Madan Mohan ( 25^th June 1924 to 14^th July 1975 )

Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (23^rd Sep 1915/1928?? to 29^th July 1966)

<Departing from my usual format , where I used to start with the brief biographies of the artists, I thought it would be better to first focus more on their work and give their profiles at the end. Hope it would be more interesting!>

Melody king, Ghazal king-these are some of the synonyms for Madan Mohan(MM). There is an anecdote that MM used to ask Rafi before going for the final recording of any soulful or sad song whether he had sung any “ Yahoo” type of boisterous song in the previous few days. If it was so, then he would wait for few days for that effect to wear off!! The perfectionist that MM was , he did not want even a very feeble impact of such ‘jazzy’ songs  in Rafi’s voice when he wanted the right impact . That could be the reason why Rafi, Lata, Talat , Manna Dey all sounded  their best in his compositions.

It is tragic that such a genius languished without much commercial success in his lifetime and got his fame and recognition  more after his untimely departure at the age of 51 years. One can  keep listening to his “Aap ki nazaron ne samjha” or “Lag ja gale” thousand times without getting bored. Though he was more known for his ghazals -a genre  he had mastered , he was equally adept in composing some tunes that were experimental and  far ahead of its time. Few examples are:

• Rafi’s Mein yeh soch kar us ke dar se utha tha  in Haqeekat that  doesn’t have any clearly separated antara. The entire song appears to be a long mukhda!
• Tum jo mil gaye ho in Hanste Zakhm  that is soulfully slow in the main melody but goes into  totally westernized fast interludes. It is so modern in its feel  even today and must have been difficult to sing even for the great Rafi.
• Tum se kahoon ek baat paron se halki  in Dastak and  Meri duniya  mein tum aayee from Heer Ranjha -both these songs sung almost in a  whisper by Rafi/ Rafi-Lata.
• Bhor aayee gaya andhiyara-multiple singers -from film Bawarchi that has a superb combination of the classic, folk and jazz all combined seamlessly by Madan Mohan.

Although Lata had sung great songs for almost all the legendary composers, with Madan bhaiyya ( as she used to call him), she always gave that extra sweetness in her renditions. Similarly, MM composed some of  the best ghazals for Talat and both were acknowledged as masters in that genre. Not to leave behind,  Rafi had some of his career best songs  with MM in an association that went on for almost 25 years. Even the singers whom MM used sparingly like Geeta Dutt ( Ai dil mujhe bata de) ,Kishore Kumar ( Zaroorat hai zaroorat hai ek shrimati ki, Simthi si sharmayee si ), Manna Dey ( Kaun aaya mere man ked ware, Bhairan ho gayee rain) had their best songs in his compositions.

Madan Mohan always believed in giving utmost importance to the lyrics and  had fabulous team work with many lyricists like Rajendra Krishan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir Ludhianvi, Kaifi Azmi, Hasrat Jaipuri , Indeevar, Prem Dhawan , Naqsh Lyallpuri etc. However, his songs with Raja Mehdi Ali Khan   are the topic for this blog as their association was limited in quantity but unlimited in quality and hence stand out for their brilliance . I am planning a separate blog on Madan Mohan songs with other lyricists as they need a separate focus.

If we look at the team of MM with Raja Mehdi Ali Khan ( RMAK) , there is an interesting pattern. Although RMAK wrote for him in the very beginning (early 1950’s) in the films “ Aankhen” “ Madhosh” and “ Ada” , somehow it appears they forgot about each other for  almost 10 years before teaming up once again in the 60’s to come out with timeless classics.

Let us look at some of the best songs that are not only the best from this team , but are in the memory of all those who love old Hindi film songs and will continue to live on for eons.

#1. Aankhen /1950/Preet laga ke maine ye phal paya/ Mukesh 

With the 1950 film Aankhen, Madan Mohan made his debut as an independent music composer. The film had 8 songs , with certain unique compositions like Meena Kapoor ( wife of famous music director Anil Biswas) singing Mori athariya pe kaaga bole, the famous director Raj Khosla ( with whom MM would team up in films Woh Kaun Thi and Mera Saya for some immortal music) doing his play back singing with the song Rail mein jiya mora, the Shamshad Begum-Mukesh duet Humse nain milana B.A pass karke and even Madan Mohan himself singing a duet with Shamshad Humse Na Dil Ko lagana.

However,  if one song stands out as an evergreen number , it is  Mukesh’s  Preet lagake meine yeh phal paaya, sudh budh khoyee, chain ganvaya. The guitar and piano combination at the end of every line in the antara shows the early signs of  MM’s individual style. Somehow, after the initial few songs MM didn’t compose much with Mukesh and he had Rafi and Talat as his main singers.

