Talat Mahmood - Lata Mangeshkar Duets

Photo credit: Indianexpress.com

There has been an inordinate delay between my last post on Talat Mahmood, and this one. Partly, it is because the laptop I usually use decided to shut down on me, and an old one I dragged out to use has something wrong with its speakers. Partly, it is because researching Talat's duets with other singers proved to be an inordinately difficult task. Most of his duets that I liked were those that he sang with Lata Mangeshkar. And partly it's because I've been snowed under, both literally and figuratively, and couldn't work up the will or the enthusiasm to write anything. Well, mostly, it's been the last part.

So, while I was muddling around, muttering about not being able to write my next post 'because...'. my husband suggested I write one on the songs that I did love. So while this post's usual 'Part 2' is still awaiting its turn in the wings, I decided to shrug off my inertia and sneak in a post on my favourite Talat-Lata duets. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Itna na mujhse tu pyar badha 

Chhaya (1961)

Music: Salil Choudhary 

Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
As I said, the Talat Mahmood - Lata Mangeshkar combination sounds divine to my ears. Add Salil Choudhary as music director, and I'm even more delighted. Salilda was one composer who utilised Talat Mahmood's voice a lot. (Which explains why this list has four Salilda compositions.) This is probably the 'go-to' song for the collaboration between the three artistes. Itna na mujhse tu pyar badha is reprised in the film as a sad solo (also by Talat). This is the duet, the 'happy' version - but even here, the hero, much though he loves her, is trying his best to persuade her not to go further along the path of romance, for he has little or no prospects. 
Mujhe ek jagah aaraam nahin
Ruk jaana mera kaam nahin
Mera saath kahaan tak dogi tum
Main desh videsh ka banjara 

Her response is both defiant and confident:  
O neel gagan ke deewaane
Tu pyaar na mera pehchaane
Main tab tak saath chaloon tere
Jab tak na kahe tu main haara 

2. Aha rhimjhim ke ye pyaare pyaare geet mile 

Usne Kaha Tha (1961)

Music: Salil Choudhary

Lyrics: Shailendra

Along with Talat and Lata, Sunil Dutt is the common factor with the first song. While Itna tu mujhse na pyaar badha from Chhaya (1961) is probably the more well-known Talat-Lata-Salilda collaboration, I like this one just as well. In a film that begins lightly enough but turns serious in the second half,  Aha rhimjhim ke ye pyaare pyaare geet mile was refreshing - as refreshing as the rain-drenched surroundings, with a sweet-faced Nanda who falls in love with the local bad-boy-turned-upright-citizen Sunil Dutt. Salilda's melody complements the playful, romantic mood of the song, as Talat and Lata give voice to the lovers' dreams and hopes. (Just listen to Lata warble the chorus, especially at the end of the song - she sounds like a song bird.) 
Haathon mein mere tera haath rahe
Dil se jo nikli hai wo baat rahe
Mera tumhaara saari zindagi ka saath rahe...
(Of course, once they sing this, you know what will happen next!) 

3. Mere dil ke dhadkan kya bole 

Anhonee (1952)

Music: Roshan

Lyrics: Shailendra
Even after Mukesh became associated with Raj Kapoor as his 'voice', other singers continued to sing for Raj Kapoor in movies outside the RK banner. Some of Raj Kapoor's best songs among these were sung by Talat Mahmood. In Anhonee, directed by KA Abbas and with music by Roshan, Talat got to sing both the solo (Main dil hoon ik armaan bhara) and two duets, all picturised on Raj Kapoor. I like this one, both for its playful tone of voice, and for the picturisation, both of which captured the conflicting emotions of love - the pleasure it gives you, and the slight shyness when you meet or talk to your lover. Besides, this is not the song that Talat is known for; he is usually solemn and soulful and full of emotions. Here, it's as if he's let his emotions free for a few moments. Mere dil ke dhadkan kya bole is full of mischief and a love that cannot be hidden - romance should be like this!

4. Seene mein sulagte hai armaan 

Tarana (1951)

Music: Anil Biswas
Lyrics: Prem Dhawan
If the chemistry between Raj Kapoor and Nargis burnt up the telephone wires in the previous song, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar set fire to the screen in Tarana. It is said that this is where their romance began. Certainly, the intensity they brought to their role as lovers was unmatched and so realistic it made you believe in their love story, and root for them to meet in the end. I'd initially thought of Nain mile nain hue baawre that spoke of the happiness of falling in love, but decided to pick this instead. Seene mein sulagte hai armaan has such repressed anguish and sings of so many unfulfilled desires.... it touches me in ways that happier songs do not. Perhaps Shelley had the right of it when he wrote, 'Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.'
Ek aisi aag lagi man mein
Jeene bhi na de marne bhi na de
Chup hoon to kalejaa jalta hai
Boloon to teri ruswaayi hai...  

