Happy birthday to Raj Kapoor.

Happy birthday to Raj Kapoor.

Raj Kapoor is remembered by the nation on his birthday on 14th December, 2009. He was probably the most popular actor of bollywood films of the 40s, 50s and 60s other than Dilip Kumar.

Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor still remain the most popular actors of bollywood cinema in the last 70 years. One of the reasons of their immense success includes the superlative class of music being given to the giant actors by Naushad and Shankar Jaikishan.

Naushad gave classic tunes to Dilip Kumar in the films Uran Khatola, Kohinoor, Mughal-I-Azam, Leader, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Ram Aur Shyam, Aadmi, to name a few. Rafi and Shakeel Badayani were the other players in the deadly combination. Rafi’s songs for Dilip Kumar like “madhuban me radhika nachere”, “woh dur ke musafir”, “tere husn ki kya taarif karun”, “koi sagar dil ko behlata nahi”, “dilruba maine tere pyar me kya kya na kiya”, “aaj purani rahon se koi mujhe awaaz na den”, “na aadmi ka koi bharosa”, “do sitaron ka zameen par hai Milan aaj ki raat”, etc., remain one of the greatest creations of all times. If Naushad was unparallel as a composer, Shakeel Badayani was unparallel as a lyricist, Rafi was matchless as singer and Dilip Kumar matchless as an actor.

Producer director Raj Kapoor was the closest competitor of Dilip Kumar during the 40s, 50s and 60s. In fact both the giants had acted together in the film Andaz in 1949. Raj Kapoor’s deadly combination with Shankar Jaikishan had produced super hit films like Barsaat, Aah, Awara, Shree 40, Chori Chori, Anari, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, to name a few. The music of those films were equally popular and successful. Songs of Mukesh and Manna Dey like “ramaiya vasta maiya”, “mur murk e na dekh”, “sab kuch seekha humne”, “yeh raat bheegi bheegi”, “o mehbooba”, “dost dost na raha” “aa aab laut chalen”, had not lost their flavor even after 50 years of their creation. As Raj Kapoor had other qualities besides acting including production, direction, editing, etc., he is considered the greatest showman of all times even today.

As far as the compositions of Naushad and Shankar Jaikishan are considered, both the composers had very strong classical orientation. Naushad gave folk tunes to Dilip Kumar in Ganga Jumna sung by Rafi including “nain lad jaiy he” and Lata in “dhoondo dhoondo resaajna”, etc. Shankar Jaikishan gave folk tunes to Raj Kapoor in Teesri Kasam in songs like “chalet musafir” sung by Manna Dey, to name a few.

If Naushad displayed the muslim culture of Lucknow, Aligarh with his classical tunes in films like Leader, Kohinoor, Mughal-i-azam, Shankar Jaikishan displayed the European tunes in Raj Kapoor’s films Sangam, Around the World, etc., where the westernized orchestrations complimented the colourful scenary of the foreign countries. In fact, SJ’s tunes “chale jana zara theheron” showed the brilliance of Lake Erie and Niagra Falls stretching from Canada to USA, and mesmerizing the audience. Even in Sangam, the creation of SJ picturised in the snow-clad Switzerland titled “ishq the ishq, I love you” showed SJ’s capability of adapting to European tunes. The musical fountain in Around the World, showed the brilliance of SJ in the film Around the World.

The lyrics written by Shakeel Badayani in Dilip Kumar’s films where music was composed by Naushad were as innovative as the lyrics written by Hasrat Jaipuri and Shankar Jaikishan in Raj Kapoor’ films composed by Shankar Jaikishan. The lyrics contained urdu shairy, bhopuri language, ultramodern lyrics, rural language, etc. and appealed to the masses.

Naushad had composed music in more than 15 films of Dilip Kumar and the same is the case of Shankar Jaikishan in Raj Kapoor’s films. The music of each of those films can be analysed and revisited.

It is impossible to say whether Dilip Kumar’s combination with Naushad was greater than Raj Kapoor’s combination with Shankar Jaikishan, but it is true that the two giants had left assets for generations to cherish which had ended up being masterpieces. New actors, composers, singers, directors learn from the success of the Showman and Tragedy King and the works should be revisited.

Rafi's soft number composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

Rafi’s soft numbers composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

Mohammad Rafi was the virtual ruler of world of playback singing in the 60s. As far as his combination with Shankar Jaikishan is concerned, generally the loud numbers gather popularity due to the pomp and grandeur of those songs.

For example Rafi’s song “chahe koi mujhe jungle kahen” in Junglee, picturised on Shammi Kapoor, “kaun hai jo sapno me aya” in Jhuk Gaya Aasman picturised on Rajender Kumar, “jiya ho jiya ho jiya kuch bol do” in Jab Par Kisi Se Hota Hai, picturised on Dev Anand, “Japan, Love in Tokyo”, in Love in Tokyo, picturised on Joy Mukherjee, “april fool banaya, in April Fool picturised on Biswajeet , etc., were the most popular songs of those films. Shankar Jaikishan’s innovative orchestrations were involved with all these songs.

But if SJ’s softer numbers are looked at they provided gems for Rafi during the 50s and 60s. In Shammi Kapoor’s Junglee, “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” was a masterpiece where Rafi’s romantic presentation can take anyone to a different world. In Rajender Kumar’s Humrahi, “mujhko aapne gale lagalo” was a brilliant song where Rafi’s andaz was as outstanding as that of Mubarak Begum. Aye Milan Ki Bela had evergreen gems embedded in them. All the soft numbers of Rafi like “tum khamseen ho”, “to bura maan gaye”, “o sanam tere ho gaye hum” created everlasting appeal in the minds of the youth of the 60s.

SJ matured into the country most glamourous western composers by mid-60s. Rafi’s brilliant voice was complimented by superlative utilization of western instruments in most of the songs of SJ during that period. In Biswajeet’s April Fool Rafi’s presentation of “aa gale lag ja” showed him to be a Hollywood singer whose rendition had Western andaz. In Joy Mukherjee’s Love In Tokyo, Rafi presented the seductive andaz in the song “aaja re aa zara aa” which can put anyone to sleep. Rafi’s ghazal andaz in the same film “o mere shahe khuba” had equally everlasting appeal.

