Classical music and films: From 'raags' to chartbusters

What’s common to Mughal-e-Azam, Geet Gaya Patharon Ne, Bhumika, Raincoat, Sardari Begum, Paheli and Friday’s release Aarakshan? Well, all of them managed to get classical vocalists to do the playback singing. 

While Aarakshan’s music has generally got a lukewarm response, almost everyone has praised ‘Kaun si dor’ as the best track. The semi-classical number is rendered by Benares gharana vocalist Pandit Channulal Mishra who has also sung the equally enchanting solo version, ‘Saans albeli.’

How did the man known for bringing the rusticity of the Ganges to his music agree to sing for a movie? “I’ve been approached in the past as well, but I’ve chased people away. Why should I sing about khatiyas and cholis?” he asks.

“When Shankar Mahadevan called, I asked him to explain the lyrics and situation. I told him I’ll sing only if it is worthwhile.” When asked whether he’ll sing more often for Bollywood, the 65-year-old maestro says, “I will use the same yardstick and decide. Otherwise one song can undo a life-long sadhana.” 

Persuading a legend
It all began in 1960, when film-maker K Asif convinced legend Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saheb to sing for his opulent Mughal era epic, Mughal-e-Azam. The late music composer Naushad had once shared with this correspondent, many years ago, how requests from well-known producers and music directors could never sway the maestro.

“I had gone to Khan Saheb with K Asif since I felt there was no one else who could do justice as the voice of Emperor Akbar’s court singer Mia Tansen. With his Patiala-Kasur style, the Behram Khani elements of Dhrupad, the gyrations of Jaipur, and the embellishments of Gwalior, his flexible voice could effortlessly span three octaves and easily move in all tempi,” he had said. “I was convinced it won’t work after he first refused.”

But Asif wouldn’t give up that easily. He kept coaxing Bade Ghulam Ali politely.

In a bid to dissuade them, the maestro reportedly demanded Rs25,000 per song, “At a time when reigning playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi got less than Rs500 per song, this seemed stiff,” remembered Naushad. “Asif immediately agreed, and the Ustad agreed to sing my compositions in Raga Sohni and Rageshri.”

Both ‘Prem jogan banake’ and ‘Shubh din aayo raj dulara’ are still regarded as high points in the history of Indian film music.
Of course, movies in that era continued to feature the odd classical number, but renditions were left to Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosale.

And then, in 1964, legendary film maker V Shantaram made Geet Gaya Patharon Ne. He wanted renowned Jaipur gharana singer Mogubai Kurdikar’s daughter to sing playback for his lavishly mounted musical. But the purist vocalist mother frowned on even singing thumris at concerts. There was no way she would let her daughter sing for a movie.

Don’t tell your mom
So V Shantaram told a young Kishori Amonkar that she could tell her mother about it once the title track became a hit. The filmmaker’s son Kiran Shantaram reminsces, “Mattresses and bolsters were arranged in the recording studio to make Kishori Amonkar comfortable, as she was used to sitting and singing on stage.”

Shantaram’s words proved prophetic. The title track became a rage. But it had the opposite effect on Mogubai, who went on a hunger strike for three days. She broke her fast only after extracting a promise from Kishori that she would never again sing for films.

Says Amonkar, “I would have continued in Bollywood had it not been for my mother. She told me in no uncertain terms that I could either touch her tanpura or sing for films.” She insists she’s glad she chose the former when she hears “the trash being churned out as film songs.”

Cut to 1976. Shyam Benegal is making his critically acclaimed Smita Patil-starrer Bhumika based on ’40s star Hansa Wadkar’s autobiography, Sangte Aika. To depict Wadkar’s grandmom’s voice when she is teaching a young Hansa, Shyam Benegal decided to use the voice of Saraswati Rane and Krishna Kalle.

“If it goes with the character and enhances the story-telling, why not?” says Benegal, who went on to use the voices of Arati Ankalikar and Shubha Joshi 21 years later in Sardari Begum.

“We were first supposed to sing only ‘Raah mein bichi hain palkein aao’ but later a number of compositions were added,” remembers Anaklikar, while Shubha Joshi, whose solo, ‘Sawariya dekh zara iss ore’ received a lot of praise, modestly says, “Shyam Benegal and Surekha Sikri have done a beautiful job. That is what made the song memorable.”