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.
THE VELVET MAGIC-TALAT DUETS ….Song No.-6
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Geeta Roy sings with Talat Mahmood,in this duet from the film-Ratnadeep-1952.
In the early era of Indian Talkie Cinema, the Two major centres of film production were Bombay and Calcutta. They had duel responsibility. One to make films to entertain the local audience and Two to enter the Hindi cinema market, spread throughout the Indian subcontinent. Film makers found out a way for this. Films were made in two languages simultaneously-the Local language and the Hindi version.
Thus the trend of Bilingual films started. ( In the south too, films were made in Tamil plus Hindi/Telugu/Kannada/Malayalam/Simhalese. But this was much later that Bombay/Calcutta). Bombay, Poona and Kolhapur being in Maharashtra, films made here were in Marathi and Hindi. Similarly, in Calcutta, films were made in Bangla and Hindi ( few films were made in Bangla and Tamil/Telugu also, to capture south markets). Prabhat, Saraswati Movietone, Huns Pictures (of Master Vinayak),Navyug films( of P K Atre) etc made Marathi and Hindi films. Sometimes companies like Sagar and Ranjit made films in Hindi and Gujarati ( their owners were Gujarati). Other companies like Minerva, Bombay Talkies( barring few films), Wadia etc stuck to only Hindi films.
The trend did not continue for long. At the end of the 40s, Marathi and Hindi Bilinguals almost stopped. Reason was the enormous growth of other film making centres in Maharashtra and the growing Marathi audience. Hence film makers did not need to depend upon the Hindi market for profits. Additionally, Hindi being a popular, working language in Maharashtra, Hindi films also had their market here.
This was not the case with Calcutta. Language was a major issue in Bengal. Added to this, the old and the established film making companies like Madon and New Theatres became non-entities in the late 30s and early 50s respectively. Hence even in the 50s, Calcutta continued to make Bangla/Hindi bilingual films to sustain profitability. By the late 50s, this stopped and bilinguals ceased to be made there.
Ratnadeep-52 was one such film which was made not only in Bangla and Hindi but also in Tamil as Ratnadeepam. The film was made by Chitramaya,Calcutta. It was produced and Directed by the famous Debaki kumar Bose. The MD was Robin Chatterjee. The film had 8 songs. Lyricists were Pt. Madhur and Mahendra Pran. Three songs from this movie have already been discussed in this Blog.
This film was one of the only two films in which the Great Juthika Roy had sung in Hindi films.( the other film was Lalkar-56). She sang two Meera Bhajans in it. The film’s director Debki Kumar Bose is considered as a Premier directors of the early era of Talkie films. His contribution to Bangla and Hindi films is immense.
Debaki Kumar Bose,Bengali and Hindi director was born in Akalpoush, Burdwan District, West Bengal on 25-11-1898. He was the Son of a noted solicitor, Madhusudhan Bose. Influenced by Sisir Bhaduri, his teacher at Bidyasagar College, Calcutta (1920), left university to join non-co- operation movement after Calcutta Congress (1920). He was caught and jailed. After coming out, his father threw him out. He started selling ‘Gamachhas’ on the road. He started and Edited journal, Shakti, from Burdwan (1927-8). One day he was seen and hired by Dhiren Ganguly as actor and scenarist for Dinesh Ranjan Das’ Kamaner Aagun (1930), Devotee of Vaishnava evangelical movement.
He joined British Dominion Films (1927) as scenarist, then director. Joined P.C. Barua’s Barua Pics (1930), then entered New Theatres (1932-4) together with Barua, directing the studio’s first hit, Chandidas. This was the First film in India,with Back ground music. Its cinematic validation of a major stage genre – the quasi-legendary biographical – helped lessen Bengali cinema’s dependence on the Calcutta Theatres for its themes as well as its literary, musical and acting talent. Early work known mainly for his free and inventive approach to established genres, esp. the mythological and the Saint film, creating a Bengali quality cinema (e.g. Aparadhi and Chandidas).
