1. Jhoom Jhoom dhalti raat (Lata Mangeshkar)

Kohraa (1964) featured the ethereal Waheeda Rehman as the mysterious rake Biswajeet’s second wife who’s haunted by his dead wife. Based on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940), the chilling ambience of this film was sublimated by the producer Hemant Kumar’s vintage music. Lata Mangeshkar’s Jhoom jhoom dhalti raat heightened the feeling of ominous dread in the plot. Montages of the dead woman’s spirit wandering the night in this song were exquisitely expressive. Waheeda Rehman as the Indian version of Rebecca was vulnerable, adamant and very beautiful. Kohraa was one of the superior supernatural thrillers of the 1960s where the actors respond to a particular plot rather than peripheral attractions such as songs and romance.

2. Mujhe apni duniya mein wapas bula lai (Noor Jehan)

Deewana (1964) was perhaps Lollywood’s first ever horror film. It was made way back in 1964 and took its inspiration from the Invisible Man and The Spiral Staircase. Sabiha was cast in the role of an insomniac and the film despite starting off with a certain amount of promise soon deteriorated into an insufferable bore. The intriguing aspect of the film plot that involved the marauding psychotic invisible man was completely ignored while the audience was tortured by an uninteresting romantic plot involving Sabiha, Ejaz and Ilyas Kashmiri.

However, the film had some awesome songs composed by Bengali music director Muslehuddin. It has been noticed that whenever Noor Jehan collaborated with music directors from East Pakistan (whether Muslehuddin or Bashir Ahmed), the result was magic and this song is no exception. This particular ghost song sung by Noor Jehan and chorus and picturized on Nasreen (with Zurain in the frame) was the highlight of the film. Muslehuddin’s was very good with using chorus voices, and in this song he created “that” ghostly effect by blending the chorus effectively with the main voice

3. Rahoun mei thari mein nazrein jamaey (Noor Jehan)

One of the finest ghost films coming out of Pakistan, Ghoonghat (1962) was composed, produced and directed by Pakistan’s ace composer Khurshid Anwar. In this song he used Noor Jehan’s voice effectively to create the mysterious ambience. The ringing of temple bells at the beginning of the song and the use of chorus (one of the best use of chorus in my opinion) further enhanced the haunted atmosphere of this song.

The biggest technical achievement of this film at its time was to create the atmosphere of mystery that has been captured in the outdoor location sequences. It was comparatively much easier to create such an effect on the artificial sets, where the studio lights were under the control of the cameraman and a limited space facilitated the manipulation of artificial mist. But to successfully launch such a venture in the wide expanses of a mountain was an achievement which Lollywood could well be proud of.

4. Kahin deep jaley kahin dil (Lata Mangeshkar)

Bees saal baad (1962) was based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. This ghost song was the highlight of this film and credit should be given to both the music director Hemant Kumar and singer Lata Mangeshkar for creating the spooky/haunted atmosphere required for such mystery/thrillers.

This song also remains a milestone in Lata’s career because she fell ill in 1962 and thought she would never be able to sing again. In Lata’s own words

“In 1962, I fell very ill for about three months. I thought I would never be able to sing again. One day, I woke up feeling very uneasy in my stomach. And then I started throwing up — it was terrible, the vomit was a greenish color. The doctor came and even brought an x-ray machine home because I could not move. He x-rayed my stomach and said I was being slowly poisoned. We had a servant in the house who made the food. Usha (Mangeshkar) went straight into the kitchen and told everyone that from that moment  on, she would do the cooking instead. The servant sneaked off without telling anyone and without collecting any pay. So we thought someone had planted him there. We didn’t know who it was. I was bed-ridden for three months and was so weak.

I will never forget Majrooh Sahib’s kindness to me during those difficult times. He came at six in the evening and sat by me every day for three long months. He ate whatever I ate and recited poetry and read me stories. We talked and laughed together. I thoroughly enjoyed this company.

When I was feeling well enough to sing, the first song I recorded was Hemant Kumar’s ‘Kahin deep jale kahin dil.’”

5. Kahan ho tum saheliyoun (Noor Jehan)

Although technically not a ghost song.. but the singing, the delusions/hallucinations the lonely and sick heroine is going through by being imprisoned in the haunted mansion is enough the create the disturbed and chilling atmosphere required for ghost songs.

