Mukesh Sings For Raj Kapoor

There was Mukesh - my soul, my voice, I was a mere body. 
It was he who sang to the hearts of the people all over the world, not me. 
Raj Kapoor was an image, just a carcass of flesh and bones. 
When he died, it was destroyed, I felt there goes my breath, there goes my soul. 
I know what went away from me. 

- Raj Kapoor Speaks (Ritu Nanda)

When Raj Kapoor stood at the airport on that fateful day in August 1976, he was, in his own words, 'just a carcass'. Ten years prior to Mukesh's death, on December 14, 1966 (coincidentally, Raj Kapoor's birthday), lyricist Shailendra had passed away leaving Raj Kapoor bereft.  Just five years after that, in 1971, Jaikishen would leave another hole in Raj Kapoor's life. Speaking of their deaths in connection with Mukesh, he would later say, "When Shailendra left us, I felt I’d lost one arm; when Jaikishen passed away I lost another. But when Mukesh passed away, meri jaan hi chali gayi (I lost my life). I am the body, my soul was Mukesh.”

It was a broken man who waited to receive the mortal remains of a man who had meant more to him than just another colleague. Along with Rajendra Kumar, he waited, trying hard to control himself. Finally, when the coffin came out of the hold, he turned to Rajendra Kumar and burst out in agony,"He went there as a passenger; he's returning as luggage!" Ironically, the same fate awaited the showman. In 1988, twelve years after his soul left his body, Raj Kapoor, having gone to Delhi to receive the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, would return in a casket. 

Mukesh's relationship with Raj Kapoor went back a long way. He had sung for Raj Kapoor in his first film Neel Kamal (1947), but they had met earlier at Ranjit Movietone. Mukesh, an aspiring singer, was rehearsing a song while playing the piano when Raj Kapoor, then an assistant director, entered the room and introduced himself as Prithviraj Kapoor's son. In 1948, when Raj Kapoor turned director with his RK Films' Aag, he offered Mukesh a solo and a duet. However, it wasn't until after Barsaat the next year that Mukesh would become an indispensable part of both RK films and Raj Kapoor himself. Who was made for whom? Was Raj Kapoor complete without Mukesh? Or was Mukesh incomplete without Raj Kapoor? 

Mukesh and Raj Kapoor in Moscow

It would help that Raj Kapoor had a great interest in music, and was quite an accomplished musician himself. In fact, his ambition was to become a music director. While most people listened to tunes, he 'saw' music; he visualised his songs, he spent time getting exactly what he wanted, and he thought of himself as a conductor. When he went to a composer, whether it was Ram Ganguly in Aag, Shankar-Jaikishen for all his films after until Jaikishen's death, Laxmikant-Pyarelal or Ravindra Jain, he would tell them the character for whom they were composing, his narrative arc in the story, the scenes preceding and succeeding the song sequence... songs in his films pulled the narrative along and he understood their importance. Lata Mangeshkar is on record as saying that the music of of RK films may have been attributed to the various music directors, but that all of RK music is, in the final analysis, the creation of Raj Kapoor himself.* Perhaps it was this understanding of what music meant that bound the two men together, and made Mukesh a part of the charmed inner circle of Raj Kapoor's music group.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Theirs was a friendship of equals, a friendship between two men who loved and respected each other, as people, as artistes. And so it came about that when Mukesh was in financial trouble in the 50s, Raj Kapoor was there to help. (As were others.) As he was there, after Mukesh's death, to offer support to a bereaved son. "Whatever little I have achieved in life is because of Raj Uncle," says a grateful Nitin Mukesh. Raj Kapoor had not known Nitin Mukesh was an aspiring singer; he only knew him as his friend's son. But when the young man came to him, on his guru's behest, to ask if Raj Kapoor would be the chief guest at a concert that Mukesh had committed to, but that the son would be singing in, Raj Kapoor kept aside the shooting of the climax of Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and lent his name and star power to help launch the boy. And Nitin Mukesh recalls that the entire film industry turned out to see him, just because of Raj Kapoor's presence.

Raj Kapoor's association with Mukesh could have ended only with death. And while the show had to go on, and did, it was never quite the same. But this association of two disparate talents lives on, in their songs, in our memories, and in our retelling of the stories of their friendship for future generations to read. 

Here are some of my favourite Mukesh melodies picturised on Raj Kapoor. Actor and singer. Face and voice. Body and soul.

1. Zinda hoon is tarah  Aag (1948) Ram Ganguly/Behzad Lucknowi

This is a tragic song in a tragic film. And Mukesh sings it with so much feeling that the pain, the hurt, touches you. Sometime, somewhere, perhaps we have also felt that desolation. Or perhaps we have been fortunate not to. 

