Chhaayaageet #270 - "Don't thank me, thank him."
The filmmaker is a big fan of the composer since the early days of him being an actor. Since turning filmmaker he has used the composer once for his production. Now five years later, he is planning a grand launch for his son.
The son, a gangly, wooden and gawky young man, provokes nothing but laughter. His dialogue delivery is a disaster. His physical movements are in a state of complete disarray.
In other words, this is a regulation Hindi masala film, with an inexperienced lead pair, that can only be saved by music.
The lead pair is in their 20s. The lead playback singers are in their 50s. The vocal stress at higher octaves is beginning to show on the female singer. The male singer’s voice has coarsened too, so much so that the heavy bass seems to dominate everything else at times. It is hampering the free flow one associated with his voice.
Given this the composition needs to be restrained and sober. The composer is aware of all this. He can no longer let his imagination run wild, with musicians and singers improving on the spot like they used to do in the ‘70s.
The guitarist is busy practicing in the studio, fiddling around the chords for the G-minor scale. The natural G-minor in its basic form is: G-A-B(flat)-C-D-E(flat)-F-G.
He keeps stringing the chord. All of a sudden, it strikes him that he could use the D-seventh instead. It seems to strengthen the harmonic pull back to G.
Instead of the D minor (D-F-A), he decides to play the D7 chord: D-F#-A-C.
The F# is not in the natural G-minor.
The guitarist is excited. The F# creates a tension and release and strongly resolves to G-minor.
This is one of the most common moves in Western music like classical jazz.
A tune seems to emerge based on the new chord progression: G-A-B(flat)-C-D-E(flat)-F#-G.
As the guitarist is engrossed in this, the composer walks into the room. He immediately gets busy with his own activities, but has one ear on the guitarist.
The guitarist, meanwhile, has figured out the entire song on the guitar.
“Dada, isko try karo,” the guitarist asks the composer. Dada, try this out.
He adds, “Yeh G-minor progression par based hai.” It is based on the G-minor progression.
The composer listens to it. He asks the guitarist to play it again.
“Lekin ismein G-minor kahan hai?” the composer asks, confused. Where is the G-minor?
“G-minor nahin hai. Khali ek bar shuruat mein hai,” the guitarist confesses. There is no G-minor. It’s touched upon once in the beginning.
The composer likes it a lot. “Haan, isko hi lete hain,” he tells the guitarist. Yes, let’s take this.
The playback singers arrive for the recording. The composer explains to them that there is a new tune for the song. They start rehearsals.
After one rehearsal, the female playback singer turns to the composer and says, “Thank you. Ye bahot acchi dhun banai hai.” Thank you. You have composed a very beautiful tune.
The composer deflects the praise towards the guitarist, “Don’t thank me, thank him.”
Bhanu Gupta, RD Burman’s core musician, composed the tune of Kya Yahi Pyar Hai in Rocky (1981), lyrics by Anand Bakshi, and playback by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. Sunil Dutt produced and directed Rocky as a launch vehicle for his son, Sanjay Dutt, and Tina Munim.
Rocky was released only a few days after the death of Nargis, Sunil Dutt’s wife and Sanjay’s mother. A chair was left vacant at the premiere of the film.
The songs of Rocky were a massive hit. Aa Dekhe Jara, Aao Mere Yaaron Aao, Doston Ko Salaam, and Hum Tumse Mile were all widely popular.
Sunil Dutt said in an interview that Pancham understood youth like no other music director did.
Music: Bhanu Gupta, RD Burman
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar
*ing: Sanjay Dutt, Tina Munim
Director: Sunil Dutt
Film: Rocky (1981)