उन दिनों पृथ्वीराज कपूर शकुंतला नाम अपना एक नाटक शुरू करने की तैयारी कर रहे थे। एक दिन एक लड़का उनसे मिला। उस लड़के ने गुज़ारिश की कि आप मुझे भी कोई काम इस नाटक में दे दीजिए। पृथ्वीराज कपूर ने लड़के से पूछा कि तुम क्या करते हो। लड़के ने जवाब दिया कि मैं तबला बजा लेता हूं। हारमोनियम भी बजा लेता हूं। डांस भी कर लेता हूं। और कभी-कभार नाटकों में इक्के-दुक्के डायलॉग्स भी स्टेज पर बोल चुका हूं। उस लड़के के मुंह ये से बात सुनकर पृथ्वीराज कपूर कपूर बड़े प्रभावित हुए। उन्होंने लड़के से दादर आने के लिए कहा। दादर में एक जगह थी जहां अक्सर नाटकों रिहर्सलें चला करती थी।
पृथ्वीराज कपूर के बताए वक्त पर वो लड़का दादर पहुंच गया। लड़के ने देखा कि वहां तो बहुत बड़े-बड़े कलाकार बैठे हैं। लड़का थोड़ा झिझका। उसे लगा कि इतने बड़े कलाकारों के सामने मैं तो कुछ भी नहीं हूं। मैं क्या ही कर पाऊंगा यहां। लड़का इन्हीं ख्यालों में खोया था कि पृथ्वीराज कपूर ने आवाज़ देकर उसे अपने पास बुलाया। ये पूरा घटनाक्रम 1940 के आस-पास का है। पृथ्वीराज कपूर ने उस लड़के से कहा कि तबला बजाकर सुनाओ। लड़का तैयार हो गया। इत्तेफाक से वहां नामी सरोद वादक उस्ताद अली अकबर खान साहब भी मौजूद थे। पृथ्वीराज कपूर ने लड़के से कहा कि इनके साथ संगत करो।
लड़के ने पृथ्वीराज कपूर से कहा कि आप पहले मुझे दो मिनट सोलो तबला बजाने का मौका दे दीजिए। फिर मैं अली अकबर खान जी के साथ संगत कर लूंगा। पृथ्वीराज कपूर ने लड़के को सोलो बजाने की इजाज़त दे दी। और फिर जो लड़के ने तबला बजाया, कि जिसने भी सुना वो सुनता रह गया। खूब तालियां बजी। पृथ्वीराज कपूर भी बहुत खुश हुए। उन्होंने ऐलान कर दिया कि अब से ये लड़का पृथ्वी थिएटर का अहम सदस्य होगा। उस लड़के का नाम था शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी। वही शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी जो आगे चलकर शंकर-जयकिशन की ज़बरदस्त संगीतकार जोड़ी में से एक था।
आज शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी जी की पुण्यतिथि। है। साल 1987 की 26 अप्रैल को 65 साल की उम्र में शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी जी का निधन हो गया था। जबकी इनका जन्म हुआ था 15 अक्टूबर 1922 को। पृथ्वीराज कपूर जी के थिएटर ग्रुप पृथ्वी थिएटर से जुड़ने के बाद शंकर सिंह जी ने खूब टूर्स किए। और उनका काम था नाटकों के वक्त हुस्नलाल-भगतराम के असिस्टेंट की हैसियत से लाइव तबला बजाना। कभी-कभार वो छोटे-मोटे रोल भी पृथ्वी थिएटर के नाटकों में निभा लिया करते थे।
शंकर सिंह जी की बात हो रही है तो ये बात भी होनी चाहिए कि जयकिशन जी संग उनकी जोड़ी कैसे बनी थी। तो हुआ कुछ यूं था कि जयकिशन दयाभाई पांचाल गुजरात से मुंबई करियर बनाने के इरादे से आए थे। वो हारमोनियम के उस्ताद थे और संगीत उन्हें विरासत में मिला था। मुंबई आने के बाद जयकिशन जी ने एक फैक्ट्री में टाइमकीपर की नौकरी शुरू कर दी। नौकरी से मिलने वाले फुर्सत के वक्त में वो संगीत जगत में नाम बनाने के लिए संघर्ष कर रहे थे। एक दफा गुजराती फिल्मों के उस वक्त के नामी डायरेक्टर चंद्रवर्दन भट्ट के ऑफिस के बाहर जयकिशन जी शंकर जी से मिले।
बातों-बातों में जब शंकर जी को पता चला कि जयकिशन हारमोनियम बहुत अच्छा बजाते हैं तो शंकर जी ने इन्हें सलाह दी कि आप पृथ्वी थिएटर आ जाओ। वहां हारमोनियम बजाने वाले की ज़रूरत है। हो सकता है आपको वो नौकरी मिल जाए। शंकर जी के कहे मुताबिक जयकिशन जी पृथ्वी थिएटर गए और उन्हें वहां बतौर हारमोनियम नवाज़ रख लिया गया। अब आलम ये था कि पृथ्वी थिएटर के सभी नाटकों में शंकर जी तबला बजाते थे। और जयकिशन जी हारमोनियम बजाते थे। इन दोनों काम सबको अच्छा लगता था। एक दिन राज कपूर ने इन दोनों को नोटिस किया।
