Bollywood Retrospect: 10 songs that capture the essence of OP Nayyar's music- Part 2

In four years, OP Nayyar had gone from almost exiting the film industry to ruling it.  In these four years, he’d capitalised Geeta Dutt at her peak and moved on to the next big thing, Asha Bhosle. He was far from done. Here are another 10 songs to follow up my 10 OP Nayyar picks from last week.

Sone Ki Chidiya (1958)

As noted in last week’s post, OPN’s limited choice of singers tended to narrow the scope of his music. Talat Mahmood was one of the singers that OPN hardly recorded songs with. Given the stellar quality of the three songs he recorded with Talat, it’s hard to understand why. After recording the superb ghazal, ‘Mujhe Dekho Hasrat Ki Tasveer Hoon Main’ (Baaz, 1953), OP Nayyar waited five long years to record two more songs in Talat’s voice for Sone Ki Chidiya. It’s very likely that even these two songs went to Talat only because he had a lead role in the film and the songs were filmed on his character. My pick from the film is Talat’s version of ‘Pyar Par Bas To Nahin’ (Asha Bhosle has a solo version as well). Asha pitches in with a few hums and alaaps with deadly effect. Other than Talat Mahmood, this was also the last time Sahir Ludhianvi worked with OPN.

Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962)

Joy Mukherjee’s acting career may have been propped up by his father, producer Sashadhar Mukherjee, but he owed a lot of his success to the quality of music in his films, especially those composed by OP Nayyar. His second film Ek Musafir Ek Hasina intended to capitalise on the success of the Joy Mukherjee–Sadhana pair in Love In Shimla (1960) but got a lukewarm response on its release. It was only after the filmmakers edited and re-released the film that it went on to become a hit. Unfortunately, the edit excluded one of my most favorite songs from the film and my pick, the lilting duet by Rafi and Asha, ‘Main Pyar Ka Raahi Hoon’.

Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)

Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon provided what film audiences had come to expect of a Joy Mukherjee film featuring OP Nayyar— light entertainment that didn’t tax the intellect. The film did feature the light classical, ‘Dekho Bijli Dole Bin Baadal Ki’ but, for the most, part OPN stuck to the kind of songs he was best known for— melodies set to catchy rhythms, like my pick from the film ‘Lakhon Hai Nigahon Mein’.

Kashmir Ki Kali (1964)

OP Nayyar had helped launch Shammi Kapoor’s journey to stardom with ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’ (1957) but didn’t get a chance to compose for another Shammi Kapoor film for many years after that. With hits like Junglee (1961) and Professor (1962), Shammi Kapoor had gravitated to his friends Shankar–Jaikishan. Shammi Kapoor, a superstar by now and quite influential in his films’ music department, recommended Shankar-Jaikishan for Kashmir Ki Kali as well. It was OP Nayyar’s enterprise that helped him snag the film. He sought a sitting with director Shakti Samanta and played him tunes he could not refuse! It was just as well because despite the success of Kashmir Ki Kali, OPN would never compose for a Shammi Kapoor film again. My pick from the film is the evergreen classic, ‘Deewana Hua Badal’. OPN’s arrangement consisting of a sitar, a flute and the trademark violin turns up the intensity of this superlative melody by several notches.

Mere Sanam (1965)

In an album replete with many beautiful songs, two solos stand out for me— ‘Pukarta Chala Hoon Main’ by Rafi and ‘Jaaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge’ by Asha Bhosle. In the end, I pick the Asha solo, partly because the Rafi song has traces of Bobby Darin’s theme for Come September and partly because of Asha’s vocal virtuosity in ‘Jaaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge’. By setting off the lightness of a delicate santoor with the energy of a jugalbandi between a sitar and Asha Bhosle’s alaaps, OP Nayyar produced a heady mix that was unique to him.

Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi (1966)

Ten years after C.I.D (1956), OP Nayyar worked with Guru Dutt again for Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi.  It would be the last time they would work together because Guru Dutt passed away during the film’s making. Dharmendra was cast in the film and Guru Dutt’s scenes were reshot. The film is best remembered for its music— a testament to Guru Dutt’s sense of music. He had picked OP Nayyar and his songs for the films before he had passed away. Incidentally, OPN wasn’t his first choice. He went to OPN only after he’d rejected the title song, which eventually became ‘Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara’ (Jewel Thief, 1967), offered by SD Burman. My pick from the film is ‘Aap Ke Haseen Rukh Pe’, a lovely piano song sung by Mohd. Rafi.

Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi (1966)

Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi was a moderately accomplished album elevated to an all-time great thanks primarily to one song, ‘Yehi Woh Jagah Hai’. If OP Nayyar had a penchant for spicing his upbeat songs with a dash of melancholy, he also had the ability to impart a sense of lightness to his sad songs. OPN’s sad songs didn’t weigh down on you but caressed you with a sigh. The most magical bit in the song is a counterpoint of hope— Manohari Singh’s soaring saxophone interludes.

Sawan Ki Ghata (1966)

Sawan Ki Ghata has some good, if predictable, listens. By 1966, OP Nayyar’s relationship with Mohd. Rafi was beginning to cool off as he started working more with Mahendra Kapoor. In the preceding few years he had cut back on his work, releasing only one album each in 1963, 1964 and 1965. The changing dynamics of his work perhaps had an adverse impact on his music and his magic seemed to be waning. My pick from the film, the tonga song ‘Zara Haule Haule Chalo More Saajna’, however, was as good an OP Nayyar song as any.

Kismat (1968)

Kismat was a remarkable film in OP Nayyar’s discography. It was one of the earliest instances of an OPN film with no Rafi song. All the male vocals in the film were by Mahendra Kapoor, including the popular solo song ‘Lakhon Hain Yahan Dilwale’. Another significant thing about the album was that it featured his old favorite Shamshad Begum after a long time. Although she continued to sing for films, her duet with Asha Bhosle, ‘Kajra Mohabbat Wala’, was her last hit and also her last song for OP Nayyar. My pick from the film ‘Aao Huzoor Tumko’ had Asha Bhosle in full bloom. After a demure light classical introduction, she emoted with her voice the slurs and hiccups of a drunk and the sensuousness of a vamp. She had indeed come a long way from her tentative beginnings, thanks in large part to OP Nayyar’s mentorship.

Humsaya (1968)

Joy Mukherjee’s career was beginning to stagnate by the late 1960s. When he decided to reinvent himself as producer/director with Humsaya he turned to the man whose music gave him the best films of his career, OP Nayyar. The film flopped miserably and Joy Mukherji was never able to recover from the debacle. The film’s failure also took its toll on OP Nayyar’s career, which was unfortunate because the film had some very good songs. My pick from the film is the Mohd. Rafi solo, ‘Dil Ki Aawaz Bhi Sun’.

OP Nayyar followed Humsaya with two moderate successes, Sambandh (1969) and Ek Baar Mooskura Do (1972) but his career was practically over with Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1973), the last time Asha Bhosle sang for him. Of course, there are many more OP Nayyar songs to explore beyond the twenty I’ve picked. You can find a bigger list of OP Nayyar’s most memorable songs here.