Rafi’s duets by SD Burman
If you revisit my earlier post onRafi’s songs (solos) composed by SD Burman, along with the readers’ comments, you realise the high regard in which the music lovers hold their combination. In spite of his known fondness for Kishore Kumar, SD Burman had something special for Rafi. Canasya finds Rafi’s songs by SD Burman even more mellifluous and romantic than by Naushad. That is some high compliment!
Out of about 90 Rafi songs composed by SD Burman, half are duets. Therefore, we cannot have a full picture of SD Burman-Rafi magic without looking at his duets. Tere bin soone nain hamaare is an ultimate Piloo, and has come in for a long discussions on SoY. Chaand sa mukhadaa kyun sharmaya is another of unparalleled beauty. While SD Burman’s own singing was very grave and profound, this sports and paan-loving composer had a light-hearted and jestful side to his personality. Rafi himself was the most versatile singer, which was a perfect match for SD Burman’s ability to use all the great female singers –Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt – with equal felicity. Thus, they could move effortlessly from serious, romantic melody to frothy, fast and naughty –Achhaji main hari chalo maan jao na, Hum aapki ankhon mein is dil ko basa len to. The duets are not only equal in number, they more than match up to their great solos we have discussed in my earlier post.
We have seen that the first Rafi song by SDB dates back to 1947 in Do Bhai. But, as Hans pointed out in his detailed analysis, in the first phase till 1956, SDB does not care much for Rafi, but in the middle period 1957 to 1966, he goes for him in a big way. This is the period when he created some of the greatest duets for Rafi, without which the latter’s music is not complete. Even well after post-Aradhanawhen Kishore Kumar overtook everyone, SD Burman could create a most melodious Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar duet, Teri bindiya re in Abhimaan (1973).
When I had to resurrect SD Burman on the readers’ request to cover the remaining singers, it occurred to me that for his two most important singers, Rafi and Kishore Kumar, their duets too would have to be covered to give completeness. Interestingly, if you look at his songs for the major female singers – Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt – the duets do not have the same importance, for example for Lata Mangeshkar, out of 182 songs, 132 are solos (source: Surjit Singh’s site).
Continuing my series on SD Burman, let me present his duets for Rafi on the latter’s death anniversary (b. 24 December 1924; d. 31 July 1980).
1. Panghat pe dekho aayi milan ki bela (with Geeta Dutt) fromNaujawan (1951), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi
Before I come to presenting the songs in the order of my liking, let me start with a bit of history, as I did in case of their solos. This unheard song should be their first duet.
2. Chand sa mukhada kyun sharmaya (with Asha Bhosle) fromInsaan Jaag Utha (1959), lyrics Shailendra
The more I listen to this song the more unsure I become whether I should still rank Tere bin soone as my top favourite. The opening recital Natkhat taaro humein na nihaaro gives no indication of the tune to follow. Then the openingmukhada, Chand sa mukhadaa kyun sharmaya gives a delightful feeling. But SD Burman enhances it further with some heavenly musical interlude, and continues his great work with equally spectacular antara. The city-bred engineer on the project site, falling for a village belle is not my favourite scene, but the wonderful duet makes it lovely.
3. Deewana mastana hua dil jaane kahan ho ke bahaar ayi (with Asha Bhosle) from Bambai Ka Babu (1960), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri
My Asha Bhosle-fan friends would be mightily pleased that I am selecting one duet after another where she is crooning with Rafi. I have to say it is not only because Lata was missing from SDB-fold during the period, but that these songs are stunning both in absolute and relative terms. The song starts with Asha Bhosle’s haunting call with sargam notes, and after a full stanza by her, Rafi enters. In a unique innovation, both the singers use sargam taans before singing their lines, which creates an extremely pleasant effect. With the background of nature, the song is beautifully picturised too.
