Song 81:
I am sure that both Asha and Geeta and pretty much every female singer in India had a lot to thank for and to learn from Noor Jehan. She was undoubtedly the biggest singing star of the sub continent at one point in time. Even Lata remained in her shadow for years. Although extremely talented , Lata was unable to make the cut for many years. Many music directors found her voice too feeble compared to the robust maturity of Noor Jehan. Lata was probably still very young and her voice was different from the trends that time. Then once Dilip Kumar took Lata aside and kind of snubbed her about her accent that was overpoweringly Maharashtrian. That goaded Lata into taking Urdu pronunciation lessons. And there was no looking back once she sang the memorable Aayega Aanewala from Mahal.
I was somehow not a great fan of Noor Jehan as I had seen her mostly in her later PTV avatar, with heavy unrecognisable make-up and sequinned sarees on a rather bloated figure. But my father would insist that Noor Jehan was something else. In fact earlier in my childhood every year we would go to my (Tayaji) uncle's house in interior Punjab for holidays. Things were very different there from our modern army upbringing. When male guests would come to the drawing room (called Baithak) women would not go in there. My mom would suddenly start covering her head with a dupatta. Urdu newspapers were subscribed daily that all my uncles read. Food was made on chulhas. Some dal or saag would be simmering in a corner all day. There were cows and buffaloes and we would get to see an entire milk processing routine everyday from milking the cows to churning lassi in an earthenware pot with a hand held rope pulley, straining thick blobs of fresh, white butter. We would roast corn ourselves and make a snack. Or just go out and pluck a mooli (radish) slit it and sprinkle it with lemon and salt and have it. Instead of watching TV all kids would enact Ram-Leela in the huge courtyards.
Now my uncle was a bit of a terror. He rarely smiled. Perhaps the partition, losing all material belongings and later re-setting up and supporting an entire family all over again with limited resources had left him a bit battle weary. When he would return from his office in the evening, he would just clear his throat loudly outside the main door once. That was a signal for all us kids to stop doing whatever we were, promptly take out our books and attempt a charade of studying very seriously. All the ladies would cover their heads and enter the kitchen. Uncle's room was spic and span. We couldn't enter and untidy it or touch his proudest possession, his transistor. Frankly I found his fixation with his transistor very irritating but we would dare not say that in front of him. Maybe after a drink or two he would loosen up and show his affection to us by ordering some nice tandoori chicken. And then on his transistor he would listen to Noor Jehan songs with a wistful look in his eyes.....at that time you could ask him for anything and your wish would be granted!
My uncle is long gone now. One day remembering him recently, I searched for Noor Jehan on Youtube and finally saw this song. What a performer and what a beauty. That day I knew what the fuss about that transistor in my uncle's household was all about! :-)
I am sure that both Asha and Geeta and pretty much every female singer in India had a lot to thank for and to learn from Noor Jehan. She was undoubtedly the biggest singing star of the sub continent at one point in time. Even Lata remained in her shadow for years. Although extremely talented , Lata was unable to make the cut for many years. Many music directors found her voice too feeble compared to the robust maturity of Noor Jehan. Lata was probably still very young and her voice was different from the trends that time. Then once Dilip Kumar took Lata aside and kind of snubbed her about her accent that was overpoweringly Maharashtrian. That goaded Lata into taking Urdu pronunciation lessons. And there was no looking back once she sang the memorable Aayega Aanewala from Mahal.
I was somehow not a great fan of Noor Jehan as I had seen her mostly in her later PTV avatar, with heavy unrecognisable make-up and sequinned sarees on a rather bloated figure. But my father would insist that Noor Jehan was something else. In fact earlier in my childhood every year we would go to my (Tayaji) uncle's house in interior Punjab for holidays. Things were very different there from our modern army upbringing. When male guests would come to the drawing room (called Baithak) women would not go in there. My mom would suddenly start covering her head with a dupatta. Urdu newspapers were subscribed daily that all my uncles read. Food was made on chulhas. Some dal or saag would be simmering in a corner all day. There were cows and buffaloes and we would get to see an entire milk processing routine everyday from milking the cows to churning lassi in an earthenware pot with a hand held rope pulley, straining thick blobs of fresh, white butter. We would roast corn ourselves and make a snack. Or just go out and pluck a mooli (radish) slit it and sprinkle it with lemon and salt and have it. Instead of watching TV all kids would enact Ram-Leela in the huge courtyards.
Now my uncle was a bit of a terror. He rarely smiled. Perhaps the partition, losing all material belongings and later re-setting up and supporting an entire family all over again with limited resources had left him a bit battle weary. When he would return from his office in the evening, he would just clear his throat loudly outside the main door once. That was a signal for all us kids to stop doing whatever we were, promptly take out our books and attempt a charade of studying very seriously. All the ladies would cover their heads and enter the kitchen. Uncle's room was spic and span. We couldn't enter and untidy it or touch his proudest possession, his transistor. Frankly I found his fixation with his transistor very irritating but we would dare not say that in front of him. Maybe after a drink or two he would loosen up and show his affection to us by ordering some nice tandoori chicken. And then on his transistor he would listen to Noor Jehan songs with a wistful look in his eyes.....at that time you could ask him for anything and your wish would be granted!
My uncle is long gone now. One day remembering him recently, I searched for Noor Jehan on Youtube and finally saw this song. What a performer and what a beauty. That day I knew what the fuss about that transistor in my uncle's household was all about! :-)
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