SALILDA MUSIC HAS NO LANGUAGE ( PART 2) ( Vol 35 Down Memory Lane)

 

Salil Chowdhrey

As Bimal Roy booked Kishore Kumar to play the film’s jobless hero opposite heroine Sheila Ramani in the movie Naukri, our singing-star performer assumed that he himself would be rendering the numbers going on the leading man. But Salil Chowdhury invited Hemant Kumar to playback his songs in Naukri, without informing Kishore, who was aghast when he heard about it. Salil gave this tune to Shailendra who immediately wrote the lyrics a genius.

Kishore rushed to Salil’s music room (at Mohan Studios, Andheri), humbly demanding to know why he was being eliminated, as a singer, from his own starrer.

‘But I’ve never heard you before!’ came back Salil Chowdhury as one new to Bombay. ‘Kishore modestly replied: ‘Then, at least, do please hear me now, Salilda. I have always rendered my songs myself in Bombay cinema.’

The moment Kishore began singing, Salil cut him short, observing: ‘You don’t know the ABC of music “. Hemant Kumar will sing, on you, Chhota sa ghar hogaa.’ Distraught, Kishore rushed to the great Bimal Roy to represent his case in the highest court of appeal. Only to hear him say: ‘Music is Salil Chowdhury’s department. My music director decides who sings what.’

That effectively shunted back Kishore to Salil – a Kishore, and he then carried with him as proof of his vocal potential. his own 78-rpm records, in a desperate attempt to prove his vocal worth to the Salil Chowdhury. For all that Kishore effort, Salil Chowdhury, the phenomenon from West Bengal, remained unconvinced. Whereupon others put in a word, underlining that the lad’s career, as a singing-star, had yet to take off and any attempt to employ a playback, for him, could prove to be morale-shattering. Somehow Salil relented, even while insisting: ‘But this Kishore lad is no singer, I tell you!’.

There were 2 versions of the song sad one by Hemant Kumar and the happy one by Kishore in the same film. Finally, Salil Chowdhury had Kishore leading the wistful way in 2 more songs in the same Naukri after this one!

 

Chota Sa Ghar Hoga Badalon Ki Chaon Mein     Naukari (1954)

After having nearly traumatized the hugely gifted Kishore, the same Salil Chowdhury stood wonderstruck, some 17 years later, as Kishore returned for Gulzar’s Mere Apne  to deliver for him (as ‘voiced over’ on Vinod Khanna) Koee hotaa jis ko apnaa hum apnaa keh letey yaaron full of pathos. After this recording Salil acknowledged later

 ‘I salute Dada Burman for spotting the spark in the boy so early, when all of us woefully misjudged Kishore’s talent.’

Koee hotaa jis ko apnaa hum apnaa k keh letey yaaron. Mere Apne (1971)

 Salil was full of musical ideas for film maker Dulal Guha in association with his pet poet Shailendra, for the Mala Sinha–Talat Mahmood starrer, Ek Gaaon Ki Kahani. This is what happens when composer and singer are on the same creative wavelength as manifest here. Salil has Talat (as the film’s hero) engrossingly enacting Raat ne kyaa kyaa khwab dikhaye. Talat’s silky voice will melt your heart with the pathos one of the finest Talat Salil numbers.

 Raat ne kyaa kyaa khwab dikhaye  Ek Gaon Ki Kahani (1957)

 

In Kerala Salil Chowdhury has become a household name and is highly revered. Along with Malayalee lyricist Vayalar and the poet ONV Kurup Salil composed music for over 25 Malayalam Films. This is one of Yesudas’s favorite of Salil which he used to sing in his stage shows at his prime.

 

Ormakale Kaivale Charthi   Pratheeksha  (Malayalam) 1968

 

 All Hrishikesh Mukherjee did venture, some 25 years later (in 1970), to get Lata to compose for Rajesh Khanna– Amitabh Bachchan’s Anand. But Lata politely declined. Imagine, if she had agreed, who would have brought form and colour to Salil Chowdhury’s proudest-ever composition, Na jiyaa laage na –in Raag Gaara on Sumita Sanyal? Lata sang both Hindi and Bengali versions of the song.

 

Na Jiya Laage Naa   Anand (1971)

 

The voice of Mukesh, the words of Yogesh and the lilting melody by Chowdhury, this song is the one that really takes listeners and viewers through the sadness of the titular character, Anand (Rajesh Khanna), who is otherwise determinedly cheerful in the face of his terminal illness. Original Bengali version sung by Hemant Kumar Amay Proshno Kore for which the lyrics is by Sali itself

Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye (Anand, 1971)

About Rajnikandha hit song Salil said

“This is what I have been telling you, music is a universal language. That Rajnigandha (1974) song Kai Baar Unhin Dekha Hai Ye Jo Mann Ki Seema Rekha Hai... I used in Malayalam film in Yesudas’ voice. I used in Bangla also and they were hits. “

 

Kai Baar Unhin  Dekha Hai ... Rajnigandha (1974)

 B. R. Chopra condescended to bring back Lata, to record the Salil Chowdhury-tuned Na jaane kyun hotaa hai yeh zindagee ke saath, voiced over on Vidya Sinha (vis-à-vis Amol Palekar). Such as this gorgeous melody sung by Lata Mangeshkar shot in  Bombay’s bustling bylanes, old bungalows, BEST buses and iconic restaurants forming the perfect backdrop for this story.

