NIRMALA DEVI : A CLASSICAL VOCALIST AND ACTRESS OF 1940s HINDI CINEMA

Myself getting the autograph of Nirmala Ji in Kanpur in the year 1988

I met her first time in 1986 during a music conference at Kanpur.It was 1st March and Nirmala Ji was on the stage of fully packed auditorium,clad in a plane light yellow chiffon sari,looking like a saint, presenting thumris,dadras,ghazals and bhajans.She started singing at 2:00 AM and till 6:30AM audience was listening to her melodies with full attention and giving applause at time to time.I still remember her song"JAYE NA PAIHO HAMARI GALEE AIKE ......"being rendered in the early hours of dawn and in that season of Basant and Holi,I saw many morning walkers gathered outside the auditorium, mesmerised by the charm of her superb singing.Nirmala Ji could expand her voice to all the three octaves of music very comfortably.Which is very rare for vocalists.After the concert I sat with her and talked about her acting in Hindi Films as well as her singing.But she in short told everything and said about her son GOVINDA ,whose first debut film 'LOVE 86' was ready for release.
I again got the chance to listen to her melodious singing in 1988, in the concert organised by a local body in Kanpur.I reviewed her work in films and found to the best of my knowledge,that she acted in 13 Hindi movies and sang about 60 songs for music directors like:Naushad,Sajjad Hussain,Firoze Nizami,Pt. Govindram,Shankar Rao Vyas, Vinod,Bulo C.Rani,Madan Mohan and O.P.Nayyar.She also did playback singing in a few films,such as :Shama- Parwana(1954),Musafirkhana(1955),Haseena(1955), Jagir, Zara Bach Ke ,Lady Robinhood (1959),Haqdar(1964) and Bawarchi(1972),Ram Teri Ganga Maili(1985).
She belonged to Varanasi( Banaras) and got groomed in vocal music by Ustad Atta Khan of Patiala Gharana.She was married to film star of that era of Hindi Cinema, Arun Kumar Ahuja, with whom she worked in films: SAVERA(1942),CHALIS KAROD(1945),SEHRA(1948) and JAI MAHALAKSHMI(1951).Since 1942 till 1951 she did acting only in 13 films along with singing about 50 songs.The movies were:Sharda(1942),Savera(1942),Kanoon(1943),Gaali(1944),Geet(1944),Jeevan(1944),Chalis Karod(1945),Piya Milan(1945),Ghunghat(1946),Sehra(1948),Anmol Ratan(1950),Janmashtami(1950) and Jai Mahalakshmi(1951). Further between 1954 to 1985 she did playback singing in 9 films only,singing only 10 songs.Here are some of her popular song numbers:
(1).Ghir Aayee Badariya Ghar Aao..   (film:SHARDA,1942,Music:Naushad)
(2).Hamare Saiyyan Lakhon Mein Ek...(film:ANMOL RATAN,1950,Music:Vinod)
(3).Jhoothe Zamane Bhar Ke..(duet with Moh.Rafi,film:MUSAFIR KHANA,1955,Music:O.P.Nayyar)
(4).Ulfat Ke Jaam Pila...(film:SHAMA PARWANA-1954,Music:Husnlal-Bhagatram)
Nirmala Ji had got recorded many unforgettable light classical melodies,such as: thumris, dadras, chaiti, hori etc.But she also sang very skillfully khayals, taranas, bhajans, ghazals and geets.Music lovers all over the world still keep on searching for her rcordings.Her LP record of light classical songs 'Weekend Pleasure' was a great success.Here I am giving a Chaiti from that record:

After saying goodbye to  films she was fully devoted to her music concerts all over India and cutting records of her singing.In my city Kanpur itself she gave her Five Music Concerts since 1982 to 1988. She was a preferred artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan.Let us enjoy a ghazal sung by Nirmala Devi for All India Radio:

In a collection of Thumries LP released by HMV,she sang in raga Mishra Shivranjani "Ro ro nain ganwaye,sajna na aaye...".Let us enjoy that melody: 

How can  we forget the THUMRI-JUGALBANDI, she presented along with Lakshmi Shankar in two LP records.One of these is being given to enjoy the harmony and melody intermixed very nicely: 
She got recorded the ghazals of Mirza Ghalib for an EP record released by HMV.It is a real treat to listen to these ghazals.Also she had composed and sung many bhajans, but I very much like her bhajan "Hari Tum Bhaktan Ke Hitkari.." in Bhairavi ,which is a masterpiece of music. Also  her last film-song from Bawarchi(1972),composed by Madan Mohan in raga Alhaiyya Bilawal,sung with,Manna Dey,Lakshmi Shankar,Kishore Kumar and Harindranath Chattopadhyay,is still very popular .The song is being given here:

NIRMALA JI AND MY ELDER DAUGHTER AJITA

Nirmala Ji has passed away in 1996,but she is still alive in the memories of her music lovers.She has left behind a treasure of her melodious songs for generations to come.

