The SOY Award for the Best Solo by the ‘Other’ Female Singers for 1956 goes to?
My Overview Post on the best songs of 1956 indicates ‘other’ female singers sang at least two and half times of solo songs than Lata Mangeshkar. Those songs include some everlasting songs; even a most biased Lata Mangeshkar-fan cannot ignore these songs. After the overview post, Wrap Up-1 about the best male solos of 1956; Wrap Up-2 about the best female solos of Lata Mangeshkar, it is time to post the Wrap Up-3 about the best solos by other female singers.
Readers’ views:
I am happy that many readers have participated in my exercise, though some have expressed their views against ranking. Some have also said that any categorisation per se is pejorative. I can relate it to modern article of faith in the school education system, which bans any attempt to declare ranks or separate the sections on the basis of very good and not so good students. This is traumatic to the impressionable kids – the theory goes. How the pedagogy changes from generation to generation! I remember the days when teachers preferred separation of students based on their ability – it led to better imparting of education, the theory went those days. I respect both the views, but to my mind it is more equitable to have two lists.
Mahesh Joshi chooses Ae dil mujhe bata de by Geeta Dutt from Bhai Bhai as the Best Solo by Other Female Singers. This has also been endorsed by Anup, Rahul Bhagwanrao Muli. He adds two more song as his favourites: Kahin pe nigaahein kahin pe nishana; and Thandhi thandhi saawan ki phuhar piya khidki khuli mat chhodo by Asha Bhosle from Jaagte Raho. I couldn’t agree with him more that it is an underrated gem. Arunkumar Deshmukh chooses Bade bhiaya laye hain London se chhori, dila do humein bhi dulhan gori gori by Asha Bhosle from Ek Hi Rasta as the “Best Female Solo”. If he means the combined best, this choice appears quite unusual. Raunak Joy has given a list of ten best solos by other female singers, in order. The first position is occupied by Hai ye duniya kaun si by Geeta Dutt from Sailab, composed by her brother Mukul Roy. This song did not figure in the long list in my Overview Post. At the second position is Boojh mera kya naam re by Shamshad Begum from CID, composed by OP Nayyar. Other famous songs are sprinkled in his list; the unknown songs getting the same importance. Venkataraman ji also gives his list of best ten, but it is more conventional. His best is Ae dil mujhe bata de tu kispe aa gaya hai.
Ashok Kumar Tyagi’s choice for the best by other female singers is Kahin pe nigahein kahin pe nishana by Shamshad Begum from CID.
With this summary I am ready with the list of Best Solos by Other Female Singers, and Special Songs.
Special Songs
1. Bade bhiya laye hain London se chhori, dila do humein bhi dulhan gori by Asha Bhosle & chorus from Ek Hi Rasta (1956), lyrics Majrooh Sultanuri, music Hemant Kumar
This is a fun song sung by Asha Bhosle and others for a group of children, led by Baby Naaz, a top child actor of her time. The group of children is walking like a marching band with a variety of toy musical instruments. The kids are dressed as boy and girl scouts. Overall, it is nice picturisation. All this must have impressed our Arunji so much that he chose it as the Best Female Solo of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvLPsKqqOUI&list=RDfvLPsKqqOUI&start_radio=1
2. Duniya kya hai dekh zara by Geeta Dutt from Ghulam Begum Badshah (956), lyrics Indivar, music Sudipt
The music director Sudipt was an unknown person till I took up the review of the bests songs of 1956. I had cited his qawwali by a professional qawwal Ismail Azad & Party from the film Taaj Aur Talwar among Special Songs in the overview post. N Venkataraman took it upon himself to find out other details about Sudipt. Raunak Joy has mentioned this song among the Other Female Solos. I have started liking Geeta Dutt’s even unknown songs in 1956. I find Duniya kya hai dekh zara quite melodious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3okXMz8_A&list=RD5H3okXMz8_A&start_radio=1
3. Maine jo li angadai by Haridhan, Sandhya Mukherjee and others from Jaagte Raho (1956), lyrics Shailendra, music Salil Chowdhury
This song comes at an important point in the movie when a completely sozzled Motilal comes home to his sati savitri wife, Sumitra Devi, and asks her to sing a song for him. She sings a sedate light classical song (sung beautifully by Asha Bhosle), Thandhi thandhi saawan ki phuhaar re. Motilal scolds her, Ye kya bhajan gana shuru kar diya. Then he plays an LP of an English song, and she with great reluctance changes dress and starts singing a westernized tune in the voice of Sandhya Mukherjee. I guess Haridhan is the guy singing the meaningless syllables, lip-synched by Motilal. All the while, the poor intruder Raj Kapoor who has strayed into this urban upscale complex in search of water, watches in dismay, this decadent lifestyle. And as SOY regulars are aware, Sandhya Mukherjee was a big singer in Kolkata, often known as Lata Mangeshkar of Bengal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3oNk7Y__Ng&list=RDa3oNk7Y__Ng&start_radio=1
Best Ten Songs
1. Ae dil mujhe bata de tu kispe aa gaya hai by Geeta Dutt from Bhai Bhai (1956), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Madan Mohan
In this story of two brothers, the bade bhaiya, Ashok Kumar, is wedded to Nirupa Roy in domestic bliss. The homely wife does not excite him. He has an affair with the seductress Shyama who sings this ebullient song. It seems this was the most popular song of the year, perhaps more than my Lata favourite: Kadar jaane na.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKcaNydkNMg&list=RDhKcaNydkNMg&start_radio=1
2. Thandhi thandhi saawan ki phuhaar, piya aaj khidki khuli mat chhodo by Asha Bhosle from Jaagte Raho (1956), lyrics Shailendra, music Salil Chowdhry
