Who Were Shanker-Jaikishen ?

1)Shankar Jaikishan music, synonym of Indian Film music, has far reaching impact in India and outside. The cartier replica bracelet duo moulded music and musical mood of masses since 1949, and are still considered to be the best music composers from India.

The duo also contributed outside movie industry with their much celebrated albumRaga in Jazz Style, and background music for documentary Everest expeditionamong many others. If we look at the popular impact by any personalities in the Rolex Replica Watches field of music during the post independence period in India, the obvious choice is Shankar Jaikishan.

2)Shankar, the more versatile of the two, was a prolific musician with mastery over dozens of instruments, Indian classical music and dance forms. He was primarily responsible for building Shankar Jaikishan team with dedicated lyricists, music assistants, and jumbo-sized 60-pieces orchestra, and was the lead composer. On the other hand, Jaikishan was incredibly creative and legendary composer himself. He was genius of background music and romantic tunes though he too could compose songs in other genres.

During initial years, all decisions about musical engagements were made by Shankar; but both started taking up assignments cheap iwc replica separately in the late sixties.

They had sharp contrasts in personalities and physical appearances. Shankar was gym-savvy, non-drinker, and was a strict disciplinarian. On the other hand, Jaikishan was party-man and was very social. In fact, Jaikishan was mostly the point of contact for producers, directors and actors to incorporate their requests due to his friendly nature. Of course, both were great human beings, and were incredibly simple in spite of fame and richness.

3)Shankar was entirely dedicated for musical innovations during his whole life; it was his diwanapan. He created diverse tunes and musical edifices beyond human imagination during his career spanning from 1949 to 1987.

Shankar's music has a zing that makes the listener shiver with divine thrill. His music is mostly filled with strange patterns and is difficult to copy without being identified. Some example tunes ascribed to Shankar are Awara Hoon, Yahoo! Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe, Tera Jana, etc.

Shankar used to give importance to all aspects of a song - its tune, prelude, interludes and entire orchestra Breitling Replica Watches accompanying the song. He used to emphasise on the deployment of particular instruments and the way it is done.

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Shankar's day used to start early in the morning and to continue until midnight. He is known to create tunes for a song instantly and is regarded as the fastest composer until today.

4)Jaikishan can safely termed as the best ever composer of romantic tunes. His ability of composing background music is breitling replica uk considered unparallel even by his contemporaries.

The example tunes ascribed to Jaikishan are Teri Pyari Pyari Soorat Ko (album:Sasural), Bedardi Balma Tujhko (album: Arzoo), Yeh mera prem patra (album:Sangam), etc.

He gives major emphasis to tunes in thewhole composition. He understood the taste of masses and struck right chord.

Jaikishan was very social and used to spend his major off-time withfriends andBreitling Replica Watches partying. However, he was very particular when it comes to work and sticking to timelines of assignments.

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5)Shankar was basically from Punjab, but his initial years were spent in Hyderabad. His full name was Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi, and he was an accomplished tabla player and dancer when he came to Mumbai. Later he assisted Husnlal Bhagatram for composing music, and took up music and stage performance assignments at Prithivi theatre. His proficiency in music and dedication was highly appreciated by his pears and seniors alike.

Jaikishan,Cheap Breitling Replica whose full name was Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal, was from a royal musician’s family of Gujurat. He was initially trained in classical music by his mother. He achieved proficiency in playing harmonium. Later he came to Mumbai, and pursued his musical interests apart from working in a factory to meet his basic needs.

6)Shankar and Jaikishan first met when both were waiting for a director outside his office seeking some musical assignment. They developed an instant bond due to similar musical interests and ambitions.

In their meeting Shankar disclosed about a requirement of harmonium player at Prithivi theatre. Jaikishan expressed his interest, and Shankar recommended his name back at Theatre. Both then became colleagues, and collaborated for music assignments at Prithivi theatre.

When showman Raj Kapoor, eldest son of Prithviraj Kapoor (owner of Prithvi Theatre), made his first movie Aag, Shankar Jaikishan assisted Ram Ganguly, who was heading the music division of Theatre and was the obvious choice as music composer of the film.

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7)While assisting Ram Ganguly in music compositions, Shankar was ambitious. He had managed to show his ability in composing music independently to Raj Kapoor. Meanwhile, the showman was looking for a new creative team for his upcoming film "Barsat", and proposed to Shankar to become its music composer. It was a great opportunity, and Shankar and Jaikishan wanted to go together for the assignment.

The music of Barsaat was a rage across India. The music was fresh accompanied by melodious tunes; and broke all barriers of music compositions for a movie. Their favourite lyricists Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra got associated with them from the first assignment. They used the then struggling singer Lata Mangeshkar for eight songs in Barsat, a surprise to everybody, and also for different characters in the film, another surprise!

The Shankar Jaikishan duo had formed cheap iwc replica .

8)Riding over huge success in their first movie, Shankar Jaikishan needed more assignments to prove that Cheap Breitling Replica they were not just one-time phenomenon. They started taking assignments apart from those from Fake Cartier. Their albums of Awara, Nagina and Poonam among others established them as the leading composers-duo.

Later, music scores of Awara and Shree 420 among others became very popular abroad. Shankar Jaikishan magic spread across globe.

9) With each movie Shankar Jaikishan brought an ever fresh blend to contemporary music. They concentrated in building unique orchestra form through great exploitation of Indian, oriental and western music, and with marathon practice hours with Cheap Rolex Replica dedicated musicians. Shankar-jaikishani Orchestra was born with Sebastian De'Souza in charge there of. Rhyme section was being looked after by Dattaram, an independent and successful music composer himself. The stage was now set for a big showdown in music scene.

Shankar Jaikishan went on creating albums like New Delhi, Chori Chori, Basant Bahar, Dil Apna Aur Preet Paraye, Yahudi and Anari among others. With the sheer versatility of tunes, accompanying orchestra and perfection in subtle musical orientation, Shankar Jaikishan established their supremacy. Indian music started being identified with film music in general, and with Shankar Jaikishan music in particular.

10) 

Early sixties saw Jaikishan contributing almost equal number of scores as Shankar. Both released batteries of scores and surpassed all musical norms.

Shankar-jaikishani orchestra started increasing to a jumbo size, and varieties of movies provided suitable platform to unleash their creativity to cartier replica bracelet its climax. Their music studio became a sacred place for all musicians and young composers.

11) Shankar Jaikishan started taking more assignments, but the quality remained intact. The series of albums with fast dance scores and slow romantic melodies became saleable pattern and success-movie-formula.

Shankar Jaikishan became highest paid music directors of their time. Movies attracted people to movie halls due to a mere mention of Shankar Jaikishan as its music directors

12) 

With increasing work pressure, Shankar and Jaikishan started giving music independently. Lyricist Shailendra (for the next few years until his untimely death) mostly worked with Shankar and lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri with Jaikishan.

Jaikishan was then a married man and started composing music from his home whereas Shankar was working from their music studio. However, there was give-and-take in a great way, and collaboration continued.

13)

With achievement of incredible fame and signing for numerous movies (see cheap iwc replica towards late sixties), the music quality deteriorated with respect to their own standard. Non-musical phenomenon entered into their musical pursuit. To add, a series of their movies crashed at box-office. Movie producers started associating with other composers as they were charging much lesser fees and could strike an acceptance among popular masses. This saw the beginning of decline of Shankar Jaikishan brand and triggered the end of Golden Era of Hindi film music. In fact, some young composers like Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant Pyarelal, and R D Burman had started getting popular attention and approval with their music being moulded in the line of Shankar Jaikishan music.

