The Sculptors of Film Songs (4): Kishore Desai

28 May 2023

Guest article by Piyush M Pandya (Gujarati) and Ashok M Vaishnav (English translation)

(Our guest authors Piyush M Pandya and Ashok M Vaishnav have been writing an excellent series on the Arrangers and Musicians for the last few months in which they have already covered three of the most celebrated names: Sebastian D’Souza, Anthony Gonsalves and Enoch Daniels. Continuing the series, now they put the spotlight on Kishore Desai who was proficient with at least two instruments: mandolin and sarod.

The guest authors describe how these arrangers and musicians were instrumental in embellishing the melodies. They remained in behind the curtains, generally unsung and anonymous. With the series we now realise how they were so integral to some of our most favourite songs. You would be surprised to now how Kishore Desai was associated with some immortal songs with his mandolin or sarod. Besides, he was also the composer of some of the most famous non-film songs, Thank you Piyushji and Ashokji for another enlightening article in the series. – AK)

Tum bin jaaun kahan ke duniya mein aakar kuchh na phir chaha sanam (Pyar Ka Mausam, 1969 – Music: R D Burman) is one song which perhaps remains an unbridgeable divide between Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi fans. For more knowledgeable ones, initially it was also a hotly debated issue as to who has played the mandolin in the two versions. However, many subsequent interviews by the two instrumentalists who have played the mandolin, Manohari Singh and Kishore Desai, have it well-settled that Manohari Singh has played mandolin for Kishore Kumar version and Kishore Desai, on the very specific invitation by Manohari Singh himself as the arranger, has played the mandolin for Mohammad Rafi version.

The happy Mohammad Rafi version opens with distinct mandolin notes which then remains noticeable in counter melody as well as interludes orchestrations.

https://youtu.be/TKxirYqKfdU

Kishore Desai’s personal and professional profile is so well narrated in the additional references quoted at the end of the article that repeating it here would distract our attention form the core subject of Kishore Desai – his proficiency with mandolin, sarod and music direction.

Kishore Desai had initial training under different classical exponents. Under Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan, he learnt raagdari and nuances of classical music. Then, under Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Bahadur Khan, Kishore Desai learnt sarod. In one of the interviews, he has stated that his basic style of playing the mandolin was more like playing the sarod. It was only when he got into the HFM world, he switched to ‘playing from up to down’ style for mandolin because that would make the mandolin sound softer.

Here are some of the songs wherein Kishore Desai has played the sarod:

2. Tu chuupi hai kahan main tadapata yahanNavrang (1959) – Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, chorus – Lyrics: Bharat Vyas – Music: C Ramchandra

The song has creatively composed pieces of sarod, @ 4.04 – 4.14, 4.19-4.31, 4.52 to 5.01.

Kishore Desai enjoyed a very special relationship with C Ramchandra. Not only he assisted C Ramchandra for over 18 films, starting with Bahurani (1963), he also played a major role in arranging the orchestration and rehearsal of that famous composition Aye mere watan ke logo. Of course, the soft mandolin notes heard in the background countermelody were played by Kishore Desai

3. Saranga teri yaad mein nain hue bechain Saranga (1961) – Mukesh – Lyrics: Bharat Vyas – Music: Sardar Malik

Sarod comes up dominantly at the interlude @ 1.01 to 1.12, It is said that Sardar Malik preferred mandolin supported by flute here. It was Kishore Desai, as his assistant, who suggested use of sarod instead. During the recording Mukesh was so overwhelmed by the notes of sarod that he immediately gifted Rs. 1001/ to Kishore Desai.

Kishore Desai’s association with Sardar Malik as his assistant lasted for over 15 films, starting with Ma Ke Aansoo (1959).

4. Sakhi re mera man uljhe tan doleChitralekha (1964) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi – Music: Roshan

We can listen to intricate sarod pieces @ 0.28-0.30, 1.14 – 1.19, 1.22 -1.24, 2.16 -2.18, 2.13 – 3.17 and the like.

It seems Kishore Desai’s playing the sarod was ordained by providence. On that day, he quickly wrote down the notations. This laid the foundation of a vital bond between Roshan and Kishore Desai that resulted in Kishore Desai to assist Roshan in arranging music for about a dozen films starting from Soorat Aur Seerat.

