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23 March 2008
My Favourite Lata Mangeshkar Songs - 1940s
Late 80s. College. Rock & Metal. Hindi film music at its nadir. First old Hindi film music cassette. Lata Mangeshkar and Madan Mohan. Heaven!
That sums up how I was drawn to the wonderful world of old Hindi film music. As I outgrew my brief flirtation with rock music (I still go back to it from time to time with a certain nostalgic fondness), I turned to old Hindi film music. The first cassette I bought was picked up quite randomly. It was called "I Remember Madan Mohan" by Lata Mangeshkar. Since then, my obsession with old Hindi film music in general, and Lata Mangeshkar in particular, shows no signs of waning. I have been religiously collecting Lata Mangeshkar songs for many years now and have a collection of around 2400 songs in audio cassettes, CDs and mp3s
A few months back, while cleaning up my database of Lata Mangeshkar songs I started a purely random exercise of picking up my favourite songs from among the 2400+ songs I have in my database. And that led to a list of 1 song per year, which I will be putting on this blog over the next few weeks. Needless to say, this is purely a personal list, with personal predilection and past memories having a huge role to play in the final outcome. This is also based on a database of 2400 songs I have heard, which is probably just a third of all songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
The earliest song I have is Lata Mangeshkar's first ever song sung in 1942 (at least the first song used in a movie) – Chaitrachi Navalai, a duet with Snehaprabha from the Marathi film Pahili Mangalagaur. But since that is in Marathi, it does not make this list.
Without further ado, let's move on with the list.
1946: Lata Mangeshkar's first Hindi film song was released in 1945, but the earliest one I have is from 1946. She sang a duet with Shanta Apte under Vasant Desai's music direction for a film called Subhadra. The song - Main Khili Khili Phulwari - was also picturised on her.
Main Khili Khili Phulwari (1946 - Subhadra - Vasant Desai - Moti B.A.)
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1947: Lata Mangeshkar's first playback song for a Hindi film was released this year. Although this song from the film Aap Ki Seva Mein was first recorded in 1945, it was released as a record only in 1947. Written by actor Mahipal and composed by Datta Davjekar, this thumri – Paa Lagoon Kar Jori Re – did not get much attention and Lata Mangeshkar had to wait another year before Hindi film music directors took notice of her talent.
Paa Lagoon Kar Jori (1947 - Aap Ki Seva Mein - Datta Davjekar - Mahipal)
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1948: Music aficionados would know how Lata Mangeshkar's voice was rejected by a leading film producer for being too thin, and then Master Ghulam Haider took it as a challenge to mentor her. In 1948, Ghulam Haider did several songs with her, including her first major break with Dil Mera Toda (Majboor) that is believed to have been instantly composed while traveling on a local train or Bedard Tere Dard Ko (Padmini) that was composed through the night. However, it would be wrong to give the sole credit to Master Ghulam Haider since other music directors like Khemchand Prakash, Anil Biswas and Naushad had as much role to play in giving her singing opportunities. If I were to pick up my favourite song from this year, it would be Ek Dil Ka Lagana from Anokha Pyar. For this film, Anil Biswas chose wife Meena Kapoor as the voice of the lead heroine Nargis, whereas Lata Mangeshkar was the voice of Nalini Jaiwant. In those days, each song used to be recorded twice – once for the film, and once for the gramophone record. Meena Kapoor fell sick when the gramophone disc of Anokha Pyar was to be recorded and Lata sang all the songs for the disc. This meant the future generations would hear Lata's voice as the primary voice of Anokha Pyar . Listen to both versions:
Ek Dil Ka Lagana Baaqi Tha (1948 - Anokha Pyar - Anil Biswas - Zia Sarhadi)
Lata Mangeshkar's version from the disc:
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Meena Kapoor's version from the film:
1949: This was the year! The hurricane called Lata Mangeshkar completely swept the Hindi film music industry. She sang a mammoth 161 songs this year and had several huge hits – Ladli with Anil Biswas, Andaaz and Dulari with Naushad, Patanga and Sipahiya with C Ramchandra, Badi Behen with Husnlal Bhagat Ram, and of course the biggest hits of them all – Mahal with Khemchand Prakash and Barsaat with Shankar Jaikishan. Of these 161, I have 76 songs (by 12 music directors from 26 films) in my collection and it's not easy to pick up one favorite. Do I pick up Aayega Aanewala (Mahal) over Jiya Beqarar Hai (Barsaat)? Uthaye Ja Unke Sitam (Andaz) over Kabhi Khamosh Ho Jana (Patanga)? Chale Jana Nahin (Badi Behen) over Chanda Gaye Pardes (Chakori). If I really have to pick one, then I would go for Shyam Sunder's Baharein Phir Bhi Aayengi (Lahore). Not only is this song (along with another by the same music director in the film Bazaar - Sajan Ki Galiyan Chhod Chale ) beautifully composed and expertly sung (though still in the Noor Jehan mode), they somehow get overshadowed by obvious biggies like Mahal and Barsaat.
Baharein Phir Bhi Aayengi (1949 - Lahore - ShyamSunder - Rajinder Krishan)
To read about my favourite Lata Mangeshkar songs from the 1950s, read on.
12:25 Posted in Film, Lata Mangeshkar, Music | Permalink | Comments (15) | Email this
| Tags: lata mangeshkar, hindi film music, hindi film songs, film songs | 
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I have been reading your posts for a while, but commenting for the first time. Great initiative, waiting eagerly for the next parts of this series.
Posted by: Nandan | 23 March 2008
Hmmmm.....considering that Ms. Mangeshkar is my one and only GOD, I should have been the one doing something like this :)
Anyways, good luck....you will NEED it to pick one song per year - at least through the 50s and some part of the 60s. Beyond that, it really doesn't matter....
