Songs of Spouses

Posted on Trivia – The Spice of Life on 02/04/2023

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My guess is that the number of songs featuring spouses in our films would be lesser than those featuring couples in love enjoying the courtship phase. I must add here that this surmise is not supported by any statistical analysis and I could very well be wrong. Dancing around trees perhaps best goes with the young carefree lovebirds and not with those who have entered the wedlock. In fact, many a movie ends with the lead couple getting married.

Having said that, AVM productions did time and again dabble with marital discord in a joint family set up. In the 1970s, Basu Bhattacharya made his ‘marital trilogy‘ – Anubhav (1971), Aavishkaar (1974) and Griha Pravesh (1979) – all of which dealt with marital discord sans the joint family ensemble. Bheemsain Khurana’s Dooriyan (1979) too dealt with marital discord in an urban setting focusing on the problems of a working couple trying to juggle between their careers and parenting. Many of them have very melodious songs.

I felt that analysing songs featuring spouses in the films of the golden era would be interesting and hence this post. I sat and pondered over the different kinds of spouses that feature in film songs. There could be several categories and sub categories. I zeroed in on ten of them and then tried to find a representative song for each kind. I also felt that the adjective used for the spouse in some cases was also the keynote of the film. The songs I have included are both solos and duets depending on the context. But both wife and husband feature in the song, even if it is a solo.

1) The Fake Spouse – Miss Mary(1957).

This is a very common trope used in films, usually to get accommodation in a hotel to spend the night. However, there are movies where the whole plot revolves round a sham marriage. But of course, the movie ends with the fake spouse becoming the real one. The first movie of this kind that comes to mind is Miss Mary (1957), a remake of the wonderful Telugu film Missamma (1955). I would recommended that the Telugu movie be watched, for it outclasses the Hindi remake in many a department. While all songs of Miss Mary are classics, this duet – O Raat Ke Musaafir – Rajinder Krishan – Hemant Kumar – Lata Mangeshkar & Md.Rafi– which showcases the travails of being fake spouses, fits the bill perfectly. Here’s the link for the Telugu version of the song.

2) The Besotted Spouse – Safar (1970)

The spouse is bound to be besotted in the honeymoon phase, when everything is hunky dory. When the lady and the man are ‘just married‘ and go on a long drive, there are going to be such songs which show the extent to which one can be bowled over. This song from Safar – Jo Tumko Ho Pasand – Indeevar – Kalyanji Anandji – Mukesh – epitomises besotment. To say – tum din ko agar raat kaho, raat kahenge – is perhaps the height of being spell bound.

3) The Quarrelsome Spouse – Adhikar (1954)

It is the daily quarrels (nok jhok) that make marital life vibrant. Marriage brings along with it many responsibilities. Shouldering them is the shared responsibility of both the spouses. However, there are times when both find it exasperating and what follows is a quarrel and a blame game. The song that strikes me is kamaata hun bahut kucch par – Raja Mehdi Ali Khan – Avinash Vyas – Kishore Kumar & Geeta Dutt. Usha Kiran and Kishore Kumar are at each other’s throats. He accuses her of splurging and she hurls the same accusation at him. This of course is the scenario where the wife is a home maker.

kamaata hoon bahut kuchh par kamaayi doob jaati hai..
luta dete hain ghar ko mard aurat ghar banaati hai

4) The Wayward Spouse – Kaajal (1965)

This is a very common type which is shown in our films. It is usually the husband who is wayward and the wife brings about a change in the end and helps to redeem him. The best example of wayward behaviour is perhaps in the song chhu lene do naazuk hothon ko – Sahir Ludhianvi – Ravi- Md.Rafi. The song fills one with disgust. But, it is beautifully sung by Rafi.

5) The disloyal spouse – Gumraah (1963)

Infidelity and adultery have been favourite subjects of film makers. Gumraah was one movie that explored this theme very sensitively. Mala Sinha, the female lead, violates the sanctity of the wedlock but is brought back on track by her husband’s delicate handling of the issue. The song – aap aaye to khayaal-e-dil-e-naashaad aayaa – Sahir Ludhianvi – Ravi – Mahendra Kapoor – sums up the plot of the movie very subtly. One can see the lady sitting and listening but at the same time squirming at some of the lyrics. Guilt is writ large over her face. I also love the manner in which the entire recording of the song in the studio is depicted with the live orchestra and the conductor.

6) The Doubting Spouse – Aap Ki Kasam (1974)

Marriages work on trust. If the seeds of suspicion are sown, then the marriage is sure to be on the rocks. This has also been a common theme in our films. The best exposition of the doubting spouse is in the film Aap Ki Kasam. Unfounded suspicion leads to a relationship being destroyed irreparably. The song – chori chori chupke chupke – Anand Bakshi – R.D.Burman – Lata Mangeshkar – showcases how a doubting spouse can read too much into something that does not even exist.

7) The Estranged Spouse – Thodisi Bewafaii (1980)

Differences between the spouses could lead to a situation where reconciliation is impossible. Estrangement becomes inevitable. While there have been many films on the estranged couple (e.g. Phagun (1973), Kora Kaagaz(1974)) I have chosen the song hazaar raahein mudke dekhi – Gulzar – Khayyam – Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar – from Thodisi Bewafaii which presents both perspectives and also spells the reason for the cracks in the relationship.

8) The Jealous Spouse – Abhimaan (1973)

Professional jealousy is not a very common theme that is explored. One of the reasons for this is that women were not a considerable part of the work force in yesteryears. Thus, the wife would usually be a home maker. But there are movies where professional jealousy is very realistically portrayed. In most cases, it is the fragile male ego that cannot brook a woman excelling in the same field or even worse surpassing the husband. The song – ab to hai tumse har khushi apni – Majrooh Sultanpuri – S.D.Burman – Lata Mangeshkar – from the movie Abhimaan (1973) is the perfect example of the jealous spouse.

9) The Simpleton – Bahuraani (1963)

A rare species seen in films is the simpleton who is usually married to a smart girl by sleight of hand. The wife begins to understand the injustice meted out to her husband for he has been turned into a simpleton because of ill-treatment. She fights the family and all the evil doers and turns her husband into a confident and worldly wise man. The reverse (i.e. the wife being the simpleton) generally does not happen in our films. The song depicting the simpleton that I have chosen is main jagoon saari rain – Sahir Ludhianvi – C Ramchandra – Lata Mangeshkar. Guru Dutt acts very well as the bhola bhaala husband. Mala Sinha is rather heartbroken and distraught.

10) The open minded /broad minded spouse – Patita (1953)

I gather that this is an adjective that is very commonly used in matrimonial advertisements. This seems to be a type which is hard to find. But the protagonist in Patita – Dev Anand – is broad minded and liberal and thinks ahead of his times. He readily accepts a woman who has been violated, though it takes him a lot of effort to convince his mother. Usha Kiran who plays the wife is also strong willed. They thus make a perfect couple. The song hain sabse madhur woh geet – Shailendra- Shankar Jaikishan – Talat Mahmood – is the song that comes to mind. It is so reassuring; if a spouse is really progressive, then one cannot ask for more.

This brings me to the end of my post on songs of spouses. While some categories are only seen in films, I am sure shades of others are surely seen in real life situations. I must also say that there could be several more categories but I chose only ten for the sake of brevity. Which song of spouses would you want to add?

Disclaimer

anitamultitasker.wordpress.com claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from Daily Motion, YouTube and other platforms only to make the post audio visual. The copyright of these songs rests with the respective owners, producers and music companies. The source of information for each of the songs has also been mentioned.