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Today’s song is a comedy duet from the film Alibaba and 40 Thieves-1954.
Stories of Arabian Nights or 1001 Nights are so interesting that for many generations they have been a source of entertainment.Alibaba,Allauddin and Sindbad are the evergreen stories. Arabian Night stories evolved through a story which took place in Persia. King Shahriyar became a woman hater after he found that his wife was unfaithful to him. He not only killed her,but he started marrying a new girl every time and on the second day of Marriage the wife would be killed to avoid unfaithfulness.
The legend says that a beautiful young daughter of the Vizier-Scheherazade decided to marry the king Shahriyar,against wishes of her family. On the first night of marriage,she started telling him a story which she left unfinished. Curious to know the story’s end,the king postponed her killing. On every night Scheherazade employed the same technique-keeping the story unfinished. Thus she continued 1001 stories on 1001 nights. Finally the king changed his opinion and pardoned his wife.
During our school days stories of Alibaba, Sindbad,Allauddin and his magic lamp, Hatimtai, Gulbakawali and such other stories enchanted us. It seemed fantastic reading them. I doubt very much if today’s school children read these stories. Maybe only a few will be familiar with these names. Naturally, during our young age, there were many films also made on these stories.
These stories included Historical stories,love tales,tragedies.comedies,poems,eroticas,stories of Jinn,ghosts and apes,Sorcerers,magicians etc etc. places like Basara,Istanbul,Baghdad etc were frequently mentioned in these stories. A lot of films were made on different popular characters of Arabian Nights. Here is a short history of films made, it may not be complete but surely is an indicator of how the Indian film industry took advantage of readymade interesting stories. These stories were liked by not only children, but also millions of adults – like me, for example.
A cursory look at the Film Title Index-1913 to 2012 by Hamraz ji tells us that the most popular stories are on Allauddin, Alibaba and Sinbad as well as Gul E Bakavli, besides films on other not so well known characters. In the Silent film era, films on Alibaba were made in 1927 (2films), Allauddin in 1927 (2), 1928,1931 Sindbad in 1930(2) and Arabian Nights-1930. During the Talkie films, the first film on Alibaba was in 1932, then in 40,46,54(2),66,76,77,80 and 2004. On Aladdin in 35, 36, 39,41, 49,52 (2), 55, 57,58,66,78, 82(2). On Sindbad in 46(2),52(2),58,65 and 2000.
As always, the creative heads in the story departments of filmmakers invented titles like Alladin ka Beta, Alladin ki Beti, Aladdin and Laila. Similarly son and daughter were gifted to Alibaba and Sinbad and films made on them. The funniest title was ” Sindbad, Alibaba and Allauddin “-1965 ! On a quick check of HFGK entries for the 1940s decade we find that as many as 9 films were made in 1946 alone on these characters. Added were Baghdad ka chor, Hoor E Baghdad, Sher E Baghdad, Arab ka chand and Shah E Misr-in which actor Ajit debuted with his real name Hamid.
Most of these stories took place in the Middle East cities which were land locked. However, one character – Sindbad was a sailor and his stories of adventures and voyages to magical, strange and unbelievable places were mind boggling. He was equally popular as Alibaba and Allauddin.
Film Alibaba and 40 Thieves-1954 was made by Basant Pictures and it was directed by its owner Homi Wadia. The music was by the pair of S.N.Tripathi and Chitragupt. In his initial days, Chitragupt had been Tripathi’s assistant for a few years. He has also sung some songs under his baton. This film was first censored on 10-3-1954 as a B & W film. However, its colour version was again censored on 22-11-1956.
A Tamil remake of this film was made in 1956 by Basant pictures with local stars. S. Dakshinmoorthy had done the music orchestration of the Tamil songs which had used all tunes from its Hindi original. The cast of the Hindi film was Shakeela, Mahipal, B.M. Vyas, S.N.Tripathi, Maruti, Sharda Deulkar, Shalini, Ismail, Dalpat, Azeem, Sardar Mansoor and many more. The original story as appeared in “The Arabian Nights’ was adapted by J.B.H.Wadia, by changing its last part of events. His name is given as the Story Writer in the film credits. Finally, the story of the film was like this……..
Alibaba (Mahipal) lives in the city of Dil Pazir. His dancer friend Marjina (Shakila) notices that he pays great attention to his sister Salma (Shalini), after his elder brother Qasim (S.N.Tripathi) has usurped all his ancestral property. His friend Abboo (Maruti) loves Sitara (Sharda Deulkar), Salma’s companion.
When Alibaba goes to the jungle for wood cutting, he accidentally sees the dacoit Abu Hasan (B.M.Vyas) and notes the password to get into his cave of treasure. In the night, Alibaba quietly opens the cave door with the password and collects a lot of wealth and becomes rich. The cunning wife of his brother comes to know and gets him arrested. Margina cleverly gets Alibaba out of jail and they run away with Salma and Abboo.
Qasim goes into the cave, collects wealth but at the time of leaving forgets the password and is stuck inside. Abu Hasan comes and kills Qasim, severing his head from body. Alibaba sees this in his next visit to the cave and brings the dead body parts to his house. Marjina brings a blindfolded tailor who sews the body with the head. This news reached Abu Hasan. To corner and kill Alibaba, he visits his house as a Saudagar along with his 40 thieves hidden in sacks. Marjina recognises him and with the help of Sitara and Abboo, they throw all sacks in a deep valley killing all thieves. Then Marjina tries to kill Abu Hasan, but he tricks her and runs away with her to the hideout. In the climax, Alibaba rescues Marjina, kills Abu Hasan and in the end all is well.