In Rajender Kumar’s Zindagi, “pehele milethe sapno me” showed Rafi’s effortlessness in rendering romantic songs. All the songs of Rajender Kumar’s Aman were brilliant. Especially “surahidar garden koel si hi awaz”, and “aaj ki raat” had Rafi’s powerful level of intonation to back up SJ’s romantic andaz. Besides the orchestration had Japanese flavor.

In Shammi Kapoor’s Professor, “awaz deke hume tum bulayo” created the tempo for the film. All the duets in that film created sensation including “mai chali mai chali”. Rafi complimented Lata in most of the duets backed by SJ’s effective use of sexaphone. In Shammi Kapoor’s An Evening in Paris, Rafi’s measured number in the duet song “raat ke humsafar” probably had the most intoxicating appeal in the entire film as against the loud numbers like “aasmaan se aya farishta”.

Rajender Kumar’s musical blockbuster Aarzoo, probably had Rafi at his best. If “aye nargisi mastana” showed Rafi’s effortlessness, “aji hum se bachkar” showed Rafi’s classical control, where as “chalke tere aankho sharab aur ziada” showed Rafi’s brilliant ghazal andaz. Rafi was at his best in Rajender Kumar’s Suraj as well. All the songs in the film had grand appeal. Probably the songs “kaise samjhayun” and “baharon phool barsayo” received the viewers’ attention. But “gustaqi maaf” and “itna hai tujhse pyar mujhe” were more melodious.

Shammi Kapoor’s Brahmchari had the theme music “mai gayun tum so jayo”. The song had been played a number of times by Shankar Jaikishan once too slowly while the other at a faster pace. Rafi was equally romantic in both the songs. Besides “dil ke jharoke me” was an experiment of SJ asking Rafi to sing at a high note which he did in style. In Shammi Kapoor’s Raj Kumar “tumne kisi ki jaan ko jate hue dekha hai” and “yeh rangbirangee duniya me” Rafi’s romantic rendition appealed to the masses.

In Dharmender’s Pyar Hi Pyar, Rafi showed the ghazal andaz in the song “dekha hai teri aankho me pyar hi pyar beshumar”. In Jeetender’s Mere Huzoor, Rafi’s song “rukh se zara naqab, uta do mere huzur” expressed the shy delivery of the hero. In Raj Kumar’s Lal Patthar “unke khayal aye to” showed Rafi’s royal andaz or probably the badshahi andaz in delivering as the characters were related to Indian history of kings.

In Dev Anand’s Pyar Muhobbat, “dil ki awaz khuda khair Karen” had an enchanting appeal. Again Rafi’s seductive andaz in Manoj Kumar’s Gumnaam in “jane chaman shola badan” entertained the viewers and listeners. Rafi presented the songs in Uttam Kumar’s Choti Si Mulakat also with stylish westernized manner. Viewers can also cherish Rafi’s song “tum hi tum ho” in Raj Kapoor’s Ek Dil Sau Afsane picturised on Raj Kapoor. “Khuda bhi aasman se” in Rajender Kumar’s Dharti is still unforgettable even today. The list of SJ’s soft numbers for Rafi can go on.

Some way or the other SJ’s relationship with Rafi never got predominance due to erroneous interpretation of Shankar Jaikishan over the years by the media. Just because SJ were associated with Showman Raj Kapoor in almost 20 films, so the entire focus went to Mukesh and Manna Dey’s songs composed by SJ. But if the rest of SJ’s creations in almost 170 films are analysed it will be seen that Rafi had sung almost 800 songs for SJ, which include more than 20 films of Shammi Kapoor, 10 films of Rajender Kumar, 7 films of Dev Anand, 3 films of Dilip Kumar, to name a few. The films and the songs should be revisited.

Songs in Ranbir Kapoor's films.

Songs in Ranbir Kapoor’s films.

Songs play a very vital role in the careers of leading stars of bollywood films. Whenever the name of Raj Kapoor comes in the minds of viewers the songs namely “mera juta hai japani”, “awara hoon”, “mur murke na dekh”, “o mehbooba” comes in the minds of the viewers. Similarly Dilip Kumar is associated with songs like “madhuban me radhika nachere”, “do sitaron ka zameen par hai Milan”, “ek shahenshah ne banwake haseen tajmahal”, “aaj ki raat mere”, etc.

In that respect Ranbir Kapoor is blessed with good songs. He has acted in 4 films till now, namely Sawariya, Bacchna Aye Haseeno, Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. All these films had very promising songs.

The songs “sawariya” and “jab se tume dekha” in the film Sawariya, had done great business inspite of the film not doing that well. The songs of the film Bacchna Aye Haseeno composed by Vishal Shekhar created storms. All the songs in the film became super hit.

The notable songs in Bachna Aye Haseeno included “khuda jane ke mai fida hoon”, “bacchna aye haseeno”, “ahista ahista”. The excellent lips of the actresses Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone and Minissha Lamba had helped Ranbir Kapoor to maintain balance in the film. Besides, the exotic locations in the film were also appreciated by the viewers.

Wake Up Sid was a serious film and as such the music did not matter that much. Even then the music was very decent in the film. The performance of Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor was very realistic and that created a separate impression in the minds of the viewers.

Pritam did a grand job in the film Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. It had been the greatest hit of the career of Ranbir Kapoor. All the songs in the film became super hit. The leading song included “prem ki naiya”, etc. The onscreen chemistry of Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif had made the viewers speechless. The viewers are looking forward to more hit songs in the upcoming films of Ranbir Kapoor in future.

Happy birthday to Zeenat Aman.

Happy Birthday to Zeenat Aman.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Zeenat Aman on 19th November, 2009. She had dominated bollywood films in the 70s.

She created attention with her successful performance in Dev Anand’s film Hare Rama Hare Krishna. She played the role of a girl who became addicted to drugs. She had acted opposite all the leading stars of bollywood films in the mid-70s. Her successful films opposite Big B included Don, Dostana, Lawaarish, etc.

She was extremely successful in Raj Kapoor’s film Satyam Shivam Sundaram. She played the role of a village girl whose face got burned and disfigured. The film was related to the romantic relationship of Zeenat with Shashi Kapoor, who was an urbanized youth. Lata’s songs in the film including “satyam shivam sundaram” require special mention. Zeenat gave able lips in the songs.

