Lata M: Then and now
THEN AND NOW
Lata Mangeshkar reunites with Madan Mohan. It’s time for nostalgia… and a reality check.
SEPT 26, 2004 - BACK IN THE DAYS BAPPI LAHIRI was doing to Hindi film music what the villain usually did to the hero’s younger sister, Doordarshan screened Ashiana – one of those ghostly, Madhumati-like love stories of the fifties, where Nargis lip-synced to Raj Kapoor a haunting Lata Mangeshkar solo, music-directed by Madan Mohan. The composition was so exquisite, the voice so ethereal, the words didn’t seem to matter at all… Apparently they didn’t, for I soon forgot the lyrics, and every closet bathroom singer knows the futility of enquiring about a song when you only remember its tune. What are the opening lines, someone would ask, and I wouldn’t know. Hum the initial bars, they’d suggest, and I’d politely refuse – this is, after all, an intricate melody we’re talking about, not everybody dance with pa pa pa.
So the tune lay stuck inside my head, until the Internet came along and all those free music providers – who, bless their souls, are surely destined for a place in Heaven, with nary a kaanta lagaa remix in sight – began hosting golden era movie melodies. I finally located the Ashiana song: mera qaraar le jaa, mujhe beqaraar kar jaa…
I was a bit hesitant to play it immediately. You know how it is when something is so much a part of your rose-tinted memories – the meeting point of pent-up expectation and cold reality is often only a shade less disappointing than the latest Jatin-Lalit soundtrack. But then I heard the song, and it was all there, ethereal and exquisite as ever – the teeny flute flourishes, the melancholy-tinged lushly-stringed interludes, the percussion rippling beneath the main melody like rhythmic waves rocking a sailboat… and in the midst of all this compositional brilliance, the emotional impact of a touched-by-God voice, capable of reducing lumberjacks into blubbering little girls.
Something shifted in the universe when Lata Mangeshkar met her Madan bhaiyya. Enough eloquence has been waxed about Ashiana and the fifties, but pick anything from the sixties (lag jaa gale - Woh Kaun Thi; tu jahaan jahaan chalega - Mera Saaya), or the seventies (baiyyan na dharo - Dastak; do dil toote - Heer Ranjha) – you’ll sense, maybe, that whenever she stepped into the recording studio for one of his songs, some never-before planetary confluence was occurring overhead. The perfection of his tunes and arrangements, the purity of her singing… if there was an explanation for this, it was not of this world, and if he stopped sketching melodies for her voice to colour, it was only because he left this world.
And now he’s been resurrected. Unused tunes of his have found their way into the soundtrack of Veer-Zaara, Yash Chopra’s much-publicised return to directing after some six-odd years, featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, and – most importantly – the late music director’s muse. Lata Mangeshkar and Madan Mohan together again after all this while, making you wonder… Will time stand still? Will the earth move?
The earth moves all right – it makes you wish it had opened wide enough to swallow all existing copies of the soundtrack, so that no one would remember Veer-Zaara as (probably) the final Madan Mohan-Lata Mangeshkar collaboration. Oh, it isn’t bad, merely disappointing – but considering your expectations exceed the high C’s she so easily used to scale, you’re not closing your eyes, enjoying the music; you’re closing your ears, hoping to exorcise it.
I know I’m in the minority. Even today, there are more Lata loyalists than there are fans of Shah Rukh, Aamir, Hrithik, Salman and the Hutch commercial pug put together, and they’re sure to say it’s just like the days of old. I’m happy for them, but to these ears, it’s just… old, and no song disappoints more than kyon hawa, which has Lata going ah-ha-ha in the interludes. It’s just a simple, slow progression of notes – not the greased-lightning taans that Shankar-Jaikishen put her through at the breathtaking end of man mohana (Seema); not the soprano-style obstacle course of notes that Salil Chowdhury had her hit (apparently effortlessly, at a pitch that could crack light bulbs) in woh ik nigaah (Half Ticket) – but the voice never really takes off.
It’s grounded by age, that heaviest of weights – and it tells you why some things are best left to Jaimala programmes on the radio, Golden Collection CDs, or simply that space between the ears. Where would we be, otherwise, if no one wanted to let go of the past? Will Rajesh Khanna jump into a jeep in a movie tomorrow, keep nodding at Sharmila Tagore in a train, and expect us to stand in line?
Copyright ©2004 The New Sunday Express
Aditya, your wish is granted
OMG, why didn’t I wish for anything else?
Now that my wish is granted, I am not finding the words to start a fight. gotta give me some time for that.
