Film Impressions: 80 Years of Playback in Hindi Cinema (Vol 1)

Film Impressions, 2011

Ever since the very first talkie—Alam Ara—released in 1931 with more singing than dialogue, the mainstream cinema of Bombay has continued to churn out mostly musicals, with the early singing stars giving way to playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi, who were more famous than many of the stars they sang for.

In this special video feature, across five volumes, Film Impressions pays tribute to playback singing in Hindi cinema, with snatches of song from more than 160 singers through 150 specially selected songs that span almost eighty years (1931-2011) of Hindi cinema. Each singer is only featured once. This is not intended to be a comprehensive roll-call of all singers who've ever sung for Hindi films.

Volume 1 features songs from 1935 (the classic 'Teri Gathri Mein Laga Chor' sung by K C Dey) to 1952 (an Utpala Sen number performed by Geeta Bali in the film Zalzala). The detailed essay can be read at the Film Impressions website (www.filmimpressions.com).

The singers featured in this volume are listed below in order of appearance (the selected songs are in chronological order). Names mentioned together are featured in duets.

Krishna Chandra Dey
Pahari Sanyal
Devika Rani & Ashok Kumar
Motilal & Maya Banerjee
Shanta Apte
Kanan Devi
Renuka Devi aka Begum Khurshid Mirza
Kantilal
Pankaj Mullick
Kundan Lal Saigal
Sheetal Ghosh
Begum Akhtar
Parul Ghosh
Arun Kumar
Noor Jehan
Amirbai Karnataki
Surendra
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu (M S) Subbulakshmi
Ghulam Mustafa Durrani (the ticker displays his initials incorrectly)
Uma Devi
Lata Mangeshkar
Meena Kapoor & Chitalkar (music director C Ramchandra)
Ira Nagrath
Sitara Kanpuri
Suraiya
Rajkumari
Zohrabai Ambalewali
Kumari Vishnilal
Surinder Kaur
Utpala Sen

The photographs featured in the video are illustrative in nature, and can depict either the singer, or the performers in the film from which the song is taken, or even the theme of the track that is being played at any given moment (with some overlapping between tracks).

Painting of Devika Rani by Svetoslav Roerich is from the collection at the Oriental State Museum, Moscow. Painting of Lata Mangeshkar is by Imtiaz, a Lata fan from Pakistan. Cover art from the book 'A Woman of Substance: the Memoirs of Begum Khurshid Mirza, 1918-1989' accompanies the music of Renuka Devi.

No copyright infringement intended.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Acchut Kanya
• Andaz
• Anmol Ghadi
• Anokha Pyar
• Badi Bahen
• Badi Bahu
• Bhabhi
• Dard
• Devdas
• Duniya Na Mane
• Eight Days
• Kapalkundala
• Kismet
• Jwar Bhata
• Zindagi
• Mahal
• Meera
• Thumri
• Anil Biswas
• Ghulam Mohammed
• Husnalal Bhagatram
• Khemchand
• Prakash
• Naushad
• Rai Chand Boral
• Saraswati Devi
• Timir
• Baran
• Sachin Dev Burman
• Vijaylaxmi
• Keshavrao Bhole
• Shyam Sunder
• Zalzala
• Magroor
• Nargis Dutt
• Raj
• Kapoor
• Dilip Kumar
• Tun Tun
• Mumtaz Shanti
• Bollywood
• Why This Kolaveri Di

[romeshmajotra]

Great effort in compiling this selection of songs and photographs, deserves much appreciation. Great collection you have.

Many a thanks.

[bakshi451]

What a GREAT work, GOD bless you,keep it up,many thanks !!

[ritabawa]

Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I'd be able to listen these old old classics...Thanks

[songsindian0]

My God ..... Great work. You are fantastic. Please keep it up !!!

God bless !!!!

[TheShikhar1990]

first ever un beatable song.