{"id":5197,"date":"2019-08-30T06:22:48","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T00:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=5197"},"modified":"2023-08-31T11:33:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T06:03:06","slug":"shailendra-teesri-kasam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/shailendra-teesri-kasam\/","title":{"rendered":"Shailendra&#8217;s Teesri Kasam: Sapne Jagaa Ke Tune Kaahe Ko De Di Judaai"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_5202\" style=\"width: 970px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?attachment_id=5202\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5202\" class=\"wp-image-5202 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-FRONT.jpg\" alt=\"Teesri Kasam booklet \" width=\"960\" height=\"736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-FRONT.jpg 960w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-FRONT-150x115.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-FRONT-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-FRONT-768x589.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5202\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Teesri Kasam<\/em> booklet (Pic: Ratnottama Sengupta)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><i>\u201cTeesri Kasam ki tareef ho hi nahin sakti<\/i>\u2026 Can\u2019t ever praise the film. For, I don\u2019t have words adequate enough to praise the film\u201d\u2014 Ramesh Jivanani<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLyrically the greatest ever film made in Hindi\u201d\u2014 Shiv Shankar Gehlot<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImmortal lyrics, immortal music, very very touching storyline, great acting \u2013 a gem-studded masterpiece\u201d\u2014 Bittu Sharma<\/p>\n<p>Was it 1966 or 1967? Radio was big then. There was no television, so cinema lived in the lives of us pre-teenagers only through the songs. There was this kid who was boasting to his friend\u2014 both about ten years old\u2014 that his father had bought a new car. This had raised the social status of his family, a fact both the kids were aware of even at that juvenile age. Just then, Mukesh\u2019s voice rang out, <i>Na haathi hai, na ghoda hai, wahaan paidal hi jana hai\u2026 Sajan re jhootth mat bolo\u2026\u201d <\/i>As if on cue, the second child responded, \u201cHeard that? We will all have to go to God on foot. So what good is your father\u2019s car?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Sajan re jhootth mat bolo<\/i><\/b> (Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Mukesh)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IR9ShQEdcgg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>That was the impact of the enchanting combination of Shailendra\u2019s words, Mukesh\u2019s voice, and Shankar-Jaikishan\u2019s melody. And the song got further etched in my consciousness once I saw the film \u2013 albeit long after its release in 1967. By then it had got the National Award for the Best Film of 1966. Shailendra had passed away. Waheeda Rehman was a major star for me after <i>Guide<\/i>. I had come to revere Subrato Mitra as a hero who had made <i>Pather Panchali <\/i>&#8211; in fact the <i>Apu Trilogy<\/i> &#8211; a lesson in cinematography. Phanishwar Nath Renu had come to our house in Malad, to discuss <i>Maila Aanchal<\/i> with my father \u2013 Nabendu Ghosh &#8211; and I had learnt that Baba was a screenplay writer who was soon turning director with that novel. And what is screenplay? \u201cIt is direction on paper,\u201d my mother Kanaklata had simply explained.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2797\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2797\" class=\"wp-image-2797\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/kdkdld-1024x576.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2797\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman in <em>Teesri Kasam<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Got the hang of it? <i>Teesri Kasam<\/i> was made in another age and time. But more than 50 years after it briefly lit up the screen before it was yanked off the majestic Apsara Cinema of Bombay, \u201cthe finest human document written on celluloid\u201d\u2014 as one viewer describes it\u2014 continues to live in the heart of every single viewer. Yes, Raj Kapoor was somewhat flabby, and looked too sophisticated as a <i>gaadiwaan<\/i>. Yes, the film could have been edited more tightly. Yes, it was rooted in a region that was far, far away from the world of <i>Sangam<\/i> and <i>Guide,<\/i> <i>Mamta<\/i> and <i>Teesri Manzil <\/i>\u2013 the megahits of that time &#8211; so the average viewer had to recalibrate his sensitivity in order to relate to a <i>Nautanki<\/i> dancer in rural Bihar who leaves her company rather than crush the love of a na\u00efve bullock cart driver who worships her as a goddess. Love stories such as Hiraman and Hirabai\u2019s are the stuff of folklore.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Laali laali doliya mein <\/i><\/b><i>(Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Asha Bhosle)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QzLDmLtJr4o\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>But let me today unfold the other loves that went into the making of <i>Teesri Kasam.<\/i> And, no two ways about it, I must begin with Shailendra. For, even today, people believe that the lyricist who was anointed <i>Kaviraj<\/i> by The Raj Kapoor died heartbroken because of the commercial failure of the film which was his first production and his last \u2018child\u2019, carrying forward his name in the world of moving images. The truth, his son asserts, is a long way away: &#8220;Shailendra was commanding a princely sum for writing songs like <i>Wahaan kaun hai tera.