Geetajii was one of those gifted singers who, like someone observed, did not sing but used to glide through the tune. Not many people have such command on how to sing. Geetaji did. She was vivacity personified. If one closed their eyes and listened to her songs, they can imagine the face behind that voice shining with full of life and hope in her eyes.
Happily married until now, Geetaji had her marriage suddenly on the rocks. She found her husband drifting slowly away from her succumbed obviously to the charms of his discovery, beautiful and talented Waheeda Rehman. To make amends, Guru Dutt launched a movie called “Gauri” with Geetaji in the lead. It was supposed to be the first cinemascope movie in India. But the progress for the movie was painstakingly slow because of Geetaji’s refusal to cooperate with the shooting. A thorough professional she was until now, suddenly she found herself not wanted by the same music directors who loved her. Also, there was pressure from Guru Dutt for her not to accept any outside assignments except for his movies.
Amidst these tumultuous times, Geetaji still found time to sing in 35 or so odd movies in 1957 honoring all of her singing commitments that were made before her bad times. Old or new, she sang with the same zeal and enthusiasm for every music director. The dulcet voice that defined convention defined her singing even in these troubled times in her life.
Geetaji sang for Anil Biswas in two movies during 1957. These were “Abhimaan” (two solos) and “Jasoos” (also two solos). Anil Biswas a Lata Mangeshkar person. Therefore, not surprisingly, these were her last two movies she sang for Anilda.
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