With Shankar and Jaikishan working separately, critics found it an opportunity to create an atmosphere of mistrust as both had then become the primary media attention and were susceptible then. Some of their sycophants and wrong friends started playing spoil-sport. Moreover, Shankar and Jaikishan started signing a large number of movies beyond their capacity, and made ways for their decline. However, they could hold their fort intact as the top music directors until Jaikishan's death and desertion of their native R. K. Films banner.

14) Jaikishan fell ill and died in the year 1971. In late sixties, Jaikishan was producing more number of popular scores compared to his senior counterpart, and was ahead in the Breitling Replica Watches popularity chart during that time.

With Jaikishan's untimely death, the Shankar Jaikishan brand received the fatal blow, and was not the same again.

15)

Shankar kept the brand name intact by Breitling Replicaretaining the name Shankar Jaikishan even after Jaikishan's death. But situation was quite different for genius Shankar then. The year 1971 saw release of maximum number of albums by Shankar Jaikishan that were mostly done Cheap Breitling Replica by Jaikishan. But majority of them crashed at box-office, and Shankar were in terrible pressure professionally too after loosing Jaikishan.

Shankar started completing the unfinished albums signed by Jaikishan and himself. After failed albums in 1971, Shankar was not given the 60-piece orchestra for their new albums by producers citing cost reasons. The quality of music was affected in the process. Shankar too could not reconcile with the changed scenario, and many top banners including R. K. Films distanced themselves from him due to past box-office failures.

Shankar was in dilemma.

16) In spite of all odds, Shankar continued his music pursuit single-handedly and produced some highly popular albums like Beimaan (the last film awarded by Filmfare to Shankar Jaikishan), Naina, Lal Pathar, Seema (new), Vachan, and Do Jhoot among others. By then, commercial viability of Shankar Jaikishan brand was almost at stake, and Shankar's most trusted leiutants were about to leave for greener pasture. Shankar undertook creating album of Sanyasi as entrusted by producer and director Sohanlal Kunwar.

For all technical reasons, Sanyasi remains the last major album of Shankar Jaikishan. Its scores were so popular that everybody believed that Shankar Jaikishan brand was again going to dominate Bollywood. But it did not happen - reasons were, of course, non-musical - Shankar (Jaikishan) already had their time.

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17) Even after Sanyasi, Shankar continued providing music for movies though he also associated himself with TV programs in early eighties. These years also saw some novel scores being created. Notable albums during this era are Atmaram, Garam Khoon, Chorni, and Eent Ka Jawab Patther among others. But Shankar Jaikishan brand had already gone into oblivion.

18) Shankar died in the night of April 26, 1987 due to a massive heart attack as known from his family source. The world came to know about his death a day after the cremation was over.

As their public tributes, the showman Raj Kapoor attributed the musical success of his movies to Shankar Jaikishan, and singer Lata Mangeshkar termed him as the best of the best composers. But Shankar was no more.

19) Shankar Jaikishan music has a distinct character. People easily recognise a score to be of Shankar Jaikishan if it is melodious accompanied by soothing but high octave orchestra. Their music varies from fast-paced ones to very slow ones, but each one blends with orchestra well and creates an immediate bond with music lovers.

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20) It is always very surprising to know that Shankar Jaikishan experimented with 90-plus singers and 60-plus lyricists. Inspite of successful music albums with particular singers or lyricists, they used to use different people every time successfully. For example, they had successfully experimented with Manna Dey in Chori Chori and with Mukesh in Yahudi. They also used to bring newcomers and could produce amazing results like Lata Mangeshkar in Barsaat, C. H. Atma in Nagina, Subir Senin Kathputli, Sharda in Suraj, and Vishweshwar Sharma in Sanyasi among others.

21) When asked, Shankar had once told that their learning started with Indian classical music, and they went ahead for other clans of music later. However, the ease of use of both Indian classical and western music, and the depth of exploitation of both to create the Shankar Jaikishani flavour is magnificent and incredible. In fact, Shankar Jaikishan were the first to successfully experiment and blend Western, Arabian, and Latin American music into Indian musical sects.

They also had a rare ability to visualize the movie picturisation to cast the playback music into appropriate mould and frequency. Jaikishan had an unparallel acumen in background music with his best scores being Sangam and Mera Naam Joker; and he was primarily responsible for background scores of Shankar Jaikishan movies till his death. Shankar was also no less in producing background music and his notable score is Sanyasi. Both used to take just three days to complete the background score of a movie.

22)

Shankar Jaikishan gave birth to distinct persona for each actor in their movies. They created a chaplin-like tramp image for Raj Kapoor, panerai replica aggresive romantic image for Shammi Kapoor, and gentle and around-the-tree persona for Rajendra Kumar among others. The movies of respective actors carried music appropriate to their screen Wholesale led light bulbs persona invariably.

23) When Shankar and Jaikishan started as a team, it was a strategic decision that changed the musical history of India later. Though nobody knows the reason of going together for such an assignment as it is first-time ever in India, they perhaps understood the level of quality and effort required to convert a film into a master musical piece. They were aware of contemporary process of music compositions and settings, and wanted to bring a radical change to it. They were later successful in this and went on being the greatest.

The duo started building an enviable team of large number of musicians, two proficient lyricists like Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, a rhyme assistant like Dattaram, an orchestra arranger like Sebastian De'Souza. These people were great in their own faculty and knew their jobs well and exactly. However, credit of entire team management and consequent success goes mostly to Shankar Jaikishan as these team members could not create the same magic with other composers when they worked outside. It is always a point of discussion about how they could bring out such perfect scores with such a huge team when they themselves and most of their musicians had not gone through systematic study of western music schools.

Shankar Jaikishan team can be compared to any professional corporate house. Their deliveries were in time and to the perfection. Team members were also paid well.

24) Shankar Jaikishan exploited and extended musical horizon in the twentieth century, and gave young Indian Republic an expression and an identity in the field of music. They became source of inspiration to almost all young composers from sixties until today. Metamorphic forms of their scores are being represented by other composers throughout the world - title song of Hollywood blockbuster Ghost World in the year 1993, a popular album in UK, and background score of a movie by legendary movie director Satyajit Ray are the notable ones among many others. The leading Indian composers-duo in seventies, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, had set the goal of being another Shankar Jaikishan throughtout their career. The album Teesri Manzil by the music composer R D Burman, cast exactly in Shankar Jaikishani mould, is still considered to be his best; in fact, he had earned direct compliments from Jaikishan for those scores.

25) Today, Shankar Jaikishan music is popular in India and abroad due to its sheer quality. However, many of their albums are not being made available by the copyright owners. Unfortunately, many of their scores are being re-packaged in the name of actors or singers without the mention of the music composers. This commercial piracy must end, and there should be genuine and consistent effort from everybody involved to keep the treasure intact and available for music lovers.

