Chhaayaageet #16 - "I have been a fool to reject a composition like this."
They are an odd pair. The filmmaker is a trained classical singer. The music composer has had no formal training in music.
Their friendship runs deep. You can tell two people are close friends when they can say things to each other with radical honesty.
The filmmaker has made it very clear that he doesn't like the tune.
"I don't like it. It's not going to be in the film", he tells the composer.
"What do you not like about it?", the composer asks.
"I don't know, but I don't like it."
Sigh. Rinse and repeat.
"Would you listen to it again?", the composer makes another attempt.
"I still don't like it."
Sigh. Rinse and repeat.
"Just listen to it once more", the composer keeps trying.
"What's going to be different this time?"
And just like before, the music composer sings the tune while playing it on his harmonium, only for the filmmaker to shake his head disapprovingly.
The distraught music composer knows in his heart that this song will be immortal. He approaches the hero of the film for help.
"Can you please try telling him?"
They gather in the music room. The hero intervenes and requests the filmmaker.
"Please listen to the tune again. I think it should be in the film. I know this song will be a hit. It will be memorable."
The filmmaker obliges his leading man. He closes his eyes to give his full attention. With renewed hope, the composer plays the tune again.
Silence.
The filmmaker opens his eyes. He quietly leaves the room without a word, doesn't come back. The composer and the hero look at each other. Not sure what happened.
They hear some sounds from outside the door and rush. They are aghast to see the filmmaker hitting himself with his chappals.
"Arre Raj saab, kya kar rahe hain?" What are you doing?
The filmmaker looks at them with folded hands.
"I have been a fool to reject a composition like this. Today you saved me from making the biggest mistake of my career."
Lag jaa gale
Ke phir ye
Haseen raat ho na ho
Shayad phir is janam mein
Mulaqat ho na ho
The beautiful lyrics are penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, poet, writer and lyricist. Besides this gem, all other songs of Woh Kaun Thi have beautiful words (Jo humne dastaan apni sunayi aap kyon roye, and of course the signature song Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim). He is the one to have written Saare jahan se achcha, Hindustan humara humara.
Raj Khosla, who produced and directed Woh Kaun Thi, and Madan Mohan were very close friends. Raj came to Bombay with hopes of singing in films. He worked as music staff at All India Radio for some time. Dev Anand felt he had an innate talent for direction and recommended him to work as Guru Dutt's assistant. His second movie was CID after which he never looked back. Raj Khosla was known for excellent song picturizations, perhaps not surprising given his musical background.
Madan Mohan did not have any formal training in music. He also worked in All India Radio Lucknow and Delhi as Program Assistant. He was fond of singing and gradually got opportunities to sing a few ghazals. He sang a duet with Lata Mangeshkar which was never used in film. Lata said, "Aap achcha gaatey hain" (You sing well), to which Madan Mohan replied, "Haan theek hai" (It's alright). He told Lata that he is soon going to venture out on his own as a music director and he would ask her to sing for him.
Manoj Kumar's foresight and intervention played a crucial part in bringing Lag jaa gale to life.
Lata Mangeshkar's ethereal voice enhances the beauty of the composition. She recalls her memory of the song.
"A lot of memories are attached with Madan Bhaiyya's songs and there was this one thing he always used to explain. He used to tell me how to sing, what is the situation and used to say, I have tried to make it good, now it is your responsibility to sing it properly. I used to try and many a times it happened that we used to redo it again. Sometimes he would say it is not proper, sometimes I would say, no I want to sing it again. But this didn't happen for this song. I think we did in one or two takes and even today it feels nice to hear that song and it feels good because it was made beautifully, written beautifully, but the way he has composed it is outstanding."
Lata would say that her live concerts would feel incomplete if she did not sing this song.
Madan Mohan never won a single Filmfare award despite many nominations. He was also nominated for Woh Kaun Thi, but Laxmikant Pyarelal won for Dosti.
After the awards ceremony, Lata called Madan Mohan: "I am crying because you didn't win the award."
Madan Mohan replied: "Yehi kya kum hai ki Lata Mangeshkar ko afsos hua." Isn't it enough that the great Lata Mangeshkar feels sad.
Enjoy the song below, and also the Nightingale of India singing it live at BBC Studios.
Music Composer: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
*ing: Sadhana, Manoj Kumar
Producer/Director: Raj Khosla
Film: Woh Kaun Thi (1964)