Path: Lehigh.EDU!netnews.upenn.edu!news.cc.swarthmore.edu!news.cse.psu.edu!news.ecn.bgu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpbs2500.boi.hp.com!hpax!vishk
From: vishk@cup.hp.com (Vish Krishnan)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.misc
Subject: Re: Missing Pstats in ISB (Please pitch in info.)#1
Date: 14 May 1996 17:27:44 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard Cupertino Site
Lines: 139
Message-ID: <4nafqg$49j@hpax.cup.hp.com>
References: <4n7h6l$3dv@progress.bedford.progress.com> <4n8d74$ujl@minerva.worldbank.org> <319896F6.167E@vnet.ibm.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: capella.cup.hp.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0.7]

U.V. Ravindra (uvr@vnet.ibm.com) wrote:
: Ashok wrote:

: > 4) cha.Ndaamaamaa duur ke pue pakaae.n buur ke
: >    film: Vachan
: >    starring: ??
: >    singer: Asha
: >    music: Ravi Shankar
: >           ^^^^^^^^^^^^
: >    lyrics: Ravi
: > => starring: Balraj Sahni, Geeta Bali, Rajendra Kumar
: > Note: The music is by Ravi.  I don't know if his actual sur-name is
: >       Shankar, but even if it be so, the name he used in most of his
: >       films was just Ravi.  Apparently, he also wrote the lyrics for
: >       this song.


: His full name is Ravi Tandon. ....................................


I always thought the name was Ravishankar Sharma. Can't remember where or
if I read it, but older Hemanta Mukherjee movies list him as assistant
and sometimes singer and lyricist as well.  

In any case, I got to thinking about his music in general.

Well-connected into the BR Chopra family, Ravi must have the distinction of 
the best business relations with producers/directors from the North and the 
South.  On the one hand, we had movies by Devendra Goyal, Ramanand Sagar, OP 
Ralhan, SD Narang, Lekhraj Bhakri, and even Subodh Mukherji (to say nothing 
of BR Chopra), and on the other, we have AVM, Gemini and Vasu Films.  

He was never listed along with our top-notch music makers, and yet, I think
he has several good  songs to his credit.  It is rare to find a Lata-Ravi
gem (although there do exist  a few).  Asha was more the likely candidate.
My framework of Ravi songs is set in the following categories:

1.  A soft Hemanta Mukherji-inspired Lata solo
    (TOWER HOUSE, EK SAAL (love the songs), MEHERBAAN, KHAANDAAN,
     CHAUDAHVEEN KA CHAAND, BHAROSA, DO BADAN, CHIRAAG KAHAAN ROSHNI KAHAAN)

2.  The swing song by Asha  (there are several)
    (DILLI KA THUG tops the list; there are others.  My favourite song 
     in this category is "Ye Bahaar Ye Samaa, Ye Jhoomti Jawaaniyaan"
     from DILLI KA THUG).

     Having said all this about DILLI KA THUG, we should probably include
     BOMBAY KA CHOR, although I am quite sure the songs therein are more
     dominated by Kishore.

3.  The unmistakable Ravi duet
    (DILLI KA THUG, MODERN GIRL, TOWER HOUSE, and some rare ones e.g.

    Ye Rang Bhare Baadal, ye Udtaa Huaa Aanchal (TU NAHI AUR SAHI)

    and an old favourite:

    Ye Haseen Raat, Ye Bahaar Ye Samaa,
      Aise Mein Huzoor Mukhko, Le Chale Kahaan  
    Baadalon Se Door, Aur Bhi Hai Ek Jahaan
      Chalo Hum Dikhaayen Kyaa Hai, Zindagi Wahaan  (Geeta Bali's GIRL'S HOSTEL)

    Then there is the Lata-Hemant duet, perhaps a category all by itself.
    Topping the list here is "Muskuraatee Hui Chaandni" (ALBELI).  One is
    given to wondering if the melody is indeed Ravi's.  He will probably
    never live down the tyranny of other people's guesswork - the bane of
    an assistant's professional existence.

    Other Lata-Hemant songs that quickly became my favourites from that
    age were "Bedard Zamaana Tera Dushman Hai to Kyaa Hai" (MEHNDI), 
    "Ye Jhoomte Nazaare" (NAYAA SANSAAR?? - I know this is not the movie),
    and "Kal Ke Chaand, Aaj Ke Sapne", song el supreme from the same movie
    (NAYAA SANSAAR??? - isn't this a Chitragupta movie?).


4.  The Rafi solo 
    (DO BADAN, BHAROSA, WAQT, RAAKHI, MEHRBAAN, KHAANDAAN, BAHU BETI,
     CHAUDAHVEEN KA CHAAND, KAUN APNAA KAUN PARAAYA, USTAADON KE USTAAD,
     AAJ AUR KAL and several others).  Among the most popular ones here
     was also "Husn Waale Teraa Jawaab Nahi" (GHARAANA). 

    While I don't rave about the Rafi-Ravi combo, there are several decent
    ones in this category.  I am particularly fond of two songs from BAHU BETI:

    - Sab Nein Shaamil Ho Magar, Sab Se Judaa Lagti Ho
       Sirf Humse Nahi(n), Khud Se Bhi Khafaa  Lagti Ho

    - Jiyo To Aise Jiyo, Jaise Sab Tumhaara Hai
	Maro To Aise Ke Jaise, Tumhaara Kuchh Bhi Nahi(n)

   

5.  The qawaali

    Ranking in quantity only after Roshan, his qawaali compositions were
    simply not in that class.  On second thoughts, there may have been
    a few qawwaalis in the '70s by Rahul Dev, and also Khaiyyaam. Somewhere
    in that timeframe, I lost count.


6.  The Asha solo with a soft touch

    When I think of Ravi's music, this is the style that comes to mind.
    Many of the great songs in the category are now victims of archival
    amnesia.

    Some personal favourites: 

    . Mausam Hai Jawaan Noor Mein Khoye Hain Nazaare (TOWER HOUSE)

    . Jeene Ka Agar Andaaz Aaye, To Kitni Haseen Hai Zindagi
	Marne Ke Liye Jeenaa Ho Agar, To Kuchh Bhi Nahi(n) Hai Zindagi
					  (YE ZINDAGI KITNI HASEEN HAI)

    . Raat Hai Chup Aur Phizaa Khaamosh Hai (USTAADON KE USTAAD)

    . Sapnon Ki Dor Bandhi, Palkon Ka Paalna (GHAR SANSAAR)

    . Raat Raat Bhar, 
	Jaag Jaag Kar, 
	   Intezaar Karte Hain
      Hum Tumse Pyaar Karte Hain   (????)

    . Raat Bhar Gardish Mein Saaqi, Aaj Paimaanaa Rahe  (WANTED)
	Subah Tak, Shaayad Na Phir Ye, Rang-E-Maikhaana Rahe

    I do also like songs from AAJ AUR KAL and WAQT, but they are quite
    readily available.


Although we do not associate Ravi with the classical music form, he dropped
one on us just like that, and what a performance that was!  To this day, 
Asha's "Jeevan Jyot Jaley" (GRIHASTHI) remains one of the best classical 
performances for a movie song.

And so forth.

cheers
vish