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कर्मयोगी संगीतकार शंकर( जयकिशन )

By Shyam Shankar Sharma 

हिंदी फ़िल्मी उद्योग मे मूर्खो की असीम संख्या है,चाहे फिर वो अभिनेता हो,अभिनेत्री हो,निर्माता,निर्देशक,गीतकार,संगीतकार ,फ़िल्मी लेखक हो आदि आदि।इसमे भी तुर्रा यह है कि फ़िल्मी समीक्षक अपने को सर्वोपरी मानते है?फिल्मो की जो समीक्षा भी यही करते है।इन समीक्षकों को यह गलतफहमी है कि वह यह मान बैठे है कि उनकी समीक्षा से ही तय होता है कि फिल्म चलेगी अथवा नहीं?

और अपने इस हुनर का जम कर वो फायदा उठाते है जिससे उनका नाम भी बढ़ता है,दाम भी मिलते है और फ़िल्मी पार्टियों के निमंत्रण।सर्वत्र मौज ही मौज?

इसी से पीत पत्रकारिता का जन्म होता है जिसमे सच्चाई कम और मिर्च मसाले दार समाचार होते है जिसे अल्प बुद्धि वाला पाठक सत्य मान बैठता है।

हिंदुस्तान के फ़िल्मी इतिहास में संगीत के मामले में सबसे अधिक पन्ने शंकर जयकिशन से भरे पड़े है।न जाने कितने संगीतकार आये गए पता ही नहीं किन्तु हमारे फ़िल्मी पंडितों ने अपनी समस्त ताकत इन दोनों संगीतकारो पर लगा दी।इसकी सबसे बड़ी वजह यह थी कि इस जोड़ी ने एक नए संगीत की परम्परा डाली जो रातों रात पुरे मुल्क ही क्या अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर पहुँच गयी,तो उन्होंने इन्ही पर अपना निशाना साधा,प्रसिद्ध व्यक्ति के समर्थन अथवा खिलाफ होने पर ही आपकी कलम की प्रशंसा होती है?और इसी का परिणाम है कि जयकिशन जी के 1971 में हुए निधन और शंकर जी के 1987 में निधन होने के बाद भी उनका पीछा नहीं छोड़ा जा रहा।जयकिशन तो मात्र 42 वर्ष की आयु में ही इस संसार को छोड़ गए इसका नकारात्मक असर यह पड़ा की इनके संगीत की हर असफलता को शंकर जी से जोड़ दिया गया।

ऐसा लिखने लगे की मानों 1971 तक का संगीत मात्र जयकिशन ने दिया और 1971 के बाद का शंकर जी ने।1971 के बाद का संगीत निसंदेह शंकर जी ने दिया किन्तु उससे पहले क्या शंकर जी हाथ पर हाथ धरे बैठे रहते थे? 

शंकर जी की जगह कोई और होता तो शायद परास्त हो जाता,शंकर जी का अपना कोई रक्त संबंधी नहीं था,संगीत में ही वह अपना समस्त सुख खोजते थे,उसी में रमे रहते थे,अकूत सम्पदा के वो अकेले स्वामी थे,उन्हें न कोई रोग था न कोई आर्थिक संकट यही कारण था कि उन्होंने अपनी अंतिम फिल्म गौरी का संगीत मात्र एक रूपये में दिया,आपको विस्मय होगा गोरी फिल्म को बनाने वाला और कोई नहीं अपितु उनकी कार को साफ़ करने वाला कर्मचारी था नाम था सुधाकर शर्मा।

शंकर जी में दो गुण मुख्य थे स्वाभिमान से जीना और दूसरा संगीत!

उनके सभी मित्र हिंदी फिल्म उद्योग की नामचीन हस्तियां थी जो कभी इनके पास मंडराया करती थी किन्तु जब समय विपरीत हुआ तो सभी एक एक करके दूर होते चले गए।उन्हें कोई कष्ट नहीं था बस कष्ट था यही की जिन्हें वो मित्र समझते थे वो सभी बेवफा निकले जिसमे सबसे शीर्ष पर स्थान है राजकपूर का जिन्हें शंकर जी के बिना रोटी ही नाही भाती थी।

राजकपूर के अलावा लता मंगेशकर,मुकेश ने भी उन्हें बरबाद करने में कोई कौर कसर नहीं छोड़ी।

स्मरण रहे जयकिशन ,मुकेश,राजकपूर और लता की स्थापना का श्रेय शंकर जी को ही जाता है, किन्तु जयकिशन जी के निधन के बाद सभी किनारा कर गए..शंकरजी ने अपने रेडियो के एक कार्यक्रम में कहा था जो रिकार्ड में है..

रहते थे कभी जिनके दिल में हम जान से भी प्यारो की तरह

बैठे है उन्ही के कूँचे में हम आज गुनहगारों की तराह!!

यह भी कहा जाता है कि शारदा के कारण शंकर जी मूल धारा से दूर होते चले गए।क्या किसी नवीन गायिका को अवसर देना भूल है और यहाँ यह उल्लेख भी कर दूँ की राजकपूर ने शारदा को शंकर जयकिशन के पास कुछ सीखने को भेजा था!गर शंकर जी ने शारदा की प्रतिभा को निखारा तो इसमे क्या गलत है।और शारदा को उन्होंने प्रथम फिल्म सूरज में जब परवान चढ़ा दिया तो लोग घबरा गए और यही से शंकरजी के विरुद्ध एक मोर्चा खोल दिया गया,जिसकी कीमत उन्हें कदम कदम पर चुकानी पड़ी।विरोधियो को लगा की जो शारदा को रातों रात हिट कर सकता है उसके पास न जाने कितना सृजन होगा।

बस उनके संगीत की हत्या का सिलसिला यही से आरम्भ हुआ।हलाकि फिल्म अनाडी और चोरी चोरी के वक़्त ही उनके विरुद्ध संकेत मिलने लग गए थे पर उस वक़्त उनकी हिम्मत उनके विरुद्ध जाने की नहीं हुई ,फिर भी शंकर जी पर सोहन लाल कँवर,कनक मिश्रा, राजेंद्र भाटिया और पाँछि आदि उनके बुरे वक़्त में सबसे अच्छे मित्र साबित हुये।

शंकर जी ने अंतिम समय तक घुटने नहीं टेके।जिसने कठनाइयों के आगे घुटने टेक दिए,जिसने अपनी हार मान ली,वह आगे कैसे बढ़ सकता है?शंकर जी ने कभी भी हार नहीं मानी वो जानते थे आगे वही बढ़ सकता है जो कभी हार नहीं मानता,चाहे कैसे ही परिस्थति क्यू न हो वो अपनी दृष्टि लक्ष्य पर रखता है।

उनका सिर्फ एक ही लक्ष था अपने छोटे भाई जयकिशन जी का नाम उनके साथ मरते दम तक जुड़ा रहे।उनकी यह इच्छा उन्होंने पूर्ण की और अपने नाम के साथ 1987 तक जयकिशन जी के नाम को जोड़ा रखा।

हज़ारो कोशिशों के उपरांत भी आलोचक शंकरजी और जयकिशन जी को पृथक ही न कर सके,उन्हें एक नामचीन संगीतकार ने जयकिशन के निधन के बाद नयी जोड़ी बनाने का आग्रह किया तो उन्होंने कहा यह विचार ही आपके दिमाग में कैसे आया की में जयकिशन के बिना जी सकता हूँ,वह आज भी मेरे आसपास है।हमें कोई भी शक्ति विभाजित नहीं कर सकती है।और उन्होंने यह साबित कर दिखाया।

Shyam Shanker Sharma
Jaipur, rajasthan.