Zinda hoon is tarah ke humein zindagi nahin

Jalta hua diya hoon magar roshni nahin

There is something about this song that appeals to me - it is as if my emotions - at one point in time - were personified on screen. Raj Kapoor once said that it was after Chhod gaye baalam in Barsaat that he and Mukesh forged the bond that lasted until the latter's death. To me, this song was the cry of a man's soul, and Mukesh voiced it with all the pathos that his voice could hold. Unforgettable.

2. Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahin Bawre Nain (1950) Roshan/Kidar Sharma

A story of star-crossed lovers, and separation and much melodrama before it winds down to its inevitable end, the songs were much better than the film in which they were used (the sorry tale of many a film during that period). One should be grateful for small mercies, however. This is the film that ensured that Roshan stayed on in the film industry and gave us many, many hours of listening pleasure. This song of heartbreak was right up Mukesh's alley and he gave it his all. Director Kidar Sharma moonlighted as the lyricist and eked out every bit of grief that he could:

 Bahaar aayi thi kismet ne

Magar ye gul khilaaya

Jalaaya aashiaan sayyad ne

Noch dale

Mujkho ae maalik utha le

Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahin...

3. Hum tujhse muhobath karke sanam Awara (1951) Shankar-Jaikishen/Hasrat Jaipuri

Yes, it is another song of heartbreak. Yes, there is pathos. Yes, it is Mukesh. And Raj Kapoor. So what is the difference? The self-deprecation that is so evident on screen. And off. The persona on screen is of a man who has gambled and lost. And he knows he is at fault, but circumstances dictate his life. There is regret, there is loss, there is acceptance of sorts. And all the things that he cannot tell his beloved? 

Har dil ki lagi kya tujhko khabar

Ik dard utha tharrayi nazar

Khamosh the hum

Is gham ki kasam

Rote bhi rahe, hanste bhi rahe 

He sings them out in his loneliness, on the beach where he had spent happier days with her. They are poles apart, he and she, and would she even know what it is like to be him? It is not as much an accusation as a humorous acceptance of his own grief. Perfect. 

4. Chino arab hamara Phir Subah Hogi (1958) Khayyam/Sahir Ludhianvi

Not heartbreak over a failed love affair this time, but a disillusionment with society at large, and with the government in particular. Eleven years after independance, what had looked like a free country and a promising state of affairs was now a nation in shambles. Unemployment was rampant. It is amidst this chaos that Dostoevesky's Crime and Punishment would inspire an adaptation. Sahir's vitriolic pen provided a voice to the disenchanted youth. Parodying Iqbal's Taran-e-Milli and making a mockery of verses from the same poet's Taran-e-Hind, Sahir gave trenchant voice to his disillusionment with Nehruvian socialism.

Taalim hai adhuri, milti nahin majoori
Maloom kya kisi ko, dard-e-nihaan hamara

Chin-o- arab hamara, hindustan hamara
Rehne ko ghar nahin hai, saara jahaan hamara

It is because lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi insisted that the music director had to be someone who had actually read the novel that the score was handed over to Khayyam, instead of RK regulars Shankar-Jaikishen. Raj Kapoor agreed with one caveat - he would vet every single composition. Khayyam agreed. When Raj Kapoor heard the score, he was gracious enough to acknowledge that it couldn't have been bettered.

5. Sajanwa bairi ho gai hamar Teesri Kasam (1967) Shankar-Jaikishen/Shailendra

The story of a simple cart driver and an itinerant nautanki dancer, Teesri Kasam, based on Phaneeswarnath Renu's novel Maare Gaye Gulfam, was almost a home production for Raj Kapoor - it was produced by his long-time lyricist and close friend, Shailendra. And as was his wont with his friends and family, Raj Kapoor was generous - knowing that Shailendra had invested all his money into producing the film, he asked for his market price. A shocked Shailendra was disarmed completely when he heard what the 'market price' was: one rupee. Along with Raj Kapoor came Mukesh, who was equally close to Shailendra. The story had the cart driver singing songs along the way to ease the tedium of a long journey. And as part of a narrative, he tells his passenger the sad story of a woman who is deserted by her husband. 

Sooni sej god mori sooni

Marham na jaane koyi

Chatpat tadpe preet bechari

Mamta aansoo roye

Na koi iss paar hamara

Na koi uss paar

Sajanwa bairi ho gayi hamaar

And his passenger, a hardened woman accustomed to being on her own, who has no dreams of a husband or children, is brought to tears. 

6. Kisi ki muskurahaton se  Anari (1959) Shankar-Jaikishen/Shailendra

This is the way life must be lived - with love and laughter and selflessness. By all accounts, Mukesh did live such a life. His voice is filled with the simple joys, and the lyrics reflect a simple faith - in himself, and in others. 

Rishta dil se dil ke aitbaar ka

Zinda hai humee se naam pyaar ka

Ki marke bhi kisi ko yaad aayenge

Kisi ki aansuon pe muskuraayenge

Kahega phool har kali se baar baar

Jeena isi ka naam hai... 

