Geeta Dutt

My favorites List of Songs.  Tracks Listing

1  Aaj Ki Raat Piya   Movie : Baazi   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: S. D. Burman   Lyricist: Sahir 2  Dekho Jadoo Bhare More Nain   Movie : Aasmaan   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: O. P. Nayyar   Lyricist: Prem Dhawan 3  Hoon Abhi Main Jawan   Movie : Aar Paar   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: O. P. Nayyar   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri   Listen Track 4  Neele Aasmani   Movie : Mr. & Mrs. 55   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: O. P. Nayyar   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri 5  Baanki Adayen   Movie : Amanat   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Salil Choudhary   Lyricist: Shailendra 6  Mera Dil Meri Jaan   Movie : Ab - E - Hayat   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Sardar Malik   Lyricist: Hasrat Jaipuri 7  Tumse Nazar Mili   Movie : Jagir   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Madan Mohan   Lyricist: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan 8  Aaj Chhaye Kare Badra   Movie : Lajwanti   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: S. D. Burman   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri 9  Lat Uljhi Hai   Movie : Insaan Aur Insaan   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Ratandeep Hemraaj   Lyricist: Tajdar Taj 10  Meri Jaan Mujhe   Movie : Anubhav   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Kanu Roy   Lyricist: Gulzar 11  Aye Dil Aye Diwane   Movie : Baaz   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: O. P. Nayyar   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri 12  Ja Ja Ja Bewafa   Movie : Aar Paar   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: O. P. Nayyar   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri   Listen Track 13  Hai Yeh Duniya Kaunsi   Movie : Sailaab   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Mukul Roy   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri 14  Humko Chhod Ke Kahan   Movie : Shrimati 420   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: O. P. Nayyar   Lyricist: Jan Nisar Akhtar 15  Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Laga Lo   Movie : Pyaasa   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: S. D. Burman   Lyricist: Sahir Ludhiyanvi   Listen Track 16  Theharo Zarasi Der To   Movie : Savera   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Sailesh   Lyricist: Prem Dhawan 17  O Babu O Lala   Movie : Dilli Ka Thug   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Ravi   Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri   Listen Track 18  Humne Dekha Pyar Mein   Movie : Guest House   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Chitragupta   Lyricist: Prem Dhawan 19  Chale Aao Chale Aao   Movie : Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Hemant Kumar   Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni 20  Mera Dil Jo Mera Hota   Movie : Anubhav   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: Kanu Roy   Lyricist: Gulzar 21  Suno Gajar Kya Gaye   Movie : Baazi   Artist(s): Geeta Dutt   Music Director: S. D. Burman   Lyricist: Sahir

Golden Collection, Geeta Dutt Essential

Album review from The Hindu

Saregama 

A MUSIC critic once characterised Geeta Dutt's voice as "thandi hawa and kali ghata rolled into one". Few could breeze through a song and fill it with life and emotion the way she did. Given the effortless seductive allure of her voice, it is hard to believe that she started out as a singer of bhajans and weepy numbers. It was with the 1951 release, Baazi (which had music by S.D. Burman), that composers discovered how Geeta could go WSestern with ease. This possibility of her voice was used to the hilt by O.P. Nayyar and that was how she managed to survive the Lata Mangeshkar onslaught, though in second place, for a good decade. She remained the unquestionable choice for all "club numbers" through most part of the '50s.

This album skips the very early Geeta phase — so you don't hear "Mera Sundar Sapana Beet Gaya" from Do Bhai (1947) — and opens with that famous Baazi number, "Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui". So you find all the best-known songs in the quintessential Geeta moods,

teasing/naughty/gay... "Babuji Dheere Chalna", "Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata", "Jata Kahan Hain Diwane", "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu", "O Babu O Lala", and "Ae Dil Mujhe Bata De" — all composed by O.P. Nayyar, but for the last two.

S.D. Burman also exploited the Bengali lilt in Geeta's voice for some great results such as "Aaj Sanam Mohe Ang Laga Lo". Just as she could sound lovelorn without going overboard in "Jane Kya Tune Kahi", she could also sound absolutely grovelling in "Na Jao Saiyan". The latter is perfect in the film, but sounds overdone without the begging, pleading Meena Kumari to lip sync to the voice!

