RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM: PHOOLON KI SEJ (1964)

Adinarayan Rao

Hasrat Jaipuri

Manna Dey

Lata Mangeshkar

फूलों  की  सेज (1964) was second Hindi Movie of Music Director आदि  नारायण  राव .He again created a melodious Raagmalika in this film, reminding us of his memorable music score in the film ‘Suvarna Sundari'.The poetic lyrics were written by हसरत  जयपुरी .The whole raagmalika was picturized on a कत्थक  नृत्य नाटिका  on stage, superbly performed by our world class dancers: गोपी  कृष्ण  and वैजयंतीमाला .They presented fine ‘अभिनय’ alongwith ‘तोडा’, ‘टुकड़ा’, ‘परन’ and ‘चक्कर’. First composition “बिरहन  के  पास  बिरहा  की  आग ,
  तन मन सुलगाये,
  चमकत प्रेम ज्वाला नंदलाला ||
  जुल्मी याद आवन लागी ,
  मोहे रोज रोज तड़पावन  लागी …..
   सांवरो कहाँ? मैं  हूँ तिहारी ,
  प्रीत की मारी , आ जा मुरारी ||
  आ  भी  जा  रसिया ,
  मन  मोरा  प्यासा ||
  नैन कमल हैं निसदिन तरसे ,
  बिन बादल है झर झर बरसे ||
  बिन तोरे कछु नाही भावे ,
  आ रे आ मोरी थाम ले बैयाँ || 
  आ भी जा रसिया …।।”
  was sung by लता  मंगेशकर , in राग  अडाना , followed by a dance number:
“छुम   छुम  छुम  छुम  छुम्कत नाचत कन्हाई |
  चाल ढाल छवि न्यारी दे दे तारी ,
  तट बाजत पग नुपुर झंकारी ..” in the voice of मन्ना  डे  in राग  सारंग .
The next song is in the voice of लता :
"जा रे जा कान्हा जा रे जा |
  चलो छोडो मोरा हाथ जालिमा ,
  हटो तोसे हम न बोले जालिमाँ,
  कान्हा जा रे जा||"
  in राग  कल्याण  .
 Now मन्ना  डे  sings in राग  खम्माज  for Gopi Krishna showing कृष्ण  persuading राधा:
"हम से न रूठो राधा,जिया न जलाओ राधा|
  मुरली की तान तुम राधा |
  मोरा तुम ही राग, तुम ही रंग ,तुम ही प्राण हो,
  राधा  प्राण हो  …||".
Then happy mood is reflected by lovely कत्थक  Dance pieces and both sing a duet in राग  सोहिनी:
”मनमोहना  पिया तू जो मिला,
  मेरा खोया दिल मिल गया ||
  सुन सुन सुन मोरे सांवरिया ,
  रूंन  झुन झुन बजे पायलिया ||
  तन मन तो झूमे  प्रीत भरा,
  छुन छुन छुन नाचे तारों के साथ ||  
  मनमोहना पिया तू जो मिला ,
  मोरा खोया दिल मिल गया....... ||”
  in the voices of लता , मन्ना  डे  and chorus. Ballet comes to its end with सरगम  and dance instrumental in तीन  ताल . This composition was a confirmed proof of musical genius of  music directorआदि  नारायण  राव .

Raagmalika In Hindi Film:JHANAK JHANAK PAYAL BAAJE(1955)

VASANT DESAI

HASRAT JAIPURI

MANNA DEY

LATA MANGESHKAR

SANDHYA IN FILM

COVER OF LP RECORD

While talking about the Raagmalikas composed for Hindi films we must dicuss about the works of Music Director श्री  वसंत  देसाई  , who gave three such compositions worth remembering in three films,झनक झनक पायल बाजे (1955),गूँज उठी शहनाई (1959) and राम  राज्य (1967).First film had dance as its theme and the second had music as its main theme,the last one was a mythological movie.In the year 1955 a classic Hindi film dedicated to the finesse of Kathak Dance form, was produced by श्री  व्ही. शांताराम . The film was ‘झनक  झनक  पायल  बाजे ’.It was first movie of great Kathak maestro Late गोपी  कृष्ण  as a hero of a hindi film.Opposite him संध्या  was cast as heroine.Vasant Desai Ji got a situation when both of them are learning dance from their Guru and a memorable Raagmalika got created by him.The lyricist of songs used in this raagmaalika was famous poet हसरत  जयपुरी . It starts with the rendering of  a 'shloka':
       'गुरुर  ब्रम्हा  गुरुर  विष्णु  गुरुर  देवो  महेश्वरः।
        गुरुर  साक्षात्  परब्रम्ह  तस्मै  श्री  गुरवे  नमः।।  
 in the voice of singer मन्ना  डे , who continues the singing in राग  बसंत:
  “ रुत  बसंत  आयी ,
     वन वन उपवन द्रुम मिलिंद,
     प्रफुलित सुगंध मंद पवन,
     आवत मिलिंद मधुकर मधुर गुंजत,
     रुत बसंत…..।।”. 
 It is followed by the ‘तोड़ा ’ of कत्थक नृत्य   in the voice of गोपी  कृष्ण.
Then second song is presented again in the voice of मन्ना  डे , composed in राग  मेघ  मल्हार,It was:
 “आयी है घटा उमड़ घुमड़,
   घोर घिर चहूँ याम,
   उठत देत अति श्याम  वरन..,
   आयी है घटा  ….।।”
 Again a dance piece in the voice of Gopi Krishna is there and raagmalika continues with two further compositions , sung by लता  मंगेशकर .One is:
”पतझड़ आयी जलत उदासी,
  मैं  घबराई , नैना  रस  की  प्यासी..…।।”
 very well groomed in the flavour of राग  पहाड़ी  and the concluding number is:
 “ अब  तो  सजन  घर  आजा।
    हो मोरे सैंया ,मन का फूल खिला जा।
    अब तो सजन घर आजा...।।
    तड़प तड़प के ये बरखा बहार गुजरी है,
    जो रुत भी आयी है वो बेक़रार गुजरी है,
    राग मिलन के सुना जा...।।
    अब तो सजन घर आजा.....।।”
composed in राग  खम्माज .
The dance pieces are fitted in between these two last songs also and this raagmaalika ends with the diminishing voices of तोडा , टुकड़ा  and तत्कार  sung by गोपी  कृष्ण .This film is a landmark in the history of Hindi films,made very honestly by व्ही.शांताराम .You may not be knowing that before launching this film one day Shantaram Ji called Dr.Smt. सितारा  देवी ,a living legend,to present the various forms of Kathak dance before him, so that he may be able to justify himself in making a film on the art of dancing.The hero Gopi Krishna was son of Sitara Devi’s real sister तारा .Sitara ji is still an active dancer,running in the ninetees of her life. And in my opinion she still is at the top in the field of Kathak dancing.