RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM:GOONJ UTHI SHEHNAI(1959)

USTAD AMEER KHAN

USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN

VASANT DESAI and BHARAT VYAS

COVER OF LP RECORD

BACK  cover OF LP RECORD

In the year 1959 विजय  भट्ट  produced a memorable movie ‘गूँज  उठी शहनाई ' which had music as its main theme.This is the only film in which Shehnai Maestro Ustad बिस्मिल्लाह  खान  played his shehnai.The hero of the film[राजेंद्र  कुमार ] was a shehnai player, later who becomes a renowned radio artist.During his early childhood he used to copy the classical singing of a music guru ji on his shehnai.And genious of music director वसंत  देसाई   found a situation for presenting a रागमालिका  in the film.

It was a unique experiment of presenting a जुगलबंदी  in the singing of उस्ताद  अमीर  खान  [इंदौर  घराना ] and शहनाई f  उस्ताद  बिस्मिल्लाह  खान  of बनारस .First of all,in the early dawn period, Guru ji is shown reciting in the temple before his diety 'निस  दिन  ..'in राग  भटियार .In the same temple premises,the child hero is sitting behind a pillar copying truely the vocal singing of Guru ji on his Shehnai.His shehnai playing draws the attention of music Guru ji and he brings that orphan boy to his home, for giving him music lessons.Now the Raagmalika begins and its first presentation was in राग  रामकली  “ये  दरबार  दान  हूँ  पाऊँ …”then guru ji recites “रे  म  प  प  गा  रे  ग  स  रे  नि .” In राग  देसी .The learning is continued with “ओ  रे  बलमा  तोसों  लग  गई  प्रीत …” in राग  शुद्ध  सारंग , prayer”सब  गुणन  दीजिये  गुनी  जन ..” in राग  मुल्तानी  and a सरगम  in राग  बागेश्री  “सा  नि  ध  नि  ध  ध नि  ध  म  प्  गा  रे  सा ..” the रागमालिका  concludes with a तराना  sung   in  राग  चंद्रकौंस  ‘दे  ना  दी  न  ता  दी  न  ता  नी .. सूए  मना  जो  तेरा  यारे  वफादार  मना ..”. The Tarana singng was speciality of Ustad Amir Khan,who used to say  that a tarana is not meaningless and he used Persian verses in his taranas.This raagmalika reflects his art of tarana singing.In the last part of Raagmalika Children are shown as grown up young with the passing of time, in music learning.Many memorable songs and shehnai compositions of this film are still liked by music lovers.

In this context I would like to mention the shehnai recital of उस्ताद   बिस्मिल्लाह  खान  in the year 1972 in कानपुर .He was on the stage playing  some ragas and other compositions, then we started requesting him to play song of this film”दिल  का  खिलौना  हाय  टूट  गया ..( राग  भैरवी .)" …, then Bismillah Khan Saheb said “No I wont play this song” and their was a stunning silence in the auditorium,but after a small pause he said “I will first play the song ‘जीवन  में  पिया  तेरा  साथ  रहे ..(राग  झिंझोटी )’then I will fulfil your request."It was 2:00 AM and he played each song for 20 minutes giving the finer details of the ragas on which those songs were based.The programme ended with a great applause for the Maestro's unforgettable skillful presentation.