 |
Kishore Kumar, whose 76th birth anniversary it was yesterday, dabbled in most crafts of Hindi films, but above all, was the supreme playback singer.
But search the treasure chest, and you could come up with a glistening diamond here, a bloodshot ruby there. Songs which, courtesy the music companies or the still-born films to which they belong, never drifted into our hearts and ears through records, tapes or CDs.
The unreleased, or not properly released, gems of Kishore Kumar on their own can give a lot of his more popular numbers a run for their money. The three songs which surface after a lot of deliberation probably vindicate our faith in the underdog, the unsung. The first of these also comes with an element of very pleasant, almost divine, surprise. For those who have savoured R.D. Burman-Asha Bhosle’s Bengali Puja numbers, the popular Phule gondho nei (1973) might ring more than a musical bell; it might uncork the sparkle of the nostalgia of their respective decades. This, only till one chances upon the Hindi version of this song, Phulon ki zubaan khubsoorat ho gayi from an untitled production of debatable lineage. The Bengali original is an Asha solo, but here Kishore Kumar joins her to take it to hitherto unchartered heights of ecstasy. The song is better arranged, the lyrics are improved upon (the Achilles Heel of Bengali Puja Numbers from RD’s stable), the emoting is optimum, but if not for anything else, the song stands out for the incredible entry which Kishore effects, with his resonant baritone proclaiming Aakaash kora hai, aur chaand kanwaara hai. Though he goes on to play ideal foil to Asha’s delectable rendition, it has to be one of the greatest openings in a Hindi film song?unexpected, stunning, regal.
|
The second could contend to be the ultimate song in the minimalist tradition of composing. Very little accompaniment, a hint at slight percussions, more like muted heart beats of the song. And truly, Akela hoon main is jahaan mein lives; Kishore’s virgin voice from the late 50s takes care of that. Inspired by the theme of ‘River of no return’ and written and composed by himself for the unreleased Neela Aasmaan (1960), the song had been released around a decade ago in a double cassette by Amit Kumar without finding many takers then. Kishore delivers this so lucidly that the listener is left almost breathless.
Finally, the third song ? probably the brightest jewel of them all. Based on Raga Puriya Dhaneshree, Kishore composed this ghazal in D major scale, using chords in Kishoresque manner, defying the established norms of chord progression in the particular scale. And all this, in a matter of 10 minutes while recording for the theme song of the film, Pyar Ajnabi Hai (1980) ? another shelved production, starring himself and Leena Chandavarkar.
Much like isolated chapters of a rare manuscript, the song currently exists in two separate clips of about 50 seconds each. But be warned ? don’t hastily conclude anything about the impact of the song from its duration. Fifty seconds is a significant amount of time. Someone atop the WTC was planning an exotic weekend 50 seconds before the plane intervened. The baker at Pompeii was happily contemplating the shade of the loaf 50 seconds before Vesuvius burst open. In 50 seconds the humming bird flaps its wings 3,900 times and showcases the wonder of nature. In 50 seconds, the sun’s rays cover 1/10th of their expedition to Earth in order to support photosynthesis or an even coat of tan. For 50 seconds, Junoon-e-ishq captures each and every spark of emotion created when the arrogance of persuasive love takes on the wall of stoicism.
