Rich reward
By Anil Grover

Filmfare Collectible: 50s-90s; 50 Years of Award-Winning Music (1953-2000); Times Music /SaReGaMa; 5 CD/cassette set, Rs 195 and Rs 65 each

What a neon eon idea! Those were the days when awards were not dished out from Amsterdam, Dubai and New York to Amtola, Dhakuria and New Alipore. They were given by the only film magazine with a prestige tag (popular awards) other than the official one (National Award), and so the Filmfare Award was an event (without any hype required) till, like all awards, it too got corrupted (and we use the word metaphorically) by time and devalued by marketing mavericks (hype to beat other hype ? buy one award, get one free, plus TV coverage kind of eyeball- and wallet-grabs all over). Those days were also the era of the monopolistic music recording company HMV (now SaReGaMa) which is also credited in this set in a major way. So, it’s a lot more than just nostalgia, it’s a true (and very innovative) ‘collectible’, an intelligent use of marketing the golden oldies. All power to the elbow of both Times Music and SaReGaMa!

If you are wondering why each decade ‘starts’ a little late, from 1953-62 and so on, your arched eyebrow is right; they ought to have put in a line of explanation. The reason is good: Filmfare Awards started in 1953. Though they could have ended the 50s in seven years. The more inexplicable one is the latest, the 90s, which ends at 2000 and not 2002.

On the other hand, the inlays state not just the song but what that film got the award for (best music director in the main, but also best playback, male or female/lyricist/sound recordist/actor/actress/director. The selection is therefore from the film that won the Filmfare Award, and the particular song featured here is sometimes the compiler’s choice.

So, from 1953’s Tu Ganga ki mauj (Baiju Bawra; music ? Naushad) to 1960’s Chaudhvin ka chaand (title song; singer ? Mohd Rafi) to 1962’s Kahin deep jale kahin dil (Bees Saal Baad; singer ? Lata Mangeshkar; lyricist ? Shakeel Badayuni), they are all there in the 50s.

The 60s volume is embellished with 1963’s Jo vaada kiya woh (Taj Mahal; music ? Roshan; lyricist ?Sahir Ludhianvi); 1964’s Chaahunga main tujhe (Dosti; music ?Laxmikant-Pyarelal; singer ? Mohd Rafi; lyricist ? Majrooh Sultanpuri); 1965’s Tumhi mere mandir (Khandaan; music ? Ravi; singer ? Lata Mangeshkar; lyricist ? Rajendra Kishan); 1968’s Parde mein rehne do (Shikar; sound recordist ? P. Thakkersey); 1969’s Roop tera mastana (Aradhana; actress ? Sharmila Tagore); 1972’s Chingaari koi bhadke (Amar Prem; sound recordist ? Jehangir Nowroji). Just can’t list everything!

In the third volume, you can chill out on 1973’s Hum tum ek kamre mein (Bobby; actor ? Rishi Kapoor; actress ? Dimple Kapadia); 1975’s Dil aisa kisi ne mera toda (Amanush; lyricist ? Indivar); 1981’s Dil cheez kya hai (Umrao Jaan; music ?Khayyam); and 1982’s Pag ghungroo (Namak Halaal; singer ? Kishore Kumar).

Even in a random selection, the 60s and the 70s stand out as the golden era of Bollywood music, and here in the 70s volume, you can sense the changes to come in the years ahead. Or, what’s a song like 1980’s Om shanti Om (Karz; music ? Laxmikant-Pyarelal) doing in a decade which has Mere dil mein aaj kya hai (Daag; director ? Yash Chopra) and Chain se humko kabhi (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye; singer ? Asha Bhosle), though in the early years, you also had Hum tum ek kamre mein (1973)? This way, this set is a film historian’s delight, too, as it gives insight at a glance, melodically, into the changing popular tastes.

Not to say that the 80s volume doesn’t have the soothing 1983’s Do naina aur ik kahaani (Masoom; music ? R.D. Burman) or 1988’s Mera kuchh saamaan (Ijaazat; lyricist ? Gulzar; story ? Subodh Ghosh), but it also has 1984’s trite Jahaan chaar yaar (Sharaabi; music ?Bappi Lahiri) and 1989’s almost-lispy ditty Dil deewaana bin sajna ke (Maine Pyar Kiya; music ? Raamlaxman; lyricist ? Asad Bhopali; singer ? S.P. Balasubramaniam)!

Then, the current decade volume. It kicks off with 1993’s wafting Jabse tumko dekha (Damini; director Rajkumar Santoshi; story ? Sutanu Gupta), 1994’s Ek ladki ko dekha (1942 A Love Story; music ? R.D. Burman; singer ? Kumar Sanu; lyricist ? Javed Akhtar) and ends with the whisper-gentle Panchhi nadiya (Refugee; lyricist ? Javed Akhtar). But trendily enough, there are 1993’s rumbustious Goriya re (Aaina; supporting actress ? Amrita Singh), 1994’s shaadiwala shor gaana, Didi tera devar (Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!; director ? Sooraj R. Barjatya; actress ? Madhuri Dixit) or 1995’s shaadiwala song Mehndi laga ke rakhna (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; best film ? Yash Chopra) or 2000’s besura straining-at-the-throat Lucky Ali lottery winner, Ik pal ka jeena (Kaho Na Pyar Hai; director ? Rakesh Roshan; music ? Rajesh Roshan).

Come to think of it, maybe, the compiler thought it wise to stop at 2000 and not 2002, for that reason.