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The Uncommon Roshan

November 16, 2017 | By

What sets legendary composer Roshan apart from his peers? What – if any – is the hallmark of his compositions? What makes him so different and so intriguing? Monica Kar takes a look.

Roshan

If I had to pay a tribute to Roshan with the words of his own composition, I would probably choose
Rahein na rahein hum,
mehka karenge…
ban ke kali, ban ke sabaa,
baag-e-wafaa mein…

For, this extremely talented music director was at times a kali in his compositions, and at others, a sabaa; where a kali would mean substantiated music, compositions in which you could identify instruments, rhythms, taal, raag, et al and sabaa where he leaves you with merely a whiff of his magical, musical touch and allows the vocals, the emotions and the poetry to take over, all but silencing himself. Whether he composes with one or the other in mind, he remains from the beginning to the end, loyal to music baag-e-wafa mein.

Rahein na rahein hum (Mamta, 1966) Roshan / Majrooh Sultanpuri / Lata Mangeshkar

From the time he was introduced to the film industry by that other musical genius, Kidar Sharma, in the 1949-flop film Neki aur Badi, till he passed away, rather suddenly, at age 50, in 1967 during the creation of the posthumously-released and appreciated Anokhi Raat, Roshan’s musical graph sees more highs than lows, more peaks than valleys and an oeuvre that would make any artist jealous.

So what sets this composer apart from his peers? What – if any – is the hallmark of his compositions? What makes him so different and so intriguing? Let’s take a look.

Roshan – the Rhythm

The first thing that sets Roshan apart is his experiments in rhythm

Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Raj Kapoor and Mukesh

Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Raj Kapoor and Mukesh – Khayalon mein kisi ke is one of the most popular duets of Geeta Dutt and Mukesh picturised on Raj Kapoor and Vijaylaxmi (Pic: Google Image Search)

His first taste of success came with his second album in 1950. Bawre Nain, featuring Raj Kapoor, Geeta Bali and Vijaylaxmi, was also given to him by his mentor in the film world, Kidar Sharma, the director and lyricist of the film. Kidar Sharma obviously knew talent when he saw or heard it.  And he wasn’t disappointed. What an album Roshan created!

The sensuality of Khayalon mein kisi ke , the giddy feeling of falling into the vortex called love with Sun bairi balam sach bol and Mujhe sach-sach bata do with the endearing kya.a.a.; the innocence of Mere rootthe huye balma…, the absolutely brilliantly sung and filmed Ichak bichak churr, the single Shamshad Begum offering in the album; the free-as-air Ghir ghir ke aasman par,  the poignant Kyun mere dil mein and the totally despairing Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahi were all rich compositions that became extremely popular.

Roshan used one of the nine gems in this album to start his experimentation with more-than-one-rhythm-in-a-song, something that he became a master of during his lifetime. This song was Mohabbat ke maaron ka haal ye duniya mein hota hai. The rhythm for the mukhda is different from the one for the antaras.  Another hallmark of Roshan’s earlier work is heard right after the mukhda, when all music stops to usher in the different rhythm for the stanzas – the pause-and-go effect, discussed a little later as well.  The two-rhythm songs abound in Roshan’s repertoire.

Mohabbat ke maaron ka haal ye duniya mein hota hai (Bawre Nain, 1950) Roshan / Kidar Sharma / Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle

Did this earlier experimentation with rhythms lead to Roshan’s association with the qawwali? It’s very possible! Manek Premchand, in his article on Roshan in the DNA, Jaipur reports a conversation with Roshan’s son, Rajesh Roshan, who has this to say of his father: “we know he went to a school in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan), where he spent his time singing and drumming on the benches”. Clearly, rhythm and Roshan went together from a very young age.

Was it his roots in Gujranwala, Punjab – an area where Hindu Punjabis and Muslims rubbed shoulders and exchanged cultural identity with ease, pre-Partition – that gave him the ability to compose as believably for Muslim musicals as he did for his other films? Perhaps.

