A BIRTH CENTENARY TRIBUTE TO USTAD AMIR KHAN

Ustad Amir Khan was born on 15 August,1912,in Indore(M.P.)in the family of musicians.His father Shahmir Khan was a court musician in Holkar Dynasty in Indore.Ustad Amir Khan developed a unique singing style of his own and gave new heights to Indore Gharana of Music.Here I will have my focus mainly on Ustad's contribution to film music.He worked for these movies:बैजू  बावरा (1952),शबाब (1954),झनक  झनक  पायल  बाजे (1955),रागिनी (1958),क्षुधित  पाषाण (1958) and गूँज उठी शहनाई (1959).In Baiju Bawra he gave playback for Tansen,on the screen played by actor Surendra.The film starts with his graceful rendering of an evening melody in राग  पूरिया  धनाश्री "तोरी जय जय करतार ....".Also the climax of this film had a wonderful jugalbandi in राग  देसी तोड़ी  sung by Ustad Amir Khan and Pt.D.V.Paluskar"आज  गावत  मन  मेरो  झूम  के ..."(one can listen to it, in an earlier article in this Blog, on music competition in films).Ustad Amir Khan worked for three more compositions in this film,"घनन  घनन  घन  गरजो ..."(राग  मेघ ),सरगम  in राग  दरबारी  and one जुगलबंदी  in राग  तोड़ी "लंगर  कांकरिया  जिन  मरो .."with Pt.D.V.Paluskar.You can  enjoy his Puriya Danashree, in the following audio clip.This prayer is Tansen's own composition and will definitely impress your minds.It is"तोरी जय जय करतार..।।भर दे आज झोलियाँ।तू रहीम दाता तू पाक परवरदिगार।।तोरी जय जय करतार ...।तानसेन को तू रब,ज्ञान दान दीजो सब।राग रंग साजत है,करत नैय्या पार।।तोरी जय जय करतार ....।।"                             

Music director Naushad again made the opening of his film SHABAB with a devotional song "दया  कर  हे  गिरधर  गोपाल,मीरा के प्रभु नन्दलाल ..."rendered beautifully by Ustad Amir Khan Saheb in राग  मुल्तानी .You may also enjoy this Bhajan  here in the following clip: 

Also music director Vasant Desai again used Ustad's magical voice for his famous musical film:' GOONJ UTHI SHAHNAI'.He gave a lovely composition in राग  भटियार , a morning melody sung by Ustad Amir Khan,"निस  दिनन  बिसरत  मोरा  संसार ,घन  वरण  सुंदर  तन  अति  शोभित  अपार .." and also a beautiful रागमालिका(one can listen to it, in another article on Ragmalika in this Blog) .The unique thing in these compositions is Jugalbandi of Ustad's vocal with Shahnai played by legendary artist Ustad Bismillah Khan.Listen to raga Bhatiyar and justify yourself,

Music director Om Prakash Nayyar also could not resist himself from using Amir Khan Saheb's famous com-osition in राग  ललित  "जोगिया  मोरे  घर  आये ,घर  घर  अलख  जगाये ,कानन  कुंडल  गल  वीच  सेली  ,अंग  भभूत  रमाये .."in his musical venture , film: :RAGINI.

When Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was composing music for film: KSHUDHIT PASHAN, then he offered Amir Khan Saheb some vocal songs and it was a magical experiment ,when Amir Khan Saheb sang a duet with Pratima Banerji composed in राग  बागेश्री :"कैसे कटे रजनी अब सजनी,पिया बिन मोसे रह्यो न जाये,कैसे कटे ... । घडी पल छिन मोरे जुग से बीतत हैं,उन बिन जिया  अति ही अकुलाये।।कैसे कटे रजनी अब सजनी....।नैना मोरे दरस के प्यासे,आशा झूठे देत  दिलासे।मन का पंछी रोवत तड़पत, मानत नाही मनाये।।कैसे कटे रजनी ..."The second composition was a thumri in raga khammaj.Khan Saheb did full justice in presenting this bandish.Its lyrics are:"पिया के आवन की मैं सुनत खबरिया,लाग रही चहुँ ओर नजरिया।।उमंग उठत है अंग अंग में ,बजत हिया में मधुर बंसुरिया।।पिया के आवन की मैं सुनत खबरिया .....।।"  Ustad Amir Khan innovated the Tarana singing in classical vocal,Many musicians said that Tarana is meaningless,but  Ustad Amir Khan made it worth listening,by incorporating the Persian verses and Hazarat Amir Khusro's poetry in his Tarana singings.He did a lot of research on it.He was a real genious.His untimely death in a car accident in Calcutta on 13Feb.1974 snatched him away from us.  

 I think, Amir Khan Saheb has done maximum number of compositions  for films,as compared to any other vocalist of Hindustani classical music..This article is a small tribute to the great works of this great artist.