Teesri Manzil (1966) and RDB's Big Break
Asif
and how he changed the course of HFM. But I have always wanted to
know exactly/roughly when he got this film. It was released in
November 1966 (or was it October?), so I guess it must have been in
the making since at least summer of 1965, or maybe earlier - Shammi
Kapoor, Asha Parekh, and Helen were busy stars those days, you know.
Nasir Hussain had released Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon in early 1964. So
what was he doing in the period of roughly April-1964 to April-1965 or
at least in the second half of 1964? Talking with Dev Anand, Vijay
Anand, S.D. Burman, Shammi Kapoor, and Shankar-Jaikishan?
Did RDB get the film on the strength of 'Aao twist karen' (Bhoot
Bangla, 1965)? I do not know exactly when this film and its music
were released. Let's assume it was released in the summer of 1965.
So did Nasir Hussain and Vijay Anand "suddenly" take notice of RDB?
Or Vijay Anand had recommended him much before 'Aao twist karen'? I
doubt Nasir Hussain would have signed him on the back of a rather
lukewarm debut film Chhote Nawab (1961) and that too full 4 years
later. Once SDB declined the film for health reasons, Nasir could
have gone back to OPN. But, as destiny prevailed, RDB got it. When
did that happen? Thanks.
Asif
Afzal A. Khan
> Nasir Hussain had released Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon in early 1964.
> Asif
AFAIR, "PWDLH" was released in late October or perhaps
November 1963. Its premier was broadcast over the
radio where Ameen Sayani was conducting interviews of
all the industry-bigwigs who had attended the same.
Afzal
Niketan
Here are the details of how RD Burman got Teesri Manzil.
http://www.screenindia.com/20020412/fnost.html
There is another version of this article that says that Majrooh-saab
recommended RD Burman to Nasir Hussain. Another that says that
Jaikishen recommended RD Burman to Shammi Kapoor (IMO I think that is
highly impossible) But what comes out clearly after reading these
different articles is :
Dev Anand was the original choice for the leading role in Teesri
Manzil.
Nasir Hussain was impressed by RD to consider him for all future
assignments under his banner
After Shammi Kapoor agreed for the lead role, he preferred Shankar
Jaikishen as the composer.
Rd Burman had to play all his tunes for Shammi Kapoor and it was then
that Shammi Kapoor agreed to let
RD be the music director.
Was SD Burman was ever considered for Teesri Manzil?
Not sure of the timelines. Regards Asha Parekh, she was the Nasir
Hussain regular by then. So there was no chance of another leading
lady.
REgards
Niketan
Asif
Niketan Saab:
Thanks so much for the article/interview. It made for nice reading.
Vijay Anand (or rather the author) mentioned most things (about Teesri
Manzil) that we already know, but I noticed these "irregular" things:
1. It appears that Nasir Hussain had started Teesri Manzil without
finalizing his music director yet. Nasir Hussain, being then Nasir
Hussain and having incomplete script, makes sense. But having started
his film and no music director yet, does not make sense at all. Plus,
one paragraph reads:
" Goldie on his part was very sure that Teesri Manzil would be a
musical because Nasir was famous for his musicals and Shammi was a
musical star.The obvious choice for music director were Shankar-
Jaikishen who were the reigning composers of the time and had scored
the music for Nasir's earlier hits-Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho
and Jab Pyar Kissi Se Hota Hai. The other choice was OP Nayyar who was
another Shammi Kapoor regular. But Goldie had in mind a newcomer
called RD Burman who had to his credit a bit role in Mehmood's Bhoot
Bangla and the score of Chota Nawab."
The author just incorporated Vijay Anand's interview into it. So it
is impossible to figure out if Vijay Anand had "in mind a newcomer
called RD Burman who had to his credit a bit role in Mehmood's Bhoot
Bangla" or the author "thought that Vijay Anand had in mind ...". If
Vijay Anand really had anything about Bhoot Bangla in mind, it would
be the music, especially 'Aao twist karen', not that "bit role". Even
if the author "thinks" that Vijay Anand might have had Bhoot Bangla in
mind, it is a glaring error on her part to "think" just a "bit role"
to RDB's credit. It appears she did not know RDB also had composed
the music of this film and had a super-hit song to his credit.
So I find it hard to piece together everything that the author is
trying to make us believe Vijay Anand said and then make sense out of
it. Therefore, it is also hard to figure out "when" all this happened
- the answer that I am seeking.
I have known all along that Nasir had either approached or signed SDB
for Teesri Manzil and started the film with Dev Anand as the hero.
But, first SDB pulled out on health reasons, then Dev did. That's
when all that game about Shammi-SJ and Vijay-RDB began. So I do not
believe the author's account (or that of Vijay Anand's, because it
could be author's made-up words too) that Nasir had started the film
without any music director on the team yet.
