Manna Dey-the living legend

Here is the living legend singing

Yeh to batayo ke tum, mere kaun ho..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az3elASKeMQ

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Some great songs of Manna Dey..

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Manna Dey

Manna Dey says he hated getting the Filmfare award for an 'ordinary' song like Aye Bhai Zara Dekhke Chalo instead of some of his earlier work.

Profession: Playback Singer, Bollywood.

Manna Dey was a flawless singer who could sing any type of song. From Qawwalis (Yeh Ishq Ishq hai) to romantic duets (Pyar hua iqraar hua), fast nubers (Aaoo twist karen, Jhoomta mausam mast mahina) to patriotic songs (Aye mere pyare watan) or prayer numbers (Tu pyar ka saagar hai) -- he was the versatile genius. His mastery over semi-classical geets was something, which even the multi-faceted voice of Rafi could not match.Being the versatile genius he was, he won the Filmfare award for his toe-tapping number "Aae bhai zara dekh ke chalo" from "Mera Naam Joker". The song happens to be one of the most intricate compositions of Shankar-Jaikishen and it was the genius of Manna Dey that made it sound so simple and fluent.

It was almost half a century ago, when Prabodhchandra Dey, now famous as Manna Dey fresh from Vidyasagar college in Calcutta, was in two minds about whether to make music and singing his career or take up a job for a living. His Father Purnachandra Dey, a chartered accountant, wanted his son, a Bachelor of Arts, to be a Barrister. Prabodh, like countless young students of Calcutta, was under the mesmeric spell of his uncle K.C.Dey, who was a well-known actor-singer and popular star of New Theatres. The uncle took his nephew as his disciple. Manna Dey was later taught by Ustad Aman Ali Khan, and thus the young singer gained proficiency in the classical music, a foundation on which he built his reputation. This learning equipped him to present any form of Indian music, classical, light and even Western pop with finesse.

Manna Dey grew up to the soft strains of Baul songs, Rabindra-sangeet, and khayal. K.C. Dey put his nephew through the paces acquainting him with the subtleties of tappa, thumri, bhajan and qawwali. With the disintegration of the New Theaters in 1940, K.C. Dey left for Bombay in search of fresh pastures. Manna joined his uncle and started off in Bombay as the assistant to music director H.P. Das.

In a strange and hostile environment he found his road to fame strewn with obstacles. The main stumbling block for him was the language barrier which threatened to impede his career. By a systematic study of the Hindi language he mastered the phonetic presentation of words which enabled him to sing with ease and felicity songs not only in Hindi, but also in many other languages of India.

Though Manna Dey had been initiated into the world of music at the tender age of 11 by his uncle and guru K.C. Dey by recording a Suraiyya and Manna Dey duet for the film Tammanna, years of struggle followed, at times compelling the talented singer to wonder if his choice of career was the right one. He even thought of coming back to Calcutta and take up his law. However, "Upar Gagan Vishal", the marching song from "Mashaal", turned into a super-hit and made him stay in the music line. Soon, a string of hits followed which established his career on a firm footing.

From the very beginning, Manna Dey has been a perfectionist. He is the only artiste who makes notations before recording a song,so that he can sing and record a song just after one rehearsal. Anil Biswas rightly observed that though Manna Dey could sing everything that Rafi, Talat and Mukesh sang they could not sing what Manna Dey sang.

During his five decades in the film industry, Manna Dey always marshalled all his recourses to render his songs to the highest standards he was capable of achieving to the demands of the moment. However, with the dominance of violence and vulgarity, he found the atmosphere stifling. He thought it better to call it a day. He worked off and on only when the opportunity challenged him. Hit numbers such as 'Poochho na kaise maine rain beetayee', 'Laga chunari mein daag', 'Aye meri zohra jabeen', 'Na to karavaan ki talaash hai' and 'Chunri sambhaal gori' (the last with Lata) and the absolutely mad 'Ek chatur naar' from Padosan to name a few, spin a tale of Indian life. Though his career graph never soared to dizzy heights, Manna Dey doubtless stands apart because of his deep voice and a wide repertoire: from qawwali to light, romantic duets to classical numbers. 'All that I have attained in music is because of my uncle's training,' says Manna Dey with a sense of modesty.The last film he sang for was Nana Patekar's Prahar.

In Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zameen, he sang Dharti kahe pukar key for Balraj Sahni who looked emaciated in the film. His another hit number Chali Radhey Rani was filmed on a beggar in Parneeta. Unfortunately, that became Manna Dey's image. Music Directors always summoned him to sing for character actors or for older stars which is the reason that most of his numbers lacked youthful exuberance. He rarely lent his voice to any hero of great stature except occasionally, for Raj Kapoor. While Talat Mahmood and Mukesh went on to become the voices of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor respectively Manna Dey was banished to complement the acrobatics of Mehmood in songs like Ek chatur nar kar ke singaar; Aao twist karen; Hato Jaono jhoti banao batian; Pyar ki aag mein tan badan jal gaya; Khali dabba khali botal etc. He turned such crass numbers into class numbers. Once he admitted that he was forced to accept such stuff just to keep his body and soul together.

The singer's had a special affection for R.D.Burman and Shankar -Jaikishan.Manna Dey sang a song 'Aao twist kare' for Mehmood's 'Bhoot Bangla' which was a lift from 'Come let us twist'. Before recording the Hindi number, R.D.Burman sang the original English song 4ae in such great style that Manna Dey, the recordist and the musicians were breathless. With Shankar –Jaikishan too Manna Dey shared a special bond of affection and friendship. He cherishes his long meetings with them in their music room where he would sing for them for hours. The singer won his Filmfare award for 'Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo', the toe-tapping number, from Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker.

Manna Dey feels grieved at the deterioration that has crept into the Hindi film music. He laments to say that the Hindi film music has lost its 'Indian-ness'. He holds the presentday music directors responsible for the desecration of film music. Living a peaceful life in Simla the singer is stubbornly unwilling to croon vulgar and suggestive songs. He would rather spend the rest of his life continuing his affair with his first love -- music.

Awards And Honors:
Award Song - Movie
Filmfare Awards-1971 Mera Naam Joker - for song 'Ey Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo'
Best Of Manna Dey:
Song Movie
Soch ke ye gagan jhoome Jyoti
Tum jo aao to pyaar aa jaaye Saakhi
Tum bin jeewan kaise beeta Anita
Na to caarvaan ki talash hai Barsaat Ki Raat
Oh nadiya chale chale re dhaara Safar

This piece on Manna Dey, appeared in edition of the Times of India


Half a century ago, Prabodhchandra Dey, fresh from Vidyasagar college in Calcutta, was in two minds about his vocation: whether to master the consummate craftsmanship of the Patiala gharana or sing for films. Father Purnachandra Dey, a chartered accountant, however, wanted his son, a Bachelor of Arts, to be a barrister. Prabodh, like countless bhadraloks of Calacutta, was under the mesmeric spell of his uncle K.C.Dey, well-known actor-singer and popular star of New Theatres. The uncle chose the nephew as his disciple and that has made all the difference to the world of Hindi film music.

For over five decades Manna Dey, incidentally, the pet-name Manna was chosen by K.C.Dey, has regaled Hindi film aficionados with his lilting songs that refuse to age with time. Hit numbers such as "Poochho na kaise maine rain beetayee", "Laga chunari mein daag", "Aye meri zohra jabeen", "Na to karavaan ki talaash hai" and "Chunri sambhaal gori" (the last with Lata), to name a few, spin a tale of Indian life. Though his career graph never soared to dizzy heights, Manna Dey doubtless stands apart because of his deep voice and a wide repertoire: from qawwali to light, romantic duets to classical numbers. "All that I have attained in music is because of my uncle's training," says Mannada with a sense of modesty reminiscent of the near-extinct era when blowing one's trumpet was considered blase.

cont...



Mannada left for Calcutta on Friday to attend a string of shows, as also to celebrate his 75th birthday on May 1 at his ancestral home on Shimla road: a palatial 12-bedroom house which has withstood the rigours of two centuries with legitimate pride. "Calcutta in the 1930s was a dream city," he said last week, unspooling memories of the bygone era in the well-appointed music room -- with a harmonium on the baithak -- at his suburban residence.


Mannada grew up to the soft strains of baul songs, Rabindrasangeet and khayal. He would often escort his uncle -- K.C.Dey was blind -- to New Theatres' sprawling studio on Prince Anwar Shah road. "It was like my second home," he said and recalled with gratitude how he got to see from close quarters stalwarts such as K.L.Saigal, Kanan Devi, Prithviraj Kapoor, Pahari Sanyal, Jamuna, Raichand Boral, Pankaj Mullick, Nitin Bose and Timir Baran to name a few. "The entire New Theatres unit was like an extended family," he added. Such was the warmth and bonhomie in the studio that the head cook would even rustle up the favourite dishes of Mannada.

cont..


Back home, K.C.Dey would put his nephew through the paces, acquainting him with the subtleties of tappa, thumri, bhajan and qawwali. Apart from honing his disciple's vocal skills, he also taught him languages, literature and poetry. "I am appalled when singers or actors don't get their pronunciations right," Mannada nodded in despair.