However, mandolin was the first love of Kishore Desai. He had learnt playing the harmonium and mandolin early, at the age of 9. Later, his mandolin journey was shaped by his association with his close friend Kalyanji Veerji Shah (of Kalyanji Anandji duo). As a young boy, Kishore Desai had been playing in the Kalayanjibhai’s orchestra group.

In a competition during his adolescent days, Anil Biswas was one of the judges. He liked the ‘classical’ style of Kishore Desai’s mandolin playing so much that he got a special cup made for him. Anil Biswas also invited Kishore Desai to play mandolin, along with his HFM guru, Isaac David, for a Hemant Kumar song (Heer, 1954).

The film song that is credited as the maiden break for Kishore Desai as mandolin player is Chhumak chhumak mora baaje ghungharava (Bahu Beti, 1952 – Geeta Dutt – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi – Music S D Batish). However, it needs to be noted that Kishore Desai had got an opportunity earlier for a film Subah Ki Manzil (Music: Shivram Krishna). However, that film got shelved and the records, if at all they were made, are not traceable.

It was also one of the Kalyanjibhai’s orchestra program where Shankar (of Shankar-Jaikishan duo) heard Kishore Desai play Aawara hun on mandolin. Shankar Immediately liked Kishore Desai’s style of playing the mandolin and invited him to join their orchestra group. Their association first came up in the form of Kishore Desai playing mandolin for songs and background pieces for Basant Bahar (1956).

5. Nain mile chain kahan sajan saanwareBasant Bahar (1956) – Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan

The seamless fusion of mandolin in the opening notes of string instrument ensemble is Kishore Desai’s baptism with intricate orchestration of Shankar-Jaikishan songs.

6. Dil ka na karana aitbaar koiHalaku (1956) – Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar-Jaikishan

The intro composition is ensemble of different string instruments, But @ 0.49 the mandolin comes in as solo. The clip shows an instrumentalist playing some local Arabian instrument, which is replicated so stunningly on the mandolin for the song. The solo play goes on till 1.18, when Mohammad Rafi takes over the aalap. (An ensemble play of) mandolins then comes during the interludes too.

7. Aye gulbadanProfessor (1962) – Mohammad Rafi – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Shankar-Jaikishan

Mandolin comes in @ 0.13, but it seems to be a fusion of more than one mandolin being played simultaneously with slightly different scales. The notes of mandolin have a magical effect as the interlude softly starts stringing (1.09 to 1.24). The same arrangement repeats at the third interlude.

We have had a glimpse of three different moods being expressed by the play of the same instrument.

Kishore Desai has played mandolin for almost all the music directors of the Hindi film world, except two – Sajjad Hussain, himself a wizard of classical mode of playing mandolin, and O P Nayyar, who has been highly innovative in using the instruments with dramatic effect. The reason perhaps lies in totally different nature of these two music directors in comparison to that of Kishore Desai.

We will skim through a few representative songs wherein Kishore Desai has played mandolin for different music directors.

8. Jadugar saiyan chhod mori bainyaNagin (1954) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Rajendra Krishna – Music: Hemant Kumar

The intro itself opens with mandolin strokes, ready to fuse with subsequent clay violin. However, when it comes up at the beginning of interlude @ 0.44 to 0.51 it is ready to be synchronous with the flute.

9. Bechain nazar betaab zigar ye dil hai kisi ka diwanaYasmeen (1955) – Talat Mahmood – Lyrics: Jan Nissar Akhtar – Music: C Ramchandra

Mandolin is THE instrument here, as is evident by the hero stringing it continuously. Most of the times when an instrument is shown in the hands of the actor on the screen, the playing style literally murders the beauty of the way instrument ought to be played.

10. Ghadi ghadi mera dil dhadakeMadhumati (1958) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Salil Chowdhury.

Salil Chowdhury has used mandolin to create the mood of unhindered joy in the setting of the abundantly free nature.

Aside Trivia: Kishore Desai was to play the mandolin during the intro of the song Julmi sang aankh ladi for a programme in Calcutta. However, during the rehearsals, he came late, so there was no seat arrangement made for him. He straightaway sat down on the floor and readied to play his part of the mandolin. Lata Mangeshkar noticed this, and she too came and sat down beside Kishore Desai. Salil Chowdhury too noticed this, and he too joined. This was the level of respect Kishore Desai enjoyed.

