1. Jhoom Jhoom dhalti raat (Lata Mangeshkar)

Kohraa (1964) featured the ethereal Waheeda Rehman as the mysterious rake Biswajeet’s second wife who’s haunted by his dead wife. Based on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940), the chilling ambience of this film was sublimated by the producer Hemant Kumar’s vintage music. Lata Mangeshkar’s Jhoom jhoom dhalti raat heightened the feeling of ominous dread in the plot. Montages of the dead woman’s spirit wandering the night in this song were exquisitely expressive. Waheeda Rehman as the Indian version of Rebecca was vulnerable, adamant and very beautiful. Kohraa was one of the superior supernatural thrillers of the 1960s where the actors respond to a particular plot rather than peripheral attractions such as songs and romance.

2. Mujhe apni duniya mein wapas bula lai (Noor Jehan)

Deewana (1964) was perhaps Lollywood’s first ever horror film. It was made way back in 1964 and took its inspiration from the Invisible Man and The Spiral Staircase. Sabiha was cast in the role of an insomniac and the film despite starting off with a certain amount of promise soon deteriorated into an insufferable bore. The intriguing aspect of the film plot that involved the marauding psychotic invisible man was completely ignored while the audience was tortured by an uninteresting romantic plot involving Sabiha, Ejaz and Ilyas Kashmiri.

However, the film had some awesome songs composed by Bengali music director Muslehuddin. It has been noticed that whenever Noor Jehan collaborated with music directors from East Pakistan (whether Muslehuddin or Bashir Ahmed), the result was magic and this song is no exception. This particular ghost song sung by Noor Jehan and chorus and picturized on Nasreen (with Zurain in the frame) was the highlight of the film. Muslehuddin’s was very good with using chorus voices, and in this song he created “that” ghostly effect by blending the chorus effectively with the main voice

3. Rahoun mei thari mein nazrein jamaey (Noor Jehan)

One of the finest ghost films coming out of Pakistan, Ghoonghat (1962) was composed, produced and directed by Pakistan’s ace composer Khurshid Anwar. In this song he used Noor Jehan’s voice effectively to create the mysterious ambience. The ringing of temple bells at the beginning of the song and the use of chorus (one of the best use of chorus in my opinion) further enhanced the haunted atmosphere of this song.

The biggest technical achievement of this film at its time was to create the atmosphere of mystery that has been captured in the outdoor location sequences. It was comparatively much easier to create such an effect on the artificial sets, where the studio lights were under the control of the cameraman and a limited space facilitated the manipulation of artificial mist. But to successfully launch such a venture in the wide expanses of a mountain was an achievement which Lollywood could well be proud of.

4. Kahin deep jaley kahin dil (Lata Mangeshkar)

Bees saal baad (1962) was based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. This ghost song was the highlight of this film and credit should be given to both the music director Hemant Kumar and singer Lata Mangeshkar for creating the spooky/haunted atmosphere required for such mystery/thrillers.

This song also remains a milestone in Lata’s career because she fell ill in 1962 and thought she would never be able to sing again. In Lata’s own words

“In 1962, I fell very ill for about three months. I thought I would never be able to sing again. One day, I woke up feeling very uneasy in my stomach. And then I started throwing up — it was terrible, the vomit was a greenish color. The doctor came and even brought an x-ray machine home because I could not move. He x-rayed my stomach and said I was being slowly poisoned. We had a servant in the house who made the food. Usha (Mangeshkar) went straight into the kitchen and told everyone that from that moment  on, she would do the cooking instead. The servant sneaked off without telling anyone and without collecting any pay. So we thought someone had planted him there. We didn’t know who it was. I was bed-ridden for three months and was so weak.

I will never forget Majrooh Sahib’s kindness to me during those difficult times. He came at six in the evening and sat by me every day for three long months. He ate whatever I ate and recited poetry and read me stories. We talked and laughed together. I thoroughly enjoyed this company.

