Tonight the spotlight shines
on one of the most delightful (and all time beloved) soundtracks to come out of
Bombay’s Hindi film studios. The film is the original version of Albela (Dandy) made in a very young
independent India in 1951.
Day-dreamer and artist,
Pyarelal, (Bhagwan) lives a poor
lifestyle in Bombay with his retired dad, housewife mom, married brother, Mohan
and his wife, Malti, and unmarried sister, Vimla. It is now time for Vimla to
get married, her dad has saved a thousand rupees, while Mohan has made arrangements
for six hundred more, and Pyarelal is asked to arrange for four hundred.
Instead Pyarelal brings home one hundred rupees, informing his family that he
has been fired from his job, and will be unable to raise any more money. An
argument ensues, and Pyarelal is asked to leave. He leaves, swearing only to
return when he is a famous and wealthy man. He meets with pretty actress, Asha,
(Geeta Bali) both fall in love with
each other, and he starts acting in the theater, and achieves quick success. He
starts sending money and gifts home to his parents, and hopes that they will be
pleased with his success. Then one day when he feels that he has achieved his
success, he returns home - only to find out that the money and gifts he has
been sending home are missing; his mom has passed away; his dad and sister are
missing, believed to be begging in the streets; his sister's marriage has been
canceled; his brother cannot support himself; and his sister-in-law, has a dark
deep secret that she cannot tell anyone. (IMDB).
The film is what is nowadays called a romantic comedy.
The lead was played, unusually, by a comedian cum wrestler with a rather
grandiose name, Bhagwan Dada
(Grandfather God). He plays the ‘dandy’
Pyarelal with an infectious charisma and jollity that more than makes up for
his rather unimaginative dance steps and peculiar facial features. He directed and starred in the film which
proved to be the zenith of his career; he died a miserable, forgotten man in a
poor neighborhood of Mumbai in 2002.
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| Bhagwan Dada |
Bhagwan’s opposite number
was one Geeta Bali. Born into an intellectual Sikh family-- her maternal
grandfather Takhat Singh was the founder of Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalay - boarding
school for girls, the first of its kind established in 1904. Her parents
encouraged their daughters Harkirtan (Geeta
Bali) and Hardarshan to learn classical music and dance, horse riding and gatka
fencing. Fundamentalist Sikhs socially boycotted the family as they did not
like the girls performing in public and they picketed theatres. After Independence the family moved to Bombay
but lived in poverty until Geeta
found her way into the film world. She
rose to be one of the most loved actresses of the 1950s and in 1955 married the
stunning playboy of the screen, Shammi Kapoor, with whom she
was working in the film Coffee House.
 |
| Geeta Bali |
The soundtrack composed by C. Ramachandra is noteworthy for a
number of reasons. Ramachandra was
not averse to introducing not only Western instruments but swing jazz riffs
into his music. It was rare for a ‘music director/composer’ to sing his own
material, but he duets throughout this film with the still nascent Lata Mangeshkar. His duet with her, Shola
jo bhadke was one of the first truly ‘jazzy’ songs in an Indian film and
became an instant hit.
 |
| C. Ramachandra |
Quickness was a big part of Ramachandra’s mystique. The lovely lori (lullaby) Dheere se Aaja was rushed into a song while he was on his way to
the studio to shoot the scene! And it is a gorgeous song that is reprised in
the film allowing both Bhagwan and Geeta to star as lead vocalist.
There is not a weak song
among this party of twelve. There are sweet ballads, several catchy dance
numbers one of which, Diwana Parwana,
includes a turn by India’s greatest trumpet player Chic Chocolate, who like many of Bombay’s elite jazz band leaders,
was forced to play deep in the anonymous background of countless films to make
ends meet, once the roaring 30’s and 40’s had come to an end. Indeed, if you
listen carefully, you’ll hear his muted horn pop through the mix in a number of
songs.
I only recently discovered this
soundtrack but have listened to little else all week! I am sure you’ll enjoy it
as much as I (not to mention, millions of Indians) have.
Track Listing:
01 Bholi Soorat Dil
Ke Khote
02 Dil Dhadke Nazar Sharmae
03 Balma Bada Nadan Re
04 Dheere Se Aaja
05 Diwana Parwana
06 Haseenon Se Mohabbat
07 Kismat Ki Hawa Kabhi Naram
08 Mehfil Mein Meri
09 Mere Dil Ki Ghadi Kare Tik Tik Tik
10 Sham Dhale Khidki Tale
11 Deere Se Aaja (reprise)
12 Shola Jo Bhadke