Again Khurshid Anwar collaborates with Noor Jehan and chrous to create this spooky song for mystery/suspense/thriller Hamraaz (1967). The cobwebs, the burning candles, the delusions that her friends are dancing and singing with her, the deep sickly breaths and most of all the haunted humming done by the chorus immerses us into chilling audio-visual experience.

Note:- For a change I didn’t include Lata’s omnipresent “Aayega aanewala”. Although it is one of my favorite songs, I don’t think that song needs any introduction – Ummer Siddique

A scene from Kohraa (1964)

Mehdi Hasan at an art exhibition – Photo courtesy of Asif Noorani

It was not until Mehdi Hasan: The Man and his Music, the book that I conceived, compiled, edited, partly wrote and almost entirely rewrote, hit the bookstores that I realised the great singer’s popularity hasn’t receded over the years. Though the stroke that paralysed him ten years ago has left him at best wheelchair bound and at worst bedridden, and he has neither performed nor recorded for a decade, he remains a yardstick by which all other ghazal singers are judged. The slim volume, laced with photographs, most of them unpublished, and accompanied with two priceless CDs, has been a bestseller and very soon work may well begin on the second edition.

Mehdi Hasan: The Man and his Music happened when I realised that there was no book on one of the greatest icons of the subcontinent in our times. Some of his admirers in India often sent requests for anything on ‘Mehdi sahib’ which they could read and give a pride of place on their bookshelves.

When I decided to take a plunge, the one major problem was, and still is, that the icon cannot communicate. His answers, if any, are in one or two words. His family members are scattered and difficult to contact, except for a son in Karachi who is generally inaccessible. “But”, as I wrote in the foreword of the book, “I discovered to my surprise and, of course, pleasure that people like composer Robin Ghosh in Dhaka, Raza Ali Abidi in London, Rakhshanda Jalil in Delhi and Raza Rumi in Lahore agreed wholeheartedly to contribute to the book at short notice. Then there were singers like Runa Laila, Jagjit Singh, Abida Parveen, Nayyara Noor and Tina Sani, who spoke enthusiastically about their association with the vocalist from whom they have drawn inspiration.”

EMI Pakistan, which had been forced into hibernation by pirates and are back in action, were invited to become a partner in the project, which they did so happily. They have a great collection in their archives, which they are indexing. I recalled that in 1976, a two-evening concert, featuring the ustad, was held in Lahore. The recordings later released on audio cassettes are in my personal library. The stereophonic recording was superb. I selected six best ghazals, which appear on CD 1, without being abridged or pruned.

The second CD features in addition to his exquisite film songs, a duet with Nazakat and Salamat. Mehdi Hasan is a match to the well known exponents of classical music and scores over them and sounds sweeter. Another surprise number is his superb rendition of a Bulleh Shah kafi. Then there are splendid recitations of a thumri, a Rajasthani folk song and Heer. The tracks on both the CDs are digitised. Before I forget let me add that the second CD begins with a tribute paid by the well known Indian singer Jagjit Singh to the uncrowned king of ghazal gayeki.

Back to the book, its contents in the context of text and photographs offer a wide variety. If there are serious articles on the contributions of the singer to ghazal gayeki and film music, there are brief tributes paid to him by the likes of Dilip Kumar, Noor Jehan, Naushad and Lata. There are also interesting anecdotes like the one when he reassembled his harmonium, which was dropped by someone while being carried to a concert, in a matter of few minutes. “Don’t be surprised. I was an auto mechanic once and had assembled a number of tractor engines. Assembling a harmonium is child’s play to me,” he told his relieved audience.

No less interesting is the short piece by Shaukat Sheikh who recalled how “Gulon mein rang bhare” was originally recorded by HMV to issue as a record but on director Khaleel Qaiser’s insistence the ghazal was included in his movie Farangi. That became Mehdi Hasan’s signature tune. Once when some one requested Faiz to recite the ghazal at a mushaira he quipped “Woh ghazal to ab Mehdi Hasan ki hogai hai. Aap unse sunye.”

