1939 best songs

AKji,
First, let me wish you and everyone a happy Republic Day, a day that inspires us to be united and stronger for a brighter, inclusive and prosperous India.

Digressing from the main subject of the post, I would like to recall and share a few points.

I believe, the day was chosen to commemorate the proclamation of “Purna Swaraj” on 26th January 1930 by the INC, and the day was celebrated as Indian Independence Day for the next 17 years. As we all know, it was on this day, 76 years ago, India was declared a sovereign democratic republic state with the adoption of the constitution and the occasion invites more than ceremonial reflection. It demands a return to a foundational question: what does it mean to live in a republic? The answer cannot be exhausted by the absence of monarchy or just the regular conduct of elections. A republic rests on the principle that sovereignty resides with the people, and that political authority is exercised through institutions that enable participation, deliberation, and accountability. When sovereignty is acknowledged only at the moment of voting and suspended thereafter, the republic survives in form but weakens in substance. The challenge before the Indian republic is therefore not merely to protect elections or defend constitutional forms, but to confront a deeper question: can a system that excludes people from power continue to call itself democratic?

You have mentioned about the second world war under the heading “Fact File and Trivia”. I think it will not be inappropriate to mention another trivia here. When the war broke out in September 1939, the Viceroy of India followed Britain by declaring war on Germany. Offended that it had not been consulted before the declaration, the INC resigned from its provincial seats in protest. However a pleased Jinnah and his AIML proclaimed a “Day of Deliverance” from Congress. A very early version of “Congress Mukht Hindustan”!

Coming to the current post, “1939 best songs”; browsed through the post and gave a quick reading of your write-up. Out of the 80 films and 287/295 songs for which singers are known, you have culled out 51 songs from 20 films. (Are the listening links to all the 297 songs available?) The final write-up and the selection of songs must have entailed a lot of scanning and effort. You would have trawled through about thrice (atleast) the number of songs selected. You deserve a big kudos for the persistent and painstaking efforts in continuing the marathon series (15th year) of which 8 more laps are left.
For the past few years, I have not actively participated in the discussions on posts relating to the series. I wish and hope to come back after listening to the songs and reading the write-up at leisure.

AKji,
Thank you for your response.
I agree with your views mentioned in paragraph two and three of your response.
You wrote,
“There is some inaccuracy in your comment. Churchill had already declared War on the 3rd September 1939 on Germany. So Viceroy would have declared India’s participation in the War.”

Probably you meant Chamberlain. Upon the outbreak of WWII in September 1939, Churchill was brought out of his ‘wilderness’ and was made a member of the War Cabinet, reappointing him as the First Lord of Admiralty, by Chamberlain. Following the Norway disaster, Chamberlain lost a confidence vote and resigned on May 10, 1940 and Churchill was chosen to lead a new all-party coalition government as the Prime Minister.

Could, Lord Linlithgow, the then Viceroy of India, technically have avoided or delayed India’s immediate, unilateral entry in WWII? I feel, it was politically unlikely due to his role as a British imperial administrator. It was an imperial necessity. The imperial policy that dictated India’s Foreign and Defence Affairs were entirely controlled by London. Since the British government viewed India’s participation as mandatory for the war effort, viewing it as continuation of their control rather than collaborative effort, the Viceroy had to follow suit. It was a proclamation or official announcement and not a (independent) declaration. Thus, I will have to agree that there was “some” inaccuracy in my comment.

Just to see the chronology, the news that Britain was at war was broken by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in a 5 minutes broadcast at 11.15am BST (6:45 am IST) on Sunday, the 3rd September 1939. And at 8.30 p.m. IST on 3rd September 1939, the All India Radio stood by for a message from Lord Linlithgow. Speaking from his summer retreat in Simla, the viceroy tersely announced that His Majesty’s Government was at war with Germany — and so was India. Before making this announcement, the viceroy had consulted neither his Executive Council, nor the Central Legislative Assembly, nor yet any Indian leader. To him it was a foregone conclusion. And so began India’s Second World War. While Congress demanded independence in exchange for supporting war, Linlithgow sought unconditional support and did not pause to negotiate, making his unilateral action the catalyst for the subsequent events that unfolded on the political font in coming years.

AK ji,

It seems like the further back you are going into the Hindi Film Music scene, the less posts you are receiving from the readers. Forgive me for presenting the obvious, but I think there are three main reasons for it.

