Lost Artists - Page 3

Salil ji,
Good to know that you're still "lurking" around in this forum 😊 ...

Great contributions from you on this thread since you did list some real "lost artists". Hope to see you around more often here 😊

Swar Raj ji, wonderful thread. Enjoyed reading the posts in this thread.

We need more informative threads like this. 👍🏼

Don't know if you would call her a lost talent, but one singer I have always liked who perhaps isn't mentioned as often as she should be is Vani Jairam.

"Piyu Piyu Bol Piyu Piyu Bol Praan Papihey Piyu Piyu Bol"



"Mein banki chirhiya banke bun bun boloun re"

Article on Saraswati Devi

By "Kamalakar Pasupuleti"

The person who entertained thousands of music lovers with such enchanting composition of film songs and private ghazals was none other than Saraswati Devi the most distinguished lady music director of Hindi cinema and the first to introduce playback system for Hindi movies at Mumbai.

Khursheed Manchersher Minocher - Homji in real life was born in 1912 in a well to do Parsi family. Her father was a businessman and a prominent figure of Parsi community of Mumbai.

She had a natural talent and love for music, realizing this her father made her study classical music under Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande who was specialized in Dhrupad and Dhamar style of singing. Later she joined Lord Morris College at Lucknow and studied music as her subject.

With the setting up of a radio station at Mumbai in late 20s she along with her sister Manek gave musical performances regularly once every month, the programme known as the Homji Sisters was very popular with the listeners. The songs were accompanied with few musical instruments sitar, dilruba and organ.

The founder of Bombay Talkies, Himansu Rai who was looking for a good classicalist for his movies, heard them on radio and got in touch with her and invited her to visit the studio where she was shown the music room. He wanted her to take care of the music department and score music for his movies and Saraswati Devi accepted the offer and took it as a challenge . Her sister Manek had taken to acting for the films.

A question often asked whether she was the first female music director of Hindi cinema? Scanning through the history of film music some names as; Mukhtar Begum, Gohar Karnataki who were classicalists and rendered songs for movies during 1932 -33 are to be found, but unfortunately the credits for music of those films are unknown. However, they went on to score music at a later period. Ishrat Sultana is another who scored music for Adal - E - Jehangir - 1934 but no songs were ever recorded for gramophone. The names of Munni Bai and Jaddan Bai are also to be found but again the songs never appeared on gramophone records and so she is considered the first among the female music directors.

Her first assignment was for the movie, "Jawani Ki Hawa" - 1935 starring Himansu Rai's actress wife Devika Rani and Najmul Husain . She had a tough time making them sing and had to simplify the tunes and cover some areas with music instead of song as they were no singers and play back was still not introduced .Her sister Manek took up a character role. Only one gramophone record consisting of instrumental music from the film was recorded from this movie.

There was a big uproar and a series of protests in the Parsi community. The Bombay Talkies was a public company and had 4 of its board of directors from the Parsi community who wanted the Parsi girls out of the Talkies. It was the brave effort of Himansu Rai who defended them and to conceal their identity, Khursheed was given the name Saraswati Devi and Manek appeared in titles as Chandraprabha.

"Jawani Ki Hawa" was followed by her first hit movie "Achut Kanya" - 1936. Ashok Kumar who was a lab technician at the BT was replaced as hero against his wishes to act and sing under pressure of Himansu Rai . He along with Devika Rani had to spend several hours a day for many days rehearsing for a song before it was picturised. It was something like teaching a nursery rhyme.

The day the song " Kit gaye ho khewan haar " was to be shot on Chandraprabha she landed with a sore throat, unable to sing Himansu Rai suggested Saraswati Devi sing from behind the curtain and let Chandraprabha just move her lips. The first playback was thus recorded successfully at Bombay but not before R.C. Boral of New Theaters, Kolkutta succeeded earlier with songs in Dhoop Chaun. The most successful song of the movie " Mai banki chidiya banke ban ban bolun re" was rendered / picturised on Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani.

Her catchy tunes became popular not only in India but even in London and the BBC chose the tune from the chorus of film Janmabhoomi - JAI JAI PYARI JANMBHOOMI MAATA rendered by her with chorus as a signature tune for its Indian News Service.

