Chhaayaageet #165 - "Aap nahin chahte ki mein is film mein ek bhi gaana gaun."
"You don't want me to sing even a single song in this film."
"Kuch bol do...Kuch bann nahi raha hai", the composer looks at his lyricist and requests. Give me some words. I am not able to compose anything. They are in the composer's cosy little music room, the composer sitting on his favorite reclining chair with his long legs stretched.
He had been sitting in that position for a long time, taking pinches of snuff, wiping his hands on his dhoti, making it explicit he was doing so rather than hiding his hands in the act. He is trying desperately to come up with a tune. But nothing is working.
The lyricist being the script writer on the film, knows the situation. He knows what the lead character is thinking. She is with someone else now, but she remembers the one she loved and lost. The lyricist comes up with one line. The composer writes the line down in his notebook and closes his eyes, rocking his reclining chair back and forth.
In a few minutes he comes up with a tune. They go back and forth on the mukhda. Additional lines get added. There is no antara yet. But the composer goes ahead and creates the tune for the antara because they are complementary notes. Now it is the lyricist's job to find the words to fit the tune. The roles are reversed. This happens more often than not.
The song is finally ready. The composer records it in his own voice. He is a singer too. The composer and filmmaker have decided the composer would also be doing most of the male playback. The unit is scheduled to proceed to Calcutta for the shoot. A row of guest houses is booked for the crew, which includes the lead actor and actress, composer, director, cinematographer and others.
Each night after pack up, the crew sits around talking about the script and the songs. The actor is a relative newcomer to the industry, having completed four films in two years. This is his fifth film. The actress specifically insisted upon the filmmaker to cast him. As the evening wears on, people retire to their guest houses. The young actor hangs around until the very last person of the unit is ready to call it a night.
One morning, the actor is rudely awakened by the shrill doorbell of his guest house. He rubs his eyes in disbelief. Who could it be at this hour? He glances at the clock on his bedside. 6am. Too early after last night's late outing. The ringing of the doorbell persists. He finally pulls himself out of bed. Yes, yes, coming. But there's always time to light a cigarette. Whoever it is on the other side of the door can ring the bell a few more times if they want to.
He takes a drag. Now he feels a little awake. He hastens to the door. To his surprise he sees the composer outside. The actor is a little embarrassed. He tries to hide his cigarette behind him, and fumbles to put the cigarette packet in the pocket of his kurta. This does not escape the composer's attention. He smiles and says to the actor, "Koi baat nahin. Ye sab chalta hai is line mein." Not to worry. All this is ok in this line of work.
The actor responds with respect, "Dada, aap mujhse senior hain. Aap itni subah yaha kaise? Aap mujhe bula sakte thay. Mein aap se milne chala aata." Dada, you are my senior. What brings you here so early? You could have sent for me. I would have come to see you.
The composer smiles. He does not wait for an invitation to come inside. He points to a chair and asks the actor to sit down.
The composer comes straight to the point, "Maine kal raat kuch suna. Kisi ne mujhse kaha ki aap nahin chahte ki mein is film mein ek bhi gaana gaun. Kya ye sach hai? Agar koi samasya hai to aap mujh se keh sakte hain". I heard something last night. I am told that you don't want me to sing even a single song in this film. Is this true? If there is a problem, you can say it to me.
The actor's face turns an embarrassing shade of red. For a newcomer in the industry less than five films old, this is a lesson in being careful with words. They travel at all hours of the day, or night. How did an innocuous conversation late at night find its way to the composer, that he is compelled to show up in person and talk about it at 6 in the morning!
The actor has nothing to hide behind. He musters courage and says, "Dada, mein sirf us vishesh geet ke liye ek alag gaayak chahta hoon jo mujhpar filmaya jayega." Dada, I was only hoping to have a different singer for the special song that is to be filmed on me.
The composer ponders this request. This kid has likely had only four songs in the four films he has acted in. He asks the actor which singer he has in mind. He is surprised to hear the name.
"Lekin unhone to tumhare liye ek bhi gaana nahin gaaya", the composer tells the actor. But this singer has not sung even a single song for you.
"Mujhe pata hai. Lekin jab mein is gaane ke bol padh raha tha to mujhe laga ki ye gaana unke liye hi banaya gaya hai. Mein shayad galat bhi ho sakta hoon. Aap hi kuch sujhaav de", the actor clarifies. I know. But when I read the lyrics of this song, I felt that this song is made for him. I could be wrong. You please suggest something.
The composer again ponders over this. He knows the singer well. They have worked together. He knows the strength of the singer's voice, especially for sad sombre songs.
"Theek hai. Woh hi ye gaana gayega. Lekin waqt bahot kam hai. Mein aaj hi us sey baat karta hoon", the composer accepts. Ok. He only will sing this song. But time is short. I will speak with him today itself.
Kishore Kumar sang the song Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi for Khamoshi (1969), directed by Asit Sen, music by Hemant Kumar, lyrics by Gulzar. The song is filmed on Rajesh Khanna and Waheeda Rehman. The short piece of flute in the beginning of each antara is played by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Waheeda Rehman insisted that Rajesh Khanna be given the role of the male protagonist in the film. She also suggested that the film be shot in black and white to match the pathos of the film, and use the interplay of light and dark shades.
Hemant da did sing Tum pukar lo which also became immensely popular. When Kishore Kumar recorded the song Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi, he had no idea who he was singing for. This is the first song that Kishore Kumar sang for Rajesh Khanna. Aradhana released later in the year in 1969, after Khamoshi, and that solidified the Rajesh Khanna and Kishore Kumar combination.
Waheeda Rehman has shared that Rajesh Khanna used to have trouble remembering his lines when it came to songs. During the filming of this song shot on a boat as it travels on the Hooghly River, when the camera panned only on Rajesh Khanna, he would ask Waheeda ji to prompt his lines for him. Years later, when Rajesh Khanna had reached the peak of his popularity, and he and Waheeda ji acted again together on another film, she said to him about his habit of forgetting song lines, "Rajesh, ab tum kahan se kahan pahunch gaye, fir bhi wohi aadat hai". Rajesh, you have scaled new heights, but you still have the same habit. Rajesh Khanna replied, "Yahan wahan pahunch ne se kya hota hai. Main to wohi Rajesh hoon." What does it matter where one has reached. I am still the same Rajesh.
The black & white cinematography of Kamal Bose won him the Filmfare award for Best Cinematography. Waheeda Rehman was nominated for Best Actress.
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Hemant Kumar
Singer: Kishore Kumar
Flute: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
Cinematography: Kamal Bose
*ing: Rajesh Khanna, Waheeda Rehman
Director: Asit Sen
Film: Khamoshi (1969)