Anil Biswas - Page 8

I was born on the 7th of July, 1914, at Barisal which is now in East Pakistan. Whenever I think of my childhood I naturally remember my mother. Ours was a very poor family and during this difficult time my mother encouraged my artistic leanings. My mother was musically inclined by nature.

It seems I could sing when I was four years old. People have seen me playing the tabla when I was five or six years old, and at ten, I could act well. Those days I would take part in dramas. When I was older I was often requested to sing at music concerts - and I would sing where seasoned artistes would perform. I composed my own songs, and listeners would be surprised to hear my new songs at these concerts.

At this time, I was in the metric class. A wave of patriotism swept the country and there was not a single boy of my age in Bengal who was not willing to sacrifice his life for his country. My desire to see my country attain freedom was responsible for my becoming associated with a revolutionary party. But it was because of this association I had to face many difficulties, and a simple boy like me ended up making and throwing bombs! There were the usual results which go along with such a life - my studies were interrupted. I went to jail six times during my childhood. My friends in jail were Niren Ghosh, a communist member of Rajya Sabha, and the Principal of the Shastriya degree college in Bina (M.P.), Satyavrata Ghosh. Many of friends died in jail.

During this period, I escaped in disguise to Calcutta from Barisal. The year was 1930. My father had passed away. I left home with five rupees in my pocket. I bought a ticket for 17 paise and came by steamer to Jalkoti and from there to Hullarhat. There I stayed on the verandah of local post office for three days. I got a job as a collie-cum servant and managed to reach Khulna, from where I travelled to Calcutta by train. I was in bad shape. I knew nobody in Calcutta except my childhood friend Pannalal Ghosh. He was shocked to see me. His elder sister took charge of the situation and asked me to stay in her house. I stayed only four days with Panna's brother-in-law, Lalit Chandra Roy.

I started life once again in Calcutta. I started washing dishes in a hotel. At the same time I kept looking out for other jobs. A magician called Monoranjan Sarkar used to come to this hotel for his meals and I became friendly with him. One day he heard me singing to myself and he asked me to accompany him to a music concert. We went to the residence of Raibahadur Aghornath, a big officer in the Education Department, who has an exponent of music. There were many other people there, among them Kavi Jitendranath Bagachi and J N Ghosh who was the owner of the Megaphone Gramophone Company. Sarkar told them I could sing well. On being asked to sing, I at once prayed to numerous devtaas and started singing shyama sangeet in a clear, unsophisticated voice. My song was appreciated by all the elders there.

When I look back today, I feel it was the day I gained the knack to gauge the mood of a mehfil! I ate a good meal after many days. Ray Bahadur asked me stay at his place and teach his grand children. Every night I had to sing religious songs for him. However I soon got tired of this pattern of life. I did not like being a guest - and being served good food all the time. I left after eight days as I got the job to teach music to the daughter of Dr. Pashupati Mitra for five rupees a month.

I was soon to realize the consequences of being a member of a revolutionary party. One day the police came to look for me at Pannalal Ghosh's brother-in-law's house. They also came to the residence of Advocate Mahendra Ghosh where I was staying teaching his six children. I was arrested and sent to Elisium Row jail. I suffered for four months. When I was released, I was asked by the police to become a spy and give information about freedom fighters. As I was jobless, I agreed and gave them false information; however, this could not go on for very long. I could not fool them.

Those days Kazi Nazrul Islam used to work in the Megaphone Gramophone Company as a lyricist and music director. It is because of his efforts that thumris and ghazals influenced Bengali music. This influence opened the way to experiments which were applauded by Rabindranath Tagore too. I approached Kazi da for a job as the police had found out that I was a 'fake spy' and I had no other means of livelihood. I had been influenced by Kazi da right from the childhood. In spite of his encouragement, I found it difficult to come up. In the same company, there was somebody who prevented my records from becoming popular. I learnt ghazals from Manju Sahib who was happy about my singing. However these records never saw the light of day. This is a very sad fact.

At this time, Nitayi Motilal, who was related to Baval Rajvansh, heard my songs. Nitayi da was one of the good music directors associated with rangmanch. He gave me a job with Rang Mahal Theatre. Even today this theatre is in existence. In the forties, it has a revolving stage! Shri Satu Sen was the director of the plays. While working as assistant director to Nitayi da I composed music for quite a few dramas. I sang, danced and acted in the plays. You will be surprised to know that my salary was only Rs. 40 a month. While at the Gramophone Company, I was paid five rupees for the lyrics and five for composing the music. I worked for three years at the Rang Mahal. This was the time I learnt the proper use of music, and how to reach the people with it.

