IMMORTAL SURENDRANATH,BA LLB ( SURENDRA)

IMMORTAL SURENDRANATH. BA, LLB ( SURENDRA)

Surendranath BALLB was more popularly know as Surendra and some times as Surinder ( Punjabi version). When Surendra was dominating the Bombay film industry the play back singing came to stay. Play back singing started picking up in forties to some extent. Singing heroes like Surendra and Saigal were at the fore front. Ashok kumar also sang his own songs in Kismat and Jhoola and Achut kanya. Karan diwan too sang in Rattan, Kishore just came into movies at the end of forties. He was a kid. Mukesh tried his hand at acting too with Nordosh and Lekh but failed. He shifted to play back singing initialy imitating KL saigal. Finally he came out of saiga influence and found his own. Talat had some successful hero singer roles. But he too shifted to play back singing. Rafi, Manadey were finding their moorings.They had some classical singing and could handle high pitch songs that became craze in later years. Lata mangeshkar was also stabilising as a singer. Noorjehan , suriah, Khursheed dominated as singers and actresses. Bibo, whaida bai, Maya Banerjee, Mehtab were popular.Geetha Dutt made entry and became very popular soon.Surendra had acted in good films such as Meri kahani with Munawwar sultana after Elan and sang some very good songs with geetha Dutt under K Dutta. In Kamal under SD Burman Surendra gave excelent songs with Geetha dutt and also solo songs. He gave excelent songs with suriah in 1857. In Anmol Ghadi that was a super duper hit of all times to come he gave excellent songs with Noorjehan and also solo songs. Surendra also gave excellent duet with Geetha dutt in Maya maschindra in 1951. Surendra gave his one of his best songs in Gawaiah in 1954 (teri yad ka deepak Jalta hai..) Surendra did not sing with Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhonsle although he gave excellent duets with Shamshad Begum in anokhi ada.
As time passed into middle of sixties, degradation of film Music rapidly took place. Peoples tastes changed to worst. Fast beat songs, Kawalis, shriek, wailing, comic and shouting songs became craze that were mostly sung by Mohd rafi and Manna dey and later by Kishore kumar. Songs with classical base were sung by Manna dey and rafi too. Talat and Mukesh had somegood days and Talat rapidly faded out. His songs did not match the jumping jacks. He was gentle man and he retreated. Surendra was wise and switched over to character roles. He was also past his prime in mid sixties ( 50 years of age). This age does not suit for hero roles and Ashok kumar also shifted to Character roles.Hindi cinema is hero oriented and hardly cater for songs from Character roles. there is some exception in film Geeth gaya Pattharone in which Ch Atma ated and gave two excellent songs ( He was not a regular actor). It was a rare one and that was the end for CH Atma in movies. He faded out. CH Atma kept Saigal tradition alive till he lived. He gave many private songs, Geeths , Ghazals. Film music collapsed from glory to the lowest platform.KL Saigal was lucky and he did not live to see the degraded film Music.Surendra lived long to see the degradation of Hindi film music. Hemust have felt miserable within with such music. KL Saigal and Surendra are the gems and immortal singers even today and occupy special place in the hearts of genuine Music lovers.They can not be replaced. Mukesh and Talat and CH Atma too need mentioning who kept good music alive for some more days.Let the souls of al these great singers rest in peace. Probably Hindi filmdom will never see the days of surendra and Saigal.
We find that commercial singers in Hindi filmdom have turned out thousands of songs and some were given govt awards too. but we can count the good songs on fingers. Most of the songs are bla...blaa.. Boo.. boo. One can hardly remember a song after 5 minutes have passed after seeing the movies. Most of the songs are lost into the drain immediately. but songs of Surendra and saigal, Talat and Mukesh are remembered even though decades have passed with great nostalgia. They are immortal and there is no death to their songs. Sadly todays youth havedwindled tates and run for rap songs of dance sequences with vulgar meanings ad double meaning. Current singers need no mentioning. May god give them wisdom early and bring back the good days of Hindi cinema.