These songs provide a foil to all her lively numbers. But one does miss her great duets, such as "Jane Kahan Mera Jigar Gayan Ji" and "Acchaji Main Hari Chalo".

It's a tragedy that a singer with such immense talent let the tragedies in her personal life completely overtake her singing career.

When S.D. Burman and O.P. Nayyar wanted to bring her back to playback singing after a falling out with Lata, they found Geeta had grown far too indisciplined to cope. Asha eventually came to take what was once Geeta's place. But one is told that Geeta did try to resurrect her career a couple of years before her death (in 1972). She sang in a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film in 1971. This album, which sticks to the best-known, does not include anything from the last phase of her life.

BAGESHREE S

The Immortal Geeta Dutt

Geeta Dutt was born into a rich zamindaar's family as Geeta Roy in Faridpur, East Bengal in 1930. In 1942, her parents shifted to a Dadar apartment in Bombay when she was twelve. Over there in their modest flat at Dadar, composer/music director Hanuman Prasad, overheard her singing casually and agreed to impart her training in singing. He launched her in a chorus song in Bhakht Prahlad (1946), where she sang only two lines. But her rendering of those two lines stood out and astonished everybody in the recording studio. Her major assignment was in the following year with Do Bhai. The musicof that film clicked in a big way and Geeta became a top playback singer. 1947 - 1949 saw Geeta as the number one playback singer in the Bombay film industry as she moved from strength to strength.Only two playback singers managed to survive Lata's onslaught in the 1950s. They were Shamshad Begum and Geeta Roy. Though relegated to the second spot, Geeta managed to hold her own against Lata for more than a decade, and she and Lata became the premier female playback singers of the 1950s.

Initially, Geeta was a singer well known for singing bhajans and weepy, sad songs, but 1951 saw the release of Baazi. The jazzy musical sc of the film by S.D. Burman created a new facet in Geeta's singing. The S** appeal in her voice and the ease with which she went western was marvelous to behold. From then on in the 1950s for a club dance and a seductive song, was the first choice was Geeta. During the recording of a song, she met the young and upcoming director of the film, Guru Dutt.

The first thing that strikes one when you hear Geeta Dutt sing was that she never sang. She just glided through a tune. Of all her contemporaries her musical training was perhaps the sketchiest but what she lacked in training and technique, she more than made up with her ability to breathe life and emotion into any song she was singing. To quote Raju Bharathan, Music Critic...

" Geeta Dutt was thandi hawa and kaali ghata rolled into one. The moment she came, you got the refreshing feeling of aa hi gayi jhoom ke. There was a rare swing in her voice. She hit you like a thunderclap..........This made Geeta Dutt the one singer that Lata Mangeshkar really feared. In training and technique Lata was way ahead but neither training nor technique was of much use when pitted against Geeta in the recording room........This put Lata on the defensive and I think she avoided singing with Geeta as far as possible. I vaguely remember Lata acknowledging this fact when Geeta died on July 20, 1972."

S.D. Burman was amongst the earliest to discover the magic in her voice with Do Bhai. He effectively used the Bengali lilt in her voice memorably in films like Devdas (1955) and Pyaasa (1957). In fact, no female singer has better articulated the spirit of Burmanda's music in its early years. O.P. Nayar had developed the side of Geeta which had emerged with Baazi. Under his freewheeling baton, Geeta developed into a really hep singer who could belt out any number - soft, sultry, happy, snappy, romantic, teasing or tragic. It was O.P. who got Geeta to stop being overly emotional in sad songs. However by 1957, Geeta's marriage had run through rough weather and was on the rocks. Guru Dutt had gotten romantically involved with his new leading lady Waheeda Rehman. The breaking up of her marriage also began giving repurcussions on her career. To quieten things down, Guru Dutt launched a film Gauri (1957) with her in the lead. She was to be launched as a singing star and it was to be India's first film in cinemascope but the film was shelved after just a few days of shooting. This was the time when one heard complaints from music directors about her not being easily available for rehearsals and recordings.

