Ghulam Haider: Belief in oneself

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*dolly*

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Posted: 18 years ago

Ghulam Haider was born in 1908 in Hyderabad (Sind, Pakistan).

He studied dentistry and learnt music from Babu Ganeshlal. Giving up dentistry, he worked in the theatre in Calcutta as a harmonium player - first at the Alfred Theatrical Company and then the Alexandra Theatrical Company. He briefly worked with the Jenaphone recording company as composer and broke into films in Lahore with the father-son duo of Roshan Lal Shorey and Roop Kishore Shorey.

He got his big breakthrough film with D.M. Pancholi's Punjabi film Gul-e-Bakavali (1939) followed by Yamla Jat (1940), both starring Noor Jehan.

His biggest hit came the following year with Khazanchi (1941). The music of Khazanchi caused a revolution. By then Music Directors of the 1930s, who had embellished films with their exquisite compositions set in classical ragas, were beginning to sound commonplace. Khazanchi's refreshingly free wheeling music not only took the audiences by storm but also made other music directors sit up and take notice. Combining popular ragas with the rich verve and rhythm of Punjabi music, Haidar ensured that the Indian film song would never be the same again.

Khandaan the following year with Noor Jehan was again a mega hit establishing Haider at the very top.

He moved to Bombay where he worked in films like Chal Chal re Naujawaan (1944), Phool (1944) and Humayun (1945). His best-known compositions were sung by Shamshad Begum and invoke Punjabi folk and extensively featured percussion instruments like the dholak.

According to Haider, much of the popularity of a song would depend on its lyrics as well as the skill and style of the singer. As soon as he heard the voice of a singer, he composed a tune suited to that voice. It was essential to him that the singer conveys emotion enough to create the situation the scene demanded.

It was Haider who gave Lata Mangeshkar her first major break in Hindi films with Majboor (1948) and took her to S. Mukherjee to sing in Shaheed (1948) but Mukherjee rejected her saying her voice was too thin! Haider warned him that this 'poor little thing' would soon put every other singer in the shade including Noor Jehan! Other singers he introduced were Sudha Malhotra and Surinder Kaur.

Shaheed and Kaneez (1949) were among his last big hits in India. In the former, as patriotic songs go who can forget Watan ki Raah Mein Watan ke Naujawan Shaheed ho? The song was used twice in the film, the first at a brisk tempo to raise the moral of the revolutionaries and the second slowly and solemnly as the revolutionary's dead body is carried to the cremation ground.

Music aside, Ghulam Haider was also responsible for raising the status of Music Directors. In those days he demanded and got Rs 25,000 a film! It was a result of his efforts that musicians were given their due and paid better wages.

After partition, Haider returned to Lahore where he started Filmsaz with director S. Nazir Ajmeri and actor S.Gul. Gulnar (1953) reunited him with Noor Jehan but he could never taste the kind of success that he had in India. He passed away in 1953 soon after the release of Gulnar.

Ghulam Haider's success encouraged other Punjabi music directors to enter films. These included Shyam Sunder, Husnlal-Bhagatram, Feroz Nizami and Hansraj Behl. Today Ghulam Haider's name is almost forgotten. What remain are remnants of his work and the works of others influenced by him.

Edited by Chalavanth - 18 years ago

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*dolly*

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Posted: 18 years ago

(1908 - 1953)

Memorable Films

Gul-e-Bakavali (Punjabi)
(1939)

Yamla Jat (Punjabi)
(1940)

Khazanchi
(1941)

Khandaan
(1942)

Zamindar
(1942)

Poonji
(1943)

Phool
(1944)

Humayaun
(1945)

Majboor
(1948)

Shaheed
(1948)

Kaneez
(1949)

Gulnar

Edited by Chalavanth - 18 years ago

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*dolly*

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Posted: 18 years ago

Gulnar

Music Director: Master Ghulam Haider
Lyrics: Qateel Shifai

Lo Chal Diye Woh

http://www.dishant.com/jukebox.php?songid=39731

Edited by Chalavanth - 18 years ago

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*dolly*

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Posted: 18 years ago

Lyricist :Raja Mehndi Ali Khan
Singer :Surinder Kaur
Music Director :Ghulam Haider
Movie :Shaheed

badanaam naa ho jaaye mohabbat kaa fasaanaa

o dard bhare aansooo, aakhon mein naa aanaa

duniyaa mein mohabbat kee yahee reet hain aye dil

jal jaanaa, magar hothhon pe farayaad naa laanaa

kah de naa aankh kahee mere dil meree kahaanee

aye dil teree dhadakan kahee sun lenaa jamaanaa

aye jaana-ye-mohabbat yahee bas meree duwaan hai

ho jaaye tere saath meree jaan bhee gawaanaa

Edited by Chalavanth - 18 years ago

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Posted: 18 years ago

Ghulam Haider (1908-53)
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------

Music composer born in Hyderabad. Studied dentistry. Leading composer from the Lahore group with e.g. Shyam Sunder, Khurshid Anwar and S.D. Batish.

