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Anil Biswas : The Bhishma Pitamah Of Film Music

Anil Biswas

Anil Biswas : The Bhishma Pitamah of Film Music

(July 7, 1914 – May 31, 2003)

Anil Biswas was doing the final rehearsal for a song for Aarzoo with Lata Mangeshkar when he heard someone sobbing behind him. He gave a swipe backwards and the backhand hit the sobbing person. Anil Da looked back and saw it was Roshan. "Arre tu kyon ro raha hai?", he asked, and Roshan, still sobbing replied, "Mujhse aisa gaana kabhi nahi ban sakega". "Tu ro mat. Main tujhe ashirwad deta hoon; tu mujhse bhi accha gana banayega". The song was "Kahan tak hum uthayen Gham". Roshan acknowledged the blessing by using the tune as band music for a Baraat scene in Bawre Nain, (which was Roshan's first major hit).

Anil Biswas was truly a composers' composer. C. Ramachandra, Roshan, Madan Mohan were his disciples, (C. Ramachandra even worked as his assistant for a while). Naushad and O.P. Nayyar admitted that they grew up admiring Anil Da's tunes. Anil Biswas's film career sums up the history of film music of the golden era. His film career started in 1934 when he came to Bombay from Calcutta and ended in 1964 when his last film Chhoti Chhoti Batein, produced by his old friend, Moti Lal,was released. (After that he gave music for some documentaries and Doordarshan serials,and worked for All India Radio). Anil Biswas was in the process of moving to Delhi when Moti Lal insisted, " Anil iska music tum hi karoge". And Anil Biswas gave a memorable score for the film -- a fitting finale.

Anil Biswas despaired of making a singer out of Moti Lal. But he managed it. He used to narrate hilarious incidents about making singers out of actors like Moti Lal and actors out of singers like Akhtari Bai. It was this that led him to introduce playback singrng. It was a coincidence that Pankaj Mullick in Calcutta and Saraswati Devi and Anil Biswas in Bombay hit upon the idea of playback singing in the same year unknown to each other, he told me. The rest is musical history. He was the first to use a modern orchestra in Hindi film music, first to use fusion music, first to use counter melody, and operatic structure for a film score (Mehboob’s Roti 1942, for which the initial story idea was given by Anil Da). In those pioneering days for every problem solutions had to be found as they went along: “Hum ko jab pyas lagi to khud hi kuan khoda aur khud hi pani piya”, he used to say about his experiments and innovations. A chronological selection of his songs would be an accurate record of the development of Hindi film music. AniI Da said to me once, “Dekho, R.C. Boral film music ke Baap hain aur main Chacha”. He called R.C. Boral father of film music because he perfected the format of film songs with prelude, Sthayee, interlude, and Antara. This format remains unchanged.

Exclusive Interview with Composer Usha Khanna with Abhay

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I grew up listening to Usha Khanna's music and knew her (wrongly) as the only female music director of Hindi Films. Later, I found out that there were many other female music directors before her, notably Saraswati Devi. I really liked her songs, even though they were mostly in B-grade movies. I was fascinated by her uniqueness in the film industry and She was one person I really wanted to talk to. While I was with Mr Ameen Sayani at his office, I requested him if he could arrange for me to talk to her. He immediately phoned her but she was busy doing Pooja. We called her back in an hour and I was able to speak to her. She said Pooja is a big part of her life. She agreed to record an interview with me on phone after I came back to US. I recorded the interview which was aired on my radio show Geet Ganga at Radio Dil (http://radiodil.com).

Few highlights from the interview:

· Her break in Hindi films

· Her musical inspiration

· How she effectively used Rafi’s voice.

· Her fondness for Arabic music

· Feelings about being only female music director (surprising answer)

· Still active in music

· Her unreleased songs

· Her favorite songs

Here is the interview for your listening pleasure:-

The C Ramchandra Life Story Continued

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This is the third in the series written by Arunkumar Deshmukh ji from CR's autobiography. Thanks to him for doing the translations for everyone's benefit.

