My favourite Pankaj Mullick songs
I became seriously acquainted with Pankaj Mullick several years after I had thoroughly absorbed KL Saigal. This would probably be the normal sequence for any non-Bengalee what with Saigal having acquired an iconic status, and generations of listeners having grown on a Saigal song every morning at 7.57 AM which would be the last song on Radio Ceylon’s programmeBhoole Bisre Geet.
The trigger point was an evening dinner gathering of friends when Chakko (short for Chakravarty, that was his name) sang Ye raatein ye mausam ye hansnaa hansaanaa. The impact on me was mesmerizing. Chakko was by no means a professional singer, it was one of those gatherings where everyone sings, some being a little better than others. Soon after I came across an LP of his songs, which not surprisingly had this song at the top. Coming to the internet age I heard many more of his songs, both films and non-films, in Hindi and Bengalee, and became more aware of the vast world of beautiful gems of Pankaj Mullick beyond Piya milan ko jana (which seemed to be the only song played in the radio days).
He was already an established name as actor-singer-composer in Kolkata-New Theatres when a virtually unknown Saigal came to seek an avenue for himself. Pankaj Mullick unhesitatingly promoted him with RC Boral, at times at his own cost. Several of Saigal’s most famous songs are composed by Pankaj Mullick. If you consider his role in the making of Saigal, his contributions in popularising Rabindra Sangeet, his work as singer, actor, music director, his path breaking innovations in various aspects of music, he is one of the greatest figures of Indian culture scene, and one of the most well deserving Dadasaheb Phalke awardees (1973). That he was awarded a mere Padmashree (1970) is obviously one of the vagaries of these awards.
So far in this blog I have been generally hovering around 1950s and 60s barring some odd reference to the songs of earlier era. I have a special fascination for the songs of vintage era songs of 1930s and 40s and was looking for an opportune way to get into that era. It is a matter of special pleasure for me to start this with a compilation of my favourite Pankaj Mullick songs as my tribute on his birthday May 10.
1. Ye raatein ye mausam ye hansnaa hansaana, non-film song
There would be several hundred songs of at least two dozens of singers very close to me heart. From this vast ocean if I have to select a few most precious, most beautiful gems this song would figure at the very top. There is something immortal about it, its words, its tunes that mesmerizes you even if your buddy Chakko or Mukho sings it.
ये रातें ये मौसम ये हंसना हंसाना
मुझे भूल जाना इन्हें ना भुलाना
मुझे भूल जाना इन्हें ना भुलाना
ये बहकी निगाहें ये बहकी अदायें
ये आंखों के काजल में डूबी घटायें
फिज़ां के लबों पर ये चुप का फसाना
मुझे भूल जाना इन्हें ना भुलाना
ये आंखों के काजल में डूबी घटायें
फिज़ां के लबों पर ये चुप का फसाना
मुझे भूल जाना इन्हें ना भुलाना
चमन में जो मिल के बनी थी कहानी
हमारी मोहब्बत तुम्हारी जवानी
ये दो गर्म सांसों का एक साथ आना
ये बदली का चलना ये बूंदों की रुमझुम
ये मस्ती का आलम ये खोये से हम तुम
तुम्हारा मेरे साथ ये गुनगुनाना
मुझे भूल जाना इन्हें ना भुलाना
हमारी मोहब्बत तुम्हारी जवानी
ये दो गर्म सांसों का एक साथ आना
ये बदली का चलना ये बूंदों की रुमझुम
ये मस्ती का आलम ये खोये से हम तुम
तुम्हारा मेरे साथ ये गुनगुनाना
मुझे भूल जाना इन्हें ना भुलाना
And here is my English translation:
These nights
These nights, these climes
These laughters and this merrymaking
And me
You may forget me but forget these not.
These nights, these climes
These laughters and this merrymaking
And me
You may forget me but forget these not.