Homi Wadia, the Director, was a man of principles. He separated from his brother on the issue of making the type of films and formed his own film company and studio – Basant Pictures. He was in love with his Heroine The Fearless Nadia. When his mother objected and opposed this marriage, he waited till the death of his mother in 1961 and then married Nadia, when they both were in their 50’s. Disgusted with the illegal strike in his studio, he closed his studio but did not compromise.
Homi Wadia (22 May 1911 – 10 December 2004) was a film director and producer in Bollywood (Hindi cinema). He was the co-founder of Wadia Movietone productions, established in 1933 and later after leaving Wadiatone, he founded Basant Pictures in 1942. In a career spanning five decades, he directed over 40 films, including Hunterwali (1935), Miss Frontier Mail (1936), Diamond Queen (1940) and fantasy film Hatim Tai (1956). He was also a founding member of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India, established in 1954. Homi Wadia was married to actress and stunt woman Fearless Nadia. Homi was the younger brother of JBH Wadia, who was himself a movie director.
Wadia was from a Parsi family, and his ancestors came from the shipbuilding family, Wadia family (Wadia Group) originally from Surat in Gujarat state of western India, which also built the British-wartime ship HMS Trincomalee (1817). His ancestors moved to Bombay in the 18th century. After completing his schooling, at age 16, he joined college for a day, but decided instead to join films, and started assisting his elder brother, director JBH Wadia.
Homi Wadia had a film career spanning 5 decades where he started as a cinematographer in Lal-e-Yaman (1933), the year he co-established Wadia Movietone with his elder brother JBH Wadia, film distributor Manchersha B. Billimoria, and brothers Burjor and Nadirsha Tata. However Tata brothers left the partnership within three years, the company continued production of film, documentaries and newsreels from its studios by Lowjee Castle, Mumbai, Wadia family mansion of his great grandfather Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia, a noted shipbuilder, who founded the Wadia Group in 1736. The company even had its logo as a ship, honouring their family legacy.
The last film made by the company was Raj Nartaki (1941) under the direction of Madhu Bose, thereafter V. Shantaram bought the studio in 1942 and established Rajkamal Kalamandir in the premises. Homi Wadia, who worked as a director of the company, went on to establish Basant Pictures in the same year, though initially as a film production house. Subsequently, he established a film studio under the same banner in 1947, which functioned till 1981. Eventually he progressed as an movie director, producer and also a drama actor and founded Basant Pictures (Basant Studios) Homi is particularly famous for his movies along with Nadia namely Hunterwali, Miss Frontier Mail and Hatim Tai. As a Director his first film was Veer Bharat-1934 and the last film was The Adventures of Allauddin-1979.
In 1981, he got into a labour dispute with union leader Datta Samant, unable to take on the dispute, he decided to quit filmmaking and closed down Basant Studios. He continued to live in Mumbai after his retirement. Even till late in his life, he remained active, and even after his wife Nadia died in 1996, he regularly visited Basant theatre in Chembur. He died at the age of 93, in Mumbai in 2004.
Today’s song is a comedy duet. Actor Maruti and Sharda Deulkar enacted this song on the screen. Interestingly, this song was also used again in the film Diler daku-1957 by Mohd. Shafi. Enjoy this song….
Song- Gadhon per baith kar hum shahar ke chakkar lagaayenge (Alibaba Aur chaalees chor)(1954) Singers-Rafi, Shamshad Begam, Lyricist- Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, MD – S.N.Tripathi – Chitragupt
Lyrics
gadhon par baith kar
hum shehar ke chakkar lagaayenge
ho hi isi kaabil
humen tumse mohabbat hai ye duniya ko bataayenge
ahahahaha
qurbaan jaun tumhaare bataane pe
dekho dekho hazur ye hai khatte angoor
aeji chhodo ye haath nahin aayenge
o meri jannat ki hoor
tu hai arabi khazoor
tere saaye mein zindagi bitaayege
dekho dekho huzoor
ye hain khatte angoor
aeji chhodo ye haath nahin aayenge
achcha lage hai mujhe o meri bulbul
gaana tera chahchahaana tera
achcha lage na mujhe
yoon peechhe peechhe aana tera
khilkhilaana tera
achcha lage na mujhe
yoon peechhe peechhe
aana tera
khilkhilaana tera
teri aankhen billur meethe meethe angoor
inhen sharbat banaake pi jaayege
dekho dekho huzur
ye hain khatte angoor
aeji chhodo ye hath nahin aayenge
o meri jannat ki hoor
tu hai arabi khazoor
tere saaye mein zindagi bitaayenge
bhoola nahin hai mujhe nazren jhuka kar
aana tera
muskuraana tera
mujhko bhi yaad hai pehla tamaacha
khaana tera
bhaag jaana tera
aahahahahawaah waah
mujhko bhi yaad hai pehla tamaacha
khaana tera
bhaag jaana tera
jo karegi guroor
hum ban ke langoor
tere koochhe me udham machaayege
dekho dekho huzoor
ye hain khatte angoor
aeji chhodo ye haath nahin aayenge
o meri jannat ki hoor
tu hai arabi khazoor
tere saaye mein zindagi bitaayenge
dekho dekho huzoor
ye hain khatte angoor
aeji chhodo ye haath nahin aayenge