The relations of Lata and CR were not always one sided and painful.There were occasions when the brighter,softer and kinder side of Lata was seen too. CR has described such incidents also in his book.

The first incident is actually very touching and has some Historical value also.

C Ramchandra and Lata had gone to Amritsar for the launch of Jhanjhar. From the hotel room, Lata made a call to Noorjahan in Lahore. C Ramchandra describes this event thus-

“They spoke for atleast an hour or so. They exchanged not only stories but also sang songs on phone. I was stunned and overwhelmed. I had never seen Lata so happy. Their friendship had crossed caste, creed ,religion and countries. After the phone call was over Lata said excitedly,” Ram we have to go to meet Noorjahan.”

To avoid passport formalities they had decided to meet in the “NO MAN’s LAND” which was about 35 miles from Amritsar. Next day we drove to that place.

Noorjahan came running and the two embraced each others like long lost friends. Both were weeping. All of us who were witness to this divine meet were overwhelmed and tears came to our eyes. Even the soldiers on both sides were weeping. After some time they sat chatting. We had food. They had brought specialities from Lahore and we from India. Noorjahan’s husband was also there. I shall never forget this scene in my life. A great testimony to the fact that Music can break any barrier. After few hours we returned with wet eyes but with a divine and Unique experience indeed !”…………………

When they were together with harmony,Lata used to have lot of faith and confidence in CR.He,ofcourse never took undue advantage of this,but inadvertantly,for once,

Lata and CR both came in trouble because of CR's carelessness.It so happened that....

One day a fair, good looking gentleman came to C Ramchandra, introducing himself as P.R.Bhide. He had floated a plan of filming and recording the classical songs of eminent singers for sale. He invited C Ramchandra to be a partner in it. C Ramchandra was impressed. Not only did he give Rs.1000, he mad Lata and Omprakash also to give 1000 each. So, a company was floated with Lata as the president and C Ramchandra and Bhide as secretaries.

Bhide left and C Ramchandra busied himself in his work. From time to time Bhide used to come in a hurry ,take C Ramchandra’s signature on papers which he said were company meeting minutes. As C Ramchandra had signed, even Lata used to sign without reading.

After few months, Bhide came to C Ramchandra’s house with a court Beliff and a legal notice stating that C Ramchandra and Lata owed him 2 Lakh rupees. In those days 2 lakh was a very big amount. This he claimed was for the films purchased by Lata and C Ramchandra from him. He had their signatures on sale deeds.

C Ramchandra was shocked. He felt bad because due to his insistence Lata was unnecessarily involved in court case. Later the case went to the court and court acquitted C Ramchandra and Lata is a different issue, but it all happened because of the carelessness of C Ramchandra.

CR decided from that day not to sign without reading and not to believe anyone blindly.The third incident happened about CR's mother...

C Ramchandra and his mother had very strained relations. She stayed with his elder brother in Poona. Once Lata and C Ramchandra had been to Poona for some work. Lata asked him,” Your mother stays here,isnt it ?”

” May be”

” What do you mean may be. Afterall she is your mother. You ought to know.”

” but we do not see eye to eye”

” Nothing doing. We will meet her”

C Ramchandra says” we found out their house and met them. I had become emotional. We embraced each others. After that I started sending money to her every month.

It was only because of Lata that this had happened.

Hindi film industry has given rise to several controversies, some of them are settled, some are forever a question mark and some controversies come up again and again with the slightest of provocation. The worst thing in a controversy is that even if statements of clarification are given by the concerned people involved with it, it is viewed with suspicion of a personal bias.

When none of the persons concerned are alive, film enthusiasts and historians dig up information from books, newspaper cuttings, interviews, Biographies, auto-biographies etc. Still nothing can satisfy 100% of the fans from both the warring sides.

