KHURSHEED BANO ... Barso re .. Tansen.. A Forgotten song

This spectacular song was created by one of the greatest music director Khemchand Parkash on the poetry of Pt. Indra Chandra. This is Khursheed Bano's greatest masterpiece. Her range and control is exceptional in this song. Perhaps, such songs are created once in a century. 
“After singing Deepak Raag, Tansen felt that he is being cremating from inside. Her Love – Khursheed Bano sang Raag Malhaar, requesting the clouds to come and rain to cool him down”. 
I have added some audio video effects of clouds, thunder and rain in the original video.

DAILYMOTION

KHURSHEED BANO ..barso re ..TANSEN by MukhtarSheikh

YOUTUBE

THE LYRICS AND POSSIBLE TRANSLATION ARE:

Bina jaal … pii mera … pii jaley!

(Without water ... my love is blazing)

Jaley jiya .. neer … aa ….!

(My heart is blistering .. O! Tears; come)

Birhan kii …. Kii.. duniya jaley

(The world of this dejected is burning)

Kaun bajaa…vey….. piyyas ……….

(Who can quench the thirst?)

barso re.. barso re.. barso re..

(O! Clouds, downpour ……………) 

barso re …. barso re…….

kaaley badarva .. Piya pe barso … barso!

(O! Black clouds pour on my Love.. downpour)

Piya pe barso … barso…

jaisey mori ankhiyaaN barseiN!

(Like my eyes are weeping)

barso re.. … barso re

kaaley badarva piya pe barso.. barso

jaisey mori ankhiyaaN barseiN

barso re.. barso re.. barso re..

rum jhum rum jhum baadal aavow!

(O! Clouds come with pattering sound)

chamak chamak, bijli chamkaavow!

(Come flashing and thundering)

rum jhum rum jhum baadal aavow

chamak chamak bijli chamkaavow

jo tumhrey ghar paani na ho

(If you do not have water, 

aaNsoo merey letey jaaow rey

Please take my tears along with you)

aao rey.. aao rey……

(Come O clouds……)

kaale badarva

Piiya pe barso barso

jaisey mori ankhiyaaN barse

barso re.. barso re.. barso re..

umad ghumad kar garaj garaj kar barso!

(Come quickly and rain with roars and thunder)

umad ghumad kar garaj garaj kar barso!

umad ghumad kar garaj garaj kar barso!

zor zor ghanghor shor kar barso!

(rain with extreme noise and clatter)

zor zor ghanghor shor kar barso

barso re..barso re..barso re..barso re..barso re ..

KHURSHEED BANO 

She was born as Irshad Begum in the village of Choonian, in Kasur District, Lahore, Punjab, now in Pakistan. Khurshid did a number of movies for Ranjeet Movietone and her leading men included famous actors like K.L.Saigol, Motilal, and Jairaj.

Bhagat Surdas (Her famous song “Panchee Bawra” whose composer was Gyan Dutt became a very famous song of the forty’s. The other famous and popular songs from the same film are “Madhur Madhur Ga Ray Manwa”, “Jholee Bhar Taray Laday Ray”, and a duet “Chandni Raat Aur Taray Khilay Hon”with K.L. Saigol.), Chandni and Patola (in Punjabi) in 1941. Tansen and Nurse (“Koyalia Kahay Bolay Ree”) in 1943. Tansen with music composed by legendary Khemchand Parkash was a very successful film of her career in box office. She became very popular with this film as an actress as well as a singer.

Her famous songs (with her name as Tani as heroine in this film) included such popular songs as “Barso Re”, “Ghata Ghan Ghor Ghor”, “Dukhia Jiara”, “Ab Raja Bhae Moray Balam”, and a duet, “Moray Bala Pun Kay Sathee Chela” with K.L. Saigol. Her other famous films are, Mumtaz Mahal (“Jo Hum Pay Guzarti Hai”, “Dil Kee Dharkan Bana Liya”), Shahenshah Babar (“Mohabbat Mein Sara Jahan Jal Raha Hai”,”Bulbul aa tu bhi ga”) in 1944. Prabhu ka Ghar and Moorti (“Ambwa Pay Koyal Boley”, “Baderia baras gayee uss paar”) with music composition by Bilo.C.Rani in 1945. Aagey Barho and Mitti (Chahi kali ghata more balam) in 1947. Aap Beetee (“Meree Bintee Suno Bhagwan”) in 1948.