Tribute to Talat Mahmood

By : Nataraj Sarjapur

In 1953 SJ were declared the ' best composers ' by Songs of Yore, a blog I like very much for the unbiased and in depth analysis of HFM from the 30s to 60s. That year 130 songs were short listed as 'best ' and the following are the SJ compositions picked. 

1. SHANKAR JAIKISHAN

Aah

1. Jane na nazar pahchane jigar – Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar

2. Jo mai jaanati unke liye – Lata Mangeshkar

3. Raat andheri door savera – Mukesh

4. Aja re ab mera dil pukara – Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar

5. Ye sham ki tanhaiyan – Lata Mangeshkar

6. Sunte the naam hum jinka bahaar se – Lata Mangeshkar

7. Raja ki ayegi baraat – Lata Mangeshkar

8. Chhoti si ye zindagani – Mukesh

Aas

9. Chahe nain churao chahe daman bachao – Talat Mahmood and Lata Mangeshkar

Aurat

10. Ulfat ka saaz chhedo samaan suhana hai – Lata Mangeshkar

11. Dard-e-jigar thahar zara – Lata Mangeshkar

Boot Polish

12. Lapak jhapak tu aa re badarwa – Manna Dey

13. Chali kaun se des gujariya – Talat Mahmood and Asha Bhosle

Mayurpankh

14. Khushiyon ke chad muskaye re – Lata Mangeshkar

15. Mohabbat ki dastaan tum bhi suno – Lata Mangeshkar

Naya Ghar

16. Laga kar dil parishan hain – Lata Mangeshkar

Patita

17. Kisi ne apna bana ke mujhko – Lata Mangeshkar

18. Andhe jahan ke andhe raaste – Talat Mahmood

19. Tujhe apne paas bulati hai – Talat Mahmood

20. Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum – Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar

21. Mitti se khelate ho baar bar kis liye – Lata Mangeshkar

22. Hain sabse madhur wo geet mere – Talat Mahmood

Shikast

23. Kare badra tu na ja na ja – Lata Mangeshkar

24. Sapnon ki suhani duniya ko – Talat Mahmood

The list has 6 Talat Gems !! Honeydew !! His voice reminds me of meadows, caressing breeze, brooks on rounded pebbles !! The unique 'tremolo ' in his voice, the clear and correct rendition and above all the emotions he brought to his rendition made him very very unique. ' Ae dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahaan koi na ho (Arzoo, 1950) ' is the best example of AB and TM songs. Immortal composition. Listening to Talat is eternal peace and tranquility !! RIP Talat Saab.

A tribute programme on shanker jaikishan

raja ki ayegi baraat फिल्म आह sung by Sandhya Mukhopadhyay music by Shan...

a rarest of rare photo of Shankarji

PLEASE VOTE FOR SHANKER-JAIKISHEN

Hello SJ fans, please vote for them in large number, even if it has no significance, but why to loose the opportunity, Please click on the link and do accordingly, you can invite/inform/request your friends, family members etc to make it grand

नीचे दिए गए लिंक पर जा कर आप बेस्ट गीतकार के लिए शैलेन्द्र जी के लिए अपना वोट दे सकते हैं. इसी प्रकार बेस्ट गीतकार, गायक, नायक, निर्देशक… पर भी अपना वोट दिया जा सकता है.मैंने तो अपना वोट शंकर-जयकिशन, शैलेन्द्र और मुकेश जी के लिए दे दिया है अब आप की बारी है… इस लिंक को अपने वाल और सभी ग्रुप में देकर सबसे अपना मत देने का आग्रह करें. सम्बंधित कलाकार के चित्र पर जब आप अपने माउस का पॉइंट रखेंगे तब उसमे आपको दो आप्शन दिखेंगे… एक मोबाइल नंबर होगा जिस पर मिस्ड कॉल कर के आप अपना वोट दे सकते हैं या फिर फेस बुक के ऑप्शन पर क्लिक करके या दोनों ही तरीके से अपना मत रजिस्टर कराया जा सकता है.शुभ कामनाएं !!!

http://www.historyindia.com/bollywood100/nominations/display#6
http://www.historyindia.com/bollywood100/nominations/display#6

songs of Love in Bombay

Listen to songs of Love In Bombay

1. Jai Kali Kalkattewali.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At2MWO6kNow

Rest of songs are also there on youtube.

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 · · ·

Shankar-Jaikishan Musical "Live" on 13th November 2010

Shankar-Jaikishan Musical "Live" You Might Attend · Share · Public Event

Time	Saturday, November 13 · 8:30pm - 11:30pm
Location	Dinanath Mangeshkar Hall, Ville Parle East, Mumbai.. Opp V.Parle Station.. Mumbai, India
Created By	Binu Nair
More Info	TOP PROFESSIONAL SINGERS FROM THE STAGE CIRCUIT WILL PRESENT EVERGREEN and UNFORGETTABLE S.J. Hits. Mukesh styled versatile singer SRIKANT KULKARNI - a veteran in his own right has sung along with Lata Mangeshkar on STAGE. He has undertaken 'many' world tours with leading music composers. Very HUMBLE in his approach towards his singing trade. A PLAY-BACK SINGER Too. Hamid Khan, the 22 year lad from Bangalore has been creating musical waves and attracting fans all over by his competent rendering of MOHD RAFI SONGS. Most of his dates get booked - as INVITATIONS TO SING MOHD RAFI SONGS pour from all corners of India. A very humble person, known for his time discipline and soulful rendition of RAFI SONGS. MONA KAMATH : THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER AND SINGER - all rolled in to one. Was the semi-finalist in the ZEE SA RE GA MA show. Currently attracting hordes of fans for songs of LATA AND ASHA which she essays - perfectly on stage. A very talented SINGER who is bound to make waves. Sang for Marathi films too. MUKESH BHANUSHALI : IS a compulsive quality singer who does RIYAAZ for few hours daily. A very GREAT MOHD RAFI FAN, Mukesh is always looking for RARE and GREAT SONGS - to be presented from the GOLDEN ERA. SHANKAR-JAIKISHAN were the greatest musical duo to have graced the world of Hindi Cinema. The awesome body of work Shankar Jaikishan musical team produced have become IMMORTAL and LIVES on in the hearts, minds and lips of music fans all over the globe . SHANKAR JAIKISHAN team revolutionised the use of ORCHESTRA and INTERLUDE music in songs and made these as integral and inseperable parts of their compositions rather that using these as mere fillers, as was the case until their arrival on the musical horizons. That's why prelude, interlude and background music of many of their songs are as popular and notable and hummable as the tune of the main song. Due to their vast knowledge and comand over various forms of music, the SHANKAR - JAIKISHAN team came out winners in any type of diverse films irrespective of its theme and subject. Presented by : The Rafi Foundation Cell : 9833 250 701 ( Mumbai) Binu Mair

Review of the song, "O saajna na pooch mujhse pyar kya hai..." from the film Krodepati (*ing Kishore Kumar)

by : vnr19452000@yahoo.co.in

It is a unique song in the sense that Lata's vocals is not the usual one. If anyone listen to the song carefully especially the mukhda it gives an impression that she is singing the song from a distance. It may be due to a deliberate recording tactics to create this effect.

