This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, 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 sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
MISSING GEMS FROM THE GOLDEN 50s…Song No- 15
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Today’s song is from the film Raagini-1958.
One more film titled Ragini was made in 1945. But actress named Raagini did not work in either of these films.
In the 40s, there was an actress named Ragini (1923 to 27-2-2007). Her real name was Shamshad Bano or Shado for short. Her mother died soon and she was brought up by her father Seth Diwan Parmanand of Lahore. She became known as a beautiful actress,just like Naseem Bano (mother of Saira Banu) and was nick named “Aaho chashm”, because of her Doe eyes-Mrignayani in Hindi. She acted in 15 Hindi films.To start with she acted in a Punjabi film-Dulla Bhatti-1940. Her Hero was M.D.Kunwar, who fell neck deep in her love. Just to remain with her, he actually financed Kardar in making the film ‘Shahjehan’-46 in which she was Mumtaz mahal. He got the role of Shahajehan. He was very rich and was a part owner of ‘Anarkali market’in Lahore. It was rumoured that he used to spread 100 Rupee notes for Ragini to walk on. In spite of all this Ragini did not respond to his advances .As a result, Kunwar took to alcohol and died in her love as a penniless drunkard.
Ragini migrated to Pakistan and worked in several films there. In the posters of her film, her giant cut outs used to be put on street, with a cloth band over her eyes, lest the traffic would stall !!! She married Producer S. Gul, but in her last days, she was thrown on the road,alone,penniless and sick. She died unsung in Lahore.
Actress Ragini-one of the three Travancore sisters, Lalita, Padmini and Ragini- was active during 1958 when “Raagini”(1958) got released, but she was not there in the film. Instead, her sister Padmini was the Heroine of “Raagini”(1958).
Film Ragini-58 is notable for a few other reasons too.
First,Rafi had given playback to Kishre Kumar on a few rare occasions. Ragini was one such film. “Man mora Baawra”-a classical song was sung by Rafi instead of Kishore and he only lip-synched it on the screen. Incidentally, Kishore Kumar also lipsynched another song in this film, sung by Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali. By the way, Mohd. Rafi is probably the only Play back singer who gave play back to four other actor singers- one of them was Khan Mastana. Kishore Kumar is the only Playback singer to whom maximum other Playback singers have given their voice. Manna Dey and S D Batish are two of them, and Asha Bhosle too (in the film Baap re baap-55)
Ragini-58 is the only film in which Vinod Mehra did the child role for Kishore Kumar’s grown up character and also sang a song in the voice of Geeta Dutt. (Today’s song).
Ragini is the only film in which 3 professional and famous classical singes sang songs-Amir Khan,Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali.
The cast of the film Ragini-58 was Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Padmini, Jabeen Jaleel, Sunder, Nazir Hussain etc etc. There were two lyricists-Jaan Nisar Akhtar and Qamar Jalalabadi. The music was by O P Nayyar, ably assisted by G S Kohli and Sebastian.
In Hindi film History, there were three actors who started there careers by doing character roles of old and poor people. They were A K Hangal, Bramha Bharadwaj and Nazir Hussain. There were many Nazirs in the film line. However, three main Nazirs were-
Nazir Ahmed-he was an actor, Producer, Director and studio owner. He first married dancer Sitara Devi. When she eloped with his nephew, K.Asif, he divorced her and married actress Swarn Lata ( Sayeed Bano, 20-2-1924 to 8-2-2008). They migrated to Pakistan and he became a very big director there.
The second was Nazir Kashmiri- a character actor who worked in more than 100 films from 1941 to 1982. He was a fixture in B R Chopra and Navketan films. He is popularly known as ” Ramu kaka “.
The third is Nazir Hussain,an educated,multifaceted character actor, producer, director, writer and a social worker.
Nazir Hussain was born on 15-5-1922 at village Usia Dildarnagar, Kamsaar,dist. Gazipur-U.P. His father Shahabzad was a Guard in Railways. Being a tall and healthy person, Nazir joined British Army for some time, but soon he left and joined Indian National Army of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. In 1950, Bimal Roy was planning his film on Netaji,”Pehla Aadmi”. He needed a person who could act and who had the knowledge of Netaji’s army details. He approached Nazir Hussain and after some pressure, he conceded and acted in the film. (HFGK however does not show his name in the cast, may be the list is incomplete or he must have been in the film credit list).
Thus started a career spanning a period of more than 3 decades. He was one actor who started with doing character roles and continued playing such roles throughout his career. he worked in over 500 films. He was a permanent fixture in Bimal Roy films. Next he worked in almost all films of Dev Anand and Dharmendra also. His typical style of acting and delivery of dialogues got him weeping roles mostly. It is generally believed that Nazir did only weepy roles of helpless, poor farmers, poor girl’s father, worker of low level, coolie etc etc, but it is not true. He is probably one of those actors who excelled in doing variety of roles like Murderer(Baazi), Professor(Tapasya), Doctor(Khamoshi/ Abhinetri), Police Commissioner( Jewel Thief), Advocate( Mohabbat zindagi hai), Police Inspector( Kala Pani), doting/ smiling father (Sharmilee), Riksha Pullar ( Do bigha zamin), Seth ji( Naya Daur) etc etc. He also played the role of a Film Director in “Main Sundar Hoon”(1971). However, because of his weepy roles in hit films, he was nick named “Aasunon ka canister”in the film industry. The popular joke was,”Nazir does not accept a role unless he is allowed to weep on screen”.