2. The author says that Vijay and Dev had assured SDB they would give
RDB a chance in their films and that Vijay had even decided to sign
RDB for Jewel Thief. How much the brothers were serious about their
promises to SDB we would never know, but RDB never got to work for the
brothers because of their "favor" to him. RDB got his first ever
Navketan film with Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971) most likely on the
strength of his own market appeal, especially after his assistantship
in Aradhana (1969) and own full-time work in Pyar Ka Mausam (1969).
And let's not forget that Dev still wanted SDB to compose folksy songs
for the film. It is another story that SDB rejected the idea and only
RDB got to do the full film - and the rest is history!
Vijay and Dev together were powerful enough to dictate their own terms
in a film they did together even if it was produced by others. Yet,
there was no RDB in Johny Mera Naam (1970), a film where RDB could
have excelled. There was no RDB in Kahin Aur Chal (1968) either.
There was no RDB in Chhupa Rustom (1973). There was no RDB in
Blackmail (1973) either when Vijay directed it - much after RDB had
become hot seller.
So I doubt if Vijay had played any role in getting RDB into Teesri
Manzil either. But all stories and interviews published so far still
point to this theory, so I have to believe it. But the whole point
is: how much should we believe in these articles/interviews and how
much should we discard as fiction.
I would like to believe that RDB got Teesri Manzil sometime in 1965 -
after his 'Aao twist karen' became big hit and Nasir Hussain noticed
it and discussed it with Vijay Anand (not the other way around). The
Teesri Manzil LP (published in 1966) displays RDB's photo on the back
cover and introduces him thus:
"Look hard at that picture. It is the picture of a man whose chubby
impish looks and gay habits made it difficult for many to gauge his
talents correctly. A deft Tabla player, yes. Also an adept Mouth-
Organist and a capable arranger, and perhaps that's why his friends
called him "Pancham". But music director, no, not he!
His pal, Mehmood, however, thought otherwise, and took him on to
create music for "Chhote Nawab" You know the results. And then came
"Bhoot Bangla" - and much renown to this only son of the famed maestro
S.D. Burman.
Rahul creates music in contemporary style: he intermixes the best of
the Indian with the latest in International music in a strictly
personal formula. The results are refreshingly different.
You would hear more of his creations in "Chandan Ka Palna", "Pati
Patni", "Baharon Ke Sapne", "Padosin" (yes 'i' here), "Bandagi" and
"Abhilasha".
End
I do not know how much of these words were Nasir's and how much from
someone else in HMV's publicity department then, but they are all
facts :-) (except Bandagi which never got made) no matter how much
RDB's critics refuse to see them.
Anyway, it is possible that Bhoot Bangla had become hit before RDB got
Teesri Manzil. The opposite also is possible. If he got it on the
strength of Bhoot Bangla, then I would want to know more about it (and
confirmations too). If he got it before Bhoot Bangla, then maybe,
just maybe Vijay indeed recommended him - no other theory holds so
far. Anyone with more memories and information?
Asif
kcp
involvement in the music of Guide, could also have made Vijay Anand
think of him ?
KCP
Niketan
Asif
As I mentioned earlier only the broad outline of the above story is
true. There are different versions of the story - including the highly
improbable one where it is said that Jaikishen recommended RDB. Even
the author gets the facts wrong by saying S-J had composed even Tumsa
nahin dekha and Dil dekhe dekho.
It seems even after the super hit JPKHH, Nasir Hussain did not have a
comfort level with SJ - why else would he have dropped them for PWDLH
and taken OP Nayyar in spite of the fact that SJ were at their peak
and OPN was not having a great innings. Between 60 and 63, only Ek
Musafir Ek Hasina was a hit. If the above information is wrong anybody
has more information, please do correct me.. It seems that the once
Nasir Hussain noticed RDB (maybe through Goldie or Majrooh's
recommendation) he stood by him till the end. Even when Baharon ke
Sapne failed and Pyar ka Mausam had a lukewarm response, he did not
change the MD.
Even after Manzil Manzil failed, he was gracious enough to admit that
the music was good, but he had failed with the script.
Even for QSQT, Anand Milind fondly mentioned once that Nasir Hussain
had sent them to RDB with all their songs to get his guidance -
something unheard of.
Regards Dev Anand and Goldie Anand, it seems they were indifferent to
RDB - unlike their die hard commitment to SDB. RDB just had to give
one flop score with Ishk Ishk Ishk and he was out of Navketan. For
Johnny Mera Naam, RDB was not yet a phenomenon and so they were ok
with any composer. No idea about why RDB was not the choice for
Blackmail