The 10 Best of Shanker-Jaikishen

Let me try and list down the 10 best songs which this dynamic duo created – this is a list of personal favorites and in no way reflect anything other than individual interest. Songs in Hindi movies are irrevocably linked to their picturization and I try and explain the rationale behind each of my picks – with the caveat – this is intensely personal.

1. Awara Hoon: Awara (1951) – the song that began it all, my blog, rekindling of my passion for SJ so tragically lost in the pressure of work, immense re-hear value, lovely touching lyrics, a smooth song to sing in all parties – almost everyone knows the tune and the music is lilting and foot-tapping. The song was photographed lovingly in electric black and white, the mischief in Raj Kapoor’s eyes was inimitable, the motion of the chain-watch hypnotic and was in perfect cadence with the SJ background score. Mukesh as usual, excelled when singing for Raj, if he was the body in ‘Mera Joota hai Japani’, he was the soul in this song. Truly timeless.
2. Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua: Shree 420 (1955) My all time favorite RK song – I just love that interlude music especially and THAT scene is truly amazing – the scene where Nargis and Raj are huddled under the black umbrella in a fair shower – Nargis points out to the three Kapoor kids and lips – hum na rahenge tum na rahenge phir bhi rahengi nishaniyan. I dare you to think of a more poetic romantic situation. Evocative.
3. Nanhe Munhe Bachhe Teri: Boot Polish (1953) - This song made a convert of my niece – a young 6 year old kid & who only loved the new age music...she stood absolutely still when she heard this for the first time and then by the second stanza began humming it. Music – as they say, is divine and the look in her face was indeed divine & reflected pure bliss. I can still visualize the precocious Baby Naaz and the vibrant Master Rattan dancing to this amazing Shanker-Jaikishen beat. David was on hand to lip sync to the magnificent Rafi. Add to the heady mix - consider that Boot Polish was meant to be a songless film and the Aah disaster forced Raj Kapoor to do a rethink & create songs and song situations within a few weeks. Invigorating Stuff.
4. Hai Sabse Madhur Woh Geet: (Patita, 1952) - Dev Anand had this dreamy look throughout the movie and perhaps never more than in this song. This is a song which makes you wonder why there weren’t a lot more of Dev-SJ combination in the early fifties. In fact, the next Dev-SJ combination after Patitia came as late as 1959 - Love Marriage which had the famous dig at O P Nayyar (Tin Kanister Peet Peet Kar). The Talat numbers in Patita picturised on Agha – Andhe Jahan Ke & Tujhe Apne Paas Bulati Hai & the Lata solos picturised on Usha Kiron – Mitti Se Khelte Ho & Kisine Apna Banake, the Lata-Hemant lullaby picturised on Dev and Usha – Yaad Kiya Dile Ne all were amazing and deserved a place in any other list best songs but the song I chose from Patita is for that rare combination of wistfulness, passion and desperation, it evokes a sense of nostalgia and ‘what could have been but for…’. Trust SJ to bring out the right mood and Talat to express it so evocatively. The icing was the debonair Dev looking handsome, lost and forlorn…pictures that stay with you a long time after the movie is over. Timeless...
5. Main Piya Teri: (Basant Bahar, 1955) – This movie is stuff musical folklore are made of. Anil Biswas, the great music director was initially chosen for this musical magnum opus but the distributors insisted on SJ – whereupon Anil made his displeasure very clear and reportedly passed some derogatory remarks on SJ's lack of Classical Expertise. Shanker picked up the gauntlet and along with Jaikishen proceeded to give some of the finest classical based songs ever created. Each of the songs was a gem – the Manna Dey classic in Pilu - Sur Na saje Kya Gaon Re and his ode in Miya Ki Malhar (Bhay Bhanjana), the Manna-Bhimsen number – Ketaki Gulab Juhi in Basant Bahar, the Rafi classics Badi Der Bhai ( Pilu) & Duniya Ne Bhaaye (Gurjari Todi or Lalit – I am not sure, comments welcome), the Lata-Manna sweet duet in SJ’s favored Bhairavi – Main Piya teri…which is probably why I pick Main Piya teri amongst the galaxy of shining stars in Basant Bahar as my personal favorite. Listen to it and let me know if you feel as I do – SJ and Bhairavi were truly made for each other. Also, the old story of Shanker telling Pannalal Ghosh on what, how and when to plan his famed flute is the stuff legends are made of & what are they if SJ aren’t one! The best amongst the very best. Truly Classical...
6. Ae Mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal (Sad/Happy, Daag, 1952) – Amazing song, Talat at his very best. Somehow Talat was never as popular as a Rafi or a Mukesh amongst the post ‘1970 listeners which is somewhat of a tragedy. I thought he has an amazing voice admirably suited to the soft and sad songs he often sang principally for a less Debonair Dev in the early fifties and a more composed Dilip around the same time with so much feeling. The two sides of the Daag classic is an example to boot – Dilip as the drunken hero in the sad version made the audience look up to the heavens with him as he cried ‘Chup raha beraham aasman’ and made the same audience tap the feet in energy as the strains of the happier version floated like the season’s first snow flakes on a cold Boston morning. SJ at it – the sad and soft allied to the enterprising and energetic. Super Stuff.
7. Ae Bhai Zara Dekh ke chalo (Mera Naam Joker, 1971) - For sheer joi de vivre this is hard to beat. Mera Naam Joker was a disaster at the Box Office prompting Raj Kapoor to banish himself from the screen and SJ from the Music Studio but the movie was a musical marvel - one of the finest all round musicals of all times. The pathos laden strains of Jaane Kahan Gaye wo din contrasted perfectly with the playful Asha classic Paan Khaiyo saiyaan hamaro. The philosophical Jeena Yahan Marna yahan found a telling riposte in the sparkling Kehta hai joker. But for me the finest was the Manna contribution to Mera Naam Joker - the song fluctuated constantly, with the fast and the slow strains and the meaningful lyrics ending quite magnificiently with Veeran duniya ka basera hai. It got Manna a well deserved Filmfare best singer award. Philosophical stuff with a rythm about it.

