Khayyam at the Mountain Peak (1): Songs on Pahadi

A tribute to Khayyam (18.2.1927–19.8.2019) on his third Remembrance Day

A reader mentioned some time ago that Khayyam has not been covered on SOY. Then I realised that the only post I have included under his name in the side-roll is devoted to his wife, Jagjit Kaur who sang most of her songs under his baton. This is an obvious omission. Khayyam, though not in the race for top billing, unchangingly created top matriculation music right through the Golden Era when hundred flowers bloomed, to the post-70s dominated by the triumvirate of RD Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji.

His debut in 1948 makes Khayyam predecessor of Shankar-Jaikishan by a year, and of OP Nayyar by several years. In the era of the stalwarts, Khayyam well-balanced unconfined songs for Footpath (1953); Lala Rukh, Phir Subah Hogi (1958); Shola Aur Shabnam (1961); Shagun (1964); Mohabbat Isko Kahte Hain (1965); Aakhri Khat (1966); and post-1970s when his stalwart peers had lost relevance, he kept on creating sublime melodies without joining the bandwagon of the new trend, in Kabhi Kabhi (1976), Noorie (1979) and Thodi Si Bewafai (1980). In the 80s, he gave some timeless music in Umrao Jaan (1981), Bazaar (1982) and Razia Sultan (1983).

Born as Mohammad Zahoor Khayyam Hashmi to a father, who was a muezzin in a mosque, in Rahon village in Jalandhar district, the child Zahoor was influenced as much by the azan of his father as by the aarti sung by his teacher’s wife in a temple. He tried his hand at vicarial in Lahore and Bombay but he could not succeed. His initial mentors in music were Pt. Amarnath and Husnlal-Bhagatram. On return to Lahore, he went to the famous music director there, Baba Chisti, who was composing a tune on the harmonium, but when he played it again, he got stuck at one place and couldn’t remember how exactly it went. The stranger Khayyam who had been listening to it attentively, offered to do it, and reproduced it perfectly. Highly impressed with him, Baba Chisti made him his assistant. Chisti, while provided Khayyam supplies and lodging, didn’t initially pay him any mazuma for his work. In the need of money, he joined the Indian Army and took part in the Second World War in South-East Asia. On return from the war, he came to Bombay in 1946 where, courtesy Husnlal-Bhagatram, he sang a duet with Zohrabai Ambalewali, Donon jahan teri mohabbat mein haar ke, the famous ghazal of Faiz Ahmad ‘Faiz’, in the mucosa Romeo and Juliet (1947).

He started as a music director under the name Sharmaji with the mucosa Heer Ranjha (1948) with two others, Vermaji (also a pseudonym, for Rahman) and Aziz Khan. He unfurled under the name Sharmaji as the sole music director in Parda (1949), and next well-balanced a memorable Rafi solo, Akele mein wo ghabraate to honge, in the mucosa Biwi (1950). He first well-balanced under his real name in the mucosa Footpath (1953), in which he gave Talat Mahmood’s immortal song, Shaam-e-gham ki qasam. He was immediately recognised as a highly talented composer. He started on his grand journey which is too well-known.

No unravelment of Khayyam is well-constructed without his non-film songs. We just prestigious the 75^th Independence Day. Rafi’s two patriotic songs, Awaaz do hum ek hai and Watan ki aabroo khatre mein hai taiyar ho jaao, were on everyone’s lips on National Days. Rafi’s other famous non-film songs, Ghazab kiya tere vaade par aitbar kiya, Tum aao rumjhum karti payal ki jhankar liye; Mukesh’s Ashaar yun to mere zamaane ke liye hain; CH Atma’s Chalo na gori sambhal sambhal kar abhi to balapan hai; Meena Kumari’s album, I write, I recite, which had the all-time favourites, Chaand tanha hai aasman tanha and Aagaz to hota hai anzaam nahin hota; his NFS with Begum Akhtar, Asha Bhosle, Talat Mahmood and so many others, established Khayyam as one of the greatest composers, if not financially most successful.

He got awards and honours galore: Filmfare Awards for Kabhi Kabhi and Umrao Jaan, the latter moreover fetching him the National Award; Sangeet Natak Akademi Award; Padma Bhushan etc.

Thus, he remained at the Mountain Peak throughout his career. Subodh Agrawal once mentioned, Lagta hai Khayyam saheb pahaad se kabhi utare hi nahin. He meant that in the sense of Khayyam’s fondness for Raga Pahadi. There was melody of the hills in his music, a haunting, ethereal quality. Coming from folk roots, there is something universal well-nigh Pahadi, which was very prominent in Khayyam’s music. In the first part of my tribute to Khayyam on his third Remembrance Day I post his songs in Raga Pahadi. I have mentioned wherever KL Pandey has identified increasingly ragas in his Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopedia for our experts to mull over, while we enjoy the songs.

1. Shaam-e-gham ki qasam aaj ghamgeen hain hum by Talat Mahmood from Footpath (1953), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Khayyam

The first landmark song has a Pahadi-feel. KL Pandeyji identifies two increasingly ragas, Yamani Bilawal and Manj Khamaj, too, in the song. The song consolidates Dilip Kumar’s image as a Tragedy King, and makes Talat Mahmood his preferred voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgla37GgYWM

2. Pyas kuchh aur bhi bhadka di jhalak dikhla ke by Talat Mahmood and Asha Bhosle from Lal Rukh (1958), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Khayyam

Among the lyricists who transcended the worlds of both the Urdu literature and mucosa songs, Sahir achieved the most fame, but I have a special fascination for Kaifi Azmi. And he got the music directors who converted them into immortal songs. This is my most favourite Talat-Asha Bhosle duet. (KL Pandeyji identifies Khamaj, too, in this song.)