Bahu Begum

Bahu Begum

In his 18-year career in the industry, Roshan gave music for at least the following “Muslim Socials”:-

* Chandni Chowk (1954)
Babar (1960)
Barsat Ki Raat (1960)
Dil Hi To Hai (1963)
Taj Mahal (1963)
Bahu Begum (1967)
Noor Jahan (1967)
(I say “at least” because the storyline of some of the movies he created music for is not available.)

The qawwali format offered an outlet for both these skills to be married harmoniously in Roshan’s music, though not until 1957!

It’s intriguing to note that the first qawwali he composed was a delightful, all-ladies qawwali, written by Majrooh Sultanpuri, sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle and Shamshad Begum for Chandni Chowk, released in 1954, a full five years after his first album in 1949.

Har baat poochhiye, ye haqeeqat na poochhiye
Aji, hum ko kisi se kyun hai muhabbat, na poochhiye

Har baat poochhiye, ye haqeeqat na poochhiye (Chandni Chowk, 1954) Roshan / Majrooh Sultanpuri / Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum and Asha Bhosle

And while the above follows the qawwali pattern of introducing each antara without rhythm – Senza Misura – it is interesting to note that Roshan keeps to the one rhythm throughout this qawwali. This changed with his very next qawwali in 1957 for the film Do Roti. With Rafi and the chorus singing Khumar Barabankwi’s lyrics, Choron ki tarah chupke-chupke tanhai mein jaa ke peete hain, rhythm changing for the stanzas, Senza Misura, et al!

Barsat Ki Raat

Na khanjar uthega na talvaar tumse is another of the 3 qawaalis in Barsat Ki Raat

Roshan lent his knowledge and skill to create a sort of mastery in the field of filmi qawwalis. Even though the last qawwali he composed was for Bahu Begum in 1967, the highest point of his qawwali-career came in Barsat ki Raat in 1960 with three qawwalis being composed for the film. Including, what is known colloquially among music lovers as the mother-of-all-qawwalis, unbeaten so far, the 2-part Na to caravan ki talaash hai leading into Yeh ishq ishq hai, ishq ishq. Nigaah-e-naaz ke maaron ka haal kya hoga and Na khanjar utthega being the other two. Sahir Ludhianvi lent his words to this stupendous album which boasted so much more than “just” these qawwalis. Though to call them “just” qawwalis would be to commit musical sacrilege, almost.

Curating this 12-minute qawwali is an essay in itself. Suffice it to say that extraordinary lyrics from the pen of Sahir, composed exquisitely by Roshan, sung with passion by Manna Dey, Rafi, Asha, Sudha Malhotra and S D Batish make this an unbeatable, historical piece of music. More than enough to merely hear it now. The curating can come later.

Na to caravan ki talaash hai (Barsat Ki Raat, 1960) Roshan / Sahir Ludhianvi / Mohd.Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, S D Batish, Sudha Malhotra & Chorus

Roshan – the Poetry

Exceptional poetry that haunts Roshan’s melodies

The mention of the compositions for Barsat ki Raat almost automatically leads one to another facet of Roshan – his penchant for sensitive poetry. Not all music directors are created equal. Some have a passion for instruments, others for the perfect pitch, yet others for rhythm. A few, like Roshan, also had their focus on the words that their music would carry to the ears of the listeners.

Roshan worked with a dizzying number of poets throughout his career, having started with Kidar Sharma. This included the more prolific writers of the time, as well as the lesser-heard poets: Sahir, Majrooh, Shakeel, Shailendra, D N Madhok, Kavi Pradeep, Neeraj, Kaifi Azmi, Khumar Barabankwi, Bharat Vyas, Qamar Jalalabadi, Prem Dhawan, Raja Mehndi Ali Khan, Anand Bakshi, Hasrat Jaipuri, as well as Satyendra, Udhav Kumar, Tanvir Naqvi, Zia Sarhadi, Shyamlal, Kaif Irani, Farooq Kaiser, among others, found their poetry touched by the Roshan magic wand. In fact, Indeevar’s first taste of success was with Roshan in Malhar (1951).