BTW, I have a good collection of MM and LM songs. Infact, i listen to MM songs for 3-4 hours EVERYDAY, the best way to spend time while I travel across 3 states to get to office.
Talking of Ashiana, I prefer lata’s redition of Tum Chand Ke Saath Chale Aao, and Mere Piya Se Koi Ye Ja Ke Keh De.
How could you not mention Anpadh or Jahan Ara anywhere in this article?
Also, while everyone remembers Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya, Anpadh, Dastak, et al, LM-MM combo came up with real gems in B-list movies with really B-list names: Fifty Fifty, Railway Platform, Sheroo, Mohar, PocketMaar, Chhote Babu, etc.
Some of my favorite, lesser popular songs:
- Woh Jo Milte The Kabhi (Akeli Mat Jaiyo)
- Meri Aankhon se Koi Neend (Pooja Ke Phool)
- Mujhe Yaad karne Wale (Rishte Naate)
- Nainon Mein Pyar Dole (Sheroo)
- Ek Baat Poochhti Hoon (Suhagan)
- Na Hanso Hum Pe (Gateway of India)
- Naa Aasman Na Sitare Fareb Dete Hain (Neela Aakash)
I could go on and on….
Madan Mohan died a disillusioned man because he did not get his due while he was alive. He always got B-list films, very few top actresses of that time lip-synced to his tunes, and since success of the songs in those days was linked closely to the success of the films, he did not really see success till Woh Kaun Thi. And there was again disappointment there, because he didn’t get a Fimfare award for it (it was considered very prestigious in those days). He lost out to LP’s Dosti. In hindsight, despite some very good songs can Dosti come even close to Woh Kaun Thi? Madan Mohan’s only consolation was that he at least got a National Award later for Dastak.
You shied away from using the word “bad” in conjunction with Lata and the Veer-Zaara songs, but I’m not so, um, diplomatic.:-) I think she sounds downright ghastly and I hope she has the “sharm” to ask MM’s forgiveness when she meets up with him in heaven.
That said…the Lata-MM combo is overrated. Oh, MM’s best certainly lies with Lata but for her best work, one needs to look elsewhere…like at Roshan or Anil Biswas or C. Ramchandra.
Btw, have you noticed how the evoking of the Lata-MM combo has become the short-hand for people wishing to convey that they have “classy” musical tastes.:-)
Aditya: No Anpadh etc., because this wasn’t exactly a Lata-MM best-of piece.
Shalini: The overrating could be because these songs are easily “available”. They are everywhere, in all the compliations and so on. Oh - and come one, these *are* very classy songs (that percolated down to a ‘mass’ level)
Shalini: Though I strongly object to the word “overrated” for the LM-MM combo, I fully agree with you about LM and CR. Katte Hain Dukh Mein Ye Din (Parchhain) alone is proof of what a great combo that was! Unfortunately, CR’s decline started when his muse LM left him. Another example of why personal and professional lives need to be kept separate.
I don’t think Anil Biswas songs would rate among LM’s best (save for Wo Din Kahan Gaye from Tarana), but his contribution in helping LM get the nuances and technique of playback singing cannot be denied.
It is easy to dismiss the Lata of Veer Zaara. But the fact is she has been a torture for more than 25 years now. Ek Duje Ke Liye was good?Lata is overrated anyway. Rafi, Kishore were far better - but since there is no direct comparison between male and female singers, we tend to over-rate Lata. Especially because the male singers’ fan club is divided between Kishore and Rafi fans. Lata easily wins a majority in her category and ‘looks’ to be a bigger legend than either of them, which is utter nonsense.
Still, her sister has been a bigger torture in the last 20 years so small mercies
BR: It seems there is general consensus that LM’s voice has been a “torture” for some years now. So why the disappointment with “old” sounding voice in the Veer Zaara soundtrack? Did you expect Lata’s voice to miraculousy go back to the Mera Saaya, Woh kaun Thi days, when it has clearly been deteriorating over the years?
For me, Veer Zaara was a trifle disappointing not because of LM, because the fan in me has resigned to the fact that age is taking its toll, but because of MM’s tunes. My expectations were high because the last MM I heard was the MM of Dastak, Mausam and Heer Ranjha, but the tunes here paled in comparison with those. Maybe there was a reason why those tunes were ‘unused’. No, I don’t mean it was bad (i quite like the VZ soundtrack), just that I was disappointed with the tunes that were picked by Yash Chopra and Sanjeev Kohli.
BR - Good point about the easy availability of LM-MM songs contributing to the perception that, that combo denotes the pinnacle of musical syncretism and greatness in HFM. Sanjeev Kohli is a very good son.:-)
And I don’t disagree that LM-MM songs are classy; just that they aren’t the only or even the “classiest” ones.:-) Listen to cough, Roshan, cough.:-) Btw, as incredible as the Lata version of “mera qararar leja” is, Talat’s version is even more wonderful.
