Chhaayaageet #17 - "What will it take for you to return my baby sister to me?"
“And the Filmfare goes to…”
She hears her name. Not much of a surprise. The award is hers to lose, since 4 out of 5 songs nominated are hers. But they pick that song?
She doesn’t know whether to go up on stage to receive the award or head to the exit.
That song?
The painful memories rush back to her as she walks up to the stage.
It is the last song she has sung for the composer. A chapter closed. Perhaps forever.
The composer and she had gotten close. After a failed marriage, she was working hard on booting up her singing career to support herself and three kids. Her illustrious elder sister had disapproved of the marriage and had broken off ties. And now she disapproved of her intimacy and companionship with the composer.
The composer never had any nice things to say about the sister. He felt the elder one’s voice was ill-suited to his compositions, but there was more to it than just that. Once he was so enraged, he torched a magazine that featured her sister’s interview.
She too had her share of rough times with her sister. Surprising, since they were close and constantly together growing up. The relationship had broken down when she decided to elope with her lover and the sister chose silence.
Her singing was overshadowed by her sister’s. All the songs she was asked to sing were experimental, nothing mainstream. She modulated, learned proper diction, even learned English to sing Western style. But it was not easy to make her own mark on the world.
In 1950s India, her sister’s voice was the perfect embodiment of the ideal “Bharatiya naari” (Indian woman) who respected and lived up to family and society’s traditions and values. In contrast, she gave voice to women who lived life on their own terms, seductresses, women singing and dancing in cabarets or clubs, “bad girls” for that era.
But the composer had favored her over all others, including her sister, and that had helped her career take shape. Of course, she had earned her work on her own merit.
When rumors of the affair came out, the elder sister couldn't hold herself. "She just went through a failed marriage and now this affair.”
The sister barged into the composer's studio. The composer, engrossed in thought, staring at the poster of his upcoming movie. Everything done except one final song remaining.
"She and I were inseparable. I have not spoken to her in many years, and you are the reason, you know that well. What will it take for you to return my baby sister to me?”
"You have my word. I will do just this last song with her", he says as he opens the door for the elder sister to leave. Breakup is imminent.
Few days later, she is in the composer’s studio for the recording, unaware of the conversation between him and her sister. The mood of the music is very dark and a complete departure from his usual rhythmic style. In fact, there is no percussion.
He gets irritated with her. "Why are you singing like this?”
She tries again.
“Where is the pain, where is the suffering? It needs to flow like poetry.”
She tries again.
“I don’t think you can do it. Go and sing those cabaret or club songs. You are only fit for that."
She wonders why is he so harsh? Berating her in front of all the musicians? What has she done to deserve this treatment?
She tries again, adjusting her singing, digesting the pain and humiliation. After several tries, she is finally able to get to the depth inside her that she never found before.
“And the Filmfare goes to...”
Asha Bhosle is nominated for four songs and wins the award for this one composed by OP Nayyar in the movie Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye. This is the last song that OP Nayyar composes for Asha Bhosle. This is also the first and only song to win a Filmfare that is not picturized. The producer felt the slow song went against the grain of the movie about a dacoit.
Asha Bhosle rose to stardom and almost a parallel standing with Lata doing work alongside OP Nayyar. Together they brought forth several hits such as "Aaiyee Meharbaan" with seductress Madhubala, "Jaaiye Aap Kahan Jaayenge" with Asha Parekh or drunken Babita on "Aao Huzoor Tumko".
OP Nayyar had his own unique style of music. No formal training of classical or any other kind. His peers were working with traditional melody music, but he had his heart set on rhythm. One of the reasons why he loved Asha ji’s style vs Lata ji’s.
Music Composer: O. P. Nayyar
Lyrics: S. H. Bihari
Singer: Asha Bhosle
Producer: Ratan Mohan
Director: S. Ali Raza
Film: Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye (1974)