Golden era legends

(Standing from left to right ) Jaikishen, Pundit Gobindram, Hansraj Behl, Roshan, Mohd.Shafi, Hemant Kumar and Ghulam Mohd.
(Sitting from left to right ) Saraswati Devi (2nd from right), C .Ramachandra, Anil Biswas, Naushad, Lata Mangeshkar and Madan Mohan

Of course, the success of any poetry depends on more than just the words. It’s shared equally by the rendition, and in the case of film songs, by the filming of it. Part of Roshan’s success goes to his ability to recognize, like any successful music director, the most appropriate voices for the rendition of these sensitive songs. He worked with almost all the singers of his time, be it Talat Mehmood, Amirbai Karnataki, Rajkumari, Suraiyya, Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, G M Durrani, Manna De, Hemant Kumar, Suman Kalyanpur, Sudha Malhotra, Mubarak Begum, Meena Kapoor, Kishore Kumar, S D Batish, or Mahendra Kapoor.

Lata-CR and Roshan

Lata Mangeshkar, C Ramchandra and Roshan (Pic: Google Image Search)

In fact, C Ramchandra, that magical, musical genius of a composer himself, sang two songs for Roshan’s Baraati in 1954.

It would be impossible to showcase all the songs Roshan composed which had poetry that made the listener go ‘aah!’

Here are the names of some of the most poetic, successful and “roshan”, “absolutely-must-hear” albums, decorated so well by the music director, with the names of the poets who wrote lyrics that speak to each listener in a very personal way. This list is not comprehensive by any means. It is intended to make the reader curious about the kind of poetry that Roshan loved to compose music for.

∘ Anand Bakshi – Devar, Vallah kya Baat hai
∘ Kidar Sharma – Bawre Nain
∘ Kaif Irani and Indeevar- Malhar, Sheesham, Aagosh
∘ Kaif Irani – Raag Rang
∘ Indeevar & Kaifi Azmi – Anokhi Raat
∘ Majrooh – Chandni Chowk, Arti, Mamta, Bheegi Raat
∘ Prem Dhawan – Heera Moti
∘ Satyendra – Anhonee, Naubahar
∘ Shailendra – Naubahar, Chandni Chowk, Heera Moti, Soorat aur Seerat
∘ Sahir – Barsaat ki Raat, Babar, Chitralekha, Taj Mahal

(From left to right) Raj Khosla, Ehsaan Khan (Dilip Kumar’s brother), music director Roshan and Jagdish Raj. H S Rawail sits facing the Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh who is singing to the enraptured audience

Was Roshan himself a poet? He certainly had the heart of a poet. Consider all the songs he composed with poetry that touched your heart, your soul even. Perhaps his biggest tribute to poetry lay in the fact that he had no trouble silencing or muting his music when needed, to uplift or focus even more clearly on the emotions that a song carried. At times he only provided the outer structure, or scaffold, for emotions and ideals such as poetry of this kind expressed.

Roshan and his trusted singer Mohd Rafi (Pic: Google Image Search)

Hear the ‘scaffold-Roshan’ in songs like Tera dil kahaan hai (Chandni Chowk, 1954, Asha), Kya ghum jo andheri hain raatein (Barsat ki Raat, 1960, Rafi), Bane ho ek khaak se (Arti, 1962, Lata),  Khuda-e-barter (Taj Mahal, 1963, Lata), and that Ode to Love, the kind that has not been written or composed since, Chhupa lo yun dil mein pyar mera (Mamta, 1966, Hemant Kumar and Lata).

The depth of emotion in Majrooh’s words, combined with Roshan’s softness in this ode produce the effect of Divinity.

With the first strike of that manjira – an instrument associated with bhajans and the highest expression of selflessness that a human can experience – followed by the depth of Hemant Kumar’s voice singing Chhupa lo yun dil mein pyar mera, ke jaise mandir mein lau diye ki, all noise fades. You enter a realm where pure devotion exists. Devotion is a love that asks nothing in return – love for love’s sake. And when that same devotion is reciprocated in equal measure? Now, that’s breathtaking! Love such as this, a composition such as this – both remind one of a spider’s web. Delicate to look at, yet inordinately strong, winning the challenges of the elements and Time.