1. The sparsity of the knowledge base and the ready availability of the music from that era, makes it difficult to respond. Although, hats off to all those diehard YouTubers who dig out and upload the rarest of songs, giving us a glimpse of how it was. You are all incredible, well done!
2. For those of us who are stuck in the music of the Golden Era (I unashamedly plead guilty to that ), have experienced and been exposed to such a rich variety of music that, anything before, or after, that was/is considered to be – rightly or wrongly – insignificant. This music formed the background track, for those of us growing up in the 50s-60s, linking us to times, events, experiences, relationships and memories, that we cherish.
3. This third reason is being presented with tongue firmly in the cheek . Growing up in the 50s-60s, the music of the previous decade was considered to be ‘music of the parents’ – the previous generation. Just like every new generation, liking or being interested in anything of the older generation was considered highly damaging to one’s street-cred, and as such was never to be revealed or enjoyed in company

Having said all the above, I am deeply grateful that you’ve persevered, because from your articles of the 40s music I have discovered some real gems which has enhanced my listening experience no end. So, thank you very much for that. Please don’t be discouraged by the response.

As the saying goes ‘Time is the price you pay for Wisdom’. Better late then never.

Akji,
Subsequent to my last post, I would like to share some more information/details.

First on the silent movies;
I believe, production of silent movies in India stopped from 1935. In 1934, 8 silent films were released. ‘Shareef Badmash’ produced by Ganesh films and directed by Ata Mohammad was supposed to be the last silent film. ‘Niyoti’ produced by Aurora Cinema Company and directed by Jogesh Choudhury is recognized as the last silent film produced with Bengali sub titles. However, in 1939 a short, silent documentary picture, ‘Bhuler Fasal’, was produced by Jute Regulation Corporation and screened at the University Institute Hall, Calcutta.

In 1939, approximately 170-175 films were produced in India. As mentioned by you, eighty (80) of them were in Hindi. The rest were in other regional languages, the rough break up being,
Tamil – roughly 35-38
Bengali – around 24
Marathi, Telugu & Punjabi – roughly 10 each
Asamiya and Gujarati – 1 each

Of the 80 Hindi films only 4 are available in the public domain for viewing – Pukar, Aadmi, Dushman and Durga- all the four from well-known production houses Minerva Movietone (Bombay), Prabhat Film Co. (Poona), New Theatres (Calcutta) and Bombay Talkies (Bombay) respectively.

And 6 Tamil films (Santhanadevan, Thyagabhoomi, Prahlada, Rambaiyin Kaadalan, Santha Sukubai and Thiru Neelakandar), 5 Bengali Films (Adhikaar, Jiban Maran, Rajat Jayanti, Parasmani and Rikta), 2 Marathi films (Manoos and Devata) and 2 Telugu films (Malli Pelli and Vande Mataram)- in all 15 regional films are available for viewing.

5 of the Bengali movies were bi-lingual films – Adhikar(B)/ Adhikar (H- released in 1938), Bada Didi(B)/Badee Didi(H), Sapurhe(B)/Sapera(H), Jiban Maran(B)/Dushman(H) and Rukmini (B & H). The first four were produced by New Theatres and the last was by Debdutt film.

Similarly, 4 of the Marathi films were bi-lingual – Manoos (M)/Aadmi (H), Sant Tulsidas (M & H), Brandichi Batli (M)/ Brandy Ki Botal (H) and Sukhacha Shodh (M)/ Mera Haque (H). Prabhat Film Co., (Poona) and Ranjit Movietone (Bombay) were the respective producers of the first two films and the last two films were produced by Hans Pictures (Bombay).
If time permits, I will try to dive deeper to gather further details on these films.

AK ji,
My choices are
1. Best Female solo…..Film-Pukar, Singer Naseem Bano, Song- Zindgi ka saaz bhi kya saaz hai
2. Best Male solo- Dushman, Singer K.L.Saigal, Song- Karoon kya aas niraas bhayi
3. Best Duet….Film-Ghareeb ka laal, Singers Mirza Musharraf and Kamala Karnataki, song- Tuze Bibbo kahoon ki Sulochana
4. Best MD….Pankaj Mullick, Film- Dushman.
Thanks.
-AD

AK ji

Your clarifying context #7, for your zeal to go deeper into the Vintage Era of HFM, makes your endeavour take on a very noble and commendable outlook, making us even more appreciative of your efforts :

‘Kaam dene wale kaam saump kar chale gaye, lekin kaam karne wala apni dhun mein magan kaam kiye ja raha hai’ 🙂

Personally, with all the articles that you have already presented, I think you have more than adequately fulfilled your obligation. Whatever more you do, is very much a journey on the pleasure path of bonus. With the support of knowledgeable readers, like info-font Venkataraman ji and others, your journey will definitely not be a solo one.

For us, followers of your progress, who are quietly clapping from the sidelines, it is a pleasurable experience of learning without doing the actual hard work :-), so please carry on as long as you are still enjoying the safar.

