Geeta Dutt - Musical Association with Various Composers

(1930 - 1972)

Hansraj Behl

Hansraj Behl is one of the music directors who became successful in the post independence era until early sixties. He provided music for not only Hindi films but also for many Punjabi films. It will come as a surprise to many to know that Geeta ji sang around eighty songs for composer Hansraj Behl sahab from 1947 to 1963. She was one of his main female playback singers in the late forties and early fifties.

Hansraj Behl started composing Hindi film music from 1946, the same year Geeta ji made her debut with songs in films like Bhakta Prahlad and Circus King.

The songs from Chunariya (1948) were some of the first notable compositions of Hansaraj Behl sung by Geeta Dutt. She sang as many as six songs for this film.

Four of these are solos and there is a lovely duet with Mohd Rafi sahab (Phool ko bhool kar...Tera kanton se hain pyar). She also sang a trio song with the established singer Zohrabai Ambalawali and upcoming Asha Bhonsle for this film. As with the tradition of those times, many of the songs would be sad songs and with the super success of "Mera sundar sapna beet" from Do Bhai (1947) composed

by S D Burman, Geeta ji was considered as a natural choice for such songs. Yet, you can hear the natkhat Geeta magic in the song "Oh motorwaale baabu milane aa jaa re, teri motor rahe salamat baabu milane aa ja re". Another song "Daman se bandh gayi choli re" keeps lingering longer than its duration and thats the magic of Geeta Dutt.

The next year 1949, saw Hansraj Behl giving plum assignments to Geeta Dutt with songs from Raat Ki Raani, Karwat, Zevraat, Chakori and Kaneez. The musical score of Chakori (1949) will always be remembered for that great solo "Haaye chanda gaye pardes" sung by Lata ji. Geeta Dutt adds a lot of zeal to the song "Nainon mein jhoola dalaa kajal ki dor kaa" and then there is "Nainon mein bhar liye neer ghada mora khaali". She can sing a chirpy happy song and the next minute can give you deep feelings with a melancholy. "Chitthiyaa dard bhari chitthiyaa" is another such example. For Karwat (1949) Hansraj Behl entrusted Geeta with six songs and once again we see Geeta singing a variety of songs. She sang a sweet duet "Main angoor ki bel piyaa" with Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish (another composer who worked with Geeta Dutt in late forties and fifties) for this film. Asha joins Geeta in the fast paced duet "Oh baadal ghir aaye" and there is another lovely duet "Gaya andhera hua savera" with Mohd Rafi for the same film Karwat.

Talking of Kaneez, released the same year, Geeta creates the natkhat magic one more time with the song "Jiyaa mora hale dole ho...". One can feel the swing in her voice and the expression of the feelings of the character. For the film Raat ki Raani (1949), the poet Rajinder Krishan wrote the meaningful words:

Duniya ki sabha palchhin hi sahin
jeevan ka safar do din hi sahee
Thodi ka na shikawaa kar bande
jeene ki tarah ek roz toh jee

Sau saal sisak kar jeene se
aur gham ke aansoo peene se
Ek pal bhar ki musakan bhali
Achhi hain khushi ki ek ghadi

Geeta sings this song with such deep emotions and expressions that will make any person think twice about how to live one's life.

A duet Of Geeta Dutt with Mukesh ''Us chand se pyare chand ho tum'' was also recorded for the film Raat Ki Raani (1949) , but later on a Lata - Rafi version of the duet was recorded and kept in the film.

From 1947 to 1949, Geeta Dutt was the topmost female playback singer. In 1950 and 1951, Lata ji had fully arrived on the scene and Geeta Dutt was a close second. The team of Hansraj Behl and Geeta Dutt continued to give melodies in films like Kisi ki yaad, Khamosh Sipahi, Aadhi Raat and Nakhare. A chorus song "Maine baalam se poonchha miloge kahan" from Aadhi Raat sung by Geeta Dutt and her close friend Meena Kapoor is a must listen!

With Baazi (1951), S D Burman metamorphized Geeta Dutt from "Mera sundar sapna beet gaya" into "Suno gazar kya gaayein" and "Tadbeer se biugadi hui". Now Geeta Dutt became specialized in fast pacy, waltz based songs. We have Hansaraj Behl composing"Aankhon ke paimaane pee" and "Main jannat ki hoor hoon" in the costume drama Lal Pari (1954) and this lovely duet with Talat Mehmood "Keh rahi hain dhadakane pukar kar dheere dheere chupke chupke pyar kar."

Between 1955 and 1958, Geeta sang for films like Darbar (1955), Khul Ja Sim Sim (1956), Malika (1956) and Milan (1958). A rare duet with Krishna Goel from the film Mallika (1956) "Raat hain nikhari hui" is a sweet romantic melody! "Aayiye janab bainthiye janab" from Milan (1958) is distinctive Geeta Dutt and a must listen to!

With increasing competition from Shankar Jaikishen, O P Nayyar and other composers, very few plum assignments were probably coming Hansaraj Behl's way. He did compose the evergreen song "Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidiya karati hain basera" sung by Rafi sahab for Sikandar-E-Azam (1965) at a later phase in his career. By 1960, Geeta was surrounded by personal problems and we only have a handful songs from films like Mud mud ke na dekh (1960) and Miss Good Night (1960) coming from the team of Hansraj Behl and Geeta Dutt. The last song that Geeta sang for Hansraj Behl was "Tauba..ya ilahi tauba tauba" from a costume drama Ek tha Alibaba in 1963.