Chhupa lo yun dil mein pyar mera (Mamta, 1966) Roshan / Majrooh Sultanpuri / Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar

Roshan – the Quirks

The anomalies of the gifted and talented MD

In a menu of predictable food and flavors, an unexpected hidden ingredient can cause a smile on the face of the eater – much like some oddities in Roshan’s compositions that make you sit up a little straighter, or smile and wonder, “What was he thinking?”

An unusual and uncommon salutation it is – “E ri“. A simple and effective female call to another female, a dear one, a sakhi. And, yet, surprisingly, not used by most poets. But Roshan has more than one song with this very endearing salutation to his credit. E ri jaa le aa (Neki aur Badi, 1949), E ri main to prem diwani (Naubahar, 1952), E ri aali piya bin (Raag Rang, 1952), and E ri jaane na dungi (Chitralekha, 1964).

Sun-na, bairi balam sach bol re ib kya hoga – the ever popular song sung by Rajkumari in Bawre Nain

The “ib” in the Bawre Nain Sun bairi balam sach bol re *ib* kya hoga, the use of such ethnic words as “balaiyyan”, “gal-baiyyan” and “godi” in Mera bachpan waapas aaya from Mashuqaa or “belua” and “biranwa” in the songs from Baraati: Roshan’s compositions are brimming with the use of unusual words.  These are not really nonsense words. “Ib” is a take on “ab”, meaning now; “balaiyyan” is a mother’s way of warding off evil from her offspring. “Gal-baiyyan” means, quite literally, “arms around the neck”; while “godi” means “lap”. “Belua” seems to be much in the fashion of “ib”, a take-off on “beliya” or beloved, while “biranwa” means “brother”. The use of these unusual sounds act like an advertisement – they attract attention to the product that is being sold. They catch your hearing in much the same way as a well-done ad campaign might. They make the song linger on in your memory much longer.

This last song, Kahin duur koyaliya gaaye re from the film Baraati (1954) with lyrics by Raja Mehndi Ali Khan is an unusual song in itself. Sung by Sudha Malhotra and Lata Mangeshkar, filmed on both heroines of the movie, Chand Usmani and Peace Kanwal, it is an entreaty (not a ‘viraha’) by Peace Kanwal to the beloved to come home, as the koyals have started singing, increasing her longing for him. Chand Usmani adds weight to this entreaty by asking her “biranwa” (brother) to come home soon as her “bhabhi” (brother’s wife) is missing him. It may be a one-of-a-kind of song in the annals of film history. Add to this the matki, what sounds like a trumpet, the flute, some piano and the emphasis on chhota-sa mann ghabraaye re and the result is extremely pleasing to the senses.

Kahin duur koyaliya gaaye re (Baraati , 1954) Roshan / Raja Mehndi Ali Khan / Lata Mangeshkar and Sudha Malhotra

The words that are used purely for effect or to make rhymes, but have no meaning in themselves, or, no relevant meaning that is, also find their place in Roshan’s compositions. Bogi, bogi, bogi, yo, yo yo in Hum Log (1951); Nikolaasa, mere sanam jhoom le zara sa from Bedaagh (1965); chiki-chiki-chiki-bum in Ye sama hum tum from Mashuqaa (1953) are all topped by the afore-mentioned Bawre Nain classic Ae ichak-bichak churr, dil udd gaya babu phurr-phurr. Shamshad Begum sings this Kidar Sharma offering in her inimitable voice. Do watch this brilliantly filmed song on Cuckoo, Geeta Bali and Raj Kapoor. The use of the dholak, flute, violins and the muted shehnai are all bested by the musicality of the use of words like “churrr” and “phurrr”.

Ichak-bichak churr (Bawre Nain, 1950) Roshan / Kidar Sharma / Shamshad Begum

Much in the same way, the pause-and-go technique that Roshan uses in non-qawwalis can be quite a pleasant surprise. The Ashok Kumar-Geeta Bali starrer, Raag Rang (1953) seems to have only audio clips of the songs, sans video. Rajkumari sings a Sarshar Sailani song,  Kahin dil lagaane ka with these rather dramatic pauses in the last lines of each stanza nigaahon pause nigaahon pause mein pehchan kar le. Sahir’s Mujhe mil gaya bahaana teri deed ka, kaisi khushi le ke aaya chaand pause Eid ka, sung by Lata, from Barsat ki Raat (1960) is a much more popular example of the same.

