Kitna Pyara Waada Hai...

With formula driving the Hindi movies always, almost each movie has a tailor-made situation to infuse a romantic duet. And irrespective of the actors performing, the most popular duo to perform these duets were Lata & Rafi. With their mellifluous & pure rendition, and their command over ragas, together, they always managed to create that effect of pure romance which was difficult to match for most of the other singers. 

Pancham had worked with them , as assistant to his father in a number of movies - specially those of Navketan banners. However, there have been very few numbers where he himself used their magical chemistry for a romantic duet. This, despite Lata being one of his favourite singers. Partly, this could have been due to him preferring Kishore for most of his male songs. 

Yet, when he did work with them together, the compositions & the songs turned out to be not only super hits, but also have been rated amongst Rafi & Lata's best songs together. 

One such song was in 1971 from the Jitendra & Asha Parekh starrer - Caravan. Being a Nasir Hussain movie, with a story woven around gypsies, the compositions - across the movie - were outstanding. Pancham used the theme of road journey to bring in sounds that were as varied as jazz, the blues as well the folk. Amongst all the compositions, one closest to Hindustani sound was this lovely duet with a two-paced composition. The interesting part is the way song ends with a refrain on Harmonica as the caravan moves on. This refrain was later used by Pancham for another of his composition - Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na - from Aa Gale Lag Ja. 

Of course, with Majrooh in his prime, Lata & Rafi lending their voices to suitably subtle & coy Asha Parekh with dancing Jitendra - much before white shoes became his trademark - the songs could not have been anything but sweet & melodious - to remain a chart toppers for years to come.

Ab Jo Mile Hain...

I mentioned yesterday about how difficult it was to differentiate the voices of Mangeshkar Sisters - when they sang in tandem in Dulhan Maike Chali. It was all the more difficult because each of them, like a true playback singer, were trying to ensure that their voice was matching with the performer on-screen. Fortunately, each one was singing for only one of the characters.

Now here is a song, where there were two different performers on the screen - in two different kind of characters exhibiting two contradictory moods - and yet RD used only one singer. 

Ab Jo Mile Hain to - from caravan picturised on Aruna Irani & Asha Parekh had Asha Bhosle singing for both the actors. Starting seductively to match the on-screen persona of Aruna Irani wooing Jitendra, the song has a strong bossa-nova influence - perfectly matching the moves of Aruna Irani.

Half-way through, the seduction gives way to unrequited love and as the song changes the mood, one can not but notice that subtle yet distinct variation - in Asha's voice, in the lyrics and in the music. With Asha Parekh performing at her best, the song manages to bring out the pain that she is going through. 

No wonder, this song has remained one of the most popular one of Asha-RD-Majrooh combination.

Tu hai hawa, shola hu main,

Mil key bhee jo mil naa sake

Bujh naa sake tere bina, 

Tere bina jal naa sake

Listen to this here:

Dilbar Dil Se Pyaare..

Aruna Irani was the heroine of Bombay to Goa, and had a couple of songs in the movie - one of which was not retained in the movie at all. Since, this was a road movie, perhaps the script could not find situations where her talent for dance could have been utilised.

However, she might not have had anything to complain because just a year back, despite Asha Parekh being the heroine of the movie, it was Aruna Irani who walked away with some of the best compositions that RD had created in that year.

Come to think of it, It could have been a coincidence, but Aurna Irani, over the years, did manage to get some very unconventional songs from RD - be it a parody or a song full of melancholy or a classical composition. I will take you to those later, but for now, here is Lata & RD combining to create a track that sounds fresh even now.

Hear the beats, and the piece on rabab, and the sax, and Lata stretching & modulating her voice just enough to create the yearning - all that which goes into making this song from Caravan very special.