Archive for the ‘By Gajendra Khanna’ Category

Remembering Geeta ji and Meena Kapoor ji

Saturday, November 23rd, 2024

On the Birth Anniversary of Geeta ji and Death Anniversary of Meena Kapoor ji, here is a special audio programme presented by Gajendra Khanna for your listening pleasure.

Lata Mangeshkar, Meena Kapoor and Geeta Dutt at a Function

Audio:

The Swar Aalaap Article written by Meena Kapoor ji on Geeta ji referenced in the programme can be read here. Thanks.

Remembering Geeta ji’s Western Style Songs Part 1

Friday, November 17th, 2023

Seeing the upcoming Birth Anniversary of Geeta ji, I, Gajendra Khanna am starting a series of programmes on Geeta ji’s Western Style songs. Here is the first programme for your listening pleasure:-

Audio:

Hope you like my presentation. Do share it with other fans of Geeta ji and western style songs.

Remembering Geeta ji on Her Death Anniversary

Thursday, July 20th, 2023

Today 20th July 2023 is the 42nd Death Anniversary of our beloved Geeta ji.

On this occasion, here is a rare picture of Geeta ji shared by avid Geeta fan Priya Pakanati Gaaru.

A Rare Picture of Geeta ji shared by Priya Pakanati Gaaru

Today Radio Ceylon paid tribute to her by playing her songs for nearly one and a half hours. This programme was compered by Jyoti Parmar ji, veteran announcer of SLBC.

From 6:30 to 7 am, they played her solo songs. In this segment, they played eight lovely solos of hers. Each of them was for a different composer and lyricist!

Here are the details of this segment called Aaj Ke Kalakaar:-

  1. 12 O’Clock (1958) – Geeta Dutt – kaisa jaadoo balam tu ne Daara, kho gaya nanha sa dil hamaara – OP Nayyar (Majrooh Sultanpuri)   कैसा जादू बलम तूने डारा, खो गया नन्हा सा दिल हमारा
  2. Saahib Biwi Aur Ghulam (1962) – Geet Dutt – piya aiso jiyo me.n samaa gayo re – Hemant Kumar (Shakeel Badauyani)   पिया ऐसो जिया में समाय गयो रे, कि मैं तन मन की सुध बुध गवाँ बैठी
  3. Pyaasa (1957) – Geeta Dutt – jaanay kya tunay kahi jaanay kya maine suni – SD Burman (Sahir Ludhianvi)   जाने क्या तूने कही जाने क्या मैने सुनी
  4. Son of India (1962) – Geeta Dutt & chorus – mujhay hazoor tum se pyaar hai, tumhi pe zindagi nisaar hai – Naushad (Shakeel Badauyani)   मुझे हुज़ूर तुम से प्यार है, तुम्ही पे ज़िन्दगी निसार है
  5. Neelofar (1957) – Geeta Dutt – jal gaya bahaar me.n meray dil ka aashiyaa.n – Avinash Vyas (Pandit Madhur)   जल गया बहार में मेरे दिल का आशिआं
  6. Anubhav (1971) – Geeta Dutt – merii jaa.n mujhay jaa.n naa kaho meri jaa.n meri jaa.n meri jaa.n – Kanu Roy (Gulzar) मेरी जाँ, मुझे जाँ ना कहो, मेरी जाँ, मेरी जाँ, मेरी जाँ
  7. Malika (1956) – Geeta Dutt – idhar dil hai udhar duniya, kidhar jaaye.n, kahaa.n jaaye.n – Hans Raj Behal (Tanvir Naqvi)  इधर दिल है उधर दुनिया, किधर जायें, कहाँ जायें
  8. Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) – Geeta Dutt – waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam, tum rahay na tum – SD Burman (Kaifi Aazmi)   वक़्त ने किया क्या हसीं सितम, तुम रहे ना तुम हम रहे ना हम

This segment can be heard below thanks to D S Rathi ji:-

Aaj Ke Kalakaar : Tribute to Geeta ji with Her Solos

In the Next Segment of Film Sangeet, Duets of Geeta ji were played with various singers. Here are the details of this segment:-