Unfortunately, he was away when the final take was performed, so could not play the mandolin for the song.

(As narrated to Shri Piyush Pandya when he had had the occasion to meet Kishore Desai at Ahmedabad in 2019.)

11. Chhodo kal ki baatein kal baat puraniHum Hindustani (1960) – Mukesh, chorus – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan – Music” Usha Khanna

After a soft opening intro (0.06-0.07), mandolin continues to accompany countermelody music of the mukhada and then intermittently the countermelody support across the whole song.

12. Khoya khoya chandKala Baazar (1960) – Mohammad Rafi – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: S D Burman

The presence of mandolin for just flitting seconds @ 2.44 and, similarly, during the countermelody support is just enough to make its presence being noted. During the interlude (3.23 to 3.31) it gets a solo play.

13. Dam dam diga diga Chhalia (1960) – Mukesh – Lyrics: Qamar Jalalabadi – Music: Kalyanji-Anandji

In a composition wherein accordion and violins have a strong presence the mandolin marks its presence distinctly felt (@ intro till 0.09).

14. Lag ja gale ki phir ye haseen raat ho na hoWoh Kaun Thi (1964) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Raja Mahendi Ali Khan – Music: Madan Mohan

The notes of mandolin @ 0.32-0.35 or in the interlude @1.24-1.37 etc. or in the countermelody have been created by using two mandolins at slightly different scales.

The technicalities and practical demonstration of this experiment is very well explained in the mandolin episode of Saaz Tarang. Incidentally, Laxmikant Kudalkar (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo) and Kishore Desai have played the synchronous mandolins in both the songs.

15. Aye meri zohra jabeenWaqt (1965) – Manna Dey – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi – Music: Ravi

Mandolin creates the atmosphere of Afghan instrument Rabab in interludes @0.51 to 1.16 etc.

16. Achha to hum chalte haiAan Milo Sajana (1970) – Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar – Lyrics: Anand Bakshi – Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal

Mandolin has been used for very soft counter melody support (0.21-0.22 or interlude 0.51-0.55 or 2.40 to 2.48).

17. O mere dil ke chainMere Jeevan Saathi (1972) – Kishore Kumar – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri – Music: R D Burman

Here, too, it can be seen that whether mandolin is played in short soft bars in countermelody support (0.47-0.51 etc.) or in conjunction with violins in interludes (2.16 – 2.21), the instrument distinctly gives a different dimension to the composition.

Kishore Desai has gone on to play mandolin with the second generation music directors too. But it was his sheer bad luck that three Hindi films – ‘Abdulla-e-Bagdad’, ‘Zindagi Ki Raahen’ and ‘Omar Khayyam’- he signed as music director in the early 60s were either shelved halfway or did not take off. The last one was to be made under the banner of Guru Dutt Films.

He has made good that lost opportunity by creating some of the most memorable non-film songs with singers like Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kavi Pradeep, Kamal Barot and Mohammed Rafi (Gujarati NFS). Here are a few well-known NFS with Mukesh.

18. Mil na saka dil to – Mukesh (NFS) – Lyrics; Indeewar – Music: Kishore Desai

Kishore Desai has used Mukesh’s base note voice to create the effect of deep pathos of lost love, apparently while trying to wish away that feeling.

19. Bahaaron se kah do mere ghar na aayein – Mukesh (NFS) – Lyrics: Shiv Kuamr Saroj – Music: Kishore Desai

This still stands as one of the all-time most outstanding NFS compositions.

20. Tere labon ke muqabil gulab kya hoga – Mukesh – (NFS) – Lyrics: Shiv Kuamr Saroj – Music: Kishore Desai

Kishore Desai’s dexterity of creating melody even while handling a complex subject and the matching composition is self-evident here.

Kishore Desai’s association with mandolin continued well into 90s in the form of public performances where he ably demonstrated that his magic over the instrument has not aged. Many such recitals are available on the YT, which the interested readers may explore.

Kishore Desai’s contribution to Hindu film music, through his mandolin and sarod, has been recognised with a 2005 Dadasaheb Phalke National Award. We will conclude our reminiscences of Kishore Desai with a selfie that Piyushji had with Kishore Desai during his visit to Ahmedabad during 2019.

