Daily Times

Anil Krishna Vishwas more known as Anil Biswas and fondly known as Anil Da, was an Indian playback singer and musician, considered one of the ancestors of playback singing in Indian cinema.

To my generation he is more known as a pure melody maker of late 1940s and early 1050s. As a child I remember him from his music in Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s 1951 romantic movie Tarana. The songs ‘Wo Din Kahan Gaye’ by Lata Mangeshkar and ‘Seene Main Sulagte Hain Armaan’, a duet with Talat Mahmud especially captivated me. Music critics observe that he presented pure choral effect and orchestra music in the film industry in addition to being the first person to use a twelve-piece orchestra in Indian music. Later music director Naushad Ali is known to have used heavy violins impact in his orchestral support for his songs. So did music composers Shakar Jaikishen and Lakshamikant Peyarelel later on. Music composer OP Nayyar used Dholak impact for his rhythmic combinations and used flute with clarinet combination for his interval pieces.

I am still fascinated with Talat Mahmud’s rendering of Sahir Ludhiyanvi’s poetry ‘Muhabbat Tark Hei Main Nei Gareban See Liya Main Nei’ from the 1952 movie ‘Do Raha’ with Nalini Jewant and Shekhar as lead pair. I was asked by literary magazine ‘Takhleeq’s Editor Azhar Javed to sing this Ghazal on Sahir Lusheyanvi Day in National Hotel, Upper Mall. Lahore. (This venue does not exist anymore). Then I rendered this Ghazal in one of Halqa Arbab-e-Zauq’s session in Aiwan-e-Iqbal Lahore appreciated especially by veteran poet Hussain Majrooh who held the position of Halqa successfully as its Secretary General. A fan Sudhir Rafi says (whether true or not) that the songs ‘Muhabbat Tarq Ki Main Nei Gareeban See Liya Main Nei’, ‘Tera Khayal Dil Sei Mitaaya Nahin Abhi Bedard Main Nei Tujh Ko Bhulaya Nahi Abhi’ and ‘Dil Mein Basaake Meet Banaa Kei Bhool Na Jana Peet Purani’ were originally sung by Mohammed Rafi but were recorded again in the voice of Talat Mahmood. The reason being Rafi’s voice ‘didn’t suit the foreign returned character’ of the hero which required a certain ‘refined accent’!

EARLY LIFE — Barisal was a town in Southern Bengal where Anil Biswas was born on July 7, 1914. Music had fascinated him from a very young age and he started working for theatre as an actor, singer and assistant music director. By the time he was 14 he became expert in Tabla Playing. In his youth he became a part of Indian Freedom Movement and was behind bars many a times. He ran away to Calcutta in 1930 such that he was not imprisoned again. He started performing on stage and sang classical music in domains such as Thumri and Dadra etc.

His efforts were appreciated by poet Qazi Nazrul Islam, singer/actor Kundan Lal Sehgal and composer Sachin Dev Burman. In 1934 he was advised by Mr. Bose to move to Bombay. For Sagar Productions he got a job as music assistant to Ashok Ghosh. He entered 1940s as by now he was established as a poet, music composer and a singer. He was music composer for Dilip Kumar’s first movie ‘Juwar Bhaata’ produced by Bombay Talkies. Anil Biswas also introduced singer Mukesh in the film ‘Pehli Nazar’ in 1945. He gave lot of songs to Lata Mangeshkar who herself stated that Anil Biswas taught her where to take a breath while singing and how would she start and leave the poetry line while singing. He married singer cum actor Asha Lata whose actual name was Mehrunnissa, from which bond he was blessed with three sons Pradeep, Amit and Uptal and a daughter Shikha. In 1961 he lost his son Pradeep in an air crash. As a result, he lost interest in the film industry. By then he had split from his first wife and married a singer Meena Kapoor. He didn’t have any more children and died on May 31, 2003 in New Delhi where he had been attached with Radio India for a few years.