7. Haal e dil hamara Shriman Satyawadi (1960) Dattaram/Hasrat Jaipuri

How far can one go in the pursuit of truth? The movie traces the journey of a man who will not swerve from the path of truth, regardless of personal consequences. The music was composed by Dattaram, who is more famous for the 'Dattaram theka'. Lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri came in to write this one song (the others in this film were penned by Gulzar), and Mukesh gave voice to Vijay's (Raj Kapoor) principles. 
Jhooth ki manzil pe yaaron hum na hargiz jaayenge
Hum zameen ki khaakh sahi asmaan par chhayenge
Kyun bhala dabkar rahe darte nahin bhaiyya
Haal-e-dil hamara jaane na bewafaa ye zamaana zamaana...
 

8. Jaane kahaan gaye woh din Mera Naam Joker (1970) Shankar-Jaikishen/Hasrat Jaipuri

By this time, cracks had begun to appear in RK's dream team. Shailendra was dead, Shankar and Jaikishen were composing separately even though they still leveraged the brand they had created as a musical duo (Kal Aaj aur Kal would be the last RK film they would compose for; Jaikishen's untimely death would end their reign as RK's music directors), and the singer whom Raj Kapoor called his prerna (inspiration), Lata, would refuse to sing for him. What made matters worse was that Raj Kapoor's magnum opus failed big time at the box-office. In hindsight, Jaane kahan gaye woh din may have seemed rather prophetic.
Apni nazar mein aaj kal, din bhi andheri raat hai
Saayaa hi apne saath tha, saayaa hi apne saath hai 
Today, the same film is hailed as a classic, but its failure hit Raj Kapoor hard. He had mortgaged both his house and RK Studios to make this film. The music of this film, however, matched RK's exacting standards. Shankar and Jaikishen may have composed separately, but no one could tell the difference, the absence of Lata notwithstanding. Asha stepped in to do the honours, and came up trumps. 

9. Tu agar mujhko na chaho Dil Hi Toh Hai (1963) Roshan/Sahir Ludhianvi

I remember thinking when I first heard this song that I couldn't love someone who was so whiny, and so self-indulgent to boot. I mean, what's the point in telling the girl, "It's okay if you don't love me, but you can't love anyone else"? That's hardly going to endear him to the girl.

Ab agar mel nahin hai to judaai bhi nahin
Baat todi bhi nahin tumne banaayi bhi nahin
Ye sahaara hi bahut hai mere jeene ke liye
Tum agar meri nahin ho to paraayi bhi nahin
Mere dil ko na saraaho toh koyi baat nahin
Ghair ke dil ko saraahogi to mushkil hogi
Tum kisi aur ko chaahogi to mushkil hogi

Then, I watched the film. In the context of the film, everything changes. It is not a whiny song at all! On the contrary, it is a teasing one - and the chemistry between Raj Kapoor and Nutan really simmered on screen. Pran is there as well, clueless though occasionally glowering (it would be a complete doofus who couldn't recognise the intensity of feeling between the two!), and is so obviously the person Raj Kapoor is referring to in the song, all the while knowing full well that Nutan loves him. It is in songs like these that I realise what Raj Kapoor meant by 'soul'. Mukesh sang the song with such panache, it's as if Raj Kapoor and Mukesh are one person, that one feels the emotions that the other is singing about. Just watch the video for the most complete melding of voice, emotion and expression. Truly. 

10.  Aansoo bhari hai  Parvarish (1958) Dattaram/Hasrat Jaipuri

The anthem for dejected lovers everywhere, Aansoo bhari hai had Mukesh at what he did best - drip pathos. You could feel the depths of the hero's despair, the agony that he tries so hard to hide. He's lost the girl, though of course, while he's moaning and groaning over the heartbreak, he seems to forget that he brought it all upon himself - with that pesky self-sacrificing gene that all Hindi film heroes and heroines seem to have by the bushel. 
Vaade bhulaa de kasam tod de woh
Haalat pe apni humein chhod de woh
Aise jahaan se kyun hum dil lagaaye
Koyi unse keh de humein bhool jaaye

Done! No one, of course, asks the heroine (or the hero) what they want. Everyone unilaterally decides for the other, like they are all pawns on a chessboard, and then of course, no one is happy. 
Barbaadiyon ki ajab dastaan hoon
Shabnam bhi roye main woh aasmaan hoon
Unhen ghar mubaarak humein apni aahein
Koyi unse keh de humein bhool jaaye
And of course, he doesn't have the guts to tell her himself! Forgive me if I don't have much sympathy for such martyrdom!