I have listed 30 of his finest ghazals and 30 best film songs, as also some ragas on which he has based his popular ghazals. A list of awards, won by the singer, has been included in the book too.

Among the rare photographs published between the covers is the one where he is seen with his first wife. He looks happy but the glint in his eyes when he is seen with other females is naturally not there. He also appears in the company of other celebrities.

With two legitimate and well recorded CDs, the book is quite affordable. It has been priced Rs. 695. An imported book of this nature would have been no less than Rs. 1,500.

Liberty Books, the publishers of the book, are trying to make it available outside Pakistan. Let’s hope that becomes possible soon – Asif Noorani – Source – Dawn.com

Love Aaj Kal (2009)

‘I Will Survive’ – Gloria Gaynor

Here’s perhaps the best break up song of all time; anyone who has been dumped and then had their lover return to them after months are bound to connect with this classic break-up song! It’s one of the most popular songs and almost everyone has heard it and found it to be extremely precise and on the dot. “I should have changed that stupid lock/ I should have made you leave your key/If I had known for just one second/you’d be back to bother me” are only some of the extremely hilarious lyrics from this brilliantly crafted song. Not only will this song make the listener laugh, but it will also pump them enough to act out the lyrics, by acting tough and telling the loser to get the hell out: “Go on now go/walk out the door/ just turn around now/ ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore” Why this song stands out: Because it’s not simply a song humiliating the ex-lover, but it’s a song teaching the victim to be strong, and to stand up on their feet.

‘So What’ – Pink

The fact that the song is by Pink should speak volumes about the kind of break-up song this might be. Pink is edgy, rebellious and pretty darn straightforward. Therefore when she sings about her break-up, she makes sure that she is partying it up and having an amazing time now that she’s finally free. “So what, I’m still a rock star/I got my rock moves and I don’t need you/And guess what, I’m havin’ more fun /And now that we’re done I’m gonna show you tonight/I’m alright, I’m just fine and you’re a fool”

However, she does get her 15 seconds of self pity and grief, where she does sing about how she did everything she could have for the dude, but then quickly she resumes back to her ‘so what?’ attitude. Why this song stands out: Because she is trying to get over the grief by having a good time, and even though it still hurts her a bit, she realizes the need to wipe her tears, and quickly move on.

‘Tere Pyaar Mein’ – Kaavish

Here’s a song for those who perhaps like more than 15 seconds of self pity. While it’s an incredible melody, sung beautifully by Jaffer Zaidi, it is also perhaps everyone’s favourite break up song because even though we all like to act tough, the truth is, at that moment, one just wants to feel sorry for themselves. Therefore people are more likely to listen to songs, which are particularly sad, something they can honestly relate to. ‘Tere Pyaar Mein’ is about a man who is clearly devastated at his loss, and can’t believe it’s all over, after all the things he did for the relationship. “Teri yaadein/ woh saari baatein/tu he bata kaisey bula doon/ kise kahoon aye bewaafa /dil kis tarah toota mera” Even though it’s not highly recommended you listen to this song too much if you’re suffering from heartbreak, (it’s bound to bring some tears) But the song itself is very beautiful to listen to and definitely everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure. Why this song stands out: Jaffer Zaidi touches the right chords with his soulful vocals. You would want to listen to it even if you haven’t broken up!

‘Everybody Knows’ – John Legend

Finally! A realistic and sensible song about how to react after you’ve just broken up. John Legend perhaps says something which nobody has ever said: “ And I hope one day you’ll see nobody has it easy/ I still can’t believe you found somebody new/ but I wish you the best, I guess.” Is he actually saying something nice to the person who left him?! That’s why this song is in this list. ‘Everybody Knows’ is about the man being reasonable as he sings about how he should have gotten a second chance, because relationships aren’t easy for anyone, and have to be worked upon. Nobody knows what the secret is to having everything perfect, but sometimes you just have to live with the fact that no relationship is perfect. He eventually ends on a good note, wishing her the best with her future. Why this song stands out: For the first time we hear someone being sensible after breaking up!