Credits and Disclaimers:
1. The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over these songs, which vests with the respective copyright holders.
2. The photographs are taken from the internet, duly recognising the full copyrights for the same to the either the original creator or the site where they were originally displayed.

Additional References:
1. https://www.youtube.com/@SmrutiGandhaMarathi/featured
2. https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/kishore-desai-1
3. https://atulsongaday.me/2015/01/03/bahaaron-se-keh-do-mere-ghar-na-aayen/
4. https://www.swaraalap.com/flashback/kishore-desai-a-maestro-who-strummed-million-hearts/

{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

1 KB May 29, 2023 at 12:56 pm

Nice to know about the mandolin and its role in the HFM. Further the contribution of players like Kishore Desai is also highlighted in this highly informative article. Further the selection of songs especially the numbers from Yasmin and SJs Halaku are excellent! I am sure that there are more songs with the use of these instruments in the HFM of yesteryears!

2 Sivanandam May 29, 2023 at 5:47 pm

Thanks to AK Ji, Ashok ji & Piyush ji for this great series on the music arrangers & instrumentalists.
Although Sebastian, Anthony Gonsalves and Enoch Daniels were more popular , Kishore Desai was someone I wasnt’ aware of. Great to read about him and the songs listed are absolutely superb. Dil ka na karna is an eternal fav of mine…at last I knew who was behind that fabulous mandolin in that song. SJ and his arrangers , musicians were out of this world…master craftsmen!!

3 Ashok M Vaishnav May 29, 2023 at 5:56 pm

KB #1

Very happy to know that the contents of the article appealed your taste.

Obviously, we can but be selective only in presenting different songs of any arranger or instrumentalist in a one blog-post.

The Saaj Tarang episode referred to herein has much more interesting information on mandolin and mandolin-based songs.

4 Ashok M Vaishnav May 30, 2023 at 10:47 pm

Sivanandam # 2

Kishore Desai, surprisingly and quite unfortunately, remained shrouded in ‘unknown musicians’ zone.

However, thanks to some of the genuine followers of the HFM in details, many of his works remained in the public domain knowledge. And then YT and internet helped that knowledge to spread wider.

It a been great pleasure to share some of his remarkable works with SoY family through this platform

5 Anita May 31, 2023 at 7:18 pm

AK Ji, Ashok ji & Piyush ji – thanks for bringing to the fore a forgotten musician! Mandolin has a certain indescribable sweetness. I knew only of Mandolin Srinivas. I am indeed enriched by this post!

6 Ashok M Vaishnav June 1, 2023 at 5:42 pm

Anita # 5

It is great pleasure that you liked the article. Thank you for your generous appreciation.

Mandolin Srinivas was stalwart of Carnatic school of music. In all most of all the documented references on mandolin players of India, his name is respectfully placed near the top.

However, I do not much about his work, mainly because my exposure to classical music itself is very limited. Add to this the normal apathy of film song fans like us, I too never had consciously attempted to go beyond music director, singer and lyricist of what I would normally hear of a song.

In that respect, I too have come to know of many facets of the making of a song in the course of working for the present series.

7 S Joseph June 2, 2023 at 9:06 pm

A wonderful tribute to the Mandolin musician Kishore Desai . A nice collection of songs with the Mandolin magic of Kishore Desai but I cannot identify any other melodies of his in songs. As long as there is no list of songs credited to individual Mandolin players , it would not be possible to identify the musician .

But with ChatGPT arriving, I am sure most grey areas , would no longer be mysteries ….not only in HFM . With the extensive use of ChatGPT, all writing work is going to be transformed . Anyone who writes any composition without the use of ChatGPT cannot survive.

Kishore Desai was not an arranger I guess.