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

श्रीमती मालती मिश्र

( 28-10-1931 से 1-8-2010)

मेरी माँ का एक दिन अचानक इस दुनिया से नींद में सोते हुए चले जाना ,हमारे लिए बहुत बड़ा आघात था।शायद वह जिंदगी का  सबसे बुरा दिन था ।माँ का इस तरह चला जाना आज भी बहुत अखरता है ।

माँ चली गयी कहाँ हमको छोड़कर 

अपने बच्चों से अचानक मुह मोड़कर।  

अनहोनी एक सुबह ऐसी थी घटी        

हम सभी तो जागे मगर माँ नहीं  उठी। 

सोते ही में माँ के पंछी प्राण के उड़े 

हम अवाक रह गए बुत बने खड़े,

अब कभी न सुन सकेगी माँ हमारी बात 

किसके चरण छू के लेंगे हम आशीर्वाद ?

माँ ने मुश्किलों में सदा धैर्य बंधाया 

ज़िन्दगी की कठिन राहें चलना सिखाया। 

जो हो पास उसमें ही संतोष को रखना 

कर्म को ही धर्म बताया था समझना ।

अब ख़ुशी के मौके कैसे बीतेंगे भला

माँ की याद आएगी रुंध जायेगा गला,

ज़िन्दगी में माँ की कमी रहेगी सदा 

जब तक खुद हम ज़िन्दगी से लेंगे अलविदा।। 

आज के दिन माँ को हमारा शत शत नमन !

My family with mother

younger daughter Smita with mother

With my sisters Krishna,Aruna,grandson Siddhartha,grand daughters Ajita & Jaya

With brother Rakesh 

MOTHER'S DAY:13th MAY,2012.  
Let us sing in the praise of all mothers of the world.
  

BIRTH CENTENARY YEAR(2012-2013) OF LEGENDARY VOCALIST DR. GANGUBAI HANGAL

Padma Vibhushan Dr.Gangubai Hangal was born in March,1913 and she left this world on 21July,2009.Her contribution in the field of classical vocal music is unparellal.She continued with her singing till the age of 96 years,which is very rare.Being a foremost singer of Kirana Gharana,she won many awards and recognitions throughout her life.Having very deep and heavy voice she presented Khayals and Taranas with full gravity to keep her audience spell bound for hours.On her 76th birthday she was in IIT, Kanpur, with her daughter Krishna Hangal and I was lucky to attend  that memorable concert of Smt.Gangubai Hangal.I still remember one of her taans of longest duration which I had ever listened.Her simple appearance had a treasure of music inside,which she kept on distributing all her life to the lovers of music.
In her Birth Centenary Year 2012-2013,a Stamp should be released by the Govt. Of India, to commemorate the musical contribution of this great classical singer of twentieth century.She belonged to Kirana Gharana  of music and was senior to Pt. Bhimsen Joshi of same Gharana.     

Here are Dr. Gangubai Hangal's three melodious compositions,in ragas,BHAIRAV,RAGESHREE and  PURIYA DHANASHREE.

 
In राग  रागेश्री  she sings "हरि खेलत ब्रज में होरी....." 

 
In राग  पूरिया  धनाश्री  she renders the traditional ख्याल  of किराना  घराना "अरज सुनो पार करो ....."

