#473

      Song:    jab tum the hamaare aur ham the tumhaare
               vo thodese din the kitne pyaare
               jo humne tumhaare sang guzaare vo thode se din
               vo thodese din the kitne pyaare

      Film:    Mashaal (1950)
      Singer:  Arun Kumar
      Music:   S D Burman
      Lyrics:  Pradeep
      *ing:    ?

Remembering Arun Kumar Mukherjee on the occasion of his death
anniversary that passes tomorrow (Dec 4). This song was my first
exposure to this lesser known singer (and composer: e.g. Ashok
Kumar's 'Parineeta'. Any other soundtracks to his credit?). I love
the soothing quality his voice carries. His voice suited Ashok Kumar
quite well, I think... lot of his earlier songs were picturized on
Ashok Kumar ('vo unka muskuraana' from CR's SANGRAM, 'dheere dheere aa
re baadal' from KISMET, etc.) Is JHOOLA's 'main to dilli se dulhan
laaya re' also picturized on him?

This early SDB tune is a charming narrative of reminiscences, with a
tinge of forlorn nostalgia, a sentiment that comes across very
expressively in his voice and singing style, I think. The tune is
simple, restrained and linear, no contortions or convolutions.
Wonder how (and on whom it is picturized). I like the way the last
antaraa is tuned, as he rises a bit in scale...

     tum tod ke bandhan saare, jaate ho paraaye dvaare
     hum baithe yahaan man maare, saari duniya ki baazi haare
     aji paagal manava pukaare, vo thode se din the kitne pyaare

Pradeep's poetry always rhymes unfailingly :-)

The other landmark in this soundtrack is Manna Dey's HFM debut (confirm
that?) 'upar gagan vishaal, neeche gehraa paataal'; I think Snehal
wrote about this a while ago on ATMJH.