Cheers.
Posted by: Anil | 27 March 2008
Anil: So we follow the same religion, eh? :)
you're right....I'm currently working on the 50s and picking one song per year is becoming impossible. Do visit later when I am done with that and let me know what you think.
Posted by: Aditya | 27 March 2008
Aditya: Had put in a comment y'day but it doesn't show up. Anyway, fantastic start and I will be keen to see what treasures you come up with. I can't agree more with your 49 choice. What an under-rated classic!! Though I still would go with Uthaye Jaa Unke Sitam for personal reasons. Mid-90s engg college - I pick up this HMV compilation of Lata and come back and play. The first song (Side A) that hits me is Uthaye Jaa. Remember that warm April afternoon distinctly even today.
Posted by: Subrat | 27 March 2008
Subrat - Thanks for stopping by. I don't know why your comment didn't show up. Some other people have complained as well in the past.
Anyway, Your "uthaye ja unke sitam" is my 'wo bhooli dastaan" as I mention in the opening para. :)
BTW, I was just going through some of my 49 songs today and it struck me that CR's Namoona also has a good variety of songs by Lata - from the folky "Mahari Gali Maa Awajo" to the heartbreaking (literally!) "Ik thes lagi".
Posted by: Aditya | 27 March 2008
Aditya,
Namoona - one of CR's best soundtracks!! What about that Lata-Rafi duet: tadpa ke mujhe ab chhod diya?? Also, there's that child-like plaint in her voice in 'chale jaana nahin,nain mila ke' from Badi Behen. 49 is indeed a breakthrough year for Hindi film music
Posted by: Subrat | 27 March 2008
ah haan. I see the party has already started :-)
sorry for being a little late. It's great as ever nonetheless.
Absolutely delightful insights, as usual. I never knew about the 2-recordings funda.
If not for this article, I would hardly hear these rare songs. More so because of the fact that I am not particularly inclined and tuned to Lata's songs. But whenever, an afficianado shares his heart and opens the drawers of his closet, I can't help but bow to the effort.
Keep them coming!
Posted by: tushar | 28 March 2008
tushar: der aaye, durust aaye ;)
Hope you enjoy this treasure of rare and not-so-rare gems!
Posted by: Aditya | 28 March 2008
Great start! The passionforcinema party -- main cluprit there is Subrat - has spilled over here!!
1949 was indeed a whatshed year for HFM playback singing...Clouds/ Ghosts of Saigal and Mullick had just become clear and Noor Jehan (who would have given Lata a run for her money - to some extent anyway) had left for Pakistan and Young triumvirate Rafi, Mukesh & Kishore had started to make a great impact (especially former two).
HFM would never be the same .. the seeds for best that HFM had to offer (1950s) were already up for great preview in 1949!!
Speaking of 1949 .. its blsphemous not to acknowledge the shining star of an album full of lata goodies "Barsaat"
Posted by: Arun | 29 March 2008
Arun: Thanks. I did acknowledge Barsaat, didn't I? Somehow, I tend to be a little partially towards relatively rare songs as you would notice when you get to see my 50s list in the next day or two (i'm working on that as I type this comment).
Posted by: Aditya | 29 March 2008
Aditya:
Here are my favorites from the 40s.
1945: Mata tere charaon mein from Badi Maa
1946: I like your choice or even the solo "chidiya bole chu chu" from Subhadra is quite good - both composed by Vasant Desai
1947: No-brainer - it has to be the one you picked. Not because of all the noise about this song. It is also a stunning thumri. Some people I know feel that this was Lata's peak and she went downhill from here :)
1948: This was her break-out year and the year of biggies like Gajre, Anokha Pyar, Ziddi. I love all those songs and besides the songs you mention there were other greats like "subze ki durfishani" from Bihari, "kahe ko byahi bides" from Heer Ranjha. I am not sure if the film Maa Ka Pyar was from this year or 1949. If it was 1948, then the song "tu ne jahan banakar" would be my choice for this year. If not, then my choice for this year would be "door jaye re" from the film Asha
1949: This was the year of Barsaat - the film that got me into appreciating hindi film music - so all songs from that film are very special to me. This year had many many awesome songs to choose from, and it is hard to not choose "aayega aanewala", but if I was forced to pick one song from this year it will have to be the gorgeous "tumhare bulane ko" from Laadli. In fact, all songs from Laadli are really wonderful.
Posted by: Anil | 15 April 2008
Hi Anil: I have not had a lot of exposure to Lata's songs from the 40s. In fact, after I wrote this piece I discovered Kahe Ko Byahi Bises (Heer Ranjha) and bits of Baras Baras Badli (Gajre), and I must say they are great songs. So are all the songs from Asha.
Do you know where I can get hold of songs from Badi Maa and Gajre?
Having read your Latanjali series, I feel I have a lot to learn from you. I'm still a novice when it comes to the songs from the 40s and 50s.
Posted by: Aditya | 15 April 2008
Aditya: I do have these songs but will have to figure out where they are :) Once I do, I will let you know and mail them to you.
Posted by: Anil | 15 April 2008
I have a LP called "From Lata with Love" and it has all the songs you have posted here !!!
So Don't get too much credit for yourself for posting Lata ji's evergreen songs of 1940s.
Posted by: Girish | 07 June 2009
Come on, Girish! What credit am I taking? Did I say I'm a rare species to have these songs. There are many collectors who have many more songs that I have, you probably being one. I have only listed my favourite songs. The clipping are taken from youtube an other places, so I don't own them. So what do you mean by 'credit for posting'?
Posted by: Aditya | 07 June 2009
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