Relative harmony

In the world of film music, it often happens that relatives - whether husband and wife, siblings or otherwise - have to create music together. And I don’t mean composer duos who are brothers, or Kishore Kumar and Amit Kumar, or the Mangeshkar sisters collaborating on duets. But often, a song has to be created for someone related to you.

It is always interesting to find out what happens when such an occasion arises. Many years ago, Sonali Rathod told me that her husband, composer-and-singer Roop Kumar Rathod would wake her up in the middle of the night to make her hear, and then try out a new composition he had made. Now Roop prefers to make their daughter Surshree listen (not in the middle of the night, of course) because he recognised the germ of a budding composer in her. But Sonali also said that during recordings, Roop would sometimes expect too much from her, and would even yell at her just because she was a ghar ki murgi!

Composer Jagjit Singh, a brilliant singer by any standards, has however composed some of his greatest songs for wife Chitra as solos. But this would seem to an exception. In films, music director Khayyam got wife Jagjit Kaur to sing several songs, but the only stand-out number was Ranjish hi sahi (Shagoon), Bappi Lahiri made no effort whatsoever to give aunt Chandrani Mukherjee a single worthwhile song among those she sang for him. Ranu Mukerji sang the occasional good song for RD Burman and Anand-Milind, but never for dad Hemant Kumar. Salil Choudhury composed the transiently popular Nani teri morni ko chor le gayi for granddaughter Antara Choudhury, but nothing else. A well-past-his-prime Naushad composed off-colour music for his son MA Rehman’s directorial debut, Tere Payal Mere Geet. Khayyam similarly could not deliver when his son Pradeep Khayyam made his debut as hero in Jaan-E-Wafaa.

Bappi Lahiri has yet to give beti Rema Lahiri a hit, though Laxmikant-Pyarelal managed a hit for Laxmikant’s daughter Rajeshwari in Hey Raju Hey Daddy (Ek Hi Bhool). The duo made Rajeshwari sing many other songs, one of which also had Kanal, Pyarelal’s daughter, singing for a lark (in the film Oonch Neech Beech), but none of the songs had any calibre. L-P also composed for Dilbar, in which Laxmikant’s son Rishikesh made an attempt to become a hero. Papa obliged son by making peace with bete noire Kumar Sanu (whose voice Rishikesh loves) as the main singer. But among the songs only Mere dil mein lage hain o sanam was of the L-P calibre, and with trends changed and the film proving a non-starter, the song went into quick oblivion.

Vinod Rathod and Roop Kumar Rathod have never got the best of Nadeem-Shravan, the latter being their elder brother. Both would like to believe that Shravan does not like to thrust them in, against Nadeem’s personal preferences for others, and are happy that they have got their best songs with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Anu Malik and others.

Jatin-Lalit have sporadically used the vocals of sister Vijayeta Pandit and niece Shraddha, but they admit that their best is reserved for bigger singers. In 1999, they did offer Shraddha major breaks in Sangharsh and Khubsoorat, and Shraddha may play a bigger role in their films to come, as is also likely in the case of Anmol Malik, Anu Malik’s daughter, who has sung lines in songs from Diljale, Chhota Chetan and Mela. And even Aadesh Shrivastav has yet to deliver a real hit with his wife - the Vijayata Pandit (now Shrivastav).

Luckily, there are significant exceptions to the apparent scenario that relatives do not exactly inspire in the cold-bloodedly professional environs of the industry. Hridaynath Mangeshkar remains permanently inspired by didi Lata Mangeshkar, and composes select but challenging songs for Asha Bhosle, and occasionally Usha Mangeshkar. Saawan Kumar and Usha Khanna’s musical tuning was usually special (Hawas, Ab KyaHoga, Saajan Bina Suhagan, Souten) even if their marriage did not last. Music director Rajesh Roshan is known to reserve his best for bada bhai Rakesh Roshan and in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, wherein he had the responsibility of composing for his nephew’s launch film, he excelled himself “because of the complete faith Rakesh had in me.”

So what happens when you have to create for a relative? Are there heightened expectations and state of apprehensions? Is there a special challenge or motivation? The late Laxmikant once told me that they never were particularly conscious whenever they composed one of their many songs for Laxmikant’s wife’s sister Bindu. “For us, it was like making any other song for a situation in a film whether it was Hungama ho gaya from Anhonee, or Dard-e-dil badhta jaaye from Buniyaad,” he said.

At the peak of their love, Guru Dutt wanted wife Geeta to sing the best songs in his films. But when Guru and Waheeda Rehman had an alleged fling, Geeta refused to playback for her, and Guru Dutt sacrificed Geeta Dutt’s interests but retained Waheeda Rehman and employed Asha Bhosle’s vocals!

Among Kaifi Azmi’s and Javed Akhtar’s lyrics for Shabana Azmi, a few stand out, like Azmi’s Tum itna jo mooskura rahe ho (Arth) - which was filmed on but non lip-synched by his daughter and hubby Javed’s songs from Saaz. Yash Chopra would pressurise his music directors to give wife Pamela Chopra one song in every film. And the crown for relative harmony can be awarded only to RD Burman who unleashed a storm of innovative experimentation with wife Asha Bhosle, as he made bolder and bolder experiments with her.

Says Rajesh Roshan, “When you know your job, you can do it well even for a relative or a family member. Fear or nervousness will only spoil things.” Pancham would have wholeheartedly agreed with him on that.

Rajiv Vijayakar