AKji @ 10,

Thanks for endorsing the song Raahe maykhana bata dena mujhe koi………Bhar ke jaam pila (1936), as a Qawwali. Browsing through HFGK, between 1934 and 1935, I could notice atleast 20 songs mentioned as Qawwali or names like Pyaru Qawwal, Kaloo Qawwal, Bashir Qawwal, Azim Qawwal Agrewale etc. Now, I am not sure whether the songs are actually Qawwali.

You wrote,
“……….. But you have no comments on Shantarm”s New Theatres/KL Saigal-complex?”
“Shantaram seems to have a New Theatres (Calcutta) fixation.”

In my opinion, V. Shantaram’s “fixation” with New Theatres was less about a personal obsession and more a professional rivalry stemmed from New Theatres’ supremacy in the 1930s. This acted as a catalyst for his shift from ‘mythology/ historical /devotional” to socially relevant cinema, resulting in the pioneering social, Duniya Na Mane/ Kunku (1937). This was a gigantic leap. Thus I would say Shantaram’s ‘fixation’ had a positive effect, providing a healthy competition and leaving a permanent mark on the pages of film history and the audience.

You wrote,
“Shanta Ram also seems to have a KL Saigal-complex. Prabhat had some pretty good singers from Marathi Natya Sangeet/light classical background, but they did not create nation-wide sensation as KL Saigal did. If you look at the lyrics of this song, Shantaram trivialises Prem (love) which KL Saigal and Uma Shashi lifted to lofty heights in their duet Premnagar mein banaungi ghar main taj ke sab sansaar from Chandidas (1934).”

You have already answered the question. Before I stick my neck out, I would like to say all those good singers and musicians of Prabhat, like Govindrao Tembe, Master Krishnarao, Keshavrao Bhole and others were stalwarts in their own respective fields and I mean no disrespect to them. Having said that, not only Prabhat, none of the production houses of the 30’s and even 40s, had a singer who could come anywhere near Saigal’s singing prowess and hence his popularity. Shantaram could come up with a solution to address his “New Theatre fixation”, he was equipped, and he had the ability. But it was beyond anybody’s power and ability to find an answer to “Saigal-Complex”. Just Saigal is beyond that, you cannot equate others with him. Are there solutions over the complexes? Even if one finds one, the root to the solution too would be complex. You are the right person to address this question, not my area of comfort.

In the film, the song, “Premi premnagar mein jaanye” by Shanta Hublikar & Shahu Modak, occupies only 4 minutes of the ”entire filming within the film scene”, which lasts for roughly 14-15 minutes. In fact, Shantaram takes a swipe at Bombay Talkies and Devika Rani too, in the first part of this spoof. And Bombay Talkies, Prabhat Films and New Theatres were the top three production houses during this period. I would like to believe that Shantaram’s intentions were in a lighter vein. He creatively garnished his well-written script (to make it more vibrant), with the three unique songs you have mentioned and also the song “Ta Ra Ra Nav Nav” sung by Ram Marathe, where you find him doing a good balancing act (with the 7 cups). Here is the song;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1GCCixygTo

Answering your query,
“I couldn’t understand the reference to inspiration of O mrignayani. Which song?”

I posted the song (@9) “O Chandramukhi O Mrignayani” by Master Nissar, from the film Taqdeer Ki Tope (1939). I felt that this song may be the inspiration for the song “Mrignayni Chandramukhi” from Rang Birangi(1983) sung by Pandit Vasantrao Deshpande and Kumari Faiyyaz, music R D Burman.
You may not agree with me on this; but can it be labelled as a special song?

BTW, to set the record right, the song “Ata kashala udyachi baat” (the Marathi version of the song “”Ab kis liye kal ki baat”) too was a multilingual song. But the Telugu part mentioned in HFGK was missing in both Hindi and Marathi versions.

The lyrics for the songs of Brandy Ka Botal was written by Pt. Indra. You will find it towards the end of this clip with the song “Jhanda ooncha rahe hamaara.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC3kYZgFVCY

Finally, before I rest (as of now), let me post a song sung by Ram Marathe in 1969/70.
This Bhajan “Man paapi bhoola kaun ise samjhave” was originally sung in the film by Sundara Bai, Sahu Modak and Shanta Hublikar. At 07:25 of this clipping you will find Shantaram showing Ram Marathe how to do the balancing trick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mdGVJuLedg&list=RD4mdGVJuLedg&index=1

Rahulji @ 13,
Thank you for the additional information on the multi-faceted personality Acharya Prahlad Keshav Atre. Desiring to know more, I gathered that he is one of the most versatile and celebrated Marathi intellectuals. I explored further. I found that he is an extremely interesting personality and his contribution to the Marathi theatre and film industry is no less. It is really a pleasure to know about such persons and topics and share them with others. I will share my findings sometime later in the “open house section”.