<\/i> So he would have certainly recovered his financial investment. He was shattered by the shards of his dream!&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5200\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5200\" class=\"wp-image-5200\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Shailendra_2013_stamp_of_India.jpg\" alt=\"Stamp on Shailendra released in 2013 \" width=\"400\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Shailendra_2013_stamp_of_India.jpg 931w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Shailendra_2013_stamp_of_India-150x111.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Shailendra_2013_stamp_of_India-300x222.jpg 300w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Shailendra_2013_stamp_of_India-768x568.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5200\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stamp on Shailendra released in 2013 by the Government of India (Pic: Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Shailendra met Basu Bhattacharya, in all probability, during the making of <i>Parakh<\/i>. Bimal Roy was an icon for whom he had already written unforgettable songs for <i>Do Bigha Zameen, Madhumati <\/i>and\u00a0<i> Yahudi<\/i>, which anointed him the Best Lyricist at the 6th Filmfare Awards. And Basu was a regular visitor to his house, along with the director\u2019s daughter he would soon marry. Basu Bhattacharya had a striking ability to cast a spell when he spoke: every one from Shailendra to Raj Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna to Sharmila Tagore, Sanjeev Kumar to Rekha\u2014 why, even Indira Gandhi!\u2014 was to come under his spell.<\/p>\n<p>But, and perhaps more importantly, Shailendra was in love with the rustic simplicity of the two personas, Hiraman and Hirabai, who called each other <em>Meeta.<\/em> It was a love story rooted in the soil of Bihar, the land of his ancestors who had travelled all the way from Ara district to Rawalpindi where Shailendra was born, and then moved to Mathura. The song writer made up his mind to produce it, perhaps also because the short story had every possibility of becoming a musical masterpiece. Basu Da was to direct it; Mehmood was to be the <i>gaadiwaan,<\/i> and Nutan the dancer.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Chalat musafir moh liyo re<\/i><\/b> (Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Manna Dey)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V5TtkSMzMek\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The first roadblock came from the actress who had played <i>Sujata<\/i>. She was pregnant with Mohnish, and refused to shoot any film at that point. Waheeda Rehman was a natural choice, being a dancer and also having acted for Satyajit Ray\u2019s <i>Abhijaan.<\/i> Subrata Mitra was already on board, remember? Even today we cannot imagine a better Hirabai. Just think <i>Paan khaaye saiyyan hamaro<\/i>, <i>Laali laali doliya mein<\/i>, or watch the <i>Mahua ghatwarin<\/i> sequence!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Paan khaaye saiyyan hamaro<\/i><\/b> (Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Asha Bhosle)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zB3aGlSv95I\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For the sake of realism, actors were picked up from theatre groups. And umpteen other roles were to be enacted by his own family of friends and mates. What a chest of delights the credit titles are! Nabendu Ghosh, who transcripted the short story into \u2018a love-lyric on celluloid\u2019 played a drunkard who gets beaten up by Hiraman for suggesting that he pimp on his behalf for the \u201c<i>nautanki ki bai<\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5203\" style=\"width: 707px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5203\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5203\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Nabendu-Ghosh-in-Teesri-Kasam.jpg\" alt=\"Nabendu Ghosh in Teesri Kasam\" width=\"697\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Nabendu-Ghosh-in-Teesri-Kasam.jpg 697w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Nabendu-Ghosh-in-Teesri-Kasam-150x81.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Nabendu-Ghosh-in-Teesri-Kasam-300x161.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 697px) 100vw, 697px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5203\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nabendu Ghosh in a cameo as a drunkard spectator in <em>Teesri Kasam<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>There was Kesto Mukherjee who would later get typed in the role of an alcoholic. It marked the debut of A K Hangal on screen. Iftekhar stepped into the role of the <i>zamindar<\/i> when a theatre actor from Bihar failed to deliver a single line. Dulari got under the skin of Hiraman&#8217;s <i>bhaujai<\/i>. Pacchi, who had produced <i>Jaali Note<\/i> in 1960 (directed by Shakti Samanta), was then directing <i>Around the World<\/i> (1966) pairing Raj Kapoor with Rajshri. And there was the Producer himself, playing a villager, who tries to peep in on the romantic couple when Hiraman and Hirabai are sitting in the open, eating curds and rice. Shailendra runs away when Raj Kapoor chases him. It was a fun role that got deleted in the final cut.