Wednesday, January 26, 2011

'ABHIGYAN SHAKUNTAL': A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER Pt.BHUVANESH MISHRA 'SHASTRI'


Pt. BHUVNESH MISRA 'SHASTRI'
(17 June,1923 ---9 December,1995)

MY FATHER PT. भुवनेश  मिश्र  शास्त्री , WAS A GREAT SCHOLAR  AND व्याकर्नाचार्य OF संस्कृत  LANGUAGE.HE WAS BORN IN SIDDHARTH NAGAR(U.P.) ON 17 JUNE,1923. 

IN HIS CHILDHOOD,HE WAS SENT TO STUDY IN A 'गुरुकुल ' IN अयोध्या.HE HAD SUCH A STRONG MEMORY THAT,THE BOOK 'लघु  सिद्धांत  कौमुदी ' WAS ON HIS TIPS.IN HIS GURUKUL DAYS HE LOST HIS MOTHER.

FOR HIS FURTHER STUDIES,HE WAS TAKEN TO  LAHORE ( now in Pakistan ) ,BY HIS MATERNAL UNCLE,WHO WAS A FREEDOM FIGHTER.BUT DURING THE DAYS OF PARTITION OF THE COUNTRY,LEAVING HIS STUDIES,HE  HAD TO COME BACK TO INDIA AND GET SETTLED IN THE CITY OF  KANPUR (U.P.).

HE GOT FIRST POSITION IN  THE AGRA UNIVERSITY IN HIS M.A. IN SANSKRIT .HE COULD SPEAK FLUENTLY IN SANSKRIT,AS WELL AS IN HINDI AND ENGLISH.
HE GOT ENGAGED IN TEACHING  SANSKRIT IN A LOCAL COLLEGE.LATER HE JOINED , CENTRAL SCHOOLS ORGANISATION ( केंद्रीय  विद्यालय  संगठन  ) IN 1963 AND GOT RETIRED IN 1983 WORKING AS A 'PRINCIPAL'.SANSKRIT LANGUAGE WAS INTRODUCED IN THE CURRICULUM OF CENTRAL SCHOOLS, DUE TO HIS PROPOSAL,UNDER THE 'THREE LANGUAGE FORMULA'.


HE LIKED MOST, THE WORKS OF  कालिदास  AND बाण  भट्ट  AND KALIDAS'S PLAY 'अभिज्ञान  शाकुंतल ' WAS ONE OF HIS MOST FAVOURITES.HERE I AM GIVING THE CLIP OF THAT PLAY FROM HINDI FILM: कवि  कालिदास  , AS A TRIBUTE TO HIS DEVOTION  AND DEDICATION FOR POPULARISATION OF संस्कृत  LANGUAGE.

HE ALSO LIKED THE FILMS RAM RAJYA(1943),BAIJU BAWRA (1952) ,BASANT BAHAR (1957) ,JAGRITI (1958) AND KAVI KALIDAS (1959).
  HE LEFT US FOR HIS HEAVENLY ABODE ON 9th, DECEMBER,1995.  

'BHARAT RATNA' PT.BHIMSEN JOSHI'S CONTRIBUTION TO HINDI CINEMA



















Pt. BHIMSEN JOSHI was a great classical singer ,representing the KIRANA Gharana of Hindustani Classical Music.Born in Dharwad  district of KARNATAKA on 22nd Feb.,1922, he left this world forever on 24th,Jan.,2011. He was honoured with'BHARAT RATNA' the greatest civilian award,by the President of Govt.of India, in the year,2008 .Due to his great contribution, in the field of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music, he will remain  immortal.Very few people know that, he contributed his classical singing to some Hindi films also,such as : PATIVRATA(1953) ,BASANT BAHAR(1956), SANT TULSIDAS (1972) and ANKAHEE(1981) .His most popular song was in film 'BASANT BAHAAR':केतकी,ग़ुलाब,जूही,चम्पक बन फूले ..'