राज कपूर उन दिनों अपनी डायरेक्टोरियल डेब्यू आग पर काम शुरू करने जा रहे थे। उन्होंने शंकर जयकिशन को आग के म्यूज़िक डायरेक्टर राम गांगुली का सहयोगी बनने का ऑफर दिया। इन दोनों ने राम गांगुली की गाइडेंस में आग के म्यूज़िक पर काम किया। इस दौरान राज कपूर शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी जी से बड़े प्रभावित हुए। उन्हें शंकर जी का म्यूज़िक सेंस बहुत पसंद आता था। इसलिए जब राज कपूर ने अपनी नेक्स्ट फिल्म बरसात अनाउंस की तो उसमें म्यूज़िक कंपोज़ करने का काम उन्होंने शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी जी को दिया। और चूंकि शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी अब तक जयकिशन जी के बहुत अच्छे दोस्त बन चुके थे तो उन्होंने राज कपूर से गुज़ारिश की कि क्यों ना इस फिल्म से जयकिशन जी को भी जोड़ा जाए। क्योंकि उनकी ज़रूरत तो पड़नी ही है।
तो साथियों, इस तरह फॉर्म हुई बॉलीवुड की एक बहुत स्पेशल और शानदार संगीतकार जोड़ी, शंकर ज़यकिशन की जोड़ी। बरसात का म्यूज़िक ज़बरदस्त हिट हुआ। शंकर-जयकिशन के कहने पर ही लता मंगेशकर जी ने बरसात में आठ गीतों में अपनी आवाज़ दी। और लता जी को भी बरसात के गीतों से बहुत लोकप्रियता मिली। किस्सा टीवी शंकर-जयकिशन जी को नमन करता है। खासतौर पर शंकर सिंह रघुवंशी जी को। क्योंकि आज उनकी पुण्यतिथि है। #shankajaikishan #shankarsinghraghuvanshi
Mera Naam Joker – A greatest musical work done for any Indian film..
A treasure, A masterpiece, A magnum opus, A landmark
Any similar words can be used for the magnificent work done by Shankar Jaikishan for Raj Kapoor’s “Mera Naam Joker”, in the form of its humongous (more than an hour) and evergreen soundtrack with 11 released songs, and the highly acclaimed classic background score (more than 45 minutes).
I think this is the only film in the whole Indian film history, where the music director has composed more than 2 hours of great original music, for a gigantic film. Yes, MNJ’s available soundtrack consisting 10 tracks is around 50+ minutes long, and, if we include the short English song “Wish me luck” and the two later released songs “Gaao Gaao” and “Mere Alibaba”, the soundtrack would extend upto 63- 65 minutes approximately. Even further, if we include two more unearthed and unknown songs recorded for the film “Dil ka diya jisko jalana aayega (Sharda)” and “Ya habibi marjeena marjeena (Mahendra Kapoor)”, then the duration would extend more than 70 minutes, which is a record in itself.
Coming to the mesmerising background score composed by the duo for the film, is also one of its kind in its length and eminence, lasting for more than 45 minutes. And, they say whole BGM of MNJ was composed by SJ within a span of just 3-4 days…! What a mastey and spontaneity they had in composing scores..! Many of SJ fans have heard about an elaborated dream sequence composed and recorded by Shankar (Jaikishan), for the film which was opted out because of increasing length of film. If we assume that fantastic piece to be atleast 6 to 7 minutes long, the BGM score would cross more than 50 minutes. Thus, the total original music composed by the maestros for MNJ must not be less than 2 hours. Now, who else, other than Shankar Jaikishan could have achieved this landmark?