It is predominantly a mandolin dominated song with violins in full support. There is a beautiful flute extension at the end of antara echoing the sentiments expressed in the antara. It is all the way SJ style where pause between end of antara and mukhda has been filled up by three notes of mandolin. The most enjoyable part is antara - Sapne mein har ghadi .....Mandolin responds .....Aye jab ajnabi.... again Mandoin responds with different notes ( that is the hallmark of SJ music) followed by long vocals ...maan lo ke apni neend bhi ke apni raat bhi parayee ho gayi....followed by a beautiful, short but sweet flute extension. The prelude of this song is somewhat different and thoroughly enjoyable. It begins with ascending notes of violins followed by variations of violins and mandolin takes over with crisp and distinctive notes supported by matching dholak beats till the end when mukhda starts. It can also be observed that SJ have kept the percussion tabla/dholak beats 'soft' during mukhda vocals.

What about interlude ? It is also fantastic. When Lata hums along with violins in the background followed by forceful and crisp notes of mandolin ably supported by resounding dholak beats..it is a crescendo !

As the song ends the music does not stop. It continues with mandolin beats along with piano notes which end smoothly. SJ were masters of a perfect orchestration. The prelude also begins with ascending notes of mandolin ably supported by meandering violins in the background. In the first interlude violins meander and sway to the intermittent beats of bongos and when mandolin takes over forcefully dholak takes over from bongos with beats perfectly matching the mandolin notes. Everything is perfect, not a single extra note. Lastly, why the song is so vibrant point to the fact that throughout the song mandolin along with violins have been used in the background carefully to enhance the listening pleasure of the song.

O saajna na pooch mujhse pyar kya hai lata mangeshkars rare film hits

Rarest of Rare song from the film Karodpati (Krodepati) starring Kishore Kumar

HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO YOU SHAMMI KAPOOR SAHAB

Hello Friends:

On Shammi Kapoor’s birthday I want to felicitate him with a small write up on one of the most memorable songs picturised on him. Take the name of Shammi Kapoor and we see before us the debonaire, flamboyant and volatile star. In most of the films in which he has acted he will come across as the romantic and carefree character and one will not readily associate Shammiji with sentimental and emotional roles. But that is precisely what role he had played in Brahmachari (1968).He is an orphan and he cares for other orphaned children and takes them under his charge. The story is about how he manages these children and saves the life of the actress (Rajshree) who tried to commit suicide due to a broken marriage alliance. The film was a box office hit and won several Film Fare awards. It was the Best Film, it won the best Music Director Award for Shankar Jaikishan, the Best Male Play Back Singer Award for Rafisaab (for Dil Ke Jarokhein Mein), the Best Lyricist Award for Shailendra for ‘Main Gaaoon Tum So Ja’ and the Best Actor Award for Shammi Kapoor. I wish to discuss about Shailendra’s award winning song ‘Main Gaaoon’. This song comes twice in the picture. First time when Shammiji wants to put all the children to sleep on a happy occasion. The typical orphanage with multi-layered beds and children with different habits and styles make the viewer one with the crowd. Rafisaab starts ‘larallala larallara laralla…’and the listener is automatically transported to a dreamy world.Mai gaaoon tum sojaao, sukh sapnon mein kho jaao says the first line. What a beautiful thing to say to small children about to forget this world! The interlude music is very simple and yet enchanting with the whistling effects adding to the sleepy environment. The day has been very hard and heavy for the children and the night looks to be long too but the world will change for the better, and children, dream for that changed world, so sings Shammiji. When you wake up tomorrow you will see bright light and the morning will bring you all happiness and do not put out those rays of hope so sings Rafisaab. Listen to the way Rafisaab sings ‘so jaaona’…and the way Shammiji acts that part. It is a classic ‘made for each other’scene. I love to go on singing during my entire life, I feel like taking care of all your tired hands so that all you children will one day sing my song, so say Rafisaab and Shammiji. The second time this song happens in the film is a sad occasion. All the children have tears in their eyes and the morrow is expected to usher in sorrowful tidings in their lives.Shammiji sings the same song to tell the kids that they all should go to sleep and dream of a better tomorrow. The song is slow paced, Rafisaab is pathos personified, and Shammiji enacts one of his most sentimentally charged roles. It is impossible to say whether Rafisaab has acted during the song or whether Shammiji has acted for Rafisaab. The song is so brilliantly synchronized and it is not possible to distinguish the singer from the actor and vice versa. Rafisaab and Shammiji do make us all cry without any inhibition while watching or listening to this song. It is very difficult for anyone to conceive that an out and out entertainer like Shammiji who had ruled film fans with his yahoos and aiyyayya suku sukus can make the viewers cry. But cry we will, when we see Shammiji’s acting during this song. It’s a masterpiece! Shammiji is the only living member of the team which created this everlasting diamond for all of us and I pray to the Almighty to give him several more healthy and peaceful years. Long live Shammiji! You can view both the versions of the song at:

http://www.youtube.%20com/watch?

http://www.youtube.%20com/watch?

The beauty of Shailendra’s lyrics, Shankar Jaikishan’s music, Rafisaab’s rendition and Shammiji’s emoting is that the song has become an ode to all destitute children of the world that they all should have dreams full of hopes and that a brighter future awaits them.

We all live on hope….

Jee karta hai jeete jee, Main yunhi gaata jaaoon…..

M V Devraj mvdevraj@gmail.com

photos of MUSICOLOR's latest event Mohammed Rafi - The Legend hits of Dev Anand & Shammi Kapoor hel on 9th Oct

Photos Courtesy : Rajesh Subramanian (subramanianrajesh@yahoo.co.uk)

One reason Why S-J were better than the rest

Shashi Hegde (shashivh@yahoo.co.in)

When you sit and wonder what made S-J click with classes and masses alike, you come across some aspects which were responsible for it. Their versatility, thorough knowledge of all forms of music and instruments, ability to set their own rules which others would follow, ability to take out the best from the singer and singer selection for the song, precise knowledge of orchestration and you can name many more.But the one of the most important factors responsible for their emphatic success is their association with Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. When a composer works with a core team for a period of 20 years, each member of the core team will know the pulse of the other. Shankar and Jaikishan exactly knew what they wanted from Shailendra - Hasrat and vice versa.S-J decline started only when this core team broke with the death of Shailendra.Look at the statistics I compiled with the best of my information based on the original sound tracks of s-j films. ( Eg: Mein gaoon tum so jao - though the lyrics are same for both happy and sad versions, it is counted as 2 songs. Similarly for other films.)These are some stats of the golden era of S-J films from 1949 to 1968, that is from Barsat to Brahmachari spanning 96 films(All S-J films up to 1968 except Duniya and Kanyadan):Total number of songs: 783Written by Shailendra: 395Written by Hasrat Jaipuri: 362Written by Shailendra + Hasrat : 1Written by others: 25 (Rajinder Krishen 8, S.H.Bihari 2, Jalal Malihabadi, Ramesh Shastri, Deepak, Mirza Ghalib, Sant Kabir, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Kamalesh Verma, Prem Dhawan, An English song from Sangam - 1 each and 6 traditional songs)Make a simple calculation, 97 per cent of S-J songs spanning 20 years and 96 films had lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat. Sant Kabir, Mirza Ghalib and traditional songs cannot be counted as lyricists who were engaged for the film. So, of 783 songs only 15 songs were written by persons 'outside' S-J core team. Compare this stats with the other composers in the same period:S.D.Burman used Sahir, Majrooh, Shailendra and HasratNaushad used Shakeel Badayuni, Majrooh and SahirRavi, Roshan, Madan Mohan, Salil Choudhary, C.Ramachandra worked on and off with Rajinder Krishan, Shakeel, Majrooh, Shailedra and others. So is the case with Hemant Kumar, O.P.Nayyar, Kalyanji-Anandji, Sardar Malik, Chitragupta, Vasant Desai and others. It is 2 quality composers working in tandem with 2 quality songsters continuously over 20 years made all the difference.I guess no composer-lyricist combo has broken this record of 97 percent. May be Laxmi-Pyare- Anand Bakshi are next in the list. But what counts is not the numbers alone but the quality too. When you consider this, L-P lag far far behind.Even when you take in to account all S-J songs recorded from 1949 to 1991:Out of 1301 songs(Includes Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions of a couple of R.K Films and a Gujarati film), Shailendra (402) and Hasrat (508) account for exactly 1000!

