SPOTLIGHT

MUSAFIR HOON YAARON COULD BE MY THEME SONG

Jeetendra, in a scene from the film Parichay, 1972.

By RAJEEV GUPTA

Hindi cinema and music are inseparable, and as old as the first Indian film with sound – Alam Ara (1931).

Over all the years, just a decade short of a century, there have been films where music was the central theme and characters were drawn together or fell out because of their own relationship with music.

One of the earliest Hindi films about music and musicians is Street Singer (1938). Two street children dream of singing and making it big in the glamorous world of theatre in Calcutta. They grow up and the girl finds employment, the boy doesn’t. The story follows them through first their enchantment and then the disillusionment with theatre. Finally, both choose to return to their roots in the village. Legendary singers Kanan Devi and Kundan Lal Saigal starred in the movie, with KL Saigal singing the ever-famous Bhairavi thumri Babul mora naihar chhooto hi jaay. Live on the sets, pacing around with a harmonium!

Baiju Bawra, the 1952 film, is about an unknown folk-legend singer, Baiju, who is on a mission to defeat musical legend Tansen in a jugalbandi to avenge the death of his father. Since the film centered around how an ordinary chap like Baiju could take on the best-known classical vocalist ever known to India at the time of Akbar’s rule, the music of the film had to be gold standard. The filmmakers brought on none other than Ustad Amir Khan as consultant for the music. Ustaad saab and another classical giant Pandit DV Paluskar sang two duets – one in raag Deshi and another in raag Todi. That was the beauty of the film. Classical musicians did not have to change themselves in order to lend their voice to the film. They did in the film what they otherwise did outside the film – create magic with notes! Every single song in the film was raag- based and became a smash hit though director Vijay Bhatt had been advised not to make this film due to lack of ‘mass appeal’.

In Rani Rupmati (1959), the ruler Baz Bahadur is attracted to the shepherdess Rupmati because of her voice and music. My guruji in India taught me Baat chalat nayi chunari rang daari in raag Bhairavi. He would do Kathak steps – sitting – while teaching me this song!

Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari in Baiju Bawra, 1952.

But the film that motivated me to write this piece was Alaap (1977) starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. The film is about Alok, who wants to devote his life to music but his father, a wealthy advocate, wants him to pursue business and law. The movie was my true introduction to raag Behaag as Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha sang Nai ri lagan aur meethi batiyaan under the guidance of an old woman and former courtesan Sarju Bai who now lives in a slum. This is where Amitabh spends most of his time because he feels that even though he learned music under his guruji he does not understand it too well. He wants to learn more from Sarju Bai who very sweetly talks to him in Bengali-accented Hindi and is aware of what a ‘guni jan’ Alok’s guru was. Guni jan is a term often used in the community of classical musicians, learners and listeners and typically refers to people who are knowledgeable of music. My guruji taught me raag Yaman through the lakshan geet Sab gunijan iman gaat, narrating how learned people are singing raag Yaman and impressing people.

The movie opens and ends with a beautiful prayer song by Yesudas in raag Bhairavi – Maata Saraswati Shaardey Maa. In essence, the story captures the passion and unwavering obsession of countless artistes regardless of what they receive in return. Amitabh Bachchan’s character doesn’t find success and succumbs to TB. He names his son Pallav, some- thing that comes after alaap. This beautiful description of the word pallav in the context of Indian music brought tears to my eyes.

Parichay (1972) is somewhat similar to Alaap, but focuses more on the relationship between a grandfather and his grandchildren after his estranged son dies in poverty while pursuing music. This film makes heavy use of raag Yaman. There is a scene where Jeetendra plays the sitar, and it was so beautiful to see Yaman being played in a huge house where no music was ever played for years. All the kids come running to see who is playing. On a wall behind him hangs a photograph of Sanjeev Kumar that reminded me of Pandit Nikhil Banerjee to be honest!

The 1998 film Saaz, starring Shabana Azmi and Aruna Irani, is loosely based on the musical rivalry between Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. The girls Mansi and Bansi are taught by their father that swar are not locked only in the harmonium. They are present everywhere around us. He teaches them this through a song heavily based in Puriya Dhanashree as the girls absorb the sounds of birds, the kitchen, and all ordinary things around them while playing. The film also shows a powerful rendition of Malhar which the father sings in a drunk state on a stormy night and then several years later Shabana Azmi sings. The presence of a young Ustad Zakir Husaain comes as a pleasant surprise in the film. I did not know he acted and he actually does a decent job.

I have to mention two contemporary films that have given classical music a prominent place.

Bandish Bandits, 2020.

The first is Bandish Bandits – actually a 10-episode drama series on Prime Video – about a young learner of classical music torn between singing only classical music with utmost discipline or allowing himself to sing pop music for the reasons of love and economics. Most of the tracks are raag-based, including the jugalbandi in the end and the series also features Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty’s voice.

The remarkable thing about this show is that it generated an interest in classical music among the youth. If back in 1952 filmmakers were discouraged from making films on such topics, imagine the response to such a theme today. Yet, a popular platform like Prime Video went ahead and did it. It is not that young Indians do not like classical music, but music directors and content creators are often not brave enough to produce content that they deem risky.

The second film that bases the entire story on raag sangeet is The Disciple in Marathi. The protagonist Sharad’s life is consumed in the pursuit of classical music. Aditya Modak who plays Sharad is himself a Hindustani music vocalist, bringing another layer of realism to the movie. The film really captures the state of self-doubt and disillusion that I have myself gone through several times although I am still at a very early stage in my journey.

I feel that I would produce a richer version of this article in few years when I have advanced in my own music journey and also when I have watched or rewatched many of the films I have mentioned. Alaap, Bandish Bandits and Parichay influenced me in a very profound way. I think about the characters, I hum and sing their music all the time, I talk to my friends about these films. That is why I can write about them with more passion and conviction. I have yet to watch Rani Rupmati or Baiju Bawra and know them only through their soul-stirring music. I would also include films like Sankarabharnam, Morning Raaga, Thillana Mohanambal and Katyar Kaljat Ghusali in Tamil, Telugu and Marathi. The list is long enough to take up all weekends of at least a year for a serious cine watcher and classical music fan.

But I am glad that I am aware of those films and that I began my music journey. A decade ago, I might have said that their music was nice and sounded classical, but I would not have been able to identify and admire the raag. Sitting next to my mother this morning, I was smiling and shaking my head a bit as Shabana Azmi sang taans in Malhar.

I wonder what she makes of this changed son, who was a different company for movie watching just a few short years ago!

• Rajeev Gupta is a Raag-Mala team member.

Rajeev Gupta with his parents Dinesh and Kusum.