-Nachiketa Ghosh-
Hemanta
Mukherjee has always been Baba's favourite voice. Baba had gone to Bombay to
have the songs of Uttam Kumar's "Indrani" recorded - Hemanta Kaku,
who was very busy in Bombay hadn't been able to come to Calcutta. Baba is
living in 'Geetanjali' with Hemanta Kaku. Last discussions on the song have
been over and the two are just about to go off to bed. Baba alarmed his friend,
"I need a fresh voice. 'Neer Chhoto Kshati Nei' needs to be a marvel. So
make sure you do not go anywhere tonight to....." Assuring Baba, Hemanta
Kaku immediately said, "No no, I wouldn't go anywhere. I have reasons for
my own self too, why I should render it well. Hearing that you have come to
Bombay to record my song for Uttam Kumar, Raj Kapoor has planned to come to the
studio. Also, Pyarelal, of Lakshmikant-Pyarelal duo is arranging the music.
Also I have duets with Geeta Dutt." Having had dinner, Hemanta Kaku told
Baba, "Go to bed Nachi Babu. We have to go for the recording early
tomorrow." An appropriate suggestion it was, and Baba went to bed. Waking
up next morning, Baba noticed that Hemanta Kaku's bed was lying as it was the
previous night. Coming out from the washroom Hemanta Kaku said, "Nachi
Babu, rise. Let's leave." Baba asked, "When did you go to bed? When
did you rise? I see the bed just as it was before I fell asleep." Hemanta
Kaku answered that he had prepared for going out early in the morning,
humorously commenting that Baba was in deep sleep after having created a
marvellous composition! The two went off to the studio. Hemanta Kaku gloriously
recorded the song. While coming back he said, "Nachi Babu, last night I
had had two pegs", Baba questioned, "But when? I saw you going to bed
with me last night." - "Yes, as you fell asleep I went out! I
returned at midnight." Despite all this, Hemanta Kaku's singing in
"Indrani" is remembered till date!
-
Suparnakanti Ghosh
SONG
- NEER CHHOTO KSHATI NEI
ARTISTE
- HEMANTA MUKHERJEE & GEETA DUTT
Going
to Nachida's place one day, I saw he was teaching a song to Tarunda. All of
Nachida's family members were there - his daughters, Buri and Pakum and Khoka -
Suparnakanti. Khoka was to play the Bongo. I was very friendly with Nachida's
children. Tarun Banerjee was a wonderful person. His presence made it sure that
something really humorous would happen. Tarunda could speak a lot of funny
things, in a very polite manner! Often while preparing for chorus songs, we
would ask if Tarunda too was singing. Going back to what was being said, that
day, Nachida was teaching the song "Chalo Rina, Casaurina" - later on
it became a great hit. But what happened that day, after teaching half the
song, Nachida halted and said out, "Ah! How would you sing 'Chalo Rina, Casaurina'
with your bald head! Wouldn't people laugh?" Tarunda was a close friend of
Nachida, but that day, he suddenly became very serious and immediately left the
room. After a few minutes, to our suprise, Tarunda came back wearing a wig! He
said, "Nachi, will I be able to sing the song now? Come on! Let me learn
it up fast!" That was possibly the first time that Tarunda wore a wig, and
the song, undoutedly was too good!
-
Nirmala Mishra.
SONG
- CHALO RINA, CASAURINA
ARTISTE
– TARUN BANERJEE
Any
music composer and trainer needs to play the role of a teacher as well. Else,
how would he teach his songs to the vocal artistes? I have seen Nachida
scolding even artistes of a very high stature. Once Runudi (Pratima Banerjee)
was learning a song, "Ekti Phool Bhalo Na", but couldn't much satisfy
Nachida at the first instance. He then said, "The expressions are not
coming out well. Try the way I am showing." Runudi never spoke much, she
just lowered her head.
-
Pintu Bhattacharjee.
SONG
- EKTI PHOOL BHALO NA
ARTISTE
- PRATIMA BANERJEE
Nachi
had made me sing a Pop song - "Jouban Tarange Daey Dol Kar Aange". It
was a huge success. It was quite pertaining to the present trend of singing,
but in those times....! Nachi could take the risk. The song was melodious and
on the suggestion of Nachi, I had to create some sound by partly twisting my
tongue! I tried to avoid singing the song by all ways possible. I tried to
place a lot of excuses - I mostly sing Tagore songs so... Many other excuses I
gave, but Nachi was not in any position to agree to my refusals! I was not sure
how my listeners would accept such a song, and in fear, left Calcutta soon
after the record released. When I returned, to my greatest surprise I
discovered that it had turned out to be a big hit! Nachi had the habit of
listening to various types of songs - he had taken inspirations from an African
song to make the musical composition of "Jouban Tarange". His ability
to create very original compositions, through inspirations of other tunes, was
excellent as well. Composer Nachiketa Ghosh amazingly dedicated!
-
Dwijen Mukherjee.
SONG
- JOUBAN TARANGE DAEY DOL KAR AANGE
ARTISTE
- DWIJEN MUKHERJEE
One
of my friends knew Czech very well. One evening, we are chatting at his place
when he recited to me a Czech poem in Bengali and suggested me to write a song
basing on it. The translation was something like - "Oi Laal Phoolgulo Ki
Sundar... Akashta Laal Hoye Gechhe... Mone Hochhe Akashtake Keu Khoon Kore
Gechhe... Jhore Porchhe Laal Rakto". Can ever, the sky be murdered? Can
the sky bleed? How amazing! To create beautiful verses, we need to make so many
untrue images! The idea struck me. Giving my friend the price of two packs of
ciggerette as a token of appreciation, I wrote - "Oi Kokil Shonay Choiti
Haoar Kathokota... Oi Sobuj Panna Porechhe Shyamal Banolata... Tobu Tai Ki
Kakhono Hoy... Kokil Kakhono Kotha Koy... Lata Ki Panna Pore Roy... Aha Gaaner
Lipika Sundar Kore Katona Madhur Michhe Kotha!" Nachiketa Ghosh set my
words to tune and the song was a huge success, in the voice of Ila Bose.