"Dekho hamrey raja ki aaj sagai hey", "Mein tou dilli sey dulhan laya rey" – Film Jhoola



courtesy Allahdad Khan
Himansu Rai passed away in 1940 and Devika Rani took the reins but was unable to manage resulting in large exodus of artists and technicians. She continued with BT until Naya Sansar - 1941 scoring music for 20 movies by then. SN Tripathi was a brilliant student of Saraswati Devi, an excellent player of violin. He assisted her in composing and arranging orchestra and he too left BT to become an independent composer. Arun Kumar a cousin of Ashok Kumar who had a voice resembling Ashok Kumar rendered many songs for her compositions including " Chana jor garam " and " Mai to dilli se dulhan " . He worked as an associate composer for some of her movies and later went on to score music independently, the notable being Parinita - 1953.
She was also closely associated with Kavi Pradeep , Lyricist who penned a large number of her songs and also rendered few songs , prominent being 'Piyu Piyu Bol " and "Mere Bichde Hue Saathi". Her association with Mumtaz Ali , Actor / Dance Director (Father of Mehmood ) for her songs related to dance is note worthy.

Later she scored music for 6 movies of Minerva Movietone - some alone and a couple with other composers .She had the opportunity to score some real classical songs for Miss Jahan Ara Kajjan the famous classicalist in film Prarthana - 1943, another notable film with Minerva was Prithvi Vallabh - 1943 along with Rafiq Ghaznavi .


She later took over independent assignments and the most notable was Aamrapali - 1945 which had some good songs by Amir Bai Karnataki . With the changing trend in music and public taste her popularity diminished although she continued for some more time, Usha Haran -1949 her last popular film with 12 songs and 2 rendered by Lata Mangeshkar.

This was followed by Bachelor Husband - 1950 with Muhammed Ibrahim . After a lull of nearly 5 years she scored another movie with his old time student SN Tripathi for Inaam - 1955 but her contribution was only one song for the movie. Her last movie was Babasa Ri Laadi - 1961 a children movie. She later started teaching music, her sister Manek took up a job as a librarian.

In early fifties Habib Wali Muhammed while a college student participated in a music competition conducted by HMV and won the first prize. The judges for the competition were Saraswati Devi and Naushad Sahib. HMV engaged her to score two ghazals for him and were recorded in his voice. They became very popular and Habib Wali Muhammed earned a big name as a ghazal singer.

"Lagta nahein hey jee mera ujrhey diyar mein" - Bahadur Shah Zafar
"Yeh na thi hamari qismet ke visal-e-yar hota"- Mirza Ghalib




Saraswati Devi and her sister never married, having lost the family members in quick succession they adopted a maharashtrian family of 6 children, educating them and even finding jobs for couple of them. She along with her sister were seen walking on the beach and talking to children.

"Na Janey Kidhar Aaj Meri Nao Chali Rey", "Aaj mousam Salona Salona Rey"

"Chana jor gram baboo mein laya mazedar chana jor gram"

In later life she was living all alone in an apartment and one day she fell down from a bus and fractured her hip bone. The only help she got was from her neighbours and none of the film personalities ever came for her help. She passed away in 1980 at the age of 68.

"Ruk na sakho to jao tum jao tum jao", "Mere bichrhe hue saathi teri yaad sataye",




"Koi hum dum na raha koi sahara na raha" – song from film Jeewan Naiya – 1936 (originally by Ashok Kumar but was rendered many years later by his brother Kishore Kumar.)

Listen to the Seraswati Devi's masterpieces :

"O salone sajana" (Bandhan) Violin (Paritosh Seal) & Piano (K. Bhatacharya) - courtesy Allahdad Khan

"Dekho humre raja ki" (Jhoola) Clarinet (Rajan Sircar) - courtesy Abdul Aziz Siddiqi
IF IT DOES NOT WORK See the source of Article
http://members.tripod.com/oldies_club/Saraswatidevi.htm

Filmography -

1935 - Jawani Ki Hawa

1936 - Achut Kanya , Janma Bhoomi, Jeewan Nayya , Mamta & Miya Biwi ( 2 movies clubbed together )

1937 - Izzat , Jeewan Prabhat , Prem Kahani , Saavitri ,

1938 - Bhaabhi , Nirmala , Vachan ,

1939 - Durga , Kangan w/ RC Pal , Navjeewan .