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3617\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3617\" class=\"wp-image-3617\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/sj.jpg\" alt=\"SJ, Raj Kapoor, Hasrat, Shailendra\" width=\"400\" height=\"268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/sj.jpg 591w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/sj-400x268.jpg 400w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/sj-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/sj-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3617\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hasrat Jaipuri, Jaikishan Raj Kapoor, Shankar and Shailendra (Pic: Cinema Sangeet)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However I am more surprised to see that the credit titles attribute the lyrics to &#8216;Shailendra-Hasrat&#8217;. Why did the man who wrote <i>O Sajna barkha bahar aayi, Yeh mera deewanapan hai, Mera joota hai Japani<\/i>, among hundreds of other unforgettables, share the songs of his own film with a peer who one expects to be seen as a rival? My reading: The producer was perfecting the mood of the scene since Hasrat Jaipuri had penned the number, <i>Maare gaye gulfaam<\/i>. There&#8217;s another reason, says Dinesh. &#8220;Shailendra wanted the team of Shankar-Jaikishan, Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra to be together. That is why he shared the credit for lyrics with a peer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So, the unit was one big family of friends in an era of celluloid camaraderie. But that was to take its toll on the producer in terms of both, production cost and emotional turbulence. The first day Shailendra took Basu to meet Raj Kapoor, he hugged the lyricist of <i>Awara hoon<\/i> and said, \u201cYou\u2019ve discovered a genius.\u201d However, after the first day\u2019s shoot, he took <i>Kaviraj <\/i>aside to say, \u201cYou are screwed. This gentleman is a novice in cinema.\u201d This, by some accounts, was not off the mark as Basu had not graduated to be one of Roy&#8217;s trusted lieutenants. Later, \u201cSubrata Mitra\u2019s outbursts during the shooting would bear him out,\u201d says Dinesh Shankar, the youngest son of Shailendra.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe cinematographer, whom Kodak would send their newly developed raw stock for his approval, had startled Mumbai technicians by putting white paper on the walls to obtain &#8216;bounce light&#8217;. He was a very important person all through,\u201d he adds, \u201cas Basu Chatterjee, who was the chief assistant, left even his job as a cartoonist to pursue his own interest in direction. BR Ishara proved to be the only qualified man to shoot a film.\u201d He is said to have written some of the dialogues too. Thus started the journey of a man (BR Ishara) who rose from being a Tea Boy serving on the sets to be a director who, at one point of time, was completing a film virtually every other month \u2013 including watershed titles like<i> Chetana <\/i>\u2013 and presenting talents like Rehana Sultan, Anil Dhawan, and Parveen Babi among others.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5204\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5204\" class=\"wp-image-5204\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/teesri-kasam-last-scene2.jpg\" alt=\"teesri kasam\" width=\"400\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/teesri-kasam-last-scene2.jpg 681w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/teesri-kasam-last-scene2-150x87.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/teesri-kasam-last-scene2-300x173.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5204\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The riveting last scene, where Hiraman glances back, to see Hirabai&#8217;s train recede into the horizon was shot in Borivali<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another casualty of investing in friends was that a large chunk of the film was shot in Bina in Madhya Pradesh. I know for sure that the riveting last scene, where Hiraman glances back, to see Hirabai&#8217;s train recede into the horizon was shot in Borivali, close to Malad in Bombay, and no one can fault it for not being in Bihar. Much else could have easily been shot in some rural pocket outlying Bombay. Yet, the entire bullock cart journey was taken to a far-flung location, only to help the Production Controller Santosh\u2014 Shailendra\u2019s wife\u2019s brother\u2014 court a lady, later recognised as Nandita Thakur. Their romance had a happy ending when they got married. But in the process, the shooting of the entire film became a picnic for everyone, at the producer\u2019s cost. So much so, that they would shoot during the day, and at night they would go hunting!<\/p>\n<p>One funny incident happened when Pachhi shot what he thought was a Neelgai \u2013 and it turned out to be a buffalo owned by the village <i>Pradhan<\/i>. As a result, the group of shooters were taken into custody and Shailendra had to pay a fine. But at the Police Station they were royally treated by the constables who stood at attention, with folded hands, before the \u2018hunters\u2019 as it included Raj Kapoor too! Funny? Yes, but would you like to know the cost of the entertainment? When all the arrangements were made for the outdoor shoot, the Distributor said he had no money to finance the film that was in the making from 1961 till 1966. Further, the leading lady could not be expected to join in until she was paid.