RMIM Archive Article "277".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
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# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Ek Hi Film Ke Geet - 3 - "Durgesh Nandini"
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# Posted by: malhotra@bedford.progress.com (Neeraj Malhotra)
# Author: Neeraj Malhotra
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EK HI FILM KE GEET - 3
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DURGESH NANDINI
MD : Hemant Kumar
ASST MD: Ravi
LYRICS : Rajender Krishan
SINGERS : Lata, Asha and Hemant Kumar
*ING : Bina Rai, Pradeep Kumar, Nalini Jayawant, Ajit
Based on the Novel 'Durgesh Nandini' by Bankim Chandra. Adapted
by Helen Devi. Dialogs interestingly are by Qamar Jalalabadi. I
ususally see his name under 'Lyrics'.
A note of thanks for the Singers ( as they were missing from the
credits ) to Preetham G. and general help and suggestions to both
Preetham and Sami.
'Aapke paas Durgesh Nandini ka cassette hai ? '
'Ye kaun si picture hai ji ?
humne to kabhie naam bhii nahiin suna'
That was my first attempt to find these songs years ago in India.
I had my doubts too because it was just a memory from the past
when radio was part of your school and college years. Actually I
remebered this movie from childhood having seen it with my Dad
and both of us humming songs on the way back.
So I checked with him - Do you remember Durgesh Nandini ? You
remember we loved those songs ? He nodded 'Yes'.
So my hunt went on everytime I went to India - and no luck :(.
Then I discovered RMIM :).... Hey there were people here who not
only knew the movie but knew the songs as well !!! .... and
finally I found a video of the movie.
The story is historic involving Akbar, Raja Maan Singh - his
daughter Durgesh Nandini played by BINA RAI, Raja Maan Singh's
enemy Raja Birendra Singh - his son Kumar Jagat Singh played by
PRADEEP KUMAR.
Now inspite of Maan Singh & Birendra Singh being enemies, they
along with Akbar are on one side & we have yet another enemy !
their enemy - Hey .. ye rajaaoN ki kahaani hai... lots of
enenmies here :)
Katloo Khan is their enenmy and his daughter is Ayasha played by
NALINI JAYAWANT & AJIT is either his son or a prominent & brave
soldier. Couldn't figure it out.
With that background in mind we come to the beautiful songs of
the movie :
Bina Rai is on her way for her yearly pooja at the Shaileshwar
Mandir, She and her 'sakhiyaan' are in boats enjoying with a very
pleasant background music....
Pradeep Kumar shows up on the horse of course, the friends are
playing with a 'pushpmaala' with Bina Rai and when she tosses it
back, it lands up on Pradeep Kumar...
He tosses it back to her and the eyes meet and we have our first
song sung by the friends.
Interestingly all that background music - a good 3 - 4 minutes
continues in the song - gives a feeling of that scene leading to
the song very beautifully.
==> 1. chandan ki naiyya pe, hoke sawar gori, kar ke singaar
dekho chali us paar, dekho chali us paar
SINGER : ASHA.
The 'hoke sawar gori, kar ke singaar, dekho chali us paar' has an
eerie similarity to 'tujh pe sawar hai jo, mera suhag hai vo'
from the song 'O pawan veg se uDane waale ghoDe' from Rani
Roopmati.
The song does not end there. We have Pradeep Kumar leaving the
scene singing the same song in HEMANT's voice with no accompnying
instruments whatsoever... He sings only 1 stanza but the entire
scene from the friends singing to Pradeep is very enjoyable.
AJIT is around too to capture Bina Rai, Pradeep Kumar saves her.
She is back in her Fort safe and sound sleeping .. dreaming ...
of Pradeep Kumar ( A mystery yet to be figured out ! What was it
about Pradeep K ? getting to play lead with these talented and
beautiful ladies )
The most famous song of the film perhaps .
===> 2. kaha.n le chale ho, bata do musafir,
sitaro.n se aage, ye kaisa jahan hai
LATA has rendered one of her sweetest voice for this movie,
perhaps she does with almost all of the Hemant K's movies,
besides C. Ramchandra.