Aditya - Anil Biswas would rate in *my* listinng of the best of Lata - higher than MM as a matter of fact!
Shalini - this is not to argue anything, but can you point me to some other songs of the AB-LM combination?
It is very possible that I haven’t heard much of Anil Biswas- LM except Tarana and a few songs from pardesi, Anokha Pyar and a few other films. In fact i just went through my collection and found only 15 LM songs composed by AB. So obviously my exposure to this combo is not much.
And for me the best of Lata is actually a SDB dittie - Kuch Dile Kaha from Anupama. One of the few songs where Lata actually showed emotion in singing - and a subtle emotion at that.
OTOH, her rendition of Ehsaan Tera is a direct proof of how she paled before Rafi - and that proof is Rafi’s rendition of the same song. I thought even Mukesh trumped her in Chandan Sa Badan. This is important because we are talking of Lata’s hey days here.
BTW, did you review RGV’s Darling?
25 years of Torture: Anupama was Hemant Kumar. Among all the Lata detractors I’ve met (and that’s a large number), you’re the first one to point our her inability to show emotion in singing. I’m stumped!
One thing I don’t understand is why to bring down someone do people have to compare with someone else. So what if Rafi was a better singer (though that is debatable as well)? How does that make Lata bad, or overrated as you say? Reminds me of a discussion on this blog where someone started talking about how SRK was better than AB Sr. in response to BR’s not a gushingly positive review of CDI.
Aditya - I’m happy to oblige.:-) A non-exhaustive list of LM-AB songs includes:
*Tumhare bulane ko jee chhata hai (Ladli)
*Man mein kissi ki preet basa le (Aaraam)
* Ja main tose nahi boloon (Sautela Bhai)
*Mast pavan hai chanchal dhara(Jeet)
*Intezaar aur abhi, aur abhi(Char Dil Char Rahen)
*O mere ranjhanaa rukshat ka hai sama (Heer)
* Na dir deem tana (Pardesi)
*Jhilmil sitaron ke tale aa (Naaz)
* Ek pal ruk jana (Raahi)
*Rooth ke tum to chal diye (Jalati Nishani)
*Ritu aaye ritu jaaye- w/Manna(Hamdard)
*Aa mohabbat ki basti - w/Kishore(Fareb)
You should be able to find many, if not all, of these songs on the internet. As a matter of fact, I poted the Hamdard song on You Tube myself. Here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEppdGSTKIs
Thanks Shalini. Except Man Mein Kisi ki and Na Dir Deem I don’t recollect any of the songs. I will try to get them. This raagmala from Hamdrad is great.
Aditya, She is a Bharat Ratna, for God’s sake! To me, that is over-rating. One can safely assume that it is a recognition for her singing - and if singing is the criteria,s he isnt way above Rafi or Kishore to deserve that award.
And especially since I come from the South and know of an equally good or better P.Suseela, who ofcourse can never even dream of even Padma Shri.
raj: For heaven’s sake… You’re not from “the South” — that generically lumpen (and hugely diverse) landmass the lies below the Vindhyas. You’re from TN or AP or Kerala or Karnataka — but please, not from “the South”
As someone who prefers, albeit slightly, the younger sister to the elder and believes that “waqt karta jo wafa, Asha, Nightingale of India khelatii”:-), I absolutely think Lata deserves the Bharat Ratna. Not only that, I think she is the ONLY* one in the field of popular Indian music who deserves that honor. As talented as Rafi and Kishore were (both are personal favorites) they simply aren’t in the same league as Lata (or Asha for that matter). Besides, her phenomenal talent isn’t the only or even primary reason for awarding Lata the Bharat Ratna, her contribution and place in Indian musical history secures it for her. Lata revolutionized *Indian* film music - neither Rafi nor Kishore can claim that.
* Not counting K.L.Saigal because the BR can’t be awarded posthumously.
Shalini: Very well put. Lata’s contribution to Indian film music far exceeds any one else’s. BTW, Hasn’t Bharat Ratna been given to people posthumously around a dozen times already? has there been any change in the rules now?
Raj: Arguing about whether a person deserves an award or not is an exercise in futility. For every person who agrees with it, there’s another who doesn’t. So you think Lata didn’t deserve the Bharat Ratna, I feel she did. So, what then?
Why did you have to qualify your statement by “I come from the South”? I “come from the North” and yet know of P.Susheela. Your comment had a slight hint of perpetuating the North-South divide, which was totally uncalled for.
Aditya, I can’t but appreciate your sane response to my (in retrospect) uncalled for North-South post.But the post above yours should tell you the reason why I veer towards that sort of response. But having said that ,”Only Lata in IFM deserves Bharat Ratna” ? That’s gross. What of Naushad, or M.S.Viswanathan or Ilaiyaraja, ro my personal favourite Salil Chowdhary, probaly the most under-rated ‘Bollywood’ composer ever,e ven if you consider Madan Mohan. I dont think that they deserve Bharat Ratna but if they didnt, Lata doenst stand a chance. Her contribution to IFM is over-rated.By that, I mean the Bharat Ratna is a over-reaction. You do know of P.Suseela, but in the same sense that I know Ila Arun. You dont know the nuances of her singing. If you did, you guys wont be making the outrageous claim about Lata being the only one to deserve it.
Shalini,
Whats this “her contribution and place in Indian history”? It is just the hogwash that covers up for your lack of knowledge of ‘Indian’ Film Music (as opposed to Hindi Film Music). Just remember that Bharat Ratna is not the equivalent of ‘Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award”.
To say that Rafi or Kishore arent in the same league as Lata or Asha, I can only say you are IGNORANT.
Before anyone pounces on me, my personal feeling is that Lata is exceptionally talented, but not so exceptionally that she can be considered to be way above Rafi, Kishore or P.Suseela. This is a classic example of Bollywood hype glossing over fact.
And Aditya, her contribution to IFM dwarfs everyone else? What a claim to make! Precisely the sort of claim that perpetuates the north-south divide. What galls is your ignorance - you dont know anything about giants of music from the south yet you can categorically say that “nobodya can match Lata”. I may sound inflammatory when I say that Lata is over-hyped but that’s just semantics. You need to understand that to claim superiority without even knowing about part of what you are talking about is equally inflammatory, atleast to sensible people.
Baradwaj, I said South because no one state in the South can monopolise P.Suseela, she has left her mark in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam in that order. Which shows one aspect that Lata can not match. Proficiency in multiple languages - I mean, unless we already knew it, not many would believe that Suseela is a telugu native, given her outstanding contribution to Tamil Film Music and given her flawless enunciation of Tamil lyrics through the years.
ANd that reminds me, if Lata has made that huge contribution to IFM, what about a certain gent whose first initial goes Sripati, an engineering drop out? I dont think his contribution is any less. It is just that Hindi has more numbers and thus, Lata is the equivalent of SMS-induced “Voice of India’ winners as opposed to the critics choice.
Raj: You seem very passionate about this, and I don’t want to fuel any more passions. The basic premise of all your arguments is something I can’t relate to at all.
Just for the sake of argument, I can come up with seemingly solid instances to say that M S Subbulakshmi didn’t deserve the Bharat Ratna. I can say there are many “superior” classical singers up North. And for every supporter of her Bharat Ratna I can also say, what exposure do you have to Hindustani Classical music? Ditto for Ray or any other from the fields of Art. But that line of argument is inherently faulty.
Anyhow, just want to correct your assumption “you dont know anything about giants of music from the south” is grossly incorrect. I might be a minority but wouldn’t fit into your “North Indian” stereotype.
Wow, I guess the issue of Lata really pushes your buttons, Raj.:-)
Given your emotional response, I don’t think a reasoned discussion on the unique place Lata occupies in *Indian* popular music is possible.
Also, as Aditya pointed out, you have no idea to the extent of my knowledge/exposure to non-Hindi film music and premising your arguments on my supposed ignorance, only reveals your ignorance, I’m afraid.
One final point, it’s facile (and ignorant) to assume that “North” India = Hindi speaking/knowledeagble. I’m from Kashmir and Hindi certainly isn’t my mother tongue. I learned it from Hindi films/music just like evreyone else.:-)
Again, I am disappointed at the inferences you have made. The issue was not your ‘north’ness, of which I made no allusion. I never said that. Dont put words in my mouth. I merely said bollywood hype - that doesnt mean that I said you are from the cow belt, does it? And the basic premise of your argument is that I did. Actually, you know what. I didnt say P.Suseela is superior to Lata. I merely said that Lata is over-hyped compared to the former, which any knowledgeable Indian music fan can acknowledge. But I see that it is beyond you to do that.
Again , this is a classic case - you are the one who claimed Lata dwarfs everyone else - now , thats a irrational statement. I merely said that this sort of claim is laughable and I didnt ever say that others are superior. In any case, I was arguing for Naushad, Rafi and Kishore, none of whom as of I know is from the South.