Sahir’s Mujhe mil gaya bahaana teri deed ka, kaisi khushi le ke aaya chaand pause Eid ka, sung by Lata, from Barsat ki Raat (1960) is a much more popular example of the pause-and-go technique that Roshan uses in non-qawwalis

While there are many songs from different composers that have a duet question-and-answer format with questions in the form of sentences asked by one and answered in another sentence by the other vocalist, Roshan takes this question and answer format to unusual forms. In Bawre Nain, Mukesh (Raj Kapoor) starts asking the question Mujhe sach-sach bataa do, when Rajkumari (Geeta Bali) interrupts kya.a.a with the elongated “kya”. Mukesh then completes his question ke kab dil mein samaaye thhe? even as Rajkumari provides the answer  Vo pehli baar mujhko dekh kar jab muskuraaye thhe.

In Arti (1962) Baar-baar tohe kya samjhaaye is an unusual song to begin with as it has the mukhda in two different rhythms. Then it becomes a Q & A song as Lata (Meena Kumari) asks baar-baar tohe kya samjhaaye paayal ki jhankaar? and Rafi wants to know “kya?” The question and answer are both provided by the lady herself.

In the cross line of the mukhda, a different question is asked by Rafi (Pradeep Kumar) Chhup-chhup ke karta hai ishaare chanda sau-sau baar and the lady wants to know “kya?” The answer, provided by the gentleman is Aa tohe sajani, le chalun nadiya ke paar.

Of course, the pinnacle of this song is the very last stanza where the confession by the lady naam tera le-le kar gaaye dhadkan ka har taar solicits the question by her beloved “kya?” The answer here is the sweetest flute imaginable, instead of the expected answer. A divinely delicious, melodious meta moment.

Baar-baar tohe kya samjhaaye (Arti, 1962) Roshan / Majrooh Sultanpuri / Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar

Roshan – the Expansive

Instruments and styles.

The number of ways Roshan used each instrument that he did use is quite exceptional

Is there an instrument that Roshan did not use in his career? There may be a few. But, just a few. And the number of ways he used each instrument that he did use is quite exceptional. His earlier compositions feature the flute abundantly. The sitar, the matki, the khol, the manjira, the wood blocks, the accordion, the saarangi, the Spanish guitar apart from the usual suspects – the harmonium and tabla.  In fact, he himself played the dilruba well. The Punjabi style dholak with the ring on the finger. The glissando on the piano is featured in many of his compositions. For the uninitiated (like me, until about five minutes ago) that is the term used to describe the movement of the fingers on the white keys of the piano in an ascending or descending order very fast to produce a flourish of a sound! Muted trumpets, muted flutes, and wooden blocks. The sheesha in the qawwalis and the ghungroos in the mujras. The tambourine and the mandolin.

Whew! Did we leave out any instruments? More importantly, did *he* leave out any? Not many.

In fact, he innovated. In Mayoos to hun vaade se tere from Barsat ki Raat, the sound that starts off the song is the hammer of the ironsmith, Dinu Lohar, where the couple used to meet. The sound that ends off this amazing Sahir-Roshan-Rafi offering is the hissing of a hot iron doused in water, even as the pace of the music picks up. Even though Rafi (Bharat Bhushan) sings kuchh aas nahi, kuchh aas bhi hai, this hissing seems to signal a sort of finale to the “aas” of meeting her.

Mayoos to hun vaade se tere (Barsat ki Raat, 1960) Roshan / Sahir Ludhianvi / Mohammed Rafi

His use of vocals – also a little differently – begs a mention here. The afore-mentioned song from Bawre Nain, Mohabbat ke maaron ka uses the female voice, only as a foil to the male voice. Notice how Asha Bhonsle joins in after Rafi has already started singing? Highly unusual!

His folk album, Heera Moti (1959) uses lyrics written in the language of Uttar Pradesh as the movie is adapted from Munshi Premchand’s story, Do Bailon ki Katha. The use of clapping and chorus in the beautifully composed Hey, naach re dharti ke pyaare uses an unusual vocal arrangement. In each stanza, the chorus independently sings the third line, starting with the signature Hey……but they sing only half the line, while Hemant Kumar sings the rest, joining in effortlessly to complete the line.