It is interesting to note that the song “Yamuna jali khel khelu” from the film Bramhachari has a legacy too. Since it is a 1938 film, I reserve further discussion on the song and the film for the coming year.

Thank you once again

AKji,

Actually, there are 50 songs (and not 52) in your master list. No.33 and No. 50 are not actually songs. Out of the 50 songs, 16 are male solos, 23 female solos and 11 duets. I listened to the male solos and I do not find the necessity to look beyond the songs mentioned by you for making my choice.

There are two more male voices along with K L Saigal in the song “Man darpan hai jag sara” (#17). The opening lines Sitam the, zulm the, aafat the intezaar ke din, Hazaar shukar ke dekhenge ab bahar ke din” was sung by Dhumi Khan. The lines Ulti hai ye gyaanee duniya, dukh kaa dukh kaisaa” was rendered by Dhumi Khan or a second (unknown) male singer. Hence, I would prefer to shift this song to the Duets/ triads section.

Will you consider Ram Marathe’s song “Barjori karke sainya ne bainya marodi meri” (#2) as a male solo?

Since, we don’t know the name of the singer for the song Bhari hai aag matwale teri bottle ke pani mein (#11), I would not include it in my best 10.

Lastly, Jagmohan Sursagar’s song “Mujhe na sapnon se bahlao” is a NFS; can I consider it for inclusion in my choice of ten.

Seeking your opinion;

AK ji,
Thanks for a lovely post.
To be honest, I have heard only a few of the songs of the year 1939. Even with this big handicap I nominate the following:-

Best music director—Pankaj Mullick
(Remark: His compositions in Dushman and Kapalkundala are enough to make him the best for the year 1939, and also sufficient to make him one of the greatest music directors Indian cinema has ever seen.)

Best singer (male) – KL Saigal for his two Dushman songs:
Preet mein hai Jeevan…
Karoon kya aas…

It is a pity that award for best lyrics is not on offer in this series. Arzoo Lakhnavi would have been a very strong contender. When Saigal utters “आवाज़ की दुनिया के दोस्तों..” in the dialogue form before starting the rendition of the song प्रीत में है जीवन he is truly mesmerising. This line has thereafter been used in songs several times but never matched the beauty of this particular song.
Regards

Akji,

Listened to the female solos and it was an experience in itself, offering a rich fare. Before I list my preference, I would like to draw your attention to few points.

Similar to the Saigal’s song, “Man darpan hai jag sara” (#17), I find two male voices, besides that of Sardar Akhtar, in the song “He Ho Dhoye mahobe ghat, Dhobiya re dhobiya kaha kumharo” (#39) from the film Pukar. Ideally this can be shifted to duets/triads section.

I think Wahidan Bai rendered the song Mope daar gaye saari rang ki gagar (#15).

And the following two songs by Amirbai Karnataki missing in your master list.

Zara Nainon Se Naina milaye, Amirbai Karnataki, Gouri Shankar lal “Akhtar”, Shati Kumar Desai
https://www.saregama.com/song/zara-nainon-se-naina-milao_125803

Lag Chali Bade Saba, Amirbai Karnataki, Gouri Shankar lal “Akhtar”, Shati Kumar Desai
https://www.saregama.com/song/lag-chali-bade-saba_125798

You must have noticed, while posting my choice of best male solos, I missed mentioning the best male singer for the year. It is quite obvious that the choice is between K L Saigal and Pankaj Mullick. Setting aside my bias for K L Saigal, I would prefer to choose Pankaj Mullick.

I would post my best ten female solos and the best female singer for the year 1939 tonight.

AKji @ 30,

You wrote,
“Carrying forward the discussion from 19, Man tadpat hai jag sara: The picturisation is quite funny. It seems the audience is waiting for KL Saigal, in the meanwhile an unwelcome person comes to the mike and starts singing. Saigal pushes him away and he has to be physically pushed down with palm on his mouth. Saigal then starts with “Aawaz ki duniya ke dosto (this too), apologises for his delay and starts the song. In this background, I would put this too in solo category.”

Mohan (Saigal), a popular radio singer, comes late as usual, and his boss decides to fire him and asks another singer (in waiting), Moti to take his place. Now Mohan comes, hoodwinks and dodges his boss, and enters the broadcasting studio, just when the interlude was being played by the orchestra. Then “what you wrote” follows. But that is not the end of the story.