 This was sung in राग  बसंत - बहार and Manna Dey was his cosinger.He also sang a जुगलबंदी  in राग  मालकौंस  alongwith Pt .जसराज  ,in film 'BIRBAL MY BROTHER'. It was his already famous  द्रुत  ख्याल  " रंग  रलियाँ  करत  सौतन  के  संग ..." .In film पतिव्रता  with classical singer  लक्ष्मी  शंकर ,he sang "ए  री  माई आज शुभ मंगल गाओ ...",in राग मियां की तोड़ी (Audio clip given here). 
He sang two  Bhajans in film ANKAHEE , beautifully composed by music director JAIDEV.One was Tulsidas's famous bhajan "रघुवर  तुमको  मेरी  लाज .." and the second was an enchanting devotinal song,sung in Kirtan style "ठुमक  ठुमक  पग, घूमत कुञ्ज मग ,चपल चरण हरि आये  ...., हरि आओ ,हरि  आओ .." .Both of them became very popular. He sang five compositions in film संत  तुलसीदास  for music director RAM KADAM giving playback to actor Sahu Modak in the role of Sant Tulsidas.The songs are:
1.पिता मातुश्री बंधु कांता प्रजा के सुखदाता  ...
२.बोलो भाई राम की दोहाई.......
३.रामाय राम भद्राय रामचन्द्राय ......जानकी पतिव्रता नारी ...
४.ग्रन्थ ज्ञान के बरव सोरठ ....इन ग्रंथो से भक्ति भावना सारे जग में ...
५.राम प्रभु आधार जगत के राम जीवनाधार, राम एक आदर्श हमारे (Audio clip given here) ....  
I feel myself lucky that I could attend to his live concert at Kanpur in 1989,that was his last visit to this city.It was 15th October.You can see his autograph, given on one of his LP records of my collection.   

Friday, January 21, 2011

RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM 'CHAAR DIL CHAAR RAAHEN' (1959)

This is another melodious creation of veteran music composer श्री  अनिल  बिस्वास .Tis film was also produced and directed by ख्वाजा  अहमद  अब्बास .It was a social satire.The raagmalika  presented here begins with  राग  विहागडा  and ends on राग  कलिंगडा , a morning raga.In between composer has presented राग यमन कल्याण  and बिहाग .स्वर  कोकिला  लता  मंगेशकर  has done beautiful rendering of the verses expressing the ragas very truely and correctly.This is one of the best songs of both, लता  जी  and अनिल  बिस्वास  .
The suitable lyrics were written by great shayer साहिर  लुधियानवी .The whole episode is picturised on actress निम्मी  and अनवर  हुसैन . The Lyrics are:
 जब  मै कहती हूँ  के किस रोज़ हुज़ूर आयेंगे | दिल ये कहता है के इक रोज ज़ुरूर आयेंगे ||    ( राग विहागडा )    
 इंतज़ार और अभी  और अभी और अभी , इंतज़ार और ...|
 साँझ की लाली  सुलग सुलग कर बन गयी काली धूप                                                ( राग यमन कल्याण ) 
 आये न बलम बेदर्दी मै चुनती रह गयी  धूप  || इंतज़ार और अभी  और अभी .....
 रैन भई बोझिल अंखियन में चुभने लागे तारे |                                                                 ( राग विहाग )                                                                            
 देस में मै परदेसन हो गयी,जब से पिया सिधारे|| इंतज़ार और अभी  और अभी ...
 भोर भई पर कोई न आया ,सूनी सेज बसानी |                                                                 ( राग कलिंगडा )                                          
 तारे  डूबे  दीपक  बुझ  गए राख हुए  परवाने || इंतज़ार और अभी और अभी और अभी ,इंतज़ार और ||   

Thursday, January 6, 2011

SUPERB SINGING AND DANCING IN RAGA 'GAUD-SAARANG' Film:PARDESI(1958)

MUSIC DIRECTOR ANIL BISWAS


LATA MANGESHKAR


PREM DHAWAN
When we refer to an example of Raga Gaud-Saarang in Hindi Film music,everyone quotes "Allah tero naam ishwar tero naam..." sung by LATA Ji for Music Director JAIDEV in film 'HUM DONO'.It is an all time masterpiece.But now you will  see another forgotten masterpiece, composed in the same raga.It was in Khwaza Ahmad Abbas's classic film 'PARDESI'(1958), in which Lata Ji sang  a song "Naa Jaa Naa Jaa Balam..." composed by veteran music director Shri ANIL BISWAS, in raga Gaud-Saarang.The lyrics of the song were written by Prem Dhawan.
The song was picturised on actress PADMINI who danced so well that overall combination of song and dance became an unforgettable masterpiece on Hindi film screen.This movie was made in INDO-USSR collaboration and hero was a Russian artist.Nargis and Balraj Sahni were in lead roles.The treatment of raga in singing and Bharat Natyam dance on it,create a unique atmosphere.