By Rajiv Vijayakar (Screen Weekly), April 27, 2009 - 10:44 IST
Shakti Samanta, who passed away on April 9, was one of our most musical filmmakers. Screen rewinds to his musical triumphs
MELODY WITH "SHAKTI" The Bengali filmmaker, unlike his contemporaries, was extremely well-versed with Hindi and Urdu because of his long stay in Dehra Dun in Uttar Pradesh. This ensured that excellence in his film's lyrics were not about chance or commitment from his associates alone. So come S.H.Bihari, Qamar Jalalabadi, Shailendra, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Hasrat Jaipuri, Indeewar, Anand Bakshi or rarer associations like Gulshan Bawra, Farukh Kaiser, Ravindra Jain or small-timer Kaif Irfani, Samanta's songs usually had high lyrical value.
A truly musical director is one who resonates with and extracts great songs from different composers and Samanta, besides his favourites, scored decent music even with Chitragupta (Ek Raaz, with winners like Lata-Kishore's Ajnabee se bankar, Kishore's Payalwali and Lata's Uthegi tumhari nazar), Ravindra Jain (Khwab's title-track and Banjara main nahin magar), Bengali veteran Shyamal Mitra (Amanush's title-track and Anand Ashram's Saara pyaar tumhara) and Ravi (Rafi's Baar baar dekho from China Town became the first-ever Indian film song to be officially adapted by a West Indies band). Even in Sheroo, Madan Mohan composed the stunning Mohammed Rafi devotional O maati ke putle written by Kaif Irfani, which has earned a unanimous 5-star rating on YouTube!
Shaktida also worked with Hemant Kumar in his first two films, Bahu and Inspector and Hill Station and with Mukul Roy in Detective. His last Hindi film as a director, Geetanjali (1993) was with Bappi Lahiri and the music failed to register. The last two films that he produced, Ahankaar (1995) and Aankhon Mein Tum Ho (1998) had music by Anu Malik, (who had also scored his 1989 production Aakhri Baazi). From these films, all directed by son Ashim, the title-track and Maine saawan se kahaa (both duets by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu) in Aankhon Mein... were noteworthy.
THE BIG FOUR
For Shakti Samanta, the top favourites remained S.D.Burman (Insaan Jaag Utha, Naughty Boy, Anuraag besides Aradhana) and his son R.D.Burman, whose association graduated from assistant to his dad to composing Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Ajnabee, Charitraheen, Balika Badhu, Mehbooba, The Great Gambler, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat and its version Anusandhan that marked the composer's Bengali debut, Amne Saamne, Main Awara Hoon, Alag Alag, Palay Khan and Dushmun in an association of two decades. "They were great composers and greater human beings," Samanta said once.
Among the exotica, the father yielded included Chand sa mukhda (Asha-Rafi) and Jaanu jaanu ri (Asha-Geeta) from Insaan Jaag Utha and Sun ri pawan (Lata) and Woh kya hai (Lata-Rafi) from Anuraag. From RD came three exquisite Lata-Kishore duets, Bheegi bheegi raaton mein and Hum dono do premee (both from Ajnabee), Dil se dil milne ka (Charitraheen), Asha's Tum kitne din baad mile, Asha-Kishore's Main tumko kya kahoon and Asha-Sharad Kumar's Do lafzon ki hai (The Great Gambler), Lata-Kishore's Dil mein aag lagaaye (Alag Alag, which incidentally had Yesudas's first song for RD - Ram Rahim mein antar nahin with Asha Bhosle - and Lata-Kishore's Apne pyar ke sapne and Kishore's Kaali Ram ka baj gaya dhol from Barsaat Ki Ek Raat.
O.P.Nayyar's Sawan Ki Ghata saw Zara haule haule chalo (Asha), Meri jaan tujhpe sadke (Asha-Mahendra Kapoor) and Zulfon ko hataa le (Rafi), while Howrah Bridge had the cult Aaiye meherbaan (Asha) and Mera naam Chin Chin Chu (Geeta). And then there was of course Rafi's funky Chhoora ban kaata ban o my son from Jaali Note.
Shankar-Jaikishan came in only for Shammi Kapoor's Singapore, An Evening In Paris, Pagla Kahin Ka and Jaane Anjaane. The last had Rafi-Lata's Teri neeli neeli aankhon se, Kishore's Jaane anjaane log mile, Sharda's Jaane anjaane yahaan sabhi hain deewane, Manna Dey's Chham chham baaje re payaliya, Asha's Chaahe tum pyar karo and Lata's rare gem Mohe jaal mein phansailiyo. Pagla... saw Manna Dey's hit Mere bhains ko danda kyoon mara, Rafi's and Lata's separate Tum mujhe yun bhula and Asha's zingy Suno zindagi gaati hai from Pagla Kahin Ka. Mukesh's Yeh shahar bada albela, Lata-Rafi's Hat jaao diwane aaye, Tum lakh chhupana chaahoge and Hai pyar ka hi naam and Dhokha khaayegi na (Rafi) were popular from Singapore (1960), which saw Rafi go on Shammi sfor the first time with Shankar-Jaikishan, to form the quartet that was to make musical history.
