These are a few of my favourite (Hindi) Geeta Dutt songs…
Geeta Dutt came dancing into my heart with Babuji Dheere Chalna (the first GD song I ever performed) and I was hooked…. not during my teens but when I was well into my twenties and had just started singing for my music group in Madras, Friends’ Orchestra, performing mainly Hindi film songs from the 50s to the 70s.As I heard and learnt more songs of Geeta I also started learning more about Geeta, the woman and the singer and her career, her love and sorrow, tragedy and descent into the abyss of alcoholism and her passing away in the early 70s.She is the only female singer I have idolized and I feel her pain when I hear ja ja bewafaa and waqt ne kiya, her intoxication in hoon abhi main, her teasing seduction in babuji dheere and ai dil mujhe, her naughtiness in sun sun zalima, her blissful abandon in mera naam chin chin, her tenderness in koi chupke aake, her spirituality in Aan milo…
Putting together a list of Geeta Dutt favourites is by no means an easy task and it was indeed difficult to choose from some amazing solos and duets that she had sung – and after much pruning and chopping (and excluding her gorgeous Bengalis songs), I finally compiled a list with 11 solos (threw in an extra one for good measure) and 10 duets that were my most favourite!Actually ‘favourites among favourites’ would be a better term…Hoping to see our reader’s lists of favourites where I am sure I will learn about or discover or re-discover more Geeta gems!
Waqt ne kiya – a masterpiece from Kaagaz Ke Phool immortalized by her superb and emotion-charged rendition– with exquisite arrangements and score by BurmanDa – this ranks not just as mine but so many other fans’ favourite song for all time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZR57XQ7yI
Ja Ja Ja Bewafaa – O.P.Nayyar classic from Aar Paar – the pathos version of sun sun zalima – a heartstring tugging melody with absolutely minimal and delicately lovely music and lyrics.
Babuji Dheere Chalna – ah – what Geeta Dutt list is complete without this sweet and playful number from Aar Paar based on Quizas Quizas – a song that is still the rage with audiences young and old anywhere it is played either in its original avatar or remixed versions!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A35PbjcKoBA
Koyi chupke se aake –from Anubhav, one of her last films–Kanu Roy was the MD – a song that plays in the background – sweet and passionate yet so tender!Here is the original and my tribute to this glorious song and singer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMw-Z5iFPd4
Nanhi Kali (Hawa dheere aana)– one of the most beautiful loris in HFM – with vocal touches that only Burmanda could have got out of Geeta – with very simple and minimal BGM – no formal rhythm or percussion in this beautiful beautiful lullaby from Sujatha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlSQRxEE__c
Hoon Abhi main jawan – a genre of songs that Geeta excelled in – inebriated and light headed – yet filled with emotion and passion – a song that just gets you intoxicated with her sheer magical singing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaC9dO6XudE
Tadbeer Se Bigdi – a ghazal by Sahir that was jazzed up by SDB and immortalized by Geeta and picturised on charming Geeta Bali and suave Dev Anand from Baazi.
Mujhe huzoor tumse pyar hai – what a gem – slow seductive night club song – an atypical Naushad number from Son of India –one of the few songs Geeta sang for Naushad and what a pity that was!! Geeta oozes seduction and sultriness – just so…mmm…words fail me…sigh… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ENBbo216o
Jaane kya tune kahin – based on Burmanda’s gem Mono dilo na Bodhu – when one listens to Burmanda’s version and then Geeta’s, you realize that Burmanda must have known that only Geeta could have captured the essence of the song and the subtle vocal touches that his songs were so famous for – the husky and fantastic meanders of the vocal cords especially in the antharas!Here are links to the Bengali and Pyaasa versions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fweU1x0KU1k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpSDnDLyM6c
Na jao saiyan – a song from Sahib Bibi aur ghulam that conveyed so many emotions rolled into one – love, desire, helplessness, pain, drunken stupor – surely one of the finest Hemantda-Geeta combinations! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Z0hQVo2vw
Jhoom Jhoom ke – from Coffee House.Right from the start, when Geeta starts with yeh hawa ye fizaa and then as she grooves in this Roshan’s version of Spanish Gipsy Dance, an absolutely sizzling number! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beOy3mE5bFs
Duets:
Yaaron kisi se na kehna –Nutan’s almost childlike and fresh innocence is countered by Geeta’s elegant, mature and stylish sensuousness in this off beat song from Chhabili with music by Snehal Bhatkar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0VDwp8hWMU
Tum jo huye mere hamsafar – lovely Rafi-Geeta waltz with violins galore for 12 O clock composed by OPN and filmed on Guru Dutt and Waheeda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c60uJHdP1Tk
Jahan Jahan Khayal aata hai – I have mentioned this in one of my earlier lists – a gem from OPN – relatively unknown song from Bade Sarkar – varying rhythms and animated singing by Rafi and Geeta make this simply irresistible to pass by!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-olGIwhAk
Udhar tum haseen – This gorgeous song with Rafi is filmed on Guru Dutt and Madhubala in Mr and Mrs 55 with music by OPN and lyrics by Majrooh.
Thandi thandi hawa – A frisky and playful yet extremely sweet duet with Asha from the film Johnny Walker that had some amazing music by OPN. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNnI9mWmwr8
Chupke se mile – from Manzil with the Majrooh/SDB combine has Geeta as perfect foil for Rafi in this marvelous duet as they sing for Nutan and Dev Anand.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3edCIumoVc
Dil ki umangen hai jawan – another mischievous and fun song with Hemant and a Mr.Thakur who sings for Pran who doesn’t realize he is being made fun of by Dev Anand and Nalini Jayawant! Had the pleasure of performing this fun number many years ago and what a blast it was!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRz4Nmnn8tE
Chale Hum Kahan – from Police, a film that had some gorgeous songs (like sun le piya) that I discovered during my surfing YouTube – this is a soft and dreamy waltz with Hemant who also composed the music.Lovely harmonies and whistling and violins in the BGM just add to the beauty of the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaeBvfbDrBw
Tujhe du main kya –beautiful duet from Insaaf Kahan hai with music by Robin Banerjee will waltz its way into your heart with beautiful harmonies and orchestration– this film was never released but the songs are available on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMOdteNlhGU
Aan milo – a spiritual and moving song from Devdas – infused with Baul and Bengali folk flavour –the emotional and evocative rendition by Manna Dey and Geeta in this song composed by Burmanda never fails to touch a chord in your heart and inner soul.
Buzzing around my head are also so many more solos like hum ko chhod ke kahan, ai dil mujhe batade, banki adayen, ye lo main hari piya, jaata kahan hai, ye kaun aaya, neele aasmani, preetam aan milo and duets like jaane kahan mera, jab se mili to se, Sun Sun Zalima, Ham aap ki aankhon mein, ai dil hai mushkil, rhim jhim ke tarane, aaja zara and of course the unforgettable aankhon hi aankhon mein!It will be 39 years since Geeta Dutt passed away on 20 July 1972, but what a legacy she has left behind – the skylark still lives on in so many of our hearts and fills our very being with her sweet music!
(Sudha (Lakshmi) Rao along with other local talented musicians can be heard paying musical tributes to Geeta Dutt at a concert Hawaaon Ke Taraane on May 14th 2011 at the India Center, 152 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA. For more details please visit: http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/cal.php?stage=1&event_id=8299 )
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