Lost Artists - Page 2

Fame, Fortune
and
Frustration in Music

By Nalin Shah

rt is the cruelest of all professions' and no one knows it better than musicians fallen on bad days. These melody makers have reason to feel disenchanted when, in the evening of their lives, fame, fortune and adulation become a faint me- mory and the struggle for survival assu- mes primary importance. They often wish to trade their life's work for the basic means of survival.

The fraternity, if any, amongst the arti- stes often ends when misfortune begins. The industry which has pledged its alle- giance to the box-office discards them without a qualm. The millions who were enthralled by music often remain bliss- fully unaware or tragically unconcerned about the fate of its maker.
Anil Biswas, the doyen of film music, even after withdrawing from the gilded world of cinema is pursued by memories of it. Once a letter in Screen caught his

letter in Screen caught his eye, The writer, a school teacher, had described the pathetic plight of the wife of music director Khemchand Prakash (Tansen', 'Bhartruhari', 'Mahal') living as a destitute on the streets of a Bombay suburb. Anill Biswas 'heart revolted. He wrote in a let- ter, "I wonder if the people in the industry know about it. If they do then we should blacken our faces with the soots of sha- me. There must be man more. Raj Kumari is a case in point, who served the industry

FILM MUSIC

the industry at its advent He further added, "I shed bitter tears all by myself at night. I also had a tremendous sense of shame - that I belonged to this industry -and was a colleague of Khemchand's. See if you can find out the truth about the report in Screen.' After investigating the matter I replied to. him that the woman,

sion' or a destiny that compelled the irrepressible stage and film actor Master Nisar, ('Shirin Farhad'- 1931) who capt- ured a million hearts with his sweet voice, to end his life begging, for a loaf of bread! was a 'cruel profession' or a destiny that cornpelled . the irrepressible stage and film actor Master Nisar, ('Shinn Farhad'- 1931) who captured a million hearts with his sweet voice, to end his life begging for a loaf of bread!
Singer G M Durrani (Neend haman khwab tumhare'-'Nai Kahani'),too was disillusioned with his own colleagues when he had to be operated upon for a serious ailment three years back.
Singer Zohrajan Ambalewali ('Ankhiyan milake' - 'Rattan'), who retired in the '50s, had her long comfortable retirement ens- ured by her daughter Roshan Kumar& i's successful career in Kathak. Similarly, sound investment'of her earnings could enable Suraiya to refuse to sing for the other artistes. after retiring as an actr- ess. Singer Lalita Dewoolkar ('Hum ko

tumhara hi aasra' -with Rafi -'Sajan') has a successful singer/music director husband Sudhir Phadke to look after her and Sud- ha Malhotra (Awaz de raha hai koi' Gauh- ar') fortunately has a wealthy husband. Shamshad Begum ('Ek tera sahara' - 'Sh- ama' who had set innumerable hearts aflame with her sharp and full throated voice felt hurt when her favourite music director invited her to sing in chorus. She preferred to retire under the care of her happily married daughter rather than suffer the humilialtion.
But fortune does not favour all. Singer Rajkumari ('Ghabhara ke jo hum sarko' -'Mahal', 'Sun bairi balam such bol -'Bawre Nain') who started her career in the early '30s had the world at her feet when she was sitting on the pinnacle of success. Her career nose-dived in the '50s and that was the beginning of her struggle for surv- ival. If destiny was unkind to her, nature favoured her. The years could not age her voice nor adversity break her spirit and that saved her from the ultimate degradation