In the early 80s Feroz Khan gave a stylish image to Zeenat in the film Qurbani. She played the role of a hotel singer and stormed bollywood with her performance. Her lips in the songs “aap jaisa koi mere zindagi me aye”, “laila ho laila”, etc., in the film Qurbani created sensation. Feroz Khan and Vinod Khanna also gave memorable performances in the film.

In the 80s she acted opposite other stars as well. Her film Abdullah opposite Sanjay Khan did great business. Zeenat was also known for contributing in action films like Shalimaar opposite Dharmender, Don opposite Big B, Ram Balram opposite Dharmender. In all those films the roles required action stunts. Zeenat did show her martial art stunts in the film Don.

Zeenat gave good lips in qawallis as well. One example was in the film Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi. She gave lips in Asha Bhosle’s song “hai agar dushman zamana” opposite Rishi Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor gave lips in Rafi’s portion with his own brilliance. Zeenat Aman left films in the mid -80s when she was at the summit of her career. Her films should be preserved.

Happy birthday to Mala Sinha.

Happy birthday to Mala Sinha.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Mala Singh on 11th November, 2009. She had been a legendary actress of bollywood films and contributed in both bollywood films and Bengali films for more than 40 years.

In the 50s, Mala Sinha had acted in classic films like Parvarish, Phir Subah Hogi opposite Raj Kapoor. These films became immortal for their unforgettable songs like “anshu bhari hai”, “woh subah kabhi to ayegi”, etc. Mala Sinha was sublime opposite Dev Anand in the film Love Marriage. The music of the film composed by Shankar Jaikishan was equally grand. The hit songs included “dheere dheere chal”, “kahan ja rahete”, etc.

Mala Sinha contributed well in Guru Dutt’s classic film Pyaasa. The romantic andaz displayed by Mala Sinha was very significant in the film in the songs “hum aapke aankho me”, sung by Rafi and Geeta Dutt. Mala Sinha continued her dream run in the 60s by performing in historical films like Jahanara opposite Bharat Bhushan. The film was a musical block buster. The songs “baad muddar key eh ghari aye”, “kisi ki yaad me”, etc., composed by Madan Mohan created history. The biggest achievement of Mala Sinha lies in sustaining in bollywood industry amidst high competition from other leading actresses like Nargis, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Vaijayantimala, etc.

Mala Sinha also acted with the next generation of actors like Rajender Kumar and Dharmender. Her successful films opposite Rajender Kumar included Dhool Ka Phool, Lalkar and Geet. Her successful films opposite Dharmender included Ankhen, Neela Akash, etc. which did great business. She did very well in films opposite Biswajeet like Night in London and Shammi Kapoor in Dil Tera Diwana.

Mala Sinha played a very long innings in Bengali films as well. Her successful films opposite Uttam Kumar included Khelaghar, Shaharer Itikatha, Bandhu, Putrabadhu, Saathihara, to name a few. Her other notable films include Dhuli, Abhaya Srikanto, etc.

She even featured in modern films in the 90s like Khel where she had played character roles opposite Madhuri Dixit. The viewers expect her to continue in character roles in films in future.

Happy birthday to Hema Malini.

Happy birthday to Hema Malini.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dream girl Hema Malini on 16th October, 2009. She was the uncrowned queen of bollywood films of the 70s.

Her strong dancing skills gave her a separate place in bollywood films. Her performance in the film Sapno Ka Saudagar opposite Raj Kapoor was extremely successful in the late 60s. From there she never looked back. Her film Abhinetri opposite Shashi Kapoor became super hit. Her successful films opposite other stars included Gora Aur Kala opposite Rajender Kumar, Burning Train opposite Dharmender, Johnny Mera Naam opposite Dev Anand, to name a few.

Within short time she formed a brilliant combination with Dharmender and their films started rocking bollywood in the 70s. The pair started off with films like Naya Zamana, Raja Jani and went on to give all time hits like Seeta Aur Geeta, Jugnu, Charas, Sholay, etc. If Sholay is remembered for superlative camerawork of Ramesh Sippy, villainish andaz of Amzad Khan, angry image of Big B, then it is also remembered for tremendous dance performance of Hema Malini. She danced on top of glasses in the song “jab tak hai jaan”.

Hema Malini did extremely well in off-beat films as well. One of her landmark films included Kinara opposite Jeetender and Dharmender. Gulzar’s films was based on dancing and Hema Malini’s classical dance balanced the story line where Jeetender’s car struck Dharmender and killed him on the spot. Dharmender was the husband of Hema Malini in the film and she lived with his memory in the film.

Hema Malini’s films opposite Big B also did great business. Some of their hit films included Desh Premi, Satte Pe Satta, etc. In the last few years Hema Malini had been seen contributing in character roles in bollywood films like Baghban.

The viewers still believe that a lot of dancing skills are still left in Hema Malini and she should still act in bollywood films in future.

Happy birthday to melody-queen Lata Mangeshkar.

Happy birthday to melody-queen Lata Mangeshkar.

The listeners of music in India and abroad wish happy birthday to Lata Mangeshkar, the melody queen on 27th September, 2009. She had turned 80 years of age.

Starting her journey from the early 40s, Lataji created an impression with the songs “ayega anewala” in the film Mahal, composed by Khemchand Prakash. The songs of the horror film were picturised on Madhubala who later became a legendary star of bollywood films. Lata faced the competition from eminent singers Noorjahan, Suraiya, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, Rajkumari, and others and emerged victorious in the 50s and 60s.

Her sweetness of voice compelled composers to give the best tunes ever created in Indian film history. Along with Rafi, Lata had the record of singing songs of almost all the composers of the golden age. Everlasting gems of Lata include “tu jaha jahan chalega” composed by Madanmohan, “duniya kare sawal” composed by Roshan, “hume tum mil gaye humdum” composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “phir teri kahani yaad aye” composed by Naushad, “ajare pardesi” composed by Salil Choudhury, “allah tero naam” composed by Jaidev, “piya tose naina lage re” composed by SD Burman, to name a few.

