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How time files! It was on August 16, 2017 that I started musing. One year! Of course, the number is not 365 because it is almost daily, not strictly daily. I can tell you in all honesty that I have not even scratched the upper layer of the surface of my collection to muse about. Here is the first installment of the list of Rafi's MDs.It is from the Rafi book by Saleem-ul-Haq, which itself is based on the one by Pradhan and Menghani. (Sri Ganti had asked for it.)
Now you know!
Folk Music 4
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A famous Mumbaikar, Lt-Col Richard Temple gave six talks on Indian Cinema on the Bombay Radio Station in July 1938. He touched on many aspects. About music in Indian films, he wrote thus:
Now you know!
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Agha Hashr Kashmiri, Pandit Radheyshyam Kathavachak and Pandit Narayan Prasad Betab were the three stalwarts of the Parsi theater that was the main mass entertainment media in the early 20th century. Here Radheyshyam describes his first meeting with Hashr, where he learnt that just once scene in a play can be worth the whole play. BTW, the drama mentioned here was eventually called Bilwamangal and is still played regularly during the Ramlila season. I remember the particular line cited always got huge clapping in Ludhiana in the late 50s.
Pandit Radheshyam Kathavachak writes,
In Kanpur I saw Agha Hashr for the first time. He had come to sell his drama ‘soordas’ for Rs 1000 to the company. During the reading of the drama, Hashr invited me also. And he said to me very politely, “I am a Muslim, my language is Urdu, this is a religious drama and it has Hindi in it. If you find an error, please let me know without hesitation.” When he read it, I learnt that Hashr sahib is very clever in talking and selling his wares. Right in front of me, Sorabji told him – your one scene alone is worth Rs 1000 - where Chintamani says to Bilwamangal - “You love me so much, if you had loved God so much, you would have attained Nirvana”.
Now you know!
Bharat 28 Lata Naashaad
- Musing 40: Film business, jay's BCSP 20170924
- Musing 42: Kamlabai Gokhale, Purnima (1965)
- Musing 15: S. Indorkar and A R Rahman
- First Decade RMIM article
- Musing 172: Damroo again, Bharat 10 Lata Bahl
- Musing 14: Bindu and Jyoti, Dharti Ke Lal
- Musing 420: Rafi 125. Box Office 1927
- Musing 71: Koee Hamdam Na Rahaa, Devi (1970)
- Musing 109: Lata did loses case, Narsingh 711
- Musing 58: Madhubala biggest, Ghar Ka Chiragh (1967)
- Musing 116: Animal voices, Eddie Billimoria, Narsingh 718
- Musing 216: Khurshid Anwar Birthday, Bharat 54 Lata Sudhir Phadke
- Musing 347: Krishan Chandar on Lahore Radio Station 1938, Classical Dhrupad 12
- Musing 43:Parody Song, Sati Nari (1965)
- Musing 299: Coachvaan, Rafi 37