of her contemporaries had fallen. Rajkurnari still remembers with a pang in her heart the attractive singer/actress Ratan Bai ('Tere pujan ko Bhagwan bana man mandir aalishan' - 'Bharat Ki Beti' - Anil Biswas - 1935) in her later years begging at the Haji Ali Durgah. The well-known music director and singer Khan Mastana (Watan ki rah men watan ke naujawan shaheed ho' with Rafi -'Shaheed') died as a beggar near the Mahim Durgah.
When some well-wisher collected a fund for Khan Mastana, a comfortably retired playback singer donated one hundred rupees. Whenever Khan Mast- ana is referred to, she proudly recalls her act of I charity' as a big. sacrifice on her part.
When a gay young boy Master Parshurarn sang 'Man saaf tera hai ya nahin poochh le dil se' as a beggar in 'Duniya Na Mane'(1 937) he could never have dreamt that his career would end as a roadside beggar in his real life too. Helplessness had driven him to liquor as in most cases. When Tabassum picked him up and presented him on her popular 'Phool Khile' show on TV, his story moved the viewers. Donations poured in from all quarters. The viewers who were accustomed to paying heavy entertainment tax for a film show in a theatre did not mind paying a little more

by way of a donation to show their gratitude to a needy artiste. But for the film industry to which he belonged Master Parshuram was a creature of no consequence.
V K Dubey of HMV seriously conte- mplated starting the artistes benevolent fund. With all his sincerity of purpose he could not succeed when H MV was considered a monolithic monopolist. With HMV in troubled waters, Dubey has less chance of succeeding now but he has not forsaken his dream. A few years back when a popular singer of the '30s died on the streets of Calcutta as a destitute, HMV took possession of the body. Final rites were performed with dignity on the instructions of Dubey from Bombay. Now R V Pandit of CBS is seized with the thought of lending a helping hand to the old artistes in dire circumstances though, ironically, these artistes never had any occasion to share their success with CBS.
The former Director-General of Doordarshan, Gijubhai Vyas, wistfully remembers his days with AIR Bombay when the renowned singers Sunderabai and Faiyaz Khan were retained as staff artistes in their later years, only to allow them the privilege of drawing their monthly remuneration. This gesture to acknowledge their contribution to music was highly appreciated by the artistes

Sunderabai ('Man papi bhula' -'Aadmi'- 1939) in her last illness in 1952 was admitted in Bombay. Hospital at the expense of, AIR Bombay by the Station Director Z A Bukhari who did not wait to consult the Government before spending.
Similarly, music director Jaidev did not have even a house of his own and had to depend on music lovers like Ajit Sheth of the Pankaj Mullick Music Foundation, during his last illness.
Music director Ghulam Mohammed ('Mirza Ghalib','Paakizah') was another composer who gave a noteworthy contribution to film music as a composer and a rhythmist. He suffered a severe set-back when 'Paakizah' was held up for eight years as a result of a personal dispute between 'Meena Kumari and her producer husband Kamal Amrohi.
During this difficult time Ghulam Mohammed lived mainly on hopes. Proud that he was, he never discussed his personal problems, but once out of sheer desperation he talked about it to this writer while referring to the high hopes he was nursing about his prospects after the completion of the magnum opus 'Paakizah'.
Destiny had willed otherwise. Ghulam Mohammed died before the release of 'Paakizah'. The composer with 30 years of notable work died in obscurity. His death found mention in just a two-inch column

Ghulam Mohammed is not an isolated example of a creative composer dying in disillusionment. Husnalal-Bhagatram, who rose to fame with 'Chand (1944),- became an indomitable force withmusical hits like'Pyar Ki Jeet', 'Badi Bahen', 'Chhoti Bhabhi' and 'Shama Parwana'. After the sudden death of Husnalal in 1968, Bhagatram just drifted. Though their protege Shanker (Jaikishanj did try to help his guru, to most of those in the industry Bhagatram had ceased to exist.
Similarly, Saraswati Devi, the classicist composer of the early era, was conveniently forgotten when she gracefully retired from films to live in the seclusion of the Theosophical Society near Juhu beach. When she fell down from a bus and fractured her hip, the neighbours, collected a donation for her treatment in a hospital. She was too generous to complain about the neglect of the people who used to take pride in

