Continuing with my earlier post on the songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Kalyanji Anandji, I would talk about some of the songs from the late 60s till the 80s.
In 1968, Kalyanji Anandji came up with a soundtrack that surely ranks among their very best. Saraswati Chandra, based on an eponymous Gujarati novel, had some great songs, sung mostly by Lata and Mukesh. Lata’s Chhod De Saari Duniya is a deeply philosophical song penned brilliantly by Indeevar. Indeevar went on to form a very strong partnership with KA in the following years.
One of my favorite Lata-KA songs (if not the favorite) was released the following year in 1969. The melody in this song from Vishwas is so strong that once I start listening to this song, I just can’t stop.
In terms of popularity, 70s was the peak period for Kalyanji Anandji. Together with R D Burman and Laxmikant Pyarelal they formed a triumvirate that dominated the Hindi filmdom during the decade. Personally, I don’t care much for most of Kalyanji Anandji’s output during this period, especially post 1975.
In 1970, Lata Mangeshkar sang for Kalyanji Anandji in as many as 13 films, the highest among all music directors (except Laxmikant Pyarelal for whom Lata sang for 13 films as well). Their collaboration during this year resulted in many good songs.
Tere Naina Kyon Bhar Aaye: The excellent flute and sitar prelude sets the perfect tone for this sad song, rendered with great feeling by Lata.
Meri Tamannaon Ki Taqdeer – Holi Aayi Re: Another song picturized on Mala Sinha, this songs had the typical Kalyanji Anandji stamp all over.
Tum Hum Se Milo – Mere Humsafar: What a lovely piano prelude!
Hum The Jinke Sahare – Safar: This was another great soundtrack by Kalyanji Anandji. The piece de resistance of this soundtrack were two Kishore Kumar solos, but this Lata solo also comes quite close.
Jis Path Pe Chala – Yaadgar
Hearing the above songs, you must be thinking that sad songs was all the Lata sang for KA. That is, of course, not true. In 1972, Kalyanji Anandji got Lata to sing a naughty, seductive number in Victoria No. 203. It is nice to hear Lata having fun with this song.
Lata also sang two light numbers for Kalyanji Anandji was in Kora Kaagaz. For one of the songs – Roothe Roothe Piya – she even got the National Award. Honestly, I can’t see what’s so great about the singing in this song that could fetch her a National Award! It’s the kind of song she could sing in her sleep.
It certainly isn’t intentional, but all the songs that I am going to list now are picturized on Rakhee Gulzar. She really got to lip-sync to some of the best Lata – KA songs in the 70s.
The first one is from Banarasi Babu (1973). By this time, Lata’s voice had started showing some signs of strain. But the tune is such a beauty, one cannot but like this song.
Blackmail was a very good soundtrack as a whole. Among the two Lata solos in the film, Naina Mere Rang Bhare is more famous, but my personal favorite is Asha O Asha. It is a great composition – see the picturization and you’ll know why. Notice the difference in the notes used in the portions sung by the “two” Rakhees.
In 1978, Kalyanji Anandji created two very similar solos for Lata Mangeshkar in two different films – Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and Trishna. I prefer the song from Trishna, probably because it is not heard so often.
With the start of the 80s, Kalyanji Anandji had started promoting upcoming female singers like Alka Yagnik and Sadhana Sargam; and Lata sang for them only once in a while. In fact, between 1980 and 1989, Lata sang less than 20 songs for Kalyanji Anandji. None of these songs are worth listening twice, with the exception of this one from Pighalta Aasman, which is at best an average song.
Aditya: Hats off for a lovely list of Lata songs for Kalyanji Anandji. It must have taken a lot of effort to compile this list. Importantly, you listed songs that one does not normally hear.
ReplyDeleteI also compiled a list of top 20 Lata songs for Kalyanji Anandji in my post at:
http://rsbaab.wordpress.com.
Of course, there are other posts on music as well.