Aane waali naslein tumpe rashq karengi ki tumne
Lata Mangeshkar ko dekha aur suna hai.
The Nightingale of India turns 86. Lata Mangeshkar has always shared a very special relationship with all prominent music directors, right from Ghulam Haider, Anil Biswas and Khemchand Prakash as mentors, to composers like Naushad, C Ramchandra, SD Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Madan Mohan, Shankar-Jaikishan, Jaidev, Chitragupta, Roshan and many other legendary names, who weaved immortal melodies using her voice. On the other hand, there are lesser known composers who only got to work with Lataji on rare occasions, yet they created memorable songs with her that deserve a place in the league of the best of Lata Mangeshkar.
Here are eight lesser heard gems by Lataji, from eight brilliant yet unsung composers.
1. Amarnath: Nanha Mora Dole - Garam Coat
Amarnath did just one Hindi film in his entire career – Garam Coat, a 1955 film, made by noted author Rajinder Singh Bedi, on his own story titled, The Coat and the Clerk.
Garam Coat showcases the best of Lata with five very beautiful solos superbly crafted by Amarnath. Amarnath came from Lucknow and worked for All India Radio for a while. His compositions in Garam Coat now pose the big question – why did he give music for just one film? Each song in the soundtrack is a gem. Listen to the lori, Nanha Mora Dole, which I have picked from the soundtrack and I’m sure you’ll be asking the same question too.
2. K Mahavir: Aaj Ki Raat (Non Film)
K Mahavir was the son of P Mahadev Prasad Raagi, a big name in Punjabi devotional music in the early days. His father was close to Khemchand Prakash and his elder brother K Madan Prakash assisted Khemchand Praksh for several years. Mahavir too assisted many music directors and used to share a lot of his own compositions with many established composers, who then used those compositions as their own. K Mahavir despite being a sheer talent remained largely unknown. He was a good friend to Hridaynath Mangeshkar and got to compose a few compositions for a non-film album of Lata ji titled Aaj Ki Raat. Here’s a beautiful composition of his from the album.
3. Shivram: Guzari Thi Raat Aadhi, Khamosh Tha Zamaana - Surang
Pt Shivram hailed from Jodhpur and gave music in over a dozen Hindi films, yet he could get Lata Mangeshkar to sing for him only on a couple of occasions like Teen Batti Char Raasta and Surang. This song from Surang features a young Shashikala playing the matki and group of villagers playing the sarangi, and has been beautifully picturised by director V Shantaram.
4. Bhola Shreshtha: Dil Jalega Toh Zamane - Ye Basti Ye Log (Unreleased)
Bhola Shreshta was an accomplished tabla player in Kolkata. He started his career in film music as an assistant to Khemchand Prakash and later assisted Bulo C Rani too before becoming an independent music director in early 50s. He only did 3-4 films as an independent composer, yet he will always be remembered for this gem of a ghazal that he composed for Lataji for the film Ye Basti Ye Log, which unfortunately got shelved.
5. Jamaal Sen: Sapna Ban Saajan Aaye - Shokhiyaan
Jamal Sen will always be remembered as a great talent and an original composer who never got his due. Just a couple of soundtracks from the 50s, namely Shokhiyaan and Daayra showcase the potential he had. A great exponent of Rajasthani folk and classical music, Sen gave us some unforgettable melodies in the few opportunities he got. I’m picking a Lata track from Shokhiyaan, based on a Rajasthani folk tune. Check out Lataji’s lovely rendition, and of course Jamaal Sen’s fantastic orchestration.
6. Dilip Dholakia: Jaa Jaa Re Chanda Jaa Re - Private Secretary
Dilip Dholakia was a prominent name in Gujarati music, who never got a good break in Hindi films. His most remarkable work with Lata Mangeshkar was in the 1962 film Private Secretary, which features three beautiful compositions in Lataji’s voice. The film is now largely forgotten, but Lataji’s songs from the soundtrack still popularly play on. My pick from the soundtrack is Jaa Jaa Re Chanda Jaa Re.
7. Vanraj Bhatia: Barse Ghan Saari Raiyn - Tarang
Vanraj Bhatia is a celebrated composer of art house cinema and known for his association with Shyam Benegal’s films. A gold medalist from the Royal Academy of Music, London, Vanraj started his career with ad jingles in the 60s and got his break in movies with Benegal’s Ankur in 1974. He shied away from mainstream cinema, and got just one opportunity to work with Lata Mangeshkar in Kumar Shawhney’s Tarang, where he composed a Raghuveer Sahay poem on death in Lata’s voice. A haunting melody with quite a complex structure, this was a challenging composition for Lata and she took it up with élan. Lataji was reportedly so happy with this song, that she didn’t charge a single rupee for the film.
8. Anand Ghan: Airanchya Deva Tula - Sadhi Manase
The most interesting name in the league of unsung composers who have worked with Lata Mangeshkar is Marathi music director Anand Ghan. Few know that, Anand Ghan is actually a pseudonym for Lata Mangeshkar herself as a composer. When Lataji started composing, she didn’t want people to know that it’s her own compositions as a music director and so she took another identity. It was only when Anand Ghan won the Maharashtra State Award for best music direction for the film Sadhi Manase in 1965, along with Lata Mangeshkar as best singer, did people came to know that they are one and the same. Lataji composed music for four Marathi films in the 60s under this name.
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