeta Roy.
After the movie Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Na jao saiyan, koi door se awaaz
de Music Hemant Kumar, in 1962, her career started going down....
And in 1963 I left Bombay with Anilji (Anil Biswas) my husband, as he
was called by the I&B Ministry in Delhi to work as the Director Indian
Music, All India Radio. I was given a choice to stay back in Bombay
but I preferred moving to Delhi with my husband even though my career
as a playback singer was still on.
One morning, in Delhi when I opened the newspaper to my shock I read
GURU DUTT IS DEAD!
That was 1964.
It was even more painful to learn that the death was not normal but
suspected suicide.
A few years later I met Geeta as she had come to sing for some music
concert. I was shocked to see her! She was a completely changed person!
1964 onwards she also had a gap in her career. In 1966 she perhaps sang
only for Uski Kahani (Music Kanu Roy). In 1971 Anubhav Meri Jaan Mujhe
Jaan Na Kaho directed by Basu Bhattacharya Music Kanu Roy.
And then suffering from Cirrhosis of liver she died on 20th of July
1972
I hate to add the word 'Late'. For me it was my friend Geeta who
was no more.
Even now I can hear her singing on the radio
Jaayenge kahan soojhta nahin
Chal diye magar raasta nahin
The soul never dies
AND MY FRIEND GEETA'S VOICE WILL NEVER DIE
Meena Kapoor Biswas
I purposely avoided writing about her life after she was married to
Guru Dutt. as I do not want to write about the events unpleasant in her
life.
Surjit Singh
Ritu wrote:
> Folks,
>
> Meena Kapoor recently wrote an article for the swar alaap magazine
> remembering her close association with Geeta Dutt who was her dear
> friend. It is a charming article recalling their association. It's not
> as much about one great singer remembering another as it is one
> childhood friend remembering another.
>
> I am reproducing the article here.
>
> Enjoy!
>
> Cheers
> Ritu
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> My Friend Geeta - By Meena Kapoor Biswas
>
> While we were having the rehearsal of the song Tera kis pe aaya dil . I
> suddenly stopped singing and asked Gyan Dutt ji in Bengali
>
> "Gyan Kaka Aami ki second ta gaibo?"
Interesting!
From the name Meena Kapoor, I naturally assumed her to be from Greater
Punjab. Also I knew her father is Bikram Kapoor. But when I heard her
songs in Gopinath, I was puzzled because I definitely heard a Benagli
accent. Mystery was cleared when I found our that he mother was Assamese.
deepak...@hotmail.com
> My Friend Geeta - By Meena Kapoor Biswas
>
>
<snipped>
> Geeta looked a very beautiful bride and Guru Dutt looked a typical
> Bengali groom...On the 26th of May 1953.
He may have looked like a typical Begali groom, however, Guru Dutt was
not a Bengali. His full name was Guru Dutt Padukone, and unless I am
mistaken, he came from a very small community known as Chitrapur
Saraswat (may not have gotten it correct fully). Another famous person
from the same community is the CEO of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani.
Deepak
manoha...@gmail.com
There are number of CS in Calcutta and in film distribution.
MB
asi...@my-deja.com
and Guru Dutt's cousin, Shyam Benegal. [Their grandmothers were
sisters. i.e. Guru Dutt's paternal, Benegal's maternal]
Cheers
Arun
Ritu
deepak...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Ritu wrote:
>
> > My Friend Geeta - By Meena Kapoor Biswas
> >
> >
> <snipped>
>
> > Geeta looked a very beautiful bride and Guru Dutt looked a typical
> > Bengali groom...On the 26th of May 1953.
>
> He may have looked like a typical Begali groom, however, Guru Dutt was
> not a Bengali.
Yes, she says he 'looked' like a typical bengali groom. If you see Guru
Dutt and Geeta's wedding pictures, you'll note that they married with
Bengali rites and Guru Dutt was dressed as a Bengali groom.
Cheers
Ritu
Ritu
Surjit Singh wrote:
>
> Interesting!
>
> From the name Meena Kapoor, I naturally assumed her to be from Greater
> Punjab. Also I knew her father is Bikram Kapoor. But when I heard her
> songs in Gopinath, I was puzzled because I definitely heard a Benagli
> accent. Mystery was cleared when I found our that he mother was Assamese.
Yes, her mother was related to PC Barua. When I interviewed her for the
SDB-journal she mentioned that she's a Punjabi but both her mother and
father were great 'banglophiles' and hence they followed a lot of
Bengali customs even though they lived in Bombay.
She had also mentioned that her mother's family belonged to the royal
family of Assam.
Regards,
Ritu
surjit singh
Ritu wrote:
> Surjit Singh wrote:
> >
> > Interesting!
> >
> > From the name Meena Kapoor, I naturally assumed her to be from Greater
> > Punjab. Also I knew her father is Bikram Kapoor. But when I heard her
> > songs in Gopinath, I was puzzled because I definitely heard a Benagli
> > accent. Mystery was cleared when I found our that he mother was Assamese.
>
> Yes, her mother was related to PC Barua. When I interviewed her for the
I was going to save this for an RMIMeets quiz, but recent experience
shows, it is OK to give out answers in advance. So:
Pramathesh married three times, Madhurilata, Amala Bala and Jamuna.
Jamuna was not Meena Kapoor's mom's sister, but one of the other two
was:
QUIZ: which one? :)
Afzal A. Khan
>
>
>
>>
>> My Friend Geeta - By Meena Kapoor Biswas
>>
>
>> While we were having the rehearsal of the song Tera kis pe aaya dil . I
>> suddenly stopped singing and asked Gyan Dutt ji in Bengali
>>
>> "Gyan Kaka Aami ki second ta gaibo?"
>
>
> Interesting!
>
> From the name Meena Kapoor, I naturally assumed her to be from Greater
> Punjab. Also I knew her father is Bikram Kapoor. But when I heard her
> songs in Gopinath, I was puzzled because I definitely heard a Benagli
> accent. Mystery was cleared when I found our that he mother was Assamese.
Is this Bikram Kapoor the same guy who acted in bit roles in
films like "Lala Rukh", "Naukri" etc. ?
Afzal
surjit singh
I think there was only one Bikram Kapoor. I remember him in Saigal
movies in and Yahudi.
>
>
> Afzal