Next comes a holi song.
This one has a long prelude also. The dance is this song is
filmed beautifully with Bina Rai & her friends. The scene is shot
from above and is very well done. The dance, the music pick up a
tempo and then... very softly LATA opens
===> 3. mat maaro shaam pichkaari, mori bheegi chunariya saari re
mat maaro sham pichkaari
Somewhere in the middle, the tempo picks up again; and before you
notice, the tune changes. Interstingly the CHORUS sings the line
first and then LATA followed by HEMANT K.
LATA: pyaar ke rang mein saiyaan mori rang de chunariya
HEMANT: khel na dil ki holi teri baali hai umariya
LATA: pyaar ke rang mein saiyaan mori rang de chunariya
A wonderful effect, not to mention the aerial view of synchronised
dancing - lovely !
Well all this happy singing and dancing has to come to an end
specially when AJIT is around..
Durgesh Nandini ( Bina Rai ) is now captive and through twists
and turns so is Pradeep Kumar. Enter Nalini Jaywant into the
picture. She too is heads over heal in love with Pradeep K.
(sigh ! )
Bina Rai of course is very sad and breaks into this sad song ..
You can definitely feel the pain in LATA's voice.
===> 4. kaise main aaoon piya paas tumhaare
chaand bhii hai bairi mera,
pata na bataaye tera,
raah na dikhaaye ye sitaare
Nalini Jaywant of course wants to help Pradeep Kumar, so she
comes up with the age old scheme of song and dance to distract
the sipahiis guarding the prison so he can escape.
So we have a fast paced song picturised on an actress I have seen
in many old movies ( the same who sang 'le ke pehla pehla pyaar;
bhar ke aankhon mein khumar in CID )
====> 5. raat andheri dar laage, akeli mohe choD na jaana ji~~
dekho ji dekho more saiyaan, ke dil mera
toD na jaana ji~~~~~~ .
The ji~~~~~~~~~~~. part is very noticible, sung in a very curvey
tune.
The interludes match it too. A catchy song.
SINGER : ASHA
Well, they are caught ! Ajit is smarter than they all think :(
As the story progresses, Nalini Jaywant's character becomes
prominent. She has let Pradeep know that she loves him and also
realizes that he loves Bina Rai.
The only song by Nalini in the movie. SINGER : LATA
===> 6. chaand nikalega jidhar, hum na udhar dekhe.nge
jaagate sote, teri raah guzar dekhe.nge
Another sad rendition and emotions come through The sadness
progresses ....
The only way to save Pradeep's life it seems is that Bina Rai
marries the Sultan - Nalini's father. She agrees reluctantly.
The music in the next song changes to a middle eastern touch.
Once again, she is surrounded by dancers and Bina in LATA's voice
starts out slowly :
===> 7. jo tera pyaar na milata, to kyon jiye hote
sada hii maut ki hum aarzoo kiye hote
mila tHa ek hi dil, vo bhii de diyaa tujhako
hazaar dil bhii jo hote, tere liye hote
Those last two lines are so simple and yet say a lot ! The scene
stops here as Pradeep K enters and talks to the Sultan. It of
course never occurs to him ( as is in our movies ) that she might
be marrying the Sultan to save him. He leaves in a huff and
Sultan wants the music to continue.
So the song continues breaking into this beauty by LATA.
meri majbooriyo.n pe jahaan chup raha,
ye zameen rahi, aasmaa.n chup raha
( The mukhaDa is very similar in tempo and notes to
'salaam-e-hasrat kabool karlo, meri muhobbat kabool kar lo'
from BABAR - MD Roshan - Singer Sudha Malhotra )
The music stays middle easternish. The dancers are still dancing
but on a slow pace to match the song. The interludes are very
spell binding too matching the aerial view of dancers again.
I did not catch the choreographer's name in the credits. Has done
a wonderful job.
The story continues but we don't have any more songs in the
movie.
Next - I can continue with our eastern music directors.. Anil
Biswas's Raahi or switch to west ( India of course ) with
Roshan's Malhar.
Till then.
- Neeraj M.
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From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian