Shakti Samanta and his films

 The 98th birth anniversary of Shakti Samanta, the well known producer-director of Hindi and Bengali films took place about a couple of days ago. Out of curiosity, I Googled his filmography and was quite surprised to find out that the list spread over almost 40 years covered a variety of genres and included many of the most popular films of the era in which I grew up. 

Being a Hindi film music buff, the minute I saw the titles, I started humming the songs from the films too and decided that at least some of them should be strung together as a small tribute to Shaktida. I have selected six songs , two each from films released in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He was active in the '80s too but none of those films or the songs gave me positive vibes !

While selecting these songs, I have tried to have a diversity of music directors and singers and even the leading actors on which these films have been shot. By no means is this list comprehensive but it does give a fair idea of how film music itself changed over those three decades. 

So, if you are a fan of Hindi film music, do strap on your headphones and listen to these six beautiful songs.

1950s - films selected: Howrah Bridge and Detective - both released in 1958.

 1. From Howrah Bridge, a murder mystery film and one of Shakti Samanta's first hits, I have selected the seductive 'Aaiye Meherban' in the lovely voice of Asha Bhonsle. On screen Madhubala crooned this song in the presence of a suave and debonair Ashok Kumar. O P Nayyar composed this song. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go4ixEgnecg

2. Detective released in the same year, 1958, was not that successful a film. It had Pradeep Kumar and Mala Sinha in the lead roles. This song was sung by Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt. Her brother Mukul Roy composed the music and also produced the film. I love this song 'Mujhko tum jo mile' for its soft lilt.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_AKKWy4ayg

1960s: films selected: China Town, a 1962 release and Aradhana, which hit the screens seven years later.

3.China Town starred Shammi Kapoor and Shakila, the former in a double role. This crime movie had music by Ravi and Mohammad Rafi's silky voice embellished this foot-tapping song 'Baar Baar Dekho' which has held its own over the ages.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7tTei9K0WY

4. Aradhana, released in 1969 was a huge hit and was responsible for the resurrection of the singing career of Kishore Kumar. It was also the first of a long series of super-hits which Rajesh Khanna delivered. This racy iconic song 'Mere Sapno ki Rani' had some lovely shots of the Darjeeling Mountain train as well as that of Sharmila Tagore reading an Alastait McLean thriller. SD Burman composed the music.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PdSmDRGIwM&t=8s

1970s: the two films which feature here are the 1975 release Amar Prem and the bilingual Anand Ashram which was released two years later.

 5. Amar Prem had exquisite music by Rahul Deb Burman. My personal favourite is the classical 'Raina Beeti Jaye' sung by Lata Mangeshkar and picturised on Sharmila Tagore. The lead pair of Aradhana - Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore featured in this film too. For me, this is one of Lataji's best songs ever!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1XkstVXn8

6. Anand Ashram was produced in both Hindi and Bengali. This story of an idealistic doctor was first made into the film Doctor in 1940, starring Pankaj Mallick. Uttam Kumar, the super star of Bengali films reprised Pankaj Mallick's role in both the versions with Sharmila Tagore as his leading lady. Shyamal Mitra was the music director . This peppy song was sung by Kishore Kumar.

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnMTRqUcgRI

This small tribute tries just to give a  cross - section of Shakti Samanta's prolific work. I hope it is a representative sample!

Warner and Elgar: Knock out and squeeze out

 As a person who has stayed in both Delhi and Chennai, I can tell you that the difference between the dry searing heat of the nation's capital and the sultry muggy heat of the southern coastal city is that the former knocks you out while the latter squeezes you out.

Two stalwarts of contemporary world cricket , David Warner of Australia and Dean Elgar of South Africa  by coincidence called it a day in Tests this week. Both were openers for their respective teams but were diametrically opposite in their approaches. Warner would knock the opposition out while Elgar would squeeze them to death by sheer occupation of the crease. 

Even the results of the last Tests in which these two greats figured was different. Elgar got the honour of captaining South Africa against India in his last Test. Unfortunately his team got swamped within one and a half days on a Capetown pitch which attained the dubious record of reaching a result within just 642 balls - it took just 107 overs in total for all the four innings to be completed. Warner, on the other hand , was an integral part of a rampant Australian side which whitewashed a gritty Pakistani team 3 - 0. He of course was banned from leadership roles after the infamous Sandpapergate.

These two players had cricketing personalities very similar to their batting styles. I don't think the South African ever got so much as a reprimand, leave alone punitive action for any aberrant on-field behaviour. His behaviour was as colourless as his batting, though the latter was very effective and saved his team on numerous occasions. 

Warner, on the other hand had much controversy accompanying him - part of a blatant attempt at cheating on the field (an action which resulted in a temporary ban), a brawl with the English opposition players in a pub on the sidelines of an ongoing Test series, numerous runs-in with the media and former players. You name it, he seemed to have been involved in all ! 

Their personalities seemed to reflect the stereotypes of the two cities with which I started this piece. Elgar seemed to be more like the image of a Chennaivasi - a guy quietly doing what he had to do and being efficient, more often than not , but not someone who was noticed when he was playing. Warner on the other hand reflected the brashness of some Dilliwalas - lots of bluster and noise, quarrels and tears, but also hugely effective. I still remember watching on TV his debut T 20 international and getting gobsmacked. He smashed 89 off about 45 balls versus an attack consisting of Steyn, Ntini, Albie Morkel and Johann Botha. If I remember right, in Australia's total of 180 odd, only two or three other people reached double figures.

The lovely coincidence is that both these disparate characters hung their boots up within days of each other. International cricket is certainly the poorer for this. 

We shall miss both!