8. Ye shaam ki tanhaiyan (Aah, 1953) - Again I am picking a song from what was a box office disaster prompting Raj Kapoor to make a musical Boot Polish instead of what was supposed to be a bold attempt at making a songless wonder. Hear this and leave a comment - has Lata ever sounded better? Aah had amazing numbers, the Mukesh Lata duet (Jaane Na Nazar), the Lata solo picturised on the other sister (Sunte the naam hum) and the Mukesh lullaby (Chhoti si zindagani) come to mind immediately but this Lata solo was - for me - the pick of the jewels in the Aah crown. Sheer Melody from the melody queen.

9. Baharon Phool Barsao (Suraj, 1966) - The pick of the prolific Rafi-SJ-Rajendra Kumar collaboration for me. Suraj was a great musical despite Shanker's fascination with Sharda in Titli Udi. Baharon Phool Barsao had it all - excellent initial music breaking into a crescendo, good lyrics, Rafi's romantic voice, the amazing use of orchestra and the clever use of the variation in Rafi's voice. My friends may wonder why I havent picked some of the better known Rafi-SJ combinations but for me melody is key, rythm and beat come later. For sheer romance and melody, this ditty is hard to ignore amongst the ten best. The most romantic voice singing one of the most romantic numbers. Beautiful.

10. Jiya Bekarar Hai (Barsaat 1949): The song that started a rage - SJ's initiation into Bollywood as a musical entity. Legent has it that the team sat on the footpath outside the recording studio wondering about their future - little knowing they had created history - the best, most versatile and the most popular music directors of all time were born. Barsaat had several first, Lata singing all the songs for both the heroines, the use of significant orchestra, a single song sung by two different people in tow different locations to different sentiments (the rumbustious Mukesh and the doleful Lata in Patli Kamar Hai) but for me Jiya Bekarar Hai is the key song in the SJ repertoire. If this song isnt as good as it was, SJ would not have become what they did - the best of all times.

You may realize I have been partial to the early fifties – I think the duo gave their best music when they were together – in the true sense of the word – and a lot less effective or evocative when a lot more than the hyphen separated them.