RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM:BAIJU BAAWRA (1952)

NAUSHAD AND MOHD.RAFI

MOHD.RAFI

NAUSHAD

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In this article I am discussing a unique but unnoticed musical composition of famous music director of Hindi films,नौशाद  अली .The film is ‘बैजू  बावरा ’(1952).This film's central theme was CLASSICAL MUSIC .It had a story woven around the lives of two great musicians of our country in the sixteenth century,बैजू  and तानसेन and their common Guru स्वामी  हरिदास  of Vrindavan.
The raagmalika has only a single line of lyrics, sung in a particular raga by मोहम्मद  रफ़ी and before it a verse called 'लक्षण -गीत 'was read narrating the nature of that raaga, during the music learning sessions of Baiju Bawara from his guru Swami Haridas.

The first राग  is ललित  explained as:
           "गौर  वदन  सुषमा   भरण ,प्रसन्न  मुख  मुस्कात ।
             कमल  पत्र  सम  नेत्र  से  ललिता  ललित  सुहात ।।",
then बैजू  sings राग : ललित,
           ” पियु  पियु  रे  करत  है   पपीहा ”.

 The second राग  is गौड़  मल्हार ,explained by Swami Haridas as:
            "गौड़- सारंग, मल्हार  दोनों  मिल  के  छेड़े  तार ।
             बोलत है बरखा की ये रिमझिम गाओ गौड़-मल्हार ।।",
  then he sings राग : गौड़  मल्हार  composition:
           ”रूम  झूम  बदरिया  बरसे उन बिन मोरा जियरा तरसे....”.

 The third number was in राग  पूरिया , explained by Swami Ji as:
           "रत्न मुकुट सर छत्र और चामर ,मुख  में  पान ।
             राजा  रूप  कल्याण  सी  पूरिया  जाती  धाम।।"
followed by Baiju singing राग :पूरिया,
           “ अजब  तोरी  प्रभु  आन  बान देखी.."  
   
and learning is shown to be concluded with raag बागेश्वरी , explained by Swami Haridas Ji as :
            "विद्वानों की वाणी में बस कर विजय दिलात ||
              रक्त  वर्ण  बागेश्वरी  मंद  मंद  मुस्कात ||"
and बैजू  now sings राग : बागेश्वरी :
            ” हे  री  हे  मैं  कैसे  घर  आऊँ  मितवा...”.

This film had many hit songs,therefore, specifically this short duration रागमालिका  got overshadowed under their overwhelming influence and popularity.But it is really a memorable composition given by music director Naushad.
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RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM : HUMDARD (1953)

    गणेशं एक दंतश्च, हेरम्बम विघ्न नायकम ।

                 लम्बोदरं सुर्प करणं, गजवक्त्रं गुहाग्रजम ।।

PREM DHAWAN

Manna Dey

Lata Mangeshkar

MUSIC DIRECTOR - ANIL BISWAS

                                                                         

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                          In our'Saamved' and Sangeet Shastra,music has been described as the confluence of  the three Singing songs ,Playing on musical-instruments and Dancing.

                "।।गीतं वाद्यम च नृत्यं च त्रयं संगीत मुच्च्यते।।"

Dear friends! you may not be knowing that Hindi film music has been doing a great job of making our classical music popular among the masses, in a linear way . Many learned music –directors have tried to compose beautiful classical raaga based songs in movies whenever they got a proper situation in the film. Apart from songs , one of the most typical composition is a Ragmalika: a string of at least four different ragas composed in a sequence. In films it is rare to search for a रागमालिका .Very few such Raagmalika compositions have come to my knowledge so far.I will keep on writing about them in details, one by one. First of all I am talking about a raagmalika presented in the film ‘हमदर्द ’(1953) for which music was composed by Late श्री अनिल बिस्वास . Singers were लता मंगेशकर and मन्ना डे .
The Ragmalika begins with a melodious recital of the song: 

"ॐ आ आ ...... ।
  ऋतु आये ऋतु जाए सखी री
  मन के मीत न आये।।
  जेठ महीना जिया घबराये,
  पल पल सूरज आग लगाये। 
  दूजे बिरहा अगन जलाये,
  करूँ मैं कौन उपाय ।।
  ऋतु आये ऋतु जाए सखी री ....",
  in the voice of मन्ना डे followed by लता मंगेशकर , composed in राग  गौड़ -सारंग ( a day time raaga ).
The second song of Raagmalika is:
 "बरखा ऋतु बैरी हमार,
   जैसे सासु ननदिया ।
   बरखा ऋतु बैरी हमार...।।
   पी दर्शन को जियरा तरसे ,
   अंखियन से नित सावन बरसे ।
   रोवत है कजरा नैनन का,
   बिंदिया करे पुकार ।।
   बरखा ऋतु बैरी हमार....",
 composed in राग गौड़ -मल्हार ( a seasonal raga to be sung in the   early part of  the night).
 रागमालिका  continues with the next very impressive composition,
 "पी बिन सूना री...।।
   पतझड़ जैसा जीवन मेरा,
   पी बिन सूना री।।
   मन बिन तन ,
   ज्यों जल बिन नदिया।
   त्यों मैं सूनी बिना सांवरिया ।
   औरों की तो रैन अंधेरी,
   अब है मेरा दिन भी अन्धेरा ।।
   पी बिन सूना री  …।
   ध म ग म प् ग रे सा .....।
   पी बिन सूना री ।।" 
  in राग  जोगिया ( an early morning raaga).
 The last song of  the Raagmalika was:
  "आयी मधु ऋतु बसंत बहार रे।।
    फूल फूल पर भ्रमर गुंजत,
    सखी आये नहीं भंवर हमार रे ।
    आयी मधु ऋतु  बसंत बहार रे ।।
    कब लग नैनन द्वार सजाऊँ ,
    दीप जलाऊ दीप बुझाऊँ,
    कब लग करूँ सिंगार रे ।।
    आयी मधु ऋतु बसंत बहार रे || .....,"
 in राग बहार , presented in the ending part of the film , reflecting a happy mood.
 This raagmalika was picturized on निम्मी and शेखर . In which Shekhar acted as a popular singer who is blind and is teaching music to a girl who is posing to be blind, played by Nimmi. 
I hope listening to these melodies will keep anyone spell bound with its hypnotic effect.The lyrics of these songs were written by Prem Dhawan.
 Many  of the music lovers may not be knowing that music director अनिल बिस्वास wrote his आत्मकथा , which had the title ' ऋतु आये ऋतु जाए '. One can very easily understand the composer's affinity to this raagmalika.