Best songs of 1946: And the winners are?

As I started traversing back from the 1950s to the 40s in the year-wise review of film songs, I mentioned that we are entering the era of more unknown than the known. This is best exemplified by the year 1946: Out of 153 films in the year, nothing is known about five films, whether its actors, song titles, what to speak if its singers etc. It is a huge number of films in a year, overtaken only in a few years in the entire history of talkie films starting from 1931. Of the over 1270 known song-titles, nothing is known about singers of about 740 songs, i.e. about 58% of all the songs. My list of MEMORABLE SONGS in any year has been generally well over 100, but in the year 1946, I could not stretch it beyond 78/81 (one song has a male solo and female solo versions, and two songs have a male solo and a male-female duet versions). Even in this list many songs would appear to be unfamiliar and unheard. That makes the exercise of the year-wise review more challenging as well as interesting.

Musical landmarks

In this year of the unknown, some films stand out as milestones in many respects, including their music. Looking at the list below, Anmol Ghadi happens to figure at the top, but it is also the top film of the year with its stellar star cast of Surendra, Noorjehan and Suraiya, three great actor-singers of our films. Naushad had another priceless moment with Shahjehan, which happened to have the greatest icon among the actor-singers, KL Saigal. Thanks to Naushad’s own stature, and his penchant for savvy marketing, many legends grew around Saigal’s songs in the film, such as the story, most probably apocryphal, that Jab dil hi toot gaya hum je eke karenge was played during his funeral procession, or that in a blind testing Naushad demonstrated to Saigal that he could sing better without being under the influence of alcohol, upon which Saigal rued, “How I wish you had met me earlier, but now it is too late, I have so long believed that I could not sing unless intoxicated by heavy drinking.” There was another film of KL Saigal in the year – Omar Khaiyam, whose music was composed by Lal Mohammad.

C Ramchandra was now emerging as the main rival of Naushad, and his songs in Safar, such as Kabhi yaad kar ke gali paar kar ke became roaringly popular. The senior stalwart, Anil Biswas, gave some nice songs in Milan in the voice of his sister, Parul Ghosh. Shama had some great songs composed by the doyen of the Punjab School, Ghulam Haider (not to confuse with Ghulam Mohammad-composed ‘Shama’ (1961), which, too, had a number of absolutely outstanding songs.)

As I said, this can be viewed as the year of the Unknown; yet, if you go down the list below you will find many songs we have known for ages, such Mukesh-Hameeda Bano duet Ja parwane ja from Rajputani (music Bulo C Rani), Surendra-Suraiya duet Teri nazar mein main rahun, meri nazar mein tu from 1857 (music Sajjad Husaain) etc.

Debut

The year was significant for many debuts. SD Burman started his career as a music director in Hindi films with Shikari and Eight Days. These films happened to be the first for at least two more artistes. Kishore Kumar had a bit role in Shikari and he was one the voices in the chorus song Rangeela re, jawani mein sata ke kahan gaya ye, whose principal singer was Parul Ghosh (with Arun Kumar Mukherjee). Meena Kapoor had her first singing assignment in Eight Days with the song Kisi se meri preet lagi ab main kya karun.

Other singers to have their first song in the year were Geeta Roy (Bhakt Prahlad) and Shankar Dasgupta (Milan). With Milan, Abhi Bhattacharya began his acting career.

Other music directors to make their debut in the year were Sudhir Phadke with the film Gokul, Ram Ganguly with Maharana Pratap, Chitragupta with Lady Robinhood; and Mohammad Shafi with Haqdaar. Hansraj Bahal had his first independent assignment as music director with the film Pujari. My list of MEMRABLE SONGS includes a song from this film as well as a couple of songs from another movie Gwalan. Not a mean achievement on debut.

The lyricists to debut in the year were Indivar in Double Face, Majrooh Sultanpuri and Khumar Barabanqavi in Shahjehan, and Prem Dhavan and Ali Sardar Jafri in Dharti Ke Lal.

Many actors, too, started their career in the year. Among the debutants the most famous is Dev Anand with the film Hum Ek Hain. This film became the launchpad for many new talents. It had Dev Anand’s first heroine, Kamla Kotnis. Besides, Rehman and Rehana, too, stared their acting career with this film. PL Santoshi was already a lyricist, he began his career as a director with Hum Ek Hain. Other films with multiple new entrants were Neecha Nagar which was the vehicle for the entry of Chetan Anand (as director), and Uma Anand and Kamini Kaushal (as actors); and Dharti Ke Lal, for Ravi Shankar (as music director), KA Abbas (as director), and Balraj Sahni and Damyanti Sahni (as actors).