In fact, in 1957, when he fell out with Lata Mangeshkar, Burmanda was looking to make Geeta his main singer rather than the upcoming Asha Bhosle. After all Geeta was a mature singer while Asha was still raw. But due to her troubled marriage, Geeta was not able to practice in the style required by Burman who was a hard taskmaster regarding rehearsals. He joined O.P. Nayar in shaping Asha rather than wait for Geeta. Consequently, Asha not only took her place but went beyond her. And to make things worse, Geeta began finding solace in drinking. In 1964, Guru Dutt, passed away. Geeta was a broken woman, shattered by his death. She suffered from a nervous breakdown. When she recovered, she found herself in a financial mess. She tried to resume singing again, cutting discs at Durga Puja and giving stage shows and even doing a Bengali film Bhadu Bharan (1967) as heroine. But her health kept failing as she drank to a point of no return. But not before she showed she still had it in her were she given a mike to sing. Anubhav (1971), was her last film and was one of the finest works she ever did. But her drinking problems were not over and she passed away of Cirrhosis of the Liver in 1972 at the age of 41.

Geeta Dutt and Bengali songs

We know that her songs in Gujrati, Punjabi, and Marathi are equally beautiful as Bengali and Hindi. But lets restrict to her Bengali numbers and not comment on Hindi, Marathi and Punjabi songs here. For the interested readers to probe deeper into her artistry lets select a few songs from what is readily available in the market. Surprisingly enough, her songs are very upbeat and bright including her numbers on uncherished love. It is credited to her singing which is always a breath of fresh air. her Bengali songs can be catagorised in three segments: (a) bright and full of virtuosity; (b) deep emotional; and (c) melodic structure in focus.

For the first item we will select Sudhin Dasgupta's "Jhiri Jhiri Choitali Batashe" 1957. She sounds all through the bridge (Antara) very connected with admirable legato. Of course the accompaniment written by Sudhin Dasgupta is extremely appealing. Then there’s "Krishnachura Agun Tumi" --- Sudhin Dasgupta's melody and poet Batakrishna Dey's lyric --- which has very similar flavor. Her vocal passages are unique as reflected in "Ogo Amar Moner Chiro Udash Anmona" 1960 music : Kanu Ghosh on Shyamal Gupta's words. "Sonay Dheke Anga" 1967, falls in this class. Salil Choudhury's words brings a magic which Geeta Dutt renders with superb quality and Kanu Ghosh's music is exceptionally brilliant as it connects passages. This is very uncommon in Bengali compositions where mostly words in rhyme are assigned to notes in simple meters.

For Getta Dutt's emotional songs one of the favorite is "Sachi Mata Go" 1952 of Mukul Roy's melody predates the Hindi hit of Sailaab (1955). Basudeb wrote beautiful words which sounds very modern as it deals with women's issues dating back four thousand years. Towards the end of her career 1967, she performs one of her masterpieces, somewhat waltzy, "Jaak na Muchhe Jaak”, melody by Kanu Ghosh on Salil Choudhury's words. These songs are real challenge to Indian singers. She blends her training in Classical Indian music with her imagination and contemporary feelings.

Geeta Dutt's melodic songs are mostly in slow waltz. The foremost is of Sudhirlal Chakraborty's music on Pabitra Mitra's words, "Brindabone Shyam Nai" 1952. She hits the low notes in a superb manner, which is rather unheard of from Indian singers. Passages dominated by minor keys are sung with full richness. Later, in 1960, Binod Chatterjees music on Pulak Bannerjee's lyric "Hridoy Amar Kichhu Jodi Bole" exposed a darker side of emotion.

Geeta Dutt is a singer of modern songs in the true sense of the word modern. Without Rabindra sangeet, Nazrul Geety, Atul Prasadi, and without much of Salil Choudhury, she has been able to make an everlasting impression. She is truly immortal.