After Mohan finishes his first stanza with
“Man andhiyaaraa, jag andhiyaaraa,
Man darapan hai jag saaraa,
Aa ha aaha haa haa haa haa”

And when the interlude was playing, Mohan requests one of the (two) cello players to come to the microphone and sing. And thus we can hear the second male voice (or may be Dhumi Khan again) singing
“Ulti hai ye jaani duniyaa,
Dukh kaa dukh kaisaa,
Ulti hai ye jaani duniyaa,
Dukh kaa dukh kaisaa,
Dukh kaa dukh kaisaa”

Moti, trying to get up in protest, was again pushed down to his seat by Mohan. Then Mohan takes over and continues to sing and the song comes to an end with the lines,
“Aankho me til jaise kaalaa,
Rup andheraa,
Rup andheraa kaam ujaaraa,
Man darpan hai jag saaraa”

No, I am not trying to convince you to treat this song as a duet/ triad. I was recreating the entire scene to give a complete picture. You are justified in treating this song as a solo for two reasons. Since we are discussing the song which starts with the line “Man darpan hai saara”, we can separate roughly the first 58 seconds from the clip. Actually Mohan can be heard saying that he will be presenting a new song. The lines sung by the “second/other singer” takes only 17 seconds of the whole song. And here I come to my second and more important reason. Yes, I said the whole song. Actually, there is one more antara, which is not in the clip nor it is there in the edited/ shortened (1 hour and 15 minutes) version of the film. It appears that this antara is not there in the record too. But it is there in the original sound track. Here are the lines of this antara;
“Beri gaaye kaise soye,
Beri gaaye kaise soye,
Kaam kiye din naahi hoye,
Moorakh,
Dukh ki naiyaan aur khevaiyaa,
Aap ki naiyaan apani naiyaa,
Jaal uthaa le maajhi ban jaa,
Jaal uthaa le maajhi ban jaa,
Wo hai kinaaraa ye hai dhaaraa,
Wo hai kinaaraa ye hai dhaaraa”

And here is link to the song in entirety. Please copy the link and paste it in the URL bar/ address bar
http://hindi-films-songs.com/klsaigal/kundanlalsaigal/Audio/Dushman_1939-KLS&Others-SitamThe-ManDarpanHai-Arzoo_PankajMullick.mp3

This was only a ’surgical invasive investigation’ to confirm that indeed this was a male solo. And you decision tilts the scale heavily in favour of Saigal. And I am quite happy about it.

Coming back to my personal choice of best male Solos of the year, they will be in order as follows: 1.) Piya Milan Ko Jaana by Pankaj Mullick. Tipping his hat off to his great compatriot Himangshu Dutta’s song “Notun Phagune Jabe” in the first line, Pankaj da created an everlasting gem. My No.1 male solo of the year.
2.) Karoon Kya Aas Niras by KL Saigal: Pankajda’s sublime and divine tune gets Saigal’s magical tonal treatment!
3.) Mujhne Na Sapno Se Behlao by Jagmohan: Kamal Dasgupta- Jagmohan duo showed that visuals aren’t needed if the music is so so good.
4.) Ban Chale Ram Raghurai by Vishnupant Pagnis: Tukaram meets Gyan Babu. Apart from the fantastic tune, the orchestration is top notch too- wonderfully capturing both the movement and the blissfulness of Lord Rama’s journey to the jungle.

These 4 songs are among the all time great songs of our music. The others, though not falling in all time great category, are excellent songs nonetheless. The remaining six are-
5.) Bhai Hum Pardesi by Anilda: Bangla folk touch which is so well handled by Anilda that it has influenced countless others from Ravi to Reshammiya.
6.) Yaad Teri Aayi By Gyan Dutt from Nadi Kinare: Energetic and soulful number by Gyan Da. This one too carries the essence of Bangla folk in it.
7.) Aaram Kahan Hai by Kantilal: Kantilal was among our better- actor Singers from the Vintage era. Here he delivers a moving performance in this nicely tuned Gyan da number in Raag Bhairavi.
8.) Sawan Aye Ya Na Aye by Harish from Sadhana: Anupam Ghatak, along with Himangshu Dutta, were two giants of first generation of Bangla film and non- film composers, who while working mostly in Bengali, left an indelible mark on the music of our sub- continent. Their other contemporaries in New Theatres trio of Boral, Mullick & Baran, Anil Biswas, Kamal Dasgupta, Gyan Dutt and later SD Burman, all worked heavily in Hindi and played a Seminal role in development of Hindi popular music. Ghatak and Dutta didn’t do much work in Hindi, but some if it truly stands out. This is just an example of the same.
As for the Naushad connection, Naushad Saab was an ardent admirer of Anupam Ghatak and had hailed him as a genius on record. His Dil Diya Dard Liya number is a tribute from one Master to another.
9.) Yun Dard Bhare by Pankaj Mullick: Kapal Kundala’s second Pankajda sung song may not have Piya Milan ko Jaana’s popularity, but is a solid number nonetheless.
10.) Preet Mein Jeevan by KL Saigal: This Saigal- Mullick ditty selects itself. Doesn’t it?