I shouldn't complain, I suppose. I love the song. :(  

11.  Main aashiq hoon baharon ka Aashiq(1962) Shankar-Jaikishen/Shahrayar

  

It is a love triangle, and in the way of other cinematic love triangles winds down in pretty much the same fashion. But the film is directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee (not one of his better attempts), and is therefore much more restrained than others of their ilk. S-J came up with a rather decent score, and we had Shahrayar step in, instead of RK regulars Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri.  This is neither a tragic song (as one would expect in a love triangle) nor a romantic one. Hrishikesh Mukherjee's heroes were generally a tad bit more natural than that. This is a lovely song for all that, and Mukesh's voice ebbs and flows as Raj Kapoor traipses through the countryside (much in the same manner as it did in Suhana safar when it was Dilip Kumar wandering up the hills and vales), his voice lifted in sheer happiness. 

Kabhi maine haske deepak jalaaye
Kabhi banke baadal aansoo bahaaye
Mere rasta pyaar ka raasta
Main aashiq hoon bahaaron ka nazaaron ka fizaaon ka ishaaron ka
Main mastaana musaafir hoon jawaan dharti ke anjaane kinaaron ka
Main aashiq hoon bahaaron ka... 

12. O mehbooba Sangam (1964) Shankar-Jaikishen/Hasrat Jaipuri

Okay, someone tell me how anyone can grow up and be so clueless? Sundar seems to be the only one who doesn't know that Radha is not in love with him, but with Gopal. He makes an absolute pest of himself following her around, proclaiming his love. He stalks Radha, and teases the life out of her; she is boating with Gopal, for heavens' sake! Why on earth can't the man see what's before his blessed eyes? Even while he knows she is annoyed? (*head to desk*) Considering that no one, least of all Gopal or even Radha herself, seem to bother to set him right, I suppose one cannot blame him for thinking his attentions are welcome. (While confessing that personally, what I wanted to do was to pick up a bat and hit him on the head!) But the song, the song! On the face of it, it sounds like a roothna-manaana song, one where the hero is trying his best to cajole the heroine out of her sulks...
 Kis baat se naaraaz ho
Kis baat ka hai gham
Kis soch mein doobi ho tum
Ho jaayega sangam
O mehbooba O mehbooba
Tere dil ke paas hi hai meri manzil-e-maqsood...

But it was more than just that. It was a joyous song, one filled with love that he cannot be bothered to hide, with reassurance that they will be one after all. However mistaken he is about her feelings, there is no mistaking his. Mukesh got the nuances just right, and this is one of my favourite songs from the film. (Personal peeve is the Bol Radha bol sangam hoga ke nahin.)

13. Mere toote hue dil se Chhalia (1959) Kalyanji-Anandji/Qamar Jalalabadi

Kalyanji-Anandji have been vocal in their gratitude towards Mukesh, and have gone on record to say that had it not been for the late singer, their path to success wouldn't have been as assured. That went not just for the beginning of their career, but also when they were firmly entrenched, but were competing against idols Shankar-Jaikishen on the one hand, and proteges Laxmikant-Pyarelal on the other. I like this song for the self-mockery evident in the lyrics. He mistakes her gratitude for love, and is heart-broken when he finds out that his love is unrequited. Yet, he is man enough to realise that it was his own delusions. The song is a mixture of so many emotions and Mukesh does full justice to the conflict. 

Jise ulfat samajh baitha, meri nazron ka dhokha tha
Kisi ki kya khata hai, kisi ki kya khata hai
Mere toote hue dil se koyi toh aaj ye poochhe
Ke tera haal kya hai ke tera haal kya hai

14. Yaad aayi aadhi raat ko Kanhaiyya (1959) Shankar-Jaikishen/Shailendra

This is yet another film in which the songs trumped the film itself. In other words, do yourself a favour and listen to the songs or watch it on YouTube, but avoid the film like plague. In this song, Kanhaiya is remembering the incidents of the previous night and hoping against hope that it was all just a dream. 
Chaahat mein wafa aur woh mar mitne ki kasmein
Kya khwaab tha behke huye jazbaat ki tauba,
Yaad aayi aadhi raat ko kal raat ki taubaa
Dil poochhtaa hai jhoom ke, kis baat ki taubaa?
The slightly rueful, yet cheerful note in Mukesh's voice caught the essence of the good-natured village ne'er-do-well who is caught in a trap not of his own making. 

And so, with this lot of songs, I have finally come to the end of the Mukesh saga. It is fitting, perhaps, that the last song that he recorded was for a RK film - Chanchal sheetal nirmal komal from Satyam Shivam Sundaram and that the last song he sang before his death was Jaane kahan gaye woh din. If nothing else, the spirit of the RK team was intact. And now that they have all left us - Raj Kapoor, Mukesh, Shankar-Jaikishen, Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri - perhaps they are making more music together wherever they are. 

*Raj Kapoor: The Great Showman (Lata Khubchandani)
p.s. The playlist for the songs in this post is here.