Jaideep Sahni’s stance on Lip-Sync songs
Jaideep Sahni, lyricist of songs like ‘Ganda hai’ (Company) and ‘Naina da kya kasoor’ (Andha Dhun) and films like Chak De! India and Befikre, once told me why, when he was with Yash Raj Films as a screenwriter, he still grabbed every chance to write a song in outside films as well. “The lip-sync song is Indian cinema’s USP!” he exclaimed. “And I am sorry to say that few of the current directors know the art and skill of integrating lip-synch songs in Hindi cinema today.” That was in 2010! In 2024, the scenario is much worse! So it is gratifying that a contemporary film like Madgaon Express has used several lip-synch songs that are imaginatively incorporated. And we must applaud Kunal Kemmu—the writer-director who has even written and sung one song—for this!
English songs in Hindi movies
Of late, a few English songs have been heard in Hindi cinema, but the pioneer of a full-fledged song in the Queen’s language was Rajesh Roshan, who composed the hit, ‘My heart is beating’ written by Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, for Julie in 1975. Roshan Jr. then continued his streak—with ‘Walking and I am walking all alone’ written by Tracy Mehmood, the comedian Mehmood’s American wife, which also was his son Lucky Ali’s singing debut. The film was the 1978 Ek Baap Chhe Bete. In the same year, he composed another Chattopadhyaya-written song, ‘I love you only I am so lonely’ sung by Christine, with some shloks by Lata Mangeshkar in-between the club number in Swarag Narak. Roshan’s latest English songs were heard in Kites (2010), written by Asif Ali Beg—‘Fire’, ‘Kites in the sky’ and ‘Love and lust fest will make you bechain’ sung collectively by Rajesh Roshan himself, Vishal Dadlani, Anushka Manchanda, Anirudh Bhola, Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne D’Mello.
When Kishore wanted to attend Rafi’s recording as a fan!
In Mohammed Rafi’s centenary year, it is apt to note that his greatest alleged “rival”, Kishore Kumar, was a humongous fan of the singer, to the extent that Rafi has sung (with perfect audiovisual match!) more than six songs for Kishore as actor! While this is common knowledge, let me share a personal experience that the late composer Madan Mohan had narrated to a senior colleague. In the1971 Parwana, Kishore sang the hit ‘Yun na sharma phailade apni gori gori baahen’ for Navin Nischol. The radio version had only Kishore, but the LP record and film had this as a Kishore-Rafi duet with Rafi singing excerpts in-between the antaras. The Rafi part, ‘Arey hasnewalon’ was a poignant section filmed on Amitabh Bachchan, who is also in love with Yogeeta Bali, who Navin is serenading. As the music was different, Rafi recorded his portion at another time, and Kishore had requested the composer to inform him so that he could be present when the senior singer sang. After Rafi finished, an emotionally-moved Kishore raved about the emotional rendition and told the composer that he could have never done half as good as job as him! And this was in that critical phase when everyone was saying that Kishore Kumar had ‘finished’ Rafi!
‘Rare’ regards for a singer from an actor
Very often, a singer sang less frequently for an actor, but the latter would have a great personal regard for him. Such was the case with Dev Anand and singer Talat Mahmood, who sang hits like ‘Jaayen to jaayen kahaan’ (Taxi Driver) and ‘Tu roop ki rani’ (Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja) for the star. Said the hero once, “I had to exercise restraint while enacting his songs, as his singing was so intensely passionate!” clearly indicating that his exuberantly breezy persona had to be on a leash for the visuals to match!
The chartbuster they did not want!
Ace director K. Vishwanath, it is said, did not really want the song. Lata Mangeshkar did not think highly of it at all. But for various reasons, the song was finalized and filmed on the lead pair and became such a mega-hit that it became the film’s highlight in an all-popular score, won nominations or awards for the singers (which also included Mohammed Rafi), lyricist and composers. And coins were thrown on the screen when it came on. Yes, we are talking about ‘Dafliwale dafli bajaa’, one of the factors that catapulted N.N. Sippy’s Rishi Kapoor-Jaya Prada starrer, Sargam, to a Golden Jubilee (50 weeks) run, and also was the annual topper on the iconic radio countdown, Binaca Geet Mala. The song was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and written by Anand Bakshi.
Earning from a song!
And speaking of coins being thrown on the screen, here is the story of another L-P-Anand Bakshi song sung by Mohammed Rafi, this time with Narendra Chanchal. Said producer-director J. Om Prakash, Hrithik Roshan’s grandfather, to me once, “For me songs are an integral part of the storyline, and good content is also important so that people do not stroll out. I had gone to Meerut when Aasha was running in the 7th week in 1980. People would bring coins and throw them on the screen when the song ‘Tune mujhe bulaya Sherawaliye’ came on. The theatre-owner pointed out three women who were sweepers. They would sit in for every show just to collect the coins, and their collection would go up to Rs 500 per day!”
When alliances were respected
Tiffs between composers and long-associated filmmakers are very common. But no one expected Raj Kapoor to drop Shankar-Jaikishan after a difference of opinion. But such a thing did happen around the late 1950s, and Kapoor offered composer Roshan the next RK film! The late composer would have benefitted immensely from signing a film with Raj Kapoor and the RK Films banner, but shrewdly assessing the cause of the movie coming to him, the selfless maestro instead brought about a rapprochement between the ‘warring parties’ instead!
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