Chhaayaageet #50 - "Aapko gaana rakhna padega. Mein kehti hoon rakhna padega."
The Oberoi, Delhi, 1969.
As the evening winds down into the night, the band starts to play some foot tapping jazz. A few members of a famed film production house are in the restaurant. The unique and powerful voice of the singer catches their attention. It's very husky, heavy. There's something else unusual about her. Upscale restaurants, bars and clubs have started a trend of live music performances. But a woman singing jazz in a sari could not have been on anyone's mind.
They catch her after the show. "How would you like to sing in Hindi films?" She is flattered. "Sure, why not?"
Some information is exchanged. She doesn't think much about it. She is busy. She has other shows to perform. Here today, another city tomorrow.
The film crew come back to Bombay singing praises of this new found singing sensation. She must sing in their next film which is about to go on the floors. The filmmaker must listen to her, they say.
The filmmaker along with his young music composer travel to Madras. They know she is performing in a club there. They are very impressed by her voice. It would be perfect for the "bad girl" in their film.
Her contract stipulates she cannot socialize with guests. In between acts, when other performers take the stage, she has to spend time in an adjoining bakery, until it's her time to sing again. Singing in a club means long hours.
At the end of the night, the filmmaker and composer catch her. "We'd like to sign you for our next film." She is speechless, and thrilled.
Back in Mumbai, work on the film starts to progress. The filmmaker, composer and lyricist have a sitting. The filmmaker explains the situation of the song. He is also the lead actor. The song is to be filmed on him.
"There needs to be some introduction music at the beginning of the song", he instructs.
After the filmmaker leaves, the lyricist asks the composer, "What's happening in the film before the song?"
The composer explains it.
"We can have another song here", the lyricist feels very strongly. He picks up some vernacular from popular culture and comes up with the words. The composer fits them to a tune.
"Ok, when the filmmaker comes tomorrow, let's play this for him and see what he says", the composer decides. They hope he will like it.
Next day.
"Ye ek gaana hai, aap sun lijiye. Picture mein shayad fit ho jaye", the composer says. We have this song, please listen to it. It may have a place in the film.
The composer sings it for him.
"Theek hai. Yeh gaana to theek hai, lekin apna gaana to kharab ho jayega", the filmmaker doesn't warm up to it. It's ok. This song is ok. But it will spoil our song.
He doesn't like the idea of having this song in front of his song. No one will want to listen to his song then. A compromise is reached. Let's record the song, but it won't be in the film. It will be released on disc.
A situation is conjured up. It is conceived as a female duet, the nightingale singing for the good girl, and the newfound club singer singing for the bad girl. Rehearsals are scheduled. The filmmaker still doesn't feel right about this song. He decides it should not be a duet. Only one singer should sing it, and he recommends a third singer. He has no plans to film it anyway.
One fine day, when the club singer comes for rehearsals, the composer takes her to one side.
"I am afraid but you are not singing this song. It is going in a different direction. I am sorry", he explains to her.
She is new to the industry. These things must happen here, what does she know. She is disappointed, but doesn't say anything. Seeing her predicament, the composer assures her, "Yaar kuch karte hain." Let's do something. He will have her sing another song in this film, he assures her.
A third singer is now scheduled to sing this song. Rehearsals are scheduled with her now.
On the day of the recording, in front of a live orchestra of 50 odd musicians, this third singer delivers a resounding performance. Everyone is very happy. Being new to this project, she has no idea the song is not to be in the film, but only to be on disc. No one has told her that.
Two days later, the composer calls her. She has just sat down for lunch.
"Ek buri khabar hai. Humne jo gaana parso record kiya, woh gaana film se cut gaya." I have a bit of sad news. You know that song we recorded the other day, It's not going to be in the film.
"Cut gaya? Kaise cut gaya? Kyon cut gaya?", she asks incredulously. What do you mean it's cut? How did it get cut? Why did it get cut?
The composer tries to explain. The filmmaker does not think there is any situation in the film. He thinks it will overshadow his song, and may become more popular than the film itself.
She doesn't wait to finish lunch. She hastily washes her hands, gets into her car and asks the driver to take her straight to the filmmaker's house.
The filmmaker is shocked to see her. "Kaise aayeen aap?", he asks. What brings you here?
"Woh gaana jo aapne kaat diya hai, dekhiye usey katiye mat. Bahot achha gaana hai", she speaks. That song which you have cut from the film, please don't cut it. It is really a very nice song.