#2. Madhosh/1951 / Meri yaad mein tum na aansoo bahana/ Talat Mehmood

In the early years, MM composed songs more for Talat rather than his later-to-be the main male playback singer Rafi. One of the early hits from the team of MM-RMAK with Talat is this beautiful ghazal in the film Madhosh. The interludes with sitar that became a constant accompaniment for many years (only in the last few years MM completely stopped using this instrument in his orchestration) add charm to this song.

#3. Anpadh /1962 / Aap ki nazaron ne samjha/ Lata

As I had mentioned earlier after a long gap of almost 10 years, MM teamed up with RMAK in the 60’s and what a great reunion it turned out to be. Selecting one or two songs from the films they worked during this period is an impossible task. They say this song was composed in just 15 minutes! One can go on and on listening to this song . Somehow this has a mesmerizing effect and the tune and orchestration is simply outstanding, not to forget the way the nightingale Lata rendering it so beautifully. The song literally flows like a river with graceful twists and turns with the violins playing a major role in elevating this song to its great heights.

#4. Anpadh /1962/ Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabroo/ Lata

If Aap ki nazaron ne samjha oozed with romance, this one sung by Lata with so much of pathos , is another unforgettable gem. Raja sahab’s mastery in words comes to the fore with these poignant lines:

Mujhe gam bhi unka azeez hai, keh unhi ki dee hui cheez hai

Yehi gam hai ab meri zindagi, ise kaise dil se juda karoon

Jo na ban sake mein woh baat hoon, jo na khatm ho mein woh raat hoon

Yehi likha hai mere naseeb mein , yuhin shamma banke jala karoon

Na kisi ke dil ki hoon aarzoo, na kisi nazar ki hoon justaju

Mein woh phool hoon ho udaas ho, na bahaar aaye to kya karoon

I am writing these lines on 28th Sep, the birth anniversary of the one and only Lata and what better tribute can one write about her. God was so generous in blessing her with the golden voice and in the early years Lata’s voice had that  sadness which is very difficult to describe. It is one thing to be gifted with a good voice , but the way  she had meticulously honed her in born talent to the great  levels is what makes her so special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j7hBs_FlY8

#5. Woh Kaun Thi /1964/ Lag jaa gale se/ Lata

I was glad to see this song has some quarter billion views in You Tube even after around 60 years after it was composed. Wish Madan Mohan  & Raja sahab were alive to see this. Another work of art from the three-Madan Mohan, Raja sahab and Lata. A sweet melody , that has very subdued but excellent orchestration and  brings out the romance with  full emphasis on the lyrics and singing. That knife -edge balance was Madan Mohan’s greatest strength.It would be a grave injustice if I do not mention the excellent way in which Sadhana had enacted this song on screen. She was one of the few actresses who did full justice to a song in emoting the same on screen.

#6. Woh Kaun Thi /1964/ Jo humne dastan apni sunayee/ Lata

Woh kaun thi was a real blockbuster in terms of music-with almost all the songs becoming popular. Raja sahab builds up on the “aansoo & rona”  theme like a sculptor chiselling away with each stroke. He ends it with the lines that imagine a deluge of tears that would drown even the moon and stars! What a visualization!

“ hum apne aansuon mein chand taaron ko dubo denge, phanah ho jaayegi saari khudayee, aap kyon roye?

#7. Woh Kaun Thi /1964/ Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim/ Lata

If one can select one of the best ever haunting melodies composed in Hindi films , this one must be at the very top. The way Lata ends each antara seamlessly with the lines Naina barse makes this composition eternal.  There is version of Madan Mohan himself singing this song. The story goes that there was some delay in getting Lata’s version recorded but the scenes had to be shot and so it must have been a strange sight to see Sadhana lip synching for the song in Madan ji’s voice when this was picturized!!

#8. Woh Kaun Thi /1964/ Shok nazar ki bijiliyan / Asha

Whenever one thinks of a singer mostly associated with Madan Mohan it is always Lata. No doubt they were an immortal pair, but this song is tailor-made for Asha. Especially the  humming at the beginning is something Asha is too good at. The usually sober & melodious Madan Mohan comes out with a rocking, funky interlude music with violins, saxophone, flute etc .

#9. Aap Ki Parchaaiyan /1964/ Agar mujhse mohabbat hai/Lata

If one checks the picturization of this great song, we can understand why Madan Mohan, despite composing such great masterpieces remained commercially unsuccessful. The picturization of such a great song is a big let-down. Most of the immortal songs of Madan Mohan were for such unimaginative picturizations in films that had poor production values.

