#332

        Song:   Kaali ghata chhaaye
                Mora jiya tarsaaye
                Aese mein kahin
                Koi mil jaaye re

        Film:   Sujata (1959)
        Singer: Asha Bhosle
        Music:  S D Burman
        Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
        *ing:   Nutan, Sunil Dutt

For no apparent reason, I am going to spend the next few posts on
some  of  my most favorite Asha songs... nothing prompted this- I
just feel like it ! I've  been  following  some  of  the  (highly
entertaining)  Lata  vs Asha debates on RMIM, not wanting to join
in on any of them because I don't think I belong to any  side.  I
feel  both  these ladies are in classes of their own, and neither
undermines the other in any way.

I can never listen to this song just once-  I  need  atleast  one
encore.  So  much so that I actually recorded this song on a tape
twice, in succession. I honestly feel  NO  ONE  could  have  done
justice to this marvellous SDB piece the way Asha has, in a style
that is inimitably her own. She is bewitchingly sweet, and  seems
like Dada Burman composed this song just for her.

I haven't seen this movie (another  Bimal  Roy  classic),  but  I
vaguely  remember  the  song's  picturization  -  a lovely, dark-
skinned Nutan (she played a Harijan or something, right ?)  in  a
garden  crooning  this  to  herself.  Nutan's  was  one  of those
beauties that can't be eclipsed by any kind of make-up  (or  lack
of it)- she looks as lovely as a Harijan in this movie as she did
as a princess (?) in Shabab or Laila Majnu.

The  other  classic  from  this  movie,  I  guess,   is   Talat's
magnificent  Jalte  hain  jiske  liye',  sung by Sunil Dutt, if I
remember correctly, over the phone to Nutan.

More Asha to follow..



Guest Author: Hrishi Dixit