  1. Johny Walker (1957) – Asha & Geeta Dutt – la la la … Thandi Thandi hawa poochhey un ka pataa – OP Nayyar (Hasrat Jaipuri)   ला ला ला … ठण्डी ठण्डी हवा पूछे उनका पता, लाज आए सखी कैसे दूँ मैं बता
  2. Mr & Mrs 55 (1955) – Rafi & Geeta Dutt – udhar tum hasee.n ho idhar dil jawaa.n hai – OP Nayyar (Majrooh Sultanpuri)   उधर तुम हसीं हो इधर दिल जवाँ है, ये रंगीन रातों की इक दास्ताँ है
  3. Chhoo Mantar (1956) – Rafi & Geeta Dutt – garib jaan ke (2), hum ko tum na miTaa denaa – OP Nayyar (Jan Nisar Akhtar)   ग़रीब जान के (2), हम को तुम ना मिटा देना, तुम्हीं ने दर्द दिया है तुम्हीं दवा देना
  4. Apna Ghar (1960) – Mukesh & Geeta Dutt – tum se hi meri zindagi meri bahaar tum – Ravi (Prem Dhawan)   तुम से ही मेरी ज़िन्दगी मेरी बहार तुम
  5. Duniya Jhukti Hai (1960) – Geeta Dutt & Hemant Kumar – gum sum sa ye jahaa.n – Hemant Kumar (Rajendar Krishan)   गुम सुम सा ये जहाँ, ये रात ये हवा, एक साथ आज दो दिल धड़केंगे दिलरुबा
  6. Ziddi (1964) – Manna Dey & Geeta Dutt – mai.n teray pyaar me.n kya kya na banaa (2), dilbar, jaanay ye mausam – SD Burman (Hasrat Jaipuri)   मैं तेरे प्यार में क्या क्या ना बना (2), दिलबर, जाने ये मौसम
  7. Bahu (1955) – Geeta Dutt & Talat – Thandi hawaayo.n me.n taaro.n ki chhaayo.n me.n – Hemant Kumar (SH Bihari)   ठण्डी हवाओं में तारों की छाँव में, आज बलम मेरा डोले जिया
  8. Shararat (1959) – Kishore & Geeta Dutt – dekh aasmaa.n me.n chaa.nd muskuraye – Shankar Jaikishan (Hasrat Jaipuri)   देख आस्मां में चाँद मुस्कुराऐ, देख वो सितारे गगन में झिल मिलाए

Here is the Film Sangeet programme once again courtesy D S Rathi ji:-

Film Sangeet programme: Tribute to Geeta ji with her solos

In their popular Purani Filmon Ka Sangeet programme from 7:30 am to 8 am, all the songs except the last mandatory K L Sehgal song, all were wonderful songs of Geeta ji being played. Interestingly, a majority of these were from her Geeta Roy phase and ended aptly with Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya. Here are the details of the programme:-

  1. Baazi (1951) – Geeta Roy & chorus – o la la la … suno gajar kya gaaye, samay guzarta jaaye – SD Burman (Sahir Ludhianvi)   ओ ल ल ला … सुनो गजर क्या गाए समय गुज़रता जाए
  2. Jaan Pehchaan (1950) – Talat & Geeta Roy – armaan bharay dil ki lagan teray liye hai – Khemchand Parkash (Shakeel Badauyani)   अरमान भरे दिल की लगन तेरे लिए (2), नज़रें मेरे जीवन की सजन तेरे लिए है
  3. Aasmaan (1952) – Geeta Roy – dil hai, dil hai diwaana jawaa.n hai zamaanaa – OP Nayyar (Prem Dhawan)   दिल है, दिल है दीवाना जवां है ज़माना, बना दूँगी तुझ को नज़र का निशाना
  4. C.I.D. (1956) – Geeta Dutt – jaata kahaa.n hai n diwaanay, sub kuchh yahaa.n hai sanam – OP Nayyar (Majrooh Sultanpuri)   जाता कहाँ है दीवाने, सब कुछ यहाँ है सनम, बाकी के सारे फ़साने झूठे हैं तेरी क़सम
  5. Baawre Nain (1950) – Mukesh & Geeta Roy – khayalo.n me.n kisi ke iss tarah aaya nahi kartay – Roshan (Kidar Sharma)   ख़यालों में किसी के, इस तरह आया नहीं करते, किसी को बेवफ़ा आ आ के तड़पाया नहीं करते
  6. Baaz (1953) – Geeta Roy – ai dil ai deewaanay (3) aag lagaa lee kyo.n daaman me.n – OP Nayyar (Majrooh Sultanpuri)   ऐ दिल ऐ दीवाने (3) आग लगा ली क्यों दामन में, ओ ज़ालिम चाहत के बहाने
  7. Do Bhaai (1947) – Geeta Roy – mera sundar sapna beet gaya, mai.n prem me.n sub kuchh haar gayi – SD Burman (Raja Mehdi Ali Khan)   मेरा सुन्दर सपना बीत गया, मैं प्रेम में सब कुछ हार गई

Here is the programme audio (courtesy D S Rathi ji) for your listening pleasure:-

Purani Filmon Ka Sangeet : Tribute to Geeta ji with songs from her pre-marriage Years (except one from CID)

This programme was a great example of the kind of gems Geeta ji has left behind as her legacy.