He also made Pooran Bhagat-1933. Handsome actor Mijjan (Syed Hasan Ali Zaidi) was the Hero. When the film was ready and about to be released, communal riots started in Calcutta between Hindu and Muslims. After peace returned, New Theatres was worried about Mijjan’s name in this Mythological film. Debaki kumar Bose,who hailed from a rich Zamindar family, told Mijjan “dont worry. From today I give you half of my name-Kumar.” Mijjan’s name became Kumar and he went on to become a big actor. After this, Debaki Bose himself never used the suffix Kumar to his name,in his life.
He made Rajrani Meera in 1933. During this film making he had a quarrel with director Nitin Bose and he decided to leave New Theatres.
After this he Went to East India Film (1934-6) where he made the lyrical Seeta which launched Prithviraj Kapoor and Durga Khote as a star duo. Seeta became the First Indian film to be sent to International film festival at Venice. Here the film won an award too and thus Debaki Bose was the firts Indian artiste to win an International award for his film. He then Returned to New Theatres (1937-41), on invitation of B N Sarkar, making the classic Bidyapati.
His independent Debaki Bose Production (1945) with stars from the Hindi and Marathi cinemas paved the way for other Calcutta productions after the decline of New Theatres in the early 40s. He made Arghya, a documentary on the caste system, based on four narrative poems by Tagore to celebrate the centenary of his birth. Debaki Bose was not just a director, but he was an actor (3 films), a producer (1 film) and also a writer (14 films). He was given the Sangeet Natak Academy award in 1957 and a Padmashree in 1958. He was India’s star director.
He died on 17-11-1971 at Calcutta. In his career of 31 years he made 50 films in Bangla, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and English.
FILMOGRAPHY: 1930: Kamaner Aagun (only act); Panchasar (also act); 1931: Aparadhi; Shadows of the Dead; 1932: Nishir Dak (all St); Chandidas; 1933: Puran Bhakt; Meerabai/Rajrani? Meera; Dulari Bibi; 1934: Seeta; 1935: Inquilab; Jeevan Natak; 1936: Sonar Sansar/Sunehra? Sansar; 1937: Bidyapati/Vidyapati?; 1939: Sapurey/ Sapera; 1940: Nartaki; Abhinav; 1942: Apna Ghar/Aple Ghar; 1943: Shri Ramanuja; 1945: Meghdoot; Swarg Se Sundar Desh Hamara; 1946: Krishna Leela; 1947: Chandrasekhar; 1948: Sir Shankarnath; 1949: Kavi; 1951:Ratnadeep/Ratnadeepam; 1953: Pathik; 1954: Kavi; Bhagwan Shri Krishna Chaitanya; 1955: Bhalobasha; 1956: Chirakumar Sabha; Nabajanma; 1958: Sonar Kathi; 1959: Sagar Sangamey; 1961: Arghya
(adapted from Indian Cinema, with thanks).
Film Ratnadeep was based on the same name novel by the famous Bangla novelist Prabhat Kumar Mukherjee. Those days, one of the specialities of films made in Calcutta was that almost every film was made on some famous/well known/popular work of Literature. Thus their story lines used to be very strong,reducing the need and dependence on songs. If one compares the Hindi films made in Bombay and Calcutta in the same period ,one will find that the average number of songs in the films made in Calcutta was much less, compared to songs in the films made in Bombay ! This is the trend even today. Thus qualitatively Calcutta made films were better. The entire cast of Ratnadeep consisted of Bangla artistes. The story of the film was-
It was the day of mourning at Basuligram, the seat of the Basuli Raj, and the entire estate wore a melancholy appearance. Fourteen years ago Bhuvan ( Abhi Bhattacharya), the heir-apparent to the estate, had left his home and hearth. All these years his mother and his young bride had waited patiently, hoping against hope, that Bhuvan would return. But, unfortunately, this was not to be.
According to the Shastras, if an untraced person fails to return with in fourteen years, he is to be considered dead and declared as such. And today,this period being over,the grim announcement was made and the cremation rites performed. How pathetic the bride looked in a widows garb! And Ranima? She was half-blind, grief-stricken, crazy!
