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Prof.
Balasaheb Bhide
The
Shanker Jaikishan
Devotee ...
Take a close look at this young man's
photograph taken in 1954. He was 16 years old at that point
and was a devout Shanker Jaikishan fan.
Already captivated by the melodies of the music director
duo, little did this young man realize then, that his entire
life was going to be centred around the work & lives
of Shanker Jaikishan!
Pune Life Style visits
the musical world of Prof. Balasaheb Bhide ...
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Half
a century later, as Prof. Balasaheb Bhide
looks back at this musical journey of life & he is content!
"When
I look back, I increasingly realize that if Gods could descend
to the earth and bless us what else could they do but what
Shanker Jaikishan did? Forget that they were humans ...
look at them for their work.
Shanker was the form of Shiva with his damru from which
emanated the finest rhythms and Jaikishan the Krishna whose
flute enchanted us with the finest of melodies."
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"I was into my teens when the music of Barsaat, Awara,
Shree 420 and other SJ hits were everywhere in the air. Obviously,
even I was no exception. We used to live on Tilak Road in
the 50s and we had this huge Stuart Warner 8-valve radio.
Every Wednesday, we waited for 8.00 p.m. sharp for the Binaca
Geet Mala to begin. For one hour there used to be a crowd
outside our house. Neighbours, friends even passers by, would
stop and listen to those enchanting songs as Ameen Sayani
took us through all the padaans."
"1956 was one memorable year. With outstanding creations
like Basant Bahar & Halaku, SJ were at their finest. And
when Chori Chori burst into the Geetmala listings, it created
a record of sorts when ALL its songs made it to the Geetmala
that year. When Ameen Sayani would announce a song we would
all cheer! And what melodies they were! Aaja Sanam, Jahan
Main Jaati Hoon, Man Bhavan Ke Ghar, Panchhi Banoon, Sawa
Lakh Ki Lottery, Us Paar Sajan, Yeh Raat Bheegi & of course
the soul-stirring chart topper Rasik Balma!" |
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"As
the years passed, my fervour for Shanker Jaikishan and their
work increased to an unprecedented degree. I used to teach
Chemistry at Modren College then. Just next to the college
there are the Police Quarters and often a some radio in one
of those houses would send a SJ tune wafting into the clasroom
... often I gave my students a free lecture!"
"My bicycle too had the words 'Shanker Jaikishan - Saat
Suronka Saath' painted on it! I was saving some money every
month so I could buy Shanker Jaikishan records. I visited
most theatres in Pune and at other places in Maharashtra like
Sangli, Kolhapur and collect the stills which are displayed
in the windows!" |
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"Pankaj
was the shop on Laxmi Road where I bought records. Often
I would be short of money but I would pay a token advance
and collect the record when I could muster enough cash!
I was by now a total SJ fan and could not stand other music
directors. In fact, I also liked the work of O.P.Nayyar
but only after friends convinced me that I grudgingly would
admit the existence of others!"
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"In
1971, Mere Sapno Ki Rani from Aradhana was immensely popular.
I recall listening to the Binaca Geet Mala one day when
I was down with flu! In a morose state of mind, I heard
Ameen Sayani taking us up the charts and when he announced
that Zindagi Ek Safar Hain Suhana from Andaz was the numero
uno song, my joy knew no bounds! I leapt out of bed and
my mood had changed. I was upbeat and full of life."
"That
was also the year when Jaikishan passed away and for me
a landmark phase of life had ended! I heard the tribute
of Radio Ceylon and I still have that on tape and listen
to it on Jaikishan's anniversary!"
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"For
me, movies held no meaning after that! I have never visited
a theatre after 1971! Gone were those times when people
waited for the next song as they saw a Chori Chori!"
"In
the mid 80s my young nephew was humming a tune 'Sun Sahiba
Sun.' I overheard him and asked him which film was it from
and who was the Music Director? He said the film was Ram
Teri Ganga Maili - a Raj Kapoor film and was tuned by Ravindra
Jain. I smiled and told him that cannot be - it has to be
a Jaikishan tune, after listening to SJ for all these years
how could I not recognize? The next morning I read Hasrat
Jaipuri's interview in the papers which confirmed my intuitive
guess. It was natural that I would know!"
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"My
nature is not very outgoing. I remain a shy person who gets
daunted by the prospect of meeting someone. In later years,
Shanker used to visit Pune and often I had this urge to meet
him. Somehow I could never bring myself to go across and meet
him. A fact that I will rue till my dying day! But, such as
it is ... life goes on.
I now live on a pension and my ambition is now to put up a
little museum of SJ. That could be my little tribute to the
maestroes and yes I repeat ... for me they will always be
the Gods of our lifetime!" |
| To
contact Prof. Balasaheb Bhide please click
here |
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Simla Office !!!
ExpressionS