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Thursday, June 24, 2010

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

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for excellent info on Pakeezah Veen.
    I had seen this movie at the Maratha Mandir cinema, which was the main movie-hall where it was first released in Mumbai in 1972.
    In the beginning, the movie did not do well. However, after Meena Kumari died, Pakeezah became the centre of attraction for the cinegoers. I used to reside in the area where Meena Kumari was buried. For me, personally, the success of Pakeezah is due mainly to the sad demise of Meena Kumari who was a very very popular film-star - one of the best and the Queen of Tragedy.
    Another sad aspect of the movie is that Ghulam Mohammed died before Pakeezah could be released and thus he remains unrewarded.
    Regarding the music, Ghulam Mohammed was chiefly known for the very lucid and magical use of Tabla, and overall, it beats hollow another courtesan movie, Umrao Jaan, that was released some 8 years later. Of course, Umrao Jaan had excellent music; but is no match for Pakeezah's. Regarding the songs, my only favourite there is MAUSAM HAI AASHIQAANA....which I find very very romantic whether it's the music, voice of Lata, or the picturisation, or the lyrics: (e.g. DIN HO GAYE.N HAI.N ZAALIM RAATE.N HAI.N QAATILAANA).
    All in all, the winner and the gainer here was solely Kamal Amrohi.

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  2. Nasir saab

    Sounds like what happened to the movie 'Blues Brothers'. The movie shot to cult status after the demise of John Belushi....Just like Pakeezah and the demise of Meena Kumari...May she RIP.

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  3. yay thanks for this, 'Inhi logon ne' has long been one of those songs that i just ruse to be bored of, i could listen to it over and over forever and i'm so looking forward to your post on khilona, i totally love the 'agar dilbar ki' song

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  4. You are welcome BD.I'll put up Khilona either tomorrow or Monday.

    Enjoy the music, chin chin.

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  5. Thanks for sharing this classic album. :)

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  6. On of my all time favourites. And you have a wonderful looking blog.

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  7. Hi Vinayak

    Thank you for visiting and for your nice comment. I am a fan of your blog too....At The Edge!

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  8. Hi Veen
    I am Dipak from Dubai
    just came across your Blog & must say that what an amazing work of art it is
    Thanks a lot for Pakeezah
    Hope to see more greta stuff

    Regards & Take care

    Dipak N Jham

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  9. Thanks for your lovely comments Dipak. Do keep dropping by my blog.

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Thank you for your comments. I will respond to them shortly.

Veen