This article is written by Gajendra Khanna, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
This song post marks the 18400th song in the blog as well as 1001st song of Geeta Dutt in the blog.
|
Blog Day : |
5846 | Post No. : | 18400 |
Today’s special post marks the 18400th song to be posted on the blog. It is being posted on 20th July 2024 which marks 52 years since the honey voiced Geeta Dutt left for her heavenly abode, too early at the age of just 41 years old leaving behind three children and a legacy that can never be forgotten by music lovers.
This post also marks her 1001st song to be posted on the group. We normally combine artists century songs with the blog’s century songs but we had erred in counting Geeta Dutt songs in the blog and She was already on 1000 songs. So this song is 1001st song of hers (sort of like a shagun) to mark the 18400th song on the blog.
Geeta Dutt is the fifth playback singer and 10th artist to complete 1000 songs in the blog. Lata, Rafi, Asha Bhonsle, Kishore Kumar are the other playback singers with 1000 plus songs in the blog. Two music directors duos (Shankar Jaikishan, Laxmikant Pyarelal) and three lyricists (Rajinder Krishan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Anand Bakshi) are the other artists with 1000 plus songs in the blog.
Geeta Dutt was a phenomena who deserves to be cherished and remembered often. Today, I will be talking about her singing and the persona.
She had been born on 23 November 1930 in Faridpur, West Bengal, India (now in Bangladesh) in a Zamindar family to parents Debendra Roy Chaudhary and Amiya Roy Chaudhary. The family already had four sons and Geeta ji was the first daughter. I am sure She must have been really doted on by them. Her brothers names were Mihir, Ranjeet, Mukul and Pavitra.
Mukul Roy had also been a composer and producer who passed away few years ago (He was a resident of Nasik). Her brother Pavitra who was nicknamed Bishu was a very good tabla player and would often accompany her to functions. He worked at the All India Radio and was first one to depart for his heavenly abode.
After Geeta, the family expanded with sister Lakshmi (also called Lokkhi who has sung 7 songs in five movies including Sailaab and was married to film maker Pramod Chakrakravarthy), brother Milan Roy (who passed away some time back and had given a loving interview to Geeta Dutt website. It was Geeta ji who had helped him go to USA) and youngest sister Amrita (Baby)(who was to act with Guru Dutt and Mala Sinha in ‘Sheesha-e-Dil’ but the movie got shelved due to Guru Dutt’s untimely death).
Later the family moved to Kolkata and finally to Bombay in first half of 1940s. I would like to thank Amrita ji for sharing the family details through Haimanti Banerjee, who wrote Geeta Dutt: The Sky Lark and is a noted documentary film maker based in Pune.
Many people are under the mis-impression that composer Kanu Roy who gave music to films like Uski Kahani, Anubhav, Avishkaar, Tumhara Kallu etc is her brother but He was not her brother.
Music was an integral part of her upbringing. In addition to elder brothers who were musicians, her mother Amiya was a lyricist-poet herself. Bengal is of course a region where music is a part of life and Zamindar families were known patrons of music. Some of you may have seen Satyajit Ray’s movie Jalsaghar (The Music Room) which show cases how the Bengali Zamindars used to promote and appreciate the arts.
The discovery of Geeta ji is the stuff of dreams for any aspiring artist. At that time, the family was residing in Dadar. Geeta ji was singing in her house and composer Hanuman Prasad happened to be in the area. Mesmerised by the voice, He followed the stairs to the house and was amazed to find that it was the voice of a teenage girl. Geeta ji was only 15-16 years old at that time. He talked to the family and appreciated her voice. He gave Geeta ji the chance to sing for Vishnu Cinetone’s Bhakta Prahlad which was under production with him composer (K C Verma was the other composer for the film). Geeta ji sang for the songs Ab Jaani Re (with others) and Suno Suno Hari Ki Leela (with Hamida Bano).
