Abhi To Main Jawan Hun (#388)
hri...@slb.com
#388
Song: Koii pukaare piya piya o piya piya
O saajan terii yaad mein
O baalam terii yaad mein
Film: Paras (1949)
Singer: Geeta Roy
Music: Ghulam Mohammed
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni
*ing: Rehman, Kamini Kaushal, Sulochna Chatterjee, Madhubala
A recent thread on RMIM talked about assistant MDs borrowing composing
styles in varying degrees from their assistees (?) and vice-versa... it
did cause some raised eyebrows (and more) with criminal insinuations
that Hemantda's music sounds like Ravi's (:-)) but Paras is a soundtrack
that bolsters this theory some. Ghulam Mohd has created some perilously
Naushad-esque music in this movie, in almost all of its songs ; not that
there's anything wrong with it (as Kramer would say :-)). In fact, the
prelude music to this Geeta Roy tune (played as the camera panoramically
captures the holy city of Banaras) carries a piece that is almost
identical to the opening bars of "taqdeer jagaakar aayi huun" from
Naushad's "Dulari" (1949).
Anyway, though not all songs in the movie are quite upto-the-mark, it
is still quite a collectible. It has its moments. This Geeta Roy tune,
for instance, is absolutely charming in both composition and rendition
(esp. in the "o saajan terii... baalam terii yaad mein" in the mukhda).
A set of Lata, Rafi and Shamshad tracks (duets and solos) make up the
rest of the soundtrack, and the early sweet voice of Lata (with
delightful songs like "dil leke chhupnewaale tuu hai kahaan bataa de"
with Rafi, "aaj merii duniya mein din hai bahaar ke", etc.) adds
another reason to own the soundtrack.
Quite an interesting movie too ; kind of a random melange of themes -
the evils of gambling, master->servant sexual harassment, revenge,
sacrifice, and a romantic triangle to complete the mosaic (these,
though quite avoidable in real life, seem to possess a curiously
appealing dramatic element, given the number of watchables delivered on
this theme - Andaz, Aaram, Sangam, Saagar... all the way down to the
more recent Yeh Dillagi and Gupt). Throw in some colorful characters
like Madhubala (in a non-heroine, secondary role as the servant girl),
Gope (as a scheming sidekick wooing Kamini Kaushal), a garrulous aunt
in Banaras with a platoon of seven giggly daughters... and an
interesting two-and-a-half hours are filled up.
..Hrishi
http://members.tripod.com/~ATMJH/
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hri...@slb.com wrote:
>
>
> #388
>
> Song: Koii pukaare piya piya o piya piya
> O saajan terii yaad mein
> O baalam terii yaad mein
>
> Film: Paras (1949)
> Singer: Geeta Roy
> Music: Ghulam Mohammed
> Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni
> *ing: Rehman, Kamini Kaushal, Sulochna Chatterjee, Madhubala
I strongly protest ! Granted that Madhubala was in a secondary
non-heroine role, that is not justification enough to relegate
her even below Sulochana Chatterjee in the credits. Even the
harassment angle, I am sure, depended upon the servant being
Madhubala ! So, she was the raison d'etre for the story to
move forward.
>
> A recent thread on RMIM talked about assistant MDs borrowing composing
> styles in varying degrees from their assistees (?) and vice-versa... it
> did cause some raised eyebrows (and more) with criminal insinuations
> that Hemantda's music sounds like Ravi's (:-)) but Paras is a soundtrack
> that bolsters this theory some. Ghulam Mohd has created some perilously
> Naushad-esque music in this movie, in almost all of its songs ; not that
> there's anything wrong with it (as Kramer would say :-)). In fact, the
> prelude music to this Geeta Roy tune (played as the camera panoramically
> captures the holy city of Banaras) carries a piece that is almost
> identical to the opening bars of "taqdeer jagaakar aayi huun" from
> Naushad's "Dulari" (1949).
The two cases are not entirely identical. Ghulam Mohammed was
an Assistant to Naushad for a number of years. At the same time,
he was acknowledged as an independent Music Director in his own
right. I think the two roles continued simultaneously for quite
some time. "Ambar", "Pardes", "Paras" are only a few examples of
his virtuosity. Later, he gave music for such films as "Dil-e-
Nadaan" and "Mirza Ghalib" which is remembered to this day. I
think it would be more appropriate to regard people like Ghulam
Mohammed and Jaidev as Associates, rather than mere Assistants.
Although full details may not have been revealed at that time
but somehow I have a feeling that these persons were not merely
"music arrangers" but a resource for composing and providing
their own creations to SDB and Naushad who would perhaps polish
them up and parley them as their own. Experts can perhaps delve
deeper and find out whether the overall stamp of Jaidev is missing
from SDB's music after the former branched out on his own.
Similar is the case with Naushad. After "Uran Khatola", the
lilt, the melody and the overall appeal has become noticeably
"different". We get more long drawn out tunes, the reliance on
ghazals/raags becoming more pronounced. Except for "hard-core"
fans of Naushad, others usually find his post-"Uran Khatola"
music somewhat less appealing than in his earlier period of
dominance--- Rattan, Anmol Ghadi, Anokhi Ada, Babul, Mela,
Aan, Amar etc. There is a marked resemblance and similarity
with Ghulam Mohammed's style, orchestration etc. during this
earlier period. Of course, there were a couple of exceptions
like "Kohinoor" and "Mere Mehboob" and "Leader". The burden
of my argument is that Ghulam Mohammed need not be dismissed
as merely an assistant of Naushad. The fact that Naushad
readily agreed to complete the unfinished task in "Pakeezah"
points to the esteem in which he held his erswhile associate's
creative abilities.
> the early sweet voice of Lata (with
> delightful songs like "dil leke chhupnewaale tuu hai kahaan bataa de"
> with Rafi, "aaj merii duniya mein din hai bahaar ke", etc.) adds
> another reason to own the soundtrack.
The former duet is really a very sweet melody. Rehman looks
quite handsome. Even Kamini Kaushal, with her girlish voice
and diminutive stature, had her own appeal.
Afzal
>
> ..Hrishi