SOME EARLY SONGS — there are many hit songs composed by Anil Biswas that made singer Mukesh got established, the foremost among his songs was ‘Dil Jalta Hai Toh Jalne De’ Lyricist was Safdar Aah and movie ‘Pehli Nazar’. This song was rendered in KL Saigol’s style. I remember in my UET days, a senior student Javed Rahim used to sing this song very well and we named him Javed Saigol. The other song that I remember vividly was ‘Aei Jaan-e-Jigar Dil Mein Samane Aa Ja’ filmed on Prem Nath written by Rajender Krishan for the film ‘Aaram’. He falls in love by Madhubala who was already in love with Dev Anand. It was a lovely film that I saw when I was in my teenage. A song ‘Man Main Kisi Ki Preet Jaga Lei’ by Lata was also a lovely melody from this movie. Talat Mahmud appeared in the film as an actor performing on his own song ‘Shukriya Aei Pyar Tera Shukriya’. Anil Biswas also was instrumental in establishing Talat Mahmud in Hindi films. The prominent songs were ‘Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Lei Chal Jahan Koi Na Ho’ filmed on Dilip Kumar from the Kamini Kaushal film: Arzoo (1950). Director was Shahid Lateef and Lyricist, Majrooh Sultanpuri. Lata rendered another melodious ghazal by Majrooh ‘Kahn Tak Hum Uthaeinn Ghum Jiyein Ab Ya Keh Mar Jaein’. Another hit song by Talat Mahmud was ‘Jali Jo Shaakh-e-Chaman (Aik Main Hoon Aik Meri Bekasi Ki Shaam Hei) by Lyricist Kaif Irfani from the movie ‘Tarana’. Duets with Lata such as ‘Nain Mile Nain Huwe Banware’ and ‘Seene Main Sulagte Hain Armaan’ were hit songs from this movie. These songs established Talat Mahmud as the most appropriate voice as playback for Dilip Kumar. Anil Biswas also gave breakthrough to singer cum actress Suraiya in films like ‘Warris’ through songs such as; Raahi Matwale Tu Chair Ik Baar Mun Kei Sitar’ as solo and in duet form with Talat Mahmud. Lyricist was Qamar Jalalabadi’. Another song by Suraiya was ‘Tum Man Ki Peera Kya Samjho’ by Lyricist Prem Dhawan for the film Jeet. Songs from Anil Da’s movie Heer did not blend with his Bengali background as the film’s culture was from Punjab such as ‘Allah Teri Khair Kare’ by Mohammed Rafi for Lyricist Rajender Krishan and ‘Tere Karam Ko Kahegi Duniya’ by Singer Geeta Dutt for the Lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri. Geeta Dutt and Hement Kumar, two Bengal voices were used by Anil Biswas for the song ‘O Saajna Chhoota Hai Jo Daaman Tera’ for this film. Muhammad Rafi was Anil Biswas choice for the song ‘Lei Ja Uski Duayen’ for another song penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri for the film Heer. Music for the film ‘Anokhi Ada’ was a success especially the song ‘Ab Yaad Na Kar Bhool Ja’ by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh.

SOME MEMORABLE SONGS — there was trend in India in 1950s for releasing their films in Russia due to India’s romance with USSR. Joint films productions were in the vogue as well. One of the films was ‘Pardsei’ (Journey beyond three seas) by directors Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and V Pronin. One dance sequence was ‘Nadir Deem Tana Dere Na, Na Ja Na Ja Balam Mere Na’ by Lata became an instant hit. Performer was Padmini. In 1953 movie ‘Fareb’ Anil Biswas used Lata in a semi-classical song ‘Jaao Gey Thais Laga Kei’. In this film he also used the struggling Kishore Kumar in the song ‘Husn Bhi Hei Udaas Udaas’ in a difficult tune. This a type of tune Anil would compose for his favourite singer Talat Mahmud. It is a ghazal by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Another song ‘Aa Muhabbat Ki Basti Basaein Gey Hum’ by Kishore Kumr and Lata Mageshkar caught music lovers’ ears but Kishore’s voice sounded very nasal. Its tune is closer to our tune ‘Ashian Dhal Gaya Gulsitan Lut Gaya’ by Habib Wali Muhammad. The other hit songs of Anil Biswas are ‘Ik Dil Ka Lagaana Baaqi Tha’, ‘Tumhaare Bulaane Ko Jee Chahta Hai’, ‘Badli Teri Nazar Tuo Nazaare Badal Gaye’ and ‘Kateti Hai Ab Tau Zindagi’ etc.

TRIBUTE — vintage Hindi Film Music Lovers Association (VHFMLA) hosted music maestro, the late Anil Biswas and his wife Meena Kapur, in Bangalore, year 1986. As a part of the series, there was an exclusive evening dinner and cocktail at the residence of then Governor, AN Banerjee.

The writer is the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance award. He can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com