Anyhow let us ignore that and get ourselves drenched in the melody of Lata’s superlative singing, Raja sahab’s excellent poetry and Madan Mohan’s simple but so soulful tune.

#10. Aap Ki Parchaaiyan /1964/ Main nigahein tere chehre se hataaun kaise /Rafi

Yet another masterpiece from Rafi- he elaborates the lines ‘tauba tauba…taauuuuba tauba with his typical style that is something out of the world. The way Madan Mohan used the violins in the interludes are simply superb.

#11. Mera Saya / 1966/ Nainon mein badra chhaye/ Lata

Mera Saya had some of the best songs from this great pair of Madan & Raja sahab. Nainon mein badra chhaye starts off with a prelude of santoor and sitar, that sets the tone  for this classic song set in raag Bhimpalasi. The sitar was played by  Ustad Rais Khan with whom he had a great association. The way he had recorded the start and end of the song with an echo effect with primitive recording technology is truly commendable. The use of santoor, sitar and violins in the interludes match so well with the song and synchronize so nicely with the picturesque Jal Mahaal location at Udaipur. For once we have a very beautifully picturized song that does full justice to the tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU8pYP9Udws

#12. Mera Saya/ 1966/ Tu jahan chalega mera saya / Lata

The title song of this movie defines the Madan-Lata-Raja combination…a melody that keeps haunting you through out the film. Raja sahab must have had a special affinity to the word “ aansoo” -there are so many songs with this theme and he keeps using them in so many ways.

#13. Mera Saya/ 1966/ Aapke pahaloo mein aakar ro diye / Rafi

As much as Madan Mohan gave great songs to Lata, he had also composed some of Rafi’s career best songs. This one exemplifies what good playback singing is all about. The way Rafi brings the emotion to the song is something no one can ever attempt. That very subtle ‘harkat’ on the word ‘shaam’ in the line “ shaam jab aansoo bahati aa gayee” is Rafi’s master stroke.

#14. Mera Saya/ 1966/ Jhumka gira re /Asha
As Lata, Rafi gave their soulful hits in this film that were mostly sad, Asha, with this one song provided the much-needed pep with  a lilting, joyful song . Although majority of  Madan Mohan’s compositions were mostly sober , whenever he composed a peppy number like Jhumka gira re, it was always a great hit.

#15. Dulhan Ek Raat Ki /1967/ Ek haseen sham ko dil mera kho gaya /Rafi

No doubt Madan Mohan created magic with sitar and violins in his orchestration.  Not to be left behind, he has created even better magic with the flute in this song. This song is an answer to what he can do with the flute! The trio of Madan-Raja -Rafi sahab just did not create a song. They created an emotion. Just close your eyes and listen -you will be transported into a sunset evening with the twilight shining through trees, the birds chirping away sweetly.  Rafi’s stress on the word ‘shaam’ in four different ways defines what play back singing is all about.

These were some 15 songs from approximately 75 songs that Raja saheb wrote for Madan Mohan. It is not feasible to include all in a short blog, but hopefully I have captured the essence of their music.

Biography:

Madan Mohan was born in Baghdad, Iraq when his father, Rai Bahadur Chunnilal Kohli  was posted there as an Accountant General with the Iraqi Police forces. When he was eight years old his family shifted to their home town , Chakwal in Jhelum district of Punjab in the undivided India. His father had gone to Bombay ( as it was known then) for business and was under the care of his grandfather , studying at Lahore. There he learnt the basics of classical music from one Kartar Singh , but did not proceed much further. It was amazing that his music was predominantly classical , without any great formal training! That is how such genius are made. Few years later his family moved to Bombay and he completed his  Senior Cambridge from the St. Mary’s school in Byculla. At the young age of 11 he started performing in All India Radio and by the time he was 17 , had completed his education at Col Brown Cambridge school at Dehradun.

In 1943 , he joined the Army as a second lieutenant and served there for two years till the end of the second World War. Music was beckoning him and he joined the All India Radio , Lucknow and there he came into contact with various other artists like Ustad Faiyaz Khan , Ustad Ali Akhbar Khan , Begum Akhtar , and Talat Mehmood . In 1947, he was transferred to All India Radio, Delhi where he worked for a short period. He was very fond of singing, and so in 1947 he got his first chance to record two ghazals penned by Behzad Lucknawi, Aane Laga Hai Koi Nazar Jalwa Gar Mujhe and Is Raaz Ko Duniya Jaanti Hai. Soon after, in 1948 he recorded two more private ghazas penned by Deewan Sharar, Wo Aaye To Mahfil Mein Ithlaate Huye Aaye and Duniya Mujhe Kahti Hai Ke Main Tujhko Bhoolaa Doon. In 1948, he got his first opportunity to sing a film duet Pinjare Mein Bulbul Bole and Mera Chhotasa Dil Dole with Lata  under composer Ghulam Haider  for the film Shaheed, though these songs were never released or used in the film. Between 1946 and 1948, he assisted music composers SD Burman  for Do Bhai, and Shyam Sundar in Actress.