With Naushad initiated a musical revolution helping to institutionalize an All-India Film aesthetic in India. Learnt music from Babu Ganeshlal, with whom he worked in theatre playing harmonium in Calcutta. Briefly composer for the Jenaphone recording label. Broke into films in Lahore with directors Shorey and Kardar; then worked for Pancholi starting with the Punjabi film "Gul-e-Bakavali" featuring Noor Jehan as a child actress. Regular composer for Pancholi until Poonji. His score for Khazanchi led to a series of Pancholi hits pioneering new marketing strategies. Best known compositions, often sung by Shamshad Begum, invoke Punjabi folk rythms and extensively feature percussion instruments like the dholak. Moved to Bombay in 1944 where he worked in Filmistan(Chal chal re naujawan) and Minerva. Composed one successful Mehboob film (Humayun) and gave Lata Mangeshkar her first big break in playback singing (Majboor, in duets with Geeta Dutt and Mukesh).(There is also a nice Lata solo, "Dil mera toda")

Returned to Lahore after partition, where he started Filmsaz with director S. Nazir Ajmeri and actor S. Gul, making "Beaqarar". Also scored Akeli, Bheegi palkein and two Noor Jehan films Gulemar (53) and Laila.

Filmography:

1934 - Thief of Iraq
1935 - Majnu, Swarg ki sidhi
1939 - Gul-e-Bakawali
1940 - Yamla Jat
1941 - Khazanchi, Choudhary 1942 - Khandaan, Zamindaar
1943 - Poonji
1944 - Bhai, Chal chal re naujawan, phool
1945 - Humayun
1946 - Behram Khan, Jag biti, Shama 1947 - But Tarash, Manjhdhar, Mehndi
1948 - Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Majboor, Padmini, Patjhad, Shaheed
1949 - Kaneez
1950 - Do saudagar, putli
1953 - Aabshar----

Edited by adi_0112 - 18 years ago

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*dolly*

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Posted: 18 years ago

Believe it or not, but when melody queen Lata ,Mangeshkar was first taken to a producer to see if she might sing for the heroine in his film, she was turned down on a plea that her voice was "too soft!" but her companion warned the producer that a day would come when producers and directors would fall at her feet and beg her to sing for their films - Lata took no more than a year to prove him right.

Lata's irate and outspoken companion on that occasion was none other than the celebrated Master Ghulam Haider, who took it upon himself to launch her in films. And Lata acknowledges her debt to him. Ghulam Haider first heard Lata when she was just 11 at a singing contest at Pune along with the showings of Pancholi's Khazanchi. When Lata approached him later requesting work in films, she sang a Noor Jahan number from Zeenat while he played on the harmonium. He asked her to come to the studio the next day but some how forgot all about it. While Lata waited nervously, Haider continued with rehearsing and recording for a song. Much later, when he emerged, the shy, young girl sang for him and Haider was, quiet simply, enchanted.

This was not an isolated incident so far as Ghulam Haider's knack for spotting talent, grooming and molding it, is concerned. In 1943, at a concert in Ferozpur he was enthralled by a thumri and a song in raag Malkauns sung by a young girl. His own orchestra, 20-strong, was on stage when he came forward, patted the girl on her back and forecast that she would become a famous singer one day. That girl was Sudha Malhotra. To Ghulam Haider, too, must go the credit of introducing on screen such outstanding singers as Noor Jahan, Shamshad Begum, Zeenat Begum and Surinder Kaur. His own wife, Umrao Zia Begum, was also an artiste in her own right.