Lata had sung more than 30000 songs during her singing career which was more than 65 years long. She had sung for Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Wahida Rehman, on one hand, and did sing for the new actresses of the 90s namely Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, etc. Her patriotic songs “aye mere watan ke logon” brought tears even in the eyes of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Lata Mangeshkar sung songs in more than 15 regional languages including Marathi, Bengali and others. She played a very significant role in Bengali film industry in the world of playback singing. Some of her hit songs included “jago” in Raj Kapoor’s film Ekdin Ratre, composed by Salil Choudhury, “aaj mon cheyeche ami hariye jabo” composed by Sudhin Dasgupta in Uttam Kumar’s film Shankhabela, to name a few.
Singers of the present age consider Lataji as their idol and try to emulate her style. The listeners of music all over the world expect Lataji to continue the great work that she started 70 years ago. Her works should be restored.

Happy birthday to Rishi Kapoor.

Happy birthday to Rishi Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Rishi Kapoor on 4th September 2009. He had remained as one of the most romantic actors that bollywood had ever produced.

He started his career as a child artist in Raj Kapoor’s film Mera Naam Joker. He stormed bollywood films with his romantic performance in the film Bobby in 1973. The film did great business and Rishi Kapoor received the filmfare award for the best actor for his performance in Bobby.

From that time onwards Rishi Kapoor remained one the most romantic actors in bollywood films. His films Amar Akbar Anthony in 1977, Laila Majnu in 1977 and Sargam in 1978 were the greatest musical blockbusters of the 70s. The songs composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal, Jaidev and Madanmohan in these films became everlasting hits. The notable songs of Rafi and Lata in this film included “koel boli”, “parda hai parda”, “dafliwale”, “barbad muhobbat ki dua”, “is reshmi pazeeb”, to name a few.

Rishi Kapoor’s extraordinary capability of giving lips in these songs separated him from other actors of that era. His films Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi and Karz created history. He showed his dancing skills in every type of songs of Rafi and Kishore including “hai aga dushman zamana”, “bacchna aye haseeno”, “dared dil”, “om shanty om”, “puchona yaar kya hua”, to name a few. RD Burman and Laxmikant Pyarellal probably gave their best music to Rishi Kapoor in the 70s and 80s.

In the 80s, Rishi Kapoor’s films Duniya, Sitamgar, Saagar, Chandni, Cooli, Naseeb, did fantastic business. In fact due to presence of Rishi Kapoor, producers and directors created romantic stories during an era when Big B, Vinod Khanna, Shatrughun Sinha dominated bollywood with action films. Even in the 90s, Rishi Kapoor’s films Bol Radha Bol, Damini, etc., were appreciated by the audience.

After the debut of his son Ranbir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor switched to character roles. In 2009 also Rishi Kapoor did well in films like Dilli 6.

The viewers expect him to continue the high standard of acting in the years to come and continue the legacy created by Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.

Between Dilip Kumar and Naushad and Raj Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan which combination was more deadly?

Between Dilip Kumar and Naushad and Raj Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan which combination was more deadly?

Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor still remain the most popular actors of bollywood cinema in the last 70 years. One of the reasons of their immense success includes the superlative class of music being given to the giant actors by Naushad and Shankar Jaikishan.

Naushad gave classic tunes to Dilip Kumar in the films Uran Khatola, Kohinoor, Mughal-I-Azam, Leader, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Ram Aur Shyam, Aadmi, to name a few. Rafi and Shakeel Badayani were the other players in the deadly combination. Rafi’s songs for Dilip Kumar like “madhuban me radhika nachere”, “woh dur ke musafir”, “tere husn ki kya taarif karun”, “koi sagar dil ko behlata nahi”, “dilruba maine tere pyar me kya kya na kiya”, “aaj purani rahon se koi mujhe awaaz na den”, remain one of the greatest creations of all times. If Naushad was unparallel as a composer, Shakeel Badayani was unparallel as a lyricist, Rafi was matchless as singer and Dilip Kumar matchless as an actor.

Producer director Raj Kapoor was the closest competitor of Dilip Kumar during the 40s, 50s and 60s. In fact both the giants had acted together in the film Andaz in 1949. Raj Kapoor’s deadly combination with Shankar Jaikishan had produced super hit films like Barsaat, Aah, Awara, Shree 40, Chori Chori, Anari, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, to name a few. The music of those films were equally popular and successful. Songs of Mukesh and Manna Dey like “ramaiya vasta maiya”, “mur murk e na dekh”, “sab kuch humne”, “yeh raat bheegi bheegi”, “o mehbooba”, “dost dost na raha” had not lost their flavor even after 50 years of their creation. Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra as lyricists completed the complete chain of master creators. As Raj Kapoor had other qualities besides acting including production, direction, editing, etc., he is considered the greatest showman of all times even today.

It is impossible to say whether Dilip Kumar’s combination with Naushad was greater than Raj Kapoor’s combination with Shankar Jaikishan, but it is true that the two giants had left assets for generations to cherish which had ended up being masterpieces. New actors, composers, singers, directors learn from the success of the Showman and Tragedy King and the works should be revisited.

Happy birthday to Saira Banu.

Happy birthday to Saira Banu.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Saira Banu on 13th August, 2009. She used to be called beauty-queen of the 60s. Acting was there in her blood with her mother Nasim Banu doing well in many films in the 40s.

Saira Banu started her career with the film Junglee opposite Shammi Kapoor in 1961. The brilliant music of Shankar Jaikishan given in the film and exotic locations of Jammu and Kashmir flabbergasted the audience in the early 60s. All the songs in the film were super hit including “suku suku”, “meri yaar shabba khair”, “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar”, “Kashmir ki kali hun mai”, to name a few.

Saira Banu went on to give hit after hit with Biswajeet and Joy Mukherjee as well. With Biswajeet her film April Fool became super hit. The songs of SJ again created storm including “april fool banaya”, “aa gale lag jaa”, etc. With Joy Mukherjee Saira Banu’s film Shagird stormed box-office in 1967. All the songs of Rafi and Lata were hits including “dil vil pyar vyar”, “woh hai zara khafa khafa”, “o bare miya diwane”, “duniya mehfil hai”, etc.

Saira Banu’s combination with Rajender Kumar was well accepted by the audience. All the three films opposite Jubilee Kumar including Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Aman and Jhuk Gaya Aasman became super hit. The songs of all those films composed by SJ again struck box-office. Prominent songs included “o priya kaun hai jo sapno me aya”, “tum khamseen ho”, “kahan chal diye”, “surahidar garden”, etc. Saira Banu balanced the powerful performance of Rajender Kumar in those films.