Some memorable songs sung by Geeta under S.D. Burman's batons are:

'Mera sundar sapna beet gaya' (Do Bhai - 1947) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/wqxmBhdiZt.As1NMvHdW/

'Kaali Ghata Chhaye Mora jeeya Tarsaye' (Sujata - 1959)
'Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer' (Baazi - 1951) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/d/x/lqQmpgRD5d.As1NMvHdW/

 'Aan milo aan milo' (Devdas - 1955) with Manna Dey http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/FqCmrV.Tad.As1NMvHdW/

'Aaj sajan mohe ang lagalo' (Pyaasa - 1957) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/gAmm53DQD9.As1NMvHdW/

'Hawa dhire aana' (Sujata - 1959) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/dV3mQhJojt.As1NMvHdW/

'Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam ' (Kaagaz ke Phool - 1959) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/BAOmUKaDOt.As1NMvHdW/

Geeta sang 72 songs for S D Burman of which 43 were solos. The last song she recorded for him was from the film Ziddi(1964), 'Main tere pyaar mein kya kya na bana dilbar.' http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/_6QmyxDZRS.As1NMvHdW/

Some memorable songs sung by Geeta under O. P. Nayyar's baton are:

'Zara saamne aa'( Baaz - 1953 )
'Babuji dhire chalna' (Aar Paar - 1954 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/_4Xmu4Ic1t.As1NMvHdW/

'Thandi hawa kali ghata' (Mr. & Mrs 55 - 1955 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/vVImy1.X9d.As1NMvHdW/

'Jab badal lehraya' (Chchoomantar - 1956 )
'Humko Chhorke Kaha jaoge' (Shrimati 420 - 1956 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/yA7mgbaFbd.As1NMvHdW/

'Chor, lutere, daku'( Ustad - 1957 )
'Mera naan chin chin choo' (Howrah Bridge - 1958 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/DJ3mEMhCgt.As1NMvHdW/

'Kaisa jadoo balam tune dara' (12 o'clock - 1958 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/TsQm7Ehfxd.As1NMvHdW/

O.P.'s comments on Geeta :

" ..........Who will deny there is a unique quality to her singing. Give her a blatantly westernized tune this momentand a complex classical composition the next, and she will do equal justice to both with an ease of expression which a singer can only be born with. She is particularly good for songs accompanying boisterous jamborees. With that tantalizing lilt and fascinating curves she puts into her singing,she is the ideal choice if it is seductive allure you want in a song........Geeta Dutt is an asset to any music director. "

This is not to say that Geeta was any less effective with other music directors. The songs she has sung for Hemant Kumar in Anandmath ( 1952 ), Bahu ( 1954 ),Ek Jhalak ( 1957 ), Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam ( 1962 ) bear testimony to this. It's just that for the sheer volume and the scaleof popularity that the songs of S.D. Burman and O.P. Nayyar reached make them special in Geeta's oeuvre.

The ten songs she selected then represented definite landmarks in her singing career.

'Mat ja mat ja jogi' (Jogan - 1950 )  This was her own personal favourite.
'Mera sundar sapna beet gaya' (Do Bhai - 1947 )
'Na yeh chand hoga' (Shart  - 1954 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/xWbmamIMIS.As1NMvHdW/

'Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer' (Baazi - 1951 )
'Yeh lo main hari piya' (Aar Paar - 1954 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/EJfmSlnWFt.As1NMvHdW/

'Khayalon mein kisike' (Baawre Nain - 1950 ) with Mukesh
'Aaj sajan mohe ang laga lo' (Pyaasa - 1957 )
'Jaane kya tunhe kahi' (Pyaasa - 1957 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/jVym_j3AVd.As1NMvHdW/

'Ae dil mujhe bata de' (Bhai Bhai - 1956 ) http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/EqQmPuJ7fd.As1NMvHdW/

'Hai yeh duniya kaunsi' (Sailaab - 1956 )

This as mentioned was in early 1957. Citing the reason for her selections Geeta mentioned

" I feel that a song must express human emotions in simple language and in a tune that affords the singer sufficient scope to do full justice to the thought underlying the lyric. I feel that the songs I have listed are simple enough to be appreciated by people of all ages at all times."