When I was feeling well enough to sing, the first song I recorded was Hemant Kumar’s ‘Kahin deep jale kahin dil.’”

5. Kahan ho tum saheliyoun (Noor Jehan)

Although technically not a ghost song.. but the singing, the delusions/hallucinations the lonely and sick heroine is going through by being imprisoned in the haunted mansion is enough the create the disturbed and chilling atmosphere required for ghost songs.

Again Khurshid Anwar collaborates with Noor Jehan and chrous to create this spooky song for mystery/suspense/thriller Hamraaz (1967). The cobwebs, the burning candles, the delusions that her friends are dancing and singing with her, the deep sickly breaths and most of all the haunted humming done by the chorus immerses us into chilling audio-visual experience.

Note:- For a change I didn’t include Lata’s omnipresent “Aayega aanewala”. Although it is one of my favorite songs, I don’t think that song needs any introduction – Ummer Siddique

A scene from Kohraa (1964)

Golmaal 3 (2010)

Golmaal, Golmaal Returns and now Golmaal 3 – I wonder what is up with Bollywood’s obsession with sequels? But I am not complaining as long as it’s something worth watching and listening to. And considering how Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision has a repute of bringing out movies to remember, one can keep high hopes from Golmaal 3.

Bollywood’s first trilogy Golmaal 3 stars Ajay Devgan, Tusshaar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi and Kareena Kapoor. Its plot revolves around the lives of two bunches of siblings within a family and their hatred towards each other. The surprising thing is that even though this family lives together, eats together and prays together, they still can’t stand each other.  All we have been told yet is that this quirky family promises to deliver us some hilarious moments, ageless romance and a few heartwarming scenes. They say it is going to be a journey of excitement, madness and love. Oh and since it is Golmaal 3 they claim to have thrice the fun, thrice the magic, and thrice the laughter. Whether their claims turn out true or not, only time will tell but for now we have the music of Golmaal 3, which released recently.

K.K, Anouska Manchanda and Monali Thakur come together to do the music of Golmaal 3. The album opens with (as expected) ‘Golmaal’ and you get to hear ‘Golmaal Golmaal’ all over again. The feeling of déjà vu persists throughout the song and if you don’t really concentrate you might not feel you are listening to something new. The song sure is easy on the lips but what’s the point of making another version of the same Golmaal which has been heard way too many times already when you don’t add freshness to it?

The next track in the album, ‘Apna Har Din’ talks about how you should live each day like it’s your last and enjoy to the max. This track basically sums up the entire story of Anjaana Anjaani in five minutes. It also talks about how the world is selfish and you shouldn’t care about it and only live for your loved ones. Though the concept is nice, Pritam’s music is a major disappointment in this song and even Shaan and Anushka couldn’t save the song.

‘Ale’ sounds better than the earlier tracks in the album but still isn’t what you would call fantastic. Sung by Neeraj and Antara, ‘Ale’ seems like an attempt at a club song but it fails to give off that foot tapping, clubby vibe. It might still appeal to younger people since it’s made for them and highlights how a bunch of friends and have made their own path and live life according to their own terms but I doubt it will find a place in anyone’s favourite playlist this season.

Pritam has added two remakes in this album – ‘Yaad Aa Raha Hain’ and ‘Disco Dancer’. The lyrics of these are exactly the same as the original numbers except the beats have been experimented with to give that Pritam touch to them. While Bappi Lahiri sings ‘Disco Dancer’, it is Sudesh Bhosle who comes behind the mic for ‘Yaad Aa Raha Hain’. ‘Yaad Aa Raha Hain’ might not amuse you but Bappi Lahiri has proved that even at this age, he sure can sing!

