The Score Magazine - Archive June 2015 issue! | Page 38

From Tabla
to
Dubstep
Bollywood is indeed the most risky field of
examination. No other film industry has ever been
so receptive of ideas, as far as musical diversity
is concerned. Keeping the Silent era aside, the
journey from radio to Youtube has spanned across
84 years in which record sales were broken and
genres moulded anew, belching out parallel smash
hits. So, I asked myself what if a jukebox consists
of not only cult hits, but path-breakers and path-
builders of Bollywood music till date.
“O Duniya ke Rakhwaale”, a song based on Raaga Darbari,
has a benumbing effect. Naushad, with his heart-wrenching
composition, had established an immortal bond with debutante
Mohammed Rafi by this song, way back in 1952 in the film
“Baiju Bawra”. With a historical background of a revengeful
Baiju, frustrated because of his lover’s committing suicide, the
melancholy reverberates in Rafi’s voice. The composition stands
true to Baiju’s musical inclination as Veena complements the
melody. The climax gives Rafi the scope to exercise his range,
and as he sizzles on the third note above an octave with the word
Rakhwaale, striking Tansen (enacted by Surendra) the moved
listener can’t stop his emotion from overflowing. With legendary
Hindustani Classical vocalist, Ustad Aamir Khan dueling Rafi, this
film proved to be the success story of Md. Rafi and earned Naushad
his only Filmfare Best Music Director award, thereby setting a
benchmark for portrayal of Hindustani Classical Music in Hindi
cinema.
Never has love been rendered so fearlessly and honestly, as is
relished from the pioneer of romantic Bollywood songs, “Pyar
Hua Iqraar Hua Hai”, the chartbuster from “Shree 420” in 1955.
It was hard to expect an entire audio-visual delight, given the
technological limitations of videographers those days, but it seems
like the introductory riff by the string section did realize the
hesitation of Nargis, trying to let go of the undeniably adorable Raj
Kapoor. Shankar- Jaikishan put the mandolin tune right on time
with the unfolding drama. This is one song that has its background
music mainly on violin, interspersed by a playful flute melody
36
The
Score Magazine
www.thescoremagazine.com
and a luscious harmony
between Manna Dey and
Lata Mangeshkar. Earlier,
romantic songs were very one-sided,
with the lady expressing her dedication,
rather than her love for her man, for instance the
song “ Saiyaan Dil Me Aana Re” picturing Vyajayantimala. The
Raj Kapoor- Nargis hit paved way for Bollywood to grow bolder on
love and its “freedom of expression” in the 1960 super hit Mughal-e-
Azam track “Pyar kiya to darna kya”.
Tom-toms rolled and a jaunty Mehmood started doing the one-leg
twist, holding the microphone with elan and singing “Aao twist
Karein”. Bollywood took a huge leap with R. D Burman’s penchant
for Western songs, a style widely criticized by contemporary
composers and star actors, who had a say in the music of their
films, like Dev Anand. This 1965 hit from “Bhoot Bangla” had
Manna Dey drifting well apart from his classical tonality and
playing mischief with the lines “Nach uthi hai zindgaani, o meri
jaan”. Claps kept the rhythm upbeat, accompanied by electric
guitar and the remarkable saxophone solo got every Chubby
Checker fan twisting their legs off on the floor. Rock-and-roll
dawned on Indian film industry and the dancing style was
thoroughly adopted and modified by Shammi Kapoor in following
years.
Talking of item numbers, the ones who gave India the ideal
cabaret symbol, on-screen and off-screen are Helen and Asha