***********

This excerpt is taken from a post by Shri Shashi Hegde addressed to shankarjaikishan group on Yahoo

WISHES ON INDIA'S 63 INDEPENDENCE DAY

WISHING ALL OF YOU A BRIGHT INDEPENDENCE DAY

VOICE IS YOUR POWER

[This is a very useful article and will help those who want to be announcer/singer. It is different from the character of this blog but, indeed associated with the craft which is needed in the world of sound. That is why this blogger could not control temptation to post this stuff which is written by Shri -MAHENDRA MODI (Acting Director, Vividh Bharati) ]

Shri Mahendra Modi

Many wonderful men and women can’t appreciate what nature gave them. Men squeeze all the attractive life out of their voices by trying to make them sound deeper than they really are. Women adopt a phony, sing song sound, but it just isn’t natural.

Each voice is as unique as a snowflake. Voice-prints are sometimes used like finger prints in security systems. That’s how distinctive each voice is! The secret is not to try to have a voice that’s a carbon copy of someone else or attempt to change what nature gave you.


But what you should do is learn to enhance the voice that nature has given you.

Here is a system check in four areas:

ØARTICULATION /PRONUNCIATION

ØVOCAL VOLUME LEVEL

ØVOICE PROJECTION

ØTHE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF

1. ARTICULATION/PRONUNCIATION

There is a difference between not being heard (being inaudible) and not being understood (being unintelligible). Sometimes people confuse the two. Unintelligibility may be caused by problems with articulation and pronunciation. People with poor articulation can sound throaty because their tongue is pulled too far back, or they may sound muffled because they don't move their tongue enough when they speak. Both problems affect our ability to be understood. Make sure your tongue is positioned toward the front of your mouth and that you use your tongue to clearly enunciate your words.

2. CONTROLLING VOCAL VOLUME

Imagine that your voice has a volume knob with five settings:

1-WHISPER

2-SOFT

3-CONVERSATIONAL

4-LOUD

5-YELL

Do not use volume levels 1 or 5. Both can strain the voice. Yell only in an emergency and save your whispers for the library, theatre or bedroom. Strive to speak most of the time at volume level 3. Use levels 2 and 4 for color, emphasis and variety. A conversational level will differ with each situation. While presenting a night programme of soft nature your voice should be little towards whispering because the listener may not like a loud voice when he is in his bedroom and looking for peace. You could be little louder when presenting a programme of pop music.

3. PROJECTING THE VOICE

Volume level should not be confused with projection. To project the voice, don't try to yell or force it out of your body. This causes strain. To have a voice that carries well, you must use your body's natural resonators.

Your body has three resonating cavities: the voice box, the mouth and the nose. The voice is produced at the vocal chords and then amplified in the facial mask around the lips and nose. To have a beautiful voice and project it without strain, you must focus your voice in the facial mask, blending the oral and nasal resonators.

The simplest way to find your facial mask is to hum. Try it now. HMMMMMMMM. Good. Now practice alternating humming and speaking. HMMMMMMy name is Shyamal. HMMMMMy favorite color is blue. HMMMMany people say I'm a great dancer... etc. Have fun with it.

Practice humming and speaking throughout the day. Once you get the hang of what a resonant voice feels like, you can drop the hum and feel the vibration of your words in your facial mask.

For good voice projection, try the following:

ØSpeak with authority.

ØUnderstand the causes of difficulty with and implications of unhealthy voice production.

ØDiscover how relaxation, breathing and vocal exercises can improve projection, clarity and reduce vocal strain.

ØPractice techniques to prevent and cure any vocal strain or lack of projection and clarity.

ØLook at the effects of posture and tension on vocal projection

ØTake part in voice and articulation exercises.

Understand resonance placement and the effect this has on projection, clarity and range.

4. THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF

There is often a strong psychological component to communication difficulties. Soft speakers may unconsciously be trying to hold themselves back, inhibit their self-expression, or stifle themselves, and these factors should be explored.

You can improve, once you explore your weaknesses.


How to nurture a good and healthy voice?

- Breathe properly.

- Breathe through your nose, rather than mouth.

- Beware of your posture. Keep your upper chest, shoulders, neck and throat relaxed when breathing in or when exhaling and letting sound out.

- Speak slowly.

- Instead of focusing on your throat, imagine that the sound originates from your abdomen/lower back.

- Relax your jaw and tongue and unclench your teeth.

- Stay within your comfortable vocal range.

- Vary the tone/pitch of your voice.

- Use your breath to power your speech.

- avoid vocally-harmful habits (e.g. clearing your throat, holding your breath, speaking quickly, speaking with insufficient breath).

Sometimes you clear your throat because you are dehydrated. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. It will also help you to maintain right viscosity of the mucous in your mouth passage.

- Instead of clearing your throat in a harsh manner, sigh as an alternative measure.

What to do before going on Air?

-Always warm up your throat just as an athlete warms up his/her muscles to prevent injury.

-To loosen your body, rotate your neck slowly and stretch your torso and limbs.

-To loosen the jaw, yawn and/or make chewing motions. Massage your face, especially the nexus of muscles at the hinge of your jaw.

-To limber up your lips, jaw and soft palate, say tongue twisters/the alphabet/any short text, making sure that you articulate very carefully.

-Take a few quiet moments to focus on your breathing as well as to collect your thoughts before you speak.

Now some tips about the life style:

- Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeinated beverages.

- Avoid late night parties as it could spoil your voice quality and concentration both.

- Massage under your chin to increase the flow of saliva.

- To clear excess mucus and lubricate the vocal tract, use steam inhalations

- Avoid speaking when you are tired or ill.

- Avoid speaking when you feel that your voice is strained

-Arrange for some quiet periods at least once a day.

- Seek medical attention immediately if you experience vocal strain.

- When suffering from a sore throat, try not to use anaesthetic sprays/lozenges if possible.

- When you have laryngitis, inhale steam to soothe and relax the larynx instead of drinking cough mixtures.

- Eat a balanced diet to achieve/maintain optimal health.

- Dairy products may increase phlegm.

- To prevent heartburn and a reflux of stomach acids into your vocal passage, avoid acidic/spicy foods, eating late at night, caffeine and overeating.

- Give up smoking. Smoke and other aerial pollutants irritate your breathing and vocal apparatus. There are also other well-known health risks associated with smoking that can be reduced if you do not smoke/breathe in second-hand smoke.

