MUSIC #16: PAKEEZAH 1972 (HINDI OST)

This album was requested by fellow blogger Bollywood Dewana. Here you go mate, as promised, the OST to Pakeezah (Pure of Heart).

The music for the movie Pakeezah is by Ghulam Mohammad and Naushad and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Kaif Bhopali and Kamal Amrohi (who is also the director of the movie). The making of this movie was plagued with one controversy after another and it took 14 years to complete, during which more tragedy occurred. The reason for the two music directors is that the first music director, Ghulam Mohammad died before the movie and soundtrack was completed. Naushad was asked to step in to compose more songs for the movie, namely the film's background music and title music.

The main reason for the 14 year delay was the marriage break-down of director Kamal Amrohi and his wife, the leading star of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari (pictured below). Not only did music director Ghulam Mohammad pass away during this time, so did the movie’s cinematographer Josef Wirsching. It’s been said that over a dozen of Bombay's top cinematographers helped in finalising the movie.

By the time both Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari were convinced to resume shooting of the film, Meena Kumari was quite ill with cirrhosis. When filming continued, she was lying down in most of her scenes and for the dance sequences, actress Padma Khanna was used as a body double and can be seen in the long-shots. Meena Kumari died a few weeks after the film was released.

During the 1972 Film Awards, actor Pran refused to accept his award for Be-Imaan because he felt that Ghulam Mohammed deserved a posthumous Filmfare award for his music in Pakeezah.

Most of the music of Pakeezah is in the form of Moghul-influenced Kathak style music. The use of traditional Indian instruments such as the sitar¹ and tabla² and the chimes of the ghunghroo (thick anklets made from between 50 to 200 bells) are prevalent in the music. It’s the type of music one sits back to, with their favourite drink in hand, be it a cup of garam, garam chai (very hot tea) or a nice port or sherry, and savour the music. It’s like classical European music - You either like it or hate it! My favourites from Pakeezah are ‘Chalte Chalte’, ‘Inhi Logon Ne’, ‘Chalo Dildar Chalo’ and ‘Thare Rahiyo’.

My verdict: 5 stars.

Pakeezah 1972: The Original Soundtrack


Side One

1. Title Music – Alap³ by Lata Mangeshkar

Music: Naushad

2. Inhi Logon Ne – Lata Mangeshkar

Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

3. Nazariya Ki Mari – Raj Kumari

Music: Naushad

4. Chalo Dildar Chalo – Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi

Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Lyrics: Kaif Bhopali

5. Kaun Gali – Parveen Sultana

Music: Naushad

6. Teer-E-Nazar – Lata Mangeshkar

Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Lyrics: Kaif Bhopali

Side Two

1. Thare Rahiyo – Lata Mangeshkar

Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

2. Mausam Hai Ashiqana – Lata Mangeshkar

Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Lyrics: Kamal Amrohi

3. Mora Sajan – Vani Jairam

Music: Naushad

4. Chalte Chalte – Lata Mangeshkar

Music: Ghulam Mohammad

Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi

Get the album HERE.

Footnotes:

1. The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument used in Hindustani classical music since the middle ages. It derives its resonance from sympathetic strings, a long hollow neck and a gourd shaped resonating chamber.

2. The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical, popular and devotional music. The instrument consists of a pair of drums of contrasting sizes and the music is created by either tapping the drums with the fingers or by using the base of the hand. The word tabla is derived from the Arabic word, tabl, which simply means "drum."

3. An alap is the opening section of a North Indian classical performance. It is unmetered, improvised (within the raga or music scale) and unaccompanied (except for the tanpura, a type of Indian lute) and starts at a slow tempo. In instrumental performance and singing, this part receives heavy emphasis and can last for more than an hour.

Look out for my next posting: Khilona 1970