 
Her daughter Krishna Hangal gave her vocal support in singing till she was alive.Krishna was a miraculous vocalist capable of streching the taans beyond your expectation and for it  she always gathered great applause from the audience.Here are the numbers in raga Kalawati and Kedaar to prove it:They sing in raga कलावती: "बोलन लागी कोयलिया ,बोलन लागी ।करत गुंजार भ्रमर वन भ्रमत ,मधुमास आई ....।।"
And  in raga केदार  they sing" अहो कैसी धूम मची है ......।।"

VASANTOTSAV AND HOLI, Film'ANGULIMAAL'(1960)

MUSIC DIRECTOR-- ANIL BISWAS

MANNA DEY

LATA MANGESHKAR

 In this spring season (वसंत ऋतु ) as the festival of colours(होली) is only a few days ahead, here is a very rare presentation of वसंत  उत्सव  (festival) followed by the festival of Holi,shown on the screen,in Hindi film'अंगुलिमाल '(1960).This melodious  composition"आई आई बसंती बेला लागा रे लागा फूलों का वन वन मेला मगन मन झूम रहा,आई आई ..." begins in राग  बसंत , then a dance number composed in राग  खम्माज  and again festival of colours Holi presented in राग  बसंत  .In the film 'Angulimaal'(1960),veteran music-director, अनिल  बिस्वास  gave some memorable song compositions,creating music very suitable and relevent to the Buddha period.Since'Angulimaal'  was a period film, he used only those musical instruments which would have been available in those days.Under such constrains   and circumstances,creating songs for 20th century audience, must have been a challeng   e for him.But I am sure every one will praise his work.

POSTER OF THE FILM

The songs were penned by poet प.भरत व्यास  and the singers are मन्ना डे ,लता  मंगेशकर  and मीना  कपूर (wife of Anil Biswas).Lata Mangeshkar sang  for the dance number"छुम छनानननन बाजे पग ..... पैंजनिया...।.".The first and the last  parts are duets alongwith choral support, sung by Manna Dey and Meena Kapoor.
The songs are:
"आई आई बसंती बेला
 लागा रे लागा फूलों का बन बन मेला
 मगन मन झूम रहा ,आई आई..।।
 आज आनंद का बहा रेला ,
 की गुन गुन गाये भंवर अलबेला ,
 कली का मुख चूम रहा ,आई आई..।।
 नाचे कलियाँ रसाल नाचे घूँघट में गाल ,
 पीले पीपल की डाल देवे पत्तों की ताल। 
 आज कोई नहीं है अकेला,मिलन की बेला,
 गगन का मेला ,मगन मन झूम रहा ।।
 आई आई ....।।"(राग बसंत)
"झं झानानानानन
 छुम छानानानानाननन बाजे
 पग पग पग पग पैंजनिया ।।
 अलबेली नार करके सिंगार ,
 अँचरा सम्हार आई पी के द्वार।
 नैनों में लाज अधरों में प्यार ,
 मन में हाँ हाँ, मुख नानानानानन
 बाज़े पग पग पग पग पैंजनिया ।।
 झं झनानननन छुम छानानानानन ....।।"(राग खम्माज )

MEENA KAPOOR

"कहीं बाज़े मृदंग कहीं बजे रे चंग ।
कहीं पिचकारी पिचकारी छूटे रे रंग।
आज रंगीले रंगों का मेला ,
मिलन की बेला गगन का मेला ,
मगन मन झूम रहा ।।"(राग बसंत )             .    

BEGUM PARVEEN SULTANA SINGS FOR HINDI FILMS

Begum Parveen Sultana is the top rank classical vocalist of India.She hails from Assam but sings Hindustani classical of Patiala Gharana.She gives perfection to the songs keeping its Bhav and Ras in tune with the Raga she selects for singing.I have attended  her first  live concert in Kanpur in March,1972.It is always a pleasure to listen to her singing,may be a Khayal,Bhajan,Thumri or Tarana,or even a film song.She can expand her singing to all the three octaves of music,very brilliantly.
Let me list here her film songs,which are very less in number but all are different in style.She first sang a duet with Asha Bhosle in film PARWANA(1971).Music Director Madan Mohan composed it in raga गौड़  मल्हार .The song is"पिया  की  गली  लागे  भली ,रोको  ना सखी  जिया  बस  में  नहीं ..."   

 During same period she did a duet, for music director Usha Khanna ,with Suman Kalyanpur"राम करे मोरे सैयां हों ऐसे ..."in film: KHOJ(1971). She also sang two thumris for music director Naushad in film PAKEEZAH(1972).One of it "कौन  गली  गए  श्याम .."is being presented here:

The other one was "वन वन  बोले कोयलिया...". With music director Jaidev Parveen Sultana  worked in film DO BOOND PANI and sang a duet"पीतल  की  मोरी  गागरी ...."alongwith Minoo Purushottam.