The last track in the album, ‘Desi Kali’ is a (much needed) dance track and a pleasant or the only surprise in the Golmaal 3 album. It is high on rhythm, full of beats and easy on the lips, which is why this is one of those songs that you just ‘get’ upon hearing it once. Neeraj and Sunidhi Chauhan have done a great job with the vocals. Sunidhi’s vocals stand out as soon as the song starts and help make it more listenable.  This song has the potential to become popular among the masses and you might see some creative people dancing to the tunes of ‘Desi Kali’ in the upcoming shaadi season. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that ‘Desi Kali’ saves Golmaal 3′s album from being a complete failure.

The album also includes a remix version of ‘Desi Kali’, ‘Apna Har Din’ and ‘Golmaal’ but there’s nothing special about the remixes. The only difference is the increase in the tempos of the songs. The originals are better (if they could be called that) than the remixes any day.

To be honest, the music of Golmaal had a lot of promise, which it failed to meet. Now let’s wait and see if the movie itself meets the expectations of viewers or not – Hafsah Sarfraz

Tees Maar Khan (2010)

For all those who loved Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om, it is time to rejoice! Farah Khan is back with her world of cinema, which gives a new definition to a huge star cast, extravagant sets and costumes, larger than life fictional characters, extremely filmy stories and upbeat soundtracks. Farah’s latest offering, Tees Maar Khan is a thriller garnished with a Bollywood tadka, releasing on December 24. Considering how Farah never seems to disappoint, the year 2010 couldn’t have a better ending for Bollywood.

Tees Maar Khan is a comic escapade, which stars Katrina Kaif as an aspiring actress and Akshay Kumar as a con man who steals, cons and cheats all with such boldness that even shame shies away from him! He and his gang, which includes Dollar, Soda and Burger have managed to keep the police, world over, on their toes. Then one fine day international antique smugglers, the Johri Brothers, assign Tees Maar Khan the most important con job of his life. The job involves robbing antiques worth Rs 500 crore from a heavily guarded moving train. To find out whether Khan along with his girlfriend, Anya (Katrina Kaif) and their gang succeed to pull off the greatest heist in history we will have to wait till December 24. Till then we have the soundtrack of Tees Maar Khaan, which has been composed by the superb team of Vishal Shekhar.

To begin with the album has five original tracks and an overabundance of remixes. There’s almost a remix for every track, which is slightly disappointing. Vishal Shekhar should be the last ones relying on remixes. The album has some high and low notes. Read on to hit the high notes and avoid the low ones.

The album opens with ‘Tees Maar Khan’, the title track. This is a very interesting number for many reasons. The fact that Sonu Nigam has given 54 different voices to this track is one of the reasons. It is Bollywood’s sardonic and melodic take on James Bond’s signature tune which is mixed with Bollywood tunes from the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and the lyrics revolve around the character sketch of Tees Maar Khan. Squeaky, electronically tuned with loads of comical sounds makes this one artistically hilarious. The end of this track has dhol beats in it. There is a remix version of ‘Tees Maar Khan’ in the album too. The remix is more bubbly and fast-paced. Both the original and remix have foot tapping tunes which makes you want to press the repeat button for sure.

Next up, in the album is the much talked about Katrina’s item number, ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’. They have advertised it to be the item song of the year and the kind that you haven’t heard before. Well, I will have to agree now that I have heard it a couple of times and seen the video too. The tune of this track seems to be a fusion of desi and urban vibes. Sunidhi Chauhan’s racy vocals stand out even with the energetic tunes. All that can be said just yet is that you will forget poor old “Munni” after listening/watching to ‘Sheila Ki Jiwani’. The remix which is more hip hop and highly pulsating with the sounds and the grooves, is just as good as the original but such songs make me wonder what is Bollywood’s obsession with item songs?

Farah Khan’s films are incomplete without classic Indian songs and that’s exactly what the next track in the album is. ‘Wallah Re Wallah’ sung by Shekhar, Shreya Ghosal, Kamal Khan, and Raja Hasan is a pure qawwali track. This is precisely the reason why it might not appeal to the masses but nevertheless the tune is energetic. Despite that ‘Wallah Re Wallah’ does not make a first impression. You might have to listen to it a couple of times before it grows on you. Even though I cannot understand why, this track has a remix too, which was completely unnecessary. The remix doesn’t impress either.

