New Theatres’ romance with Prem
I have been in the New Theatres mood since I wrote my last post on Pankaj Mullick. BN Sircar established New Theatres in Calcutta in 1931, i.e. the same year the first talkie Alam Ara was released in Bombay. Music has been an integral part and a defining feature of our films ever since. And so it has been with New Theatres as well. It is also not surprising that love has been the dominant theme of our songs. But the New Theatres took love to entirely unexpected heights. It was not merely a matter of semantics that pyar, mohabbat, ishq for them was Prem or Preet. It also denoted for them something deeply spiritual, other-worldly and supremely blissful.
Songs are generally identified with the singer and the music director. But the New Theatres team of KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Pahadi Sanyal, Uma Shashi, RC Boral and Timir Baran etc created such transcendental tunes in film after film in the 1930s and 40s that I view their songs as belonging to the New Theatres School. Prem also occurs in so many of their songs and such myriad ways that I felt their best Prem songs deserve a separate treatment.
Here is my compilation of the best प्रेम songs of the New Theatres.
1. Prem nagar main banaungi ghar main by KL Saigal and Uma Shashi from Chandidas (1934), music RC Boral
When I heard this song for the first time at a very young age, the effect was absolutely magical. I was at an age when there was not much difference between reality and fantasy, I could literally believe with Uma Shashi that it was possible to build one’s abode in the City of Love, which was made not of brick and mortar but whose courtyard, roof and doors would all be of Love. Saigal goes further to visualise Love as friends, neighbours and the essence of life. Uma Shashi would bathe in the nectar of Love and would adorn herself with ornaments of Love. And the ultimate is when Saigal describes Love as one’s deed, thoughts and ethics. After Saigal’s intial flops and appearance in Pooran Bhagat (1933) just for his songs, Chandidas was the first film that catapulted him to superstardom as an unparalleled actor-singer.
प्रेम नगर में बनाऊंगी घर मैं तज के सब संसार
प्रेम का आंगन प्रेम की छत और प्रेम के होंगे दोआर
प्रेम नगर में बनाऊंगी घर मैं ….
प्रेम का आंगन प्रेम की छत और प्रेम के होंगे दोआर
प्रेम नगर में बनाऊंगी घर मैं ….
प्रेम सखा हो प्रेम पड़ोसी प्रेम में सुख का सार
प्रेम के संग बितायेंगे जीवन प्रेम ही प्राणाधार
प्रेम के संग बितायेंगे जीवन प्रेम ही प्राणाधार
प्रेम सुधा से स्नान करूंगी प्रेम से होगा सिंगार
प्रेम ही धर्म है प्रेम ही कर्म है प्रेम ही सत्य विचार
प्रेम नगर में बनाऊंगी घर मैं ….
प्रेम नगर में बनाऊंगी घर मैं ….
2. Prem ki ho jai jai by Saigal, Uma Shashi and Pahadi Sanyal fromChandidas
Once you have got your abode of Love, life is full of bliss and you would automatically burst into singing victory to Love. The New Theatres could create beautiful lines like Blessed is the tongue that everyday drinks the nectar of Love.
3. Prem Ki Naiya Chali by Uma Shashi and Pahadi Sanyal fromDhoop Chhaon (1935), Composer R.C.Boral and Pankaj Mullick
If the abode can be made without brick and mortar, so can be boat without wood. In this beautiful song Pahadi Sanyal and Uma Shashi dream of their boat of Love floating in water. In the same vein, the sea, the boatman and travellers are all of love.
4. Sanwariya prem ki bansi sunay by KL Saigal and Kanan Devi inStreet Singer (1938), lyrics Arzoo Luckanvi, music RC Boral
Street Singer was a movie way ahead of its times. This is a story of childhood friends Bhulwa (Saigal) and Manju (Kanan Devi), who eke out their living by singing in the streets. Bhulwa is the gifted one who tutors Manju in singing. She makes it big in Calcutta and almost forgets Bhulwa, but the true love finally prevails and she comes back to him, leaving all the glitz behind, to the strains ofBabul mora naihar chhutal jaye. Sanwariya prem ki bansi sunay is anotherPrem gem from the New Theatres.
5. Tumne mujhse prem jata kar by Asit Baran from Wapas (1943),music RC Boral
When I first heard this song some time back, I was wonderstruck that such incredibly beautiful song should remain hidden for so long. Now I am aware of many Asit Baran songs through You Tube. No information is available about him on the internet. But it is clear he was another actor-singer in the New Theatres stable and appeared in many films. He seems to have been crowded out by the stalwarts like Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, KC Dey and Pahadi Sanyal. His songs are so good he deserves special recognition. Here is another of my favourite Prem songs.
6. Man prem ki jyoti by Pahadi Sanyal and Uma Shashi from Anath Ashram (1937), music R.C.Boral
Uma Shashi and Pahadi Sanyal combination has given some incomparable songs. Some of the best duets of the 1930s are sung by them.
7. Jagat mein prem hi prem bhara hai by KL Saigal fromKarorepati (1936), lyrics Kidar Sharma, music RC Boral
When the world is awash with love, no one can convey it better than Saigal. Kidar Sharma’s lyrics and RC Boral’s signature composition make it a supremely elegant Prem song.
8. Prem ka nata choota jag mein by Pankaj Mullick from Nartaki(1940), lyrics Munshi Arzoo, music Pankaj Mullick
There is something other-worldly about Pankaj Mullick’s voice. He sounds entirely convincing when he sings relationship may break but love need not break.
9. Prem ka hai is jag mein panth nirala by KL Saigal fromPresident (1937), music RC Boral and Pankaj Mullick.
New Theatres were not unaware of Prem doing strange things to the lovers. After acknowledging this phenomenon at a low pitch, Saigal in the last stanza almost admonishes at high pitch:
पागल प्रेमी अब तू क्यों रोता है
प्रेम का तो ऐसा ही फल होता है
पहले काहे ना तू ने देखा भाला
प्रेम का तो ऐसा ही फल होता है
पहले काहे ना तू ने देखा भाला
10. Na koi prem ka rog lagaye from President
At times you may get dejection in love. Saigal can express this with unmatched pathos:
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
पापी अंग अंग रच जाये
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
पापी अंग अंग रच जाये
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
प्रेमी के इस भोलेपन पर सब दुनिया मुस्काये
रूप के चित्र को मन में रखकर आग से आग बुझाये
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
रूप के चित्र को मन में रखकर आग से आग बुझाये
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
गली गली प्रीतम को ढूढ़े जग से आंख बचाये
मन से जी भरकर रोये आंखों से मुस्काये
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
मन से जी भरकर रोये आंखों से मुस्काये
ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये
An institution as exceptional as the New Theatres could not last forever. KL Saigal towards the later part of his life migrated to Bombay, though he did not live long. The best of the New Theatres was over by early 1950s. Bombay prevailed over Calcutta. Songs and love-songs remained part of our films. But if the New Theatres said ना कोई प्रेम का रोग लगाये, Bollywood would say the same thing as कर दे मुश्किल जीना इश्क़ कमीना. Can Amitabh Bachchan really complain at the epithet Bollywood?
(The image at the top of this article is courtesy smashits)