Mahendra Kapur was the favourite singer of BR Chopra Films, and Ravi was their favourite composer. BR Films-Ravi-Mahendra Kapur combination gave a large number of well known songs. After Ravi, the only music director who used Mahendra Kapur in a significant manner was OP Nayyar, apparently on rebound when he had some rift with Mohammad Rafi. Following behind would be Kalyanji Anandji, who used Mahendra Kapur to some degree following the great success of Mere desh ki dharti on Manoj Kumar in Upkar (1967). His songs with other music directors are few and far between.
Mahendra Kapur’s most well known and popular songs would also largely follow the above order. While Mahendra Kapur-Ravi songs were mounted lavishly on the big banner of BR Chopra, OP Nayyar was already on decline when he came over to Mahendra Kapur.
OP Nayyar in his heydays starting mid-50s with Aar Paar, CID, Mr and Mrs 55, Naya Daur etc. was among the biggest along with Naushad and Shankar and Jaikishan. He was known as much for his imperious temperament as for his great music. Such a person does not care for impressing people and winning friends. It was in a way inevitable that he would come in conflict with the Empress of playback singing, Lata Mangeshkar. It is to the man’s credit that not only he could survive the film world in spite of shunning Lata Mangeshkar completely, but dominate it for a number of years with enormous commercial and critical success. In the initial years his favourite female playback singers were Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum. Later on he had to prove something with the junior Mangeshkar sister, Asha Bhosle, who became more than a muse for him. Asha Bhosle’s great success in 1970s and 80s with RD Burman had its roots in OP Nayyar who made sure she was also counted not far behind Lata.
OP Nayyar’s songs for Rafi in the abovementioned films and later films like Kashmir Ki Kali, Ek Musafir Ek Haseena, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hun etc have acquired iconic status. His estrangement with Rafi in late 1960s, and more sadly, Asha Bhosle walking out of his life, spelt his decline. He used Mahendra Kapur in films like Ye Raat Phir Na Ayegi, CID 909, Humsaya, Kismat, Kahin Din Kahin Raat etc. But these films were none too great. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, even a dead elephant weighs nine tons, some of the songs of these films were long-lasting. One particular song Kajra mohabbatwala from Kismat (1968) by Shamshad Begum has seen a great resurgence with remix versions.
From this lot there are two Mahendra Kapur songs which I find specially appealing, and which I would easily put amongst his best – Mera pyar wo hai ke markar bhi tumko juda apni baahon se hone na dega from the film Ye Raat Phir Na Ayegi (1966) and Tumhara chahnewala khuda ki duniya mein from the film Kahin Din Kahin Raat (1968). Both the songs are picturised on Biswajit, whose copying of Shammi Kapoor’s style and mannerisms was quite unabashed. The lyrics by Aziz Kashmiri and SH Bihari respectively have a great deal of similarity in that both the songs profess all-possessive and monopolising love, which does not brook any third party intrusion – the lover would not tolerate even the moonlight caressing the body of his beloved, and would break the mirror which dares to praise her beauty. Another similarity is that every line in both the songs is much longer than an average song, which means composing them to metre and singing them with proper voice modulation and variation in pitch would have been quite a difficult task. The orchestration and musical interludes by OP Nayyar in both the songs are outstanding. While in many respects the songs give you a feeling of déjà vu, Mahendra Kapur brings in his individuality leaving a clear stamp that he is not merely a Rafi replacement. Now enjoy the two songs.
1. Mera pyar wo hai ke markar bhi tumko juda apni baahon se hone na dega from the film Ye Raat Na Phir Ayegi (1966), lyrics by Aziz Kashmiri.
