मुकेश

 आज भारतीय  सिनेमा के अत्यंत लोकप्रिय पार्श्व गायक मुकेश जी की जयंती है । ज़ोरावरचंद मुकेशचंद्र  माथुर का जन्म आज के दिन 1923 में दिल्ली में हुआ था । मुकेश आरम्भ से ही मेरे  चहेते गायक रहे हैं । उनके अधिकतर गीत मुझे  पसंद हैं । उन्हें  फिल्मों में  लाने का श्रेय उनके निकट संबंधी  प्रसिद्ध अभिनेता मोतीलाल को जाता है । शुरू में मुकेश ने अभिनय में  भाग्य आजमाया और दो फिल्मों ' निर्दोष' और 'मेला'  में काम भी किया पर  आशातीत सफलता न मिल पाने के कारण  गायन पर ही पूरा ध्यान केंद्रित किया । अपने समय के सभी नामचीन अभिनेताओं मसलन दिलीप कुमार, राज कपूर, राजेंद्र कुमार,  मनोज कुमार, जीतेंद्र, राजेश खन्ना पर फिल्माए गए गीतों को स्वर दिया पर मुख्यत:  अभिनेता राज कपूर और संगीतकार शंकर- जय किशन के साथ उनकी विशेष पहचान बनी ।अपने कॉलेज के दिनों में मैंने उर्दू सर्विस से उनके गीतों का खूब आनंद लिया है । फिल्म चंद्रमुखी के लिए गाये उनके गीत - नैन का चैन चुरा कर ले गयी कर गयी नींद हराम- ने  मुझ पर लोरी का सा प्रभाव डाला है ।

फिल्म आग, आवारा, यहूदी , अंदाज़, बरसात, संगम, सारंगा, उपकार, बंदिनी,बनारसी ठग, पूरब और पश्चिम, अनाड़ी, आह, मेला, कभी कभी ,तीसरी कसम, , मेरा नाम जोकर, राज हठ, मल्हार ,आनंद,मेला, छलिया, जिस देश में गंगा बहती है, आदि फिल्मों में कई यादगार गीत गाये ।यद्यपि उन्हें राजकपूर की आवाज़ के रूप में जाना जाता है पर राजेश खन्ना पर फिल्माये उनके गीत भी कम लोकप्रिय नहीं रहे । 

उल्लेखनीय है कि शुरुआती दौर में फिल्म  पहली नज़र के लिए गाये उनके गीत -दिल जलता है तो जलने दे- को सुन कर  के. एल. सहगल ने पूछा ' ये गीत मैंने कब गाया ?' जाहिर है , अन्य गायकों की तरह उन पर भी शुरू में सहगल का प्रभाव रहा  ।

फिल्म 'कभी कभी' के लिए गाया उनका गीत -मैं पल दो पल का शाइर हूँ-  एक तरह से खुद उन पर  लागू हुआ और  इस फिल्म के रिलीज़ होने के कुछ अर्से बाद ही 1976 में अमेरिका के डेट्रॉयट में हृदयाघात के कारण इनका  निधन हुआ ।

महान गायक को हमारी विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि  🙏

Teejan Bai

 ALVIDA Teejan Bai, the celebrated Pandvani exponent !!

Humble tributes 🙏

नानक सिंह

 नानक सिंह, पंजाबी कवि और उपन्यासकार, जिनके उपन्यास ' पवित्र पापी ' पर इसी नाम से फ़िल्म बनी जिसमे बलराज साहनी, तनूजा और परीक्षित साहनी मुख्य भूमिका में नज़र आए.

जयंती पर विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि 🙏

NCERT - unnecessary change in Syllabus

 What is NCERT up to !

A news headline reads " NCERT drops French & Russian Revolution....."

 I remember in the ' 60s, combined syllabus of Social Studies for ix & x class there was a chapter on the 1789 AD  French Revolution, highlighting the names of contemporary thinkers and writers Rousseau  & Voltaire. Their teachings were about  Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, which universally remain the cardinal principles of Humanity.  About Russian Revolution we knew from other sources.

What makes NCERT  take such a decision is beyond comprehension.

Reportedly a substitution is made by adding chapters on Vedas and other Ancient Indian Philosophy. One can hardly have an issue with teaching Vedas, Upanishads etc. But why drop the important events that happened in other parts of the world ? Is it worthwhile to close our eyes and mind to the outside World ?

Another 'wonderful' chapter has been added lauding the ECI for successful implementation of SIR which ironically has met with criticism nationwide.

Of course addition and not substitution is the way forward that too with sagacity and foresight.

Let's not create a generation of Zombies.

TEETH, THE PRECIOUS POSSESSION

 SUNDAY MUSINGS -

Never been lucky to have a beautiful line of pearly teeth, I have always envied people gifted with shiny symmetrical denture. My asymmetric assemblage has sometimes invited the uncharitable comparison with Dracula which I knew was an exaggeration. Despite all this I could not care less for the cosmetic side as long as I had no problem with biting into food, the sole purpose of having been equipped with  the tool. I have had trouble due to toothache occurring many a time but got over with minor medication. 

Fortunately I  didn't have to go for RCT or removal of an odd tooth.

So far so good.  Now over a period of time I have lost half my teeth, and as if by some design, am denied the luxury of having roasted chana, my all time favourite. Not a big deal even this.

To make the matters worse, my better half points out to some change in my voice, attributing it to my loss of teeth. Regularly she keeps persuading me to go for denture, which advice I hardly relish. Removal of my remaining natural teeth and replacing them with an artificial equipment - the idea simply does not amuse me and puts me off !

No false claims of Abhi To Main Jawan Hun  in my case.........!

FATHERS DAY

 At  my age and stage, not many but a lucky few blessed ones  have their parents  by their side . I lost both before I was forty. I do not think  one needs special days to feel grateful to  parents  but such occasions do  keep   one reminded of this wonderful relationship full of selfless love and  affection from parents’ side , though unfortunately not always  returned or reciprocated  by the kids.Increasing number  Old age homes and vriddhashrams   are a testimony to this bitter  truth. I remember my father  as  someone , who led a simple highly contented  life , never caring for any material gains. Never a pampering or cajoling type, but always  alive to  our needs, which  he tried his best to fulfill .Even while buying cloth for our school uniform, he would go for the best. His trademark thaila  always  hung on his shoulders, fresh vegetables were carried home daily. I am lucky  to have inherited  his genes and  at times,  it feels good when  others, who knew him   have nice things to say about him. 

 Things are never the same  when parents are gone  !

HAPPY FATHER'S  DAY !!

Birthday Musings.

 Ordinarily  for the younger lot a birthday is an occasion to celebrate. For older people,it is an  opportunity  to  be grateful to the Almighty for having  afforded  a journey this far. It hurts and is painful to learn that you share your birthday with someone who is  a part of history  besides being a victim of some atrocity. The same feeling  crossed my mind yesterday as I thought of Anne Frank , a young girl born  exactly 25 years before me   who became a writer  when she started writing a diary  in  a note book  gifted to her on her 13th birthday. She became a chronicler of her times. Her family  became a victim of the  Holocaust that  befell the  Jewish race of the times during the Second  World War . She died of Typhus while living in captivity  in a Nazi concentration camp aged 15. The diary was published posthumously in the shape of a book.