her belonging to an institution called Bombay Talkies. She died soon after at 68, till clinging to the memories of her precious past.
There comes a moment in the life of an artiste when his creative instinct deserts him or the changing values in art make him redundant. But fond memories of his precious past keep on recurring when he is in a 'vacant or pensive mood'. It is said 'that 'God has given us memories so that we can have roses in December (. But the pleasant memories of the blooming roses alone are not enough to fill a lonely heart. Artistes, too, suffer from the 'last infirmity of a noble mind'. They too want their past achievements to be acknowledged especially when the spot-light is no longer on them. It is another matter that sometimes while struggling to survive they themselves want to forget their own achievements, because of their- -suffer- ings and a firm conviction that society

has played truant. Sushila Tembe probably sang in just one film but her 'forte' has been classical music. She cut innumerable discs of khayal, thumri and dadra. Stark poverty stares you in the face as you enter her house-, in which, at 70, she lives alone. She still sings on weekends in a temple just to keep the home fires burning. She has preserved many of her still unplayed 78 RPM records in the hope that some day the record company will use them to produce a LP record. It is a far-fetched hope. But hope and pride, apart from the records, are her only possessions in life.
Some old and forgotten artistes live in a vacuum whereas a few others are still hopeful of staging a comeback.
Comfortably placed Surendra, for instance, said a year back that, though nearing 80, he had not retired but was just passing through a period. Whatever the fact, his spirit was commendable.
Singer Mubarak Begum, in her fifties is

fifties, is still confident of her ability to sing well. Day after day she waits for her small dreams to come true. It is an endless wait in a small room where she lives with her family. Ruefully she watches the time passing by and when her own melody 'Kabhi tanhaiyon men

Madhavial Master,84, a pioneer composer of
the early era who later earned international fame as
a puppeteer, lives on memories and faith in God. The
film industry, he knows, has no time for anyone like
him whose future is bleak.

hamari yaad ayegi' rings in. her ears she feels sad and neglected.
On the other hand, singer Kalyani has left her past far behind. Nearing 70, she lives in a dilapidated house where every- thing seems to have outlived its useful- ness. She feels she has a reasonably good voice, yet she refuses to sing even in concerts. Probably she does not want to spoil the impression people carry about her songs such as 'Sharabi soch na kar matwale '(with Pankaj Mullick 'Mukti' - 1937) and 'Aahen na bhari shiqawe na kiye' (with Zohra and Noorjehan 'Zeenat'- 1945).
There have also been artistes who felt proud of their achievements though fortune never favoured them. Music director Jamal Sen who created enchanting melodies like'Sapna ban sajan aye' (Lata
'Shokhiyan' - 1951) and 'Devta turn ho mera sahara'(Rafi, Mubarak Begum - 'Daera' - 1953) never compromised on

nor did he get the recognition he deser- nor did he get the recognition he deser- ved. Yet he felt proud that he was never tempted by the lure of money. The Cultural Department of the Government of India is slowly waking up to the need of the aged artistes. Consequently, the music directors Timir Baran ('Devdas' 1935, 'Baadbaan' - 1954) and Madhavlal Master ('Khuda Dost'1932,'Parivartan'- 1949) and the vocalist Hirabai Barodekar have started receiving Rs 600 as a monthly stipend.
Madhavlal Master, 84, a pioneer composer of the early era who in his later life earned international fame as a puppeteer, lives on memories and faith in God. The film industry, he knows, has no time for anyone like him whose future is bleak.
The pioneer sound recordist Minoo Katrak who beautified other people's voices lost his own in a throat cancer in 197 7. Even today at 84, he has sound

hearing and perfect judgement. A few years back when his services were requisition ed by a music director, the singer doubted his ability to record a voice when he himself did not have any. It was the 'unkindest cut of all' that bled him from within. He chose to retire rather than suffer humiliation. He has become a part of history, though according to the renowned recordist Kaushik, Minbo Katrak is 3till the best. But the musical scene has changed and along with it the definition of quality.
Maestro Anil Biswas, who consistently refused film offers, shuns the madding crowd. A year back when he came to Bombay from Delhi to record bhajans by his wife, singer Meena Kapoor, he had no desire to renew his old acqaintances in the industry which he had renounced in 1965. It is an industry he has known clo- sely. It is an industry 0 P Nayyar, during a talk, described in unprintable language. It is an industry that does not suffer the prick of conscience.