The album regains its strength with ‘Baday Dilwala’ after a disappointing track. This catchy number is a mixture of English and Hindi lyrics that stand out amidst the fast beat. ‘Baday Dilwala’ is sung mainly by Sukhwindar, who I might add, has done a tremendous job with the vocals making it sound nothing less than perfect. Shreya Ghoshal has also contributed her sweet voice to this track and even though she has a limited part, she has shown a unique side of hers. The lyrics are also very interesting mentioning the most unexpected things like gossip and Filmfare. Coming back to the tune, this is the kind of track that makes you want to get up and tap your feet. Needless to say, you will get to see lots of people dancing to ‘Baday Dilwala’ in the next shaadi season. The remix continues with the fast beat adding a few more energetic notes to the original one. Both are superbly done and trademark Farah Khan songs!

‘Happy Ending’, the next track in the album, is another trademark of Farah Khan’s cinema. This track is made for showing end credits and brings together some of the major contestants from various music talent hunt shows including Abhijeet Sawant, Harshat Saxena, Debojit Saha and Prajakta Shukre at the vocals. If I had to pick out the low notes of this album, ‘Happy Ending’ would be one of them. Though it doesn’t put you off from the track but it doesn’t instantly get you addicted either. The tunes in the introduction sound like acknowledging everyone, wishing everybody success in their future endeavors as the curtains fall to show ‘THE END’. And this is probably exactly what this track will be about in the movie.

The album promises cheerfulness in every track but since it has only five original tracks, it leaves the listener wishing for more. Nevertheless, ‘Tees Maar Khan’ – the title track, ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ and ‘Baday Dilwala’ are the highlights of this album! – Hafsah Sarfraz

Mukesh and Naushad

Naushad composed approximately 23 songs for Mukesh, out of which 15 were solos and 8 were duets. Naushad used Mukesh’s voice in 2 phases. The first was late 40′s phase (1948-1949), when Naushad created some of the best gems for Mukesh including Kabhi dil dil sai takrata to hoga, Main bhanwara tou hai phool and Tu kahe agar. After 1949, Naushad started to patronize Mohammad Rafi as his main singer and Mukesh got sidelined. Naushad didn’t use Mukesh voice for the next 19 years until Saathi (1968) was released.

Mukesh’s main co-singer under Naushad’s baton was Shamshad Begum, Naushad utilized the nasalish tinge in their voices to full extent and they sang 4 duets together for Naushad, all of which are considered classics today – Bhol gaye kiyoun de ke sahara, Aai sawan rut aai, Mein Bhanwara tu hai phool and Mera dil todne wale.

Naushad on Mukesh

I used to call him Mukesh Babu. He was a singer who belonged to Kundan Lal Saigal’s school. Mukesh was excellent in low tones. There was a certain sadness in his voice but the moment he was taken to the high notes, he used to get shaken. Many music directors, including me, were guilty of asking him to sing in a higher pitch.

One particular trait Mukesh Babu had was that he could never sing without a harmonium. This was because he thought that he would go out of tune. In fact, many times I had to pad up the harmonium and whenever we did that the result was much better.

I used Mukesh Babu’s voice for my songs in two phases. First spell was during late forties when films like “Mela”, “Anokhi Ada”, and “Andaz” were made and the second phase started with “Saathi” and so on, which continued intermittently till his sad demise in 1976. The last song I recorded on him was for the film “Pukar” which Producer/Director Sohrab Modi was making in late seventies. I very clearly remember an incident that took place at the time of the song session. After recording the song everyone was being paid. Even Mukesh Babu was given his packet. Everybody was knowing that Modi Saab was passing through a very difficult financial condition. As soon as the packet was received by Mukesh babu, he returned it to Modi Saab with the words, “Take this back, make your film. When it becomes a jubilee hit, pay me double this amount”.