-
Pulak Banerjee.
SONG
- OI KOKIL SHONAY CHOITI HAOAR KATHOKOTA
ARTISTE - ILA BOSE
Nachida
wouldn't speak much if he was disappointed, but whatever little he would, would
strike one sharply, but ones who knew him, never took his words in a negative
way. I recall, I had fallen prey to such an uncomfortable incident. Nachida was
teaching me a song - "Pahare Bikel Naame Himel Haoay". A famous
singer of the era was sitting beside. After I was taught a few lines of the
song, the artiste suddenly said, "What are you doing Nachida! You may have
given this song to me!" Nachida immediately answered, "Listen, if you
try to render the ornamentation in the word 'Pahare' in the song, you would
break your bones! Nirmala can render it and hence have I selected her."
The artiste who had made the commented smiled at the way Nachida spoke those
words. However, till the end if an artiste couldn't render a song to his
satisfaction, Nachida would get very angry and whether he was standing or
sitting, his hands would automatically rise up to his waist!
-
Nirmala Mishra
SONG
- PAHARE BIKEL NAME HIMEL HAOAY
ARTISTE
- NIRMALA MISHRA
Creating
music was a passion for Nachiketa Ghosh. He would himself say, "Just as a
day can't begin without a cup of hot tea, my day can never start without
tasting a fresh composition!" All of a sudden one day, I received a call
from him - "Pulak, I do not have any fresh song in hand. I'm just sitting
with the Harmonium and Shyam is just going on beating the Tabla. Either come to
my place right now, or create a Mukhda for me right now, over the phone!"
Even I had no song ready and asked what sort of a song he wanted. That was the
time when he had just lost his first wife. He had earlier shared with me a lot
of his feelings and told me about various aspects of his relation with his
deceased wife. The fact of the demise struck me immediately and I immediately
created two lines - "Ka Phonta Chokher Jal Phelechho Je Tumi Bhalobasbe...
Pather Kantay Paye Rakto Na Jhorale Ki Kore Ekhane Tumi Aashbe," saying
that tomorrow or the day after I would go to your place and complete the song.
Nachi Babu was silent for a minute, after which he asked me to repeat what I
said. Just after I repeated the lines, he disconnected the line. I had just sat
down with some other work, when suddenly the telephone rang for the second
time. It was Nachi Babu. In a changed tone of speech he said, "Come to my
place right now. I would pay the petrol charge for your car. The matter is very
urgent." Finding no other way, I drove to Paikpara. Nachi Babu had already
made a musical composition for the Mukhda. I penned the Antara. When the
creation was finally over, it was around two in the afternoon. Much later,
Mannada had recorded the song.
-
Pulak Banerjee.
SONG
- KA PHONTA CHOKHER JAL PHELECHHO JE
ARTISTE
- MANNA DEY
Sandhya
Mukherjee, Pratima Banerjee, Nirmala Mishra - I have known these three artistes
as my own Aunts. Baba was very affectionate towards them and treated them as if
they were his own sisters. He had a lot of confindence in their vocal
cabalilities as well. A date has been fixed with the company for recording a
song for "Chirodiner". Just a day before the recording, Sandhya Pishi
gives a call to Baba - "Nachida, I am feeling feverish. Should we cancel
the date for recording?" Baba says, "No. You come to the studio, I
assure everything will be just alright." Just what was anticipated happened!
Sandhya Pishi recorded "Ami Obhisare Jabo". After the recording, Baba
affectionately touched Sandhya Pishi's head. She is so adaptable an artiste!
-
Suparnakanti Ghosh.
SONG
- AMI OBHISARE JABO
ARTISTE
- SANDHYA MUKHERJEE
Once,
after Nachi Babu had come back to Calcutta after a not-that-fruitful stay at
Bombay, we sat to make a song for Arati Mukherjee. He sang to me a Hindi song,
he had composed in Bombay, on the musical composition of which I penned
"Lajja! Mori Mori Eki Lajja!" We were now worried about the second
song, to feature on the opposite side of the record. I assured that I would
bring a fresh song penned, the very next day. While I was returning, in the
steamer I penned - "Jale Nebona Aar Thoi Paabena". Next morning Nachi
Babu created an amazing musical composition for the song. Just as the creation
was made, he said, "Let's go to Park Street. We'd have a meal there! We'd
have whatever we want!"
-
Pulak Banerjee.
SONG
- JALE NEBONA AAR THOI PABENA
ARTISTE
- ARATI MUKHERJEE
The
songs for "Fariyad" were being made. Baba thought of Asha Bhonsle as
the playback artiste for the film. One of the songs, "Naach Achhe Gaan
Achhe", a Cabaret number, had to have a bright laughter. Before going to
Bombay, Baba got that part recorded in the voice of Suchitra Sen. While
teaching the song to Asha Bhonsle, Baba played Suchitra Sen's laughter and
said, "Suchitra Sen has recorded this laughter. No, there certainly can
never be a better laughter!". Baba successfully stroke at the ego point!
Ashaji said, "Ghosh Dada, I heard the laughter. It's now my turn to laugh.
I am sure, you wouldn't be able to discard my laughter!" Finally, Ashaji's
laughter was recorded! It was just wonderful!
- Suparnakanti Ghosh.
SONG
- NAACH ACHHE GAAN ACHHE
ARTISTE - ASHA BHONSLE
