Kalyanji-Anandji 2.0 and Kishore Kumar: Made for each other

I had written my first post on Kalyanji-Anandji about ten years ago on their best songs for Mukesh and had titled it “Made for each other”. I used that phrase studiedly because that was my instinctive feeling. Nudging by a reader made me explore their more songs – for Rafi, Other male singers, and Lata Mangeshkar and other female singers in the current year. I now discover that he composed more than twice the songs for Rafi as he did for Mukesh. But I still hold on to “Made for each other” tag for KA-Mukesh. All this discussion was limited to the 50s and 60s.

I had kept the SOY’s mandate to the Hindi film songs from the 30s through the 60s. I didn’t want to dilute that character. (In my theme-based posts however, wherever I considered necessary I have used songs from the 70s and later. I don’t take it as a contradiction.) However, Kalyanji-Anandji’s transformation to 2.0 was unique and very distinct from that of the other stalwarts from the Golden Era. The superstars like Naushad, OP Nayar, Shankar-Jaikishan and C Ramchandra faded away though they might have plodded on for some years beyond the 60s. They couldn’t navigate the choppy waters. Only SD Burman and Khayyam prove to be an exception. KA 2.0 reincarnated themselves with a different style of music and catapulted themselves among the Big Three – the other two being RD Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal who had debuted in 1961 and 1963 respectively. Their trajectory was different. RDB was more a post-70s phenomenon. LP were immediately among the tops since their debut and continued with their similar melody and orchestration, and gradual tweaking to remain at the top.

KA 2.0 were a different ball game. Their transformation paralleled Kishore Kumar 2.0 reincarnation post-Aradhana. I have written it in different words earlier. “Kalyanji-Anandji 2.0 and Kishore Kumar: Made for each other” sums up this double transformation and their great tango. I am also including Kishore Kumar’s duet with female singers in this post.

1. Hey re Kanhaiya kisko kahega tu maiya by Kishore Kumar from Chhoti Bahu (1971), lyrics Indivar, music Kalyanji-Anandji

This is a beautiful song on Krishna mythology. One mother gave birth to him and another reared him up. Who would he call Maiya (affectionate way of calling the mother). We all know the answer, the lyricist, composer and the singer have created a great song. Indivar’s lyrics are wonderful.  Look at the lines – Janam diya ho chaahe pala ho kisi ne bhed ye mamta na jaane/ Koi bhi ho jisne diya ho pyar ma ka man to usi ko ma maane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjGV1pcnD4o

2. Priye praneshwari hridayeshwari yadi aap humein aadesh karein to prem ka hum shri ganesh karein by Kishore Kumar from Hum Tum Aur Wo (1971), lyrics Varma Malik, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Kishore Kumar was always excellent in giving comic touches to a song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RMYw6UXu7U

3. Jo tum hansoge to duniya hansegi rooge to na royegi duniya by Kishore Kumar from Kathputli (1971), lyrics Varma Malik, music Kalyanji-Anandji

This song paraphrases Rahim’s couplet Rahiman nij man ki vyatha man hi raakho goye, encapsulating a fundamental philosophy of life. You may share your happiness with others, but don’t share your sorrows. No one would share it, rather they may make fun of  it.

4. Chupke se dil de de nahin te shor much jayega by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar from Maryada (1971), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music Kalyanji-Anandji

I remember I slept through this film, but it had some great songs. Among several popular songs of the film were a Kishore Kumar solo Gussa itna haseen hai  to pyar kaisa hoga, a Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar duet Tu bhi aa ja ki ke aa gayi jawani, and a Mukesh solo, Juban pe dard bhari dastan chali aayi.

5. Hamaare siwa tumhare aur kitne deewane hain by Kishore Kumar from Lata Mangeshkar from Apradh (1972), lyrics Indivar, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Now KA 2.0 and KK 2.0 were finding a natural fit with each other.

6. Nainon mein (?) nindiya hai, maathe pe (?) bindiya hai by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar from Joru Ka Ghulam (1972), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music Kalyanji-Anandji

This question-answer in staccato phrases have been tried with success earlier by different composers. Since nain, matha (and baal, and aankh) are already occupied by different objects, the man is perplexed and asks the woman herself where he would reside.

