Whenever I listen to actor cum singer Suraiya’s simple but melodious song “Tarrpe Dil Tarrapne Se Zara Araam Aata Hai,” I cannot help but appreciate the tuneful melodies created by music composer Hansraj Behl in the 1950s.
Then using higher notes, Rafi’s rendering of ‘Zindagi Bhar Gham Judai Ka Mujhe Tarrpay Ga’ from the 1957 film ‘Miss Bombay’ shows Hansraj Behl’s mastery as an all-rounder as far as composing music is concerned. Masterpiece compositions are that of singer Shamshad Begum and playback singer Muhammad Rafi’s Punjabi numbers “Saari Umraan De Pe Gaye Vichore”, “Jug Waala Mela Yaaro Thori Dair Da” and “Pyar De Bhulekhe”. Hansraj composed the last track in an extremely emotional way which was sung by Muhammad Rafi tremendously well. Shamshad Begum’s scintillating voice emerged rather appealing in “Meri Lagdi Kise Na Vaikhi Te Tutedi Nu Jag Jaanda” and “Ve Dus Roya Karain Ga Sahnu Yaad Kar Ke”. Singer and composer Lata Mangeshkar shone in “De De Mora Kangana”. My all-time favourite however remains “Haye Jiya Roye” from the 1958 film ‘Milan’. Singer Talat Mahmood sang a softer melody which had Sufi lyrics, “Aaye Bhi Akele Jaye Bhi Akele”. The person who created these master-piece songs was born in Ambala on November 19 in Punjab. He died in 1984 at the age of 68. It is a pity that the Indian film industry did not use his capabilities to its fullest, despite that he had been tutored by Pandit Chunni Laal and his limited repertoire exhibited brilliance.
As most of the struggling music composers do, Hansraj too composed some songs for gramophone companies initially. He got his first major break with His Masters Voice. He had opened a music school in Lahore at that time but personally he wanted to be a music composer for the film industry. Hansraj’s father Nihal Chand Behl owned some lands in Sheikhupura. The family had no background in music but all members had an innate love for it. Hansraj remained involved in musical activities one way or the other, and at last, got the opportunity to compose music for the play “Raam Leela”. He moved to Ambala and started learning music from Achary Charanjivelal. He opened a music school in Anarkali, Lahore. Monthly Archives, in its December 2012 issue reports that Hansraj also started appearing on stage shows and later started organising such shows himself. His music class and stage shows achieved great popularity in Punjab in those days. As he became known, Hansraj set his ambition higher and the lure of the film industry in Bombay brought him to the base of the Indian film industry in 1944. Hansraj pleaded with and got his uncle Chunnilal Behl to introduce him to the legendary actor Prithviraj Kapoor.
Looking back, Hansraj scored music for around 67 films in a four-decade long career. His first breakthrough came in the shape of the 1946 film ‘Pujari’ directed by Ardeshie Irani. To get a film of writer and director Khan Bahadur Ardeshir Irani’s stature was an honour for Hansraj. Ardeshir Irani was a producer, actor, film distributor, film showman and cinematographer in the silent and sound eras of early Indian cinema. In 1925, Irani founded Imperial Films, where he made 62 films. By the age of 40, Irani was an established filmmaker of Indian cinema. He became the father of talkie films with the release of his sound feature film ‘Alam Ara’ on March 14, 1931. Hansraj’s movie ‘Pujari’ was the last one which was made by Irani. ‘Gawalan’ was Hansraj’s second film and he started using Mukesh as his mainstay playback singer. Mukesh’s duet with Sushila Rani, “Nazar Lagat Tori Chhalaiyya More Gore Badan Ko” became very popular. Pandit Indra was the lyricist for this film. Then Doyen Sardar Chandulal Shah inducted Hansraj into his famous Ranjeet Studios and the composer gave music in four of Ranjeet’s films. Composer Bulo C Rani was a co-composer in ‘Lakhon Mein Aik’ and separately recorded a few songs as well. Legendary leading lady Meena Kumari sang some numbers as the side heroine in ‘Duniya Aik Sarai’, with music composed by Hansraj.
Though Hansraj was successful in 1947 with the release of ‘Laakhon Mein Aik’ and ‘Chheen Le Azadi’, his films ‘Gawalan’ and ‘Phulwaari’ in 1946, could not do well at the box office.
The rest is history.
The song “Naale Lami Tey Naale Kaali” was such a great hit that writer Yashpal mentioned it in his famous literary classic ‘Jhootha Sach’. Lata Mangeshkar’s first evergreen song with Hansraj was “Dil-e-Nashad Ko Jeene Ki Hasrat Ho Gayi Tum Se” for the film ‘Chunria’. Continued