Shanker Jaikishen - who Redefined Music

The Indian Hindi Film Music can be divided in to 4 parts The 1st before the demise of K L Sehgal, the 2nd Brief phase of 3-4 years from 1945 to 1950, the 3rd, a Distinct "Shanker Jaikishen Era" upto 1975 and the 4th from then onwards.


The Music during Sehgal Era was having a a typical theatrical style and a Single Scale of composition. This continued till Naushad entered the scenre when Sehgal was to make his exit. Naushad composed for Sehgal denoting the Juncture and a Bridge between these 2 parts.

Naushad alongwith a few of his like continued to rule the scene with their Classical compositions bound within the Indian traditional music, where songs started directly with the Voice of the singer mostly without any Prelude, or with a couplet to emphasise the mood of the song situation. The main song used to follow. The Interludes too were not prominent but a passing support as a breather to the Singer.

Then came the Trend Setter Pair of Music Magicians, "Shanker Jaikishen, who Redefined Music. Each song started with a definite Prelude. The 2 Interludes were having a marked length and both Interludes were not similar. Some songs had 3 Stanzas so the 3rd Interlude was a repetition of the 1st Interlude. More and More newer Instruments got in the song, size of Orchestra grew and most of the other Music Directors followed suit. the SJ Era added MD's Pairs like KA, LP, although Solo MD's like SD, Roshan, Madan Mohan, OP, were also doing well, but it was OP Nayyar only who had his Distinct Identity after SJ. If we remember Roshan, it is for his Quawwalis, SD for his "Pahadee Tones", Madan Mohan for his Gazal compositions, but Shanker Jaikishen signify everything that Means Music, may it be Indian Classical, Western Jazz, Light music, Percussion fetes, you name it, they had it.

The last Part can be attributed to RD Burman till his demise, who like SJ, had his own Style and who stuck to it. He too had the variety of composition like SJ. One can tella song of RD, merely hearing a few notes only. That's where lies the Greatness of these composers.

Yesterday at 12:05am · · ·

SSMURTHY's take on "Shankar's anecdotal recollections of Jaikishan during the recording" Review of "AMRAPALI" by ssmurthy

Dr Jadhav, recalling Shankar's anecdotal recollections of Jaikishan during the recording tells how Jaikishan teasingly told Lata not to look at him while singing the mukhada of the song.Jadhav ji, What a chord you have touched. --ssmurthy

"Jaao re jogi tum jaaore ye hai premiyon ki nagari" of Lata on was the counter teasing her not got over obsession of Jai in the aftermath of his marriage with Pallavi in 1963.

This song though credited to Jaikishan was actually composed by Shankar and as per the practice in vogue both were present during the recording session.

"Neele gagan ki chaon men ..." was the only song composed by Jai apart from the background music which otherwise was a totally Shankar dominated film, for the kind of music the script warranted.

This was somewhere around 1965 & 1966, the famous releases during that time ie 1966 being, Guide, Suraj ,Teesri Kasam and Amrapali.

I had this friend of mine who was certainly obsessed with Vyjayanti and more so,when she was donning the role of Amrapali and capped on the top of it all, SJ as the MD.

We all went to watch this film and our unbiassed minds were soon captured by Ajatashatru the role donned by Sunil Dutt as most dominant which caught the viewer's imagination as most captivating after "Mujhe jeene do" in which he played a dacoit's role so convincingly.

It is only with Vyjayanti's entrance centrestage, that the scene changes. With her costumes and dance sequences so well choreographed, does Sunil Dutt get backstage, and she continiues her beautiful screen presence, dancing wistfully and vivaciously till she gets into a dilemma over the obsession of her lover in Ajatshatru, whom she till then, believes him to be an ordinary Sainik.

Despondency looms large as she pines over her Sainik's frequency of absence and presence. Torn apart by her lovers absence which at times were dictated by the nature of his compulsions towards his bewildered and beloved Amrapali, immortal tunes like "Tadap yeh dil..."..and "Tumhe yaad karte karte" were born.

And what tunes they turned out to be, virtually the nucleus around which the whole of Amrapali seems to be revolving.

Again Shailendra at his simple but profoundly effective, penchant expression on solitude of seperation;

"Tumhe yaad karte karte,

jaayegi rain sari,

tum legayo ho apni,

sang neend bhi hamari"

Man hai ke jaa basa hai,

anjaan ek nagar me,

kuch khojtha hai pagal,

khoyi huyi dagar me"

"Birha ke is chitaa se ,

tumhi mujhe nikalo,

jo tum na aa sako ,

mujhe swapn me bula lo"

Hauntingly melodious SJ could have not done better justice as the said songs leave an everlasting imprint in the realm of a world of perennial ecstatic remembrance.

Hear them on a quiet dusky evening with stillness around you after sunset and you will realise the full essence of what I mean.

However for me the classic melody, and a rare one at that, is the total chorus number "Aao nacho gaon... " which is mindboggling in its breathless sweep and sway, while keping the melody in tact, calls for an exacting virtuoso as the harbinger in conducting the orchestra and who else could it be, but the inimitable "Shankar" in full majestic cry.

The sitar, flute and chorus combination is an exercise of musical wizardry and maintaining it throughout the marathon song, calls for an uncanny knack rarely found in the canvas of musical exuberance.

As the film draws to an end Amrapali fixes her gaze towards the Buddha, and the feelings on her countenance in contempt of the war Ajatshatru waged for her, leading to his desperation of loosing her to the act of breaking the victorious sword into two, as a mark, symbolic of realisation, with the bakground score chanting of

Buddham sharanam gacchami...Dhammam sharanam gachhami.. Sangham sharanam gachhami ..."

is beyond expression and only to be seen and heard audiovisually to be cherished.

ssmurthy