Surendra gave excelent duets in La haveli wih Noorjehan. these were. mohaniya... sunder mukhda khol. Mohania sunder mukhda khol, Dil deke nahee jaaana... and solo Kyo man dhoonde premangar ka kinaara.. Doobne wala.. doob chuka hai..His duet with Amirbai karnataki in Bhartruhari... Bikhsha de de mayya pingla is very famous and even after 66 years of its recording it is regularly played on the festivals celebrating Bhartruhari the great king turned sage.His Other solo songs... bhanwara..madhuban me mat jaa re..alakh nam ras peena and prem bina sab soona wre greta hits. There are still many memorable songs that Surendra delivered to filmdom.
Exactly 100 years have passed after Surendras birth. The filmdom of Bomabay has forgotten him. we erect statues formany corrupt and controversial leaders and worship them. sadly many imporatnt personalities are forgotten who have made life worth living. Songs of Bye gone old age cinema are most important and brig back memories and nostalgia to us. How soothing it is to hear a good song after a days hard work. How these songs inspire us to live? How they console you? Of course these are no meaning to a person who does not like music or songs. Singers such as Surendra and saigal, Talat, Sanyal and mukesh or immortal.
In the earlier days of Hindi cinema, lot of importance was given to sentiment and story.With release of Devadas and its success trgedy became an imporatnt theme for movies. Series of movies came out with tragic stories. Saigal started the trend. Movies such as Devadas, Lagan, Shahejahan,Dhoopchaon, My sister ( although end was fine) and many more. Tragic songs were more impressive and soulful.Naturallly Surendra also had similar roles. Most of his movies were tragedies and he gave many haunting melodies. In those days stunt pictures were not common.Few third or second grade actors did such movies. Surendra commanded very great respect and he was the only one paid highest and provided car from his house to the studio and back. At later date Dilip kumar became famous with tragic roles. Even Talat sang many songs for tragic movies and were much appreciated. Thus we can not compare Saigal or surendra with to days jumping heroes and Khans who do no acting but go around showing thier chests and do some twists of hips that go as dances.Sady this is the taste .Raj Kapor was more a commercial success with changed trend. But for Mukesh he would have become a big flop. Today Degradation is complete.Surendra and saigal stand far above all and Dilip can not be neglected and closely folows them.
Here is the immortal and one of his best song ( Haunting melody) of Surendra from film Gawaiah 1954under the music direction of Ram Ganguly.
Teri yaad ka deepak jalta hai
Duniyaa ke mere veerane mein
Teri yaad ka deepak jalta hai
Wo pagal pan jo pehle thaa
Aabhi hai tere deevane mein..deevane mein
Teri yaad ka deepak jalta hai
Takdeer ko aisee aag lagi..Takdeer ko aisee... aag lagi..
aag lagi
Jal jal ke kaleja khaaak hua
Wo shouk magar kuch hai bhi abhee
Jalneke tere parwaane mein
Teri yaad ka deepak jalta hai
Kissa hai meri barbaadikaa
Shouk se duniyaa sunthi hai
Kya raaz hai koyee kyaa jaane
Is dard bhare afsaane mein
Teri yaaad ka deepak jalta hai
One of the best songs of Surendra is from Ankhi ada. Here it is;
Jale nakyo. Jalena kyo
Jalena kyo parwana.
Jalena kyo parwana.
Shama dikha kar husn ke jalwe
Banade jab deewana .Jalena kyo parwana
Dilki lagee kaa naam hai ulfat
Dilki lagi ka naam ulfat hai.
Aur ulfat ka hai ye matlab,
Chupke chpke dheere dheere
hus hus ke jal jaana..
jalena kyo parwana
Jalna hai tho phir jal jaye.. oh.ohh
Jalna hai tho phir jal jaye.
Husn ke sanche mein dhal jaye
Husn ke sanche mein dhal jai
Ishk mein dono ekhai
abto jeena yaa mar jaanaa
Jalena kyo parwana
Shama dikhakar husn ke jalwe bannade jab deewana.
Jalena kyo parwanaa
KL saigal, surendra, Pahari sanyal form the trio who sang from soul and became immortal. Next came mukesh and Talat and Hemant kumar who literally followed the footsteps. there were odd singers such as Karan deewan,Shamkumar to fill the gaps at times.Mohammed rafi, manna dey, Mahendra Kapoor and Kishore although became popular for the changed tastes form a different group who succeeded commercialy and do not sand on same pedestal as Surendra and saigal. Kishore sang more comic songs initially and then took to modern songs. With this down gradation of Hindi music is complete.