My life in Calcutta was to undergo a change. I was becoming popular. One day I happened to meet the film director Hiren Bose. He showed an interest in me and asked me whether I would like to work in films. He made I t very clear that if I was, I would have to leave Calcutta. Till today I do not know why I was ready to, because I was staying comfortably there. I did not spend too much time thinking about it, and agreed. The year was 1934. I remember Hiren da agreed to pay me Rs.150 a month.

In Bombay I signed contract with Kumar Movietone. I brought four instrumentalists with me from Calcutta - all four could read musical notation well. The foundations of my belief in the importance of the orchestra were laid then. I many of my compositions, I have made good use of orchestra music. Right from then I have been attracted to the use of elements of western music which I felt were akin to the spirit of Indian music, and I used them unhesitatingly in my compositions. I did this so my music would have a wider impact. Whatever songs I composed at this time, I used instrumental music very effectively. It's true that before coming to Bombay, many of my Bengali songs had already become very popular. I was very involved in my work and I valued my self respect. One day, I quarreled with V. M. Vyas of Kumar Movietone and this resulted in my being jobless again. In the difficult days that followed, I did any kind of work. I persistently went round the film companies. Finally I landed a job with Eastern Art Company.

I composed the song 'Tere poojan ko baghwan bana man mandir aalishan' for the film Bharat ki Beti, 1935. I gained popular recognition because of this song. The songs of Bal Hatya and Khoon - I - Nahak were composed around the same time. Dharam ki Devi was made under the banner of Eastern Arts with Sardar Akhtar and Kumar who had become famous in New Theatres' Productions - in this film, for the first time my name appeared independently on the silver screen. I composed music for many films at Eastern Arts - Pratima, Prem Murti, Sher Ka Panja (1936), Bulldog and Gentleman Daku (1937). I got established in the film industry. I benefited as a Bengali - at that time becaue New Theatres as very prominent in the film industry, every Bengali was considered an artiste!

In 1936 I got my first big break. I joined Sagar Movietone and their Jagirdar, 1937, made my music popular all over India. After this film, Mehboob and I worked as a team. I formed an orchestra of 12 musicians. Such a large orchestra was considered extraordinary by the film industry. I feel the years from 1937 to 1940 were vital years for the Indian film industry. Ranjit began to invite music experts from Calcutta. Bombay Talkies had been established. Other companies sprang up - a kind of competitiveness emerged, which was very necessary. New techniques were being explored.

I often think of the problems we had composing songs. The same song had to be picturised on different sets. At outdoor shootings it was very difficult to maintain the correct pitch and rhythm of the voice. When I felt like, I often sang in my films. However, I stopped singing when one of the singers told me that he would be jobless if I sang myself! I was very fond of make-up. One day I enacted the role of a blind singer. You will not believe ,e, but the orchestra, the camera and the microphone had to walk with me along the road as I sang.

Just as I became famous, I began to think of resigning from Sagar Movietone. On Shri Chimnalal Desai's insistence, I stayed on till 1939. Later, Saghar Movietone and Film City amalgamated and became National Studio. My favourites till today are the songs from Vatan (1938), Ek Hi Raasta (1939), Alibaba (1941), Bahen (1941) and Roti (1942). Sometimes when I am alone I recall the tunes of 'Kyon humne diya dil' (sung by Sitara, from Vatan) and 'Kaahe karta der baarati' (sung by Anil Biswas, film Aurat). In 1942 I joined Bombay Talkies. The songs from Basant became very popular. I composed the music and the late Pannalal Ghosh supervised the orchestra. Kismet ran for three years in Calcutta at the Roxy. Every song in the film was a hit.

I composed many songs for Bomaby Talkies. Even today I am proud of films like Hamari Baat (1943), Char aankhen (1944), Jwar Bhata (1944) and Ilan (1946). The late Mukesh shot to fame with Pehli Nazar (1945) - it was not a Bombay Talkies production. Lata Mangeshkar is the discovery of all three of us Ghulam Haider, Khemchand Prakash and myself. In 1947 I left Bombay Talkies. India attained independence - and I too decided to become independent. I could try out new ideas; I decided to compose music for films of my choice. I do not know how many films I have composed music for. By 1952 I began to feel film music has passed from the hands of artistes and experience to those of business-minded people. To try and save the situation, I produced five films myself - but public taste had deteriorated and I was bitterly disappointed with the state we had been reduced to.

I think a great deal about Indian film music. From 1952 to 1957 I went abroad four times and my horizons widened further. These trips made me realize that our music directors, in comparison to those of other countries, have less sense of responsibility. We need expansion and experimentation in the field of musical instruments. By using instruments of a certain standard, we can obtain better sound range and tone color. In conclusion, I will add that I have borrowed many tunes from folk music. And as to whether the credit for the use of Rabindra Sangeet and classical music in Hindi films should go to me or not - I do not spend time thinking about it.

Anil Biswas
Courtsey: Madhuri, Dec. 1967

Source: http://www.downmelodylane.com/article_comp_anilda.html