The Many Voices of Raj Kapoor

Pic: Courtesy - Film History Pics

As I mentioned in my post earlier this month, Mohammed Rafi had sung for Raj Kapoor in many films. Yet, he was not the only playback singer to lend their voice to Raj Kapoor on screen, notwithstanding Mukesh’s prominent standing as RK’s preferred singer. From his debut film as a leading man, we come across several different voices for Raj Kapoor (sometimes, even in the same film). The list I present below may not be the most comprehensive list of playback singers for RK, but it is a start. 

Narayan Dutt – Neel Kamal (1947)
Jaiyyo na bides (with Rajkumari Dubey)
Music: B Vasudev
Lyrics: Kidar Sharma

This was RK's debut film and while Mukesh had four songs in the film, he did not lend his voice to the debutant hero. The film’s music was composed by ‘B Vasudev’, which was composer Snehal Bhatkar’s pseudonym. Similarly, the song, Jaiyyo na bides, credited to Snehal Bhatkar and lip-synced by Raj Kapoor on screen, was actually sung by Narayan Dutt, himself a music composer.

Raj Kapoor – Dil ki Rani (1947)
O duniya ke rehnewalon bolo
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Yashodanandan Joshi

Raj Kapoor came into the industry with the ambition of becoming a music director. Destiny, however, had other plans. But RK’s deep interest in music and his classical training stood him in good stead as he made his own films. He was not very interested in singing but did playback for himself in two of his earliest films – Jailyatra (music by Ninu Majumdar) and Dil ki Rani.

 Mukesh – Aag (1948)
Zinda hoon is tarah
Music: Ram Ganguly
Lyrics: Behzad Lucknowi

 

This, one of Mukesh’s earliest songs for Raj Kapoor, is also one of their finest collaborations, and one of my favourite Mukesh/RK songs ever. The pathos in Mukesh’s voice is mirrored in the sorrow that is etched on Raj Kapoor’s face. Mukesh's voice did most closely resemble Raj Kapoor's speaking/singing voice and there was a synergy between the two men that resonated with the viewers. Actor and singer. Face and Voice. Body and Soul. 

Raj Kapoor met Mukesh Chand Mathur at Ranjit Movietone where Mukesh, an aspiring singer, was rehearsing a song while playing the piano. Raj Kapoor, then an assistant director, entered the room and introduced himself as Prithviraj Kapoor's son. Later, they ran into each other on again on the sets of his debut film. Mukesh and Raj Kapoor enjoyed a long and fruitful personal and professional relationship until the former’s tragic, untimely death in 1976.

Chitalkar – Sargam (1950) (with Lata Mangeshkar)
Woh humse chup hain hum unse chup hain
Music: C Ramchandra
Lyrics: PL Santoshi

On the face of it, Chitalkar seems an odd choice to playback for Raj Kapoor – his speaking voice is so different. But, listen to RK singing O duniya ke rehnewalon bolo, and you can see why it’s not a stretch to have Chitalkar playback for him, and convincingly, at that. While Sargam had a clutch of great songs including the Chitalkar solo Main hoon ek khalasi, bhimpalasi,  the romantic duet Woh humse chup hain hum unse chup hain is my personal favourite. It’s such a delightful, teasing song that one can’t help but be charmed. 

Shankar Dasgupta – Jaan Pehchaan (1950)
Dukh se bhara hua hai dil
Music: Khemchand Prakash/Manna Dey
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

 

A trained singer who got his first break with Milan (1946) under Anil Biswas’s baton, Shankar Dasgupta was an unknown name to me until I watched this film. He sang over 50 songs in Hindi films, and even composed music for a couple of them. This is the only film in which he gave playback to Raj Kapoor – two solos, the other being Hum kya bataaye tumse. Manna Dey had stepped in as music director following Khemchand Prakash’s untimely demise, but there’s no way of knowing who composed which song.

Kishore Kumar – Pyar (1950)
Kachhi pakki sadkon pe
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan

 

If Chitalkar and Shankar Dasgupta were not names one would associate with Raj Kapoor, neither is Kishore Kumar, especially when one considers Kishore's antics, both on-screen and off. But Kishore did sing for Raj Kapoor – like Dasgupta, in just one film – Pyar. He sang five songs in this film, two solos and three duets (with Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt). I know nothing about this movie except that it starred Raj Kapoor and Nargis. The songs from the film are available on YouTube.

