Dil dhoondhta hai phir wohi, fursat ke raat din; baithe rahe tasavvur-e-jaana kiye huye
(Once again, the heart’s trying to recover those leisurely days and nights/ Just sitting, thinking and dreaming of the beloved)
One of Gulzar’s most memorable love songs owes a great deal to Mirza Ghalib, whose couplet forms the first line of the song. Gulzar replaced the word ‘Jee’ with ‘Dil’ and expanded the couplet with lyrical dexterity, while Madan Mohan composed it in the honeyed Raag Keervani.
Within this near-perfect combination of poetry and melody was Bhupinder Singh’s slightly sluggish, languid voice that moves just a couple of seconds behind the thought. It was a unique expression, not the kind one had heard from male playback singers of the time.
Singh, who moved millions with this famed ditty, among many others, died of a cardiac arrest on Monday evening. He was 82 and had been in hospital for the last 10 days.
Dr Deepak Namjoshi, director, Criticare Asia Hospital, said, “His condition worsened on Monday morning and we had to put him on a ventilator. He got a cardiac arrest and died at 7.45 pm.’’
Born in Amritsar, Singh grew up in Delhi’s West Patel Nagar.
He began his career with All India Radio, Delhi, and Doordarshan. It was at a get-together in Delhi that Madan Mohan heard Singh and asked him to try his luck in the world of film music. He gave Singh his first break with Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey and Talat Mahmood in ‘Haqeeqat’. The song was ‘Hoke majboor mujhe’, which found quite some attention.
He followed it with others such as Do diwane shahar mein, Naam gum jayega, Karoge yaad to, Meethe bol bole, Kisi nazar ko tera intezaar aaj bhi, and Ek akela is shehar mein, Kisi ko mukammal, among others.
In his later years, he also turned to ghazals, performing often with wife and singer Mitali Singh.
Bhupinder Singh dies: Revisiting five best Bollywood tracks of the unique playback singer
Veteran singer Bhupinder Singh, who had lent his melodic voice to many Bollywood songs and ghazals, passed away on Monday in Mumbai’s Criticare hospital. He was 82.
From the classic “Dil Dhoondta Hai” from 1975’s Mausam, to the more upbeat “Hothon Pe Aisi Baat” from Jewel Thief, Bhupinder had displayed his vocal range in multiple hits. Apart from playback singing, Bhupinder has also been credited as a guitarist in numerous Hindi film numbers, including the likes of “Dum Maaro Dum” from the Dev Anand movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna and “Chura Liya Hai” from Yaadon Ki Baaraat.
Here’s looking at some of his most beloved numbers.
Huzoor Is Kadar Bhi Na Itra ke Chaliye
The sweetly melancholic, albeit flirty song features in the 1983 movie Masoom, starring Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles. Composed by Rahul Dev Burman, the song was brought to life by Bhupinder Singh’s powerful vocals.
Hothon Pe Aisi Baat
This Sachin Dev Burman track is an upbeat number featuring two musical stalwarts in the form of Lata Mangeshkar and Bhupinder Singh. Their magical voices blended perfectly to create a sensational, rousing track.
Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Asmaan
Filmed on Mithun Chakraborty and Zarina Wahab, this one is a romantic ballad that has been crooned to perfection by Lata Mangeshkar and Bhupinder Singh. The music was composed by RD Burman and the lyrics were penned by the celebrated songwriter Gulzar.
Kabhi Kisi Ko Muqammal Jahaan Nahi Milta
This lovely Nida Fazli-penned track had Bhupinder Singh collaborating with Khayyam. The sentimental lyrics bemoaning the realities of life went well with Bhupinder Singh’s melancholic vocals.
Dil Dhoondta Hai
Composed by Madan Mohan and penned by Gulzar, “Dil Dhoondta Hai” from 1975’s Mausam once again brings out the sad, almost mournful side of Bhupinder Singh’s voice.
Born in Amritsar, Bhupinder Singh began his music training from childhood itself thanks to his father, who was a music teacher. While he went on to accomplish great success in his chosen field, it was said that Bhupinder was not very fond of either music or the instruments he had to learn when he was a child. In his early years, Bhupinder was associated with All India Radio as well as Doordarshan. Apart from singing, he was also a proficient violinist and guitar player.
Bhupinder got his first big break in 1962 when famed composer Madan Mohan heard him perform at a dinner in Delhi. Apart from his Bollywood career, Bhupinder was known for his lovely ghazals. His first LP was released in 1968.
Bhupinder Singh moved away from singing for a bit after his wedding with Bangladeshi singer Mitali Mukherjee. The couple collaborated on several live acts and ghazals.
Bhupinder is survived by his wife Mitali Singh, and their son Nihal Singh, who is also a singer.
Original Post: https://indianexpress.com/
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