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5205\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/shailendra-teesri-kasam\/bina-police-station-teesri-kasam-raj-kapoor-shailendra\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5205\" class=\"wp-image-5205 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra.jpg\" alt=\"Bina police station Teesri Kasam Raj Kapoor Shailendra\" width=\"1200\" height=\"816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra-400x272.jpg 400w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra-150x102.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra-1024x696.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Bina-police-station-Teesri-Kasam-Raj-Kapoor-Shailendra-300x204.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5205\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raj Kapoor and Shailendra at the Bina Police Station (Pic: Dinesh Shailendra)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Naturally, the producer was dejected. Seeing his downcast <i>chehra<\/i> his wife asked him, \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d Once he confided in her, she opened her cupboard, took out her saris one by one, and shook them. As she did so, currency notes started falling on the floor like leaves in autumn. And by the time she touched the bottom of her pile of saris, Shailendra had enough to see him through the shoot \u2013 \u201cand more,\u201d Dinesh laughed as he narrated the incident during a screening at Nandan, in March 2016. It had marked the 50th year of <i>Teesri Kasam;<\/i> of Shailendra&#8217;s passing, and had also set off the Nabendu Ghosh Centenary Celebrations.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Haaye gajab kahin taara toota<\/i><\/b> (Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Asha Bhosle)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sNR3pPODE1Y?si=IL58TnLZ0xiLiowp\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For those interested in saris, here\u2019s a bit more. Mrs Shailendra, like you and I, was fond of saris and every now and then she would buy what caught her eye. But, instead of taking them home, she would give them for stitching falls and then drop it at the laundry. When the poet husband noticed his wife in a sari he had never seen before, he\u2019d ask her if it was new. She\u2019d point to the laundry tag and say, \u201cThis is what happens if one is married to a poet. He doesn\u2019t even notice his wife is wearing only old saris!\u201d What\u2019s more, every day after he came home, the smart lady would siphon off the &#8216;small change\u2019 he carried in his pocket and stow away the notes in the folds of her \u2018fresh from the laundry\u2019 drapes. That\u2019s why she could rise to his assistance when he was let down by his investment in people.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5201\" style=\"width: 970px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5201\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5201\" src=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET.jpg\" alt=\"Teesri Kasam Booklet\" width=\"960\" height=\"753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET.jpg 960w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-150x118.jpg 150w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-300x235.jpg 300w, https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/TEESRI-KASAM-BOOKLET-768x602.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5201\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Teesri Kasam<\/em> Booklet (Pic: Ratnottama Sengupta)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The song book of <i>Teesri Kasam\u2014 <\/i>one of my prized possessions from my school days\u2014 opens a can of memories. I had not recognised <i>Baba <\/i>when I first saw the classic: A beggarly fella who\u2019s beaten up not once but twice by the hero! Not surprisingly, an aunt of his had advised my mother, \u201c<i>Bouma (bahu)<\/i>, don\u2019t you go to watch this movie. Mukul (Nabendu\u2019s pet name) has got such a thrashing from that no-good <i>gaadiwaan<\/i>!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My brother Subhankar, director of <i>Woh Chhokri <\/i>and of the teleserial <i>Yugantar<\/i>, adds another anecdote. \u201cOne night, Shailendra came to <i>Baba<\/i> accompanied by Renu. \u2018<i>Dada,<\/i> I will trash what I have shot but I will not change the ending just because Raj <i>Saab<\/i> wants me to,\u2019 he told Nabendu Da. \u2018But why would he want that?\u2019 <i>Baba<\/i> asked. \u2018So that the film has a happy ending with Hiraman and Hirabai becoming man and wife. But that would kill the story!\u2019 Renu joined in, \u2018Dada you must explain this to Rajji.\u2019 At midnight, they set out to meet the star who told the screenwriter, \u2018You have the pen in your hand, you must change the ending.\u2019 Nabendu Da said, \u2018Certainly the ending can be changed but before that you must change the Title of the film.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 Raj Kapoor was startled. \u2018Because, if they marry and settle down, why would he take the third vow and promise that \u2013 like smuggled goods and bamboo poles \u2013 he will never ferry a dancer in his cart?\u2019 That settled it and\u2014 like <i>Bandini\u2014 <\/i>it went on to play out its inevitable resolution, flowing unabated like a river.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Aa aa bhi ja <\/i><\/b>(Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Lata Mangeshkar)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y_pNIhzE1kU\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>More than half a century ago, when Shailendra screened the completed film for his friends, he meticulously noted down the comments of all those present. While <i>Trade Guide<\/i> had ranked it as &#8216;Average&#8217; and Bunny Ruben had written &#8216;Press report excellent but audience conflicting&#8217;, Hrishikesh Mukherjee had predicted, &#8216;Award film.