I have heard that Hanuman Prasad was also instrumental in her getting introduced to folks at Filmistan who were making a film called Do Bhai starring Kamini Kaushal, Ulhas, Rajan Haksar and Paro Devi. Sachin Dev Burman was the composer of the film and He had come to Bombay few months ago having composed for Filmistan’s Shikari (his debut) and Eight Days (Aath Din) already. These films had not done too well and he was looking for his big break.
This movie also marked the debut of a new lyricist from Punjab, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. Filmistan’s Rai Bahadur Chunnilal Kohli had a son Madan Mohan who for the first time also assisted Sachinda. He later became a big composer whose centenary we are all celebrating fondly. Geeta ji was auditioned and her voice was so loved that Geeta ji sang six songs for the movie. It’s song ‘Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya’ became a super duper hit and all associated with the song never looked back. Their ‘Sapna’ had begun not ended.
Geeta Roy was a phenomenon at the time. The film Do Bhai took time to release but the songs were being enjoyed all over the country. The whole industry took notice of the lovely voice of Geeta ji and everyone was interested in signing up Geeta ji. She is the only singer I know who sang 175+ songs in her first two years of career. Most take time to get noticed but her career graph rose almost exponentially. Top composers were taking her up. People talk about how Master Ghulam Haider signed up Lata Mangeshkar for Majboor(1948) which led to more offers. They fail to notice that Geeta ji also sang three songs for that movie. They were the only two female voices on that soundtrack singing two duets also together (Mukesh sang only in one duet and there were no other male voices in the soundtrack). Infact, Master Ghulam Haidar also used Geeta ji’s voice in other movies Shaheed, Padmini, Putli etc giving her a total of 14 songs (in comparison, Lata ji got just one more song in Padmini after Majboor).I have heard that Master Ghulam Haidar had even come back to Bombay for some time in 1950 and recorded more songs with Geeta ji but these appear lost.
Geeta ji was soon preferred voice for top actresses and She has sung for all of them. When Madhubala was introduced in her first two films, Neelkamal and Dil Ki Rani, Geeta ji is in the soundtrack. When Jaddanbai wanted to make a film for her daughter Nargis, Darogaji, all 11 songs of the movie go to Geeta ji. Similarly, in Nargis’s movie Jogan, we see Geeta ji sings a dozen songs! In the same period, in Nargis’s Jaan Pehchaan, composer Khemchand Prakash gives her 6 of the 9 songs. One of these is the lovely duet with Talat, Armaan Bhare Dil Ki Lagan Tere Liye Hai picturised on Raj Kapoor and Nargis. In many shows, Asha Bhosle has recounted how for this song, She and Kishore Kumar had got rejected because of the wonderful voices suiting the song more. In fact, one sees Asha Bhosle trying to copy Geeta ji’s voice for many of her songs in the early years.
Geeta ji was in demand not only in Hindi films. She was also top singer in Gujrati films after her superhit song Talio Na Tale in Mangalfera which is a classic garba song that many don’t even realise that it is a film song. 1948 onwards till 1950s period She has sung so many songs in Gujrati. There’s even a duet with Nalini Jaywant in the movie Varasdar. Even, the folks in Madras loved her voice and the studios would call her to sing for their films. Her song ‘Naache Ghoda Naache’ in Chandralekha(1948) opened the doors for many songs in that industry for her. She would travel for a few days there, do her recordings and come back to Bombay. If you see the film Mr Sampat (1952) of Gemini studios, there is a scene where Motilal is praising Padmini as the best, he says She is “Naachne Mein Rita, Gaane Mein Geeta” implying She is best in dancing like Rita Hayworth and best in singing like Geeta! I have also come across a show announcement with singers like G M Durrani, Lata Mangeshkar and others featuring and in end in biggest letters written “AND GEETA ROY” implying that She was the prime attraction at the show, such was her popularity in those days.
