Life is complicated. Don't try to find answers because when you find the answers, life changes the questions.

~ Unknown

Truly, life's throws up many questions and songs in Hindi Films look at this position from various sides of the human spectrum. Happiness, sorrow, anger, frustration, helplessness, love, hatred and many other emotions have been spoken about by lyricists in their songs as questions and this is what Nandkishor Desai (popularly known as NKD) touched upon in his presentation. 

Golfers are known to have a sense of purpose, honesty to the boot, passion & confidence about the craft and above all humility in their demeanor. NKD is an avid golfer and displays all of these characteristics both in life and in his passion for Film Music. A true connoisseur that he is, NKD, like the Single Malt he loves, gets better with age :)  

His songs feature questions that the characters in them ask to different people, sometimes to themselves. The big question that NKD himself faced while choosing the 10 songs was - which ones to leave out?

Here's the listing of his songs. 

1. NKD starts with whom I believe is his favorite composers- Shankar-Jaikishan and what a start.   Man Re Tu Hi Bata from the film Hamrahi is a Kaviraj Shailendra masterpiece. As NKD points out Kaviraj gives दिल an entity distinct from the body that it resides in. Lines in this song which emphasizes this point is - नींद में जब यह जग सोता है , में रोती हूँ दिल रोता है . A Shailendra song never fails to invoke introspection from within.
2. A simple straight from the heart melody is the style of Composer Ravi. NKD's choice of  Uljhan Suljhe Na from the film Dhund reiterated this style. Simple Piano based melodic strokes painted this song with varied kaleidoscope of human emotion when confronted with despondency. Sahir's lines - ना मरना रास आया | ना जीना मन भाया | जाऊँ कहाँ मैं  - deal the death blow to the one faced with this situation.
3. Duniya Kare Sawaal from the film Bahu Begum is an all-time classic. Sahir's pointed questions to the beloved who chose to not endure society in the fulfillment of his love leaves you pondering - रातों को जागने की सज़ा कौन दे गया | कहने से हो मलाल तो हम क्या जवाब दें
4. Bol Mere Maalik Tera Kya from the film Halaku is a lesser heard showpiece from the magnificent duo of Shankar-Jaikishan. A pacy start leaves you wondering on the mood of the song until all of a sudden, the vocals bring out the pathos of a someone who has been left alone the face the travails of life. Hasrat Jaipuri's words बोल मेरे मालिक क्या ये ही तेरा इन्साफ | जो करते हैं लाख सितम उनको करता तू माफ़  tell it all. 
5. Ek Sawaal Main Karoon from the film Sasural is what everyone expected would be part of the playlist today and sure enough NKD did not disappoint. Shailendra's question as a response to a question is a unique style of writing which SJ tune in their usual flair leaving one gasping in astonishment at the final creation.
6. Dil-E-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai from the film Mirza Ghalib is a delectable beauty, popular yet enduring to this date. 
7. Kya Tum Wohi Ho from the film Man Ki Ankhen was the surprise pick of the show. A lost-in-oblivion song from the combo of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Sahir Ludhianvi . Love is truly a blessing and anybody who's been through it will agree with the experience that Sahir is talking about - ख्यालों मैं जो मुस्कुराती रही है | धानक बांके नज़रों मैं छाती रही है | मेरे दिल के सुनसान आँगन मैं अक्सर | जो रातों को पायल बजती रही है . A question that every lover wants to seek answers to
8. Main Tumhi Se Poochti Hoon from the film Black Cat, though a run of the mill love utterances song still leaves you wondering why is that those in love have unwavering trust in each other, why is it that they can't see anything else except their beloved everywhere. 
9. Main Nigahein Tere Chehre Se from the film  Aap Ki Parchhaiyan is a continuation of the previous song, where the one in love can't get the imagery of his beloved out of his mind and she's all pervasive in his world. NKD makes a mention of the antara which is unavailable in the audio versions - मेरी आखों मैं गीले शिकवे है , प्यार भी है | आरज़ूय भी है, हसरत-ए-दीदार भी है | इतने तूफ़ान मैं आपको छुपाऊं कैसे | मैं निगाहें तेरे चेहरे से हटाऊँ कैसे 
10. Naghma-O-Sher Ki Saugaat from the film Gazal is a woman's perspective of being in love ... not frequently seen / heard in HFM till the 80s or later. Trust Sahir to get under the skin of a lady in love and come up with such meaningful lyrics - गर्म सासों मैं छुपे राज़ बताऊँ किसको | नरम होटों मैं दबी बात किसी पेश करूँ. The metaphors of warm breath and soft lips is just breathtaking. For somebody who, it is believed, never wished to fall in love (frightened of the commitments that come with it) this is imagination at its creative best. 

