Chhaayaageet #232 - "Mein gaaungi, lekin yeh film kabhi nahin dekhungi."
"I will sing but I will never watch this film."
The legendary singer is at the celebrated filmmaker’s residence. The plan is to go through the situation of the song in the filmmaker’s upcoming film. The singer is expecting this to be business as usual as they sit together, scripts and song lyrics spread before them. The filmmaker has other ideas. He is well known in the world of Hindi cinema for his fearless and innovative use of music. Unlike many of his contemporaries, the filmmaker integrates songs with bold and visual elements. His heroines are always in the spotlight for their striking sensuality. He describes his vision for the song sequence.
“Iss scene main,” In this scene, he says, “biwi thodi masti aur shararat bhari hai.” The wife is behaving mischievously and seductively with her husband. “Jab uska pati usse dance ke liye bahar le jaane se mana karta hai, to woh usse chidhane ka faisla karti hai. Woh aise andaaz main behave karti hai jo aam taur par humari industry main nahi dekha gaya.” When her husband refusess to take her out for a dance, she decides to tease him. The way she behaves with him is something very new for our film industry.
The singer listens intently, glancing once in a while over the song’s lyrics on the table. Her brow furrows as she pieces the situation and the lyrics together. She can almost visualize how the entire sequence is being imagined.
After a pause, she expresses her discomfort. “Main yeh gaana nahi gaa sakti.” I cannot sing this song, she says quietly. “Shabdon ke saath-saath, is gaane ki stithi aur heroine ka vyavhaar ise mere liye bahut hi ashleel bana dete hain. Main yeh gaana nahi gaa sakti.” Along with the words, the situation of this song and the way the heroine behaves, this seems quite vulgar. I cannot sing this song.
Anticipating her reaction, the filmmaker patiently tries to assure her. “Aapke siwa koi doosri awaaz iss gaane ko gaa nahi sakti.” There is nobody apart from you who can sing this song. The filmmaker feels flexing her ego will do the thing. He is good with words.
The singer does not budge. She recalls how her principle has always been that her voice should uplift, not compromise one’s dignity. For her, even heavy praise from the filmmaker cannot sway the steadfast values she has built through her lifetime in music.
“Mera mann nahin maan raha hai. Main ab chaloongi.” My heart is not agreeing to this. I am leaving now. She leaves.
The filmmaker is taken aback. Nobody talks to him like that. Leaving in the middle, just like that.
A few days go by. The filmmaker is still obsessed with the song, situation, and, of course, her voice. But she is so inflexible. He doesn't want to compromise on anything. But then, how to convince her? He is thinking about this constantly. The tune and lyrics are ready to go. Shooting is still pending, so maybe it is he who needs to be flexible on the actual scenes of the song with the lead actress. He decides to give it one more try. A meeting is fixed with the singer.
The filmmaker gets to the point right away. “Main jaanta hoon aapko film ki situation acchi nahin lagi. Issi liye maine kuch socha hai. Maine jo tareeka socha hai iss gaane ko dikhane ka, usmain yeh galat ya ashleel nahi lagega. Yeh sirf mazaak aur shararat bhara gaana ban jayega.” I know you didn’t like the situation of the song in the film. I have given it some thought. The way I have planned to shoot this, it won’t look bad or vulgar. It will just be a song full of fun and mischief. He explains, earnestly looking for her reaction.
Still, the singer isn’t convinced. She shakes her head gently. “Ho sakta hai, lekin maine hamesha apni seemaayein rakhi hain. Ye gaana mere liye nahi hai.” It is probably that way but I always stay within the boundaries I have set for myself. This song is not for me.
The filmmaker refuses to give up. “Please mujh par bharosa kijiye. Aapki awaaz ko aise waise gaane main istemaal nahin karoonga. Mera vishwaas kijiye, scene bilkul masoom rahega.” Please trust me. I won’t use your voice for useless songs. Believe me, this will be quite an innocent scene.
Hours pass. Finally, the singer relents, but on one condition. “Theek hai. Main gaaungi, lekin main kabhi yeh film nahi dekhungi.” Ok. I will sing but I will never watch this film. She states firmly and leaves.
Lata Mangeshkar sang the song Mein Kya Karun Ram Mujhe Budhha Mil Gaya in the film Sangam (1964). The film is directed by Raj Kapoor, music by Shankar Jaikishan, and lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri. The song is picturized in the film on Vyjayanthimala and Raj Kapoor.
Sangam was the first Indian movie shot entirely abroad, with scenes in London, Paris, and Switzerland. It was one of the most expensive films of its time and had the longest runtime in Indian cinema when it was released, with two intervals. The film dealt with themes of love, loyalty, sacrifice, and other emotional conflicts. Its bold storyline made it ahead of its time and contributed strongly to its box office success.
Raj Kapoor saw the song Mujhe Buddha Mil Gaya as a bold and significant narrative moment that challenged conventional depictions of a typical Hindi film heroine. He believed the song's seductive and playful nature was essential to express the heroine's frustration and flirtatious response to her husband’s refusal to take her out. This wasn’t something Lata Mangeshkar was ready to do. She had very carefully curated her selections of songs in her career and stayed away from cabaret or item songs. This allowed her younger sister, Asha Bhosle, to define herself in that genre. Raj Kapoor had to plead with her, and she finally agreed to sing. But she also told him that she will never watch the film or the specific song on the screen. She also refused to sing this song on stage during her concerts.
Sangam emerged as a major commercial success. It was the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year and the second-highest-grossing film of the decade behind Mughal-E-Azam (1960). After Sangam, international locations, especially Switzerland, became popular with Indian filmmakers and set a trend in Bollywood. This also helped popularize these destinations among Indian tourists.
Raj Kapoor won the Filmfare Award for Best Director and Vyjayanthimala won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
*ing: Vyajayanthimala, Raj Kapoor
Director: Raj Kapoor
Film: Sangam (1964)