Geeta ji has sung for all major composers and lyricists. Many artists have made their debuts with her or had their first hits with her. She has even sung for Pankaj Mullick in the movie Zalzala (1952) where She sang as many as 5 songs for him! Her contemporaries never got to sing for the great composer. She was in my view the most versatile among her contemporaries. Her voice had a rare sweetness, a never seen again lilt, an unbeaten lehar and khinchaav in her voice, unparalleled depth in her singing and many have called her “Queen of Bhaav Gaayaki” because of how She conveyed the emotions of the lyrics and characters.
She has sung many difficult songs seemingly effortlessly but when one tries to sing them one realised what She has done. I feel if She has sung a song, none of the covers compare to her at all. Some are even horrifying to listen. Total murder of gems like it happened in Bombay Velvet. I have heard her many tandems where other singers have sung the same song in the film and always found her tandems were always superior to what other singers have sung. There are many films where Geeta ji has sung just one song, but “Ek Hi Kaafi Hai” phenomena is seen as her song becomes the standout song. A music lover told our fellow Bengaluru music lover, IAS and former Ambassador to UNESCO, Chiranjiv Singh ji comparing Lata and Geeta that, one listens to Lata songs for the song but Geeta ji for her voice. Chiranjiv ji recently mentioned to me that Naushad gave just one full song to Geeta ji and that song in Son of India, as per him is one of the best.
In any case, composers who used her voice less definitely lost a chance for some more magical songs. Geeta ji really gives so many Haay and waah moments in her songs. I remember in my hometown, I had attended a music listening session conducted by Suman Chaurasiya and Arvind Kelkar. Many songs were being played. Suddenly her song Jaate Ho To Jaao from Milaap. Audience literally sun ke jhoom uthi and youngsters started asking “Kaun Hai Yeh Singer”. She still has a connect with the youngsters. I had done a listening programme last year in which one portion was Geeta ji’s songs and teenagers loved her songs. I think in Western Style songs no one beats Geeta ji. No one can carry a tune like Geeta ji. In fact, often, her voice alone used to lift up the songs like anything. Ordinary compositions and lyrics also get elevated when She gives a performance. Singer Ghulam Ali while talking about Geeta ji’s special voice said that, “Unki Aawaaz Mein Ek Chamak Thi”. Indeed, that brightness can brighten one’s day instantaneously.
There is a lot to say about Geeta ji and I think this post is already becoming too long. I would just like to summarise by saying Geeta Roy was the best and the Geeta Dutt phase could have been so much more if only She had got much more opportunities. She certainly deserved it. It is heartbreaking how her life changed later and we lost such a great singer so soon. With the hits of Anubhav, She would have certainly made a come back and her voice is so sweet, so adaptable, She would be a hit in any generation.
For today’s song I have chosen a non-film song of hers. Most people do not associate this genre with her but She has sung so many of them. In fact, the non film ones are no less than her film songs. Till her last days also She has recorded non-film songs in various languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujrati etc.
It is interesting how I came across this song. I used to be a member of Hamaraforums where some members used to play an online radio (including me occasionally) using shoutcast. There was a particular listener who was really stingy with his songs, used to show off with small clips of very rare songs and then change the song. He played few lines of this song and I was mesmerised by the song. It took many years to actually get the song. I had never heard it and could not help thinking about this song. It came to us thanks to Late Dr Suresh Chandvankar who shared it for the Geeta Dutt website with us, which I run. The site itself was made with Dr Mahesh Sagar, Parag Sankla and others, the making of it which deserves a separate post in itself. He had shared the label and that is when we got the details of the song too which we could not get earlier. She is credited as ‘Kumari Geeta Roy’ on the record. The music is by the composer Kanu Ghosh who has done a fabulous job as has the lyricist Madhukar Rajasthani who has written some lovely songs both in film and non-film songs.