‘Chor Bazari’ – Love Aaj Kal

Last but not the least: here’s to breaking up Bollywood ishtyle! This is perhaps the most unusual break up song because the two ex-lovers are singing ad celebrating their freedom and being happy about it. Not only are they celebrating, they are dancing! Where else does that happen other than in Bollywood, where every emotion is communicated by a song with choreographed dance moves? They are laughing about how they don’t have to worry about the other person anymore; they don’t have to do all those couple-y rituals like being insecure and complimenting each other all the time. “Taarif teri karna/Tujhe khone se darna/ Haan bhool gaya ab tujhpe/ Din mein chaar daffa marna.” It’s catchy, it’s upbeat. The content will make you laugh, and the song will make you want to get up and do some Bollywood dance moves. Why this song stands out: It’s a song about people who are actually okay after their break-up because they’ve realized that they are better off not being upset about all these random silly things! – Manal Faheem Khan

Nashad listens intently as the golden-voiced Lata Mangeshkar sings one of his compositions

Although no one says it to my face, I know that there is a section in the film industry who decry my music as “a   re-hash of familiar tunes.”

This amounts to a charge of plagiarism.

I have no defense, no apology, to offer, except to say that, if am a plagiarist, I am one unconsciously.

With only seven main notes, six ragas, thirty-six raginis and seventy-two sub-raginis, every “new” musical composition is bound to sound familiar in places.

Try to hum any popular film composition of today and then cast back your mind. Make a careful search for a parallel and you will easily find one in some celebrated songs of yesterday.

I believe in popular music, music which people will like, humming and singing it in their homes—in moments of joy or sorrow. I try my-best to keep my compositions free from complicated “alaps,” “tans” and those notational cascades which the man-in-the­-street (who has no musical training) cannot easily remember and hum.

Film music, to be good and popular, must always be the result of team-work. The ego of the music-director as well as that of the lyric-writer needs to be suppressed completely, even to the extent of accepting suggestions from everyone in the unit.

In the music of one of my forthcoming films, the appeal of the songs owes much to suggestions made by the producer and mem­bers of his staff. One of the tunes owes its origin to an air I heard the office-boy humming!

The producer was no professional musi­cian, but I discarded two of my best tunes to fit in a completely different third one based on his suggestions.

I am glad that I do not live in an ivory tower and am not deaf to the music of ordinary people, I say to myself : “If this is the kind of music they love, it is absurd to give them a high-brow composition. Both in rhythm and structure,  I stick rigorously to what is popular, even at the sacrifice of my own preferences.

Such film music can be planned scienti­fically and with precision. My first job usually is to sit with the director and determine the musical “situations”. Once these are agreed upon, I start composing the melodies, in harmony with the “mood” of those situa­tions. Then the lyricist writes the words of the approved tune.

After the song has been recorded, our work is ended and it now depends on the director to make or mar it in his picturisa­tion of it. This, indeed, is a hurdle all film music must take.

Everyone has listened to film songs which sound good on the radio, yet have been “murdered” by poor picturisation. Every­one, too, has heard songs which on the air have sounded mediocre and of no particular merit, yet have been things of beauty in the film—thanks to clever directorial work. A really good song, given to a good director to picturise, seldom fails to go over in a big way with the public.

It is thus necessary for a music director to be careful in signing his contracts. It is important to him to make sure that the film for which he is employed to provide music will be directed by a competent man, so that not only are his songs not “murdered” in transcription to the screen but any possible shortcomings in them are glossed over by good picturisation.

Consequently I have always studied the directors of the films for which I am to provide music. One knows that one’s songs are safe with them and gain in appeal from attractive picturisation..

To these men, too, my tunes often sound “vaguely familiar”! But, then, what tune doesn’t ?

With only seven notes, six ragas, thirty-six raginis—but we’ve just gone over that! – Naushad (August, 1955)

Ghazal is thus the characteristic form of vocal music for singing Urdu poetry. It has great appeal and the manner of performance is sometimes classical or semi-classical.

The ghazals are usually sung solo or at the most in duet form unlike the qawwali which is performed by a choral group. In the text the ghazal singers usually confine themselves to the poetry of the well established Urdu poets like Mohammad Shah Zafar, Mir, Ghalib, Sauda, Zauq, Dagh, Momin, and modern poets like Firaq Gorakhpuri, Sahir Ludhianvi and Hafiz Jalandhari – Satyendra K. Sen Chib