Satyajit Ray: Shakespeare Wallah (1965)

While many westerners know Satyajit Ray as a director, most famously for his Apu Trilogy. The famous Bengali also gained some recent popularity as a composer with Wes Anderson's 2007 film Darjeeling Limited. The soundtrack for the film holds five compositions of his. You can also see a homage to Ray in the film as a painted portrait on the train (I posted the screencap at the bottom of the page.) One of the tracks featured on Darjeeling Limited's soundtrack called "The Desert Ballroom", the shortest track on the record, is originally from the 1965 film Shakespeare Wallah.


Shakespeare Wallah is yet another Merchant-Ivory production (see my Bombay Talkie post), directed by American James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant. The story is set in India, and borrows from the real life adventures of the Kendal family (in the film they are called the Buckingham's), a British travelling theater group who mostly performed Shakespeare across the sub-continent.


This is mostly an instrumental soundtrack. Ray uses, leitmotif, the classical western method of musical theme associated to a person, situation or other which in turn is used several times throughout the film. He also incorporates and mixes both western with traditional Indian music and instruments. The only actual "song" on the record is "Manjula's song". It is the only one with vocals, and is inspired by folk music as well as commercial indian soundtracks or filmi music with its dreamlike qualities. I also enjoy "Manjula's Possession" as well as "Lizzie and Sanju Backstage".

Overall, the album is melancholic and atmospheric, sometimes emotionally and sometimes to be used to describe the little unique universe in which all these characters are living in.

It's interesting how Satyajit Ray's films are very much influenced by neo-realism, but this specific soundtrack is not realist in this sense. Not to say they live in a fantasy world the characters do not live in reality per say and the music illustrates that.

I am looking for a film documentary mad e in 1984 by Utpalendu Chakrabarty called The Music of Satyajit Ray. If anyone has seen it I would sure like to hear about it. Thanks, and enjoy the music and the lovely screencap below.

Portrait of Satyajit Ray (top right corner) in Darjeeling Limited (2007) accompanied by Jason Schwartzman.

Tracks:

Side 1

1. Title Music

2. Cleopatra's Barge

3. Arrival of the Troupe in the Rain

4. Manjula's Procession

5. The Good Old Days

6. Mubarak Begum: Manjula's Song-Dil Dharke (Heartbeat)

Side 2

7. Pantomime

8. Bobby's Funeral

9. Love Theme - Sanju and Lizzie

10. Carla begs Lizzie to Return to England

11. The Desert Ballroom

12. Lizzie and Sanju Backstage

13. Lizzie Sails for England

Get the music now: Satyajit Ray Shakespeare Wallah

Shankar Jaikishan: Bombay Talkie (1970)

Bombay Talkie is quite a find. The music, by Shankar Jaikishan, is the only collaboration between themselves and the famous Merchant-Ivory film team (Ismail Merchant and James Ivory). The english film, starring Shashi Kapoor, his wife Jennifer Kendal and Zia Mohyeddin, mostly takes place in Bombay of the late 60's early 70's. Vikram (Shashi Kapoor) is an aging hero stuck in an unhappy arranged marriage with his wife Mala (Aparna Sen). Lucia, a three time married middle age novelist, takes a liking to Vikram while Hari, a Bombay screenwriter, madly in love with her, does as she pleases. This has to be my favorite Merchant-Ivory film ever! But I won't say any more than that, as I will probably review the film one day. For now, let me talk about some of the soundtrack's great songs.

The tracks comprise, mostly of various versions of the Bombay Talkie Theme, "Title and Theme" can be heard in the Title Credits along with "Tum Mere Pyar Ki Duniyamen" a few seconds before that. In this particular sequence, the "Title and Theme" is played as hand painted portraits (filmi style) of the cast and crew are shown around the streets of Mumbai.

Besides the theme variations, five, of what we can call conventional, songs are found on the record. Along with the previously mentioned "Tum Mere Pyar Ki Dumiyamen" you have to start with the great and famous "Typewritter Tip Tip Tip" song because, well, just because. With the fantastic Helen and Shashi dancing on a giant typewriter, what else do you need. A young and spunky Usha Lyer gives us two versions of "Hari Om Tat Sat" (हारी ॐ तट सात). One is the orchestrated version which is

the film version and the other version is the "official" version. She also sings the vocals to the Bombay Theme tune "Good Times, Bad Times".


As for the variations I enjoy the "Rajput Suite" "Now I Shall Call You Ma" and especially "Picnic in the Cave" with it's new wave synthesisers.

Overall, though it's not entirely a commercial Hindi film soundtrack, it is very enjoyable and interesting to listen too. As much for it's filmi songs, instrumentals and some rare Usha Lyer (now Usha Uthup) tunes. Just listen for yourselves!

Oh, and once your done listening to the music, those who have not seen the movie yet, rent it or buy it NOW!