This was a hidden gem of Asha Bhosle till it was brought to my notice on SOY by a music lover. If you watch the film, you would start loving Motilal. A wonderful actor. This is a prelude to the song by Sandhya Mukherjee (last song in the Special Songs). In the frame you see a sozzled Motilal and Raj Kapoor too. As Motilal’s hangover gradually clears, he notices his wife singing this song to him. He flares up in he end, Bakwas band karo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiLuFLIHMXU&list=RDaiLuFLIHMXU&start_radio=1
3. Boojh mera kya naam re nadi kinaare gaaon re by Shamshad Begum from CID (1956), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music OP Nayyar
Shamshad Begum was another important singer of the year. And here she sings a superb group song lip-synched by Minoo Mumtaz, when the charming Dev Anand and his sulking girlfriend Shakila bump into them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u9jvlRu_uM&list=RD7u9jvlRu_uM&start_radio=1
4. Kahin pe nigaahein kahin pe nishana from CID (1956), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music OP Nayyar
Shamshad Begum had many superhit songs in the year, including at least two solos and a triad song in this film. This one is another great solo from the film picturised on debutant Waheeda Rehman. She would soon go on to become one of the top four-five stars and actresses, but in this film she is in a minor role as a gangster’s mole. But she has a change of heart, and takes a liking for the honest and handsome inspector Dev Anand who has been able to reach the den. The gangster’s main accomplice gets suspicious, and at this moment Waheeda lip-synchs this song of seduction, at the same time warning Dev Anand to be alert: Aya shikari O panchhi tu sambhal ja/ Ek jaal hai zulfon ka tu chupke se nikal ja. She was playing a dangerous game, this could end in only one way as per our Bollywood formula, as Dev Anand already had his girl Shakila.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTg4ga4ffa0&list=RDiTg4ga4ffa0&start_radio=1
5. Jata kahan hai deewane by Geeta Dutt from CID (1956), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music OP Nayyar
This is one of the Geeta Dutt songs from the film, which achieved enormous popularity in spite of the fact that this song had to be removed from the final cut of the film, as it was considered obscene by the censor board. I don’t know why we seem to know this song forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvO_uy9h7do&list=RDlvO_uy9h7do&start_radio=1
6. Mujhko laga hai saal solvan, haaye nahin chhedna by Shamshad Begum from Chandrakanta (1956), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music N Datta
Video of this song is not available; I think it must have been a street song where Shamshad Begum and her entourage are dancing and singing to a boisterous crowd. She was always very good for this kind of song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KClaE-xvSMc
7. Dil dil se milakar dekho by Asha Bhosle from Mem Sahib (1956), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Mada Mohan
This was a popular song from the film Mem Sahib. It has a twin version too by Kishore Kumar, perhaps more popular than the female version. But Asha Bhosle’s version has not completely disappeared from our memory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWpUlfjO270&list=RDVWpUlfjO270&start_radio=1
8. Meri aan Bhagwan, kan kan se ladi hai by Geeta Dutt from Toofan Aur Diya 1956), lyrics Bharat Vyas, music Vasant Desai
Toofan Aur Diya was a high point of Vasant Desai’s music career. Not a conventional romance film, but still most of the songs were superhits. Here Geeta Dutt sings for an angry child who is remonstrating with God that he has heard God loves the children equally, so he has equal right over Him, and He would have to comply with his demand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9vDwyHgZXQ&list=RDH9vDwyHgZXQ&start_radio=1
9. Phoolgendwa na maaro dar jaungi by Asha Bhosle from Funtoosh (1956), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, Music SD Burman
Funtoosh was another film which had many superb songs. I was struck by this song which uses half the line of Ustad Faiyaz Khan’s favourite bandish in Bhairvi Thumri – Phoolgendwa na maaro lagat karejawa mein chot. This has been used by many music composers. A very memorable rendering is by Manna Dey in the film Dooj Ka Chand (1964), composed by Roshan. Recently, this same bandish has been used in the OTT series Heeramandi by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in a very stylised manner. Among the old stalwarts, Rasoolan Bai has sung it in the traditional non-film Bhairvi Thumri style (in 1935 as per YT). SD Burman had huge respect for Ustad Faiyaz Khan, he has used the half-bandish in a mujra-cum-cabaret style for Sheila Ramani. You also see Dev Anand in the scene acting like a perfect Funtoosh. The singer, the performer on the screen, picturization and the music are all top-class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zJmr-cN3RM&list=RD6zJmr-cN3RM&start_radio=1
10. Hai ye duniya kaun si ae dil mujhe kya ho gaya by Geeta Dutt from Sailab (1956), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Mukul Roy
This song has a twin version, sung by Hemant Kumar. His version lingers with you, but I find that in many 50s songs having twin versions – one by Geeta Dutt and the other by Hemant Kumar, she manages to sound very melodious. I heard it for the first time, courtesy Raunak Joy, I find this song excellent, worth repeat hearing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZPhGKn7cg0&list=RDUZPhGKn7cg0&start_radio=1
In conclusion,
The SOY Award for the Best Solo of 1956 by ‘other’ Female Singers goes to:
Ae dil mujhe bata de tu kispe aa gaya hai by Geeta Dutt from Bhai Bhai, composed by Madan Mohan
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
The song links have been given from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog has no commercial interest, and it does not suggest or claim, either directly or indirectly, any copyright over these materials, which vests with the respective rights owners.