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><i>Teesri Kasam <\/i>remains one of the gems in the filmography of actor Raj Kapoor. The showman knew the potential of the character and had therefore bulldozed his way into the role that had not an iota of glamour about it. But, in return, he did not come forward to give financial tips when his trusted <i>Kaviraj<\/i> was in deep waters. The optimist that he was, Shailendra had jotted down in his diary, &#8216;It will be a hit.&#8217; But he was shattered when, though he was too unwell to step out and his entire family was suffering in silence, his dream film was premiered in Delhi with celebrations in full swing.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Sajanva bairi ho gaye hamaar <\/i><\/b>(Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Shailendra\/ Mukesh)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BOixMstbUcw?si=N1MblOd_G6ezBA38\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Some listeners have pointed out that sifting through the songs he penned between 1961 and 1966 gives an insight into his dejection. Sample this: <i>Dost dost na raha&#8230; Zindagi hamein tera aitbar na raha<\/i> in <i>Sangam<\/i>. When friends offer &#8216;reasons&#8217; for staying away, he says, <i>Sajan re jhootth mat bolo, Khuda ke paas jaana hai.<\/i> He questions himself, <i>Tune toh sabko raah bataayi, Tu apni manzil kyoon bhoola <\/i>(<i>Guide<\/i>). He concludes: <i>Rula ke gaya sapna mera<\/i> (<i>Jewel Thief<\/i>).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMukesh was the only one of his many &#8216;friends&#8217; who had rushed to Northcote Nursing Home on December 14, 1966 when he heard Shailendra&#8217;s condition is worsening,\u201d recounts Dinesh. Mukesh alone was let in, while Shailendra\u2019s wife and children stood in the corridor outside the room and the hospital staff kept rushing in and out of the room. Alone, the <i>Voice of Raj Kapoor<\/i> watched the <i>Awara<\/i> Poet give up his battle for life. Two days later, the creditors procured a court order and attached every piece of furniture in <i>Rimjhim<\/i>, the bungalow in Khar, that had been mortgaged to complete his <i>Teesri Kasam<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>But the story has a silver lining. Mukesh came forward to inform Mrs Shailendra that he had paid off the mortgage amount and the bungalow was free again. &#8221;It&#8217;s not a favour,&#8221; he assured her. For, his company, Mukesh and Sons had acquired the distribution rights of <i>Teesri Kasam<\/i> for Bombay. That was Mukesh &#8211; not only a balmy voice but a friend indeed. The company ensured the film&#8217;s release in late 1967, but only for a week, as the theatre was pre-booked for <i>Duniya<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Was it poetic justice that viewers of this film came out singing Hiraman&#8217;s lines &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><i>Duniya bananewale, kya tere mann mein samaayi!<\/i><br \/>\n<i>Kaahe ko &#8216;Duniya&#8217; banaayi&#8230;?<\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c2150a;\"><b><i>Duniya banane waale<\/i><\/b> (Shankar-Jaikishan\/ Hasrat Jaipuri\/ Mukesh)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V2npO5E7IBM?si=loLjk7Cilr8_AC-g\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>(<em>The views expressed by the author are personal.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>More to read on Shailendra<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/teesri-kasam\/\">Teesri Kasam \u2013 A Story of Love That Meandered to its Dead End<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/shailendra\/\">Shailendra: The Spirit with a Mass Connect<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/songs-of-shailendra\/\">15 Songs of Shailendra: The Art of Simply Expressing Deepest Thoughts<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><em>Teesri Kasam<\/em> was made in another age and time. But more than 50 years after it briefly lit up the screen before it was yanked off the majestic Apsara Cinema of Bombay, \u201cthe finest human document written on celluloid\u201d\u2014 as one viewer describes it\u2014 continues to live in the heart of every single viewer. Ratnottama Sengupta pays a tribute to the man behind this &#8216;love-lyric on celluloid&#8217; &#8211; Kaviraj Shailendra, with some untold stories about the making of the classic.<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":871,"featured_media":5205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[424,1],"tags":[1762,1803,534,1752,1622,1047,1320,1323,1321,1324,1802,1325,1923,517],"class_list":["post-5197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-cinema-retrospectives","category-silhouette-magazine","tag-asha-bhosle","tag-hasrat-jaipuri","tag-lata-mangeshkar","tag-mukesh","tag-nabendu-ghosh","tag-raj-kapoor","tag-shailendra","tag-shailendra-and-raj-kapoor","tag-shailendra-lyricist","tag-shailendra-songs","tag-shankar-jaikishan","tag-songs-of-shailendra","tag-teesri-kasam","tag-waheeda-rehman"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/871"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5197"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8010,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197\/revisions\/8010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}