With the disintegration of New Theatres in the early 1940s, actors, singers and technicians made a beeline to Bombay in search of fresh pastures. Producer Chimanlal Trivedi of Bombay's Lakshmi film company specially came down to Calcutta to goad K.C.Dey into coming to Bombay. Phani Muzumdar led the exodus comprising Dey Sr, recordist Robin Chatterjee and technicians Prafulla Roy and Vibhuti Laha. Mannada joined the group which arrived in Bombay in December 1942.

cont..

In Bombay, Mannada started off as assistant to music director H.P.Das. However, it was, again, K.C.Dey's intervention that flagged off his career as playback singer. Vijay Bhatt of Prakash Pictures wanted K.C.Dey to record a song for Ram-Rajya, Bhatt's ambitious venture. The elder Dey flatly refused, but, instead, proposed his nephew's name. Music director Shankarrao Vyas was sceptical. However, Mannada's stentorian voice which sounded very similar to his mentor's voice, delighted Vyas. After a few rehearsals the 24-year-old crooner was in the recording studio belting out a solemn number for the character of Valmiki, the wizened sage. "Pahala gaaan buddhe ke liye gaana pada" (My first song was for an old man), Mannada laughed, adding that the song fetched him a princely fee of Rs.150.



Years of struggle followed, at times compelling the talented singer to wonder if he was on the right track. "I even thought of going back to Calcutta and doing my law," he added. However, "Upar gagan vishaal" the marching song from Mashaal, which Mannada sang with great gusto, turned into a super hit. "I decided to stay on in Bombay," he averred.

cont..


Soon, a string of super hit numbers brought instant fame. Songs such as "Yeh raat bheegi bheegi" and "Aaja sanam madhur chandani mein hum" (both with Lata Mangeshkar), "Aye mere pyaare watan", "Dil kaa haal sune dilwala" and "Mud mud ke naa dekh, mud mudke", "Tu hai mera prem devata" (with Mohammed Rafi), "Sur na saje kyaa gaoon main" and the unforgettable prayer song, "Tu pyaar ka sagar hai" have accorded an exalted status to Manna Dey in the pantheon of playback singers. He bought his first car, a Hillman-Minx, in 1955. "I still remember the car number: BYH 2329.


" If melody was the leitmotif of the golden era of Hindi film music, it was, Mannada strongly felt, the result of the collective effort of music directors, lyricists and playback singers. "Music directors were taskmasters. They had, as they say, an ear for music. Every word, every note was chiselled and honed. Mannada mentions R.D.Burman as a case in point. Mannada's song "Aao twist kare" from Mehmood's Bhoot Bangla was a lift from "Come let us twist". Before recording the Hindi number, Pancham sang the original English song in such great style that Mannada, the recordist and the musicians were breathless. "We all -- Lata, Rafi, Geeta Dutt, Kishore, Mukesh, Asha, myself -- took great pains to convey the subtleties contained in a song. Which is why every song of the '50s and the '60s is still a delight.

cont..


" With Shankar (as in Shankar-Jaikishan) Mannada had a special bond of affection and friendship. He cherishes his long meetings with Shankar in the latter's spacious music room at the Famous Laboratory in Mahalakshmi. "I would sing for him for hours: baul songs or tappa or a thumri." Mannada won his Filmfare award for "Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo", the toe-tapping number, a Shankar composition, from Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker.

Mannada notes with pride that he has sung for almost every composer, ranging from Anil Biswas to R.D.Burman. "But I was never in the top slot and, honestly, I never aspired to be in that race," he admitted. Steeped in the fine tradition of New Theatres, Mannada's gentle low-key approach hardly matched the pettiness and pomp of the filmdom. There were some unhappy moments too. Sometimes a star or a film-maker would openly object to Mannada's presence in the recording studio. "Why is he singing this song ?" they would ask the music director. Even in his home-state Bengal, recognition came a bit late: in mid-1960s. "There was near chaos in Tollygunge when news spread that I was to sing for Uttam Kumar," he laughed. However, in the later years, Mannada carved a niche in Bengali cinema. Insiders claim that film distributors in West Bengal insist that the film should have at least one sung by Manna Dey.


Belated recognition or the low trajectory of his career graph hardly bother Mannada. "I have no regrets, no complaints," he asserts. Stubbornly unwilling to croon vulgar ditties to the accompaniment of an unwieldy orchestra, the veteran chooses to spend time in his music room for rigorous riyaaz the legacy of K.C.Dey and New Theatres.