Bollywood Masala Mix
By Sharada Iyer
Zohrabai Ambalewali brought to film music a unique, robust and unrestrained style of singing and has left behind a legacy which continues to enthrall the listeners even today.
To understand, appreciate and enjoy the mellifluous magic of her voice, let me start the blog with her most famous song ‘Akhiyan milake, jiya bharmake, chale nahin jana…’ from the film Rattan, 1944. The image of the heroine Swarnalata playfully singing and running after her lover Karan Dewan who is on horse-cart remains etched in the viewer’s mind even today.
Zohrabai sang four more songs in the film Rattan and the film not only ended up being that year’s highest-spinning blockbuster but also made her an overnight sensation and catapulted music director Naushad into the big league after which there was no looking back for the maestro. Though she also sang under Ghulam Haider, Ghulam Mohammed, Husnlal Bhagatram, etc., it was under Naushad that she sang some of her best songs.
In the song 'Sawan ke badalo unse ye ja kaho' her voice had a distinct personality which made her songs stand out from the rest. This is the song with which the movie Rattan starts and in a way sets the tone for the musical extravaganza. A touching story of unrequited love, both the story and the songs were lapped up by the viewers.
In the song 'Rim jhim barse badarwa mast hawaye ayi piya ghar aaja' she brings out the emotions of the heroine pining for her lover with the onset of the monsoon clouds.
Zohrabai Amabalewali (1918-1990) belonged to the 'first generation' playback singers of Hindi cinema who started singing in pre-independent India and went on to lay the strong foundation of what was to become a billion dollar music industry in the years to come. In many ways the 1940s was the formative decade of Indian film music. Not only did the composers and singers usher in variety and an escalation of vocal standards but also carved out the basic motif of the Hindi film song that was followed in the succeeding decades.
Born in Amabala, young Zohrabai’s musical talent was spotted and encouraged by her grandfather who guided her and got her trained under two great Ustads (skilled musicians) of that time – Ghulam Hussain Khan and Ustad Nasir Hussain Khan. To encourage her further, her grandfather shifted to Delhi where the family lived in Mori Gate area.
Zohrabai started her career at the young age of 13 recording ‘thumris’ for the gramophone company HMV. In one of the interviews on YouTube, she mentioned that the song ‘Chote se balmaa mo re aangna me gilli khelen…’ sung when she was about 14 years old turned her into a popular name.
Along with her contemporaries Amirbai Karnataki and Rajkumari and later Shamshad Begum, the cinema of the forties was dominated by them and they are remembered for their full-throated husky voices.
In the 1946 film 'Hum ek hain' along with Amirbai Karnataki, she sang 'Meri aayi hai'. Incidentally this was Dev Anand’s first film and the dance director for the film was Guru Dutt. Many of our old songs and films have been neglected as preservation has never been our forte. So, many silent era films have been lost forever and too many songs for which discs were not cut in those days have also been lost.
Zohrabai was married off at a young age but was very fortunate that her husband (the well-known ‘tabla’ player of his time – Faqir Muhammad) did not object to her singing. This is indeed laudable as girls from so-called 'respectable' families stayed away from singing for films as the profession was looked down upon. To have made a mark in such a scenario is really admirable and spoke volumes about her dedication and professionalism. Credit also goes to her music directors who tapped her potential to give us some unforgettable melodies.
The outstanding number 'Sheshayad wo ja rahe' from the 1948 film 'Mela' was sung with so much feeling and emotions that it leaves little doubt about this singer’s mastery over ‘sur’ and ‘taal’ and makes us understand why she sounded so effortless in her rendering.
1940-1949 was the period when simple lyrics were set to heartfelt tunes and the playback singers of this vintage era conveyed powerful emotions through these songs which were integral to the film’s narrative. Recording techniques were rudimentary and practice sessions were long and arduous and the remuneration was not very much. Yet these artistes strived to give their best and this spoke of their dedication to their craft.
Sadly there is not too much information available on this great singer. Even her date of birth is missing in the articles on her and only the birth year is mentioned. Also there is a doubt about which was the first film for which she sang – either 'Gramophone' or 'Daku ki Ladki', though more people seem to be in favour of the latter which released in 1938.
She was also part of the era when singing stars had not fully disappeared and so the competition from Noorjehan, Suraiyya, Khurshid with their lovely voices and a charming on-screen persona proved a big competition to artistes like Zohrabai who were only doing playback. There was a film 'Village Girl' in 1945 for which both Noorjehan and Zohrabai sang the same song but apparently in the film, Noorjehan’s version was retained. When one listens to the audio, one can see that both the singers have done an outstanding job.