The Seven High Notes
The seven most illustrious scores of all time from his films clearly indicated his spectrum of resonance with different composers and genres of music. In chronological order, they are:
Kashmir Ki Kali
(1964/O.P.Nayyar-S.H.Bihari).P.Nayyar, goes music lore, presented 52 tunes to Shakti Samanta and Shammi Kapoor for this romantic entertainer that introduced Sharmila Tagore, from which they chose the cream. And what a cream it was! This all-hit score had Kisi na kisi se kabhi na kabhi, Hai duniya ussi ki and Taarif karoon kya usski (all Rafi) Deewana hua baadal, Isharon isharon mein, Haaye re haaye yeh mere haath na aaye and Subhan Allah (all Rafi-Asha) and Asha's Balma khuli hawa and Phir thes lagi dil ko.
Amar Prem
(1972/R.D.Burman-Anand Bakshi)
Rabindra Sangeet was said to be the inspiration behind the three Kishore masterpieces here - Chingari koi bhadke, Kuchh to log kahenge (both among Bakshi's crème-de-la-crème) and Yeh kya hua. Not that it mattered. Complementing these stunners were two Lata lovelies Raina beeti jaaye and Bada natkhat hai and the 'guest' S.D.Burman composition, Doli mein bithaake kahaar.
An Evening In Paris
(1967/Shankar-Jaikishan/Hasrat Jaipuri & Shailendra)
S-J excelled themselves in this transcontinental thriller, though they were said to have taken some inspiration from French tunes, which in no way diluted the lustre of masterpieces like Raat ke humsafar (Asha-Rafi), Akele akele kahaan jaa rahe ho, Aasmaan se aaya farishta, Arey aisa mouqa phir kahaan milega, Deewane ka naam to pooncho, Mera dil hai tera (all Rafi solos), Asha's Zuby zuby jalembu and Sharda's Le jaa le jaa.
Mehbooba
(1976/R.D.Burman-Anand Bakshi)
Probably the most under-rated of Samanta's elite scores, this one is almost entirely known for the twin-version Mere naina sawan bhadon by Kishore and Lata separately. But Pancham's Gori tori painjaniya (Manna Dey), Lata's haunting Chalo ri and dulcet Jamuna kinare were standout compositions. The score was rounded off by RD mischievously but expertly emulating the L-P leitmotif in Lata's mujra Aap ke shehar mein and Lata-Kishore's Parbat ke peeche champe da gaon.
Aradhana
(1969/S.D.Burman- Anand Bakshi)
The trendsetting score upset Rafi's apple-cart for a while, with Kishore ruling the popular roost with his terrific trio of Mere sapnon ki rani, Roop tera mastana and (with Lata) Kora kagaz tha yeh man mera, despite strong Rafi vehicles like Gungunaa rahe hain bhanwre (with Asha) and Baagon mein bahaar hai (alongside Lata). Lata's saccharine Chanda hai tu and the S.D.Burman nugget Kaahe ko roye completed another all-wonderful score.
Anurodh
(1977/Laxmikant-Pyarelal-Anand Bakshi)
Had it not been for an ego-tussle that Rajesh Khanna had then with his friend Pancham, Anurodh would have gone to him. Khanna chose L-P, who took up the challenge to excel at a Bangla flavour. Manna Dey's Tum besahara ho to (yet another Bakshi topper) became the last song filmed by Samanta on his mentor-of-sorts Ashok Kumar. And though there was no female singer, Kishore Kumar had four intensely-melodious beauties, Aap ke anurodh pe, Aate jaate khubsoorat, Na hansna mere gham pe and Aaja ho aaja.
Kati Patang
(1971/R.D.Burman-Anand Bakshi)
Those who may not much care for Kishore would perhaps prefer the soulful Mukesh milestone Jis gali mein, the sizzling Asha serenade Mera naam hai Shabnam or Lata's melancholic Na koi umang hai. RD's first of several Holi songs, Aaj na chhodenge bas humjoli (Lata-Kishore) was heard here. But the USP of the all-popular score remains the Kishore 'musical trilogy' of - in order of excellence - Pyar diwana hota hai, Yeh shaam mastani and Yeh jo mohabbat hai.
VOCAL PITCH
Samanta once revealed that Kishore Kumar's friendship with him dated from his earliest phase as assistant director in the early '50s, also thanks to Shaktida's close friendship with Kishore's older brother Ashok Kumar. Kishore was of course his hero as well in Naughty Boy and Ek Raaz, but they seemed to have a karmic connection that was best highlighted by Kishore slaloming to the top as playback singer with Aradhana, followed by the landmark scores described above. Their last association was in Palay Khan (1986). A decade before this, however, Balika Badhu had Kishore's son Amit Kumar's first adult recording, the hit Bade acche lagte hain from Balika Badhu.
Unlike most top filmmakers of his time, Samanta kept a neat balance between Lata and Asha. Rafi of course was there, for Shammi Kapoor or otherwise, all the way till Khwab in 1980. There was also a soft corner for Manna Dey, though Samanta had little time for Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Suman Kalyanpur or Mahendra Kapoor.
Among the rarer voices heard in his films were both the Burmans, Ravindra Jain, Anand Bakshi, Sapan Chakraborty (under R.D.Burman, whose assistant he was), composer Ravi when working as Hemant Kumar's assistant, Sharad Kumar and Bela Mukherjee.
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