5. Ye mere andhere ujaale na hote 

Prem Patra (1962)

Music: Salil Choudhary

Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
Bimal Roy's films are a study in how to let silences work. A sweet romance that is derailed by others' machinations and much misunderstanding, finally comes to fruition through numerous letters and a case of mistaken identity. Or should I say 'assumed' identity. In love with a man, Arun (Shashi Kapoor), who hates the 'real' her, but loves the woman she's pretending to be - Tara, his fiancee, Sadhana's Kavita expresses much of her conflict through her beautiful eyes. As in all of Roy's films, there are no outright villains; his characters are never that black & white, and the various shades of grey are complemented by a wonderful score from Salilda. It's a shame that this film and its music never got the appreciation that it richly deserves. This song, particularly, is a masterpiece in setting the mood of the movie. When he sings,
Ye mere andhere ujaale na hote
Agar tum na aate meri zindagi mein...  it shows just how much he has come to love her. Blind as he is, she is the literal and figurative light of his life.But she is the one who is responsible for ruining his life. She knows, and fears, that that love will not survive the harsh light of the truth...   
Na jaane mera dil ye kyun keh raha hai
Tumhein kho na baithoon kahin roshni mein 

The lyrics are so rich in meaning that when she describes her fears thus, he does not suspect her truth, only that she is scared of something. And so he chides her for singing of sorrow when there is hope on the horizon:
Abhi to ummeedon ki duniya jawaan hai
Na chhedo ye maayoosiyon ke taraane
What is the poor girl to do but request him to forgive her her trespasses?
Tumhen bhi qasam hai ki dil mein na rakhna 
Khata ho gayi ho agar bekhudi mein

6. Dil mein sama gaye sajan 

Sangdil (1952)

Music: Sajjad Hussain

Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
Charlotte Brontë's Gothic romance, Jane Eyre, was brought to life by Dilip Kumar as the grim Rochester and Madhubala as Jane. Talat Mahmood joins Lata Mangeshkar in the film's only male-female duet; it remains one of my favourite Sajjad compositions and one of my favourite Talat-Lata duets. (The Talat solo Ye hawa ye raat ye chandni similarly is one of my favourite Talat solos, and one of my favourite songs of all time.) This was the first time Sajjad used Talat, and he did so with great effect. Dil mein sama gaye sajan lightens the gloom of the movie for a few precious moments. During the filming of this film, composer Sajjad Hussain ran afoul of the leading man, Dilip Kumar, and swore never to work together again. (How much of this is true, I do not know, because much later, Sajjad was signed to compose the score for another Dilip Kumar starrer, which was unfortunately shelved.)

7. Ye nayi nayi preet hai  
Pocketmaar (1956)

Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
When you hear Madan Mohan and Talat Mahmood, your  mind automatically goes to ghazals. But though they were both considered masters of that genre, they were neither of them restrained to that genre and only that genre. This is a lighter romantic song, and showcases the rapport that the unassuming Talat shared with Lata Mangeshkar. It expresses the emotions of two youngsters in the throes of their first love... their hearts are full of emotion, and they hope to find a place where they can be alone, with only the earth and sky and the seas witnessing their love. There is shyness, there is playfulness (he pulls her hair, she tugs his tie to pull him to her), there is commitment, there is a quiet wonder at this new emotion, and there is happiness. 
Nigaahon hi nigaahon mein kaho kya kar diya
Mere daaman ko phoolon se ye kisne bhar diya
Chalo chal den wahaan zameen aur aasmaan
Gale milte jahaan bana le wahin aashiyaan

8. O dildar bolo ek baar 

School Master (1959)

Music: Vasant Desai

Lyrics: Pradeep
And if you thought Talat sang only solemn songs, and that Pradeep wrote only patriotic numbers, here's a song that belies the stereotype - an extremely peppy, light-hearted number picturised on Raja Gosavi and Saroja Devi. I do not know whether he is the titular schoolmaster, since Karan Dewan is also listed in the credits. Gosavi was a well-known Marathi actor, playing both lead roles and comic characters in Marathi films. Saroja Devi was another round-eyed, twinkle-toed southern import, and was a very well-known, and well-liked actress in southern cinema. She had a very successful run as heroine in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and even Hindi films, where she starred opposite Dilip Kumar (her first Hindi film was Paigham), Rajendra Kumar, Ashok Kumar,  Shammi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, and Ajit, among others. O dildaar bolo ek baar is a song that always makes me smile when I hear it; it truly is surprising to hear Talat in this mood.  

