A classic qawwali song, an immortal one among a dozen songs that
dot at intervals an immortal film, together totaling to nearly 1/3
rd
of the film’s running time.
You may listen to the song here
With the film themed around popular portrayal of a forbidden
story between a prince and a courtesan, this qawwali has Anarkali (Madhubala)
pitted against her rival Bahar (Nigar Sultana). Here’s their test of fate (as
to who wins Salim’s attention) waiting to be decided in the gathering of a
court as (or as if!) announced at the song’s opening by Shamshad playbacking
for Sultana. A rare encounter of a female - female duet sung as a debate
centered around independent interpretations of love. Bangles tinkling,
bracelets clinking both these sounds fusing with females clapping – wah wah
what a harmonious singing of chorus brilliantly complementing, making Naushad’s
composition so captivating. What lay at the end as a result of this contest
between the two would be known only when we wait and watch who wins the lucky
prize of pink rose from the hands of the prince!
Dilip Kumar as Prince Salim looks so charming, Madhubala as
Anarkali is simply stunning combined with a musical composition so enchanting all
summing up to a shayari that can light up any musical evening.
Movie Masala
Mughal e Azam won The National Film Award for Best Feature
Film in Hindi in 1961. It was the biggest grossing film of that year a record
broken only by Sholay in 1975
First black n white Hindi film to be digitally coloured
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan who rendered 2 songs was paid Rs.
25,000 per song as against Mohd Rafi n Lata Mangeshkar who charged Rs. 300 to
400 per song.
K Asif has directed only 2 films, the other film is Phool
(1945) His another film Love and God (1986) remained incomplete. Asif won the
President’s Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi (Mughal e Azam)
Javed Akhtar says, “I sincerely
believe that Mughal-E-Azam’s
script is worthy of being taught in colleges. It is so well written. Certain
scenes in the film are almost Shakespearean.”
1/12 songs from the Film: Mughal e Azam (1960)
Music Composer: Naushad Singers: Lata
Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum, chorus
Director: K Asif Cast: Madhubala, Nigar Sultana Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni
Image Link:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090208/spectrum/main6.jpg
Theatrical ambience - Amphi like - tempting many to click a
quick selfie…. Bright lights dotting verdant green walled enclosure, interspersed
by interesting interplay of solids n voids of concrete n metal; Coleus, here n
there clinging on to rugged stone plinth that based the stage; Enthusiastic
community crowd filling the steps right up to top; Trees that flanked on either
side of the stage with boughs calendula kind, cantilevered from their trunks, kind
enough to bow over their One Sis n Many Bros sitting on stage, a Good Earthy
feel…what an inspiration to pen my review of one of a score of songs sung by
Team Nostalgia. My pick for song review: Aayega Aane Waala 
Aware of the tragic ending romantic saga through gardener of
the bhavan, Krishna, yet intrigued, Shankar the owner, wanders through ‘The Mahal’
. His intrigue increases when an old portrait (of The Unknown Man) that fell
off the wall (and just missed hitting him) looked precisely like a portrait of
himself! During his wandering around the mansion, in the middle of a stark dark
stormy night, when the clock strikes to say the time now is two (a.m.!) was that
a kind of cue?
Medley of songs