Nirupa Roy (with Amar Raj) and Geeta Bali (with Badnaami) began their acting career in the year and went on to win laurels later.

Fact file and Trivia

Chaah barbaad karegi humein maaloom na tha (Shahjahan; KL Saigal) – lyricist mentioned on records is Majrooh Sultanpuri, but Khumar Barabanqavi claimed he wrote it. Lata Mangeshkar had bit roles in Jeevan Yatra and Subhadra (both composed by Vasant Desai), in which she sang three songs, which went unnoticed. Those who were around those days would have scarcely believed that in three years this girl would come as a Tsunami demolishing the established singers and emerge as the standard voice for the heroine.

Among the ocean of debut this year, one was quite intriguing. So far we knew that Uma Devi’s first song was in Dard (1947), Afsana likh rahi hun dil-e-beqaraar ka, composed by Naushad. Some sources mention that she debuted as a singer in the film Wamiq Azra in 1946, with the song Haye do dil milte milte rah gaye. If this is confirmed by experts, our conventional knowledge and HFGK information would have to be revised.

Ashok Kumar sang some songs in the film Uttara Abhimanyu, in which he was not there. He apparently gave playback for Shahu Modak.

Mehboob Khan ‘borrowed’ Naushad from AR Kardar for Anmol Ghadi. This term may sound odd, but those days artistes were contracted with the studios on fixed monthly salary. The contract also forbade working elsewhere.

MEMORABLE SONGS

Anmol Ghadi: Lyrics Tanvir Naqvi; Music Naushad

1. Udankhatole pe ud jaaun – Zohrabai & Shamshad Begum

2. Tera khilona toota baalak – Rafi

3. Kyon yaad aa rahe hain guzare huye zamaane – Surendra

4. Aa ja meri barbaad mohabbat ke sahare – Noorjehan

5. Aawaz de kahan hai – Surendra & Noorjehan

6. Main dil mein dard basa laayi – Suraiya

7. Mere bachpan ke sathi muhe bhool na jana – Noorjehan

8. Man leta hai angadayi jeevan mein jawani chhayi – Suraiya

9. Jawan hai mohabbat haseen hai zamana – Norjehan

10. Socha tha kya kya ho gaya – Suraiya

11. Kya mil gaya Bhagwan tumhein dil ko dukkha ke – Noorjehan

12. Ab kaun hai mera kaho ab kaun hai mera – Surendra

Chehra: Lyrics IC Kapoor; Music MA Mukhtar

13. Kya jadu hai tere paas piya – Mukesh & Shamshad Begum

14. O prani kya soche kya hoye – Mukesh

Dev Kanya: Lyrics Rammmorti, Deepak, RC Pande; Music Shyam Sundar

15. Piya milan ko janewali samhal samhal ke chal – Amirbai Karnataki

Dhanwan: Music Shanti Kumar

16. Tere gham se mil raha hai mujhe har tarah ishara – Paro Devi (lyrics Behzad Lakhanavi)

Dharti: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Bulo C rani

17. Phool kali kyun maari sajan mori oonchi atari – Hamida Bano

Dil: Music Zafar Khursheed

18. Likhi naseeb mein thokarein hain zamaane ki – Moti

19. Shor na karna gulshan mein – Moti & Noorjehan

Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahanai: Lyrics Diwan Sharar; Music Vasant Desai

20. Zindagi zindagi zindagi koi sapna nahin zindagi – Khan Mastana

21. Chit dole nit dole subah-sham Prabhuji – Jayshree

Eight Days: Lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi; Music SD Burman

22. Babu babu re, dil ko bachana – SD Burman, SL Puri

23. Ummeed bhara panchhi tha khoj raha sajani – SD Burman

24. Pahle na samjha pyar tha, samjha to tumhin chal diye – Amirbai Karnataki

25. Ek nayi kali sasural chali dubli si dulhan ban ke – Chitalkar & Meena Kapoor

1857: Lyrics – Mohan Singh, Shevan Rizvi, Pt Ankur, Anjum Pilibhiti; Music Sajjad Hissain