In the 1946 film 'Anmol Ghadi', starring both Noorjehan and Suraiyya, Zohrabai got only one song and that too a duet with Shamshad Begum – ‘Udan khatole mein ud jaun’, picturised on child artistes, but their robust vocals made the song unforgettable and left a special impression in the listener’s heart:
The sad Diwali song 'Aayi Diwali, aayi Diwali' from 'Rattan' became a rage at the time of the film’s release.
Zohrabai was also one of the main singers of the famous only female qawwali 'Aahen na bhareen' from the 1945 film 'Zeenat'. This qawwali remains unique until today. The lyrics are so beautifully written. There is young Shashikala lip-syncing to a major part of the song and a 9- or 10-year old Shyama playing the instrument ‘dholak’ and comes for just one line.
'Gori chali piya ke des…' from 'Shama', (1946) is a lovely marriage song sung by Zohrabai along with Shamshad Begum and Rehana and composed by Ghulam Haider.
It is true that Zohrabai Amabalewali’s reign was not that long but whatever songs she sang no one could have sung it better. The nightingale Lata Mangeshkar talks about Zohrabai and then proceeds to pay her a tribute by singing Zohrabai’s iconic song from 'Rattan'. With due respects to Lataji, her version is not a patch on Zohraji’s and goes to reiterate the latter’s distinctive and inimitable style of singing which is not easy to emulate.
By the early fifties assignments stopped coming her way. Soon Shamshad Begum overtook her in popularity and with the arrival of Lata Mangeshkar and her iconic songs in 'Mahal' and 'Barsaat', Hindi film music underwent a revolutionary change. Thick husky voices became passé. Zohrabai realized it was time to call it a day. Though she quit the film industry, she continued to sing for her daughter Roshan Kumari’s dance performances.
On January 1st, 1990, Zohrabai Amabalewali bade good-bye to this world. Her reign may have been short-lived but she breathed so much life into her songs that she will be remembered fondly for her haunting voice and her immense contribution as one of the founding pillars of the vintage era of Hindi film music.
Zohrabai Ambalewali brought to film music a unique, robust and unrestrained style of singing and has left behind a legacy which continues to enthrall the listeners even today.
To understand, appreciate and enjoy the mellifluous magic of her voice, let me start the blog with her most famous song ‘Akhiyan milake, jiya bharmake, chale nahin jana…’ from the film Rattan, 1944. The image of the heroine Swarnalata playfully singing and running after her lover Karan Dewan who is on horse-cart remains etched in the viewer’s mind even today.
Zohrabai sang four more songs in the film Rattan and the film not only ended up being that year’s highest-spinning blockbuster but also made her an overnight sensation and catapulted music director Naushad into the big league after which there was no looking back for the maestro. Though she also sang under Ghulam Haider, Ghulam Mohammed, Husnlal Bhagatram, etc., it was under Naushad that she sang some of her best songs.
In the song 'Sawan ke badalo unse ye ja kaho' her voice had a distinct personality which made her songs stand out from the rest. This is the song with which the movie Rattan starts and in a way sets the tone for the musical extravaganza. A touching story of unrequited love, both the story and the songs were lapped up by the viewers.
In the song 'Rim jhim barse badarwa mast hawaye ayi piya ghar aaja' she brings out the emotions of the heroine pining for her lover with the onset of the monsoon clouds.
Zohrabai Amabalewali (1918-1990) belonged to the 'first generation' playback singers of Hindi cinema who started singing in pre-independent India and went on to lay the strong foundation of what was to become a billion dollar music industry in the years to come. In many ways the 1940s was the formative decade of Indian film music. Not only did the composers and singers usher in variety and an escalation of vocal standards but also carved out the basic motif of the Hindi film song that was followed in the succeeding decades.
Born in Amabala, young Zohrabai’s musical talent was spotted and encouraged by her grandfather who guided her and got her trained under two great Ustads (skilled musicians) of that time – Ghulam Hussain Khan and Ustad Nasir Hussain Khan. To encourage her further, her grandfather shifted to Delhi where the family lived in Mori Gate area.
Zohrabai started her career at the young age of 13 recording ‘thumris’ for the gramophone company HMV. In one of the interviews on YouTube, she mentioned that the song ‘Chote se balmaa mo re aangna me gilli khelen…’ sung when she was about 14 years old turned her into a popular name.
Along with her contemporaries Amirbai Karnataki and Rajkumari and later Shamshad Begum, the cinema of the forties was dominated by them and they are remembered for their full-throated husky voices.
In the 1946 film 'Hum ek hain' along with Amirbai Karnataki, she sang 'Meri aayi hai'. Incidentally this was Dev Anand’s first film and the dance director for the film was Guru Dutt. Many of our old songs and films have been neglected as preservation has never been our forte. So, many silent era films have been lost forever and too many songs for which discs were not cut in those days have also been lost.
