Birthday special: 10 unsung gems of the nightingale Lata Mangeshkar?
28 Sep 2015 11:46 AM GMT
Lata proved her versatility by singing songs that belong to different spectrums of emotions
Known as the nightingale of India – Lata Mangeskar - is an inspiration to millions across the globe. The melody queen who turned 86 today, has been the voice of a number of beautiful actresses on screen. Lata proved her versatility by singing songs that belong to different spectrums of emotions.
1. Barse ghan saari raat…sang sow jao: The immensely gifted composer Vanraj Bhatia created only one song for Lataji for Kumar Shahani’s experimental film 'Tarang'. The song was a long narrative number describing a deserted wife’s desolation. 'Sangg sow jao' is among Lataji’s most complex songs rendered by her with an easy fluidity that only she knows how to impart to songs. Sadly this unbelievably beautiful song isn’t unavailable on any format.
2. Chhod mera haath mujhe peene de: It's a known fact that a box full of Lataji's songs to brighten up your blue days does exist. And there you have such masterly melodies of tipsiness as 'Sharaabi sharaabi mera naam ho gaya' from 'Chandan Ka Palna', 'Kaise rahun chup' from 'Inteqaam' and 'Haan jee haan maine sharaab pi hai' from 'Seeta Aur Geeta'. 'Chhod mera hath' is from a film called 'Subah-o-Shaam' where a sozzled Waheeda Rehman dances and stumbles to a sound so divine, it invites you to give up the thought of giving up alcohol. An amazing unknown Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition.
3. O ganga maiyya paar lagaade mere sapnon ki naiyya: An absolute gem from one of Meena Kumari’s last film 'Chandan Ka Palna' and one of R D Burman’s first scores. It is an achingly tender melody about a woman’s craving for a child.
4. Aa meri jaan main khadi hoon yahan: Lataji could be anything from a kindle spirit to a wanderer. With Rahul Dev Burmanagain, this one is a beautifully crafted number from a long-forgotten 1974 film 'Goonj' that gnaws at our soul and penetrates into our hearts.
5. Daiyya re daiya yashoda maiya issko sambhaal bada nakhtat hai tero nandal: Playful, mischievous, flirtatious and fabulous, this Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition from the film 'Aasra' deserves a place among the Nightingale’s most nubile numbers.
6. Jab yaad kissiki aati hai: Madan Mohan and Lataji’s churned out some blockbusters like 'Lag jaa gale se' and 'Hum hain matayekucha-o-bazaar ki terah'. What about something like the title songs from this Mala Sinha starrer? It’s sinful to ignore it. Do ignore that lengthy opening musical dance piece that accompanies the number, though.
7. Main iss paar khadi yeh sochoon kya uss paar na jaane: Ah! Heaven on earth. A song about nature and its mysteries spun into a beautiful melody by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and sung by Asia’s most precious voice as though there’s no tomorrow.
8. Jaa re jaa maine tujhe jaan liya re: In the Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Tagore starrer 'Raja-Rani', R.D Burman had composed quite a few chartbusters. No one knows this amazing Mujra sung with incredibly layered skill and suppleness. Try to find it on the internet and just float with that divine voice.
9. Mujhe pyar karne ka haq nahin: A lumimous lament of a fallen woman in the Waheeda Rehman film 'Darpan', sung in a tone that breaks your heart over and over again as Lataji goes from stanza to stanza of tragic self-negation. Laxmikant-Pyarelal, take a bow.
10. Woh jo auron ki khatir jiye marr mite, sochti hoon unhein kya mila: Naushad in the Mumtaz starrer 'Aaina' in an undiscovered gem of a song about a woman who sacrifices her entire life for her family.
Lataji has given us eternities of exquisite excellence and we shall we forever indebted to her.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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