At song #10 it is mentioned that Kishore Desai could not play the Mandolin part in the song ‘ ZULMI SANG AANKH…’ . But then the question is … ultimately who played the beautiful Mandolin melodies in this song ? The link to the opening melody…
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxI5yIvKf-NXokJrXatNc5WxnojGjmMR3Y

I feel that preludes have become the signature melodies for HFM songs though I do not know the artiste in these opening melodies . Mandolin has been used widely in HFM songs. Some opening Mandolin melodies…

2) ‘ Tumne kisi ki …’
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxlQXcLVtbk1RPguFgckpeokScR90j0ysX

3)’ Teri pyari pyari…’
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxzzhnyT5rMcMI1w1wXxFRwstxcaBr0mHE

4)’ Dekh kasam se…’
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxGPrlhsyJhMRdyMXTiIc7VmxxS6JFmo_k

5) In this song I am not sure if it a Mandolin

‘ O iss duniya…’
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxGLeu2aWKoAHiTGb7PeG3mcGCo-Ii0Wz7

8 D P Rangan June 4, 2023 at 4:43 pm

Ashokji
I have been diligently following the series of articles on music background arrangers ab initio. Each of the articles is unique and your presentation of the arranger with all technical details is superb. Writeup on individual songs has been very illustrative and for one to appreciate it in toto , has to follow it up closely while listening to the song co relating with the time element in each song. How I wish Harminder Singh in his monumental compendium had included this side of the film song individually.

9 Ashok M Vaishnav June 5, 2023 at 2:01 pm

S Joseph #7

The musicians have always remained unknown, unless for some or other reason, the identity is revealed . In most cases, this had happened because of someone had had closer contact with someone in the composing chain that would help in identifying some or other concerned musician.

With public stage shows becoming more popular, the information relating to musicians started streaming in more easily, provided there was someone available to document such a piece of information.

I would very candidly declare my limitations in the matter of identifying any musician. I have been able to make such statements only if I have had an opportunity to have access to such information.

D P Rangan #8

I ts so heart-warming to receive your so generous appreciation.

The fact that Harminderji has been to collect such huge information is in itself a matter beyond normal comprehension, because of Hind Film industry has been so poor in the matter of documentation.

10 Ashok Kumar Tyagi June 7, 2023 at 7:48 am

AK ji,
Thanks once again to Piyush ji and Ashok ji for bringing up another lovely post in this unique series.

Eagerly looking forward to more posts in this series.
Regards.

11 AK June 7, 2023 at 9:38 am

Tyagiji, and everyone who has expressed appreciation to me too. I am very happy that this series has come up very well. Some more important names would be covered in the the series. That would be virtually ‘Who’s who’ of the Men behind Curtain’.

12 Ashok M Vaishnav June 11, 2023 at 11:17 am

Ashok Kumar Tyagi # 10

The generous appreciation from SoY readers like you goes a long way in building up my confidence to keep going for the series.

The interest that you show also brings deeper sense of responsibility to work for higher standards with every succeeding articles.

AKji’s active support, of course, is invaluable, as always.

13 D P Rangan June 11, 2023 at 2:43 pm

Ashokji
Can it be presumed that in the song “ghar aaya mera paradesi” from Aawara, which has a prominent mandolin strummed tune, it was the handiwork of Desai.

14 Sivanandam June 12, 2023 at 10:02 am

Rangan Ji
# 13
I am also curious to know about that and also the scintillating title music of Awaara in which the entire song of Awaara hoon, ya gardish…is played with a mandolin. One of the best ever title instrumental track I have ever heard. It is very rarely talked about -hope at least in SOY we shall get to know from the learned readers.

15 Shelomit June 15, 2023 at 4:38 am

Thank you so much to Piyush ji for contributing this series of articles and to Ashok ji for making them accessible to those of us who, like me, are ignorant of Gujarati. It is a treat to listen over to (in many cases) such familiar songs with new ears in order to pay attention to the mandolin/sarod playing. How many details of orchestration and expression we overlook, even having heard a song dozens of times! And instrumentalists like Kishore Desai surely deserve the respect and appreciation that we are more accustomed to giving singers or music directors. I look forward to catching up with the other articles in the series.

I think I can identify the instrument on which the song from “Halaku” is picturized. It looks like a baritone bouzouq. The bouzouq is not much used in our Egyptian music, but often appears in semiclassical music from Lebanon, Syria, etc. You can watch a video of a higher-voiced bouzouk being expertly played here: http://www.maqamworld.com/en/instr/buzuq.php

16 Ashok M Vaishnav June 15, 2023 at 1:34 pm

D P Rangan # 13 and Sivanandam #14

I would not risk to make any guess on the subject and would rather like that someone who has better knowledge about making of Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi to throw more light.

Shelomit #15
Thank you for your so generous appreciation.

Your additional inputs on bouzouq are indeed very absorbing.

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