A few rare gems of Kishore Da.....

OK, may not be so "rare" to some of you ardent Kishore Da fans. But I see that most bloggers/karaoke enthusiasts more often opt for, say "Mere Sapno Ki Rani", than "Moti Ho To, Baandh Ke Rakh Doon". So, it's probably wiser to say that these songs are "rarely" heard on audio blogs. I realize that tracks for rare songs are not easily/widely available. But even when singers perform on stage with live bands, you still hear the same ole-same ole "Roop Tera Mastana", or "Dekha Na Hai Re Socha Na", or "Chingari"....over and again. Throwing in a rare song or two in the repertoire brings diversity, I think.

When I found these tracks, despite their not-so-great quality, I was like a 7-years old set free inside a toy store. Don't know if these songs would interest you or not, but I surely was thrilled to find them (many thanks to Paras and Ajai Bhai, for getting me quite a few of these tracks), and enjoyed singing them as well. Would truly appreciate your honest feedback.

The first song is from a movie called 'Kathaa', starring Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval and Farooq Sheikh. Even though the movie was nothing to write home about, however, this Kishore Da solo was simply brilliant. The lyrics (by Indu Jain) has good poetry; music is by Rajkamal (who passed away not too long ago). He didn't score many songs, but after listening to this and the songs in Saawan Ko Aane Do, one would wonder why he didn't though! Of course, who could forget his work in Mahabharat....that lovely Stotra sung by Mahendra Kapoor (who also passed away recently). I want to thank my good friend Azam Khan for helping me with the lyrics.
By the way, the last antara in the track is missing. But honestly speaking, I was lucky enough to find the track, let alone complaining for it not being complete. Surprisingly, the original song found on the web has this shorter version as well.

Maine Tumse Kuchh Nahi Maanga (Movie: Kathaa, 1983)

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'Hum Shakal' was one of those typical soppy family movies, with a slight twist in its plot, but nothing earthshattering! Except for the songs, of course. Anand Bakshi penned the lyrics, and RD Burman brought them into life with his magical touch (as always!) Who can forget "Kahe Ko Bulaya Mujhe Balma", "Hum Tum Gum Sum Raat Milan Ki", or the lilting "Jhumo Tum Nacho" by KishoreDa. This one is still my favorite amongst the other numbers.

Raasta Dekhen Tera (Movie: Hum Shakal, 1974)

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'Swami' released in the late 70's. What a great movie it was, with a strong plot by the bengali genious Sharat Chandra, outstanding direction by Basu Chatterjee, and exemplary acting by Shabana Azmi and Girish Karnad. Some folks think that Swami and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam were somewhat similar in their basic elements. Who knows! I just loved the movie, and all its songs. Even though YesudasJi's "Ka Karoon Sajni" received some criticism from the media (because, he sang it little differently than Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab, the original singer of this song), nevertheless it became a chartbuster and more popular than KishoreDa's solo. LataJi's "Pal Bhar Main Yeh Kya Ho Gaya" had a beautiful tune as well. But I still love the way Kishore Da brought out the sad mood of this song in his own style. Call me biased, but I think he rendered more dejection and melancholy through his expressions and feelings, than what Vikram did on screen (when he lost his love, Shabana Azmi, to Girish Karnad).

Yaadon Mein Woh (Movie: Swami, 1977)

(Click here to download)