Innovators, disruptors and more in Hindi Film Music

On December 24th, on the great Rafi’s birthday; I was wondering about his career as I was driving from Melbourne to Lakes Entrance, a few days before the bush fires decimated the thriving, beautiful countryside. My thoughts turned to folks like C.Ramachandra despite never really tuning with Rafi, gave him some of the finest songs in the early part of his career in the mid to late 1940s (Sajan, Nadiya ke paar, Duniya); a qualitative and quantitative increase over what Naushad lavished on Rafi in the same period (24 Rafi numbers for CR vis-a-vis 15 for Naushad). And when we speak of Rafi our thoughts immediately go to Naushad erroneously thinking it was Naushad who ‘made’ Rafi the giant he became while it was actually CR who played a more important role during his initial years. 

However, in the fifties, despite some classics (Ye hasrat thi ki is duniya mein, Nausherwan-e-Aadil; 1957), CR began to prefer Talat as his male voice; besides using himself as Chitalkar for some of his best known songs (Kitna haseen hai mausam; Azaad 1955); while Naushad, perhaps appreciating the depth and verve in Rafi’s voice after Dulari (Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki, 1949) began using him as his primary male voice.

Chitalkar Ramachandra, for me; was a true all rounder, perhaps the first in the Hindi music industry.  He almost singlehandedly brought Bollywood music from its deep rooted classicism bringing it screaming and kicking into the modern era. He could, and did compose everything; from the zany Eena Meena Dikka (Asha 1957) to the funny Meri jan sunday ke sunday, (Shehnai, 1947); from the melodious Aaja ab to aaja, (Anarkali 1953) to the rhythmic Shola jo bhadke,(Albela, 1951), from the patriotic Kadam kadam badhaye ja,(Samadhi, 1950) to the devotional zara zor laga de zaalim (Nastik, 1954); from the farcical Shola jo bhadke, (Albela, 1951) to the poignant Ab wo hamare ho gaye iqraar karen ya na karen, (Safar, 1947), the last one in very-young Rafi’s sonorous voice. His command over the dance music composition was second to none (Appalam chappalam, Azaad, 1955 pictured on the electric Sai-Subbalakshmi sisters) and proved to be the only real competition to Shanker (Jaikishen) in that particular composition genre in the 1950s. It is one of the lesser known facts that CR composed the music for the magnificent dance sequence, Kannum Kannum Kalanthu - with Padmini and Vyjayanthimala in the Tamil movie Vanjikottai Valiban (1955). CR with his command over the musical idiom was the original trendsetter, paving the way for the likes of OP Nayyar and RD Burman to disrupt the music industry even more.

There is no doubt that CR was one of the few innovators in the Bollywood music industry - a handful of them turned Hindi film music into the most popular media in India. So who are the others?

AR Rahman did something unthinkable - he made the singer just about redundant in Hindi film music. And some can argue, he even made the lyricist redundant - Telephone dhun mein (Indian, 1997) anyone? The younger generation often and erroneously credit AR for Bollywood music popularity in the West - Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire, 2005) was undoubtedly an epoch making song with India’s first Oscar award for music awarded to the talented AR; but fifty years before that Indian music was popular in large parts of Europe and Middle East. While AR brought in a significant change in the way songs were orchestrated, the first innovator in orchestration after Shanker Jaikishen and their 100 piece orchestra in the early sixties; his tunes often became repetitive as the great Manna Dey pointed out in one of the last interviews he gave before his death. His orchestration borders on the very best heard in the Hindi Film industry and often hides the paucity of true creativity in tune-smithing.

If AR made the lyricist redundant, RD Burman made the need for poetry redundant. Combining with the creative Gulzar, he proceeded to create incredible music and tunes with minimal orchestration (Jis mod pe jaate hain, Andhi 1975) using simple prose as the backbone. His ability to create tunes was remarkable as was his penchant for re-using his, and some may claim with reasonable truth; others’ tunes to create a rich body of melody and rhythm, the likes of which Bollywood music hadn’t seen till his emergence in Nasir Hussain’s Teersi Manzil (1967). RD made his debut much earlier (Chhote Nawab 1963) but despite the success of Bhoot Bangla (1965), he never achieved the recognition till Teesri Manzil and moving out of his father’s home after the success of Aradhana where he had a significant role to play when Dada Burman was seriously ill. Do you know what these four songs - Aap Ke kamare mein koi rahta hai, (Yadon ki Baraat 1973); Pyaar diwana hota hai (Kati Patang, 1972), Ye kya hua (Amar Prem, 1971), Yeh jawaani hai deewaani (Jawani Diwani 1973) have in common? They are all rehashed from RD’s own tunes from Rajkumari (1970); a Bengali classic starring Uttam Kumar and Tanuja. Ei ki holo became Yeh kya hua;  Bandha dwaarer andhkaare was reused to Aapke kamre mein koi rehta hai; Aaj gun-gun-gunje aamaar was turned into Prem deewaana hota hai and Ke ji bhabi elomelo was recast as Yeh jawaani hai deewaani! Despite his penchant for the inspiration from other sources (Tera mujhse hai pehle ka naata koi,  Aaa Gale Lag Ja; 1973 is a straight lift from The Yellow Rose of Texas' by Elvis Presley, Meri jaan, Do Chor; 1973 is a straight lift from Cliff Richard’s Fall in Love…plus many many more), RD was a true original; creating some of the finest music and unleashing the phenomenon of Kishore Kumar on an unsuspecting India! His popularity today - a good 25 years after his untimely death bears testimony to his vision and his music has stood the test of time. Today’s iPhone-loving public often seems to believe that RDB rules the roost as our Numero Uno music director in the seventies  and the eighties - however nothing can be further than the truth. RDB never took the No 1 spot - after the untimely death of Jaikishen (Sep 1971) - part of the great Shanker-Jaikishen duo, it was actually Laxmikant Pyarelal who took over the top spot from SJ! It is an unfortunate fact that LP rarely disrupted, they spent most of their career trying to be the next SJ! And thus they don’t find a spot in this list of disruptors, despite dominating the seventies till Bappi Lahiri decided India needed more disco in its music. And I really do not want to comment on the man who succeeded LP as the numero uno, his claim to fame - as far as I am concerned, is limited to being the protagonist in Raj Kumar’s joke on his jewellery.