After marrying Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu acted in a number of films opposite him including Sagina, Gopi and Bairaag, most of which did well in the box-office. Her films with Raj Kapoor titled Diwana and Dev Anand titled Par Muhabbat did good business mainly due to hit music of Shankar Jaikishan. The songs of those films including “ai sanam jisne tujhe chaand si surat di hai”, “dil ki awaz khuda khair Karen” still remain the landmarks of Indian film music. Even Saira Banu’s comedy films like Parosan opposite Sunil Dutt, Kishore Kumar and Mehmood did brilliant business.

From the mid-70s Saira Banu faded away from the industry before acting in films opposite Big B like Zameer and Hera Pheri. The viewers expect her to contribute in bollywood films in character roles again.

Happy birthday to Vaijayantimala.

Happy birthday to Vaijayantimala.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dancing queen Vaijayantimala on 13th August, 2009. She had ruled bollywood films during the 50s and 60s, during an age when muslim actresses like Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari rocked silver screen. She was the first South Indian actress to create a sensation in bollywood films and paved the way for other South Indian actresses to follow like Hema Malini, Sri Devi, Jaya Prada, Meenakshi Sheshadri, and others.

Her online chemistry with Tragedy King Dilip Kumar created history in bollywood. Most of their films including Devdas, Naya Daur, Madhumati, Paigham, Ganga Jumna, Leader, Sunghursh ended up being blockbusters. Besides dancing, she was sublime in the role of a tawaif in Bimal Roy’s film Devdas, in the role of village girl in Bimal Roy’s Madhumati. Probably Madhumati marks the best performance of Vaijayantimala in her entire career. Her innocence reflected in her acting and she made the audience spellbound with the lips given in songs composed by Salil Choudhury including “aa ja re pardesi”, “ghari ghari mera dil dharke”, “daiya re daiya re”, etc. She received the filmfare award for the best actress for the brilliant performance in the film.

On one hand she was brilliant opposite Dilip Kumar, on the other hand she created sensation with Raj Kapoor as well. Their film Nazrana did mediocre business. But Sangam was probably one of the biggest hits of Raj Kapoor in his entire life. Vaijayantimala’s stylish performance opposite both Raj Kapoor and Rajender Kumar created a benchmark which could hardly be reached. Sangam still remains one of the most landmark films based on triangular love story shot at exotic locations in London, Paris, and other European countries. Shankar Jaikishan was matchless in Sangam. The acting performance was excellent and she received the filmfare award for the best actress once again.

In the 60s, Vaijayantimala was matchless. Her name was enough to make any film hit. The list of her films include Nagin opposite Pradeep Kumar, Suraj opposite Rajender Kumar, Amrapali opposite Sunil Dutt, Prince opposite Shammi Kapoor, Choti Si Mulakat opposite Uttam Kumar, Jewel Thief opposite Dev Anand, Pyar Hi Pyar opposite Dharmender, to name a few. In fact her combination with Rajender Kumar and Shankar Jaikishan created sensation in the 60s. All their films ended up being silver jubilees including Aas Ka Panchi, Suraj, Sangam, Zindagi, etc. Besides her standard of classical dancing in films like Katputli or Amrapali had created interest among viewers to appreciate aesthetic dance numbers which became an art in due period of time.

Her films should be restored and preserved.

Will Saif Ali Khan be successful as producer?

Will Saif Ali Khan be successful as producer?

If the history of bollywood films had been looked into it will be seen that many actors and actresses got involved in production of films after being in the profession for substantial period of time. Some of the them had succeeded while others stopped production due to lack of success.

Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt started their careers with productions of their own. They also knew the art of direction. So they don’t fall within this category. In fact their standards as producers were so high that their best acting lies in their production. Directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee or Mehboob Khan or Pacchi could not utilize Raj Kapoor in the manner he utilized himself in films like Awara, Shree 420, or Sangam, etc. Guru Dutt was at his best in films like Pyaasa or Aar Par or Mr. and Mrs. 55, all under his own production.

In respect of actor turned producers list Shahrukh Khan had mixed responses. Dreams Unlimited developed by Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla did great business in films like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, but again did mediocre business in other films as well. Anil Kapoor started production few years back. He had success with films like Shortcut, but still his films had not done great business if compared with the hit films of his brother Boney Kapoor who had hit films including No Entry, Hamara Dil Aapke Pass Hai.

Saif Ali Khan had started his career as producer with the film Love Aaj Kal. The film has all the elements of a hit film. With the performance of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, the viewers are also enthusiastic about its performance. Saif Ali Khan had taken a great decision in casting himself in the main role which releases the pressure of a producer.

But it is too early to foretell that Saif Ali Khan will be a successful producer. There are reasons for making such statement. It had been seen in the past that even eminent producers failed to understand the pulse of the viewers. Their tastes were changing and good producers and directors had both the taste of hit and flop films. Shakti Samanta started giving flops in the 70s like Pagla Kahin Ka or Jane Anjane, inspite of using Shammi Kapoor who had given super hit films in the 60s like Kashmir Ki Kali or An Evening in Paris.

Mukesh is remembered on his birthday.

Mukesh is remembered on his birthday.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to legendary singer Mukesh on 22nd July, 2009 and remember his great works. Mukesh was probably the most popular singer of the 50s, 60s an 70s after Mohammad Rafi.

His nazal tune had huge amount of sensitiveness and he gave expression to brilliant composers of the golden age with the romantic voice. His combination with Showman Raj Kapoor was considered one of the golden combinations of the 40s, 50s, 60s.

His notable songs for Raj Kapoor included “awara hoon” from film Awara, composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “aaja re” from film Aah, composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “ramaiya vasta maiya” from film Shree 420 composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “sab kuch sikha humne” from film Anari, composed by SJ, etc. The list can go on. Shankar Jaikishan stormed bollywood films with their everlasting tunes for more than 25 years, and wherever they were associated with Raj Kapoor, Mukesh sang the songs of his lifetime. The combination gave everlasting hits in films like Barsaat, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Ek Dil Sau Afsana, Around the World, Diwana, Teesri Kasam, Mera Naam Joker, to name a few.