For the ten best Duets of the year, my choices are as follows (only first two are in order, rest aren’t in any): 1.) Mohe Tum Bin Ye Jalsa Suhaye Na: Group Song from Jawani Ki Reet. Very bouncy & inventive stuff by RC Boral with folkish touches!
2.) Duniya Deewani by Sitara, Kantilal & others from Nadi Kinare: Gyan Dutt doles out a supremely Energetic and youthful number while staying traditional!

Others in no order: 3-4) Radha Radha Pyari Radha & Kyon Baje Hriday Veena Ke Taar from Kangan: Ramchandra Pal’s tuned Duets played a big role in making both Kangan a smash Hit of the year as well as making the pairing of Leela Chitnis- Ashok Kumar a very popular one!
5.) Main Toh Aarti Utaron Radheshyam by Pradeep & Leela Chitnis from Kangan: Pradeep Ji re-used it years later in Jai Santoshi Maa in a modified form!
6-7.) Chhalke Ras Ki Gagariya & Mujhe Mil Jayegi Unki from Ek Hi Raasta: Anilda delights with two fine Duets which score high on innovative percussion, strong preludes, mood & tune changes in between and musical phrasing!
8.) Madhur Chitra Banayen by Surendra & Maya Banerjee from Comrades: The first spoken word experiment in front of almost all Mukhda lines is a wonderful touch by Anilda. The tune is charming too! So is the prelude!
9.) Sajan Nikle Chor from Nadi Kinare: The contrasting styles of Indubala and Rajkumari are brought together superbly by Gyan da in this attractive number. Gyan da himself joins in as a singer, enlivening the proceedings even further!
10.) Chamke Poonam Ke Chand by Surendra and Miss Bibbo: A popular duet of its time by a popular pair which retains its charm even now. Good work by Anupam Ghatak.

Special Mentions: 11.) Mere Man Ki Bagiya Phooli by Vasanti & Vishnupant Pagnis: A Hit number from Gyan Dutt from the superhit Sant Tulsidas.
12.) Chali Mori Naiya Nadi Kinare from Punjab Mail: Sedate but endearing duet by MD Master.

Akji,
A total of 11 duets are included in your provided list. Two songs (#4 & #25), -“Premi premnagar mein jaanye” and “Tujhe Bibbo Kahun ki Sulochana” are already up in the special section (@5 & @2). Both the songs are in lighter vein. And so is the song “Buddhi ghodi laal lagaam, ye sabzapari, main hun gulfaam, ji ji ji” (#9). I am not inclined to include it in the list of best duets.

After pondering at length, we have agreed to consider the Saigal’s song, “Man darpan hai jag sara” (#17) as a male solo. Similarly, in the song “He Ho Dhoye mahobe ghat, Dhobiya re dhobiya kaha kumharo” (#39), in three places totalling 50 to 55 seconds, you can hear male voice. This Bhojpuri folk number, (with a subtle eroticism) a typical Dhobi Ghat song, is well rendered by Sardar Akhtar. Can we treat it as a duet? Well, I’m keeping this song off the list, too.

No doubt, “Man paapi bhoola kaise ise samjhave” (#3) and “Jaag jag…Meethi neend se jara” (not in your master list) – both the devotional songs were beautifully rendered by Sundara Bai. Sahu Modak has a nominal presence as a co-singer in both the songs. In the first songs he hardly sang for 15 to 20 seconds and in the next one he sings for 35 seconds. So they are mainly Sundari Bai’s songs. For now, I am treating all the above mentioned songs as “special songs”, unless otherwise advised.

That leaves me with seven duets, which I am listing in order of preference.

1. Madhur milan ka chitra banaayein – Maya Banerji and Surendra, Comrades, lyrics Dr Safdar Aah, music Anil Biswas
2. Aan basey pardes sajanwa – Jyoti and Surendra, Comrades, lyrics Dr Safdar Aah, music Anil Biswas
3. Chamke poonam ko poonam ka chaand dariya mein – Surendra & Bibbo, Ladies Only, lyrics Zia Sarhadi/ Pt. Indra, music Anupam Ghatak
4. Aao jhoola jhoolein Kanha Jamuna ke teer – Meenakshi Shirodkar and Vasant Eric, Brandy Ki Bottle, lyrics Pt. Indra, music Datta Chandekar
5. Duniya diwani duniya diwani – Sitara Devi and Kantilal and chorus, Nadi Kinaare, lyrics PL Santoshi, DL Madhok, music Gyan Dutt
6. Aaye piharwa aaye aaye – Bibbo and Surendra, Ladies Only, lyrics Zia Sarhadi/ Pt. Indra, music Anupam Ghatak
7. Chhalke ras ki gagariya bhaari – Anil Biswas & Wahidan Bai, Ek Hi Rasta, lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Anil Biswas

The remaining three slots may be filled out of the following four songs.

