This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
In the month of January, I had visited Hyderabad-my home town after a gap of about 6 years and I was quite excited about meeting close relatives and school/college friends. I had been in touch with them from Mumbai. They contacted me when I reached Hyderabad and settled down. We decided to meet for Lunch at an appointed day at one of our favourite clubs-Fateh Maidan Club. It was going to be a reunion for 6 friends, including me. Everyone was excited about this meeting. On the appointed day I reached the club at about 12.30 pm. All my fiends-5 of them- were waiting for me. After embracing each other, they all sprang a surprise on me and there appeared my 6th friend, who was not in the pre decided list. He too was from our group, but had settled down in US. He had come to Hyderabad just the previous day and he was invited to meet me . We met after about 20 years and were extremely happy to revive nostalgic memories.
Many of you might have experienced such nostalgic surprises in your life. And you know how happy one can become. Similar experience came to me here in Mumbai, about 10 days back. No, not any long lost friend,but……
I was casually browsing though the HFGK, for the 50’s decade and looking at film songs already posted on the Blog. Suddenly, my eyes fell on a song which was very melodious with a catchy tune. It was a song that was quite popular in those days. I was surprised to find that this was not yet posted on the Blog. I played that song and believe me,I truly enjoyed all the nostalgia the song generated-old time memories, viz. how I bunked school to see this film. If this song was not posted, I thought,there could be some more such old time Gems still remaining ‘ Un posted ‘. With this thought, I started going through all the film songs one by one. Lo and Behold ! Believe me,actually I found more than 25 such songs,which were famous, melodious, special songs and songs with some significance. Somehow these songs had escaped the searching eyes of our contributors(including Atul ji,of course) and me too ! Finding these songs brought back forgotten memories and joys.
We are starting a New Series from today- “MISSING GEMS FROM THE GOLDEN 50s “, presenting to you some of these ‘Un posted’ beauties. I am sure Some of you will feel nostalgia with some songs and really enjoy them once again.
The first song in this series is a very peppy dance item performed by Shyama in the film ‘ SHRIMATI JI-1952 ‘. For the film industry, 1952 was a notable year, because it was from this this year that the regional censor boards were abolished and only one central board was to operate for India. The industry was facing various challenges like too many flops causing a slump in the finance for films. Music played a saviour for films made on weak storylines, like ” Daag” for example. Good story unsupported by popular music did not save films like ‘Aandhiyan’ or ‘Mr. Sampat'(made on R K Narayan’s story.),whereas good music alone gave a Golden Jubilee run to ‘Aan’ and a Diamond Jubilee to ‘Baiju Bawra’. 1952 also saw films like Yatrik, Ratnadeep, Vidyasagar and Chhoti Maa from the Eastern sector. It was during this year that Bimal Roy shifted to Bombay to start his own production company.
Thus music became the soul of a film in those days. Excellent and melodious music from flop films did not get that much attention, ulike ordinary songs from successful films. But what is Good is Good for ever, wherever it is. In this series, we will discuss and enjoy a few such Gems.
Today’s song is sung by Shamshad Begum and it is composed by Jimmy. He is one of those little known composers who never got fame or name in spite of their Talents. His real name was JAMES SINGH. he was a Christian Sikh from Ludhiana. He was educated in Delhi. He started his career in Hindi films as a singer in Chorus. he could play many western instruments, especially all types of Guitars. When he failed as a singer, he became assistant to many composers.He finally got his chance to compose a few songs for film ‘Muqaddar-50′.Khemchand Prakash and Bhola Shreshtha were the other composers of this movie. He composed two duets of Asha and Kishore. The credit of teaching ” Yodelling ” to Kishore kumar goes to Jimmy. Kishore ‘yodelled ‘ for the first time in this film.
Jimmy then gave music to 12 more films like, Shrimati ji, Smuggler, Awara Shehzadi, Sher e Baghdad, Nek Khatoon, Pathan, Miss chaalbaz ,Tarzan and Gorilla, Duniya hai dilwalon ki, Tarzan in fairy land, Khoon aur sazaa and his last film, Sachhi Ibadat-1987. Inspite of giving sweet and melodious songs of severeal genres, Jimmy never came upto A class. He always remained a composer for C grade films. Anyway, as long as Kishore’s yodelling is heard, Jimmy’s name will be remembered. In today’s song also, Jimmy has done the Yodelling. Note the similarity with Kishore’s yodelling.
The cast of Shrimati ji was Nasir Khan, Shyama, Ram Singh, Murad, Vimla, Indira, Prabha, Johar, Majnu etc. This was a film by Filmistan and was directed by I.S.Johar, who wrote the story and screenplay also with Rama Johar, wife of I S Johar at that time and who became famous as Rama Bains- the fitness expert and TV personality later on.
In 1949, Ek Thi Ladki was also written by Johar with screenplay too. That was the time when Johar and Majnu acted together for the first time. The film and the pair’s acting became so famous that not only Roop K Shorey but also Johar lived through rest of their lives using the same basic story with alterations here and there. Shorey considered the pair of Johar and Majnu as his Mascot and featured them in almost every film he made after that.