Zohrabai was married off at a young age but was very fortunate that her husband (the well-known ‘tabla’ player of his time – Faqir Muhammad) did not object to her singing. This is indeed laudable as girls from so-called 'respectable' families stayed away from singing for films as the profession was looked down upon. To have made a mark in such a scenario is really admirable and spoke volumes about her dedication and professionalism. Credit also goes to her music directors who tapped her potential to give us some unforgettable melodies.
The outstanding number 'Sheshayad wo ja rahe' from the 1948 film 'Mela' was sung with so much feeling and emotions that it leaves little doubt about this singer’s mastery over ‘sur’ and ‘taal’ and makes us understand why she sounded so effortless in her rendering.
1940-1949 was the period when simple lyrics were set to heartfelt tunes and the playback singers of this vintage era conveyed powerful emotions through these songs which were integral to the film’s narrative. Recording techniques were rudimentary and practice sessions were long and arduous and the remuneration was not very much. Yet these artistes strived to give their best and this spoke of their dedication to their craft.
Sadly there is not too much information available on this great singer. Even her date of birth is missing in the articles on her and only the birth year is mentioned. Also there is a doubt about which was the first film for which she sang – either 'Gramophone' or 'Daku ki Ladki', though more people seem to be in favour of the latter which released in 1938.
She was also part of the era when singing stars had not fully disappeared and so the competition from Noorjehan, Suraiyya, Khurshid with their lovely voices and a charming on-screen persona proved a big competition to artistes like Zohrabai who were only doing playback. There was a film 'Village Girl' in 1945 for which both Noorjehan and Zohrabai sang the same song but apparently in the film, Noorjehan’s version was retained. When one listens to the audio, one can see that both the singers have done an outstanding job.
In the 1946 film 'Anmol Ghadi', starring both Noorjehan and Suraiyya, Zohrabai got only one song and that too a duet with Shamshad Begum – ‘Udan khatole mein ud jaun’, picturised on child artistes, but their robust vocals made the song unforgettable and left a special impression in the listener’s heart:
The sad Diwali song 'Aayi Diwali, aayi Diwali' from 'Rattan' became a rage at the time of the film’s release.
Zohrabai was also one of the main singers of the famous only female qawwali 'Aahen na bhareen' from the 1945 film 'Zeenat'. This qawwali remains unique until today. The lyrics are so beautifully written. There is young Shashikala lip-syncing to a major part of the song and a 9- or 10-year old Shyama playing the instrument ‘dholak’ and comes for just one line.
'Gori chali piya ke des…' from 'Shama', (1946) is a lovely marriage song sung by Zohrabai along with Shamshad Begum and Rehana and composed by Ghulam Haider.
It is true that Zohrabai Amabalewali’s reign was not that long but whatever songs she sang no one could have sung it better. The nightingale Lata Mangeshkar talks about Zohrabai and then proceeds to pay her a tribute by singing Zohrabai’s iconic song from 'Rattan'. With due respects to Lataji, her version is not a patch on Zohraji’s and goes to reiterate the latter’s distinctive and inimitable style of singing which is not easy to emulate.
By the early fifties assignments stopped coming her way. Soon Shamshad Begum overtook her in popularity and with the arrival of Lata Mangeshkar and her iconic songs in 'Mahal' and 'Barsaat', Hindi film music underwent a revolutionary change. Thick husky voices became passé. Zohrabai realized it was time to call it a day. Though she quit the film industry, she continued to sing for her daughter Roshan Kumari’s dance performances.
On January 1st, 1990, Zohrabai Amabalewali bade good-bye to this world. Her reign may have been short-lived but she breathed so much life into her songs that she will be remembered fondly for her haunting voice and her immense contribution as one of the founding pillars of the vintage era of Hindi film music.
By Arundhuti Banerjee
National Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author Trisha Das, whose novel “Kama’s Last Sutra” deals with female sexuality in the 12th century, says back then, the act of lovemaking was considered sacred enough to be carved out on the walls of the temples in Khajuraho.
“What I have realised through the research work for the book is that they put out such sculptures on the temple walls of Khajuraho is because at that point of time men-women sexuality was considered sacred. The concept of two people making love was a sacred act, not a forbidden act which should be happening behind the closed door,” Das said in an interview.
“This was one of the secular and tolerant phases where different religions flourished side by side, the attitude towards love and sex was not repressed and regressed like that of the present time. Most importantly, the female sexuality, which they called ‘Shakti’ was celebrated and that kept the society in balance.”
However, Das mentioned: “That’s not to say that there was no violence against women because at the end of the day it was a feudal society. Female sexuality has always been under the control of men and so women have been conditioned to an extent that they themselves believed in shame and repress what are actually the self-regulatory form of control.”
The book “Kama’s Last Sutra” is a historical romance, one of the celebrated genres in the western mainstream literature. The author attempted to bring it in the Indian context and weave a story around Indian characters.
