USTAD BADE GHULAM ALI KHAN SANG IN ONLY ONE HINDI FILM:MUGHAL-E-AZAM

A STILL FROM THE SONG "PREM JOGAN BAN KE.."

COVER OF A 3-LP SET OF SOUNDTRACK

SHAKEEL BADAYUNI

Ustad BADE GHULAM ALI KHAN Saheb contributed his singing of Patiala Gharana in one and only one Hindi film: MUGHAL-E-AZAM.He sang one ठुमरी  in राग  सोहिनी  and one composition in राग : रागेश्वरी  ,picturised on actor SURENDRA playing as TANSEN in the film.Though Khan Saheb was always reluctant towards singing for films, but due to very keen request of the film's music director NAUSHAD and producer-director K.ASIF ,the 'King of Thumris' agreed for it.Thus we got his two rare recordings for this grand film. 
The composition in raga Rageshwari is sung by Tansen in the film ,when we see the return of young prince Saleem, after many years of gap.The whole palace is in a rejoicing mood to celebrate this moment.The song is:
"शुभ दिन आयो राजदुलारो,   
  साहेब आलम जग उजियारो ।
  महाबली को नन्दन,
  जोधा को नैनन तारो ।।
  शुभ दिन आयो राजदुलारो,

  शुभ दिन आयो। ...."
The second composition is the famous thumri,composed in raga Sohini,picturized on prince Saleem and Anarkali, in the the most talked about sequence of the film,when they are together from midnight till early hours of the dawn.The lyrics of this Thumri are:
 "प्रेम जोगन बन के।
   जोगन प्रीतम ओर चली,
   प्रेम जोगन बन के ...।
   सुंदरी पिया ऒर चली,
   प्रेम जोगन बन के।
   साजन सो जो नैन मिले,
   तो मन की प्यास बुझी,
   प्रेम जोगन बन के ।
   पी संग सगरी रैन गुजारी,
   बैरन भोर भई,
   प्रेम जोगन बन के.....।" 

MUSIC DIRECTOR - NAUSHAD

USTAD BADE GHULAM ALI KHAN

Here is the audio clip of the complete song in raga Rageshwari, since in video clip it is shown partially as the scene required.

THUMRI :A STYLE OF CLASSICAL SINGING

LAKSHMI SHANKAR

GIRIJA  DEVI

NIRMALA DEVI

SHOBHA  GURTU

SIDDHESHWARI  DEVI

BEGUM  AKHTAR

USTAD BADE GHULAM ALI KHAN

Thumri is one of the most enchanting forms of musical expression in the Hindustani tradition.It expresses singer’s soul and temperament. Thumri is purely romantic or devotional in its content.In thumri singing stress is mainly on the portraiture of the mood, enshrined in the lyrics.The expressive part of the poetic theme of thumri ,depends on the singer’s musical expression.For projecting the mood of the thumri,singers employ ornamentations such as ‘खटका ’,’मुरकी ’,’मींड ’ etc.,alongwith voice modulation and delicate intonation.. The word Thumri has been derived from a combination of two terms ‘ठुमक ’ and ‘रिझाना ’.Thus it has an association with dance.ठुमरी  came in fashion in the early 19th century, in eastern उत्तर  प्रदेश  as an accompanying song of dance.But thumri got nurtured and groomed during the rein of नवाब  वाजिद  अली  शाह  of अवध , who was the greatest known patroniser of thumri and kathak dance. Nawab himself wrote thumris under the pen name of ‘अख्तर  पिया ’ and ‘बाबुल  मोरा  नैहर  छूटो  ही  जाये ..’ is one of his most popular thumris even today.The kathak maestros बिंदा  दीन  and his brother कालका  प्रसाद ,composed thumris, that were suitable for kathak dancing. Thus in लखनऊ  and बनारस  घराना ,thumri evolved into several varieties.In Lucknow style the cOntent of thumri is mostly an Urdu poem or ghazal,while in Benaras ,tappa is more popular. There are two main classes of thumri,”बोल -बाँट  की  ठुमरी ” and “बोल -बनाव  की  ठुमरी ”.The first style has stress on rhythm that is ‘thumak’ while the second style has combination of both ‘thumak’ and ‘rijhana’.Later another style of thumri singing got developed in पंजाब  , on which the influence of folk and पहाड़ी  tunes is found. The ragas most commonly suited to thumri singing are:भैरवी ,जोगिया ,देस , गारा , झिंझोटी ,खम्माज , काफी , पीलू , तिलक -कामोद ,तिलंग  .The taals employed are दीपचंदी ,चाचर ,तीनताल ,सितारखानी ,अद्धा  and पंजाबी  ठेका ,कहरवा . The credit of popularity of पूर्वी  अंग ठुमरी  goes to जानकी  बाई ,जोहरा  बाई ,रसूलन  बाई  ,सिद्धेश्वरी  देवी , बेगम  अख्तर  ,while पंजाबी  अंग  ठुमरी  got new dimensions due to उस्ताद  brothers बड़े  ग़ुलाम  अली  खान  and बरकत  अली  खान . Their traditions were inherited and further enriched with the hue and character of their own individual vocalism by गिरिजा  देवी ,निर्मला  देवी , लक्ष्मी  शंकर , सविता  देवी ,परवीन  सुल्ताना  ,शोभा  गुर्टू  and many other singers of new generation .Almost every male or female vocalist of Hindustani Classical style,have more or less shown his or her skills in Thumri singing.The Hindustani Classical Instrumentalists of ‘गायकी  अंग ’ have also presented many beautiful Thumri compositions on their सितार , सरोद , संतूर , शेहनाई  and बांसुरी  etc.Even in todays modern age , Thumri is still gracefully popular not less than a ख्याल  or ध्रुपद .It is a gem of Hindustani Classical Music.