I would always be waiting for a day when someone will release those two unreleased songs and the dream sequence, which would be nothing less than a treasure for all the SJ fans. I remember I read sometime somewhere, of Shankar ji playing the whole dream sequence on his piano, in front of some interviewer, during his later declining career and lonely life..! We can only imagine how much passion they might have poured into their compositions of background music..!
One article says that the classic “Jaane kahan gaye wo din” was planned to have 13 stanzas and they were written also, to be used through the planned six chapters of the film, but only few of them got recorded. Some unrecorded stanzas were like this (I am not sure how true is this):
Aandhiyan gam ki yun chali, sapne bhi mere bikhar gaye.. Aansu bhi mere kehne lage, saathi tere kidhar gaye.. Jaane kahan gaye wo din..
Is dil ke aashiyan me ab, un ke khayal reh gaye.. Chhod ke humko chal diye, hum hi akele reh gaye… Jaane kahan gaye wo din..
Hum ne to apna jaan kar, un ko gale lagaya tha.. Patthar ko hum ne pooj kar, un ko khuda banaya tha… Jaane kahan gaye wo din..
Very few may be knowing that RK conceived the idea of making “Joker” as early as in 1957, after winning the Grand Prix for “Jaagte Raho” in the International Film Festival in Czechoslovakia. In his words: This film is the story of a tear and a smile. It is the story of a character, the Joker, who says “I shall drink your tears and in return, make you smile.”
For the next 2 years, nothing much happened, but in 1960, RK declared a new title for the film “Mera Naam Joker”, after visiting a show of Czechoslovak State Circus. But, the film actually went into production only in 1965, after stupendous success of “Sangam”. It took six years in the film making while going through several changes in the script, casting, songs and editing. It resulted in a three part movie of a little more than 4 hours duration with two intervals (as in Sangam). But, according to Bunny Reuben, in its original version, it was a saga of six chapters with six different leading ladies, with more than 6 hours of duration.RK also had a plan to present it in two fuMear Naam Joker – A greatest musical work done for any Indian film..
A treasure, A masterpiece, A magnum opus, A landmark
Any similar words can be used for the magnificent work done by Shankar Jaikishan for Raj Kapoor’s “Mera Naam Joker”, in the form of its humongous (more than an hour) and evergreen soundtrack with 11 released songs, and the highly acclaimed classic background score (more than 45 minutes).
I think this is the only film in the whole Indian film history, where the music director has composed more than 2 hours of great original music, for a gigantic film. Yes, MNJ’s available soundtrack consisting 10 tracks is around 50+ minutes long, and, if we include the short English song “Wish me luck” and the two later released songs “Gaao Gaao” and “Mere Alibaba”, the soundtrack would extend upto 63- 65 minutes approximately. Even further, if we include two more unearthed and unknown songs recorded for the film “Dil ka diya jisko jalana aayega (Sharda)” and “Ya habibi marjeena marjeena (Mahendra Kapoor)”, then the duration would extend more than 70 minutes, which is a record in itself.
Coming to the mesmerising background score composed by the duo for the film, is also one of its kind in its length and eminence, lasting for more than 45 minutes. And, they say whole BGM of MNJ was composed by SJ within a span of just 3-4 days…! What a mastey and spontaneity they had in composing scores..! Many of SJ fans have heard about an elaborated dream sequence composed and recorded by Shankar (Jaikishan), for the film which was opted out because of increasing length of film. If we assume that fantastic piece to be atleast 6 to 7 minutes long, the BGM score would cross more than 50 minutes. Thus, the total original music composed by the maestros for MNJ must not be less than 2 hours. Now, who else, other than Shankar Jaikishan could have achieved this landmark?
I would always be waiting for a day when someone will release those two unreleased songs and the dream sequence, which would be nothing less than a treasure for all the SJ fans. I remember I read sometime somewhere, of Shankar ji playing the whole dream sequence on his piano, in front of some interviewer, during his later declining career and lonely life..! We can only imagine how much passion they might have poured into their compositions of background music..!