Take a bow NKD!!!. 

An unexplored topic, engrossing narration, excellent choice of songs made me hear all the songs again the next day with renewed interest & intent. 

When you have a Chief Risk Officer of a Finance Company presenting his set of songs, one would expect him to present a set of songs which are time tested on the popularity meter. If that same person also happens to be a Business Intelligence and Data Analyst specialist, then you would also expect a set of songs to be deeply researched into. Well, Suresh Kulkarni took the risk of choosing rare songs (with a few exceptions) but his deep research and analysis proved to be attraction of his presentation. 

As the title suggests, many moods of Asha Bhosle was his theme and I empathize with his difficulty of choosing 10 songs from the oeuvre of work of the Diva which runs into thousands of songs ... equivalent of lifting the "Shiv Dhanush" as Suresh himself put it, in his introduction to his PMP. 

So, here's his pick of 10 songs of various moods of Asha with 10 different composers as a tribute to the lady who stood shoulder to shoulder with his elder illustrious sister. 

1. Sakhi Ri Sun Boli from the film Miss Mary was the only duet (with Lata Mangeshkar) in this presentation. Perhaps symbolic of the times we note that on the screen actress Meena Kumari (for whom Lata lends her voice) is coaching a student (for whom Asha lends her voice). A challenging song for Asha and Suresh rightly says that she matches Lata "taan" for "taan". This song was chosen for the Classical style of its creation. 
   
2. Suresh mentioned that O P Nayyar should be credited for bring Asha to the center stage and I certainly agree. He picked up Jadugar Saanwariya from the film Dhake Ki Malmal as a song to showcase the unique association between a creative composer and his muse. This folk rhythm-based song sees Asha excel in her voice modulation. Suresh must be complimented for resisting the temptation to pick up among the several other popular songs of the two artistes. Suresh chose this as his romantic flavor 
   
3. For a tinge of sorrow and despair, Suresh chose the song Jab Tumne Mohabbat Chheen Li from the film Amanat as the 3rd showcase and this is a Salil Chowdhury composition. Given the popular perception that Salilda preferred Lata for rendering his compositions, very brave of Suresh to choose Salilda in an Asha presentation. A magnificent piano based prelude leads to the Mukhda in which the first two syllables are in distinctly low and high pitch and Asha glides through them with ease. 
   
4. Next came a devotional mood with the song Aali Ri Mere Maina from a Non-film album of Asha. Again, a genre which is largely the territory of the elder sister, there are enough songs which Asha has rendered in the film and non-film space. This Meerabai bhajan has another version by Lata but this one, a Jaidev composition is a supreme one in grace and devotion. A lovely choice in a genre not often spoken of Asha Bhosle 
   
5. How can an Asha Bhosle playlist be complete with a R D Burman composition. Throw in Gulzar into the combination and you surely have a classic. Suresh picks up a classical-devotional genre song Mere Angna Aaye Hain from the film Naram Garam. An unlikely song in a comedy movie Naram Garam, the song never fails to captivate you no matter how many times you listen to it.
   
6. Pavan More Angna Mein from the film Shehnai is a "loree" which Suresh picks up to showcase yet another mood of Asha Bhosle. The composition of Ravi, who arguably gave Asha songs which were as unique as the ones given by O P Nayyar and R D Burman.
   