 

Na Jaane Kyon    Chhoti Si Baat) (1976)

 

To the music connoisseur he was better known as the non-conformist music composer whose unceasing search for perfection towered above everything else in his life. His meticulous attention to details, a scrupulous ear for musical content and insatiable desire for improvisation - it all remained with him till his last days. He was in fact a composer's composer, because unlike his market-driven counterpart, he never really set prose to music. To him the melody was sacrosanct and had to precede the words. The situation could then be adapted.Salil's music was a unique blend of the east and the west. Salil said about his unconventional song

“I remember while recording a song for Annadata, it took Kishore two days to get the composition. The song was Guzar Jaye Din Din.

 You had to be at a Salil Chowdhury recording, based entirely on the chords’ system, to divine what orchestral integration really meant. Everything would be sounding great, just great, when the man would chip in with: ‘Cut, cut!’ A cut above the rest was Salil Chowdhury, a composer.

 

Guzar Jaye Din Din. Annadata (1972)

Balu Mahendra first movie as director was Kokila in Kannada. It had Salil as music director. Balu Mahendra said about his first movie which is also actor Mohan’s first movie. S Janaki sang this tune which had blend of melody, humming and western background a true blend of east and west. Lata sang the Bengali version of the same song Aaj noy goon goon. While Salil always preferred Lata both for Hindi and Bengali for most songs when it comes to south his choice was mostly S Janaki.

Balu Mahendra said this in an event

“Salilda, an emotional man, was the first music director I met who
knew what it took to compose music for cinema”

Sanje Tangaali  Kokila Kannada  1977

 If Mannadey was his favorite in Hindi from Do Bhigha Zamin to Anand  it was KJ Yesudas in Malayalam  from Chemmeen to Madanolsavam

 

Sagarame Santhamake Nee   Madanolsavam  Malayalam (1978)

 

Balu Mahendra’s second movie was Azhiyatha Kolangal his first in in Tamil and what a music from Salil. This song Poo Vannam sung by Jayachandran and versatile P Suseela is proof of his versatility.

Ilayaraja worked as guitarist in Salil orchestra in the beginning of his career  not known to many in the south.   Later films of Balu Mahendra had music by Ilayaraja.

Ilayaraja said this about Salil.

“Salil was an inspiration. I have imbibed a lot from him.”

 Balu Mahendra said this in the same event

“In the last 25 years, there's not been a single session where Ilaiyaraja and I have not spoken of this genius Salil."

Like Salil S Janaki became favorite singer for Ilayaraja in future for Tamil hits .

 

POO VANNAM AZHITHA KOLANGAL TAMIL (1979)

 

His occasional flirtations with Mozart or Bach, his experiments with the relative minor and major scales, with harmonized choral singing, modern chord progression was mind blowing blend of East and West.

Salil Chowdhury also composed jingles for Lipton Tea, Hamam Soap etc .

In the end Salil moved away from Bombay and set up his own recording studio.

“” I realise Bombay is no more for me... this kind of music... I am not suitable for. I find myself to be a misfit in Bombay’s filmy music scene. So I made this sound recording studio and  I wanted to experiment with the electronic medium in music. So many synthesisers and other modern musical equipment...the scope of a composer has gone up hundreds folds... You will find, in the West, all composers, have their own studios. I go to Bombay just to do music for TV serials “

About his own career this is what Salil said towards the end.

 

“ An artist cannot be satisfied. I feel I could have done much better. I have not given even 30 % of my imagination... so that remains. But I have a sense of fulfilment. I have got tremendous love from all over the country and that satisfies me. And my feeling reflects in the song, Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli... sung by Manna Dey for Anand.

 

Zindagi Kaise Ke Paheli    Anand

Salil Chowdhrey symbolizes modernity. You had to be at a Salil Chowdhury recording, based entirely on the chords’ system, to divine what orchestral integration really meant. Everything would be sounding great, just great, when the man would chip in with: ‘Cut, cut!’ A cut above the rest was Salil Chowdhury, a composer.

To the music connoisseur he was better known as the non-conformist music composer whose unceasing search for perfection towered above everything else in his life. His meticulous attention to details, a scrupulous ear for musical content and insatiable desire for improvisation - it all remained with him till his last days. He was in fact a composer's composer, because unlike his market-driven counterpart, he never really set prose to music. To him the melody was sacrosanct and had to precede the words. The situation could then be adapted.

My humble tribute to Salil on his 28^th Death Anniversary September 5^th 2023. 

References

Bharatan, Raju. A Journey Down Melody Lane

Suhana safar' with Salilda Dinesh Krishnajois the Hindu Article 23Nov 2004

Interview with S Janaki

Salil Interview with MK Jha