26. Gham-e-ashiyana satayega kab tak – Suraiya

27. Teri nazar mein main rahun meri nazar mein tu – Surendra & Suraiya

28. Dilli tere kile par honge Nishan hamare – chorus

Gwalan: Lyrics – Pt. Indra; Music Hansraj Behl

29. Kis baat pe roothe ho, roothe ho meharban – Zohrabai Ambalewali

30. Lagat nazar tori chhalaiya more gore badan ko – Mukesh & Sushila Rani

Hum Ek Hain: Lyrics PL Santoshi; Music Husnlal-Bhagatram

31. Charkhiwale, O zara dheel de – Chorus

32. Ho nadiya kinaare mora gaaon re – Manik Verma

33. Meri ayin hain teen bhabhiyan – Amirbai, Zohrabai & others

Humjoli: Lyrics Anjum Pilibhiti; Music Hafeez Khan

34. Phoolon mein nazar ye kaun aya – Noorjehan

Insaaf: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music HP das

35. Rookhi sookhi main kha lungi..Saawna mein garwa laga lungi, paas bula lo more Raja – Rafi & Hamida Bano

Keemat: Lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri; Music Naushad

36. Saagar mein uthi do mauzein – Amar & Amirbai Karnataki

37. Man pagle swapna dikhaye – Naseem Akhtar

38. Phoonk do aa ke Bhagwan apna jahan phoonk do – Amirbai Karnataki

Krishna Leela: Lyrics Faiyyaz Hashmi; Music Kamal Dasgupta

39. Chanda door gagan mein bulaye – Kanan Devi

40. Man mein basa le Manmohan ko – Jagmohan

41. Tera ghar man mera sanwariya – Kanan Devi

Magadh Raj: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Bolo C Rani

42. Laakh karo chaturai, balam main haath na aaungi – Amirbai Karnataki

Maharana Pratap: Lyrics Swami Ramanand; Music Ram Ganguly

43. Hamari gali ana humse aankh milana – Khursheed

44. Ayi Diwali deeponwali gaaye sakhiyan – Khursheed

Mera Geet: Lyrics Ramesh Gupta; Music Shankar Rao Vyas

45. Priye ek baar man mandir mein rumjhum rumjhum karti ana – Manna Dey

Milan: Lyrics Arzoo Lakhanavi; Music Anil Biswas

46. Sunahi beriya beeti jaye – Parul Ghosh

47. Jisne bana di bansuri geet usi keg aye ja – Parul Ghosh

Nargis: Lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi; Music Husnlal-Bhagatram

48. Roti ankhon mein teri yaad liye jati hun – Amirbai Karnataki

49. Yah to bata mere khuda lut gaya mera pyar kyon – GM Durrani

Omar Khayyam: Lyrics Dr. Safdar ‘Aah’; Music Lal Mohammad

50. Allah-hu Khayyam hai Allah wala matwala – KL Saigal/Suraiya

51. Hare bhare bagh ke phoolon pe reejha Khayyam – KL Saigal

Panditji: Music Khan Aziz

52. O sajni saawan ki kaali ghatayein dil ko tadpayein to kya karun – Unknown male singer & Shamshad Begum

Panihari: Music SN Tripathi

53. Solah singar sajaaungi – Shanta Apte

Phulwari: Lyrics Pt Indra; Music Hansraj Bahal

54. Oonchi haveli banwa do muneemji – Mohantara Talpade and Hameeda Bano

55. Chanda Mama ne amrood churaya re – Baby Anu

Pujari: Lyrics Wali Saheb; Music Hansraj Bahal

56. Nainon ki nagari mein aa ke chale jana na karke bahan – Feroz dastur & Amirbai Karnataki

Rajputani: Lyrics Pt. Indra; Music Bulo C Rani

57. Ja parwane ja kahin shama jal rahi hai – Mukesh & Hamida Bano

58. Aa parwane aa, yahan shama jal rahi hai – Hamida Bano

Safar: Lyrics Gopal Singh Nepali; Music C Ramchandra

59. Kabhi chupke se ratiya mein ayiho Rajaji – Chitalkar & Shamshad Begum

60. Ab wo hamare ho gaye iqarar karein ya na karein – Rafi

61. Kabhi yaad kar ke gali paar kar ke – Chitalkar & Binapani Mukherjee

62. Kah ke bhi na aye tum ab chhupne lage tare – Rafi

Shahar Se Door: Lyrics DN Madhok; Music Pt. Amarnath

63. Lo phir yaad kisi ki ayi – Zeenat Begum

Shahjahan: Lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, Khumar Barabanqavi; Music Naushad