Naach re dharti ke pyaare (Heera-Moti, 1959) Roshan / Shailendra / Hemant Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar

Is there a musical style that Roshan didn’t explore? Roshan was an accomplished musician. In fact, he taught music before he became a music director. Was there anything he left out?

Songs with humor, songs that stir the heart, songs with energy, songs that speak to the soul; ghazal, nazm, qawwali, folk song, classical bandish, bhajans, prayers – Roshan has them all in his repertoire.

One of the best Raagmalas in our films, from Mamta (1966) Hum gavanva na jaibe ho…sakal bana gagan chalat purvaai…vikal mora manwa unn bin haay is a Roshan composition, picturised on Suchitra Sen

Punjab-inspired compositions – beats, instruments, style. Western-inspired compositions, Baul-inspired compositions, the Middle-eastern inspired “aizam-e-zam-e-zam” from Chandni Chowk (1953).

Compositions based on Raagas – just these would make for an entire essay on the man, there are so many! He uses various Raagas to his advantage, very attractively. In fact, one of the best Raagmalas in our films, from Mamta (1966) Hum gavanva na jaibe ho…sakal bana gagan chalat purvaai…vikal mora manwa unn bin haay is a Roshan composition. A Raagmala is a piece of music, based on classical raagas, to denote passage of Time in the movie. The brilliance of Roshan here is he takes three separate pieces of music, bases them on different raagas and ‘stitches’ them together like a quilt to produce the most heartwarming audio experience.

Here is Raag Yaman in one of the most soulful songs Rafi has ever sung. One of Sahir’s best from Chitralekha (1964). Maybe one of the most thought-provoking and poignant, as well. Roshan, as is his wont, embellishes this only with a speaking sarod, a tabla, a flute and violins.

Mann re, tu kaahey na dheer dharey
vo nirmohi moh na jaane, jin ka moh karey….
Utna hi upkaar samajh koi jitna saath nibha de,
Janam-maran ka khel hai sapna, ye sapna bisra de,
Koi na sang marey….

Mann re tu kaahe na dheer dhare (Chitralekha, 1964) Roshan / Sahir Ludhianvi / Mohammad Rafi

I hope I have been able to prove that Roshan Lal Nagrath was no ordinary music director. He was the unusual, the quirky, the sensitive, and the all-inclusive. His life may have been abbreviated but he didn’t short-change his listeners where music was concerned. There is nothing abbreviated about his music or his knowledge of it.

In fact, the hallmark of his music is that it was, like him, a little uncommon.

And a lot of sheer melody. What a rich legacy he leaves behind!

References:

Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories by Manek Premchand
Roshan’s Connected-in-USA Dots – essay in the DNA, Jaipur by Manek Premchand
Commemorating the Melody and Qawwali King: Roshan by Sharad Dutt

More to read

Hitting the Right Notes: In Conversation With Author Manek Premchand

Teesri Kasam – A Story of Love That Meandered to its Dead End

The Magic of the Melodies of Roshan and Chitragupt

Creative Writing

Whether you are new or veteran, you are important. Please contribute with your articles on cinema, we are looking forward for an association. Send your writings to amitava@silhouette-magazine.com

Monica Kar has her BA in English Literature from the University of Delhi. She now lives in St. Charles, Missouri, USA, where she wears many hats. While she has worked in Publishing, Retail, Education and Construction in various roles, she has been a free-lance editor since 1987, and is currently part time editor with Learning and Creativity-Silhouette Magazine. In 2015 she started writing about her first passion - Hindi film songs of the Golden Age for an online music group. She welcomes suggestions and critiques on her writing as it makes her learn and grow as a writer.
All Posts of Monica Kar

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15 thoughts on “The Uncommon Roshan

  • Vijay Kumar

    Well researched, incisive, focused…and written with a literary flourish. Should serve as a reference document. Will look forward to an effort that you sustain over time.