Controversies like “who sang the famous song- Bharat ki ek sannari-from Ramrajya-1943″ or whether the Rajkumar of Sautela Bhai is Rajkumar Gupta or Rajkumar Pandey are still to be resolved as solutions available are not acceptable to all.

The ever raging controversy about the song ” Aye mere watan ke logon” is always discussed hotly despite the persons concerned having given their clarifications several times.

The persons connected with this are Lata, Asha, C Ramchandra and Kavi Pradeep. Several interviews of these people are available on record.

I have with me versions by Raju Bharatan through his book on Lata Mangeshkar, C Ramchandra’s interviews to him as well as to Shirish Kanekar and Pradeep’s interview given to Subhashchandra Jadhav in “Vo bhooli Dastaan” ,And now I have got the Autobiography version from C Ramchandra too.

C Ramchandra and Seeta - From His Autobiography

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Written By Arunkumar Deshmukh ji. Thanks a lot Sir for writing this exclusively for Anmol Fankaar.

The autobiography of C.Ramchandra( Majhya Jeevana chi Sargam-copyright by Yeshwant Ramchandra Chitalkar) is somewhat disappointing.Its major part is spent on describing various exploits of CR with different women.Normally one expectes that the writer would focus on his worldly achievements and creations,which gave him name and fame,but on this count this book is a failure.Not that it is totally bereft of such things,but considering his musical successes during the Golden Era,one feels deprived of more discussions on music related topics.

Same case with CR's association with Lata.There are so many anecdotes and stories going around,so one expects to get First hand details of it.To this end I was disappointed.Actually nowhere in the book he specifically names Lata as his companion for few years in clear words,but there are some incidents described in the book, which unmistakably disclose this.

Many writers in last few years have written about it.Raju Bharatan being a major name in this connection.I do not give any weightage to what Raju Bharatan(RB) has been writing about CR-Lata in many of his books and articles.He has lost credibility(with me atleast) completely.Surprisingly nowhere else you would find so much written about this episode as much as you find in RB's writings.

Shirish Kanekar is a journalist and writer on film related subjects.He has been quite close to Lata and her family.He was very close to CR too in his last few years.He has written about this matter in some articles,which I find more informative,objective and credible too.

I will however restrict my article to CR's Autobiography.

During the Golden Era of HFM,important contribution was from CR-Lata combination.From 1949 to 1958, this pair has given us heavenly melodies. The place of Lata in CR's music can not be separated.Together,they ruled over music as if it was their slave.

He first met Lata Mangeshkar at the time of recording a song (Jawani ki Rail...) for Shehnai-47.He was very much impressed with her voice.Someone introduced them "This is Lata Mangeshkar"

Golden Era of Hindi Film Music

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Dadasaheb Phalke, the Father of Indian Cinema, made the first indigenous film. His magnum opus Raja Harishchandra, starring D D Dabke in the title role and an effeminate looking Salunkhe as Taramati, released to rave reviews in Bombay’s Coronation Theatre on May 3, 1913. That heralded the Silent Era in films. And the sound of silence dominated for about two decades.

The Thirties

The world economic crisis and the Great Depression of the late 20s fostered another new marvel. Ardeshir Irani, the pioneer of Indian Talkie, made Alam Ara, the first full length Indian talkie film. The film inaugurated a new chapter at the Majestic Cinema on March 14, 1931. Ergo, the ‘Sound’ Era began and the idea of synchronising recorded sound with running pictures clicked.

The film had seven songs and only three instruments viz. Harmonium, Tabla and Violin were used in their recording. Wazir Mohammed Khan sang the beautifully worded minstrel song :

De de Khuda ke naam pe pyaare, taaqat ho gar dene ki,

Kuch chaahe agar to maangle mujhse, himmat ho gar lene ki.

Since then, music lovers haven’t stopped begging for more songs and are reveling in the feast of the flow of good songs, ad infinitum.