I S Johar wanted to become a famous pair with Majnu on the lines of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Johar-Majnu usually copied their costumes and styles in films. What’s more this pair even copied the ‘Yogi dance’ of Hope-Crosby in the movie Hum sab chor hain’-56. Johar produced a series of “Road films”- Johar Mehmood in Goa, Johar in Kashmir, Johar in Bombay, Johar mehmood in Hong kong. Senior readers will probably remember the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby film series of ” Road to Singapore, to Zanzibar, to Morocco, to Utopia, to Rio, to Bali and Road to Hong kong ” all films from 1940 to 1962. So much for Johar’s ‘originality’ !
Majnu-original name- Harold Lewis- was a successful comedian Hero in Lahore before Partition. Along with Shorey, Vinod and others, he too migrated to India and worked with Shorey till his end.
Johar’s story was a One Line one-‘ an innocent beautiful damsel in distress is first cheated and later saved by a pair of crooks.’ This formula was used even in Shrimati ji with some variations. This was SHYAMA’s first film as a Heroine. The story of Shrimati ji-52 was..
Beautiful Indira is an orphan. This chubby, smiling girl looks innocent but is street smart. She and her 3 friends named Fatty, Shorty and Tally, try several ways to earn money but fail every time and keep running further into debts. They want to earn honestly and be independent. Indira tries her luck even in a village, but fails. While returning to Bombay she meets a crook, Jeewan who not only gives her a lift, but also takes her to a Hotel for dinner. There is a Police raid on the hotel and to save her from police, Jeewan introduces her as his wife. He takes out some photos also. Later in the night Indira resists his advances and escapes from there, only to fall prey to a pair of crooks dealing in counterfeit notes. She manages to wriggle out.
Finally she and her friends get a job in a hotel as dancers. She meets Rajesh and his three friends who also worked there earlier. They fall in love and decide to get married. He takes her to his house. To her horror she recognises the place as the same Hotel where Jeewan had brought her and the ‘Hotel manager’ is none other than Rajesh’s father.Agitated,Indira tells Rajesh everything, but he does not believe her. He leaves her and to forget her, he joins the secret service of Army. He is sent to Burma border where he has to bust the efforts of a gang who would pass on secret maps to enemy. Madam Chitra and her troupe is there to help them. Rajesh recognises that Chitra is Indira. He is caught by the enemy, but Indira and her friends rescue him. Together they bust the gang and arrest them. The gang leader in Jeewan,who is caught red handed.
Rajesh-Indira and their three friends too get married happily in the end.
Enjoy this missing gem from 1952.
Song-Ae baabu o baabu ji main na karoon teri naukri (Shrimatiji)(1952) Singer-Shamshad Begam, Lyrics-Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, MD-James Singh
Chorus
James Singh
Lyrics
deera dora dum dum dum dum
deera dora dum dum dum dum
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
kis kis ko main raazi karoon
bhajan sunaaun
ya ghazal sunaaun
ya geet sunaaun
ya main mar jaaun
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
chhoti badi (?) maine gaaya
haaye inhone shor machaaya
kaaya ka pinjra dulaaya
inko taras na aaya
balma ko jhoola jhulaaya
inhone humko bhagaaya
sharam nahin aaya
aaya ja
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karu teri naukri
theatre mein tere baithhe hain budhhe
(cough cough)
theatre mein tere baithe hain budhhe
khaanse aur chillaayen
kahen haath mein maala lekar
jap lo jap lo
ae ji jap lo jap lo
seeta raam seeta raam raadhe shyaam raadhe shyaam
seeta raam seeta raam raadhe shyaam raadhe shyaam
seeta raam seeta raam raadhe shyaam raadhe shyaam
mar gayi raam mar gayi raam
mujhe bacha lo seeta raam
kis kis ko main raazi karoon
bhajan sunaaun
ya ghazal sunaaun
ya geet sunaaun
ya main mar jaaun
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
theatre mein tere baithhe jawaan
haath mein cigarette
theatre mein tere baithhe jawaan
haath mein cigarette
munh mein paan
kehte hain
suno suno
suno meri jaan
ban jaao tamancha jaan
sanwariya ne haaye mohe bada dukh deena
sanwariya ne haaye mohe bada dukh deena
pankh jo hote to main udd kar jaati
pankh jo hote haaye
pankh jo hote to main udd kar jaati
theatre mein tere babuwa
kabhi bhi na aati
sanwariya ne haaye mohe bada dukh deena
sanwariya ne haaye mohe bada dukh deena
mera naam tamancha jaan
kalkatte waali
kis kis ko main raazi karoon
bhajan sunaaun
ya ghajal sunaaun
ya geet sunaaun
ya main mar jaaun
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
theatre mein tere genlteman
baithhe hain hokar bechain
wo maangta hai ramba samba
ramba samba samba
hum jaanta hai ramba samba
ramba samba samba
laung ilaichi ?? chhalle
ilaichi ne mara jhuppi
laungng bechara rone laga
haye ilaichi dubbi
od layi ee
lai
od leiyyi ee
od laiyyee ee
laiyye
kis kis ko main raazi karoon
ghazal sunaaun
ya geet sunaaun
ya bhajan sunaaun
ya main mar jaaun
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
yeah ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
yeah
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
yeah
ae baabu o baabuji
main na karoon teri naukri