Geeta Dutt Bengali Songs :

Jhiri Jhiri Chaitali    http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/b4fr-0zU_d.As1NMvHdW/

Aakash Jure Sapno Maya   http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/h4OrmSq3VS.As1NMvHdW/

Krishna chura Aagun Tumi    http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/AJfr.XSoyS.As1NMvHdW/

O sur bhara Dur Nilimai    http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/FUOr7UBo2d.As1NMvHdW/

Phuler Bone laglo je dol   http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/jqOr48_TS9.As1NMvHdW/

Thoughts Shared

This is what O P Nayyarji had to say to a reporter when asked about Geeta Dutt as a singer... and asked that percentage-wise, Geeta sang more hits for you, even compared to Asha.

“What an observation! You are absolutely right. Geeta Dutt had the most original voice in film music. She was the one who introduced me to Guru Dutt. She sang so many hit songs of mine in films like Aar Paar, Mr. and Mrs.55, Musafirkhana and Miss Coca Cola. Later as I started using Asha’s voice more and more, Geeta was neglected and I feel sorry for that. I would even go to the extent of saying that later she was literally blocked from singing in my music by my then premier singer!

Like her late husband, Geeta has also left a deep emotional scar on my mind. Once she called in the middle of the night and said, “Nayyar saab, do you still recognize my voice? I am Geeta. Aap To Humein Bhool Hi Gaye!” I felt so sad and guilty. That time I could just give her some assurance but it was futile.”

Only two singers managed to survive the Lata onslaught in the 1950s. Shamshad Begam and Geeta Roy. Though relegated to the second spot, Geeta managed to hold her own against Lata for more than a decade and she and Lata were the premier two female playback singers of the 1950s. At this time , Geeta ruled the roost. But her work up to now was mainly devotional, and she was in danger of being slotted. But 1951 also saw the release of a film, Baazi. Baazi with its fast, jazzy tracks changed that. 'Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui..' became a rage and Geeta's image was never the same. Directed by first time director Guru Dutt, the film, a crime thriller was a trend setter of sorts, leading to a spate of urban crime films that Bollywood churned out in the 1950s. The jazzy musical score revealed a new facet to Geeta's singing. The appeal in her voice and the ease with which she went western was marvellous to behold. While every song in the film was a raging hit, one stood out for special appeal. From then on in the 1950s for a club dance or a seductive song, the first choice was Geeta. During the recording of the song she met the young director of the film, Guru Dutt. Thus blossomed a romance and an impulsive extrovert, Geeta married saturnine Guru Dutt on 26 May 1953 and had three children Tarun and Arun and a daughter Nina. Geeta went on to sing some of her best songs in her husband's films while continuing singing in various outside assignments as well.

However three films released in 1949. Barsaat, Andaaz and Mahal. All three smashing hits. The music of each film better than the other. In all three films the heroine's songs were sung by a young lady who had also made her debut in playback singing in 1946 but till then  had not made any significant headway in her career. The success of these films changed all that. The song 'Aayega aanewala' from Mahal soared to heights of till then unseen popularity. ( It remains an all time favourite even today ) The singer was ... Lata Mangeshkar. Lata went on to become the greatest playback singer the Indian screen has ever seen. Only two singers managed to survive the Lata onslaught in the 1950s. Shamshad Begam and Geeta Roy. Though relegated to the second spot, Geeta  managed to hold her own against Lata for more than a decade and she and Lata were the premier two female playback singers of the 1950s. er showing Geeta Roy's popularity

By 1951, Geeta had become a singer well known for bhajans and weepy weepy sad songs. Jogan( 1950 ) in fact had 12 solo bhajans sung by her! But 1951 also saw the release of a film, Bazzi. Directed by first time director Guru Dutt, the film, a crime thriller influenced by the film noir movement of Hollywood was a trend setter of sorts, leading to a spate of urban crime films that Bollywood churned out in the 1950s. The jazzy musical score revealed a new facet to Geeta's singing. The S** appeal in her voice and the ease with which she went western was marvellous to behold. While every song in the film was a raging hit, one stood out for special appeal. 'Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer' a ghazal that was occidentalized into a jazzy seductive song! From then on in the 1950s for a club dance or a seductive song, the first choice was Geeta. The song stood out fo rmore reasons than one. During the recording of the song she met the young director of the film, Guru Dutt. Thus blossomed a romance which culminated in marriage on 26 May,1953. Geeta went on to sing some of her best songs in her husband's films while continuing singing in various outside assignments as well. The couple had two sons Tarun and Arun and a daughter Nina.

