Muhammad Rafi came to record the song while fasting. Rehearsals took place, songs were recorded and musician duo Kalyanji Anandji gave the ‘OK’.
Rafi walked out of the recording studio with fast steps as iftar time was near and he was in a hurry to go home. As they sat in their car, a man came and blocked their way.
This was in 1973, when the song of the film ‘Zanjeer’, which created a new era in Bollywood, was being recorded. Thus the film included five songs but none of them were directly shot on the protagonist Inspector Vijay Khanna (Amitabh Bachchan).
To maintain the intensity of Vijay’s ‘angry young man’ image, the lyrics were hummed on screen by the rest of the film’s characters. One such double character was to be filmed on actor Gulshan Bawara and Sheila, ‘Deewane Hain Deewane Ko Na Ghar Nahi.’
By the way, Rafi had already sung thousands of songs at that time, but both his throat and courage had responded to the first rehearsal and then the final take while fasting. Rafi was about to sit in the car and instruct the driver to go home when the man reached the door.
Actually what happened was that the musicians did OK but Lata Mangeshkar was not satisfied with it and wanted another recording to be done.
Rafi was calm like the sea, but he wanted to break the fast with his wife and children. He said, ‘When it was OK, why do it again?’ I don’t have the courage,’ and closed the car door.
The one cutting Rafi’s path said, ‘Rafi sir, you know who is singing this song on the screen?’
Rafi Sahib said angrily, ‘Is Dilip Kumar singing?’
Before Muhammad Rafi could say anything more, the man pointed to him and said, ‘Bhaaji, this is your servant, isn’t he singing on the screen. Can’t you give a retake?’
Rafi Sahib’s tone immediately became appropriate, ‘Hey, why didn’t you tell me earlier that you are singing?’
He got out of the car, went to the recording room and gave two re-taxes instead of one. Kalyanji seemed to believe that for Anandji and Lata, Rafi Sahib’s disbelief was difficult even when Dilip Kumar was there that day, but Bhaiji’s relationship showed a miracle.
Who was this brother? Today we are telling you their story.
Gulash Bawara’s name may not be very familiar but many songs from his pen are part of our aesthetic sense. He was the creator of immortal songs like ‘Mere Desh ki Dharti Sona Nadee’, ‘Yari Hai Iman Hai Mera Yaar Meri Zindagi’, ‘Peyar Us Kis Mor Pe Aya’, ‘Vada Kar Le Sajana’ and ‘Kashmeen Waade Nhabhain Enge Hum’. Gulshan Bawara.
Arriving in Bombay in 1955 as a menial clerk at a railway warehouse, Gulshan Kumar Mehta did not have to go through much struggle to become Gulshan Bawara. That is why, in one of his interviews, he says that ‘the person who spends six days in Bombay is adopted by this city on the seventh day.’
Of course, he must have said this idiomatically, otherwise he would have to go round the studios for three years.
In Sheikhupura, this kid who fell asleep listening to ‘Saavn Ke Badalu, In Se Yeh Ja Kaho’ from Naushad’s historic film ‘Ratan’ started dreaming of being a part of a film line since he was a boy. This child who lost his parents in the tragic events of 1947 went to Delhi with his brother to his elder sister’s house. Passed matriculation and got a minor job there. As soon as he came to Bombay, the extra time began to be cut, sifting the dust of the film industry. At that time, a new duo of musician brothers was trying to make a place by the name of Kalyanji Anandji. Gulshan Kumar started sitting with them. The same duo recorded Gulshanji’s first song for Chandrasena in Lata’s voice on 23 August 1958, ‘Main Kya Jaanoon Kahe Laage Yeh Sawan Mutwala Re’.
Gulshan Bawara had to sift dust on the streets of Bombay for three years (cinestaan.com).
How their name changed is an interesting story. The distributor Shantibhai Patel came to listen to the music of the film Satha Bazar and praised the two songs and asked who wrote them?