Besides being a major character actor, the service he has rendered to Bhojpuri Film industry can not be forgotten. In one of the Film Award functions, Nazir was intriduced to President Rajendra Prasad. On learning that Nazir came from Gazipur, the President asked him why he should not produce Bhojpuri films. Taking inspiration from this, Nazir wrote, produced and directed the first Bhojpuri film “Ganga maiya tore piyari chadhaibo”-1962. Later he kept on making several hit Bhojpuri films.
He was often a subject of ridicule for his weepy roles. His favourite dialogue was,”Beti/Beta, aaj agar teri Maa zinda hoti toh….”. Yet another was,”Ab main duniya ko kya munh dikhaun “? One more was, ‘Tumne mere saare armaan choor choor kar diye”.
Nazir Hussain was an actor, producer,director and also a writer. He had done the screen play and dialogue writing of Munim ji-55 and also Paying Guest. He used to write and direct all his Bhojpuri films.
He shot many of his Bhojpuri films in and around his village and helped develop that area for employment.
He died in 2014 at the age of 92 years,in Malad,Mumbai.
( Thanks to Mr. M N Sardana ji and wiki ji for the information used in the writeup).
The story of Ragini was-
Binda ( Nazir Hussain), an old musician in a village near Bombay, has brought up his son Rajan (Kishore Kumar), in the hope that one day Rajan will become a great musician.
With Rajan, as a part of him, has grown up Raagini (Jabeen Jaleel), now a beatuous village belle, the inspiration for his music. This blossoming flower is sought to be ravished by the rustic Jaggu, who finding Rajan in his way, succeeds in winning the orthodox villagers to his side and making them compel Binda to extern his own son from the village. . Rajan struggles in the big city, seeking a break. Ultimately fates steers him to the celebrated dancer Sitara. Sitara is the creation of noble-minded Jugal ( Ashok kumar), the propreitor of Roop Kala Theatre, who lifted her from the slums. At present, however, Sitaras life is in gloom owing to her heart aliment which was forced her to retire from her artistic avtivities. But Rajans entry into her life rekindless the fire in her.
Jugal is disturbed by Sitaras taking back to her feet, but the realisation that Rajan is able to provide the much-needed inspiration to her, through his music, impels him to encourage Rajan. . In a come-back star performance Sitara introduces Rajan to the limelight, risking her own life. She begins to dream of a home with Rajan. She has known that Jugal, who has given her so much in life, and still adores her so much, is not in a position to marry her, owing to the difference in their social status, and to his orthodox mother against whose wishes he cannot go. . Rajan, however, does not reciprocate Sitara”s feeling. . Jugal, in the meanwhile, has at last succeeded in getting the consent of his mother and goes to Sitara with a kangan offered by her for Sitara. Sitara, bewildered, tells him he has arrived a little too late! At this juncture Rajan learns that things are in a bad way back in his village and that Raaginis mother is being forced by the villagers to marry her off. Disturbed by this news, Rajan starts for the the village after apprising Jugal of the situation.
Jugal now tries to avert disillusionment for Sitara, but without avail. She misconstrues his efforts. Unable to do anything about Raagin”s impending marriage with Jaggu, Rajan returns to the city to seek help. He does not know that Raagini has managed to run away. . Jugal now is faced with a new problem. Concerned mainly about Sitaras happiness, he persuades Rajan to go to Sitara. In desperation Rajan and Sitara cling to each other. But then Raagini makes her dramatic appearance and once again a new problem confronts Jugal. The complex emotions of the four characters crash head-on, and high-voltage drama follows.
Sitara’s life is about to end and she marries Jugal in her last hour,wishing Rajan and Ragini a happy married life.
Today’s song is a very melodious duet, shot on young Vinod Mehra as a young Kishre Kumar and Baby Leela for Jabeen. Let us enjoy this song which was very popular in those days. I am sure many of us must have heard it earlier…..
Song-Is duniya se niraala hoon main (Raagini)(1958) Singer-Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhonsle, Lyrics-Jaan Nisaar Akhtar, MD-O P Nayyar
Asha Bhonsle
Lyrics
Is duniya se niraala hoon main
Jaadugar matwaala hoon
Is duniya se niraala hoon main
Jaadugar matwaala hoon
Mere geet mein wo jaadoo hai
Paanv tere ruk jaayenge
Mere geet mein wo jadoo hai
Paanv tere ruk jaayenge
Chhip chhip hamko dekhne waali
Chhip chhip hamko dekhne waali
Nain tere muskaayenge
Is duniya se niraala hoon main
Jaadugar matwaala hoon
Is duniya se niraala hoon main
Jaadugar matwaala hoon
Taan raseeli gaakar toone
mera man lehraaya re ae
Taan raseeli gaakar toone
mera man lehraaya re
Main to yahi jaanoon bas itna hi maanu
Toone jaadoo aan jagaaya re
Main to yahi jaanoon bas itna hi maanoon
Toone jaadoo aan jagaaya re
Kaise rooth sakenge tujhse
Jaan ke hum ban jaate hain aen
Kaise rooth sakenge tujhse
Jaan ke hum ban jaate hain
Dekho dekho kaise hum tum
Dekho dekho kaise hum tum
rooth ke phir man jaate hain
Is duniya se niraala hoon main
Jaadugar matwaala hoon
Is duniya se niraala hoon main
Jaadugar matwaala hoon