In non-Raj Kapoor films also Mukesh did a superlative job. His performance in Dilip Kumar’s Madhumati, composed by Salil Choudhury, Manoj Kumar’s Hariyali Aur Raasta composed by Shankar Jaikishan, Rajender Kumar’s Saathi composed by Naushad, Manoj Kumar’s Pathar Ke Sanam composed by LP, require special mention.

He died in 1976, and ended the era relating to soft romantic songs. His journay from the film Nirdosh in 1941 to Amar Akbar Anthony in 1977, remained unblemish. In 1974, he received national award for best singer for the song “kai baar yun hi dekha hai” from the film Rajnigandha, composed by Salil Choudhury. Besides he received filmfare awards for his best performance in films like Anari, Pehchan, Beimaan, Kabhi Kabhi.

Articles after articles can be devoted on the successful combination of Mukesh with Shankar Jaikishan, Salil Choudhury, Naushad, Roshan, and others. His films and songs should be preserved.

Chabi Biswas is remembered on his birth anniversary.

Chabi Biswas is remembered on his birth anniversary.

The viewers of Indian cinema remembered Chabi Biswas, the towering actor on his birth anniversary on 12th July, 2009. The legend had been considered the greatest actor ever to grace Indian celluloid by Oscar Winning director Satyajit Ray. Had he not met with a fatal accident in 1962 and died, Ray could have experimented much more with the dignified actor.

Firstly Chabi Biswas was the pivot around whom the entire Bengali film industry revolved. Tapan Sinha relied on the majestic actor in playing the role of Kabuliwala in Tagore’s classic Kabuliwala. Ajoy Kar asked Chabi Biswas to present his dignity in the film Saptapadi where he played the role of the father of Uttam Kumar who could not accept his change of religion from being Hindu to Christian. At the end of the film Chabi Biswas acknowledged the greatness of Suchitra Sen who loved Uttam Kumar, yet sacrificed her affair as she gave word to Chabi Biswas about not meeting him in her entire life.

Chabi Biswas was equally majestic in Ajoy Kar’s classic Suno Boro Nari. His character of Udashin had the right combination of dignity, aristocracy and discipline. He was barrister of reputation who did not allow his daughter Supriya Choudhury to marry Uttam Kumar who was assumed to be a poor homeopathy doctor. But he was left speechless when the actual identity of Uttam Kumar was revealed as a renouned Professor of Literature.

Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar tested the range of performance of Chabi Biswas and delivered blood and flesh in the character of Biswambar Roy who was a feudal lord of West Bengal. In fact Chabi Biswas was an unparallel figure in the roles of zamindars during colonial regime. His performance in Karthik Chatterji’s Saheb Bibi Ghulam, Rajen Tarafdar’s Antarikha was equally brilliant, where critics argued that Chabi Biswas even did more than the expectation of the directors in portraying the aristocracy of the zamindars.

Chabi Biswas had acted in more than 250 films during a span of 25 years and articles after articles can be devoted on his different andaz that was displayed in celluloid. His performance in Shambhu Mitra’s film Manik could have brought him Oscar, had the film being send by India abroad. He played the role of a paralytic patient with such diction that the viewers and the directors thought the character from Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist had come out the pages of the book and appeared onscreen.

Raj Kapoor was astonished to see Chabi Biswas’s performance in his film Ekdin Ratre. The lips given by Chabi Biswas in Manna Dey’s song “ei duniyay bhai sabi hoi” compelled Raj Kapoor to agree that he was the greatest actor Raj Kapoor had seen in Indian films. He in fact regretted the absence of Chabi Biswas in bollywood films which could raised the standard of those films to another dimension.

Viewers still search Chabi Biswas in his unforgettable performances in films like Shashibabur Sangsar, Dada Thakur, Sabar Opore, Head Master, to name a few and never consider his death as a reality. His films should be preserved for the next generation to mark the level of excellence created by the greatest actor of Indian films ever.

Rafi, Sharda and Shankar Jaikishan.

Rafi, Sharda and Shankar Jaikishan.

Rafi had sung many duets with all the leading female singers in the country during the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. He had sung around 440 duets with Lata Mangeshkar, who dominated bollywood music during the 50s, 60s and 70s. He sang duet songs with Shamshad Begum, Mubarak Begum, Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur and others. During that period he sang many duets with Sharda as well, mainly in films composed by Shankar Jaikishan. Sharda won a number of filmfare awards for best singer for her performance in mainly the films of Shankar Jaikishan. Sharda is still alive and also has received the Rafi Memorial Award in 2007, from the Rafi Lovers Circle, Calcutta.

Most of those songs sung by Rafi and Sharda during the 60s and 70s did good business along with the success of the films. In Seema the song “jab yeh dil udaas hota hai” became super hit. The duet song of Rafi and Sharda was appreciated by the viewers. In the film Gumnaam, the song “jaane chaman shola badan, pehelu me ajao”, became superhit. Rafi’s seductive andaz for Manoj Kumar thrilled the audience along with Sharda’s voice for Nanda. Sharda had a different type of voice in comparison to other singers, so her combination with Rafi was very unique.

Shankar Jaikishan gave the song “sun sun sun re balam, dil tujhko pukare” in the film Pyar Muhobbat. The main song was sung was by Sharda, while Rafi finished it with the last line. The song was picturised on Dev Anand and Saira Banu, with one singing the song for the other over telephone. It created a very romantic andaz which was enjoyed by the viewers. There was a song in the film Shatranj, titled “bakamma bakamma” sung by Rafi and Sharda, having comedy andaz. Although the film did average business, the song did well.

Some of the other duets of Rafi and Sharda included “aap ki ray mere bare me”, “aya kaisa zamana o baba”, “pyar ka kar uran khatola”, etc. Besides Sharda sang many hit duets with Mukesh as well including “chale jana zarah thehero” in the film Around The World, picturised on Raj Kapoor and Rajashree, “duniya ki sair kar lo”, etc., as Mukesh sang many songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan. Probably Rafi’s capability to adjust himself with any female singer including Lata, Geeta Dutt, Sharda, Asha Bhosle, Shamshad Begum, etc., showed the level of adaptability and effortlessness of the giant singer. Shankar Jaikishan always banked their resources on Rafi and for those reasons even the duets composed for Rafi and Sharda were melodious and evergreen. The songs should be preserved.