7. As if to shake up the listeners from slipping into a slumber, Suresh picks up a Club song next. Parwanon Ki Raah Mein from the film Hariyali Aur Raasta is the surprise choice for a club song, given the plethora of songs in this genre that she has sung for many composers. Shankar-Jaikishan would be least recollected composers for a Club song of Asha Bhosle. This one was WOW !!... slipped out of public memory, truly a rare find. Well done Suresh for this choice!!
   
8. Nikle They Kahan from the film Bahu Begum is the choice for a Mujra genre. This space arguably is owned by Asha and in this song she proves why. One of the few songs in the songs which escaped the tag FTH - First Time Heard. On a side note, Helen's moves in a mujra are silken and for someone who was famous for western club dances, she does a fabulous job.
   
9. Some combinations of Singer + Composer + Lyricist are absolute magic and in the Marathi Films space, Asha Bhosle + Sudhir Phadke + GD Madgulkar fits this description. Jeevalaga, Kadhi Re Yeshil Tu from the Marathi film Suvasini is a song that needs no understanding of the language despite its emphasis on the four seasons of the nature that it speaks about as the woman awaits her beloved. Each antara is in a different Raga and is an all-time classic!!
   
10. Suresh closes the show with a Ghazal of Asha Bhosle Salona Sa Sajan from the Non-Film album Meraj -E – Ghazal. A delectable composition, Asha creates the right mood and fervor that is expected in the Ghazal genre. A nice way to finish off the presentation. 

Asha Bhosle is a living legend, whose presence we sometimes seem to take for granted. Despite some obvious misses like Khayyam, Madan Mohan and SD Burman, I salute Suresh for being brave enough to pick up rare songs which sometimes don't go down well with the audiences of a MP/PMP. In his profession he must have done this job of picking up or picking out risks. Here too he did a great job of picking up his songs :)

Manik Gumte | 9th Mar 2024 

Manik Gumte followed the theme of R. Parthasarathy who a few days ago had presented duet songs of Mohd. Rafi with other male singers. Only he reversed the gender of the singer(s). Manik chose to present songs of Lata Mangeshkar with other female singers as his theme. Quite a challenging theme considering that Manik chose to not enter into the decade starting from 70s. It's quite natural for listeners to wonder who outside of Asha Bhosle & Geeta Dutt would feature since the number of female duets itself is handful in Hindi Film Music (HFM)

Allow me to get Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt out of the way at the start as these take a big share of Lata's female duets. As one would expect Lata's duets with Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt were popular ones and did not catch us with surprise. 

• For Asha Bhosle, Manik chose Jab Jab Tumhe Bhulaya from the film Jahaan Ara. The song filmed on Minoo Mumtaz and Aruna Irani playing courtesans at the court of the Mughal Emperor. Lata and Asha vie for honors and look to be one-up on each other. 
• For Geeta Dutt the song chosen was Ta Thaiyya Karte Aana from the film Panchayat. Filmed on Shyaama and Jabeen Jalil, this outstanding duet is a testimony to the times when these two singers, albeit with different styles were at the top of their singing career.  The breezy, two-paced song has both the faster and slower piece wonderfully embedded into the same Mukhada and antaras . A fabulous one from the talented Iqbal Qureshi, who sadly never made it big in his career. 

Let's now look at the other eight duets featured in the show. 

• Another Mangeshkar clan was featured as part of the show. The duet with Usha Mangeshkar chosen was Tumko Piya Dil Diya from the film Shikari. In a lighter vein this is the Mangeshkar(s) singing for OP Nayyar :). The arrangement is quintessentially OP-ish , and why not given that GS Kohli the composer of this duet assisted OPN for a long time. The Dholaks and Claps based rhythm is a clear give away. 
• A surprise packet was Kabhi Aaj Kabhi Kal from the film Chand featuring a Lata and Suman Kalyanpur duet. A clone of Lata (with no disrespect of course), Suman constantly remained in the shadows of Lata albeit making the most of the opportunities that was presented to her - during the Rafi-Lata tiff and in the Marathi film music where Lata remained away due to her commitments with Hindi Films. Many listeners on the show commented that it was nearly impossible to identify the two voices, thereby leading credence to the "clone" theory.
  