"Us gaane ke liye koi situation nahin hai", he explains. There is no situation for the song in the film.
"Nahin. Aapko gaana rakhna padega. Mein kehti hoon rakhna padega. Itna achha gaana aapko mila nahin tha, milega bhi nahin", she persists. No, you have to keep the song in the film. I am saying you have to keep it. Such a beautiful song you haven't gotten and you won't get it again.
He takes a long pause, looks at her gravely, and then speaks.
"Agar aap keh rahi hain to mein rakh leta hoon. Mein aur kisi ki baat nahin sunta, lekin mein aap ki baat sun loonga", he concedes. If you insist so much, then I will keep it. I don't listen to anyone else, but I will listen to you.
Anand Bakshi wrote the lyrics, and RD Burman composed the youth anthem of the 70s, Dum maro dum, for Hare Rama Hare Krishna, produced and directed by Dev Anand. This song established both RD and Anand Bakshi in their respective fields in the industry.
Bhupinder Singh played the electric guitar hook in the beginning, and Charanjit Singh played the transicord, an electric accordion with a synthesizer keyboard for the distinctive drone which opens the song.
Bhupinder was the only jazz guitarist at that time. He had to come up with the opening guitar riff. Dev Anand instructed him, "Just think of smoke and clouds of heroin". Moved by that description, Bhupinder played something on his electric guitar, and RD stopped him saying, "That's it!". The opening guitar is the distinctive identity of the song, and at live concerts, crowds break into an applause when they hear it.
This was Zeenat Aman's second film, and the first ever song to be filmed on her. Her first film was Hulchul in which she had a minor role and no song.
Dev Anand was trying to rebound from the failure of his first directorial Prem Pujari, and wanted his second film to be very different. A chance encounter with a girl in a bar in Kathmandu led to the story of Hare Rama Hare Krishna. The girl, Janice, was from Montreal, but had left her life and family behind to join hippies and to live a carefree life. This planted the seed in Dev Anand's mind to make an anti-drug film centered around a brother and sister.
SD Burman refused the film as it was not his type of story. He didn't want to do music for a film about drugs and a brother-sister relationship. He suggested RD's name. RD was still trying to make his mark in the industry, even after the success of Teesri Manzil. After 10 years in the industry, he was still known as his illustrious father's son. RD took up the challenge to do something new, something different.
Usha Uthup was the first choice to sing for Zeenat Aman. The song was conceived as a duet, with Lata Mangeshkar singing for Mumtaz and Usha (then Iyer) lending her "bad girl" voice for Zeenat. However, Dev Anand suggested Asha Bhosle, and eventually the song changed from a duet to a solo. The interlude aalaap in the song in low bass, aa aa aa aa, is sung by Usha Uthup, who was also part of the chorus.
RD did have another song for Usha Uthup in the same film, the title song which was a duet with Asha Bhosle. Listen to it below. Usha Uthup's vocals on the English lyrics are just wonderful. No concert of Usha Uthup is complete without the audience demanding her to sing Dum maro dum.
Asha Bhosle won the Filmfare for Best Playback Singer, Female for this song. Zeenat Aman won the Filmfare for Best Supporting Actress. The film was a massive hit.
After the film was released, All India Radio banned it as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting deemed it to be vulgar, promoting smoking and drugs amongst youth. Radio Ceylon picked up this song, which is how many people heard it. The song topped the Binaca Geetmala annual list 1972. In Binaca Geetmala, a song could appear for a maximum of 18 weeks, after which it was called a Sartaj Geet. On 15 March 1972, Dum Maro Dum became a Sartaj Geet while it was at #1 paydaan (position). It had remained at #1 position for 12 weeks.
SD Burman was present at the recording. He walked out when he heard the music.
After the song's massive popularity, one day SD Burman came back from his morning walk. He said to RD, "Today I feel very proud of you. Every day when I go out walking, people look at me and whisper, and I hear them saying - woh dekho SD Burman jaa raha hai. Today I heard them say - woh dekho RD Burman ka baap ja raha hai."
This song is one of RD's most mixed and remixed songs. It's psychedelic tunes are timeless. Kishore Kumar is supposed to have said that this song could bring a dead man back to life. Apple recently sampled this song in their launch video of the iPhone 13 below.
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Guitar: Bhupinder Singh
Transicord: Charanjit Singh
Music: RD Burman
Singer: Asha Bhosle, Usha Uthup
*ing: Zeenat Aman, Dev Anand
Film: Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971)