 Razia Sultan was a grand movie of director Kamal Amrohi and on the occasion of coronation of Razia on the throne of Delhi a big feast was shown  in the film,in which Parveen Sultana also sang with her husband Ustad Mohd.Dilshad Khan,Jagjit Kaur,Sulakshana Pandit,Niyaz Ahmad Khan & Faiyyaz Ahmad Khan,"शुभ  घडी  आयी रे ..."

 Later in 1981 She sang a tandem in raga मालकौंस  with R.D.Burman,"हमें  तुमसे  प्यार है  कितना ये हम नहीं  जानते ,मगर जी नहीं सकते तुम्हारे बिना .." which was more effective than its male version sung by Kishore Kumar.

 Let us see the video clip from film RAZIA SULTAN showing the grandure of the scene how matches with the song composed in raga बागेश्री  by music director Khaiyyam. 

In recent years her thumri in raga भैरवी  sung with Ajai Chakravarty in film GADAR."आन  मिलो  सजना .." is worth listening.

The next clip will reveal her clarity and perfection in singing.This is her famous भैरवी  भजन ,'भवानी  दयानी महा वाक् वानी सुर नर मुनि जन मानी ,सकल बुद्ध ज्ञानी ,भवानी  ...'

JUGALBANDI OF DANCE AND SONG IN AKBAR'S DARBAR

Here is an interesting episode from the film 'SANGEET SAMRAT TANSEN'(1962).In Akbar's court one day  on some auspicious occasion Tansen is requested to sing to prove his supremacy in music,doing Jugalbandi with the dance of Rai Praveen, a court dancer of king Indrajeet of Orchha state.She was captivated by Akbar for four years.Later seeing her pious nature was sent back to Orchha.

Rai Praveen's Mahal

Rai Praveen Mahal,Orchha(M.P.)

Accepting the challange,Tansen sings an enchanting Tarana in raga Hammeer.After a long spell of perfect Jugalbandi, dancer fails to maintain her steps in tune with the song and fells down, defeated ultimately.

Tansen in Agra

Music director of the film Shree Nath Tripathi( popularly known as S.N.Tripathi) has done a great job giving such a sweet composition.Singers  Manna Dey and Asha Bhosle have sung this tarana proving their talent like Ustads of music.Seeing is beleiving and  the video clip is here to enjoy.

The song is something like this:

"ता न ता ध  ता न ता ध  ता न ता ध ,
  ता दी या न रे ता न दूम...।।
  त्रिक  त्रिक त्रिक छुम छनन नन नन छाई घटा।
  रिमिक झिमिक रूम झूम बूंदन बरसाई घटा।।
  सघन कुञ्ज अलि गुंज संग अलि कुञ्ज मनोहर।
  मदमाती मुस्काती इठलाती  रसराती।।
  मंजुल मृग शावक मराल शुक पिक कपोत केहरी  लजाती ।
  अंग वसन मृदु हसन दसन दामिनी सिहाती ।।
  पग नूपुर झंकार दार छुम छनक छनक थम थेई ।
  ता न ता ध ता न ता ध ता न ता ध ........।।
In the film Bharat Bhushan played the role of Tansen and dancer's role was played by Sabita Chatterji.

RAAGMALIKA IN HINDI FILM 'RAM RAJYA'(1943)

Producer Vijay Bhatt's 'RAM RAJYA' was one of the most popular movies of that  early era of Hindi Cinema. It was released in the year 1943. Even Mahatma Gandhi saw this film,appreciated  it and also advocated the thought of 'RAM RAJYA' for our country.In this film,music director शंकर  राव व्यास  created a very beautiful रागमाला .He used the string of raagas:बहार ,केदार ,यमन कल्याण ,गौड़ सारंग ,खम्माज ,काफी ,बागेश्री and again बहार  for composing this raagmalika.The Lyrics of it were written by Ramesh Gupta which are:
"राजा रामचंद्र की जय!
देखो देखो राम  राज्य में चहुँ  दिश अजब उजियाली है।                       सुख सम्पति से हरी भरी इस भारत की फुलवारी है।।

