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| Edited By: Param Arunachalam |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Mar 12, 2016, 08:00 AM IST
Before Kishore Kumar, there were a few lesser-known film artists who made their name in more than one film department. Shri Nath Tripathi, aka SN Tripathi was one such artist. Although he was primarily known as a music director, he was also a director, actor, singer and writer. SN Tripathi started out as a violinist in the 1930s and then moved on to singing. He assisted music director Saraswati Devi before he got his first opportunity as an independent composer for the film Chandan (1941). He composed music for almost a hundred films over the next four decades but couldn’t quite break through as a top-tier music director. He dabbled in filmmaking, directing six films between 1959 and 1976 and writing one of them – Rani Rupmati (1959).
To commemorate his birth anniversary on March 14, I revisit five memorable melodies by this forgotten composer.
Music director Chitragupt started his career as an assistant to SN Tripathi before he went independent. The two got together once to jointly compose music for the film Alibaba and 40 Thieves that had a superb melody sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bosle— 'Ae Saba Unse Kah Zara'.
SN Tripathi has to his credit composing for the debut film of director Manmohan Desai (credited Manoo Desai), Janam Janam Ke Phere (1957). With this film started his association with lyricst Bharat Vyas. Their partnership of more than a dozen films over several years yielded some of SN Tripathi’s best songs. 'Zara Saamne To Aa O Chhaliye' was a bhajan with rousing lyrics by Bharat Vyas and some brilliant singing by Rafi and Lata.
Rani Rupmati was SN Tripathi’s debut as director and the only film he wrote. In my opinion, it was his best film score. Tripathi made extensive and tasteful use of classical music in the film in songs like 'Baat Chalat Nayi Chunari Rang Daari' (Raag Bhairavi), 'Jhanana Jhan Jhan Baaje Payaliya' and 'Aaja Aaja Bhanwar' (Raag Brindavani Sarang) and 'Ud Ja Bhanwar' (Raag Darbari Kanada). However, the film’s best-known song was easily the lovely 'Aa Laut Ke Aaja Mere Meet' sung by Mukesh. There was another version by Lata Mangeshkar but when it came to the expressions of a pining lover, it was heard to surpass Mukesh and his version remains the more popular one. That said, this is an album where every song deserves to be heard.
SN Tripathi has to his credit the best-known version of the popular ghazal, 'Na Kisi Ki Aankh Ka Noor Hoon' sung wonderfully by Mohammed Rafi. The lyrics of this ghazal are popularly credited to the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, who is said to have written it when he was banished by the British to Rangoon. In recent years, this credit has been challenged. Several experts contend that this ghazal was actually written by Muztar Khairabadi, the father of poet Jan Nisar Akhtar and Javed Akhtar’s grandfather. As far as I know, the issue remains unresolved. The ghazal’s beauty, however, is unanimously appreciated. SN Tripathi’s minimalistic arrangement brought out the power of the song’s lyrics and the purity of Rafi’s voice.
SN Tripathi’s music for Sangeet Samrat Tansen is unfairly compared with its legendary predecessor Tansen (1943). Considering that the original film involved the genius called Khemchand Prakash and the modern-day Tansen, KL Saigal, Tripathi must have been fairly pleased with his music for the 1963 film. As might be expected for such a film, Tripathi derived heavily from classical music. The best song in the film involved two singing greats at the peak of their powers. Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey only sang a hundred odd duets together. The best of these was possibly OP Nayyar’s 'Tu Hai Mera Prem Devta' (Kalpana, 1960), but SN Tripathi’s 'Sudh Bisar Gayi Aaj', based on Raag Hemant, and written by Shailendra, comes a close second.
More information about SN Tripathi’s work is available here.
