Neera Chandhoke 
Bombay film songs acquire a trajectory that leaves the film and its actors behind. Over time we find it difficult to recollect the name of a film, or even the actor on whom a song was filmed. But we remember the melody. Think of the wonderful song ‘Tum jo mil gaye ho, toh yu lagta hain, ke jahan mil gaya’ in Hanste Zakhm (1973) . In the scene, a mediocre actor Navin Nischal lip-syncs the song for an equally mediocre Priya Rajvansh. Both are utterly forgettable.
Nevertheless, we recollect in great detail the wonderful lyrics by Kaifi Azmi for the film produced and directed by Chetan Anand. We have vivid memories of Mohammed Rafi’s voice. And we remember with perfect clarity the flawless musical composition of Madan Mohan (1924-1975), whose birth centenary falls on June 25 of this year.
Experts on the Bombay film and its music tell us that Madan Mohan did not get his due in the industry. May be, maybe not. Popularity is not a substitute for talent. Who can, after all, forget the music he composed for the number, ‘Har taraf ab yehi afsane hai. Hum teri ankkhon ke diwane hai’ in the film Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973).
The lyrics of the song were written by Kaifi Azmi and picturised on Raaj Kumar, who walking in the mist poetically recollects Priya Rajvansh’s, well, eyes. If there is Priya Rajvansh in a film, it must have been made by Chetan Anand. Never mind the ordinary war film and its stars, we recollect the song sung in the wonderfully mellow voice of Manna Dey.
Songs set to music by Madan Mohan and written by Kaifi Azmi are songs of love. Kaifi Azami is reported to have said that his song which was set to music by Madan Mohan in the 1970 Chetan Anand film Heer Ranjha: ‘Meri duniya mein tum aaye, kya kya apne saath liye’ was the best love song he had written. It certainly is a memorable love song redolent of the wonderful poetry for which Punjab is known.
Madan Mohan, who himself looked like a film star from the 1950s, reportedly had no training in music. Yet he composed the most amazing numbers in partnership with Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. He put together an everlasting number for Sharabi (1964) starring Dev Anand and Madhubala; ‘Sawan ke mahine mein, ek aag si seene mein, lagti hai to pi leta hoon, do chaar ghadi ji leta hoon’.
The lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi and the film was directed by Raj Rishi. It was one of the most peppy numbers that came to us from the industry.
Karan Johar’s Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani reignited another catchy tune composed by Madan Mohan, ‘Jhumka gira re, Bareilly ke bazaar mein.’ The song was sung by Asha Bhosle for (1966) Mera Saaya, one of the most improbable film stories that saw the light of day. Picturized on a coquettish Sadhna, the lyrics of the song were written by Raja Mehndi Ali Khan.
The film was directed by Raj Khosla. Mohan could also compose a soulful number for the same film. It was sung by Mohamed Rafi, ‘aapke pehlu mein aake ro diye, dastaane dil suna ke ro diye’. He also gave music to the playful number in the same film ‘naino wali ne hai mera dil loota’ sung joyfully by Lata Mangeshkar.
A stupendously improbable ‘ghostly’ story ‘Woh Kaun Thi’ (1966) directed by Raj Khosla is remembered for one of Lata Mangeshkar’s most sensual numbers: ‘lag ja gale, ke phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho’. The lyricist was Raja Mehndi Ali Khan and Madan Mohan composed the music for this timeless number. The lead pair was Sadhna and Manoj Kumar. We remember them, but remember the songs more.
This is a salutary reminder of what M.K Raghavendra suggests in his 2016 work on Bollywood, written as one of Oxford India’s Short Introduction. He argues that film music achieves a life of its own. It is difficult to think, he suggests, of a Hollywood number transcending its context, the way Bombay Film music does.
The 1950s are described as the time when melody was king. Madan Mohan’s music reached into the 1960s and 1970s, bringing a rare sensitivity to romance at a time when Western tunes and cacophonies began to dominate Bollywood.
He created music that raised the standard for many films, for example Rajinder Singh Bedi’s (1970) Dastak. He was awarded the National film award for the best music direction for that film. Who can forget ‘baiya na dharon sajna’ written by Majrooh Sultanpuri from that film, even though we can hardly recollect the name of the actor upon whom this song was filmed.
Film critics tell us that Madan Mohan’s talent was underutilised because he had no known film maker or actor to back him the way Naushad was preferred by Dilip Kumar, or Raj Kapoor had Shankar Jaikishan, and Dev Anand S.D and then R.D Burman. Madan Mohan composed more than a hundred musical scores, but most of them were unused.
He became an alcoholic and died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1975 at age 51. He died early. And the world lost a composer who could weld poetry and music, both of which are the basic instincts of human beings, together in such wonderful ways.
Madan Mohan returned with a bang to popular memory when his unused music was resurrected by his son Sanjeev Kohli for Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara (2004). The lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar and most of the songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Those wonderful lyrics and the musical scores sent waves of nostalgia awash for the genius of Madan Mohan, the man who brought melody into our lives.
Neera Chandhoke was a professor of political science at Delhi University.