Radha Radha Pyari Radha – Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani, Kangan, lyrics Kavi Pradeep, music Saraswati Devi

Dol Rahi hai desh ki naiyya paar utaro he bhagwaan – Vatsala Kumthekar & Master Mohammad, Hurricane special, lyrics Pandit Phani/B P Mathur, music Master Mohammad

Tu raam bhajan kar praani – Vishnupant Pagnis, Vasanti & Ram Marathe
Sant Tulsidas, lyrics Pt. Indra, music Gyan Dutt

Eid ki saaten mubaarak hon – Hafiz Khan Mastana, Naseem Bano & Miss Sheela, Pukar lyrics Kamal Amrohi, music Mir Sahib

Akji @44,
Thank you for clarifying.
So,
The song “He Ho Dhoye mahobe ghat, Dhobiya re dhobiya kaha kumharo” goes out of my list of duets.
Ok, “Man paapi bhoola kaise ise samjhave”, “Jaag jag…Meethi neend se jara”- Both songs can be considered as duets.
And,
The songs “Premi premnagar mein jaanye” and “Tujhe Bibbo Kahun ki Sulochana” are back in the list of duets.

Hope I am not getting on your nerves. Well, I’m not adding any more duets to the seven I mentioned earlier (@43). Both Raunakjoy and I have mentioned a few songs which were not in your master list. Whether they are worthy of inclusion is up to you. We will await your selection.

Before I proceed to the last part—the best music director(s)—I would like to add some interesting information relevant to the year 1939. That is all for now.

AKji,
In 1939, 49 music directors provided the score for 75 Hindi films. No credits were found for the music directors of five films.

The following music directors scored music for at least three films – Gyant Dutt (5), Anupam Ghatak (5), Bhagatram Batish (4), Damodar Sharma (4), Pankaj Mullick (3), Shankar Rao Vyas & Lallubhai Nayak (3) and Madhulal Damodar Master (3). Saraswati Devi also scored music for three films, one in collaboration with Ram Chandra Pal. Besides the three films he scored with Shankar Rao Vyas, Lallubhai Nayak independently composed music for one other film.

The above are in terms of numbers.

I am posting my list of best music directors for the year 1939 (in order of preference) –
Pankaj Mullick
Gyan Dutt
Mir Saheb
R C Boral and
Anil Biswas

As I take my leave, I wish you and all members of the SoY fraternity a happy and joyous Holi.

Akji,
You wrote,
“Arunkumar Deshmukh states that the first film shot abroad (Africa) was “Inside Africa (1939) and not Naaz (1954) as wrongly mentioned by HFGK.”

Here are some details I gathered about this film “Afrika Mein Hind (1939)”. I hope you’ll bear with me, and patiently go through it, as it is a lengthy write-up.

Neither the clippings of its songs nor the film itself is available. But I remembered reading about it in a Bengali book penned by Hirendranath Basu (Hiren Basu) some time back. I managed to find the book and go through it again. Basu’s recollections of his experience are important since they will serve as the only surviving (written) record of the first Indian production team travelling to Africa for outdoor shooting. Thus the book “Bane Jangale” (in the forest, in the jungle) (published by Deb Sahitya Kutir, Kolkata – 1963) transcends the ordinary, descriptive features of standard travelogues.

How did this come about? Two individuals—one a political leader infused with national pride and patriotism, the other an undaunted filmmaker—came together to create cinematic history. First, a few points regarding the two…

Though a versatile filmmaker, Hirendra Nath Basu (1903 – 1987)—better known as Hiren Bose—was more prominently associated with music in Bengali and Hindi films. In the first full-length Bengali talkie, “Hrishir Prem” (1931), Hiren Bose acted opposite Kanan Devi in the lead role. He was also the film’s music director (with Dhiren Das), songwriter, and singer. That same year, he sang the title song for “Jore Barat” while remaining off-camera, and the lead character, Joynarayan Mukhopadhyay, lip-synced the song in front of the camera. For more information on Hiren Bose, see Arunji’s write-up.
https://www.facebook.com/uniquemusicworld2021/posts/remembering-shri-hiren-bose-full-name-hirendra-kumar-bose-born-26-september-1903/1129092765912681/