9. Dil deewana dil mastana 

Awaaz (1956)

Music: Salil Choudhary

Lyrics: Shailendra

It's been said that Salil Choudhary gave Talat some of his best songs. Certainly, I've not come across a Talat song for Salilda that I do not like. Here, again, is an atypical Talat number, sweet and frothily romantic, Talat's voice light as air. Awaaz is one of those films that IPTA members felt compelled to make - deep and dark and a reflection of society's woes (the director is Zia Sarhadi, who also directed the grim Footpath). Don't get me wrong - Awaaz came at a time when films were more than 'entertainment, entertainment, entertainment'. Filmmakers believed they had a social responsibility to fulfil, and the stories and themes they drew on, underscored that responsibility. And Awaaz  is definitely a decent film with good performances from a cast that included Rajendra Kumar, Usha Kiron, and Nalni Jaywant. 

You may not recognise the actor in this song - his name is Zul Velani and he acted in a few films here and there. He was also a very well-known and well-regarded theatre actor, producer and director. But if you were of a certain vintage, you would definitely recognise his voice. He was the voice behind dozens of Films Division documentaries, and his voice and style of speaking were emulated by many who came after him. Zul Velani was known to be Indira Gandhi's favourite commentator. He even provided the commentary for her funeral, she having stated that wish. 

10. Dil ae dil bahaaron se mil 

Ek Phool Chaar Kaante (1960)

Music: Shankar Jaikishen

Lyrics: Shailendra
Like Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt was another hero who had the good fortune to lip-sync to many of Talat's songs, both solo and duets. True love's path is usually littered with obstacles, but here, the hero has to deal with four of them - the heroine's bachelor uncles, all of whom, for love of her, decide that they will choose the best suitor for their beloved niece. Which is all very well, but they each have varied interests, and each is adamant that the man he chooses to marry his niece must be one who follows his hobby/passion. But their niece throws a spanner into the works when she chooses her own suitor. And unfortunately for our hero, he has to please his beloved's uncles before he can attain her hand. But those dark clouds are yet far away. Though this is another incredibly happy duet from Talat and  Lata, I must confess that the first time I saw the picturisation of this song, with Waheeda and Sunil Dutt frolicking (there's no other word for it!) on the beach, it was romance of a different kind that came to mind. (I thought of Edward Lear's The Owl and The Pussycat - especially the lines, "And hand in hand, by the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon.') Jokes apart, Waheeda and Sunil Dutt make a cute pair, and there is that inexplicable 'chemistry' between them that makes us root for their love to triumph.

11. Muhabbat mein aise zamaane bhi aaye

Sagaai (1951)

Music: C Ramchandra

Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan

Ha! Enough of fun and frolic and soulful romantic numbers. Here is Talat back again to doing what he does best - expressing the plight of a trapped lover, who doesn't know what his future might hold, ably complemented by Lata who playbacks for the heroine. In a tale of a runaway heiress, two adventurers, an intrepid ship's captain, and a revengeful princess, this song comes at the point where two loving hearts are sundered by the jealousy of a third. Prem (Premnath) is in jail, and it is up to his beloved, Chandni (Rehana), and her two accomplices, to think of a way to free him without raising the princess' ire, and jeopardising their own lives. Of course, while he is still in jail, it helps to pass time by singing. I love these duets, the ones where hero and heroine sing in tandem, with the same tune and same lyrics in the chorus, when they are in different places. How do they know the words? And the tune?


Muhabbat mein aise zamaane bhi aaye is actually more resigned than anguished:
Banaaya thh ik aashiyaan do dilon ne
Zamaane ki aandhi ne tinke udaaye
Muhabbat mein aise zamaane bhi aaye
Kabhi ro diye hum kabhi muskuraaye  

12. Bhool jaa sapne suhane bhool ja

Rajdhani (1956)

Music: Hansraj Behl

Lyrics: Qamar Jalalabadi

Like the previous song, the hero is imprisoned; what's more, he's chained as well. With Talat lending his voice to a very young (and very, very handsome) Sunil Dutt, while Lata does the needful for Nimmi, who has ample opportunity to make one of her pained expressions, this is a beautiful Hansraj Behl composition from a relatively obscure film. 

Here, he's the fatalist, asking her to forget her dreams. He has no fear of death; his sorrow spills over because he has to be separated from her. She's made of finer steel - she's coming to him, and he has to fight fate - for her, for him, for them... how's she to forget him? Those are fighting words. And this is a beautifully sung song, so plaintive in its melody.
Aayi lehron ka seena sanam cheer ke
Jeetna hai tujhe aaj taqdeer se
Aaj taqdeer se o sanam
Kaise tujhko bhulaaoon saajna

These are but a dozen of the duets from these two  incredibly talented singers' oeuvre. What would you choose? 

p.s. If anyone is interested in simply listening, here's the playlist.