One article says that the classic “Jaane kahan gaye wo din” was planned to have 13 stanzas and they were written also, to be used through the planned six chapters of the film, but only few of them got recorded. Some unrecorded stanzas were like this (I am not sure how true is this):
Aandhiyan gam ki yun chali, sapne bhi mere bikhar gaye.. Aansu bhi mere kehne lage, saathi tere kidhar gaye.. Jaane kahan gaye wo din..
Is dil ke aashiyan me ab, un ke khayal reh gaye.. Chhod ke humko chal diye, hum hi akele reh gaye… Jaane kahan gaye wo din..
Hum ne to apna jaan kar, un ko gale lagaya tha.. Patthar ko hum ne pooj kar, un ko khuda banaya tha… Jaane kahan gaye wo din..
Very few may be knowing that RK conceived the idea of making “Joker” as early as in 1957, after winning the Grand Prix for “Jaagte Raho” in the International Film Festival in Czechoslovakia. In his words: This film is the story of a tear and a smile. It is the story of a character, the Joker, who says “I shall drink your tears and in return, make you smile.”
For the next 2 years, nothing much happened, but in 1960, RK declared a new title for the film “Mera Naam Joker”, after visiting a show of Czechoslovak State Circus. But, the film actually went into production only in 1965, after stupendous success of “Sangam”. It took six years in the film making while going through several changes in the script, casting, songs and editing. It resulted in a three part movie of a little more than 4 hours duration with two intervals (as in Sangam). But, according to Bunny Reuben, in its original version, it was a saga of six chapters with six different leading ladies, with more than 6 hours of duration.RK also had a plan to present it in two full length movies, each having 3 chapters. RK planned to take Sadhna and Sharmila Tagore with one more leading actress in the second part, although nothing worked out, because of the depleted budgets and changing cinema trends. Ultimately, he made a film of around 5 hours of duration, which finally got edited to 4 hours and 9 minutes.
Later, upon its release in 1970, this mega venture could not win over the viewers and was declared flop at the Box Office, with huge financial loss to RK. However, in later decades, the film became a cult classic and a top earner for the Kapoors through its re-runs (abbreviated version) and its digital rights. Even in Soviet Union, the film became a commercial blockbuster movie, when the film’s three chapters got released as three separate films, rather than a single movie.
Well, for us SJ fans, what matters the most from MNJ is, its magnificent musical score and background music, which I think, has still remained unparalleled in its grandeur and credibility. Almost all SJ fans have enjoyed the evergreen songs of MNJ and, luckily, it’s amazing background score, released on a seperate LP record before, is available in a very good audio quality on YouTube as a symphonic suite.
Just see how the EMI record label described the score on its LP cover:
**** On this record are presented marvelous musical themes composed by top-seeded maestros Shankar Jaikishan for Raj Kapoor’s ambitious magnum opus in Technicolor, “Mera Naam Joker”.
It is for the first time that we are presenting background musical score exclusively from a single film and what better choice can be than “Mera Naam Joker” to present a striking display of endlessly fascinating patterns of tonal colour. ****
As per the EMI description, these are just some slected themes from the whole background score. The complete score may be much more longer than this, as the film itself is more than 4 hours long.
What a great work SJ and their entire team including Duttaram and Sebastian, have done for the film…!
*Remembering Shri Chandravadan Bhatt – A Welknown Legend of Gujarati Theatre in Bombay on his Birth Anniversary today.
Both Shankar and Jaikishan first time met in his office and become a Legend of Film Music.* So, we consider office of Shri Chandravadan Bhatt as MILAN STHAL ( मिलन स्थल ) OF GREAT SJ.
About : Chandravadan Bhatt
Courtesy: BHAVANA BHATT ( DAUGHTER OF SHRI CHANDRAVADAN BHATT AND ACTRESS OF FILM : DO JASOOS)
My parents Late Mr. Chandravadan Bhatt and Mrs. Niharika Bhatt were connected to Gujarati Theatre. My father was the first person who had introduced Modern Gujarati theatre with sound and music. He has produced and directed so many famous and successful Gujarati films and Drama .
He is known as a legend of Gujarati theatre.” So, she proudly says that it was natural for her to opt for acting.
SHANKAR-JAIKISHAN 