Mukesh-Naushad Collaboration

Mukesh sang approximately 23 songs for Naushad. Details are provided below :-

Mukesh with Raj Kapoor

Mukesh with Raj Kapoor

Mukesh with Raj Kapoor

Mukesh with Lata Mangeshkar

Mukesh with Raj Kapoor



Naushad & K.L. Saigal

Saigal sang 6 songs [1 duet, 5 solos] for Naushad. They came together for first and last time in Shah Jehan in 1946, which was one of the last films in which Saigal acted. Shah Jehan also marked the debut of lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Naushad on K.L. Saigal

Saigal was a legend to me from the day I saw his film “Pooran Bhagat” (1933). He had attracted me with the haze and glamour of heroes. More so, as he was a singing star, singing in “sur”. His songs and acting in the films of New Theatres carved a niche in my mind.

It was around 1946 I had a chance to meet him. Saigal was at the height of his popularity. D. N. Madhok and I were discussing a point of a picture at Kardar Studios. A tall bald headed figure with thick rimmed spectacles entered the room. Mr. Madhok began to talk with him informally and I receded in the background. As conversation progressed, Madhok saw that I was kept aloof and asked me if I knew the gentleman with whom he was talking. I told him I did not. Madhok looked at me with surprise and asked me, “Why you don’t know Saigal”? I jumped up. Saigal was smiling at me. i offered my apology saying that his bald head and thick rimmed spectacles were far from the boyish idea I had of the great Saigal. There was a heavy laughter from him in reply. That first meeting with Saigal left a lasting impression on me.

Saigal’s mannerisms were just plain. He had no affected accents or no studied poses. He was just a plain gentleman from Punjab. His soul was transparent just as his melodious voice. He hardly ever acted: either on or off the screen. He always went about with his roles just as he would in real life. His singing, too, was marked with the ease of this very naturalness. And that was, indeed, great about his singing.

When an occasion arose to work with him for the film “Shah Jehan” my joy knew no bounds. It was an honor. Before every formal occasion of singing, Saigal made it a point to pray. This I discovered during one of the recordings of “Shah Jehan”. As the time for the “takes” approached, he had a special mattress spread out for him, (he never sang standing or sitting on a chair) and squatting, he was muttering some prayer with a “mala” rhythmically moving between his fingers. A few minutes skipped by and his personal assistant took away the “mala”. Mr. Saigal looked at me to know if everything was all right. I nodded approval. He turned aside and called: Driver, get me ‘kaalee paanch’. Promptly his driver appeared as if from nowhere with a bottle of whisky which he casually poured out into a large glass and offered it to his boss. Saigal emptied it with a certain ease and began singing in the “sur”. He was coming to shape.

An honest appraisal of Saigal, should, of course, mention that he was a victim of alcohol. There is no irreverence about it. It was a fact. He was no less religious a man for that matter.

I went recording “take” after “take” to get the finest from the great artiste. But I noticed, too, that with every take he was having fresh “Kalee paanch”. As “takes” began to mount upon one another, Saigal’s sobriety began to dwindle. He could no more count the bars meant for interlude. He would come in singing either too early or too late. He would admit his fault every time. He was not conscious of his unconsciousness. At last I approached him and suggested that he needed rest and that we would record the song again the next day. That was the end of “kalee paanch” that night.

Saigal loved precious stones. He used to wear rings made with them. He loved “panna” stones in particular. He was fond of displaying his “panna” rings to everyone.

Saigal was a great artiste, no doubt. But he was a great man also. It was this greatness that had attracted Dr. Latiff from Kolkata to become his closest friend and personal physician. Dr. Latiff had left his wife and children, closed down his dispensary and had thrown his lot with Saigal. He literally moved along with Saigal. The doctor-friend always remained with him in the same room, carried his medical kit day and night from set to set and theatre to theatre. I had the chance once to witness the complete dedication this man had for Saigal. Once on a set the cry was heard, “Saigal Sahab has fainted, Saigal Sahab has fainted, Saigal Sahab has fainted”. I reached the spot and found that Dr. Latiff was giving him an emergency injection. After that he threw himself on the ground by Saigal’s side to comfort him.