1940 - Aazad , Bandhan both with RC Pal .

1941 - Jhoola , Naya Sansar. w / RC Pal .

1943 - Bhakt Raidas , Prarthana , Prithvi Vallabh w/ Rafiq Ghaznavi .

1944 - Dr Kumar , Parakh w/ Khursheed Anwar

1945 - Aamrapali ,

1946 - Maharani Mrinal Devi ,

1947 - Khandani ,

1948 - Naqli Heera

1949 - Usha Haran ,

1950 - Bachelor Husband w/ Muhammed Ibrahim ,

1955 - Inaam w/ SN Tripathi and

1961 - Babasa Ri Laadi (Rajastani)

Jaggi Salilu & Surtaal...thanks a million to add these wonderful singers. Specially Sudha Malhotra

Any one remembers
Maar katari mar jana
kissi se ankhiya millana na..hooo millaanna na

I heard this yesterday after a long time ..what a song. So here is the singer..didnot find much about her though

Amirbai Karnataki

Amirbai Karnataki (???? - March 3, 1965) was a famous actor and playback singer.

Amirbai Karnataki was born in Bilgi Village, District of Bijapur in Karnataka into a lower middle class family. Of all of her five sisters, Amirbai and her elder sister Gauherbai, earned fame and fortune. Amirbai completed her marticulation and went to Bombay at the age of 15. A representative from HMV was so impressed by her singing talent, that he made her sing a Qawwali, which became very popular. Her elder sister Gauherbai was an actress and helped Amirbai get a role in the film Vishnu Bhakti in 1934. Initially, she sang songs in films, but they failed to attain the success she deserved. In 1943, with the release of Bombay Talkies' Kismet, Amirbai became popular. All the songs of Kismet became a rage and Amirbai became famous. The man behind the success was the great composer, Anil Biswas. She was initially known as a singing star, but at the fall of her career she became a playback singer. She reached her peak by 1947. By this time Lata Mangeshkar became a rising star, so once again Amirbai switched over to acting. In her second innings she mostly played character roles. Amirbai also composed music for Wahab Pictures' Shehnaaz (1948). In the same year she almost left Hindi Cinema for Gujarati and Marwari films. She married Badri Kaanchwala, the editor of Paras. She had a paralytic attack in 1965 and passed away just 4 days after the attack and was cremated in her hometown.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amirbai_Karnataki"
Amirbai Karnataki

Uma Devi/Tun Tun

She gave us music and she gave us mirth. Her career first as precocious crooner and then as Tun Tun, the comedienne is her undeniable legacy, one too short-lived, the other enduring and both immortal.

Background

Born Uma Devi Khatri in an obscure village in Uttar Pradesh, she lost both her parents at an early age. Raised by her uncle in a conservative Punjabi family, Uma was a tomboy much to the chagrin of her family. But her one enduring passion remained singing. With no formal training, she like many little children, picked up film songs from the radio. In a place and time when educating girls was a luxury and ambition in them was unheard of, Uma Devi showed remarkable spunk teaching herself to read and write Hindi along with a smattering of Urdu and English to help her singing career.

At the age of 13, she boarded the train to Bombay to seek her future, challenge the voices she had imitated for years. Her first singing assignment came in Nazir's Wamag Azra in '47. But even earning a princely 200 rupees for a single number didn't cloud her focus. She wanted to sing for Naushad Ali, with his distinctly refined brand of music. Nobody else mattered. For she believed and still does firmly that he was and remains the greatest composer.

Break and Success

After repeated requests to sing for the maestro, she was finally granted an audience. This intrepid 13 year old charmed the renowned composer with a rendition of Noorjehan's classic, 'Andhiyan Gham Ki Yun Chali, Bagh Ujar Ke Reh Gaye', 'He made me stop midway. I knew I had made it'.

