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Tagore's Tunes Inspire Bollywood's Best
10 May
Summary
- Bollywood composers adapted Tagore's songs for Hindi cinema.
- Rabindra Sangeet first appeared in a 1937 film.
- Influence spans from S.D. Burman to A.R. Rahman.
Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, Pochishe Baisakh, is celebrated by Bengalis worldwide. His music, Rabindra Sangeet, is an integral part of Bengali culture. Over generations, it has provided inspiration for Bollywood music directors.
The connection between Tagore's music and cinema dates back to 1937. The first known film to feature Rabindra Sangeet was 'Mukti', with music by Pankaj Kumar Mullick. This tradition was continued by renowned composers.
Legendary figures like Sachin Dev Burman, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, and Rajesh Roshan adapted Tagore's compositions. They sometimes used entire songs, while other times, they borrowed melodic phrases or refrains.
This influence is evident in many memorable Bollywood songs. Examples include 'Nain Deewane, Ek Nahi Maane' from 'Afsar' (1950), which echoes Tagore's 'Sedin Dujone Dulechhinu Bone', and 'Man Mera Udta Jaye Badal Ke Sang' from 'Maa Beta' (1962), inspired by 'Monomor Megher Sangi'.
Further examples include 'Tere Mere Milan Ki Ye Raina' from 'Abhiman' (1973), adapted from 'Jodi Taare Nai Chini Go Se Ki', and Rajesh Roshan's 'Chhookar Mere Mann Ko' from 'Yaarana' (1981), which echoes 'Tomaar Holo Shuru, Aamar Holo Shara'.
Even contemporary composers have drawn from Tagore. A.R. Rahman reimagined 'Ekla Chalo Re' in Hindi for 'Tanha Rahi' in 'Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero' (2004). Shantanu Moitra used a refrain from 'Phule Phule Dhole Dhole' for 'Piyu Bole' in 'Parineeta' (2005).