Once I had the chance to speak to Dr. Latiff. I made it a point to inquire what made him love Saigal so much. I knew that Dr. Latiff had no liking for music or film or acting. His reply was unique: “Saigal is a good man. He is a great friend and he needs understanding”.

As I continued to work with him , I discovered that he was convinced with a false idea about himself. He thought he would never sing in “sur” without whisky. But I had noticed Saigal singing at his best when he was sober, during rehearsals, for instance. One day I took the courage to tell him about this and requested him to have takes without his driver and the bottle. He said he would try but was sure of the poor results. I insisted and he agreed, but on one condition: there must follow a recording session with his driver and the bottle. I agreed.

We had both the sessions. Both went off as I expected. When I played the recordings of both and asked him to choose which he thought the best rendition of the song, he unmistakably picked out the really good recording done without drinks. The song was “Jab dil hi toot gaya”.

That Saigal recorded songs without drinks became the news. It spread like fire among music directors. Khurshid Anwar tried it, too, for “Parwana” and was successful. But hen Dr. Latiff had to be by his side always ready with injections.

I took occasions then to tell him that someone had made a psychological fixation in him about alcohol and his singing. I insisted that it was simply untrue and that he had seen the results himself. He looked a me wistfully and said: “What a pity, Naushad Sahab…This good news is too late to be good to me. Had I met you a little earlier, I might have been a different Kundan altogether…..” By referring to a song line from “Shah Jahan” he said “Chaah barbaad karegi hamen maloom na tha”.

I wonder how many Saigal fans know what he thought about drinking. He regretted it wholeheartedly. There are many among us who like, admire and imitate him even to the point of drinking. But he would never approve of it. I am sure he would say, “We ought to imitate always the good trends in others, not the bad ones”.

He was an artiste through and through. Many incidents are told about this. Once after a night long search, a director was pleasantly surprised to find Saigal in fond embrace with an electric post at Matunga in the early hours of the morning while he was supposed to be on the set. When asked, how come, he said he lost his bearings on the way to the studio and was seeking directions from the lonely electric post.

Another day, Saigal reached home very thirsty. He walked into the kitchen and took some tea from the oven, kept a cup at his feet and poured the contents right down on his feet. The “tea” turned out to be boiling oil, which burnt his feet and hands, canceling his shooting schedule for weeks and keeping Dr. Latiff busy for months.

With the completion of “Shah Jehan” I lost the contacts with this great man. News of his death did not come to me as a surprise. i could imagine his deathbed and Dr. Latiff sitting with his medical kit saying “Mera Kundan…Mera Kundan…..”

During Saigal’s funeral, one of his relatives told me later, the music of “Jab dil hi toot gaya” from the film “Shah Jehan” was played by the band as per his wish.

Every generation has its crop of artistes. Often God replaces disappearing great men with worthy substitutes. No doubt, after Saigal, many singers have arisen in the Hindi film world. Some of them may have overtaken him in some sense, some may not have. But I feel there was none to replace Saigal. He is just….Saigal”.

It should not sound too effusive, if I say in conclusion, that Saigal outdid Tansen in popularity. Mian Tansen was, of course, the beloved of his times. But his voice was, in a way, imprisoned by palace walls and a select upper class audience. Saigal, on the other hand, had the whole nation behind him as he was the singer of the general public. He was, in fact, their Tansen.

Saigal belongs to that category of human beings, who defied death. He is alive even today. We have the proof that he is. His voice, his style, his intonation is amidst us. Saigal is immortal. In that sense he has even surpassed the legendary singer Tansen in popularity.

K.L. Saigal – Naushad Collaboration