There are many more aspects of her career which are yet to be elaborated on our website and blog. I would like to invite all her fans to write articles on her career and share other material with us for the website (write to us at anmolfankaar [AT] GMAIL [DOT] [COM].

It was a real pity that She passed away in July 1971, few months before Anubhav released in November. Had her health been good, we would have perhaps got so many more gems in the 1970s and later from her. Let us appreciate her legacy and spread her gems to the coming generations too. Such special singers and their memory need to be preserved for them to appreciate. Thank you.

Gajendra Khanna Remembers Geeta ji on Her 90th Birthday

Monday, November 23rd, 2020

Geeta ji was a wonderful soul who sadly left us very early. On 23rd November 2020, She would have turned 90 years old.

The date also marks completion of 12 years of this website. We thank all those who have contributed to this website over the years and request all her fans to share more material with us.

Here is a programme dedicated to her memory by Gajendra Khanna, the administrator and maintainer for this site. Let’s keep enjoying her songs and spreading the joy of her voice with Everyone.

Audio:

Geeta ji sings for Ustads and Pandits

Friday, July 17th, 2020

By Gajendra Khanna

During her career, Geeta ji had the opportunity to sing for quite a few Ustaads and Pandits, Master instrumentalists and vocalists of the classical arena when they composed for light songs or films.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan with stamp released in his honour.

Humsafar (1953) made under the Navketan banner, had Ustad Ali Akbar Khan as the music director. here’s a gem tuned by him and rendered by Geeta Dutt. Enjoy listening to it.

Pandit Ravi Shankar who is a world renowned sitarist was also a composer. He is the one who composed for Satyajit Ray’s famous Apu Trilogy. In hindi films also he composed on a few occasions. One of those movies, Godaan (1963) had Geeta ji recording a duet, O Bedardi Kyun Tadpaaye, with Mahendra Kapoor. Its lyrics were by Anjaan. Here’s the song for your listening pleasure:-

Famous Tabla maestro, Allah Rakha also gave music to Hindi and Punjabi films by his full name A R Qureshi. One of his most famous movies was the Raj Kapoor starrer Bewafa (1952) where Geeta ji also sang for him. Enjoy this sweet song written by Sarshar Sailani :-

Another famous Tabla Maestro, Pandit Nikhil Ghosh also composed two non-film songs for Geeta ji. They are a real treat for fans of Geeta ji. They had been written by Pandit Bharat Vyas.

The first one is Jamuna Ke Teer Kanha Aao, which has a similar famous bhajan by Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. Geeta ji has sung it very sweetly and one would get to hear it on Radio Ceylon during its Devotional song programme.

Enjoy listening to it :-

The second song is also quite delightful which takes you to a feeling of calm and serenity. Enjoy this rendition of Haule Haule Hawa Dole by Geeta ji :-

It is interesting to note that She was also introduced by ‘Pandit’ Hanuman Prasad. Here is one of her renditions for him in her debut Bhakt Prahlad with Kalyani:-

Of course, we music lovers know that there are Pandits of the literary variety too, who wrote lyrics for many of Geeta ji’s songs. We have already come across one, Pandit Bharat Vyas above.

There was a lyricist in the 40s and 50s by the name Pandit Madhur (whose real name was Buddhichandra Agarwal). Here is a song, Kaali Kamali Odh Ke Aaye which Geeta ji sang for him under the composition of Avinash Vyas, the Gujarati maestro for whom Geeta ji sang nearly a 100 songs during her career. It is from the movie Bhakt Dhruv (1957).

Last but not the least, Geeta ji has worked in movies with ‘Ustad’ in them and songs with ‘Pandit’ or ‘Ustad’ in them too probably.

She sang two songs for the movie Ustaad (1957). Both were composed by O P Nayyar and written by Jaan Nisaar Akhtar. Here’s the first one which is a duet with Mohd Rafi Sahab, Kya Kya Dil Mein which is quite sweet:-

And this second one is quite a popular one for Radio lovers, Chor Lutere Daaku which is a delightful listen:-

Here’s a duet of hers with Mohd Rafi sahab, Pandit Ho Ya Lala for the movie Rickshawala (1960). It is composed by N Dutta and lyrics are by Jaan Nisaar Akhtar.

For us Geeta ji was a ‘Pandit’ of her art and ‘Ustaad’ in conveying the mood of the songs. May her songs reach the coming generations and keep delighting them all.