She immediately signed a contract with A.R. Kardar whose films Naushad scored for, earning 500 rupees. Talk about impressive debuts. 'Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon' from Dard became a runaway hit. Uma Devi was on her way. 'Yeh Kaun Chala' a duet with Suraiya, the leading songstress of the time, saw critics sniggering about her inexperience but she undeniably held her own. With little formal training, her voice had the distinct nasal quality made popular by Zohrabai Ambalewali, Noorjehan and Shamshad Begum.

After Dard, she was to become Naushad's favourite performers. He usually reserved a couple of songs per film for Uma Devi. In '48, 'Kahin Jiya Dole' and 'Dil Ko Lagake Kuch Bhi Na Paya' from Anokhi Ada cemented her fame.

Uma Devi continued to make her mark with scores like Dillagi, Chandni ('Chandni Raat Hai, Dekhi Kya Raat Hai'), Raat and Naatak. However, many speculate her contract with Kardar as a strategic career mistake what with the likes of Khemchand Prakash still making waves at the marquee with their scores. She lost out on plum assignments like Mahal as a result of it.

Turning Point

The turning point in her life came in the form of S.S.Vasan's Chandralekha for Gemini Studios, Madras. She was clearly intimidated by the seven songs with a classical base including 'Saajan Re Aaja Re', 'Mairi Main To', 'Man Bhavan Saawan Aaya Rang Jamane'. But the composer firmly believed in her ability to carry it off and not without reason. The results speak for themselves. The Chandralekha score remains Uma Devi's most impressive work. But success came with a price.

A.R.Kardar, angered at the breach of contract, broke off the association. Uma Devi never recovered. Times were turbulent, the Partition threw the country into bloody chaos, and on the professional front, work was dwindling as the Mangeshkar sisters entered the fray. Uma Devi knew her inability to handle higher scales would compare unfavourably against the well-honed voices of these promising newcomers. Personally, she had settled down, putting on an enormous amount of weight.

The Second Innings

Once again Naushad, her rakhi brother saved the day. Knowing her gift of comic timing, he suggested she take up acting. This was her second more popular avtaar. Debuting in Babul, produced by Naushad himself, she was cast with Dilip Kumar and Nargis. In it she was christened Tun Tun, a name that has stayed with her to date. Her career as the first true blue comedienne of Indian cinema saw her entertain in films like Aar Paar, Pyaasa, Mr. and Mrs. 55 and Mom Ki Gudiya.

Tun Tun is one of the few artists, who could make a shift of profession worth remembering in the industry, notorious for pinning into categories any talent no matter how expansive. Tun Tun shall just laugh it away
Uma Devi/Tun Tun

http://www.ambedkar.org/entertainment/tuntun.htm

Found interesting Article on Zoharbai

Enchanting songs of Zohrabai Ambalewali
SAEED MALIK
WEEKEND MAGAZINE (April 08 2006): This short piece of writing is aimed at paying tributes to playback singer Zohrabai Ambalewali, the sparkling quality of whose voice created a unique aura to her film songs recorded mostly during the decade of 1940s.

Still retaining their enduring freshness, these songs revive much nostalgic fondness among senior music buffs, who had the good fortune of getting exposed to those super hit songs over half a century ago.

One has only to listen to her mellifluous songs, which convey different moods and emotion, to assess and enjoy their sonic enchantment. The quantum of her contributions to the refinement of film music of South Asia is legion and has been ungrudgingly acknowledged by her contemporary vocalists, composers and critics.

Included in the first batch of playback singers in the decade of the 1940s, Zohrabai quickly rose to fame primarily as a result of several popular compositions of Naushad Ali. Earlier, she had made her debut at the age of 13.

First, she lent her voice in 1932 for the recording of several songs that were commercialised by the frontline gramophone recording company, His Master's Voice (HMV) and later, she broke into Bombay-based movie industry with a bang and recorded several successive hit songs. Popularly known as Zohrabai Ambalewali, as she hailed from Ambala City in East Punjab, her vocal resources were skilfully exploited by inveterate composers of the era for the recording of their film songs.

Film composers, who first used her voice, were Naushad Ali and Hafiz Ali Khan. However, a big break came her way, when several songs recorded in her voice by composer Naushad for the film Rattan (produced in the year 1944) starring Sawaranlata and Karan Diwan, created new records in popularity at the box office.