The same night at Khusrupur – an obscure, wayside railway station -far off from Basuligram, the guard of a passenger train asked Gopal ( Abhi Bhattacharya), the assistant staiton-master, to take down the dead body of a sannyasi. Gopal, who had just been sacked from service and was virtually on his last day’s duty, observed with surprise the striking resemblance between him and the dead sannyasi. Even the station-staff noticed the likeness and talked about it.
Left alone, Gopal read minutely the manuscript of the deceased’s autobiography, which he found amid his belongings, and after going through the contents a crazy idea struck him. The deceased Bhuvan, heir apparent to Basuli Raj, was every inch like him. Can not he step into his shoes? And then property worth lakhs as also the deceased’s young and beautiful wife will will be his for the mere asking. Gopal became almost possessed with the fantastic possibilities of his wild scheme.
Gulfam, a crafty businessman was a spendthrift and led a fast life. In answer to an advertisement by the Dewan of Basuli Raj for a Hindu widow of good character to serve as a companion to Bahurani, he induced his favourite actress Kanak to apply for the job. Gulfam wanted her to act as a go-between for persuading Bahurani to agree to a re marriage and accept him as her husband. Kanak, posing as Gulfams sister, reached Basuligram and was accepted as Bahuranis companin. Soon after, Gopal, posing as sannyasi Bhauvan, entered the palace. Once again after fourteen years Basuli Raj became agog with excitement and jubilation. The mother got back her long-lost son and the bride her lost husband.
Gopal had passed every test, every scrutiny, and was unhesitatingly taken in as Bhuvan. But, he had to face two serious impediments to gain what he had come after, impediments which he had never thought of One was Ranimas sincere affection, and the other, Bahuranis pure and unsullied love which almost bordered on a devotees yearning for her god. To overcome these, Gopal pretended to remain a sannyasi for three months more. But that too was not very helpful. Bahurani attempting to regain her husbands love continued seeing him. And the result was that Gopal started loving her deeply but silently. Meanwhile, Gulfam for his own personal reason tried to prove that Gopal was an impostor, and Kanak did her best to render all assistance. But Gopal, having tasted true love, became a changed man. No more did he hanker after worldly wealth, and he resolved to make a clean breast of everything to Bahurani.
Finally the day comes and Gopal tells the truth to Mother and Bahurani. By that time,the mother had started loving him and also knew Bahurani’s love for him. They both pardon him and all is well that ends well.
I think, later on many films in all languages were made on this story,including Hindi. Today’s song is a duet of Geeta Roy and Talat Mahmood. In the Bangla version,it was sung by Hemant Kumar and Sandhya Mukherjee. Let us now enjoy this duet….
Song-Sun lo ek kahaani (Ratnadeep)(1952) Singers-Talat Mehmood, Geeta Dutt, MD-Robin Chatterji
Both
Lyrics
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo
sun lo ek kahaani
thha ek raajkumar salona
thhi ladki anjaani
ho o
thha ek raajkumar salona
thhi ladki anjaani
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo
sun lo ek kahaani
maan bhara abhimaan bhara wo
ladki se na bole ae
maan bhara abhimaan bhara wo
ladki se na bole
aankhon hi aankhon mein ??
meethee sapne tole
aankhon hi aankhon mein ??
meethee sapne tole
dil ki baat chhupaaye dil mein
phirti thhi deewaani
haaye
dil ki baat chhupaaye dil mein
phhirti thhi begaani
thha ek raajkumar salona
thhi ladki anjaani
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo
sun lo ek kahaani
bachpan ke wo saathhi dono
ho gaye thhe door
door oor
bachpan ke wo saathhi dono
ho gaye thhe door
khadi rahi wo luti luti
milne se majboor
khadi rahi wo luti luti
milne se majboor
bhoole thhe wo raahi dono
mil gaye thhe haaye
bhoole thhe wo raahi dono
mil gaye thhe haaye
raajkumar bana thha raaja
pehchaana na jaaye
lut gayi bachpan ki ??
reh gayi ?? nishaani
lut gayi bachpan ki ??
reh gayi ?? nishaani
thha ek raajkumar salona
thhi ladki anjaani
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo
sun lo ek kahaani
haaye
sun lo ek kahaani
sun lo
sun lo ek kahaani