“The story revolves around a woman archaeologist who goes back in time and that not only changes her life but the course of history,” described Das, who has made around 40 documentary films and won the National Award in 2005 for her film titled “Fiddlers On The Thatch”.
Asked if the book’s story has been told from a female perspective, which may differ from the popular version of history, Das said: “well, history has been written by many and that is why no one knows which version of history and mythology is accurate. It is always an interpretation of the individual who is writing the history. Of course in my book, I am giving the interpretation of a modern Indian woman.
“But all the historical facts and period details are truly based on what is available and what has been documented so far from the era of 12th century.”
The temple of Khajuraho was made between 9th and 13th century during the rule of the Chandela Dynasty.
Das said one of the reasons the 12th century is called “dark era” of Indian history is because the “minor details of that time period have not been captured and documented properly”.
Secondly, “that era also does not hold a relevance of our current political ideal of united India”.
“The politics of today does not match up the situation of yesteryears when there was no one part that was called India… It was a fractured land and a failure in many levels, militarily. That made many dynasties enter and attack easily.”
However, she believes that the era was an underrepresented culturally rich period of our history.
Das has also penned books like “The Mahabharata re-imagined” and “Ms Draupadi Kuru” in the past.
As we are constantly talking about female empowerment, has the mindset changed among men and women on the matter of consensual sex and reproductive rights?
“Well, these two points are very crucial as part of women empowerment. Empowerment has to do with reproductive rights, hygiene, consent, violence against women and many such elements. All these ties into sexuality and women empowerment.”
Does she have any desire to make a film in Bollywood? Das said: “I am actually happily writing these days. And Bollywood is getting into the culture of adapting books into a film which I see a great sign because a lot of good stories of cinema come from a good piece of literature. So if I am approached by people for turning my book into a screenplay for films or if a story is rightly adapted to screen, I am open to that idea.”
National Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author Trisha Das, whose novel “Kama’s Last Sutra” deals with female sexuality in the 12th century, says back then, the act of lovemaking was considered sacred enough to be carved out on the walls of the temples in Khajuraho.
“What I have realised through the research work for the book is that they put out such sculptures on the temple walls of Khajuraho is because at that point of time men-women sexuality was considered sacred. The concept of two people making love was a sacred act, not a forbidden act which should be happening behind the closed door,” Das said in an interview.
“This was one of the secular and tolerant phases where different religions flourished side by side, the attitude towards love and sex was not repressed and regressed like that of the present time. Most importantly, the female sexuality, which they called ‘Shakti’ was celebrated and that kept the society in balance.”
However, Das mentioned: “That’s not to say that there was no violence against women because at the end of the day it was a feudal society. Female sexuality has always been under the control of men and so women have been conditioned to an extent that they themselves believed in shame and repress what are actually the self-regulatory form of control.”
The book “Kama’s Last Sutra” is a historical romance, one of the celebrated genres in the western mainstream literature. The author attempted to bring it in the Indian context and weave a story around Indian characters.
“The story revolves around a woman archaeologist who goes back in time and that not only changes her life but the course of history,” described Das, who has made around 40 documentary films and won the National Award in 2005 for her film titled “Fiddlers On The Thatch”.
Asked if the book’s story has been told from a female perspective, which may differ from the popular version of history, Das said: “well, history has been written by many and that is why no one knows which version of history and mythology is accurate. It is always an interpretation of the individual who is writing the history. Of course in my book, I am giving the interpretation of a modern Indian woman.
“But all the historical facts and period details are truly based on what is available and what has been documented so far from the era of 12th century.”
The temple of Khajuraho was made between 9th and 13th century during the rule of the Chandela Dynasty.
Das said one of the reasons the 12th century is called “dark era” of Indian history is because the “minor details of that time period have not been captured and documented properly”.
Secondly, “that era also does not hold a relevance of our current political ideal of united India”.
“The politics of today does not match up the situation of yesteryears when there was no one part that was called India… It was a fractured land and a failure in many levels, militarily. That made many dynasties enter and attack easily.”
However, she believes that the era was an underrepresented culturally rich period of our history.
Das has also penned books like “The Mahabharata re-imagined” and “Ms Draupadi Kuru” in the past.
As we are constantly talking about female empowerment, has the mindset changed among men and women on the matter of consensual sex and reproductive rights?
“Well, these two points are very crucial as part of women empowerment. Empowerment has to do with reproductive rights, hygiene, consent, violence against women and many such elements. All these ties into sexuality and women empowerment.”
Does she have any desire to make a film in Bollywood? Das said: “I am actually happily writing these days. And Bollywood is getting into the culture of adapting books into a film which I see a great sign because a lot of good stories of cinema come from a good piece of literature. So if I am approached by people for turning my book into a screenplay for films or if a story is rightly adapted to screen, I am open to that idea.”