Don't cry for Hemant Kumar and Kishore Kumar

DON’T CRY FOR HEMANT AND KISHORE KUMAR

On the occasion of the last episode of the hugely popular music talent programme ANTAKSHARI the anchor Annu Kapoor ,fighting tears, remarked that TV programmes like his may end but something shall never die and lovers of Hindi film music shall keep them alive for all time to come,

DON’T CRY FOR HEMANT AND KISHORE KUMAR

He added ‘We need Madan Mohan, we need Naushadsahab , Lataji, Rafi sahib, Hemant Kumar, Kishoreji and the other greats that have made Hindi film music an integral part of Indian culture’ .

I fought back tears too as I reminisced about the glorious days of melody in Hindi cinema —and rued the paucity of melodies these days as the youth of today prefer rhythm—but that’s another story.

I remembered Annu Kapoor’s soul stirring words last evening at a mehfil in Chennai in remembrance of Hemant Kumar and Kishore Kumar.

Opening with the ‘Jeevan ke safar’ song from MUNIMJI , Surajit moved on to the haunting ‘ Tum pukar lo’ Hemant song that transports you to a world apart. Then came the melody that invited us to a world gone by.

Sitting on the open terrace of a home in the suburbs on a mildly hot evening I still felt a whiff of cold air as Usha and Surajit sang in dulcet voices that evergreen Kishore Lata duet ‘Yeh raatein yeh mausam nadi ka kinara yeh chanchal hawa’. How ironical that this unforgettable song of 5 decades’ antiquity should figure in a film named after the Delhi of CWG—DILLI KA THUG!

Think of Hemantda and you cannot but recall that haunting Lata song from BEES SAAL BAAD—Kahin deep jale ‘ sung by Usha whose gentle voice reminds you of how the young Lata sang her earliest songs—a Lata with a virginal voice heard in songs like ‘Tum na jaane kis jahan me’ and ‘ayega ayaga’ .The ravages of time have robbed us of the Lata of that era and we have to be content with the shrieky Lata of Didi Tera Devar Diwana’’—what a climb down .Fortunately singers like Usha hold out hope that we can relive that glorious past.

Usha continued with ‘Mera dil ye pukare aajaa’ the song that speaks of love and longing..Continuing in the same vein Surajit and Usha sang that immortal ode to desperate love ‘Neend na muhjko aaye’ that Hemantda and Suman Kalyanpur sang .

Warning us to be ready for some tears Surajit sang ‘Jeevan se bhari’ –that tribute to sheer feminine beauty comparing the exquisite Sharmila’s charms to Kirnano ka tej hai chehre mein, hirnon ki hai tujme chanchalta’—what imagery!

It was Rajesh Khanna on which this SAFAR song was picturised and it was to a Rajesh song that Surajit turned next with that KHAMOSHI song shot under the Howrah Bridge-Woh shyaam kuch ajeeb thi’. One pines away with Rajesh when he sings ‘ Main jaanta hoon mera naam gun guna rahi hai woh’. How many of us have felt this longing to be loved and constantly remembered by one’s beloved ! Surajit captured this emotion of wanting to be loved by his hands and eyes in a way that many other singers ought to emulate.

Interspersed by fun songs like Nakre wali, Dekha ek khwab, were sentimental songs like Chingari koi bhadke sung by Pramod Nair, Man dole from NAGIN by Usha , and that masterly title song by Kishoreda from GHUNGROOwith Surajit getting us to clap and dance. .

Surajit remarked about the need to wind up by ten PM since Chennaites are known to be averse to late nights. There were murmurs of dissent from many in the audience. Someone remarked that Surajit had lost touch with the Chennai of today .But Surajit set at rest all speculation and announced that he and his singing friends were planning more such mehfils including in one in honour of my favourite TALAT MAHMOOD.

I can barely wait to listen to Jalte hain jiske liye and Phir wohi shaam

I made a few friends who were are as much in tears of nostalgia and I asked my new friend Sulakshana-Phir miloge kabhi is baat ka vaada kar lo

K.R.RAVI