The Tale of Two Title Songs

Posted on Trivia – the Spice of Life on 01/10/2023

[1^st October is the birth anniversary of the legendary music director S.D.Burman]

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Baharein Phir Bhi Aayengi (1966) was Guru Dutt’s last production. It was completed as a tribute to him after he passed away suddenly on 10^th October, 1964, before the film could be completed. In fact, according to Yaseer Usman (author of Guru Dutt – An Unfinished Story), the day he ended his life was also the same on which Abrar Alvi was working on the last scene, in which Mala Sinha dies.

The movie became a reality after many a hiccup, the last of course being the untimely and sudden death of Guru Dutt. However, much before that there were already issues about the music director. S.D.Burman had been roped in by Guru Dutt for the music of the film. Burman had begun working on the music but he fell ill. It was then that Guru Dutt who felt that he did not have the kind of time to wait for Burman to recover, instead signed O.P.Nayyar.

The one song that had been recorded by S.D.Burman was the title song of the movie whose mukhda was Koi na tera saathi ho…The lyricist perhaps was Majrooh Sultanpuri and the playback singer was Md.Rafi. The song begins with a whistle which has been adapted from the theme of The Bridge on the River Kwai march. That it was intended to be shot on a train is obvious from the train whistle in the interlude music. This title song sounds more peppy and as one which is sung by a happy-go-lucky protagonist. The title of the film figured in the antaras.

Koi na teraa saathhi ho
dagar kahin bhi jaati ho
ae dil ke raahi chal akela
chal akelaa chal

tere peechhe toofaanon ki zameen hai 
tere aage bahaaron ka yaqeen hai
chhaaye jo toofan to chhaane de 
bahaarein phir bhi aayengi

ye jo raahon mein kaanton bhari dhool hai 
tere dil ke lahu se yahi phool hai
jaayen bahaaren to jaane de
bahaarein phir bhi aayengi

jaise chalta sitaara nahi theharta
raahi chal ke dobaara nahi theharta
pyaare woh manzil to aane de
bahaarein phir bhi aayengi

However, this song did not find a place in the movie. S.D.Burman was replaced by O.P.Nayyar. But the tune was used in Jewel Thief (1967) with new lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri and the song was Yeh dil na hota bechaara. The voice this time was Kishore Kumar’s. The story of this song shows the determination as well as the talent of its creators. The mood of the song was the same in Jewel Thief as well. Majrooh’s new set of lyrics too were as classy as in the earlier avtaar of the song. The instrumentation was changed completely. There was no more whistling. Instead Kishore’s yodelling was brought in. The train was missing but two new modes of transport – a car and a bullock cart were introduced.

Ye dil na hota bechaara, kadam na hote aawaara
jo khubasurat koi apana hamasafar hota

suna jab se zamaane hain bahaar ke
ham bhi aye hain raahi ban ke pyaar ke
koi na koi bulaaega, khade hain ham bhi raahon mein

are maana usako nahin main pehachaanta
banda usaka pata bhi nahin jaanta
milana likha hai to aayega, khade hain ham bhi raahon mein

us ki dhun mein padega duhkh jhelana
sikha hamane bhi pattharon se khelna
surat kabhi to dikhaaega, khade hain ham bhi raahon mein

With the change of guard in the music department of the film, a new set of creative minds were put on the job. This time the team was – Kaifi Azmi, O.P.Nayyar and Mahendra Kapoor. An entirely new title song was composed and this time the title of the film found a place in the mukhda instead of the antaras. The song was less peppy and more philosophical. It had the quintessential O P Nayyar touch. It continued to be a song shot in a train but the train whistle was missing. This song is perhaps the only one Kaifi Azmi wrote for O P Nayyar. The audio version is below. Click here for the video version.

Badal jaaye agar maali
 chaman hotaa nahin khaali
bahaarein phir bhi aati hain
 bahaarein phir bhi aayengi



thakan kaisi ghutan kaisi
chal apni dhun mein deewaane


khilaa le phool kaanton mein
sajaa le apne veeraane


hawaayen aag bhadkaayen
 fizaayen zahar barsaayen

bahaaren phir bhi aati hain
 bahaarein phir bhi aayengi


andhere kyaa ujaale kyaa
naa ye apne naa wo apne


tere kaam aayenge pyaaretere armaan tere sapne


zamaanaa tujhse ho barham
 naa aaye raah par mausam
bahaaren phir bhi aati hain
 bahaaren phir bhi aayengi

While music lovers have been enriched in more than one way in that we have heard how the same tune would sound in the voices of two legends, how the title song would have shaped up if the music director had not been changed and also how two top class lyricists have come up with two different sets of lyrics for the same situation in the film. Last but not the least, while the lyrics of Majrooh for the title song were not used, at least the tune of S.D.Burman got salvaged and saw the light of day.

Acknowledgements

1. Panchammagic, Pune and Mili Badal Bhattacharya family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxoXB93VjUM
2. https://atulsongaday.me/
3. https://www.imdb.com/
4. https://upperstall.com/features/the-unseen-baharen-phir-bhi-aayengi/
5. https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.indian.misc/c/SKi5QxDjCtM
6. https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/entertainment/guru-dutt-five-unknown-facts-about-bollywoods-iconic-director
7. https://trivia.memoirsofanaveragejoe.com/aap-ke-haseen-rukh/

Disclaimer

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