Chhaayaageet #6 - "Add 1 Lakh to that amount. That will be my price."
“Add 1 Lakh to that amount. That will be my price.”
The producer and the director, brothers in real life, are in the music director’s recording studio.
A couple of songs have been written, composed and recorded for their film, but they are not happy with the lyrics. Something doesn’t feel right, it’s not clicking.
Imagine the song situation. The hero is feeling lonely and humiliated. He has broken the heroine’s trust and she has been left disheartened by the emotional treason. Depressed and despondent with her rejection, he’s sitting by himself, drinking, musing. And there's this line of dialog, after which the song is supposed to start:
Baatein karne ke liye dil itna taras raha tha to socha ki thodisi peekar apne aap se kuch kahoon. Zindagi bhi ek nasha hai dost, jab chadhta hai to mat poocho kya asar hota hai, aur jab utarta hai tab…
Cue the song. But the lyrics are missing something. They don’t convey the pain felt by both.
And that’s why the brothers are with the music director to discuss a personnel change in the lyrics department.(1)
Who could we bring in to write new songs?
Well, I can only think of one person, the music director says.
He makes a phone call.
The director and producer are in my studio. They want to have a chat with you. Why don’t you come over?
A voice replies - You know I don’t go anywhere these days.
Yes, I know. But why don’t you just come over and we’ll talk.
The person on the other line obliges and reaches the studio.
He finds out he isn’t the first choice lyricist, that two songs have been recorded, and only now they are reaching out to him to try and rectify the situation.
He thinks to himself - If I quote an exorbitant amount, perhaps they’ll refuse to pay and I can just go back home.
How much did you pay the other guy?
The brothers look at each other and quote a number.
“Add 1 Lakh to that amount. That will be my price.”
It’s 1964. No one has ever charged that much money to write songs. That's a lot of money for that time. 1 Lakh (100,000) rupees more in 1964 is 68 Lakh rupees more today.
To his surprise, the brothers agree.
Over the next few hours, they narrate the story and the song situation. By the end of the narration, he gives them the mukhada of the song.
Din dhal jaaye haaye
Raat na jaaye
Tu to na aaye
Teri yaad sataaye
All the songs of Guide, both the lyrics by Shailendra, and the music of SD Burman, become a legendary part of Indian cinema.
(1) Hasrat Jaipuri had written two songs for Guide. Somehow the Anand brothers didn’t feel his words did justice.
Lyrics: Shailendra
Music: SD Burman
Singer: Mohammad Rafi
Producer: Dev Anand
Director: Vijay Anand
Film: Guide
Credit for source: Dipali, Arizona