This song is a very sweet song with Geeta ji lamenting how falling in love and the beloved loving back changes things and everything is so difficult. I also love the Bansuri in this song. After listening to this song, I feel no other singer could have done justice to the song and the song remains with you after listening to it. Geeta ji arrives like a breath of fresh air and lovingly glides through the song. One gets immersed in the song’s lyrics and one does not realise when it finishes, making one want to put it on repeat listening. I would end by saying Geeta ji was once in a lifetime singer who is really missed and Unko Jo Sunta Hai Unka Ban Jaata Hai. She will forever remain a singing icon.
Song-Hum Ban Rahe The Jinke Woh Ban Gaye Hamaare (Non Film)(1947) Singer-Kumari Geeta Roy , Lyrics-Madhukar Rajasthani, MD-Kanu Ghosh
Lyrics
Hum Ban Rahe The Jinke Woh Ban Gaye Hamaare
Aankhen Mileen Jo Unse Kya Ho Gaye Ishaare
Hum Ban Rahe The Jinke Woh Ban Gaye Hamaare
Aankhen Mileen Jo Unse Kya Ho Gaye Ishaare
Hum Dillagi Hi Samjhen Woh Dil Ko Bhaa Gaye Hain
Dil Kho Diya Hai Humne Aur Dillagi Ki Maare
Hum Dillagi Hi Samjhen Woh Dil Ko Bhaa Gaye Hain
Dil Kho Diya Hai Humne Aur Dillagi Ki Maare
Hum Ban Rahe The Jinke Woh Ban Gaye Hamaare
Aankhen Mileen Jo Unse Kya Ho Gaye Ishaare
Hum Ban Rahe The Lekin Ab Ban Gayi Hai Dil Par
Utha Jo Dil Pe Maine Bola Hansi Ki maare
Hum Ban Rahe The Lekin Ab Ban Gayi Hai Dil Par
Utha Jo Dil Pe Maine Bola Hansi Ki Maare
Nazron Mein Basne Waala Ab Door Ho Gaya Hai
Karta Mujhe Pareshaan Ban Ban Ke Sapne Pyaare
Nazron Mein Basne Waala Ab Door Ho Gaya Hai
Karta Mujhe Pareshaan Ban Ban Ke Sapne Pyaare
Hum Ban Rahe The Jinke Woh Ban Gaye Hamaare
Aankhen Mileen Jo Unse Kya Ho Gaye Ishaare
Hum Ban Rahe The Jinke Woh Ban Gaye Hamaare
Aankhen Mileen Jo Unse Kya Ho Gaye Ishaare
——————————————————-
Devanagari script lyrics (Provided by Gajendra Khanna)
——————————————————-
हम बन रहे थे जिनके वो बन गए हमारे
आँखें मिलीं जो उनसे क्या हो गए इशारे
हम बन रहे थे जिनके वो बन गए हमारे
आँखें मिलीं जो उनसे क्या हो गए इशारे
हम दिल्लगी ही समझें वो दिल को भा गए हैं
दिल खो दिया है हमने और दिल्लगी की मारे
हम दिल्लगी ही समझें वो दिल को भा गए हैं
दिल खो दिया है हमने और दिल्लगी की मारे
हम बन रहे थे जिनके वो बन गए हमारे
आँखें मिलीं जो उनसे क्या हो गए इशारे
हम बन रहे थे लेकिन अब बन गई है दिल पर
उठा जो दिल पे मैंने बोला हँसी की मारे
हम बन रहे थे लेकिन अब बन गई है दिल पर
उठा जो दिल पे मैंने बोला हँसी की मारे
नज़रों में बसने वाला अब दूर हो गया है
करता मुझे परेशान बन-बन के सपने प्यारे
नज़रों में बसने वाला अब दूर हो गया है
करता मुझे परेशान बन-बन के सपने प्यारे
हम बन रहे थे जिनके वो बन गए हमारे
आँखें मिलीं जो उनसे क्या हो गए इशारे
हम बन रहे थे जिनके वो बन गए हमारे
आँखें मिलीं जो उनसे क्या हो गए इशारे