Tracks:

Side 1

1. Instrumental - Title and Theme
2. Mohd. Rafi - Tum Mere Pyar Ki Duniyamen

Variations of theme:
3. Instrumental - Incidental Music
4. Instrumental - Devotion
5. Instrumental - Rajput Suite
6. Instrumental - Now I Shall Call You Ma
7. Instrumental - More Incidental Music
8. Usha Uthup - Hari Om Tat Sat



Side 2

9. Usha Uthup - Hari Om Tat Sat (with Orchestra)

Variations of theme:
10. Instrumental - Picnic in the Cave
11. Instrumental - Birthday Party 1
12. Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar - Typewriter Tip Tip Tip

Variations of theme:
13. Instrumental - Meeting and Birthday Party 2
14. Usha Uthup - Good Times, Bad Times


Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri, Usha Lyer/Uthup only for "Hari Om Tat Sat"

Stella_1's score: 4/5

Get the music now: Shankar Jaikishan Bombay Talkie

Kalyanji Anandji: Raja Saab (1969)

At first, I was a little scared of the album. The cover of Raja Saab reads "cheesy romantic comedy" with bollywood's "good girl" Nanda and the "good guy" Shashi Kapoor. But as much as I like Shashi Kapoor, I was hesitant because, Raj Kapoor (his brother) once said that Shashi would choose some of his roles for money and not quality. Plus the man, for some weird reason, can't dance, so my hopes weren't high on having great dance songs. The only good factors that attracted me to this album were of course, 1 : Mohd. Rafi and 2: the fact that it was composed by the duo Kalyanji Anandji. But once I listen to it, to my surprise the music eclipsed the movie and the people related to making the music on the album really came through, thanks guys.


The first song ''Raju Ka Hai Ek Khwab'' and the last ''Jin Ki Kismat Men'' are basically the same song but the intros and the tempos are different. I prefer the last version.

One of my favorite songs on the album is "Tu Jungle Ki Morni" and even if I don't understand that much hindi, I think it's the stupidest (meaning the lyrics don't mean much) song on the record, but it's the bounciest one

But honestly, I enjoy listening to all the songs on the album. They all have a little something special even is they are cheesy. The other one's I enjoy are the funny "Kal Raat Wali" and the slower more romantic "Sajna Tere Bin" and "Humne Aaj Se Tumhen".

For what it is, a light and fun soundtrack, it's great fun. It's good classic 60's bollywood. Tell me what you think?

Tracks

Side 1

1. Mohd. Rafi: Raju Ka Hai Ek Khwab

2. Mohd. Rafi & Lata Mangeshkar: Humne Aaj Se Tumhen

3. Mohd. Rafi & Suman Kalyanpur: Tu Jungle Ki Morni

Side 2

4. Mohd. Rafi: Kal Raat Wali

5. Lata Mangeshkar : Sajna Tere Bin

6. Mohd. Rafi & Chorus: Kisi Meherban Ki

7. Mohd. Rafi: Jin Ki Kismat Men

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Stella_1's score: 3.5/5

Get the music now: Kalyanji Anandji Raja Saab

Bappi Lahiri: Namak Halaal (1982)

Namak Halaal was my first Bappi Lahiri record. I like his music no matter how cheesy it gets. He is the beat master and he knows how to make amazing dance tunes. He takes chances and makes wild music, heavily inspired by disco and western music of the time.


The intro to the record is great. And the first song,"Pag Ghunghroo Baandh" is a classic. Lots of funky beats and a few synthesizers. Kishore Kumar (50's actor and singer) took home the 1983 filmfare award for best playback singer for this song.

"Raat Baaqi Raat Baaqi" has some diologue by "Shashilicious" (expression taken from Post-Punk cinema club) and the male vocals are sung by the composer Bappi Lahiri .



A nice duet, "Aaj Rapat Jaayen To" is a charming and more traditional song, compared to the others.


Amitabh's drunken song, "Thodisi Jo Pee Lee Hai" has a catchy tune.


And, the last song (I know only 5) "Jawani Jan-E-Man" is disco inspired. I like the guitar solo near the end of the song.

I noticed that what I like the most in every song, it's the instrumental parts. Lahiri knows how to intertwine the basic song then he takes the melody somewhere else and then comes back, all with great ease. Anyway, great record overall.


For info on the movie check out:
- Filmigeek review
- PPCC's review
- Bollybob's page


Tracks:

Side 1
1. Kishore Kumar & Chorus: Pag Ghunghroo Baandh
2. Asha Bhosle, Bappi Lahiri & Shashi Kapoor: Raat Baaqi Baat Baaqi

Side 2

3. Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle: Aaj Rapat Jaayen To
4. Kishore Kumar: Thodisi Jo Pee Lee Hai
5. Asha Bhosle: Jawani Jan-E-Man

Lyrics: Prakash Mehra & Anjaan

Stella_1's score: 3.5/5

Get the music now: Bappi Lahiri Namak Halaal