A key nationalist leader from Mahakoshal (region around Jabalpur), Seth Govind Das ji (1896- 1974) played a significant role in India’s freedom struggle and post-independence politics. He was an active member of the Indian National Congress (INC) from 1920. He was imprisoned five times for a total of eight years. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Indian Constitution. After release from jail in 1933, Govind Das ji, belonging to a Maheshwari merchant family, gave up his claims over his patriarchal property, so earning a livelihood was a question before him. During the period he spent in the prison, Govind Das ji had written a large number of plays. So he decided to publish some, stage some and make films upon some. A lot of literary figures were attracted to films during this period. Well-known writers like Munshi Premchand and Bechan Sharma”Ugra” were prominent among them.

Most of his time was now spent in Bombay. Govind Das ji held talks with a lot of companies but somehow things did not work out. In the end he himself formed a film company, Adarsh Film Limited, with a capital investment of Rs. 2.5 lakhs. Marwaris of Bombay purchased shares worth Rs. 1 lakh. He appointed himself as managing agent with monthly payment Rs. 500. The work pertaining to the company could not commence due to 1934 elections. After the elections, Govind Das ji along with Pt. Dwarka Prasad Mishra again came to Bombay. Mishra ji too was taken as managing agent as well as in the Board of Directors of the company. Two films were made under the banner Adarsh Film Ltd. – “Dhuwaandhaar” (1935) and “Dalit Kusum” (1936). But despite heavy investment and hard work put in by each member of the production team, it failed to attract audience and failed at the box office.

“Trader Horn” (1931), a non-documentary film, pioneered on-location African filmmaking and triggered a surge of similar jungle-themed productions, including “Tarzan the Ape Man” in 1932. Following the 1930s Tarzan trend, Wadia Movietone produced successful Indian Tarzan films (1937-1938), which were set in Africa but produced domestically to manage budget constraints.

After directing the 1938 Telugu film “Bhakta Jaydev”, director Hiren Basu visited Delhi in October of that year, where he met Seth Govind Das. Govind Das told Basu that Western narratives, exemplified by the 1931 film “Trader Horn”, falsely credit Europeans with being the first to contact African tribes. In reality, Indian traders from Kathiawar pioneered this contact, exchanging goods like spices for African resources, a history often overlooked due to poor documentation. Hiren Basu accepted Seth Govind Das’s challenging offer to direct a film on Indian-African connectivity and returned to Calcutta. Following fundraising and preparations, Basu received a telegram on 22nd December to reach Bombay by 2nd January 1939, with the team scheduled to sail for Mombasa on 31st January 1939, marking a significant, pioneering project.

On January 31, 1939, Bose’s entire crew sailed for Mombasa. The team included cameraman Sudhir Basu, PA Ashwini Mitra, sound engineer Paritosh Basu, assistant director S Banerjee, sound recordist Jagtap, lead actor Balasaheb Nandrekar, and actresses Urmila Devi Gupta and Vidya Devi Sharma.

The production began filming immediately on the deck and included additional shooting during a short stop at Seychelles Island. After arriving in Mombasa, Hiren Bose’s unit travelled more than 6,000 km across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Congo, covering Masai Mara, Serengetti and other forest and mountainous regions.

While in Arusha, Basu witnessed a group of Japanese individuals denied accommodation at a “Europeans-only” hotel and forced to wait in an open field. They had contacted the Japanese government in Tokyo to report the harassment. By the following morning, the hotel management had reversed their decision and allowed the Japanese group to stay, highlighting a contrast between the assertive actions of an independent nation and the helpless situation of colonial subjects.

While filming in Thika, Basu’s team encountered a well-equipped Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) crew, causing his cameraman, Sudhir, to feel disheartened by the stark difference in production quality and resources. Despite this, Assistant Director Banerjee boosted morale by highlighting that their own skill and bravery allowed them to compete on a global scale with less than one percent of MGM’s resources. Bose’s crew braved significant obstacles, including being denied train tickets due to racial segregation, forcing them to travel by road. During filming in the Banagi Hills, they captured dramatic, dangerous footage of lions, witnessed extreme exploitation of natives by Hollywood crews, and suffered the loss of a staff member to kidnapping. Ultimately, the team completed the shoot through sheer determination and grit, overcoming significant logistical difficulties and returned to India sometime in the first week of March 1939. Although India in Africa (1939) failed commercially and is now a forgotten footnote, Hiren Bose’s book acts as a lasting tribute that documents the brave and forward-thinking spirit of early Indian cinema’s pioneers.