These playful glances, these drunken gestures
These clouds immersed in your dark kohl eyes
This ambience
And floating on the lips of air this melody of silence
And me
You may forget me but forget these not
These clouds immersed in your dark kohl eyes
This ambience
And floating on the lips of air this melody of silence
And me
You may forget me but forget these not
In the meadows when we met
It became a story
My love and your passion
These two hot breaths coming together
These wandering clouds, these dancing raindrops
This state of euphoria and you and me lost in our reverie
This humming of yours with me
And me
You may forget me but forget these not
It became a story
My love and your passion
These two hot breaths coming together
These wandering clouds, these dancing raindrops
This state of euphoria and you and me lost in our reverie
This humming of yours with me
And me
You may forget me but forget these not
Pankaj Mullick sings Ye raatein ye mausam
2. Barkha ki raat aye manwaa har le mann ka bhaar fromAdhikaar (1938), music Timir Baran
Timir Baran was another great composer in the New Theatres fold. His best known is Devdas (1935), for Saigal’s iconic songs Dukh ke ab din beetat naahi and Balam aye baso more mann mein. Adhikar is another movie which had several great songs. This one has all the ethereal quality of Pankaj Mullick and my no.2
3. Aayee bahar aaj from Doctor (1941), lyrics Arzoo Lakhanvi, music Pankaj Mullick
Doctor in which Pankaj Mullick was the singer, actor and music director had a number of songs which are of everlasting quality. Ayee bahaar is a peppy train song which captures many beautiful vignettes of rural landscape in its journey. You first see a boy on the tree playing the flute, when he is wonderstruck by the approaching train. As the song filters in, the train enters the frame, and you see Pankaj Mullick standing at the door of the compartment holding its handle and singing in gay abandon. On way you also see a bullock cart plying alongside the train. Then a group of ladies, who suddenly realise that they are being seen by the men in the train, turn away their faces with a shy smile pulling their veil a little longer. Finally as the train approaches the station you see a group of men waving excitedly while the song fades out. Cute!
4. Maine aaj piya, non-film song
The best songs of Pankaj Mullick, as of Saigal and KC Dey, and later of Talat Mahmood and Hemant Kumar include several non-film songs. If they lost on identification with a film, they had the advantage that they provided more creative freedom to the singer as he was not constrained by the situations of a story. Many of these songs were composed by the singer himself. Maine aaj piya is one of my Pankaj Mullick’s top favourites.
5. Main rota hun, non-film song
Another immortal private song of Pankaj Mullick.
6. Sharabi soch na kar matwale (with Kalyani), from Mukti (1937), music Pankaj Mullick
One of the best films of Pankaj Mullick as actor-singer and music director. The setting is a country liquor joint where people are having fun when Pankaj Mullick joins them with this song in his booming voice. Is this the earliest tavern song in Hindi films? Kalyani in contrasting tune enhances the beauty of the song.
7. Madbhri rut jawan hai from Nartaki (1940), lyrics Arzoo Lakhanvi, music Pankaj Mullick
The long video clipping shows animated conversation about the evening dance function and how to get the doors of the mutt opened for Roopkumari, whose presence would enhance the pleasure of the evening, the highlight of which was going to be the jawani ka gaana which the poet (Pankaj Mullick) had prepared after the day’s labour for the function. When Pankaj Mullick does enter the scene with this song in his heavy bass voice, the effect is magical.
8. Sundar nari preetam pyari from Manzil (1936), music RC Boral
This song has RC Boral’s signature style of long musical piece preceding the song and beautiful long interlude, which he had used (in conjunction with Pankaj Mullick) with stunning effect in Ek bangkla bane nyara (President) .
9. Mahak rahi phulwari from Doctor (1941)
Another great song from Doctor.
10. Piya Milan ko jana from Kapalkundala (1939), lyrics Arzoo, music Pankaj Mullick
And finally the defining song of Pankaj Mullick. This is the song that was most commonly heard and was everyone’s first introduction to him.