The Doyenne of Vintage Era: Khursheed
I realised somewhat late that Khursheed’s Birth Centenary (b.14 April 1914, d. 18 April 2001)fell this year. But she is such a prominent singer of the Vintage Era that I had to pay my tribute with her selected songs. Vintage Era refers to not only a period of time, i.e. the 1930s through 40s, but also, and more importantly, a different style of singing, which became extinct with the arrival of Lata Mangeshkar. No singer represented this contrast better than Khursheed. Endowed with a full-throated, open and powerful voice, she was one of the leading singers of the Vintage Era. Blessed with a beautiful face and charming personality, she was also the leading lady in many films. Her roles as actor-singer against the legend, KL Saigal, in Bhakt Surdas (1942) and Tansen (1943) has given her an important place in the history of Hindi cinema. The songs of these films are remembered today as much for Khursheed as for Saigal. Besides these two films, she sang for most of the great composers of the era.
Born Ishrat Jahan in village Chuniyan near Lahore, she started her film career in silent films in 1931 with Eye For An Eye. It may be mentioned that the initial few years were a period of overlap when silent films too continued to be made. In Lahore, she joined Hindmata Cinetone where she was the actor-singer in the first Punjabi talkie film Ishq-e-Punjab or Mirja Saahibaan. The same year, her role opposite Prithviraj Kapoor in Lahore’s National Movietone’s Swarg Ki Seedhibecame quite famous, and she soon moved from Lahore to Bombay.
In Bombay, she was the lead actor-singer in many films from 1935 to 1938, but no gramophone record could be issued for any of her songs. It was from Aap KiMarzi (1939), composed by Gyan Dutt, that her commercial records were first issued (I have taken this information from Anil Bhargav’s ‘Swaron Ki Yatra’. This probably needs revision as YT now has her songs from 1936 films, which are most likely from commercial records). The same year, she sang a number of songs for Khemchand Prakash in Meri Aankhen. The turn of the decade, 1941, marked her rise to the top with immensely popular songs in Beti (by Gyan Dutt) and Pardesi (by Khemchand Prakash). Two songs from Pardesi have already appeared on this blog – Pahle jo mohbbat se inkaar kiya hota and Mori atariya hai sooni sajan nahi aaye. Under Khemchand Prakash, she sang in Shaadi(1941) and Chaandni (1942) too, which became quite popular.
She reached the peak of her career in Bhakt Surdas and Tansen opposite KL Saigal – befittingly under Gyan Dutt and Khemchand Prakash respectively, the two most important composers in her career. Her later remarkable songs were inMoorti (1945), composed by Bulo C Rani.
She was among the artistes who chose to move to Pakistan post-partition. Her last film in India was Aap Beeti (1948). Many years later, she acted in two Pakistani films in 1956 – Fankaar and Mandi. In spite of the music by Rafiq Gazanavi, the films flopped. Thus, Pakistan proved disastrous for her career, as it did for many others who migrated there.
In Pakistan, she married her manager and small-time actor, Lala Yaqub (not the famous comic character actor, Yaqub). This marriage was not successful; after divorce she remarried a successful businessman, Yusuf Bhai Miyan. She died in Karachi on April 18, 2001, four days after her 87th birth anniversary, after a prolonged illness
Let me pay my tributes to Khursheed in her centenary year with my most favourite songs by her.
1. Mera chaand aa gaya mere dwaare (with Surendra) fromManjhdhaar (1947), lyrics Shams Lakhanavi, music Anil Biswas
When I decided to write on her, the first thought was how nice it would be if I could include Khursheed songs by Anil Biswas. Because of the rigidities of the studio system, many great contemporaries could not come together – one such sad miss was Anil Biswas-KL Saigal combination. Anil Biswas-Khursheed combo is equally rare. But, luckily, his filmography lists at least her two songs composed by him – one in the film Shokh Dlruba (1936), and the other inManjhdhaar (1947). I had no hopes for the first, and very slender hope for the second. We must thank the uploader who has put up this song on YT, which is a duet with Surendra. The film was a Surendra-Khursheed starrer, therefore, the song must have been picturised on these actors-singers. Apparently, it also had a solo version in the voice of Surendra. The YT link mentions Ghulam Haider as the music director, but HFGK mentions that this was composed by Anil Bisaws – this was the only song he did in the film, whereas four other songs were composed by Ghulam Haider and four by Gyan Dutt. Let us start with this rare song where the two centenarians come together. Some readers might be fantasising about an Anil Biswas-Khursheed-Begum Akhtar triad song. One can be almost sure no such song exists. These legends would not have realised that many decades later there would be anything like the Internet, and the music lovers of Songs of Yore who would be remembering them with such fondness on their centenary.
2. Bin taake na maaro more raja karejawa mein naino ke baanfrom Sipahsalar (1936), lyrics Munshi Rafiq, music Mir Saheb
Now enjoy the real vintage singing. You are transported to a courtesan’s kotha, where the singing is seductive, the harmonium is an essential part of the experience, creating a magic of its own, while being careful not to overshadow the singer. Notice how Khursheed sings दिल में उतर गई तिरछी नज़रिया, when some letters become rounded, and you can feel the gaze of the courtesan piercing your heart. Lata era smoothened such inflexions.
3. Baanke sainyaan ne bainyaan marod daali from Kimiagar(1936), lyrics Munshi Shams and Munshi Rafiq, music Mir Saheb
Mir Saheb repeats the tune of Bin taake na maaro in this song. Even the top composers had a right to auto-inspiration. But the tune is so good I do not mind the repetition.