64. Mere sapnon ki Rani, Ruhi Ruhi – KL Saigal, Rafi & others

65. Jab usne gesu bikharaye baadal aya jhoom ke – Shamshad Begum

66. Gham diye mustakil kitna naazuk hai dil – KL Saigal

67. Jawani ke daaman ko rangeen bana le – Shamshad Begum

68. Kar lijiye chalkar meri jannat ke nazare – KL Saigal

69. Jab dil hi toot gaya hum ji ke kya kareinge – KL Saigal

70. Ae dil-e-beqaraar jhoom – KL Saigal

71. Chaah barbaad karegi humein maloom na tha – KL Saigal

Shama: Lyrics Shevan Rizvi, Shams Lakhanavi, Ehsan Rizvi, Shamim; Music Ghulam Haider

72. Dil thandhi hawa mein uda jaye re – Shamshad Begum & Hamida Bano

73. Ek yaad kisi ki yaad rahi – GM Durrani & Shamshad Begum/GM Durrani

74. Ek tera sahara, ik tera sahara – Shamshad Begum

Shikari: Lyrics Gopal Singh Nepali; Music SD Burman

75. Rangeela re, jawani mein sata ke kahan kahan gaya re – Paro Devi, Arunkumar Mukherjee, Kishore Kumar & chorus

76. Dol rahi naiya – Ashok Kumar & Paro/ Ashok Kumar

77. Har din hai naya har raat nirali hai – Ashok Kumar & Amirbai Karnataki

Uttara Abhimanyu: Lyrics Roopdas, Deepak; music SN Tripathi

78. Laaj bhare in nainon mein adhik sudha bharo na – Ashok Kumar

Special songs

Here are some ‘Special songs’, not likely to feature in the awards, but have something unique about them.

1. Chidiya bole chu chu chu by Lata Mangeshkar from Jeevan Yatra (1946), music Vasant Desai

She debuted as a playback singer in 1947 in Aap Ki Sewa Mein. But we are aware she has been singing in bit acting roles prior to that. Here is one of her songs in the year which must have disappeared unnoticed.

2. Ansoo na gire naale na kiye by unknown singers from Alibaba (1946), lyrics unknown, music Damodar Sharma

This song is a copy of the iconic all-women qawwali Aahein na bhari shikawe na kiye from Zeenat (1945). This was posted by our encyclopedia Arunkumar Deshmukh on Atul Song A Day.

https://vimeo.com/259270549

3. Charkhiwale O zara dheel de (Chorus) from Hum Ek Hain, lyrics PL Santoshi, music Husnlal-Bhagatram

In this nice patang song the singers are uncredited, though there is one prominent female voice. Since this does not seem to be Zohrabai Ambalewali or Amirbai Karnataki, my guess is she could be Manik Verma who has sung some songs in the film. There have been some outstanding vintage kite songs; Nauhsad’s Meri pyari patang chali baadal ke sang (Dillagi, 1949) is a class by itself.

4. Rangeela re, jawani mein sata ke kahan kahan gaya re by Paro Devi, Arunkumar Mukherje, Kishore Kumar & chorus from Shikari, lyrics Gopal Singh Nepali, music SD Burman

Kishore Kumar’s first playback solo was Marne ki duayein kyun maangun from Ziddi (1948), composed by Khemchand Prakash. However, his actual debut on the screen in a small role was in Shikari in which he was also one of the voices in this song.

And the SoY Awards for various categories go to?

Some of the songs in the list of MEMORABLE SONGS would be instantly recalled, but as I mentioned in the beginning we are in the era of more unknown than unknown. It may require an effort on the part of the readers to hear unknown songs from the year, but this effort will be worthwhile. I place it before the knowledgeable readers for their comments and choices for the:

Best male solo

Best female solo

Best duet

And the

Best music director

Acknowledgements:

1. Surjit Sing’s site gives a very nice overview of the songs of 1946 in a two-part article.

2. Atul Song A Day

3. Hindi Film Geet Kosh

4. Hindi Film Sangeet: 75 Varshon Ka Safar by Anil Bhargav

Disclaimer:

The song videos have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog acknowledges that the copyright over these songs vests in the respective owners, such as Saregama India Limited and others.