The songs had so strong appealed to the mainstream taste in India that they were enjoyed by the people throughout the length and breadth of the Sub-continent regardless of the fact that a majority of them could not comprehend the true meaning of their lyrics. An extremely successful love story, the film established the credentials and careers of its director M. Sadiq and composer Naushad. The songs of the film, which reached the lips of millions in the Sub-continent, and were hummed and whistled by many more, were Akhiyan mila ke jiya bharma ke chale nahin jaana and Sawan ke baadlo unse ye ja kaho. The popularity of these songs also added tremendously to the competence and reputation of composer Naushad among the leading film makers and music directors of that time: R.C. Boral, Master Ghulam Haider, Anil Biswas, Feroze Nizami and Khurshid Anwar. From that point onward, Naushad's popularity as a composer of popular songs simply skyrocketed.

The first-ever qawwali, rendered by female vocalists - Aahain naan bhareen shkiwe naa kiye kuchh bhi naan zuban se kaam liya, recorded for Shaukat Husain Riziv's blockbuster Zeenat, which was composed by Hafiz Ali Khan, brimmed with Zohrabai's shining voice. Others, who lent their voices for the recording of that memorable qawwali, were Amirbai Karnataki, Kalyani and Noor Jehan. Married to the well-known tabla-player of the 1940s, Faqir Muhammad, and born in a family, in which music had been practised for generations, Zohra lent her bright vocals for the recording of many popular songs of the decade of the 1940s.

These songs significantly contributed to the success of such films as Pehle Aap, Sharda, Shakuntla, Zeenat Mahal, Urran Khatola, Chandraleka and Rattan. It was the introduction in Bombay film industry of Shamshad Begum by Master Ghulam Haider, and the emergence of Lata Mangeshkar, as playback singers that caused a gradual eclipse of Zohrabai Ambalewali from the limelight, forcing her to slowly fade into oblivion. Zohrabai spent the last few years during the evening of her life in a state of semi-retirement. However, she continued to lend her voice at the performances of her daughter Roshan, who, in her own right, was an accomplished kathak dancer.

Zohrabai died in the year 1990 at the age of 72, but not before contributing much to the further refinement of film music of the Sub-continent. Imbued with acute melodic sensibilities from her early childhood, Zohrbai Ambalewali climbed up the chart of popularity, transcending the age, ethnic and language barriers as her songs had much appeal to the general run of cinema buffs.

Her popular songs also provided wholesome entertainment to a larger and variegated segment of population. The emergence of singers like Zohrabai on the melodic firmament of Bombay heralded a new era of film music during the second half of the 20th century, to which several vocalists of her calibre also contributed according to their skill and talent.

An unusual kind of vivacity and aura characterised Zohrabai's ever-sparkling voice, which added a distinctive glow to its sonic qualities and made her the envy of many a contemporary. It were these uncommon features of her vocals, which enabled her to rule the roost in the fast-growing art of female playback singing for well over a decade. She was subsequently praised and commended by film critics and connoisseurs as one of the top female playback singers, who contributed so much to film music. In addition to rendering film songs, Zohrabai demonstrated complete command over her voice while singing the esoteric Lucknow and Banaras style thumris and practising other light classical genres, which were recorded and marketed by gramophone companies, especially HMV, before she had made her presence felt in the Bombay film industry.

Zohrabai Ambalewali was admired by music buffs all over the Sub-continent for the enchanting depth of her voice in which she rendered dozens of tumultuously popular film songs. Reputed playback singers and her contemporaries, Amirbai Karnatki and Shamshad Begum, had deep admiration for her. Lata Mangeshkar, in her Shardangli numbers, has spoken lovingly about Zohrabai's affable manners, winning personality and musical intelligence, which distinguished her from other showbiz celebrities.

Zohrabai did not record a large number of songs for the films if one were to reckon with the output of her contemporaries. However, those for which her vocals were skilfully and creatively employed by seasoned composers of that era, succeeded in bringing much cheers into the lives of countless cine-goers, and provided much solace and sonic relief to millions of music buffs as they penetrated into the deep recesses of their hearts.