- Certain medications may dehydrate the body/vocal passage. Others may stimulate or sedate the body, respectively causing your vocal passages to constrict or making you feel lethargic.

- To compensate the drying effect of any medication, drink extra water.

Language is a gold mine which makes a big Change. Dig deep into it, build your vocabulary and dive for unlimited treasure which has remained there untapped for a long time.

Rediscover yourself with your own Speech.

ØSpeak from the depth of your heart, speak your mind and feel your nerves pulsating the sound of your voice.

ØElectrify the listener with your presentation. Don’t let butterflies quiver you and chase away the nervousness.

ØVisualize your listener as an individual not as a mass of people.

ØVisualize the listener at dinner table. It works great to create a feeling of intimacy and trust.

ØYour tone of voice is closely linked to your face expressions. A frown on your face will make your voice sound harsh and cold but a smile will warm up your voice, making it sound warm and inviting. A smile with the speech takes you to miles.

ØEvery Word has a meaning. Work on building your vocabulary.

ØAvoid beating around the bush. Say clear, be brief and do not fumble. Confusion lands you and the listener into more confusion. Do not bluff or fool yourself but blur out sensibly even if words are not meant to be spoken. Use tact, speak truth but know realities too and act sensibly to it. Convince your listener.

ØCultivate a positive attitude. Be positive, prepared and well aware. Work on memory improvement levels. Get mirror practice and check your expressions too.

ØAdjust the Bass, volume of your voice like the sound system. Start with soft notes. Good beginning is best otherwise it’s shrieking from the start. Feel humor, feel happy, calm and composed.

Ø Expressions reflect your inner feelings and your speech is based on your thoughts. Let your speech and expression be your asset. Your voice can have a profound impact on how successfully you influence and persuade others. Your voice effects how seriously you are taken… how respected you are… the results you get not only with the listeners but also with co-workers, friends and family members in your personal life.

COURTESY : http://www.freewebs.com/vividhbharati/voiceisyourpower.htm

Rafi Miya was of course the best. There was some jaadoo in his voice ...-Shankar

SHANKAR--the lone survivor. Today he faces the musicalone. Betrayals, accusations, broken promises he has seen them all, but refuses to crumble. His pride holds him in good shape, so does his confidence.

Surprisingly, it is very difficult to elicit information from him, or even evoke a feeling of nostalgia. Unlike most, he lives very much in the present and talks of the future. After some persistence, Shankar recapitulates.....

Shankar Singh Raghuvanshi knew only three passions in life- tabla, gaana and kasrat. Harmless pleasures but Shankar Singh Raghuvansi was of an age when books ought to have been more important for he was only a child. But unlike most children he never studied, only indulged in his passions. His mother often despaired "Yeh to gaanewali ke piche hi tabla bajaayegaa." Prophetic words of sorts. The little fellow grew upto be a part of the duo whose music took the film industry by storm. The unbeatable combination of Shankar-Jaikishen. Their creations still ring in our ears....Jiya bekaraar hai, yeh mere diwanapan hai, Yeh aasoon mere dil ki zuban hain.

"It all began for me in Hyderabad. Those were the days of the Nizam and Maharajas. Their influence was strong and music pervaded every house; it was a part of our lives. With me too, music was all that mattered. And I was attracted to anything that was connected with it, be it acting or dancing. Though my parents wanted me to study and do well. I didn't care about books. One day, while passing by the house of a nobleman, I heard the strains of the melodious voice of a singer, Saraswati Bai. But it was spoilt by some cacophonous sound which ostensibly was supposed to be that of a tabla. It was unbearable to me. I rushed into the mehfil, pushed aside the incompetent tabla player and took over. I know it all sounds very filmy, but after I finished, wah-wahs poured from everybody present and I was pleased.

Bombay was then the centre of theatre activity. So my cousin and I, decided to come down to try our luck. I wanted to join the theatre--perform, sing, dance, play instruments. I learnt kathakali from Krishnan Kutty, Kathak from the Jaipur Gharana and Manipuri and Bharat Natyam as well. Slowly I also learnt to play the piano, the accordion, the sitar and the harmonium quite well. Fate somewhere during this time introduced me to Papaji (Prithviraj Kapoor).

"Papaji looked like some Greek God; I have yet to see a more handsome person than him. At that time he had just started his Prithvi Theatres and one day he called me over to witness a play called Shakuntala that he was staging. He had enrolled many great musicians for this play and while I was watching it, he suddenly asked me to go on stage and accompany the Sarod player with the tabla. I did so. (I learnt that he was none other than Ali Akbar Khan). After the show, Papaji called me and embraced me even though I was a non-entity then. He even asked me to join Prithvi Theatres.

"Jaikishen was a frequent visitor to Prithvi, but it was at a friend's place that I met him first. There were instant good vibes and we slowly became good friends. I introduced him to Papaji and he too began working at Prithvi. Raj Kapoor was also working with his father in those days. When he began Aag, we helped him with the music, though we were not the official music directors.

"Jai and I decided to be partners. Raj, at that time, ws working on Barsaat. We composed a tune for him, Jiya bekaraar hai. He liked it. That was our first major break. Although music was in my blood, I had never dreampt of becoming a music director for films. I met Shailendra, who was a close friend of Raj. And also Hasrat Jaipuri who was with Prithvi. We formed a group and our foursome clicked. Shailendra and Hasrat wrote the lyrics while Jai and I composed the tunes."

Barsaat broke records. Then followed the deluge -- Nagina, Mayur Pankh, Badal, Badshah. It was all so unexpected. A pair of eighteen year old youngsters causing existing edicts to tremble. Shankar-Jaikishen were creating afurore. They had descended upon the domain of Naushad, S.D. Burman, Husanlal Bhagatram, Ghulam Mohammed, O.P. Nayyar. Shankar recalls, "They were at first sceptical, Yeh ladke kitne din chal sakte hain? they said. Then they got worried. But I must say, C. Ramchandra was one man who always appreciated us. He'd tell the others, "Yeh ladke hum sabko hairan karke rekhenge. Hindustan mein dhoom machayenge."

The Shankar-Jaikishen era had begun. The old order was displaced. Given their propensity to compose songs that appealed to both the box-office and people's tastes, it wasn't strange or surprising that almost every top hero insisted on Shankar-Jaikishen as part of his contract. With Raj Kapoor there was Awara, Aah, Shri 420, Boot Polish, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Mera Naam Joker. Shammi Kapoor pranced around hills and dales and beautiful gardens teasing his pretty heroines, while Shankar-Jaikishen's music kept mercurial pace in Junglee, Janwar, Badtameez.

Rajendra Kumar, he rarely worked in a film that didn't have Shankar-Jaikishen on the credits. Aas Ka Panchi, Zindagi, Sasural, they made the 'jubilee' hero, they also had one common factor -- Shankar-Jaikishen.

As partners, Shankar talks of their perfect tuning, between each other. "My relationship with Jaikishen strengthened over time. We shared instant empathy, an inherent understanding and a deep bond of friendship. Whenever we both wanted to compose a particular song, we'd toss a coin to decide who would do it. Tensions between us were only over music but we would always sort them out. When I composed Nanhe munhe bachche teri muthi mein kya hai for Boot Polish, Jai didn't like the tune. But I convinced him otherwise. In fact, Boot Polish as planned earlier, was to be a song less film. Afterwards, Raj decided to add songs. Jai, who was a hot-headed person, was very angry and said, "Nothing doing. we are not giving music for the songs, Why did they not say so earlier? Of course, he later relented.

