BEAUTIFUL KATHAK DANCE FROM HINDI FILM:JHANAK JHANAK PAYAL BAAJE(1955)

This is one of the most spectacular Kathak dances ever presented in the history of Hindi Cinema.The frame by frame presentation is so beautiful that one cannot deviate his eyes from the screen.Gopi Krishna  really appears like Krishna as we see in paintings and photographs. Actress Sandhya has played as Radha.
                                        

Gopi Krishna

Sandhya and Gopi Krishna

Their Dance teacher (K.Daate)is very strict in discipline and most of the dancing is picturised on his song(sung by some unknown singer).Manna Dey sings for Gopi Krishna and Lata Mangeshkar sings for Sandhya.The whole creation is composed by music director Vasant Desai and dancr dirctor Gopi Krishna.This film of V.Shantaram 'JHANAK JHANAK PAYAL BAJE'(1955) was fully devoted to classical dance'Kathak'.
                                                 

Manna Dey

Hasrat Jaipuri

Lata Mangeshkar

Vasant Desai

The lyrics were penned by Hasrat Jaipuri,which are:

कड़ान   कड़ान   कड़ान  धा !

मुरली मनोहर कृष्ण  कन्हैय्या 

जमुना  के  तट  पे  विराजे  हैं  

मुरली  मनोहर  कृष्ण  कन्हैय्या 

जमुना  के  तट  पे  विराजे  हैं  

मोर  मुकुट  सर ,कानों  में  कुण्डल 

कर  में  मुरलिया ,मुरलिया , मुरलिया  साजे है  

इतने  में  दी  दिखाई  राधा 

राधा  राधा  राधा,

पनघट  पर  से  आय  रही ,

घबराय  रही ,शरमाय  रही ,

मुस्काय  रही ,बल  खाय  रही .

इधर  बंशी  में  लहर  सी  उठी 

कृष्ण  के  मुख  पर  बजने  लगी  

राधा   की  छुम   छुम  छननन  पर , 

आप  ही  आप  से  बजने  लगी ,

बजने  लगी , बजने  लगी। 

लम्बा  सा  घूँघट  काढ़  लिया 

बंशी  के  सुरों  पर  झूम  गई ,

धर  सर  पे  गगरिया  मोहन  की  ओऱ  ही 

धुम  कित   धुम  कित  घूम  गई  

फिर कृष्ण  कन्हैय्या  नटखट  ने 

राधा  की  कलैय्या  थाम  लई 

राधा  ने  पुकारा 

राधा  ने  पुकारा 

हाय  दई ,कोई आओ सखी ,कोई आओ सखी। 

फिर  हाथ छुड़ा  कर  बोली  हटो ,

फिर  हाथ छुड़ा  कर  बोली  हटो,

अब  जावों  डगरिया  छोड़ो  मोरी .

कहा  कृष्ण  ने  चुप  रह  वरना 

दूँगा  गगरिया  फोड़  तोरी । 

राधा  तब  उसकी  शोखी  पर ,कुछ  बिगड़ी  भी ,

मुस्काई  भी  , फिर  कृष्ण  से  पूछा ,कौन  हो  तुम ?

क्या  नाम  है  जी ?क्या  नाम  है  जी ?क्या  नाम  है  जी ?

कृष्ण : ओ  ओ ओ ओ ओ !

हमें  गोप  ग्वाला  कहते  हैं  -2

और  कृष्ण  दिया  है  नाम हमें  , नाम हमें ।

कोई  नटवर  गिरिधर  कहता  है  -2

और  कोई  कहे  घनश्याम  हमें । 

राधा  : घनश्याम  नहीं  तुम  काले  हो  -2,

तुम  नटखट  हो  मतवाले  हो ,मतवाले  हो । 

चितचोर  हो  माखन  चोर  नहीं  -2,

सुख -चैन  चुराने  वाले  हो ,

घनश्याम  नहीं  ...

राधा   ने  उनको  हाथ  दिया 

और   कृष्ण  ने  उनका  साथ  दिया 

कुछ  बात  हुई  कुछ  घात  हुई ,

इतने   में  सूरज  डूब  गया  - २ 

राधा   की  पायल  जाग  उठी ,

दोनों  में   कला   की  लाग  उठी  ,

अब  रैन   को  दीप  संवारे  थे 

और  नील  गगन  पे  तारे  थे ,

अब  रैन   को  दीप  संवारे  थे 

और  नील  गगन  पे  तारे  थे , 

राधा   को   विदा  के   इशारे  थे ,

राधा   को   विदा  के   इशारे  थे ,

राधा   ने   आँचल   बाँध  लिया ,

मुरली   को   सम्हाला  माधव  ने ,

                                           तिरकित धा ,तिरकित धा ,तिरकित धा। 

In between the song lines at appropriate places the 'Boles' of dance are sung,which have not been given here.Also the kathak singer  who narrates the story is not known from available sources.As I guess he can be Chaube Maharaj( real maternal uncle of Gopikrishna) who played as the competitor dancer in the climax scene of the film.

USTAD SALAMAT ALI AND LATA MANGESHKAR SING A RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM:'AMAR SAMADHI'(Unreleased)

              Here is a bouquet of Five prominent Hindustani Classical Raagas: LALIT, SHUDDHA SAARANG , YAMAN ,MAARWA and ADAANA in the form a hidden Raagmalika, composed by veteran music director VASANT  DESAI for the film 'AMAR  SAMADHI' .The film was not released due to some unknown reasons,but this marvellous music composition is evergreen and does not need any labels for its supreme quality of music.

Ustad SALAMAT ALI KHAN

Shree VASANT DESAI JI

These compositions are sung in jugalbandi by LATA MANGESHKAR and USTAD SALAMAT ALI KHAN(One of the'Nazakat Ali- Salamat Ali' Ustad Brothers of Pakistan).

Sushree LATA MANGESHKAR      

The compositions are:

RAGA LALIT

Tumhare   Gun Gaaun........

SHUDDHA SAARANG

Bali Bali Jaaun Balama
Main Tum Par Vari Jaaun
Bali Bali Jaaun Balama...

YAMAN

Ni Re Ga Ma Dha Re Sa Ni Re Ga..
Naiyya Karo Paar Khewanhaar
Aan Padi Majhdhaar
Naiyya Karo Paar
Gun Gaan Ki Naiyya..
Tum Ho Gun Ke Daatar..
Naiyya Karo Paar...

MAARWA
Tum Bin Mohe Chain Nahi Aawe
Tum Bin Mora Jiyaa Naahi Laage..

ADAANA 
Tarana...Taa Naa Tum Te ..Dha Ni...
Jaana Vadi Shikasht Dile Ve.....
De Re Naa , De Re Naa....


       

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.

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.