• Saraswati Rane scion of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was a accomplished Hindustani Classical singer. She, however, had only a brief outing in the Film Playback world and this duet with Lata is their only collaborated song ever. Jab Dil Ko Sataave Gham from the film Sargam is composed is classical style suiting Saraswati's voice with Lata giving her able company. The lyrics - Jab Dil Ko Sataave Gham, Tu Chedd Sakhi Sargam - is an apt description of what music can do to a sorrowful soul.
  
• Zindagi Badli from the film Anhonee featured Rajkumari with Lata in what can be called a passing over the baton song. Rajkumari was very active in Films until the advent of Lata and her fortunes began dwindling as Lata's career soared. A song in two tone character - one exuberant and the other poignant as the two Nargis's (double role) are in in contrasting mood on screen.
  
• Bansuriya Kaahe Bajai from the film Aagosh featured Sudha Malhotra singing with Lata. A sweet melody from Roshan who also composed the Anhonee song with Rajkumari (in feature), is the flavor of the 50s that refuses to lose its charm. The Mukhda reminds you of the part - Chalo Jamuna Ke Tat Par.......Shyam Rang Ranga Re of Apne Paraye (1980)
  
• Bol Papihe Bol from the film Tarana features Sandhya Mukherjee who was a prolific singer in Bengali Films, but her career never took off in Bombay. Almost sounding like an early Geeta Dutt voice, Sandhya sang less than 20 songs in Hindi Films. 
  
• The super popular song Gore Gore O Baanke Chore from the film Samadhi brought the spotlight on Ameerbai Karnataki who sang this duet with Lata. A song that continues to enthrall listeners even 70 years after its recording is testimony to the adage - good quality music has no expiry date. 
  
• The final song of the show was a song that ruled the airwaves in the early 60s and announced the arrival of the composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Hansta Hua Noorani Chehra from the film Parasmani featured Kamal Bharot singing with Lata in what is a foot tapping evergreen melody. 

Credit to Manik for the theme chosen and the deep dive in bringing out these singers who collaborated with Lata in all female duets. A not very often spoken about theme and I am glad, Manik chose to highlight it. As always, a treasure trove of discovery came out of the session. Manik may have found the camera focus a bit discomforting but his songs more than made up for that, leaving a sweet aftertaste. 

The Gitanjali Express connects Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Bombay (now Mumbai) two cities varied in their cultures and ethos. One common factor that connects them is Music, though of different kinds. Mumbai has for nearly a century remained the bedrock of Hindi film music, while Kolkata is steeped in the work of Tagore (Rabindra Sangeet) and Kazi Nazrul Islam (Nazrul Geethi) 

Indranath Mukherjee in the presentation sought to bind the two by presenting his favorite set of 10 songs which have their inspirations in Bangla songs / compositions. He showcased the work of Tagore, Himangshu Dutta, Sudhin Dasgupta, Nachiketa Ghosh, Nazrul and also the folk influence from which the HFM adapted to their needs of Hindi Films.

​Himangshu Dutta

Once when Salil Chowdhury was asked if Tagore was the father of modern Bengali Music, he replied in the negative. According to Salil, Himangshu Dutta should have been conferred that title. An accomplished singer and composer, Himangshu coincidentally was also born in Comilla the birthplace of S D Burman. A trained classical singer, he also learnt to write notations at a very early age. The two songs chosen by Indranath to showcase Himangshu were. 

• "Soch Ke Ye Gagan Jhoome" from the film "Jyoti".  Himangshu had created this tune in 1950 and was based on the raag- Pushpa Chandrika - one created by Himangshu himself. S D Burman adapted this to create this lilting romantic timeless beauty.
  
