Sunday, June 25, 2017

A Long Playing "Record" of Hindi Film Music

The year was 1963, I was an 8-year-old studying in the Indian heartland of Gwalior, growing up in a family that did not allow viewing movies except for the mythological ones; the same time period when 'Harischandra Taramati' and 'Sant Gyaneshwar' were running houseful every day and every show. On the other end, Radio Ceylon, All India Radio, and Vividh Bharati were playing ‘Main Nanhasa Chhota Sa Bachha Houn’ (from the movie 'Harischandra Taramati') , ‘Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo’, and   Ek Do Teen Chaar’(from the movie 'Sant Gyaneshwar', after the musical hits of 'Parasmani'), at least 10-to-12 times a day, which were sung by child artist in Lata Mangeshkar's voice.


Laxmikant-Pyarelal (1963)
Actually, I got the interest in hindi film music because of my mother who is not only the singer but also a fan of Lata Mangeshkar / Talat Mehmood and music director Anil Biswas. She used to play radio all the day and listen to the songs.

'Main Nanhasa Chhota Sa Bachha Houn' - 'Harischandra Taramati',1963
                
'Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo' - 'Sant Gyaneshwar', 1964


'Ek Don Teen Chaar, Bhaiyya Bano Hoshiyar' - 'Sant Gyaneshwar', 1964




Growing up in the same era as that of child artists from these films, the songs, listed above, made a huge impact on my musical ears and made me more keen to watch them, and I finally did, despite the full shows. I distinctly remember one thing — a downpour of coins on the screen for ’Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo’, which went on to become my very first all-time favorite without having an idea that it was Laxmikant-Pyarelal's music. Lata Mangeshkar's voice that mesmerized me.

Apart from “Sant Gyaneshwar” and “Harischandra Taramati”,  between 1963-1964 Laxmikant-Pyarelal gave fabulous music for some of the following:


  • Parasmani,
  • Sati Savitri
  • Dosti
  • Aaya Toofan
  • Naag Mandir
  • Mr. X In Bombay
  • Hum Sab Ustad Hai

Songs of these films became immensely popular and that is how I came to know the famous name, in Hindi film music “LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL” became the talk of the nation, and everybody started talking about Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and their immensely popular music.

During 1965-1966 I witnessed mind-blowing compositions for the films like 

  • Lootera
  • Shreeman Fantoosh
  • Mere Lal
  • Aasra
  • Dillagi
  • Laadla

I used to listen to Binaca Geetmala.every Wednesday, record it in my notebook, and kept a close eye on LP’s songs.

1967 and beyond…

I was completely hypnotized in the year 1967 — the very best year for the Number One music director LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL (until now I was under the impression that Laxmikant-Pyarelal is one person and not a duo)..Many musical hit films released in 1967. Films like, “Milan”, “Night In London“, “Patthar Ke Sanam”, “Anita” and “Jaal”“Milan” song storm the nation. When in every corner of Indian city it was only Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s songs, and I became a die-hard fan. In the same year, We saw “Shagird” (my parents allowed me to watch it), and the duo’s first big hit movie, “Farz”. In 1967 I realized that there is magic in Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s music. Till this date, I have been an LP fan. Laxmikant-Pyarelal music is working like a tonic and has kept me physically and mentally healthy.


During 1963 to 1998, without any discontinuity, constantly, my childhood days, my school days, my college days and few years of working (job) in India as well as in abroad, have witnessed many memorable hit songs from Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

Biggest Surprise!!


In 1990, I along with my family left India on a work assignment, and missed witnessing the magic of Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s many hits. Unlike today it was a period when the media and technology  outreach was limited. After returning India in 1993, on a vacation, I was stunned and surprised to note that the duo of Laxmikant-Pyarelal was still at the pinnacle, with  “Khalnayak” song ‘choli ke pichhe kya hai’…

There are many interesting points in Laxmikant-Pyarelal songs. Their  songs have MELODY, ORCHESTRA and RHYTHM. Most of the tunes are Indian, folkish but are decorated mellifluously with the mind-blowing orchestra arrangements. Most of the “Interludes” (musical glimpses between “mukhada” and “antara”) are blended with a different rhythm than that of the ‘mukhada’ of the song. The “Preludes”(musical glimpses before the start of the songs), “Interludes” and “Postludes” have symphony style, western orchestra arrangements and more interestingly there is no repetition.

A “worst day” in my life!

It was my utmost desire to meet both Laxmikant and Pyarelal, since my childhood. While coming from Lagos, Nigeria on flight on 25th May, 1998, I had decided that I will meet both Laxmikant and Pyarelal on this trip of India. However, destiny had something else in place for me and when I landed in India, I got the news of the death of Laxmikantji and I was shocked. I will always be regretting not meeting Laxmikant. My dream of meeting Laxmikantji will never be fulfilled. However, I do meet Pyarelalji couple of time and is in touch with him on the telephone, even if I am not in India.

Let the glory of Laxmikant-Pyarelal be back….

Today, paid media, paid FM radio stations have forgotten the magic created by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, for 35 non-stop years. Many music directors are being hyped who are not even close to the contributions made by Laxmikant-Pyarelal in terms of quantity, quality, variety, popularity, and consistency. It has been always my honest efforts to know more about Laxmikant-Pyarelal, without degrading other contemporary music directors, to the younger generations through social media. Even I am sending the desired information on Laxmikant-Pyarelal to many of the TV channels, FM Radio, which has become my regular and routine work. My only aim is to BRING BACK THE GLORY OF LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL and I will continue my efforts till the end.

Long Live Laxmikant-Pyarelal music.


Ajay Poundarik

24th June, 2017
Atlanta (Georgia)
USA



2 comments:

Pramod said...

May your efforts prove fruitful sir
Your blog reads like a story(very interesting). Your English so fluently written without any mistakes, {B E (mech) at that time, makes us wonder. The recent BE students cannot frame sentences in English, including my own sons(I am frank in this matter).
Your keen interest in the LP duo shall surely keep you young for many years to come.
P S Kulkarni

Atul Pol said...

Very well written. Amazed by the passion you have for LP music. Keep writing.

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