Will Anil Kapoor be successful as producer?

Will Anil Kapoor be successful as producer?

Anil Kapoor, the legendary superstar of bollywood films is inclined to concentrate on his career as producer along with acting. The viewers had seen his capability as actor over the last 25 years. He had acted in every type of role including romantic hero in films like 1942 – a love story opposite Manisha Koirala, angry young man in films like Tezaab and Ram Lakhan opposite Madhuri Dixit, patriotic roles in films like Nayak opposite Rani Mukherjee, comedy roles in films like No Entry opposite Lara Dutta, Mr. India opposite Sri Devi, to name a few. He got filmfare awards for best actor and national awards and proved his versatility in every type of film.

But in respect of production, bollywood history had shown that not many actor turned producer were successful. Probably Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt were the most successful producers and directors who were equally famous as producers in comparison with their acting stardom. Guru Dutt created such a team, that whenever even other directors directed his films, there was a stamp of Guru Dutt embedded in them. For example Raj Khoshla directed CID under Guru Dutt production. But the film had the team of Johnny Walker, OP Nayyar, Rafi, Wahida Rehman who were some of the best contributors in Guru Dutt. Some section of the viewers felt that Guru Dutt could have acted in the film instead of Dev Anand.

Raj Kapoor had the expertise in every field of a film including costume designing, music direction, picturisation of song sequences, casting, editing, etc. He produced the film Anari directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, also produced the film Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, directed by Radhu Karmakar. In Anari, Raj Kapoor’s team including Shankar Jaikishan, Hasrat Jaipuri, Shailendra, Mukesh, Lata, Manna Dey contributed the most. It hardly appeared before the viewers that it was a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film. In fact, Raj Kapoor won the film fare award for the best actor in both the above mentioned films. The big factor was that Raj Kapoor could create a separate benchmark for himself as a producer and whenever saw his name, they had a separate expectation from the film.

In the past Sohail Khan and Boney Kapoor created their identity as producers. Anil Kapoor had done few experiments with Akshay Khanna in the recent past. He has to produce few quality films to also keep his mark in the world of production. The viewers wish him the best of luck.

Happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia.

Happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia on 8th June, 2009. She had been considered as one of the most dynamic actresses of bollywood films after Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil.

She started her career with a bold, sizzling demeanor in Raj Kapoor’s Bobby in 1973 opposite Rishi Kapoor. Raj Kapoor introduced the concept of teenage romance in the 70s and his effort got justice due to brilliant performance of both Dimple and Rishi Kapoor. Dimple’s smart, dashing lips in the songs “hum tum ek kamre me bandh ho”, “jhoot bole kowa kate”, “mujhe kuch kehna hai” sung by Lata and composed by LP just flabbergasted the audience of the 70s. Viewers thought both Dimple and Rishi Kapoor were made for each other.

But after Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia, he stopped her acting, and bollywood films lost one of the most promising actresses for 13 years. Again she made a classic comeback in Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar. The film showed a triangular love story with Kamal Hassan and Rishi Kapoor. The brilliant locations, powerful music composed by RD Burman, all contributed for the success of the super hit film. Rishi Kapoor was always considered to be the most romantic actors produced by Indian films. He proved it again in Saagar. Dimple balanced the sacrificing performance of Kamal Hassan who died at the end of the film to save Rishi Kapoor and allow Dimple marry her. All the three performers were brilliant in the lips given in the songs “o maria”, “saagar kinare”, “yeh to bata tera naam kya”, etc., sung by Lata, Bal Subhramanium, Kishore Kumar, etc.

In the mid -80s, Dimple acted in most of the successful commercial films opposite leading stars like Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sunny Deol, etc. She was brilliant in Feroz Khan’s Jaanbaaz. In fact her smart performance balanced the cowboy image of Anil Kapoor in the film. She was sublime opposite Jackie Shroff in the film Kaash.

In the late 80s, producers and directors experimented with her in challenging roles. She was exceptional in Gulzar’s film Lekin. Lata’s songs “yara silli silli”, Suresh Watkar’s “surmai sham” composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar were landmarks of classical music in Indian films. Dimple Kapadia portrayed the character of rajasthani folk community who were used for crying in funerals in the film Rudaali. She played the role of her lifetime and got national and international awards. Her lips in Lata’s song “dil hum hum kare” composed by Bhupen Hazarika, still haunts the listeners 20 years after its creation.

Her other successful films include Ram Lakhan, opposite Jackie Shroff, Krantiveer and Prahar opposite Nana Patekar. Her performance in the off-beat films gave her a special place just like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. Even in her middle-age she amazed viewers with brilliant performance in the film Dil Chahta Hai opposite Akshay Khanna who was at least 15 years younger than her. She again amazed the viewers in character roles opposite Rishi Kapoor in the films Pyar Me Twist and Farhan Akhtar’s Luck By Chance.

The viewers expect her to continue the brilliant work and go on astonishing the viewers with dynamic performances like before.

Nadira - the sizzling star of golden age.

Nadira – the sizzling star of golden age.

Nadira used to be considered a sizzling star of the 50s and 60s, the golden age of bollywood cinema. Her beauty was different than the traditional stars like Nargis or Madhubala, and her charishmatic intonation had created a separate place in the minds of viewers. She acted in the first coloured film of bollywood that is Aan, made in the early 50s opposite Dilip Kumar.

From Aan itself, the smartness of Nadira reflected in her acting as the film required horse-riding and adventurous acts which were difficult for other actresses of the same era. In 1955, Raj Kapoor gave the role of her lifetime in the film Shree 420. Her villainish performance in the film did outcast Nargis in the same film. The song “mur murke na dekh” composed by Shankar Jaikishan and sung by Asha Bhosle and Manna Dey was picturised on Nadira and Raj Kapoor. The lips of Nadira created a lasting impact in the minds of the viewers and Shree 420 became a super hit film.