There was a time when the use of her voice for the recording of songs in a film was considered a guarantee for its success at the box office. Such was the magical appeal of her well-groomed, cultured voice.


http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=408634&currPageNo= 1&qu ery=&search=&term=&supDate=

Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winner

PANKAJ MULLICK
(1904 - 1978)
Musical Genius
4th Recipient - 1972

In 1973 Pankaj Mullick was most deservedly named for the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 1972. Deservedly, because music composition of Pankaj Mullick have held a unique position right from the early thirties to the present day, maintaining an unfailing popularity for both young and old.

Pankaj Mullick was son of Manimohan Mullick who had a great interest in traditional music, and would invite eminent singers and instrumentalists to perform during religious festivals. Born in a middle class Bengali family, it was here that Pankaj Mullick drew inspiration from classical Hindustani music. From a very early age, he decided that his vocation would be music, and though enrolled in college, he did not pursue higher education.

Pankaj Mullick was lucky to be introduced to the Tagore family, which was to have an everlasting influence upon him. Rabindra Sangeet became his forte, and he is the only man who has tuned a Rabindranath poem to music, Diner Seshey, Ghoomer Deshey with the great poet's total approval. The approval of the great poet came to Pankaj after endless numbers of hours of waiting on him, and the story has it that it was for a college function that Pankaj had approached the great poet to have his permission to perform one of his poetries, to which Rabindranath Tagore asked him to sing out the composition that he had in mind. It was after hearing his composition that Rabindranath was so very overcome with the tune that he granted him a total approval for all his poetries. Thus was through Pankaj Mullick's songs that Rabindra Sangeet became popular in every Bengali household, even raising great interest among Western music connoisseurs.

Pankaj Mullick regarded the balance and equanimity of the mind as his best asset, providing him with status as a human being and an artiste. Pankaj Mullick enjoyed a very close relationship with AIR (All India Radio) since its very inception in 1928, then a private broadcasting organization. For very many years, his Sunday music lessons had thousands of listeners, specially among young girls. It was at his initiative that the use of the tabla was introduced to keep rhythm for Rabindra Sangeet, which the poet had not previously adopted.

Though not really an actor, even though appearing in some six or seven films, his first experience was in a small role in Chashar Meye. It is interesting to note that when this silent film was being exhibited at Calcutta, Pankaj Mullick would conduct his orchestra to provide background music.

Pankaj Mullick and Raichand Boral supplemented each other on many occasions whilst composing music for New Theatres' films. One of the Pankaj Mulick's most notable scores was for Mukti in which director P.C. Barua had assigned him a role.

K. L. Saigal's Bengali song hits owe their existence to Pankaj Mullick, who persuaded the singer to bring down the pitch of his singing, as earlier he would sing with a high pitched voice. He trained Kanan Devi to understand and get the feel of Rabindra Sangeet.

Pankaj Mullick continued with his singing lessons on AIR for four decades, and after he retired in 1975,, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. B.C. Roy, appointed him as Advisor to the Folk Entertainment section of the Government's publicity Department. Towards the end of his career, he came to Bombay to compose music for Kasturi by Gyan Mukerji. He is the author of four books on music, which illustrated the correct structure of Ragas, the rukes and canons of Indian classical music.

Honours & Awards:
1956-Sangeet Ratnakar
1970-Padmashree
1975-Rabindra Tagoracharya
BFJA Awards :
1945-Best Music Director for Dui Purush (Bengali).

FILMOGRAPHY BY PANKAJ- As A Composer




Yahudi Ki Ladki
Muqti
Dharti Mata
Badi Didi
Dushman
Kapaal Kundala
Nartaki
Zindagi
Doctor
Meenakshi
Kashi Nath [1933]
Meri Bahan
Oonch Neech
Chhota Bhai
Manzoor
Roop Kahani
Chhoti Maa
Yaatrik
Zalzala
Naya Sansaar
Chitrangdha
Kastoori [1944]

AS AN ACTOR


Chashar Maye
Muqti
Adhikaar
Kapaal Kundala
Aandhi
Nartaki
Doctor