Talat Mahmood – Anhonee (1952)
Main dil hoon ik armaan bhara
Music: Roshan
Lyrics: Ali Sardar Jaffri

 

Talat Mahmood has sung but a handful of songs for Raj Kapoor, including this beautiful solo from Anhonee which was his very first song for the latter. Ashiaana, that same year (composer: Madan Mohan) had two lovely solos – Main paagal mora manwa paagal and Mera qaraar le jaa, while Bewafaa, composed by AR Qureshi, had four solos. Tum ko fursat ho meri jaan is a personal favourite. 

Mohammed Rafi – Ambar (1952)
Chale jaana tum door
Music: Ghulam Mohammed
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

 

While the Lata-Rafi duet, Hum tum ye bahaar is my absolute favourite from this frothy movie, Chale jaana tum door is a lovely melody too. The more I listen to Rafi singing for Raj Kapoor, the more I’m getting used to it. It is perhaps a testament of Rafi’s immense talent that, despite being conditioned to consider Mukesh synonymous with Raj, I am actually beginning to like Rafi singing for RK.

While Andaz (1949) was possibly the first time that Mohammed Rafi sang for Raj Kapoor, it wouldn’t be the last. Composer Ghulam Mohammed signed Rafi as Raj’s voice for Ambar, a tale of forbidden love and palace intrigue. Like the duet with Lata Mangeshkar that I’d linked earlier, Chale jaana tum door is a lovely, lively song.

Hemant Kumar – Dhoon (1953) (With Lata Mangeshkar)
Hum pyaar karenge
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Bharat Vyas

 

Hemant Kumar is yet another voice I would never have associated with Raj Kapoor. There seems to be no similarity at all in their voices, yet here we are. This is perhaps the only song that Hemant has sung playback for Raj Kapoor and I’m not sure why Madan Mohan chose him. It’s not a great song; Madan Mohan could have composed it in his sleep, but it’s pleasant enough.

Manna Dey – Dil Hi Toh Hai (1963)
Laaga chunri mein daag
Music: Roshan
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi

 

The first song that Manna Dey sang for Raj Kapoor must have been Tere bina aag ye chandni from Awara (please correct me if I’m wrong), one of my favourite songs of all time. After Mukesh, Manna was RK’s singer of choice – he used him in  Shree 420. Shankar-Jaikishan signed him for  Chori Chori and Mera Naam Joker, and though Mukesh had the bulk of the songs in Dil Hi Toh Hai, Roshan took Manna for this song – a classic if ever there was one.

Pic: Courtesy Facebook

Laaga chunri mein daag is the perfect example of what makes a song great - the milan of music, melody, lyrics and voice. Roshan composes a lush, complex melody with an elaborate sargam and intricate notes that Manna plays around with effortless ease. Sahir based the lyrics on Kabir's Chunri mein pad gayo daag piya, offering a dual perspective: a woman, afraid of returning home with a besmirched reputation juxtaposed with the journey of a soul to meet its maker.

Kamlesh Awasthi – Gopichand Jasoos (1982) (With Usha Khanna)
Dil deewana main diwaani teri
Music: Usha Khanna
Lyrics: Santosh Anand

Usha Khanna was an underrated music director, even if she has given us some very good melodies. Dil deewana tera main deewani teri is quite a nice song from the eighties; she sings for IS Johar in drag, while Kamlesh Awasthi (who sounds remarkably like Mukesh) sings for Raj Kapoor.

Kamlesh Awasthi had made a career out of singing Mukesh’s songs; he was renowned as the ‘Voice of Mukesh’. So much so that when Raj Kapoor heard him sing at an event, he immediately gave his consent for Awasthi to be his playback singer in Gopichand Jasoos.

These are the ‘voices’ I have discovered over the years I’ve been blogging. If you know of any other singer who has given playback for Raj Kapoor, please add them in the comments.  

And as a bonus, here’s Raj Kapoor singing Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo at the Navy Ball in Bombay.