Dear Well Wishers,When Veena sang patriotic song ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo’ at our India Home’s Republic Day programon Thursday, January 30, I promised the audience-members to tell the real story behind the scenes aboutthis historic song. Well, here is the factual story of the same told by music director C. Ramchandra in hisautobiography. As you may know, C. Ramchandra used to come our home at Shivaji Park, Mumbai, mostly every Sunday, in 70’s…
EXCERPTS from last chapter of C. Ramchandra’s autobiography book…
Golden Chance: Republic Day Concert:I was at the top of the tree as one of India’s top-notch and most acclaimed music directors of movies of the 1940s and 1950s. The lofty status bestowed me with fame and fortune. Many of my dreams and ambitions were fulfilled. Some blessed me with joy, others left behind a string of heart-rending memories…
Among one of my most cherished ambitions was to present a live musical performance at the annual Republic Day celebrations on January 27, 1963, in New Delhi on Ramlila grounds, in the presence of my beloved Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and other eminent Indian and foreign political dignitaries of the time…
Believe it or not, that day actually dawned – January 27, 1963. God heard my prayer, but there was a dilemma – I had no song to play or sing fitting for the grand occasion. Suddenly, one name came to mind – Kavi Pradip, known as Kalidas of the film industry. He was a renowned poet and songwriter. I went to meet him and asked,“I want you to write a song for Republic Day function on January 27,” He refusedto do so in the first place…
I once again rushed to Pradip, and met him several times later on. Finally he agreed to write the song. When it came to commitment, no one could match Pradip’s integrity. He immediately got to work on it…
Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle – Who will sing..?It was the time when Lata Mangeshkar and I were not on talking terms, and she had stopped singing for me. She bluntly told me that she would never attend the Republic Day ceremony. Meanwhile, Dilip Kumar was insisting, “Whatever you say, Annaji (C. Ramchandra) – Lata must come.” I said, “Once she says ‘no’ she means ‘no’. She will never come. I will ask Asha Bhosle (Lata’s younger sister, also a singer) to sing the song. Anyway, Lata no longer sings for me; nowadays she sings only for other music directors. Let her sing for them if she wants to. She is not ready to come. What can I do?” Dilip Kumar became restless…
One early morning my telephone suddenly rang. It was Pradip. “Lata is ready to sing for you,” he revealed. I said, “That can’t be. Asha is willing and she will sing for me. No, I won’t say ‘no’ to Asha.” Then Pradip suggested, “Take Lata also.” So I finally said, “OK. Both Lata and Asha will sing”…To be continued in next part two…Stay in tune with regards,Jayant.
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