With the passage of time, the once famous Hansraj Behl is rarely remembered and his association with this legendary singer is unknown to many.

List of songs sung by Geeta Dutt

Please note that this list may not be complete

Year	Song	Film	Co-Singer
1947	Muskaraate ho kyon itraate ho kyon	Pehali Pahechan	A R Oza
1948	Koi nain milaa ke chala gayaa	Chunariya	-
1948	Daman se bandh gayi choli re	Chunariya	-
1948	Oh motorwale babu	Chunariya	-
1948	Tere milane ko jee dhadke	Chunariya	-
1948	Phool ko bhool kar...Tera kanton se hain pyar	Chunariya	Mohd Rafi
1948	Saawan aaya saawan aaya re	Chunariya	Asha Bhonsle , Zohrabai Ambalawali
1949	Anyayi sansar	Raat ki Rani	-
1949	Jabse teri yaad ko dil mein dil mein basaaya	Raat ki Rani	A. Shah
1949	Duniya ki sabha palchhin hi	Raat ki Rani	-
1949	Jab se teri yaad ko	Raat ki Rani	-
1949	Aaya mere sajan aaya	Zevraat	-
1949	Aana sajanwa	Zevraat	-
1949	Yeh kaun mere ghar ayaa	Zevraat	-
1949	Chitthiya dard bhari chitthiya	Chakori	-
1949	Nainon mein jhoola dalaa	Chakori	-
1949	Nainon mein bhar liya neer	Chakori	-
1949	Rootth gaye hamse piya	Chakori	-
1949	Paa ke nazaron ka isharaa	Kaneez	-
1949	Jiyaa mora hale dole ho	Kaneez	-
1949	Gaa ae dil matwaley	Karwat	-
1949	Gaya andhera hua savera	Karwat	Mohd Rafi
1949	Oh chanda baadal mein mukh le chhipa	Karwat	-
1949	Haye chal diye moonh pher ke	Karwat	-
1949	Main angoor ki bel	Karwat	S D Batish
1949	Oh baadal ghir aaye	Karwat	Asha Bhonsle
1950	Tadapta chhod kar mujhko kahaan tum rah gaye	Kisi Ki Yaad	-
1950	Kabhi yeh saath na chhoote	Kisi Ki Yaad	Mohd Rafi, Paro
1950	Hum paas aaye tum door gaye	Kisi Ki Yaad	Devendra
1950	Koi mujhko na bulaaye	Kisi Ki Yaad	-
1950	Maine balam se poochha miloge kahan	Aadhi Raat	Meena Kapoor
1950	Mere jaisi nahin milegi bholi bhaali naar	Khamosh Sipahi	Mohd Rafi, Ram Kamlani
1950	Utho bulbulo tod teeliyan	Khamosh Sipahi	Mohd Rafi
1950	Jhhom jhoom kar badal aye	Khamosh Sipahi	Mohd Rafi
1950	Ab kisko sunaayen gham ke fasaane	Khamosh Sipahi	Mohd Rafi
1951	Chhupne ke liye hain..do roz ka jalwa hain	Rajput	Hamida Banu
1951	Andhiyari kari raat mein	Nakhare	-
1951	Hamne bhi pyar kiya	Nakhare	Mohd Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
1951	Koi dil na kisise lagaye	Nakhare	-
1951	Uth aye watan ke	Kashmir	Mohd Rafi , Pramodini Patkar
1952	Aao aao ab toh aao prabhu	Lanka Dahan	-
1952	Bhool hui kya mujhse bhagwan	Lanka Dahan	-
1952	Do mahino ke baad aayi chandi ki yeh raat	Lanka Dahan	Krishna Kalle , Devendra
1952	Mere ang ang mein raam raam	Lanka Dahan	-
1954	Aankhon ke paimaane pee	Lal Pari	-
1954	Keh rahi hai dhadkane pukaar kar	Lal Pari	Talat Mehmood
1954	Main jannat ki hoor hoon	Lal Pari	-
1955	Hum kyon rote hain raton ko	Darbaar	-
1955	Kya paaya duniya ne	Darbar	Talat Mehmood
1956	Bijli giregi kahin na kahin	Khul Ja Sim Sim	-
1956	Aaj kuchh honewala hain	Khul Ja Sim Sim	-
1956	Aaj tera gunehgaar banda	Khul Ja Sim Sim	Mohd Rafi
1956	Dil leke chali aayi	Khul Ja Sim Sim	-
1956	Oh meri taraf dekh le	Malika	-
1956	Raat hai nikhri hui	Malika	Krishna Goel
1956	Idhar dil hai udhar duniya	Malika	-
1956	Suno suno sunaaye afsaana ek tha bulbul deewaana	Malika	Krishna Goel
1956	Donon jahaan ke maalik	Khul Ja Sim Sim	Talat Mehmood
1956	Tere jahan se hum chale	Inquilaab	-
1958	Aaiye janab	Milan	-
1958	Maine kahaan jee yeh mausam hai suhaana	Milan	Mohd Rafi
1960	Dulha Bikta Beech Bazar (Part - 2)	Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh	Asha Bhosle
1960	No no don't say good night	Miss Goodnight	-
1963	Yaa ilahi tauba tauba	Ek tha Alibaba	-
1963	Yahaan hai kyamat ulla vahaan hai shamat	Ek tha Alibaba	-

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