Khurshid Bano migrated to Pakistan after independence, with her husband/manager Lala Yakub who was an occasional actor and a member of the Bhati Gate Group Lahore. Her two Pakistani films were Fankaar and Mandee in 1956. Frustrated from her spouse she left him and married in 1956 a genuine admirer who was in the shipping business and his name was Yusuf bhai Mian and later became a philanthropist. After marriage with Yusuf bhai Mian she appeared in few PTV shows. A number of private shows were also held by her admirers and private institutions, which were attended by her.

Kursheed and Surriya were the two singing actresses of Mumbai Film-world who have shared the honours with the renowned singer K.L. Saigol. This talented and famous actress/singer of the thirties and the forty’s, Khurshid Bano rested in peace on 18th April 2001 in Karachi, at the age of 87 years and thus an era of talent in terms of acting/singing in the film industry finally came to an end.

Khemchand Prakash 

He was one of the greatest music composer in Hindi film industry 1940. Born 12 December 1907 in Sujangarh, Rajasthan, he got his first training of music and dance from his father. He joined Bikaner Royal court as a singer performer and later moved to the royal court of Nepal. But the destiny landed him in Kolkata and he joined New Theaters in Kolkata as an assistant of music director Timir Baran. He was an assistant of Timir Baran in movie Devdas (1935 ). He made his debut in 1939 with the Supreme Pictures Meri Aankhein. 

Lata Mangeshkar with him (in films Asha, Ziddi, Mahal) started making a name. Khursheed Bano was his leading singer and both of them gave many hits of early 40s.

The film ‘Mahal’ released in the year- 1950 will be remembered for all times to come. It is not because that it was directed by legendary Kamal Amrohi; neither owing to the fact that Ashok Kumar and Madhubala acted in the film, nor because of the reason that Bimal Roy was its editor. But, the fact remains that the film is still recalled in view of its grand background music and immortal melodious songs.

The film ‘Mahal’ became a landmark in the history of Indian cinema primarily because of its music; and the then lesser known Lata Mangeshkar came to limelight and established herself as the most popular singer of the century after one and only – Kundan Lal Saigal.

How can one forget – ‘Aayega aney wala’, ‘Mushkil hei bahut mushkil’, ’Dil ney phir yaad kiyaa’ sung by unknown Lata Mangeshkar; ‘Ghabra key jo humsar ko’, ‘Ek teer chalaa’, ‘Mein wo haseen hoon’ sung by acclaimed Rajkumari; and ‘Chhun chhun ghungharwa’ sung by famed Johrabai and Rajkumari.

Prior to Mahal, the records used to feature only the character name on the record. Hence the first lot of records had “Aayega aane wala” credited to Kamini. The first time when the song was played on All India Radio many calls were received by AIR to know the singers name. AIR had to in turn ask the record company and announce Lata Mangeshkar's name on air.

It was in 1943 that pushed Khemchand Prakash much ahead of other music directors of that era with the film Tansen. Songs like "Diya jalaao jagmag jagmag", "Rumjhum rumjhum chal tihari", "More balpan ke saathi", "Sapt suran teen gram", "Hath sine pe jo rakh do to karara aa jaaye", “Barso Re” were hits.

Khemchand Prakash was one of the leading music directors of the 40s. His contemporaries were Kamal dasgupta, Ghulam Haider, C. Ramchandra, Anil Biswas. He was a pioneer in the field of classical music. His fellow composer great Kamal Dasgupta called Khemchand the best music director, he has beaten us all.

1948 marked yet another significant film of his career, Bombay Talkies’s Ziddi. He gave first major break to Kishore Kumar as a singer for the song “Marne ki duaaen kyun maangu”. Ziddi featured a beautiful song of Lata Mangeshkar “Chanda re ja re ja re”.

It was Khemchand Prakash who took Naushad under his wings as an assistant and helped launch what would become a very successful career as a music director.

Sadly, ten days before the release of all time classic ‘Mahal’, on 10 August, 1950 Khemchand Prakash expired at the age of just 45 years, leaving behind a wonderful legacy of music for all times to come.

It is a sheer coincidence that other two greats of his time in the field of music- Kundan Lal Saigal and Gulam Haider as well died in their forties in the years- 1947 and 1953 respectively..