    1. Monica Kar

      Vijay Kumar ji – thank you for those kind words. If this can serve as a reference document on Roshan, that would be the highest form of praise. As for sustained effort – let’s see if I’m ever asked to write again :). Deep thanks for always encouraging my efforts.

  • Monica Kar

    Anoop Gadodia ji,
    Thank you so much for reading the article and for your comment. You have a valid observation. Now I’m going to pay special attention when I hear a Lata-Roshan song 🙂

  • Sultan Arshad

    A very well-researched article on Roshan, one of my all time favourite composers.

    Barring a few films like “Coffee House” where he had to adapt the western style because of the film’s theme or “Vallah Kya Baat Hai” in which he was most probably compelled to compose a ‘bhangra’ (Khanke to khanke kyun khanke) in the typical O.P.Nayyar mould, Roshan’s music was almost always soaked in soft melodies.

    Arguably Lata Mangeshkar voice has never sounded as innocent and pure in any other composer’s music as it did in that of Roshan. Here I would particularly refer to the songs she rendered in an almost forgotten film “Zindagi Aur Hum”. All it’s songs Lataji sang under Roshan’s baton are a treat for connoisseurs of music. Alas the film flopped miserably and with that its songs also sank without murmur.

    How many of Roshan’s admirers are aware of the fact that he too, like so many other composers, albeit once or twice, repeated his not-so-popular compositions in later films. For example “Mera dil kahaan hai” from “Chandni Chowk” became the ‘asthaai’ of “Rahein na rahein hum” in “Mamta”.

    How many of Roshan’s fans remember “Shab-e-gham subah ho gayi rotey rotey”, the pathos-laden song Shamshed Begum sang for him in “Bedardi” (1951)?

  • Anoop Gadodia

    Re Coffee House song–whenever it is played i feel some sadness hidden in the voice of singer. I don’t know why.

    For last many years i have been desperatly searching for good recording of Shab e gham subah ho gayi –still no success.

  • Monica Kar

    Anoop ji, a few years ago, none of these songs were available on YT. Who knows, maybe someone will share a better recording of it from their private collection?

    Let’s hope for the best. Not having the visuals for many of these songs really hurts too.
    Thank you so much for introducing me to this song!

  • Sultan Arshad Khan

    Dear Arshadji,

    Khanke to khanke tune was repeated in CID Girl–Badi buland meri bhabhi ki pasand.

    I am desperately trying for years to get good recording of Shab e gham subah ho gayi.

    I found more innocence in Lata’s voice for compositions by Anilda – even upto a later period. However it is entirely personal choice.

    I hope you will transfer my views with your comments – at the website.

    Regards
    Anoop Gadodia

    Dear Anoopji,

    Yes you are absolutely right as far as the similarity of the tunes between “Badi Buland Meri Bhabhi Ki Pasand” and “Khanke To Khanke” are concerned. However, the prelude as well as interlude pieces of the former are not as “Nayyaresque” as those of the latter.

    As for innocence of Lataji’s voice in Anilda’s music, I feel that it was so till about the mid 50s but not later. Whereas it sounded innocent and pure in Roshan saab’s music till the end. However, as you rightly said that it is entirely a personal choice.

    Warm Regards,
    Sultan Arshad

  • Anil Satwik

    What a lovely write up. Your dissertation on Karwan ki talash brought the poet in him. Sahir must have been mighty pleased with him. Essential part of his music was nectar sweetness. Your writing describes many other musical aspects of his personality hitherto unknown to many. It requires guts to record a marathon musicals. Keep writing …

  • Amal Goswami

    Asha Bhosle ji had once said this , “Singers like rafi and Lata worshipped ROSHAN the SAGE.” This says it all. And further it by saying, “even if you combine a group of all the music directors in the Hindi Film Industry – S.D. Burman, Naushad, Ravi, Khayyaam, N. Dutta etc.), that group won’t have a clue where to start the Qwaali ‘Na toh caarvaN ki talash hai’. That’s why the Goddess of Learning – Maa Saraswati – created SAHIR & ROSHAN.” Look at the coincidence in their names: SAHIR pauses and ROSHAN begins….. sahiR-Roshan !!

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