Also present was Gulshan Kumar Mehta, who was dressed in bold colors of Delhi style. Bhai Patel said on seeing, ‘What will he write?
After a lot of backlash, he not only accepted this fact but also printed the same name ‘Gulshan Bawara’ on the banner of the film. Now Gulshan Bawara started getting some writing work and also appeared on the screen in various small roles.
During the railway clerkship, the godowns would be full during the wheat season. Gulshanji felt as if gold was scattered everywhere. Inspired by this scene, he wrote a few words in his diary. Much later when Manoj Kumar started ‘Apkar’, he met him and showed his diary. Thus was born a masterpiece song, ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Nake Nake Here Moti’.
No better tribute can be paid to the farmers’ love for the soil and service to the country than this song. The way the village’s morning wakes up in this song is not the answer. Its composer was also Kalyanji Anandji.
Although the duo has a lot to do with Gulshan Bawara’s career, his most beautiful work is Pancham with RD Burman.
The same Pancham who was not at all willing to work with Gulshan Bawara in the beginning. Prakash Mehra was making ‘Khalifa’ (1976) with Randhir Kapoor in the lead role and needed a lyricist with whom he had a great rapport.
With difficulty, he convinced Pancham on the condition that he would write a song and see if he did not like it, then a poet of his choice would be signed. There was a music session and Pancham sang four different tunes which were more than beautiful.
Prakash Mehra and Randhir Kapoor hesitated. Then Gulash Bawara said that the first one he heard was more beautiful and immediately he also played his song, that song was ‘Dekhkar Tej Ko Dil Na’.
Pancham made the final cut and said to come tomorrow and take the meter from me. Gulshanji went the next day and according to him Pancham gave the meter of Antare which was ‘three kilometers’ long. He excelled in this exam as well and gradually the two became friends.
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
Pancham and Gulshan’s houses were nearby. Many times Pancham used to come to eat mustard greens made by his wife Anju. Gulshan Bawara recounted an interesting incident in a radio program while recalling Pancham.
One day Gulshan ji came with the lyrics of the song and they didn’t like it. He called Pancham and said, ‘How did you catch this tune, Chika Chika Chika Chika? There should be a soft tune in which it feels good while writing romance.’
Pancham said, ‘I am coming to your house.’ According to Gulshanji, ‘As soon as Pancham entered, he was singing, ‘Cooking mustard greens Anju, feeding corn roti Anju, first to mera peg bana toh, the tune is here now understood toh’. Gulshanji wrote the lyrics on this tune and they were, ‘We will fulfill our promises.’ A very beautiful song.
Among the best songs of Pancham and Gulshan Bawra are ‘Peyar Us Kis Mor Pe Le Aya’, ‘Nisha Jaan Jaan O Meri Jaan Jaan’, ‘To Tu Hai Wahi, Tere Bana Mein Kuch Abhi Nai Hoon’, ‘Bathing In The Sea’ and more. Many songs like ‘Namkin Ho Gayi Ho’ and ‘Dil Machal Raha Hai’ are included.
Despite being in the film industry for five decades, Gulshan Bawara wrote only about three hundred songs. While listening to his songs, it is rare that the beauty of the words captivates the heart. Despite being a very traditional type of poet, he was immortalized by good musicians.
Gulshan Bawara, who won the Filmfare Award for ‘Yari Hai Iman Meera’ and ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti’, passed away on August 7, 2009.
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#Rafi #recorded #song #fasting
To sing along.’ To this, Pancham chuckled and replied, ‘But Gulshanji, this is what the tune demands! It needs energy!’
Their rapport grew stronger, and the two made several popular songs together, enchanting the audience with their collaboration. Gulshan Bawara’s lyrics combined with RD Burman’s vibrant compositions became the hallmark of many hit films.
Despite his initial struggles, Gulshan Bawara carved a niche for himself in the film industry, inspiring future generations with his timeless songs and stories. Today, as we remember him, we also celebrate the legacy he left behind, a testament to the power of passion and persistence in the world of music and cinema.