OP Nayyar, though, was a true jewel, he combined the earthy Punjabi beats with jazz, blues, rock to first create the phenomenon of Shammi Kapoor in Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Shammi’s first hit coming after over a dozen consecutive flops. OP was the true innovator in the mid to late fifties and the sole challenger to the SJ juggernaut by 1961, when SJ composed the famous Teen Kanister peet peet kar (Love Marriage, 1964), as a dig into OP’ musical style. At the same time OP could also compose the exquisite melody of a Pyaar par bas to nahin hai lekin (sone Ki chidiya 1957) and Aana hai to aa raah mein (Naya daur 1957). OP’s initial days were a mixture of lilting tunes often sung with verve by Geeta Roy (Dutt) for Guru Dutt’s movies like Baaz (1952), Aar Paar (1953), Mr & Mrs 55 (1955), CID (1956) and for other lesser known movie makers creating exquisite melodies in movies like Musafirkhana (1955) with the Johnny Walker pictured classic (Thoda sa dil laga ke dekh). His use of the lilt in Geeta’s voice was remarkable and until Naya Daur (1957)  and Asha Bhosle happened, she was the principle female voice in OP’s musical firmament. Rafi continued to remain the primary male voice till a falling out in the mid-sixties but Asha replaced Geeta and every other female voice completely in OP’s musical output, creating classics like Jaayie aap jahan jaayenge (Mere Sanam, 1963). Geeta’s last song for OP remains perhaps the best known today where Helen kept musical beat with an entertaining dance to Geeta Dutt singing Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo (Howrah Bridge 1959) becoming the leitmotif to OP’s incredible command over lilt, verve and melody the likes of which has never ever been seen in Hindi film music - before or since. OP’s musical output can never be complete without a mention of Asha - he was the man who recognised the immense potential in a raw Asha in the mid-fifties and turned her into the diva she became by the time they split winning the Filmfare award for the best female voice  for OP’s last creation on her (Chain se humko kabhi, Pran jaaye par vachan na jaaye, 1974).

OP’s only real competitor during the the heady late fifties and early sixties as an innovator par excellence were the incredible duo of Shanker-Jaikishen. SJ took a fledgling film music industry by the bull of its horns and created an empire out of it, for the first time people realised the power of music as an economic force. Barsaat (1949); SJ's debut movie, heralded music as never heard before where even sad songs (Main zindagi main hardam) had music, lilt and rhythm, it featured the first cabaret (Patli kamar hai) and one singer (Lata Mangeshkar) singing all the songs for three seperate ladies, including the two leads on screen. Awaara (1951) was the first Indian movie to make waves outside India, its music became a global phenomenon; Raj and Nargis the lead stars mobbed from Moscow to Beirut when they went on their tour. SJ lit up the early fifties with their constant experimentation - from the innovative dance music (Ille bele aa re, Kali Ghata; 1951), counter melody for sad songs (Andhe jahan ke andhe raste, Patita; 1953); using Manna Dey for romantic songs (Chori Chori, 1955); using Subir Sen for soft sentimental numbers (Manzil wohi hai pyaar ki, Kathputli; 1956) and at the same time demonstrated their command over classical music with gems like Sur Na Saje (Basant Bahar, 1955), Manmohana bade jhoote (Seema 1956), Jhoom jhoom ke gao (Pooja, 1954) - the last one in Raag Madhuvanti; a little used raag. In no time they were the highest paid music directors overtaking stalwarts like Husnlal Bhagatram, Anil Biswas and even Naushad in the popularity stakes by 1955. Their impact on music was probably the most significant in the annals of Bollywood music - I daresay, if SJ hadn’t innovated the way they did, music in Hindi films would have remained a mere footnote to the actors and directors. Even to this day, hear a song from the fifties or sixties and easy to know an SJ number, when they were at their distinctive best, their imprimatur was so unique!

I am cognizant I may have missed a few more, SD Burman for example comes immediately to mind as do Naushad, Kalyanji Anandji and Anil Biswas. My only caveat is - they never really disrupted the music world, great music directors they indeed were (not sure about the epithet 'great' for KA). SD, despite being one of the finest tunesmiths Hindi film music has ever seen; rarely attained the name and fame till Pyaasa (1957) a complete decade after making his debut; even at the Filmstan Production house where CR was providing the hits year after year. KA spent their career playing catch up to SJ and then LP, despite some incredible music in movies like Safar (1972) in which I rate Kishore's Jeevan se bhari teri aankhen as one of the finest ever sung by him. Naushad was probably the most classical of the Indian music directors along with Vasant Desai but he rarely moved out of his comfort zone - even in 1973 when in the face of the ‘young’ India wave led by Rajesh Khanna he composed Naiya teri chalti jaaye (My Friend) for a Rafi desperately looking for succour and confidence. Just another classical based tune - when the need of the hour was for Rafi to sing the kind of sings Kishore was singing and India was demanding. It needed an Usha Khanna (Teri galiyon mein na rakhenge kadam; Hawas 1974) to give Rafi the much needed super-hit song and bring him right back into contention after 4-5 years. But then that is another story.