Chhaayaageet #4 - "Who will sing this song?"
“Who will sing this song?”....”Ab isko gayega kaun?”
The director had come across the song at a friend’s house in London while on a visit with his wife. The song had an infectious beat to it. It fascinated both of them and they felt it could be easily adapted.
Once they got back, they decided to create a song for his current movie that was being filmed.
It took the prodigious music director and lyricist no time to adapt the tune with Hindi lyrics.
How do you fit a raunchy western beat in a no non-sense movie being shot on a village set with villager type characters? Everything has to have a purpose and must fit in nicely. Where to fit this song in the movie?
He was a master when it came to challenges like these. He decided to seek help from gypsies. The gypsy community is associated with catchy tunes and hard beats. They always have something that you can dance to at your next party.
It was decided that a band of gypsies would visit the village on a certain assignment to provide weapons to dacoits. The song would be filmed on the gypsies with the dacoits and villagers watching. It was all set.
"Who will sing this song?"...."Ab isko gayega kaun?"
The current genre of singers could hardly do justice to this tune and this needed someone different, someone with a unique voice. The music director stepped up and decided he will sing it himself.
Hoo....
Mehbooba Mehbooba
Mehbooba Mehbooba
Hoo...
Gulshan mein gul khilte hain
Jabse raah mein milte hain
Mein aur tu
The original by Demis Roussos below.
And a bonus of RD Burman performing the song live, with an introduction by Amjad Khan, and Jalal Agha dancing to it on stage.
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: RD Burman
Film: Sholay