Mera pyar wo hai ke mar kar bhi tumko
Juda apni baahon se hone na dega
Mili mujhko jannat to jannat ke badle
Khuda se meri jaan tumhe maang lega
Mera pyar wo hai
Zamaana to karwat badalta rahega
Naye zindagi ke taraane banenge
Mitegi na lekin muhabbat hamaari
Mitaane ke sau sau bahaane banenge
Haqeeqat hamesha haqeeqat rahegi
Kabhi bhi na iska fasaana banega
Mera pyar wo hai
Tumhe cheen le meri baanhon se koyi
Mera pyar yoon besahaara nahin hai
Tumhara badan chaandni aake choo le
Mere dil ko ye bhi gawaara nahin hai
Khuda bhi agar tumse aake mile to
Tumhaari qasam hai mera dil jalegaa
Mera pyar wo hai ……
मेरा प्यार वो है के मर कर भी तुमको जुदा अपनी बाहों से होने ना देगा
मिली मुझको जन्नत तो जन्नत के बदले ख़ुदा से मेरी जाँ तुझे मांग लेगा
मेरा प्यार वो है
ज़माना तो करवट बदलता रहेगा नये ज़िंदगी के तराने बनेंगे
मिटेगी न लेकिन मुहब्बत हमारी मिटाने के सौ सौ बहाने बनेंगे
हक़ीक़त हमेशा हक़ीक़त रहेगी कभी भी ना इसका फ़साना बनेगा
मेरा प्यार वो है
तुम्हें छीन ले मेरी बाहों से कोई मेरा प्यार यूं बेसहारा नहीं है
तुम्हारा बदन चांदनी आ के छू ले मेरे दिल को ये भी गवारा नहीं है
ख़ुदा भी अगर तुमसे आ के मिले तो तुम्हारी क़सम है मेरा दिल जलेगा
मेरा प्यार वो है……..
Listen to Mera pyar wo hai ke markar bhi tumko
2. Tumhara chahnewala khuda ki duniya mein from the film Kahin Din Kahin Raat (1968), lyrics by SH Bihari. This song is notionally a duet. But Asha Bhosle comes in only in the third stanza, and mostly you would have heard the first two stanzas on the radio. The song ligers in my memory always as a Mahendra Kapur solo.
Tumhara chahne wala Khuda ki duniya mein
Mere siwa bhi koyi aur ho Khuda na kare
Ye baat kaise gawaara karega dil mera
Tumhara zikr kisi aur ki zaban pe ho
Tumhare husn ki tareef aainaa bhi kare
To main tumhari qasam hai ke tod doon usko
Tumhare pyar tumhari ada ka deewana
Mere siwa bhi koyi aur ho Khuda na kare
Tumhara chahne waala Khuda ki duniya mein
Wo din na aye ke mujhse kabhi juda hokar
Kisi ka pyar dobara kahin talash karo
Jhuka ke sar ko kisi ajnabi ke shaanon par
Tum apne gham ka sahara kahin talash karo
Kareeb dil ke tumhare kisi bhi haalat mein
Mere siwa bhi koyi aur ho Khuda na kare
Tumhara chahne wala Khuda ki duniya mein
Tumhare dil ko kabhi mujhse koi thes lage
Mujhe yakeen hai aisa kabhi nahin hoga
Mujhe wafaaon pe apni bada bharosa hai
Tumhara pyar hi de jaye na kahin dhokha
Dua ye hai ke tumhara Khuda ki duniya mein
Mere siwa bhi koyi aur ho Khuda na kare
Tumhara chahne wala Khuda ki duniyaa mein
Mere siwa bhi koyi aur ho Khuda na kare
तुम्हारा चाहनेवाला ख़ुदा की दुनिया मैं मेरे सिवा भी कोई और हो ख़ुदा न करे
ये बात कैसे गवारा करेगा दिल मेरा तुम्हारा ज़िक्र किसी और की ज़बान पे हो
तुम्हारे हुस्न की तारीफ आईना भी करे तो मैं तुम्हारी क़सम है कि तोड़ दूं उसको
तुम्हारे प्यार तुम्हारी अदा का दीवाना मेरे सिवा भी कोई और हो ख़ुदा न करे
तुम्हारा चाहनेवाला ख़ुदा की दुनिया मैं
वो दिन ना आये कि मुझसे कभी जुदा होकर किसी का प्यार दोबारा कहीं तलाश करो
झुका के सर को किसी अजनबी की शानों पर
तुम अपने ग़म का सहारा कहीं तलाश करो
करीब दिल के तुम्हारे किसी भी हालत में मेरे सिवा भी कोई और हो ख़ुदा न करे
तुम्हारा चाहनेवाला ख़ुदा की दुनिया मैं …..
Listen to Tumhara chahnewala khuda ki duniya mein
