Geeta Dutt - Musical Association with Various Composers

(1930 - 1972)

Husnalal - Bhagatram

Husnalal & Bhagatram beacme the first music director who worked as a pair. They were younger brothers of Pandit Amarnath, a famous composer of the 40's. Husnlal was an accomplished violinist, and also a good classical singer. Bhagatram was an ace Harmonium player. They both worked as assistants to Pandit Amarnath initially. Husnlal-Bhagatram popularized Punjabi folk music, and their range of music has a rare lilt and rhythm. They became the most sought after composers with the success of films like 'Pyar Ki Jeet' and 'Badi Bahen' in the late 1940's. Pandit Husnlal gave Lata Mangeshkar several years of musical training and groomed her. Most of their best (and also the famous) songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi and Suraiya. In 1949 they had composed music for ten films and most of the films were musical hits. In 1950, they created music for nine more films and most of them also succeeded as fine musicals.

Geeta Dutt started her career in 1946 and she was one of the most sought after playback singer by 1947 thanks to the mega success of Do Bhai (Composed by the legendary S.D. Burman). Husnlal-Bhagatram composed music for several films from 1946 but it was only in 1949 when she sang first time for them. It will come as

a surprise to many (even Geeta Dutt fans) that Geeta Dutt has sung close to forty odd songs for the musical duo of Husnlal Bhagatram.

In a period of four years (1949 to 1952), she has sung a variety of songs for them, solos, duets, group songs, chorus based songs you name it! For the film Hamari Manzil (1949) she went on to sing as many as six songs: four solos, a duet with Mohd. Rafi and a trio with Mohd. Rafi and Pandit S.D. Batish. This album is clearly the best showcase of talent of Geeta under the baton of Husnlal-Bhagatram. Each song is a musical gem and her solos from this film are some of her best solo songs of the forties. The story is again repeated in 1950 with Geeta singing six songs for the film Surajmukhi. This time she sings a melodious duet with Pandit S.D. Batish (Suniye huzoor pyar ka charchaa na kijiye) and another one with Lata Mangeshkar (Unse kehte darta hai dil) apart from four other lovely solos.

Geeta Dutt sang a fast pacy number “Arre jaanewaale idhar dekhata jaa, bhala ho tera ek nazar dekhta jaa” for Husnlal-Bhagatram for the film Rakhi (1949) and three duet/trio songs for Suraiya-Shyam starrer Naach (1949). “Kyon karta maan jawaani ka” has the typical Punjabi feel and is a delight to listen to even after a period of almost sixty years.

The same year she sang another pacy number “Do dil jiske paas sipahiya” for Sawan Bhado and an absolutely sweet melody “Yeh kaisi dil lagi hain” for Jairaj starrer Amar Kahani. It is a fact that the number of songs Lata sang for Husnlal-Bhagatram during these two years is much more than what Geeta has sung. At the same time, none of her songs suffered in quality, composition or rendition to the songs sung by Lata.

For one of the heavily chorus based song, Geeta simply leads the chorus while her friend Meena Kapoor does the majority of the singing. Yes, the song in question is “Maine balam se poonchha miloge kahan” from Aadhi Raat (1950). For Stage (1951) she sang another song full of melancholy “Oh jaanewale dil mein teri yaad rah gayi”. This is the kind of song that touches one’s heart when you listen to it for the first time.

The lovely duet “Chori chori dil mein samaya” with evergreen Ghazal King Talat Mahmood for the film Kafila (1952) is probably one of Geeta’s last songs for the musical duo of Husnlal Bhagatram. This marks the conclusion of the musical journey of one of the greatest composer duo and a versatile singer. By mid fifties, the composer duo of Shankar-Jaikishan (once assistants to Husnlal-Bhagatram) had virtually taken over the world of Hindi film music. Husnlal-Bhagatram’s music was no longer a viable commercial proposition. There were also possible strains in their relationship with a major singer and these factors led to their decline. Composers of the stature of Husnlal-Bhagatram composing the music for a low budget film Tarzan and Circus (1965) sealed their fate and it was almost an end to the career of the most promising, talented and once extremely successful composer duo.

One listening to the album of Hamari Manzil (1949) will reveal the magic of this versatile singer and you will find her songs composed by this musical duo more and more appealing.

List of songs sung by Geeta Dutt

Please note that this list may not be complete

Year	Song	Film	Co-Singer
1949	Aaja aaja ke jiya mora taras gaya	Bansaria	-
1949	Ab to aa jaao	Rakhi	-
1949	Arre jaanewaale idhar dekhata jaa	Rakhi	-
1949	Baithi hoon main nain bichhaaye	Hamari Manzil	-
1949	Kaante banenge kaliyaan kaanton se khelta jaa	Hamari Manzil	Mohd. Rafi
1949	Nainon Se Nain Milake	Hamari Manzil	-
1949	Saajan se bichhadkar dil ne kaha	Hamari Manzil	-
1949	Tera aana tera jaana	Hamari Manzil	-
1949	Woh aur zamaana tha	Hamari Manzil	Mohd. Rafi, S D Batish
1949	Chhak chhak chhak chale hamaari rail	Naach	Lata Mangeshkar
1949	Lab pe fariyaad hai dil barbaad hai	Naach	Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi
1949	Kyon karta maan jawaani ka	Naach	Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi
1949	Chhotisi ek bagiya mein (sad)	Amar Kahani	-
1949	Mil gaye tum jab	Amar Kahani	-
1949	Yeh kaisi dil lagi hain	Amar Kahani	-
1949	Do dil jiske paas sipahiya	Sawan Bhado	-
1949	Chhotisi ek bagiya mein (happy)	Amar Kahani	-
1949	Taare gin gin ke katati hai raat meri	Sawan Bhado	-
1949	Tere saamne ham aansu bahaayenge	Bansaria	-
1950	Aankhon mein aankhen daal ke	Pyar Ki Manzil	-
1950	Aabad Rahe Tera Ghar	Surajmukhi	-
1950	Unse kehte darta hai dil	Surajmukhi	Lata Mangeshkar
1950	Suniye hazoor pyaar ka charcha na kijiye	Surajmukhi	S D Batish
1950	Saajan tumne chhoda hamko	Surajmukhi	-
1950	O mere rasiya aa mere rasiya	Surajmukhi	-
1950	Ek toote hue dil ka kise dard sunaayen	Surajmukhi	-
1950	Door se ek paradesi aaya	Surajmukhi	-
1950	Yeh teri kahaani hai aur meri jawaani hai	Gauna	-
1950	Mujhse yeh keh rahi hain tasveer ki lakeeren	Gauna	Mohd. Rafi, Shamshad Begum
1950	Dilse lagake..O Dil Jakhmon Se choor	Aadhi Raat	Mohd. Rafi
1950	Maine balam se poochha	Aadhi Raat	Meena Kapoor
1950	Ek baar nigaahen milti hai ek baar muhabbat hoti hai	Birha Ki Raat	-
1950	Dard kyon uthata hai dil mein	Birha Ki Raat	-
1951	Dam tod diya.. Oh jaane wale dil mein teri yaad rah gayi	Stage	-
1952	Chori chori dil mein samaya sajan mann bhaya	Kafila	Talat Mahmood

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