Master Ghulam Haider was born in Hyderabad, Sind, in 1908 and after a few years of indifferent schooling, decided to try his hand at dentistry. Meanwhile, he started taking lessons in music from Babu Ganesh Lal. In five years, he gave up the dentist's profession and joined the Alfred Theatrical Company and then Alxendra Theatrical Company, in Calcutta as a harmonium player. In 1932, the year Haider joined Player Photophone, A, R. Kardar gave him an opportunity to compose music for his film Swarg Ki Seedhi, made in Lahore. Unfortunately, the film did not click at the box office. Then D M Pancholi asked him to write the musical score for his Punjabi venture Gul-E-Bakawali (1939) which was an instant hit. (Baby) Noor Jahan's song 'Shala Jawanian Mane' and 'Pinjran De Vich Qaid Jawani' were soon on the lips of every Punjabi film fan. But Ghulam Haider's glorious hour was still to come.

When the 2nd world war started in Sep, 1939, the decade in which some of the most purposeful, successful, and cinematically significant films had been produced was coming to an end. Music directors of the 30's who had embellished films with their exquisite creations set in classical ragas had almost reached the end of their capabilities and their compositions were even beginning to sound common place. As the war progressed, a vast amount of black money was generated which clandestinely found its way into film production. People who had not acknowledge of film technique were drawn into the industry seeking to turn their black money into white, since any cheaply made film was assured of success at the box-office.

In the war time, it was speed which counted and the new producers started churning out (formula) films at an incredible pace to cater to the needs of avid film fans. It became obvious that film music too needed re-orientation and the composer destined to bing this about was master Ghulam Haider. The film which literally launched him on his brilliant carrier was Pancholi's Khazanchi (1941) with such songs as (Diwali Fir Aayegi Sajni..) and (Ek Kali Naazon Ki Paali..). Film fans lapped up the tunes as they had never done before and Khazanchi broke all previous box-office records.

Ghulam Haider's repertoire in classical and Punjabi folk music was enormous; not merely in range but in quality too, his technique was immaculate. Like a master craftsman, he would chisel and shape each piece of the song before stringing them together. In this work, he hand picked musicians from the old princess courts and rubabis, who sang bhajans and shabads in Temples and Gurudwaras. There was, for instance, Ustaad Fateh Ali Khan, a Sitarist from the Patiala gharana and then Soni Khan, the clarinetist. Perhaps the best musician in the orchestra was the tabla player who would create (bols) to match the words of the lyrics. Naushad Ali was aptly described Ghulam Haider's style thus "he completely changed the complexion of the Indian film music. His asthaias and antras had a peculiar charm because of the perfect blending and exactitude of the compositions. He was also responsible for the introduction of the dholak. Another novel feature was the importance he attached to the lyrics which were stretched and broken to enhance the beauty and weight of the rhythm."

Ghulam Haider's association with Pancholi was to last until 1944 - a period during which he scored scintillating music for Chaudhary (1941) with the songs 'Sohne Peele Khet Nain', 'Bas Bas We Dholna' and 'Sajna Tere Bina Ji Nahion Lagda' sung by Noor Jahan; Khandan (1942) with the songs like 'Mar Gayi Re' and 'Too Kaun Si Badle Mere Chand Hai'; Zamindar (1942 - 'Jaake Sakhi Mere Pi Ko Sunade' and ' Armaan Tadapte Hain'); and Poonji (1943 - 'Jhalak Dikha Kar Chhupi' and ' Ab Koi Toote Dil Ka'). The last film also contained that immortal song; 'Ab Jaag uthe Hai Jum Kuchh Karke Dikha Denge..Aye Ma Tere Qadmon Mein Aakash Jhuka Denge.' A Masterpiece from Zamindar was the aarti 'Mohe Apne Hi Rang Mein Rang De' which was sung by Shanta Apte with unmatched lilt and sweetness.

Ghulam Haider's mind was always at work, creating new tunes, recasting and improving them. If a musician came up with a suggestion, he never brushed it aside, but tried it out and if he found it suitable, incorporated it into the tune. In this was, he encouraged creative ability in his musicians. C Ramchandra, in an interview, described how within an hour of his having recorded on of the many hit songs of Shehnai, Ghulam Haider called on him, embraced and congratulated him upon the beauty of the melodies. That was a time, reminisced Chitalkar, when music directors were not jealous of each other's work.