The good part of Shree 420 in the career of Nadira was that it made her a rising star. But the bad part was that from that film her image in negative characters got bolstered and producers and directors started casting her in negative roles. In Dil Apna Aur Preeti Parayi, she acted opposite Raj Kumar and Meena Kumari. Raj Kumar had affair with Meena Kumari, a nurse in the film, and after marriage with Nadira, the weakness towards Meena Kumari led to disharmony in the family. Nadira matched Meena Kumari in acting in a musical blockbuster, where once again Shankar Jaikishan amazed the viewers with songs like “ajeeb dastan hai yeh”.

Nadira’s strong command over urdu had earned her majestic roles in films like Pakiza, where the muslim pardanashin community was shown. Nadira’s performance in the film was appreciated by the critics who consider the epic film of Kamal Hamrohi, as one of the greatest films of all times. In the mid-70s, with advent of action films, characterization of negative personalities underwent a change. Even in those films Nadira contributed in her own way. Her performance as a step-mother of Shabana Azmi in the film Amar Akbar Anthony created special attraction. Her torture towards Shabana’s family was detected by Vinod Khanna, who was police officer in the film and she was arrested.

In the mid-80s, she made valuable contribution in Ramesh Sippy’s romantic film Saagar. She was associated with Kamal Hassan, who made the viewers cry at the end of the film when his romance ended in failure. She loved Dimple Kapadia who was addicted towards Rishi Kapoor. When Rishi Kapoor was attacked by his relatives Kamal Hassan saved at the cost of his own life. Kamal Hassan had special relation with Nadira and he used to disclose his private matters to her. Nadira was compassionate towards Kamal Hassan when she came to know about his sacrifice.

In the 90s, Nadira’s performance in the TV serials directed by Gulzar, where Om Puri interviewed her about her film career, was equally impressive. Kamini Kaushal also acted in the serial and matched Nadira in the special role. Nadira’s films should be preserved to grace her remote style of performance having sizzling effect and also lasting appeal.

Death anniversary of Shankar.

Death anniversary of Shankar.

The viewers of bollywood films mourn the death anniversary of Shankar, the legendary composer on 26th April, 2009, whose combination with Jaikishan had created musical masterpieces during the 40s, 50s and 60s. The combination started working together in Raj Kapoor’s film Barsaat in 1949, and after that they never looked back. They created trends, broke the conventional style of music, experimented in every level of music, gave music in the films of all the leading actors and actresses of 50s and 60s.

As the name of Shankar Jaikishan was always used together due to their dominance in bollywood music in the 50s and 60s, individually their individual capabilities were not discussed in details. Music historians had reiterated after the death of the magical duo that Shankar had contributed the most in the classical songs while Jaikishan was more instrumental in the westernized tunes and orchestrations. Further Shankar’s most of the compositions were associated with lyricist Shailendra and Jaikishan’s creations were mostly associated with Shankar.

Some of the unforgettable classical tunes of SJ include “sur na saje kya gayun mai” sung by Manna Dey in the film Basant Bahar picturised on Bharat Bhushan, “ajahu na aye balma” sung by Rafi in the film Saanjh Aur Sawera picturised on Mehmood, “aji ruth kar ab kahan jayiega” sung by Lata and Rafi in the film Aarzoo picturised on Sadhna and Rajender Kumar, “o mere shahe khuba” sung by Rafi and Lata in the film Love In Tokyo, picturised on Joy Mukherjee and Sadhna, etc.

Besides a huge number of compositions of SJ included folk songs involving the smell of the soil from where they had originated. Those songs included “ramaiya vasta maiya” in the film Shree 420, sung by Rafi, Lata and Mukesh picturised on Raj Kapoor and Nargis, “chalat musafir” in the film Teesri Kasam, sung by Manna Dey picturised on Raj Kapoor, “aa ab laut chale” sung by Mukesh, Lata and picturised on Raj Kapoor and Padmini, etc.

Music lovers lament the death of Shankar and the disintegration of the SJ team in the 60s, because they had contributed in the films of Raj Kapoor, Rajender Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Biswajeet, Dharmender, Jeetender, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, etc., which includes almost the entire industry. So viewers of different tastes enjoyed the composition of SJ in those films. It is very sad that during the last 15 years, the media had underrated SJ and tried to project RD Burman as the greatest phenomenon of the century. He was a definitely a brilliant composer but his contribution cannot be equated with the dynamic composition of SJ. Shankar’s contributions should be preserved and restored.

Effect of Jaikishan's death in the career of Shankar.

Effect of Jaikishan’s death in the career of Shankar.

Shankar Jaikishan dominated bollywood music for more than 25 years ranging from the late 40s to early 70s. Due to sad demise of Jaikishan in the 70s, the evergreen combination broke up and critics repent about the end of the contribution of the giant composers.

Shankar was very loyal towards the SJ Banner and continued to use it in films after 1971, when Jaikishan died and Shankar had composed the music himself. Jaikishan’s death was a big blow for Shankar who already was shocked about the demise of lyricist Shailendra in the late 60s, who had contributed for the tunes of Shankar. Shankar lost the big banners in the 70s, due to the death of Jaikishan.

For example Raj Kapoor shifted towards the music of Laxmikant Pyarellal from Bobby, in 1973, when Shankar was still alive and gave music in many films in the 70s. Raj Kapoor had never thought about any other composer in his entire career other than SJ, excepting films like Jagte Raho, where he had used Salil Choudhury or Ab Dilli Door Nahi, where Dattaram contributed, who was the assistant of SJ.

The big banner of GP Sippy went to RD Burman after the death of Jaikishan. SJ composed the music for the film Andaz in 1971. But RD Burman got the scope of composing music in films like Seeta Aur Geeta in 1972, Sholay in 1975, Shaan in 1980, Saagar in 1985, all were made under the GP Sippy Banner. Although Shankar continued to compose music in the mid-70s in films of Manoj Kumar like Beimaan or Sanyasi, but the big banner of GP Sippy was lost.

Shankar also lost the banner of Shakti Shamanta after 1971. Previously SJ composed music in Shakti Shamanta’s films An Evening in Paris and Pagla Kahin Ka. But after the death of Jaikishan, RD Burman got the scope of composing music in his films including Kati Patang and Amar Prem which were hit as well.

Whether the music suffered or changed after the death of Jaikishan is another question to be answered, but there is no doubt that Shankar lost most of the big banners in the 70s, after the death of Jaikishan in 1971.