In the year 1950, with the film Aankhen, Madan Mohan got his big break as an independent music director. In the next 25 years, he scored for around 95 films that were released and a quite high number of 12 unreleased films . If we see the number of songs , he must have composed for approximately 680 songs but one can easily imagine what a great composer he was since he is considered among the five topmost music composers of Hindi Film Music with such a small output in terms of numbers.

Apart from being a genius composer, one interesting talent that he had was that he was very much fond of cooking and whenever he composed some great tunes, he would invite the persons involved and treat them to a great feast at his home. Also, it is very rare feat that after almost 30 years , his tunes were used for the songs in the film Veer Zara made in 2004 .

Raja Mehdi Ali Khan’s birth date is surprisingly a mystery-some sites put it as 23^rd Sept , 1915 and some sources just mention the year 1928. A huge variance of 13 years! His place of birth was  Karmabad, district Jhelum in British India. He belonged to Janjua family of Darpur in Jhelum District of the former Punjab state of British India. His father Raja Mehdi Ghalib Khan was the Chief Minister of Bahawalpur State, now part of Pakistan. His mother Heba Saheba was a well-known Urdu poet. His father passed away when he was just four years old. With the help of his mother and uncle Moulana Zafar Ali Khan, a well-known journalist, a good education but could not complete his  graduation. He was proficient in the  Urdu language and had written for notable Urdu magazines “Phool” and “Tehzeeb-i-Niswaan”, published from Lahore. He was inspired by the writings of noted scholar Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He befriended a short story writer of note, Saadat Hasat Manto at All India Radio, Delhi. After Manto moved  to Bombay to work in the film industry, he called his friend Raja also to join him at  Bombay. Raja arrived there in 1946 and got a break  in film line as an actor and dialogue writer in the film – Aath Din – of Ashok Kumar, thanks to Manto. However, he  had no inclination for acting and his passion  was in song writing. He started writing poems and  articles for Urdu magazines like  Khilona, Shama Bano, Beeswin Sadi. 

Luck smiled upon him and he got to write all the nine songs for the film ‘Do Bhai’ in 1947 (produced by Filmistan and music composed by S D Burman) after his good friend Manto had recommended him to the producer, Sashadhar Mukherjee.

After the partition of India in 1947, Raja’s friend Manto left for Pakistan but  Raja and his wife Tahira remained in India. In the film ‘Shaheed’ (1948) Raja had written some great patriotic songs like Watan ki raah mein watan ki naujawan shaheed ho. Though he worked with many stalwarts like  Ghulam Haider, S D Burman, O P Nayyar , C Ramachandra , S N Tripathi, Hemant Kumar etc. his most memorable songs were with Madan Mohan. In a career of around 19 years till illness took him away very early in 1966, he had written great songs for some 110 + films. 

Raja had a very special  bonding with Madan Mohan and this duo had some of the most iconic songs together . Apart from writing songs  for films , he was prolific in composing lot of   poems that were humorous and full of wit. His short stories  were published in magazines like ‘Beeswin Sadi’, ‘Shama Bano’ and ‘Khilona’.  His association with MM started in 1950  with the film Ankhen  ( the Mukesh song Preet Lagake meine yeh phal paaya  is quite famous), and they worked together for two more films Madhosh ( Talat’s Meri yaad mein tum ne aansoon bahana is a well-known song) and Ada.  However, inexplicably they didn’t work much subsequently and it was only in the 60’s with a string of top-class music from the films Anpadh (1962), Woh Kaun Thi (1964) ,Aap ki parchayian( 1964), Neela Aakash(1965), Mera Saya (1966) , Dulhan Ek Raat Ki (1967) they teamed up together to give timeless classics.

Acknowledgement & Disclaimer 

I sincerely thank the publishers of following blogsites & Internet sources for the information that I could gather for this article:

1. You Tube
2. Wikipedia
3. Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories book by Mr. Manek Premchand
4. www.Songsyore.com music  blog
5. http://www.madanmohan.in

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer:
The songs mentioned are from the popular, public domain and have been embedded /linked here    only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog does not claim any copyright over them, which rests with the respective owners of the rights.