Listening to his songs, I was reading up about his life and learnt a lot. For one thing, I did not know that the epicenter of Hindi movies was Calcutta before it moved to Bombay. Apparently, he sang under the name Saigal Kashmiri (he was born in Jammu) for the first few movies before changing it to his real name – Kundan Lal – but used his initials. He died at the age of 43, a few months before India got its independence. His death was due to his alcoholism, the records indicate.

Interestingly, before becoming a singer-actor, he was a railway timekeeper for some time (did not finish school), then a typewriter salesman and then a hotel manager!

Growing up, we heard quite a few of his Bengali songs. That was a language he picked up much later in his life.

“যেমন করে মেঘ যায় গো উড়ে
যেমন করে সে হাওয়ায় ভাসে
কই, তাহার মতো তুমি আমার স্বপ্নে কভু ভাসো না তো
অলির কথা শুনে বকুল হাসে
কই, তাহার মতো তুমি আমার কথা শুনে হাসো না তো”

Like the way the clouds float by
Like the way they waft into the winds
How come you never shimmer into my dreams
But in the same way?

Like the ways the bees’ humming words
Drive the flowers to endless chortle
How come you never laugh at my own words
But in the same way?

Brought out this from the LP collection. Remember receiving this from Deval a few years back.

Mughal-E-Azam. The movie came out 6 years before I was born! I find some songs still very classic.

“Mohabbat ki jhuthi kahani pe roye
Badi chot khai javani pe roye”

My school friend – Sanjay Saha – recently introduced me to the Bangla Band – “Joler Gaan”. I did not know of them. But very nice renditions of Bengali folks songs.

পরের জায়গা পরের জমিন, ঘর বানাইয়া আমি রই
আমি তো সেই ঘরের মালিক নই

“Porer jaga porer jomin, ghor banaiya aami roi
Ami to sei ghorer malik noi”

The folk song muses that nothing is really ours. We build “our” house on “our” land… and yet, nothing really is “ours”.

Chori chori ham se tum aa kar mile the jis jagah
Muddatein guzariin par ab tak wo thikaanaa yaad hai
Ham ko ab tak aashiqii ka vo zamana yaad hai
Chupke chupke raat din aansuu bahana yaad hai

Aa gaya gar vasl ki shab bhi kahin zikr-e-firaaq
Vo tera ro ro ke bhi mujhko rulana yaad hai
Ham ko ab tak aashiqii ka vo zamana yaad hai
Chupke chupke raat din aansuu bahana yaad hai

Roughly translated…

That place where you used to come to meet me secretly
Much time has gone by but I still remember that place
I still remember those days when we were in love
I still remember tears flowing secretly day and night

If ever any mention of parting came up during those nights of love
I remember how you would keep crying and then make me cry
I still remember those days when we were in love
I still remember tears flowing secretly day and night

This was written by and also sung by Hemanta Mukherjee. I think he also composed the tunes.

O Nodire
Ekti kotha shudhai shudhu tomaare
Bolo kothay tomar desh
Tomar neiki cholaar shesh

Amay bhabcho michei por
Tomar naai ki oboshor
Shukh dukkher kotha kichu
Koile na hoy amaare

Roughly translated:
(improvements welcome)

Oh! you incessantly flowing river
I have but this one query for you
From where are you coming
And is there no end to your flowing?

You seem to be blissfully unfettered
Bereft of your own abode
One moment I see you receding in an ebb
And in the next you are rushing in a tide

You break a bank on one side
Only to create another on the other
And what do you do for those
Who have lost on all their sides?

Do not think of me as a stranger
For whom you have no time nor tide
Why don’t you pause next to me
And narrate the story of your life?

A tad too cold to step out right now. Time for some oldies from Hemanta Mukherjee

Well, actually, it was three of us!