कहीं यज्ञ हवन ,कहीं वेद पठन,गो माता की रखवाली है|                          गो माता की रखवाली है ||
हरे भरे हैं खेत,अन्न जल मिले सदा भर पेट ।                                  झूमती डाली डाली है,झूमती डाली डाली है ।।                                  वणिकों को व्यापार ,धर्म का ब्राह्मण पर सब भार,सूत को सेवा प्यारी है । जो ब्राह्मण प्रतिपाल क्षत्रिय,सुखी सब प्रजा हमारी है।।                          कहीं गीत मध्य ध्वनि ताल मिले,कहीं पायल की झंकार मिले|                स प ग प ग म स नि प ......छुम छुम छननन छुम छुम ........।।

कहीं मस्त वसंत तरंग में है ,कहीं काम रति के संग में है।                    कहीं अबीर गुलाल तरंग रचा ,कहीं भर भर झोली फाग सजा।              उन्माद भरी कहीं होली है ।।

कहीं सूरज चंदा जगमग से ,कहीं दीपक तारों से लगते ।                     श्रृंगार भरी दीपावली है ।।

देखो देखो राम राज्य में चहुँ दिश अजब उजियाली है ।                        सुख सम्पति से हरी भरी इस भारत  की फुलवारी है |                             इस भारत की फुलवारी है ।।

राजा रामचंद्र की जय ,राजा रामचंद्र की जय ।।

           

TAANSEN LEARNING MUSIC:film'SANGEET SAMRAAT TAANSEN'(1962)

Sangeet Samrat Tansen's name is the synonym of classical music.He was the most famous musician of sixteenth century and was one of the Navratnas of Mughal Emperor AKBAR.He had the composition of many new ragas to his credit,during his stay in Agra,the capitol city in those days.Ragas Miyan Ki Todi,Miyan Malhar,Miyan Ki Sarang, Miyan Ki Maand, Raageshwari, Bhairav and Darbari Kanhada are the creations of Tansen.He was honoured with the title of MIYAN in the darbar of Akbar,for his unparallel contribution in the field of music.

Tansen was born in a Brahmin family in Gwalior in 1506.His father Makarand Pandey was a poet and musician.He showed his talent  in music,in his childhood at the age of 5 yrs. and was sent to learn music  from the legendary musician of that time,Swami Haridas of Vrindavan .Tannu learnt higher skills and finesse of music from Swami Haridas Ji.When he became a perfectionist in music of 'Dhrupad' style then he became राज गायक in दरबार  of राजा  रामचंद्र of रीवा ,in मध्य  प्रदेश .He was there from 1555 to 1562.Then Akabar called him to Agra.There he worked and got honoured.The Sufi musician Muhammad  Ghaus of Gwalior was his mentor and later Tansen adopted Islam at the time of his marriage with Hussaini. He died in 1589 and is buried in the tomb of Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior.                                                                                                                 In 1962 Hindi film संगीत सम्राट तानसेन , based on the life of Tansen ,was directed by Music Director S.N.TRIPATHI. Here we will see, how 'Tannu'(the childhood nam of Tansen ) acheived perfection in his learning of music from such a great Guru of classical music स्वामी हरिदास  of वृन्दावन .Actor Bharat Bhushan played the role of grown up Tansen.

The video clip from the film shows a chain of songs,each composed in different raagas and each sung by a different singer.Song "टूट गयी मेरे मन की ये वीणा टूट गयी .."is sung by Poorna Seth,song"मधुर मधुर संगीत सुनाओ ,गाओ रे... ,झनन झनन सुर बजे वीन के,तार तार संग करे रंगरलियाँ,गाओ रे गाओ रे ..."is sung by both, पंढरीनाथ कोल्हापुरे and पूर्णा सेठ .Then मन्ना  डे  sings Tansen's own composition in ध्रुपद style,composed in raga यमन कल्याण  (or अदभुत  कल्याण ) "सप्त सुरन तीन ग्राम उनंचास कोटि ताल,गुनी जन सब करत गान नाद ब्रह्म जागे।जीवन को गीत मान,सांस सांस जैसे तान ,हर धड़कन लय समान अर्पण प्रभु आगे ।।सप्त सुरन .....।।"    for Swami Haridas and grown up Tansen on the screen.Further मोहम्मद  रफ़ी   sings for Tansen a रागमाला .In the end , रफ़ी recites a dohaa : "गुरु गोविन्द दोनों खड़े किसके लागूं पायं।बलिहारी गुरु आपकी जिन गोविन्द दियो बताय।।"