But we have always trusted each other completely. We never listened to those who poisoned our ears about the other; no chamchas came between us. And it was like that till his death. It is absolutely untrue that we grew apart after Sangam. With a relationship as deep as ours that was quite impossible.

"Being basically a good Gujarati businessman, Jai also handled all the business matters. He was a financial juggler and did his job well. When he died, I was shattered. For 3-4 years after his death, I could not work...could not build up the mood. And people tried to provoke me by saying things like our work was mainly Jai's doing. But what could I say to this? I know that it wasn't the truth. If I had been the first to go, people would have said the same things about me to Jaikishen, too. So I refused to speak out in retaliation.

"After Barsaat, I bought an M.G. Racer Car. It was the first car between the four of us. Jai bought his own, later. Since it was a two-seater, we, that is, Jai and I, would draw back the hood, sit in front while Shailendra and Hasrat would huddle behind and we'd take chakkars all over the city. Later, Jai and I, both, bought Chevrolets. For the Filmfare Awards function we would drive in our Chevies and enter in style.

"But things have changed drastically now. Look at the heroines of those days. Has there been anyone like Madhubala? They may not have come from very good families, but they behaved and conducted themselves in a better manner than some of our heroines today, from so-called good families. When we composed music we would take their individual personality into consideration. We'd call them to our music room and accordingly compose music to suit them. Today, id does not matter which heroine you compose a song for and whether you compose a song for a hero or a comedian.

"On many ways we revolutionized the industry. We were amongst the first who thought of giving due respect to the Press, calling for Press Conferences,...hosting parties. We were never afraid of change. Barsaat was the first film where Lata sang all the songs. Before that, she would be signed for only one or two of them per film as she had a very thin voice as compared to other to singers of those days for example Noorjehan, Shamshad, Zohra and Suraiya. We took risks, and won. Those days Manna Dey sang mainly bhajans. We took him for light songs like Chori Chori, Aa ja sanam and Yeh raat bheegi bheegi, which changed things for him. Mukishe's popularity also grew especially after he sang Yeh mera diwanapan hai for Yahudi.

"Rafi Miya was of course the best. There was some jaadoo in his voice that appealed to both the ganwar and the sophisticate. Some of his songs like Yeh aasoon mere dil ki zuban hai, touch people even today.

More important, he was a great person...a sharif man. If you told him you couldn't pay him immediately, he'd refuse to take it even later when you offered him the money.

Sometimes, a song would make him so happy, he would refuse to take the payment for singing it. The pleasure he got out of singing them was his reimbursement. He donated to charitable causes very generously and never spoke ill of anyone. No praise is enough for Rafimiya...there can never be a man like him.

However, with the start of the Kishore Kumar mania, he suffered a setback and became slightly nervous and depressed."

Shanker had few setbacks too. Like Raj Kapoor's betrayal. Dost Dost Na raha was one of Shankar's contribution to Raj Kapoor's Sangam. Perennially haunting, stirring, it exuded pathos. While at that stage no one would have dreamt that the Raj Kapoor-Shankar-Jaikishen team would one day not exist, years later the 'dosti' was not the same. They parted professional ways. Shankar insists he wasn't upset when his 'dost' signed up Lasmikant-Pyarelal for Bobby. "Why should I have been hurt? I knew that R.K.'s musical best was with Shankar-Jaikishen. The world knows it. People still hum the tunes of Mera Naam Joker, even if the film was a flop.

"Our songs for his films have been translated in Chinese. Russian, German and even Arabic. However, his sons wanted a change so I don't really feel bad. I was to do Prem Rog, but it didn't work out. Maybe I'll get to do his Param Vir Chakra"

Another jolt came from Prasad Productions, whose films have been transformed from mediocre family dramas to musical hits....Teri pyari pyari surat to (Sasural), Jaoon Kahan bata ae dil (Chhoti Bahen)....all this courtesy, Shankar-Jaikishen. But Shankar doesn't seem to be perturbed. "Even G.P. Sippy didn't take after Brahmachari and Andaz. Before that he was making films at a loss whereas these two films were super hits. It doesn't really bother me when people switch sides. What makes me happy is that I gave them big hits."

Most of Shailendra's lyrics wee Shankar's compositions. They both complemented each other perfectly. "When we were discussing the music of Shri 420, Raj was describing a scene. I instantaneously blurted out Ramaiya vatavaiya, which in Telugu means 'Ramaiya, will you come?" And Jai spontaneously gave his rejoinder, 'Maine dil tujhko diya'. It was the beginning of our song. When we were driving past a bus-stop and Jai saw a pretty girl, he turned around instinctively to take a look. That's how Mud mud ke na dekh (Shri 420) was born. Shailendra was great. He wrote beautifully. People would cry at the beauty of his lyrics.

"Yet today, how many music directors really understand or know anything about music? Everything is a fad -- ghazal, discro....But what do they know of ragas or surs? Nobody pays attention to composing good lyrics. But then I guess, time have changed. The music of a film was important then;now it is the actor's image that is central. In fact, fight composers are paid more than music-directors. But I think, we will slowly return to an age of melody, and of good films.

"I have made enough money. I have been awarded for my work". It is not an idle boast. Eight Filmfare Award trophies stand testimony to the fact.

The Sur-Singar Award came twice for Mere Huzoor (Jhanak Jhanak Toree Baje Payaliya) and Lal Patthar (Re Man Sur Mein Ga). Throughout Shankar was instrumental in introducing classical music in films, interweaving the classical style with the popular form. Result:Man Mohana Bade Jhoote (Seema), Rasik balama (Chori Chori), Ja Ja re ja (Basant Bahar).

From small beginnings in a South Indian lodge at Parel to a well-appointed home at the 'Beacan at Churchgate, his success story was truly established. He lives there still, with his Maharashtrian wife. His rehearsal room at Famous Studio in mahalaxmi still remains. Many moons ago, hordes of producers thronged its long corridors, waiting patiently with wads of notes, hoping to entice the two gentlemen into signing a contract. An it wasn't easy. Shankar's present Man Friday whispers to me that his boss would turn off the producers and their fat wads of notes with disdain, contemptuous of those who try to buy him. Though of course, the hordes have now dwindled.

Time was when the Binaca Hit Parade invariably featured a Shankar-Jaikishen number Baharon Phool Barsaon made it 49 times to the top.

Today in a theatre screening Aah or Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hain, when the music begins, the entire theatre sings along....Aa ja re ab mera dil pukare....reminiscing bygone days.

They style of the man remains consistent. He employs personal musicians and refuses to take less money and get more contracts. "Why should I bother? I have made enough. I get a royalty on all my records. My lifestyle is the same. I'm not too friendly and outgoing a person. I don't go out of my way to obtain films."

Shankar takes his harmonium, shows us how he composes a new tune. His musicians are summoned. His fingers move on the harmonium. The musicians join in on the tabla etc. Shankar sings "Yaad na jaaye bite dinon ki'....softly telling the story of a legend that will live forever.


Sheila Vesuna


Contributed by Dr. Raj Senani to shankarjaikishan Group on Yahoo from his collection.