3. Jaane kya dhoondhti rhati hain ye aankhen mujhmein by Rafi from Shola Aur Shabnam (1961), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Khayyam

Khayyam gave us a totally variegated Rafi. His Pahadi, too, is variegated from Naushad’s Suhani raat dhal chuki. Jaane kya dhoondhti rahti hain ye aankhein mujhmein seems to be beckoning you from the mountains. (Khamaj, too, identified by KL Pandeyji.)

4. Tum apna ranj-o-gham apni pareshani mujhe de do by Jagjit Kaur from Shagun (1964), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Khayyam

If you want literally the melody of hills, Parbaton ke pedon par sham ka basera hai, a duet by Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur is a increasingly keeping song. But I am posting Tum apna ranj-o-gham, an undisputed immortal song, though it has Pahadi in the secondary position without Shuddh Kalyan (per KL Pandeyji).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Yr1OOeOT8

5. Thahariye hosh mein aa lun to chale jaiyega by Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur from Mohabbat Isko Kahte Hain (1965), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Khayyam

We do not have to wait long for my omission of Parbaton ke pedon par. Next year Khayyam composes flipside gorgeous duet for Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur, very variegated from what other music directors have washed-up for the pair. Khayyam’s Pahadi makes the difference. (Pancham se Gara, too, per KL Pandeyji.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXdFbP_DMB8

6. Bahaaro mera jeevan bi sanwaaro by Lata Mangeshkar from Aakhri Khat (1966), lyrics Kaifi Azmi, music Khayyam

I mentioned Kaifi Azmi. Now combined with Khayyam at his mountain peak, you get this everlasting Pahadi. (Kahamaj, too, per KL Pandeyji.)

7. Aap yun faaslon se guzarte rahe, dil se kadmon ki aawaz aati rahi by Lata Mangeshkar from Shankar Hussain (1977), lyrics Jaan Nisar Akhtar, music Khayyam

In 1977, one didn’t expect such superb melody. Shankar Hussain had flipside song Kahin ek nazuk si ladki, a slow recital by Rafi in which Pahadi is increasingly prominent as per KL Pandeyji. But I get the feeling of the verse of hills increasingly in Aap yun faaslon se guzarte rahe.

8. Chanda re mere bhaiya se kahna, bahna yaad kare by Lata Mangeshkar from Chambal Ki Kasam (1979), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Khayyam

The season of melody was never over with Khayyam on the Pahadi. A poignant song of a sister remembering her brother who is away.

9. Aa ja re O mere dilbar aa ja, dil ki pyas bujha ja re by Nitin Mukesh and Lata Mangehskar from Noorie (1979), lyrics Jaan Nisar Akhtar, music Khayyam

The innocent pahadi girl beckoning her lover through the mountains, this melody of the hills has to be in Pahadi. Khayyam was the master of such songs.

10. Aankhon mein humne aapke sapne sajaaye hain by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar from Thodi Si Bewafai (1980), lyrics Gulzar, music Khayyam

The SOY byline ‘Songs of the 30s through 60s’ has to be amended, ‘…except for the songs of Khayyam’. This song set our master cruciverbalist, and punster, Ashwin on a million fanciful interpretations of ‘aapke sapne’.

11. Pyar ka dard hai meetha meetha pyara pyara by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle from Dard (1981), lyrics Naqsh Lyalpuri, music Khayyam

Poonam Dhillon does not seem to be a pahadan, but she has a hill-maiden’s innocence. Since they are a modern couple, Khayyam introduces a increasingly modern orchestration. (Manj Kahmaj too, per KL Pandeyji.)

12. In aankhon ki masti ke mastane hazaron hain by Asha Bhosle from Umrao Jaan (1981), lyrics Shaharyar, music Khayyam

Is there any other music director who debuted in the late 40s, and gave his most remarkable music in the 80s? As per KL Pandeyji, Bhopali and Shuddh Kalyan come surpassing Pahadi in this song. Every song of Umrao Jaan, composed in a variegated raga, was a masterpiece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpNAOiJmS2c

13. Karoge yaad to har baat yaad ayegi Bhupinder from Bazaar (1982), lyrics Bashar Nawaz, music Khayyam

Thirty-four years without his debut, Khayyam gave flipside landmark score in which all songs were outstanding. This is Bhupinder’s one of the most soulful ghazals. A sad Naseeruddin is sitting in the midst of the hills and water-steams, when this melody flows through in the atmosphere, reflecting his own inner pain. The expert says, it is Shivranjini Pahadi.

Note: I have not embedded video links of some songs. The uploaders have obstructed playing them on flipside site. But I have given their YT links. Clicking on the link automatically plays the song on the YT.

Acknowledgements:
1. RSTV in its Guftgaoo series has spanking-new two-part interview of Khayyam by Irfan.
i. Part1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65lkNiIuTds
ii. Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8oxJf9m1UY
2. I have taken some details of Khayyam’s life from Pankaj Raag’s Dhunon Ki Yatra.

Disclaimer: The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over these which vests with their original owners.

I am an illiterate in music. I have simply cited ragas from KL Pandeyji’s Encyclopedia. The four known experts here may like to discuss among themselves, and I and others can enjoy from the sidelines.