USTAD AMIR KHAN AND USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN'S JUGALBANDI -RAGA BHATIYAR-HINDI FILM "GOONJ UTHI SHEHNAI"(1959)

Raga Bhatiyar, an early morning melody ,was presented in the form of Jugalbandi, between the two great stalwarts of Hindustani Classical Music,Ustad Ameer Khan (Vocal) and Ustad Bismillah Khan(Shehnai)in a Hindi movie GOONJ UTHI SHEHNAI(1959).
                                       

Ulhas playing as the Sangeetacharya

This  beautiful jugalbandi was picturised on a 'Sangeet Guru'(played by Ulhas),who is singing in a temple before the statues of his deity Shri Radha and Krishna,in the early hours of the dawn and a boy who is exactly repeating his singing on  Shehnai,sitting beside a pillar,somewhere in the temple complex.When his Shehnai playing is noticed by Guru Ji , he himself comes to the boy and praises for his efforts .Music director of the film Vasant Desai selected this Raga Bhatiyar, as most appropriate for this sequence in the film and left everything on these two Ustads.

USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN

USTAD AMEER KHAN

Shri VASANT DESAI

MEMORABLE CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPETITIONS IN HINDI FILMS(1)BAIJU BAWRA

USTAD AMEER KHAN

D.V.PALUSKAR

In certain Hindi films having music as its central theme, we find very interesting situations of presenting the classical music skills of two stalwarts of music.Audience always enjoy such compositions.I would like to discuss a few musical competitions from the films like:BAIJU BAWRA,RANI RUPMATI,BASANT BAHAAR,KOHINOOR,DIL HI TO HAI,etc. बैजू  बावरा (1953):The story of this musical film at its climax shows a singing competition between तानसेन ,the famous singer and navratna of Akbar's court and BAIJU ,a disciple of Swami Haridas.Tansen also learnt music from स्वामी  हरिदास ,a saint musician of वृन्दावन  and devotee of Banke Bihari ji(Lord Krishna).In the competition, the condition was that,winner will be the singer,whose singing is so effective that a piece of stone kept before them melts also looser will loose his life and winner will get his any three wishes fulfilled.Both of them sing राग  देसी  TODI, a morning melody.The role of तानसेन  was played by famous hero of forties,सुरेन्द्र नाथ  and उस्ताद  अमीर  खान  gave playback for him.The role of बैजू  was played by भारत भूषण ,hero of the film,his playback was given by PT.D.V.PALUSKAR.Both singers sing the same song ,and start with praying to God:"तुम्हरे  गुन  गाऊं  रे  बिगरी  बना  दो  दाता  हमरी.Then Baiju sings;"आज  गावत  मन  मेरो  झूम  के , तेरी  तान  भगवान "These lines are repeated by Tansen alsoand further he sings;"हार गया सो जीवन जावे,जीता गायक दुनिया पावे,रखियो अब मोरी शान रे,आज गावत मन मेरो झूम के.Then Baiju sings:"प्रेम के कारन प्रेमी गावे,तानों से पत्थर पिघलावे,जगत में रहे मान रे,आज गावत मन मेरो झूम के.Near the climax of singing competition तानसेन  sings" सात  सुरों  के  मधुर  मिलन  में  जादू  आज  जगा  दे " and बैजू  continues with singing"बैजू  के  संगीत  सिधाता  जल  में  आग  लगा  दे ."Taking beautiful taans both singers reach the climax ,but a string of Tansen"s taanpura splits off and Baiju's taans flow like a fountain.The singing of both vocalists,was superb, reflecting the finesses of ग्वालियर-घराना  of पंडित डी.वी.पलुस्कर  and इंदौर  घराना  of उस्ताद  अमीर  खान  साहेब .In the end Baiju is shown as winner.This is one of the best singing composition created for films.Music director नौशाद  did a great job alongwith lyricist शकील  बदायूनी .Attached video clip gives a glimpse of it and keeps you spell bound.

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.