4. Manmohan man mein ho tumhi (with SD Batish and Suman Kalyanpur) from Kaise Kahun (1964), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni
This film also has a pure Rafi-Asha duet, Kisi ki mohabbat mein sab kuchh ganwa ke, but Manmohan man mein ho tumhi, based on Raga Adana, is on a different plane. In this triad song, Rafi is not the most dominant voice, but since this would be counted among his 90 songs, I am presenting it here, as it is one of my great favourites.
5. Achchaji main haari chalo maan jaaon na (with Asha Bhosle) from Kaala Pani (1958), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri
The Master of romantic poetry, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winner, Majrooh Sultanpuri, now creates a roothna-manaana song in reverse, where the lady (Madhubala) is trying to cheer up a sulking Dev Anand. In the end, both making playful faces shows everything is well.
6. Hum aapki ankhon mein is dil ko basa lein to (with Geeta Dutt) from Pyasa (1957), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi
Pyasa was the film which consolidated Sahir’s reputation as the poet of hard-hitting, anti-establishment verses of cynicism and dejection. He wrote not onlyYe kooche ye neelaamghar dilkashi ke and Ye mahlon ye takhton ye taajon ki duniya, but also the comic Sar jo tera chakraaye, and this romantic duet between the doomed lover-poet and his ex-flame, Mala Sinha, picturised as a dream sequence.
7. Aa ja panchhi akelaa hai (with Asha Bhosle) from Nau Do Gyarah (1957), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri
In a fine balancing act, SD Burman gives a solo and a duet to Kishore Kumar, and two duets to Rafi. Kali ke roop mein hali ho dhoop mein (Rafi-Asha) is equally good, but Aa ja panchhi akela hai picturised on Dev Anand and his lover-later-wife-in real life, Kalpana Kartik, is subtly erotic, when in this road movie the two take up a room in a motel, pretending to be husband and wife.
8. Rimjhim ke taraane le ke aayi barsaat (with Geeta Dutt) fromKaala Baazar (1960), lyrics Shailendra
In the middle period, SD Burman had started leaning towards Rafi over his favourite Kishore Kumar as the voice of Dev Anand. Besides some gorgeous solos in the movie, we have this very lilting romantic duet, set in the backdrop of rains, penned by the lyricist who was particularly fond of barsaat, which played an important role in his career. It was the eponymous movie that launched his career in a big way, with his first song Barsaat mein humse mile tum sajan tumse mile hum. He also had a great attraction for rimjhim, and named his bungalow as ‘Rimjhim’.
9. Dekho rootha na karo (with Lata Mangeshkar) from Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (1963), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri
Now it is Rafi all the way for Dev Anand. We are aware of his gorgeous solos –Dil ka bhanwar are pukaar and Tu kahan ye bataa is nasheelee raat mein. Lata Mangeshkar is now back to SDB fold. They have another duet, the Title Song Ek ghar banaaungaa tere ghar ke saamne. But Dekho rootha na karo, with its unhurried pace, is more mellifluous.
10. Dil pukaare aa ja aa ja re (with Lata Mngeshkar) from Jewel Thief (1967), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri
Now we enter the third phase of SDB’s career, and as remarked by Hans, he is back to balancing between Rafi and his favourite Kishore Kumar, which would soon turn into a clear preference for the latter. But with this sole duet, Rafi manages to leave a mark. Among the lyricists, Majrooh Sultanpuri was as versatile as SD Burman was among composers.
11. Ye dil deewana hai dil to deewana hai (with Lata Mangeshkar) from Ishq Par Zor Nahi (1970), lyrics Anand Bakshi
I end with a song from an era when Kishore Kumar had overtaken Rafi as the No. 1 singer. But SD Burman still had something special for Rafi. We have seen how he adapted his marvellous original Bengali song, Gaaner koli surer durite, into a most melodious solo in the voice of, who else but, Rafi in the same movie –Mehbooba teri tasweer. In this romantic duet too, you see the same careful chiselling of each note, each word, along with some great orchestration, characteristic of SD Burman.