Ghulam Haider was responsible for raising the status of music directors. Film producers were dazed when he demanded Rs. 25,000 for a single contract. He amply proved - if proof were needed - that while a singer could add to the appeal of a tune, the music director as its creator, remained supreme. It was a result of his efforts that musicians too were recognized as an essential limb of the film industry and were paid wages commensurate with their labour

A great lover of Hindustani classical music and Punjabi folk music, of which he made liberal use, he revolutionized our film music at a most critical period of its history. His tunes gained an unprecedented popularity for a period spread over nearly a decade. In the words of producer-director D M Pancholi: "Both of us started our careers - I as a film producer and he as a music director - together in 1941. A humble and sincere worker, Ghulam Haider was a loyal friend. He wrote the music in an independent style and he had a passion for folk music. He had also a taste for poetry and contributed many a line to the songs he tuned."

According to Ghulam Haider, much of the popularity of a song would depend on its lyrics as well as the skill and style of the singer. It was also essential that the singer convey emotion enough to create the situation the scene demanded. It was opinion that the popularity of the songs generally depended on the success of the film. If a picture ran successfully for some time, many of its songs would become popular. But if the film flopped, even the best musical tunes would fall to win appreciation. Ghulam Haider was also the music director for Filmistan's Chal Chal Re Naujawan (1944), K Abdulla's Phool (1945), Standrad Picture's Bairam Khan (1946) and Minerva's Shama (1946). The song track of Shama was notable for a dexterous use of tabla in songs 'Gori Chali Piya Ke Desh', 'Hum Garibon Ka Bhi Poora Kabhi Armaan Kar De' and ' Ik Tera Sahara'. As Naushad put it, the tabla "Spoke the words." When husband in the film who can not forget his dead wife, sings "Ik Yaad Kisi Ki Yaad Rahi Aur Saari Duniya Bhool Gaye", his second wife counters "Ik Yaad Kisi Ki Yaad Rahi Kyun Saari Duniya Bhool Gaye" The simple change of 'Aur' to 'Kyun' conveyed their separate feelings.

While in Bombay, Ghulam Haider also composed music for Bombay Talkies' Majboor, featuring Lata's 'Dil Mera Toda..', Wali Saheb's Padmini, Diwan Pictures' Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Pancholi's Patjhad and Filmistaan's Shaheed, all made in 1948. It was in the last film that he introduced Surinder Kaur ('Badnaam Na Ho Jaaye'). Shaheed also contained the unforgettable song 'Todi Bachche Re Teri Aisi ki Taisi' as the children teased the boy who is Pro-British. So far as material songs are concerned, none can match the vigor and appeal of "Watan Ki Raah Mein.." This was the song that brought Mohd. Rafi into the limelight - it was sung by him in company with Kahn Mastana.

Following the explosion of an ammunition laden ship in the Bombay docks towards the end of the 2nd world war, and the mass exodus of its citizen from the city, Ghulam Haider's musicians migrated to Lahore. In vain, did Haider plead with them to stay on: he offered them two months' salary in advance and a secure shelter. But they refused and bid them a tearful farewell. Later Ghulam Haider himself left for Lahore and floated his own concern 'Filmsaz', in partnership with Nazir Ajmeri and actor S Gul. Their maiden production Gulnar was released early in November, 1953, and a few days after, the great composer himself passed away. His funeral on November 10 was attended by prominent people from all branches of film trade. The news of his death cast a gloom over Bombay. The Cine Musicians' Association called a special meeting to mourn his death.

Ghulam Haider's advent on the film music scene and his phenomenal success encouraged other Punjabi music directors to enter films. They were Shyam Sundar, Pt. Amarnath, Husnlal Bhagatram, Khursheed Anwar, Rafique Gaznavi, Pt. Govindram and Hansraj Bhel. They too enriched our film music in their own way. But today, except for the occasional playing of his songs from Shaheed over Vividh Bharti, Ghulam Haider's name is almost forgotten now. A genius is dead - what remains are the work of others influenced by him.

Edited by Chalavanth - 18 years ago

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*dolly*

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Posted: 18 years ago

Ghulam Haider - hindi Songs Lyrics

Lyricist	:Raja Mehndi Ali Khan
Singer	:Surinder Kaur
Music Director	:Ghulam Haider
Movie	:Shaheed

badanaam naa ho jaaye mohabbat kaa fasaanaa

o dard bhare aansooo, aakhon mein naa aanaa

duniyaa mein mohabbat kee yahee reet hain aye dil

jal jaanaa, magar hothhon pe farayaad naa laanaa

kah de naa aankh kahee mere dil meree kahaanee

aye dil teree dhadakan kahee sun lenaa jamaanaa

aye jaana-ye-mohabbat yahee bas meree duwaan hai

ho jaaye tere saath meree jaan bhee gawaanaa

Edited by *dolly* - 18 years ago