4. Aaj mere ghar mehmaan aaye from Aap Ki Marzi (1939), lyrics PL Santoshi, music Gyan Dutt
Its claim to be the first commercial record of Khursheed seems to have been overtaken, as I have mentioned above. The rounding of certain syllables and phrases was typical of the vintage era female singers, Khursheed being its leading exponent.
5. Tera anokha singaar from Shaadi (1941), lyrics (?), music Khemchand Prakash
An important part of our wedding celebrations are the traditional songs, associated with various rituals and customs, sung by the ladies of the family and relatives. We are familiar with plastic wedding songs in films like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. Let us go back to the vintage era with this Banno song, which is much closer to reality.
6. Giridhari Giridhari chhed wo muraliya pyaari from Chaandni(1942), lyrics DN Madhok, music Khemchand Prakash
Krishna-Radha lore combines shringaar and bhakti. There is romance when Radha pleads with Krishna – in the voice of Khursheed – to play his flute.
7. Bansiwale Shyam bansuriya baja ja from Prabhu Ka Ghar(1945), lyrics Pt Indra, music Khemchand Prakash
Shyam and baansuri again, but the mood changes subtly from romantic to philosophical – Geeta ka gyan suna ja Kanhaiya/ Kaljug ko satjug bana ja.
8. Itana bhi na wo samjha ke gaye kyun shama bichari jalti haifrom Moorti (1945), lyrics Pt Indra, music Bulo C Rani
A Mukesh-Khursheed-Hameeda Bano triad song from this film – Badariya baras gayi us paar – is very well known to the lovers of old film music. I heardItana bhi na wo samajha ke gaye for the first time in the Internet era, and I am completely enchanted by it.
9. Ghata ghanghor ghor mor machaave shor from Tansen (1943), lyrics DN Madhok, music Khemchand Prakash
This film with Khursheed’s four solos and a duet with KL Saigal (two versions- happy and sad) was the apogee of her career, and Ghata ghanghor ghor, with which the film opens, her most iconic song. This song must have made generations of music lovers restless, as it made the legendary singer Tansen (Saigal), who was passing by. Drawn inexorably towards the voice, he meets the innocent, but ebullient village girl, Tani (Khursheed), who was singing as she grazed her cattle. An interesting exchange follows between the two, coming from two different worlds on music – he, the learned one, who tells her Ae ladki jaanati ho tum kya raga ga rahi ho? Gaao to raga gaao; and she, the illiterate, but gifted one, giving him back in full measure – Raga kya hota hai? Now it is the end of the day, can you call back my cows by your singing as I have to go home? (He laughs at the suggestion, and she goes on to demonstrate her prowess with her next song, Aao Gauri Aao Shyama saanjh bhai ghar aao – and her cattle Shyama, Gauri etc. duly respond to her call). A fabulous movie, it is available on YT, but its audio is very poor quality. However, a good quality DVD is commercially available.
10. Baraso re baraso re from Tansen, lyrics Pt Indra
I end her solos with this great song from Tansen, which again makes a point about the intrinsic nature of music. Tansen has been made to sing Raga Deepak (Diya jalaao) in a court conspiracy by his rivals, causing him terrible fever, which the Hakim is unable to cure. Birbal says Raga Megh is antidote to Deepak, but they could not find anyone who could sing this Raga. Tansen asks Akbar to send him back to his friend, Raja Ram Singh, whom he had promised to meet before he died. At a village well, his paalki stops, and he asks the girls to pour water on his head. Tani, who is among them, is aghast at his condition. She is told that Tansen could be cured if she could sing Raga Megh Malhar. She does not know any Raga. But she knows love, she can sing and pray, and what heavenly song she sings.
Duets with KL Saigal
11. Jis jogi ka jog liya ho (with KL Saigal) from Bhakt Surdas(1942), lyrics DN Madhok, music Gyan Dutt
We can see how she fares when she is pitted against KL Saigal in a duet. Khursheed’s open, full throated voice, combined with Saigal’s soft and mellifluous voice creates a unique magic.
12. More balapan ke saathi chhaila bhool jaiyo na (with KL Saigal) from Tansen, lyrics Pt Indra, music Khemchand Prakash
We have seen her two superb solos in the movie. I end this post with her duet against Saigal in the landmark movie. Needless to say, it is her voice that lingers on. The first is a sad version, when Tansen is leaving for Akbar’s court. The second, short happy version comes at the end of the movie, when Tansen has finally come back to Tani.
(Sad version)
(Happy version)
Acknowledgements:1. I have taken most of the biographical details from Anil Bhargav’s Swaron Ki Yatra, which I gratefully acknowledge.
2. Some information I have taken from an article by Gajendra Khanna on Anmolfankar.com.
3. Mahadevan, gives a very interesting description of Saigal-Khursheed’s first encounter in Tansen on Apnaarchive.wordpress.com.
4. Cineplot has her interview taken in 1992 in Pakistan, said to be her last interview.
2. Some information I have taken from an article by Gajendra Khanna on Anmolfankar.com.
3. Mahadevan, gives a very interesting description of Saigal-Khursheed’s first encounter in Tansen on Apnaarchive.wordpress.com.
4. Cineplot has her interview taken in 1992 in Pakistan, said to be her last interview.