Chhaayaageet #54 - “Ki ananda, what joy it is to see these two legends singing!”
The filmmaker is always brimming with music ideas. He is a bit of a poet as well. He has just come out of a session with the lyricist, and he is not able to contain his excitement about the latest lyrics that they had come up with together. He has to see the composer right away.
“Let’s do something new and different for this one”, he tells the composer.
“Different? What do you mean different?” The composer is not sure.
“Well, you remember that one song you composed couple of years back? Something like that.” The filmmaker looks at the composer with enthusiasm, hoping to get the same excitement back.
“But that was a 12-minute long song with all kinds of music styles stitched together.” The composer is not sure how to get out of this micro-management from the filmmaker.
“Yes, yes! I want something like that but still new and different.” The filmmaker keeps pushing. The composer is further confused. He can hear the gears turning in his brain. Quick, think of something fast.
“What if we do a traditional style mukhda and throw in some rap within the antara?” The composer throws something against the wall to see if it sticks. It is unique.
The filmmaker loves it. “Let’s do it”.
After the filmmaker leaves, the composer ponders the mess he has gotten himself into. With the lyrics in front of him, he now has to figure out the right singers. But this is what he loves to do. He respects all kinds of music. Tunes are just like pearls that he can mix, match and string together to make whatever necklace he wants. He had listened to rap music during his travels to the USA and liked it. Why not experiment with it?
He thinks of a tune for the mukhda. There is a Bengali song he has heard some time back. It should fit. He has no qualms about borrowing tunes from other songs, something other purists might frown upon. What's wrong with a little inspiration from here and there? Nothing at all.
He decides that the main singer, who is also singing all the other songs in the film, will sing the mukhda. And how about rope in the hero himself to sing the rap antara. He knows the hero and filmmaker are very close, and the hero won't refuse.
He places a call to the main singer. “Mama, I have a song for you. This will really fit your voice.” The singer is his uncle, his mom's cousin.
“Achcha?! If you say so, I trust you. Is it a solo song?”, the singer responds. The composer can hear the excitement in his uncle’s voice.
“Yes, Mama. You are singing the entire song.”
A lie. He doesn't have the heart to tell him that this is a duet, and the rap part will be sung by the hero. He'll cross the bridge when he comes to it.
For a few days, the composer rehearses separately with the singer and the hero. The hero knows it's a duet. The singer doesn't.
Recording day dawns. The famous Mehboob studio in Bandra has been booked. The composer reaches early in the morning hoping to reach before both the singer and the hero get there.
But, what does he see?! The hero is already there and practicing with the musicians. The composer realizes he should have known. This is the best part about the hero. Even though he is a superstar, punctuality is his middle name. Whether it is acting or singing, the hero gives it his all.
Then the singer arrives. The composer has not yet figured out how to break the news to the singer that this is a duet after all.
“How are you, my dear nephew?” The singer shouts loudly at the composer as he makes an entry into the studio. He is known to be fashionably late. The opposite end of the punctuality spectrum from the hero. Today is no different. The singer sees the hero also there. Perhaps he has come to just be there for the recording.
“Arre, kya baat hai. Our superstar is also here. Are you here to listen to the recording?” The singer addresses the hero.
Unsure how to respond, the hero looks at the composer to resolve the situation.
“Mama, I didn’t tell you earlier. This is a duet. He will be singing the rap part of the song.” The composer breaks the news sheepishly, looking at the floor, unable to meet the singer's eyes with his own.
The singer is a jovial chap and lightens the mood.
“Arre, no problem. Bahut mazaa aayega.” No problem. It will be a lot of fun. The composer heaves a huge sigh of relief.
They get the orchestra ready and set up two mics in front. The composer watches the ensemble with the singer and hero in the front on their mics. He can already see history in the making.
“Ki ananda, what joy it is to see these two legends singing!”
Bappi Lahiri composed the music for the song Jahaan chaar yaar in the movie Sharaabi directed by Prakash Mehra. Kishore Kumar sang the mukhda and Amitabh Bachchan sang the rap part in the antara. This was the first Hindi film song that had rap-style music in between traditional filmi music.
Prakash Mehra was very impressed with what Bappi Da did in Namak Halal, especially the Pag Ghungroo song which lasted for 12 minutes. He wanted to do something similar in Sharaabi and Bappi Da delivered a blockbuster song along with several other hits such as Manzilein apni jagah hain, De de pyaar de and Inteha ho gayi. The mukhda for the song was inspired by a Bengali song sung by Runa Laila.
Bappi Da grew up in a music household. Both his parents were Bengali singers and musicians. He started playing the tabla when he was 3 years old. In fact, he doesn't even remember going through lessons that he received as a child. At the age of 19, he came to Mumbai and worked as an assistant to several composers before becoming independent. His big break came through the movie Zakhmee with hits such as Aao tumhe chaand pe le jaaye, Jalta hai jiya mera and Zakhmee dilon ka badly. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Music Director for the movie Namak Halal and finally won his first Filmfare for Sharaabi. The same year, he also had earned two other Filmfare nominations for the movie Tohfa and Kasam Paid Karne Wale Ki.
Lyrics: Anjaan, Prakash Mehra
Music: Bappi Lahiri
Singer: Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan
*ing: Amitabh Bachchan
Director: Prakash Mehra
Film: Sharaabi (1984)