The joke is that you would claim that I am passionate and hence a reasonable discussion is not possible - it is not possible because you sit on your flawed premise that Lata is superior to everyone else. YOU are the irrational, passionate fan speaking
Aditya, your argument on MSS is taken. I am not hung up on her award. If you say Pt. Bhimsen Joshi deserves it equally, I will happily agree, because I know the contribution of the latter to Indian music. OTOH, it is you people who are hung up on Lata and by still arguing that she dwarfs everyone else, you are the ones who are irrationally dismissing the other giants of Indian music, north or south, or east or west.
Try to understand that it is not the award per se, but deifications like this that annoy me.
Raj: Looks like we’re mis-reading each other’s views because of our own personal beliefs and biases. Not for once did I say that lata is “superior” to anyone else nor did I deify her. I strongly believe that in the field of Arts there is nothing like a numero uno. I also did not dismiss any other “giant” of Indian Music. If I honestly want to rate people on the basis of their singing alone, I would also rate Rafi and Sehgal higher than Lata. All I said was that Lata’s contribution to Indian Film Music exceeds anyone else’s and hence she deserved the Bharat Ratna. Clearly, you disagree with that and I respect your opinion.
In the field of Arts there are many exceptional people and it is difficult to pick one as superior to another. So if one person gets an award there will always be a number of equally deserving candidates - that’s the reality of ANY award. If you really look at the list of Bharat Ratna receipients, it is fairly evident that it is mostly politically motivated. I believe that if there have been instances of this award being given to people from the fields of Arts and Sciences I would rather celebrate it than get into arguments about who deserves it more.
Having said that, I am enjoying this debate thoroughly, which in a way fulfils my wish that BR talks about in the very first comment.
I’m sorry Raj, but you’re being disingenuous now. Here are some statements you’ve made:
“To say that Rafi or Kishore aren’t in the same league as Lata or Asha, I can only say you are IGNORANT.”
“It is just the hogwash that covers up for your lack of knowledge of ‘Indian’ Film Music (as opposed to Hindi Film Music).”
“What galls is your ignorance - you don’t know anything about giants of music from the south yet you can categorically say that “nobodya can match Lata”.”
If these aren’t assumptions about mine (and Aditya’s) “ignorance” of Indian music, what are they? Unlike, Adtiya, I find “debating” with someone who fails to recognize the difference between “opinion” and “fact” tiresome. Read what Aditya has been saying in every post of his - Art is fundamentally subjective and therefore, there is no absolute “truth” associated with it. Everything Aditya, or you or I have said on the talents/contributions, etc. of Lata, Kishore, etc. is an *opinion*. Opinions, by their nature, cannot be proved or refuted. Calling people ignorant because they hold *opinions* different than yours is a singularly unpersuasive and childish means of communicating your point of view.
In parting, here is a bit of irony for you to ponder – by the ferocity and blindness of your opposition to her, the only person who has been deifying Lata in this discussion is you!
cheers,
Shalini
Aditya, I dont think I said anything fundamentally different from “It is difficult to place one artist over another”. All I was riled about was the categorical statement that “Lata was heads and shoulders above others” comment. That statement contradicts what you are saying with the “It is difficult to place one artist over another” thingy. I hope you can see that.
Shalini,
Again, I repeat, if you carefully read my posts, I have only objected to “placing Lata above Rafi and others”. I never said that Rafi is above Lata or any such. So, those who try to cleverly twist my points can do so but must realise that they are only exposing themselves.
Shalini, you are being self-contradictory. Once you say “art is subjective blah blah we cannot place one over another”, you cannot say “Artist A is way above others”. That precisely was my point all along. I defy you to point out an instance when I said anything like “Artist A is above others”> My argument all along has been “Artist B is NOT below Artist A”, which is nothing but a restatement of your “subjective blab blah”.
So, you can see, if you care to or are able to, that you are precisely guilty of the ‘crime’ you charged me with whereas I am not
Looks like you can detachedly think that “art is subjective” etc but are clouded by and forget that when you wan tto praise Lata.
Again, as for your last paragraph, it is the definition of disingenuity.
Raj: Maybe it didn’t get across well but I was making a distiction between “talent/skill” and “contribution” to the industry. So I don’t think I was contradicting myself when I said that “there’s no numero uno in Arts” and “Lata’s contribution to Indian film music exceeds any one else’s”.
If I read you correctly, you’re saying that since it’s difficult to place one artiste over others, the field of Arts is automatically disqualified from the Bharat Ratna. I might be putting words in your mouth but that’s my reading of it. My point is that we should celebrate the fact that this prestigious award is being given to non-political people as well.