Chhaayaageet #109 - “I will change the director if necessary, but the song will remain indoors.”
A legendary filmmaker from the South is scouting a new hero for his film. He has auditioned so many faces but has not been satisfied. Someone recommends yet another new name and face. A meeting is fixed at the Taj. The film producer and the director both show up to meet the new prospect.
He is tall and handsome. He checks the boxes. A few minutes into the conversation, the filmmaker is convinced. They offer him the film, and ask him to come to Madras for shooting.
The film’s music is being recorded in Mumbai. A date has been fixed for the song recording. The filmmaker instructs the new hero to be present at the recording session.
The song is a duet. The new hero is a little unnerved to be in the presence of the nightingale herself. She has been briefed beforehand by the director that both the hero and heroine are new faces.
When she arrives, they introduce her to the new hero. He bows down to touch her feet. She blesses him. “You are so handsome and trained at FTII, what a deadly combo! I wish you had joined the industry in the fifties and sixties.”
He is transfixed. What can he say to that? She continues further, “Work with dedication and do not get spoilt after three four movies.”
He receives her blessings with folded hands. What a great opportunity for him to just be in the same space and watch her go about her craft.
They sit down for rehearsals. The male singer is also there by now. The lyricist has the lyrics written on a piece of paper. He hands the paper to her. She looks at it and cracks a joke, “I have so many such papers from you, all well preserved.”
That little joke is accompanied with a few melodious pearls of laughter. The lyricist is also transfixed. What can he say to that?
They do a couple of rehearsals. Usually she completes the recording in one take. She is singing mellifluously. However, after one take, the film’s director comes to her.
He folds his hands, and requests, could she add 30 to 40 percent more feelings? The song is for a new heroine. She nods her head and acknowledges.
The song is so steeped in romance and represents the yearnings of two people swept up in love. The next take is perfect from her side. She makes her voice so sensual with freshness keeping in mind that it is for a new heroine. However, the male singer is having a hard time keeping up with her. He needs three to four more takes.
The song is recorded. The new hero takes in all this experience just watching everything from one side. After the recording is over, he sees her walk over to every musician, greeting them by name, talking with them, enquiring their wellness, as a friend or a family member. They meet her with folded hands, touching her feet. She is goddess personified.
A few weeks later, the composer is distraught and reaches out to the filmmaker. The director had told him that this song was going to be shot indoors in a room, and keeping that in mind, he had composed the music and the melody. Now the director seems to be changing his mind. He wants to shoot this song outdoors. That will be terrible. This music will not work for an outdoors song.
This is the composer’s only second film. Distraught, the composer reaches out to the filmmaker. “Don’t worry”, the filmmaker tells him. “I will change the director if necessary, but the song will remain indoors.”
Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar sang this Rajesh Roshan composition for the film Julie (1975), lyrics by Anand Bakshi. Julie was the debut film of Lakshmi and Vikram Makandar in lead roles. It was Rajesh Roshan’s second film as composer, after Kunwara Baap. The film was directed by KS Sethumadhavan, and produced by famed filmmaker from the South, B Nagi Reddi.
When it was time to record the song, KS Sethumadhavan felt the song was too loud, and it would be better to shoot it outdoors than shoot it within the confines of a room indoors. Rajesh Roshan was distraught at learning this. B Nagi Reddi intervened and ensured the song was shot indoors.
Rajesh Roshan regards Julie as the turning point of his career. He won the Filmfare for Best Music beating out the soundtracks of Sholay, Khel Khel Mein, Aandhi and Sanyasi. Lakshmi won the Filmfare for Best Actress.
Rajesh Roshan recalls the recording of the song, saying that Lataji was so swept up in the song that she just flowed with it, while Kishoreda had a tough time keeping up with her. Rajesh Roshan was advised to take Asha Bhosle, considering the seductive nature of the song, but he was convinced that it had to be sung by Lata ji. Rajesh Roshan said that after Bhool gaya sab kuch, listeners changed the way they perceived Lata ji’s vocal personality.
After Julie, Lakshmi went back to acting in films from the South. Vikram Makandar’s image took a big hit. He had the lead role in Julie, but he was far from being the hero of the film, it being such a strong heroine oriented script. To his misfortune, he had about 20 film offers withdrawn from him after Julie became a hit.
Julie was a critical and commercial success, and the soundtrack was a blockbuster hit.
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar
Music: Rajesh Roshan
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
*ing: Lakshmi, Vikram Makandar
Director: KS Sethumadhavan
Producer: B Nagi Reddi
Film:Julie (1975)