• "Piya Milan Ko Jana" from the film "Kapal Kundala".  This rage of the nation Hindi song was originally a Himangshu composition sung by S D Burman. The Bangla song was "Natun Faguney Jabey". Pankaj Mullick adapted this into Hindi. 
  

Nachiketa Ghosh 

A Medical Doctor by qualification, Nachiketa found love in music. Starting in the early 50s, Nachiketa composed predominantly in Bangla and Oriya languages and is considered a versatile and rounded composer. 

Indranath chose a Bangla song which was adapted in Hindi and chose to play both of them back-to-back. The caramelized melody captivated the listeners, many of whom were listening to it for the first time.  

• "Meghla Bhanga Rod Uthechhe" from a non-film Bengali album was sung by Pratima Banerjee which was adapted into .............
  
• ..........."Phulwa Band Mehke" from the film "Hum Bhi Insaan Hain" sung by Geeta Dutt & Suman Kalyanpur for a Hemant Mukherjee composition. 

Kazi Nazrul Islam 

Popularly called the "Bidrohi Kobi" (the Rebel Poet) Nazrul has and continues to have a towering influence in Bengal due to a large body of poetry, music, stories on varied themes like equality, justice, anti-imperialism, humanity and love. His strong opposition to all forms of bigotry and fundamentalism, including religious, caste based and gender-based makes him the popular poet of liberal masses. 

Indranath showcased two of his songs adapted into HFM. 

• "Poocho Na Kaise Maine" from the film "Meri Surat Teri Aankhein" which had its original in the Bangla geet "Arunkanti Ke Go Jogi" a Nazrul Geeti. A contemporary of SD Burman, Nazrul influenced SDB significantly. 
  
• "Roz Akeli Aaye" from the film "Mere Apne" which had its roots in the Nazrul Geet "Meghla Nishi Bhore Monte". The Bangla geet has multiple versions by several singers including one, interestingly, by Asha Bhosle. Interestingly because the Hindi song is sung by Lata Mangeshkar 

Sudhin Dasgupta 

A prolific composer in the Bengali Film Industry, Sudhin is largely credited to having given a modern touch to the orchestration in Bengali film songs. A talented musician who could play several instruments with ease, he graduated from the Royal school of Music, London. Sudhin has composed music for over 50 Bengali films. 

The song that Indranath picked for showcasing Sudhin had an interesting story behind it. He explained that the Bangla song - "Ei Chhaya Ghera Kalo Ratey" which was composed by Sudhin caught the imagination of Salil and he requested Sudhin's permission to adapt this song into Hindi. Thus, was born "Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Haseen" from "Madhumati" which was played on the show by Indranath 

Rabindranath Tagore 

A Nobel Laurette in Literature, Tagore was a polymath.  A poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, educationist and painter, he is also the writer of the National Anthem of two nations - India and Bangladesh. He is believed to have composed over 2000 songs which today form a part of Rabindra Sangeet 

Indranath's showcase song was "Saawan Ki Raaton Mein" from the film "Prem Patra" . This wonderfully haunting songs with the sounds of the "Toofan" blended with Salil's Western Classical orchestration is a treat to the ears. 


Folk influenced Songs 

• "Gao Mere Mann" from the film "Apne Paraye" draws inspiration from the Baul folk form in Bengal which is rooted in the Vaishnavite religious traditions. Indranath also drew attention to singer Amar Pal who popularized this form. Bappi Lahiri's adaption is so soothing and soulful. 
  
• "Ummed Hogi Koi" from the non-film album "Dil Padosi Hai" is a R D Burman composition. RD has used several of his father's compositions to make his own, However the Bangla inspiration though sung by S D Burman is not composed by SDB. The Bangla song "Katha Kao Dao Saraa" is composed by Subal Dasgupta . This final icing on the cake was served by Indranath to complete his journey from Kolkata to Mumbai 
  

The journey on the Gitanjali express was wonderfully curated by Indranath and a good eyeopener to many in the audiences who may not have had an exposure to Modern Bengali music. Kudos to him for choosing such a theme and walking us through the journey. We stand richer thanks to his insights on tonight's show.