7. Tu na mili to hum jogi ban jayenge by Kishore Kumar from Victoria Number 203 (1972), lyrics Indivar, music Kalyanji-Anandji

We have seen in Jogi, Bhogi or Dhongi that often jogis are pure charlatans. Or more likely, heroes in disguise expressing their love in a comic manner.

8. Pal pal dil ke paas tum rahti ho by Kishore Kumar from Blackmail (1973), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Another superhit Kishore Kumar solo in the film was Sharbati teri aankhon ki jheel si gehrai mein. Pal pal dil ke paas tum rahti ho appeals to many serious music lovers.

9. Agar dil hamara sheesha ke badle patthar ka hota by Kishore Kumar from Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara (1973), lyrics Prakash Mehta, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Rakesh Roshan is bitter with the woman for her betrayal, and starts with a sarcastic recital – Dil todnewalon ki mehfil mein aa gaya hun/ Kaise duaayein dun, main badi mushqil mein aa gaya hun. Then he starts singing: Had this heart been made of stone, it would not have broken.

10. Rafta rafta dekho aankh meri ladi hai by Kishore Kumar and Usha Timothy from Kahani Kismat Ki (1973), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Kalyanji-Anandji

A superhit song of its time with appropriate light-hearted lyrics and dance. We don’t get to hear Usha Timothy often. KA had used her earlier in Himalay Ki Gode Mein (1965) in the song Haye soniye, heeriye..Tu raat khadi thi chhat pe.

11. Peenewalon ko peene ka bahana chahiye by Kishore Kumar and Hema Malini from Haath Ki Safai (1974), lyrics Gulshan Bawra, music Kalyanji-Anndji

Kishore Kumar does a perfect job to sing for a drunk person. Hema Malini is a perfect foil.

12. Hum bolega to bologe ki bolta hai by Kishore Kumar from Kasauti (1974), lyrics Verma Malik, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Pran acts a comic Gorkha. Kalyanji-Anandji create a perfect song for the situation rendered equally nicely by Kishore Kumar.

13. Mera jeevan kora kagaz kora hi rah gaya by Kishore Kumar from Kora Kagaz (1974), lyrics MG Hashmat, music Klayanji-Anandji

Composing such poignant songs in the voice of now Kishore Kumar was a routine thing for Kalyanji-Anandji.

14. Khai ke paan Banaraswala by Kishore Kumar from Don (1978), lyrics Anjaan, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Don was a landmark film in the career of the Big B. Once you get a project like this you have to have the talent for composing great songs, each befitting the situation. Amitabh Bachchan was now a supermarket for everything – comic, romantic, angry young man and his voice was generally Kishore Kumar. The film also had Kishore Kumar’s Ei hai Bambai nagariya tu dekh babua and the title song Arey deewanon, mujhe pahchaano, (and not to forget Asha Bhosle’s Ye mera dil pyar ka deewana). Nothing illustrates Kalyanji-Anandji’s complete transformation better than Don.

15. Salaam-e-ishq meri jaan qabool kar lo by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar  (1978), lyrics Prakash Mehra, music Kalyanji-Anandji

In duets I have started the practice of mentioning the singer who comes first. This song impacts us more as a Lata Mangeshkar solo. A musical blockbuster. Another song from the movie Rote huye aate hain sab is posted next. There are at least two more superhit songs: A Kishore Kumar/ Asha Bhosle twin version song O saathi re tere bina bhi kya jeena, Lata Mangeshkar’s Dil to hai dil, dil ka aitbaar kya keeje, and a Mahendra Kapoor-Lata Mangeshkar-Asha Bhosle triplet song Pyar zindagi hai.

16. Rote huye aate hain sab hansta hua jayega by Kishore Kumar from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), lyrics Anjaan, music Kalyanji-Anandji

I conclude this post with another superhit song from the movie. This is the happy version of the song. The sad version is in Rafi’s voice.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This blog has no commercial interest. It claims no copyright over these songs which vests with the original rights owners.