#355

        Song:   Kho gayaa jaane kahaan
                Aarzuuon ka jahaan
                Muddatein guzri magar
                Yaad hai woh dastaan

        Film:   Mohar (1959)
        Singer: Hemant Kumar
        Music:  Madan Mohan
        Lyrics: Rajendra Krishan
        *ing:   ?


The latter half of July has not been kind to the world of  Indian
film  music,  witnessing the demises of no less than four legends
of the Golden Age. (Snehal, are there any more ?) Since  each  of
these  artistes  deserves  a  dedicated  tribute,  I shall try to
multiplex (for want of a better word) my posts  between  them  so
that each one gets his/her due.

Today, July 14, marks the  (I  think)  24th  anniversary  of  the
passing  of  Madan  Mohan  Kohli,  composer  par-excellence,  the
uncrowned  emperor  of  the  ghazal  with  an  almost   fanatical
following  on  RMIM  and, unfortunately, a person who died bitter
and unhappy, subdued by the unfair vicissitudes of life.  No  one
can   however  deny  the  unbridled  beauty  and  genius  in  his
creations, and they continue to enthrall even today.

So much for the encomium. Coming to this song, this is  the  kind
of tune Hemantda truly excelled in- a song composed just for him.
The tune has an inherent rhythm in  it  and  Hemantda,  with  the
slight  "gamak"  in  his  rich  voice, especially at lower notes,
exploits it to the fullest. A lovely track.

"Mohar" also features one of my favorite  Lata  melodies  of  all
time  : 'Tum ho saath raat bhi haseen hai, ab to maut ka bhi gham
nahin hai', which visited ATMJH a while ago in Snehal's reign :-)




Guest Author: Hrishi Dixit