However by 1957 the marriage had run into rough weather and was on the rocks. Guru Dutt had got involved with his new leading lady Waheeda Rehman. And it was ironic that Geeta the playback singer's voice was used on Waheeda Rehman the actress as she 'sang' sweet nothings to Guru Dutt. The breaking up of her marriage also began having repercussions on her career. To quieten things down Guru Dutt launched a film Gauri( 1957 ) with her in the lead. She was to be launched as a singing star and it was to be India's first film in cinemascope but the film was shelved after justa few days shooting. This was the time when one heard complaints from music directors about her not being easily available for either rehearsals or recordings. She neglected her riaz. And to make things worse she began finding solace in drinks.

On October 10, 1964 Guru Dutt passed away. Waheeda had gone out of his life. And Geeta and he could never really get back together.  It is said his death due to an overdose of sleeping tablets in his drink was an accident but the cause of death  remains a mystery. Geeta was a broken woman, shattered by his death. She now had neither her singing or her husband. Lata's younger sister, Asha Bhonsle, had not only taken her place but had gone beyond her. Geeta suffered a nervous breakdown. When she recovered she found herself in a financial mess. She did try to resume singing again, cutting discs at Durga Puja and giving stage shows , even doing a Bengali film, Badhu Bharan ( 1967 ) as heroine! But her health kept failing as she drank herself to a point of no return. She died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1972. But not before she showed she still had it in her were she given a mike to sing. The songs of Basu Bhattacharya's Anubhav ( 1971 ), 'Meri jaan mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan', 'Koichupke se aake' and 'Mera dil jo mera hota' represent some of the finest work that Geeta Dutt ever did.
 

The first thing that strikes one when you hear Geeta Dutt sing was that she never sang. She just glided through a tune. Of all her contemporaries her musical training was perhaps the sketchiest but what she lacked in training and technique, she more than made it with her ability to breathe life and emotion into any song she was singing. In the recording room there was no matching Geeta's vivacity, vitality and spontaneity, her sense of rhythm unparalleled. Her capacity to be both sensual yet sensitive gives Geeta Dutt's voice a unique ethereal quality. To quote Raju Bharathan, Music critic in Filmfare February 1-15, 1985 Page 89,

" Geeta Dutt was thandi hawa and kaali ghata rolled into one. The moment she came, you got the refreshing feeling of aa hi gayi jhoom ke. There was a rare swing in her voice. She hit you like a thunderclap..........This made Geeta Dutt the one singer that Lata Mangeshkar really feared. In training and technique Lata was way ahead but neither training nor technique was of much use when pitted against Geeta in the recording room........This put Lata on the defensive and I think she avoided singing with Geeta as far as possible. (They have sung few duets) I vaguely remember Lata acknowledging this fact when Geeta died on July 20, 1972."

Geeta Dutt scored heavily as a singer particularly when she sang under the baton of two music directors, S.D. Burman and O.P.Nayyar.

The S.D. Factor :

S.D. Burman was among the earliest to discover the magic in Geeta Dutt's voice. In 1947 with Filmistan's DoBhai. He persuaded the producer to give her a break. The producer being unsure of Geeta made a deal with S.D. Burman. She would record a song  but it would be retained only after hearing the result. The song  'Humein chod piyakis desh gaye' was recorded and played back. The rest as they say is history. Even as it lead to Geeta becoming the foremost singer of the industry by 1951 she had found herself in a position where she was regarded good only for bhajans and sad songs. It took S.D.Burman's jazzy and westernized score for Baazi which showcased Geeta's versatility, her breezy voice. S.D. Burman effectively used the Bengali lilt in her voice memorably in films like Devdas and Pyaasa. Thesong 'Aaj sajan mohe ang lagalo' from the latter is one of the finest examples of the Bengali kirtan put over on the Hindi screen.  No female singer has better articulated the spirit of Burmanda's music in its early years. In fact in 1957, when he fell out with Lata, Burmanda was looking to make Geeta his main singer rather than the upcoming Asha Bhonsle. After all by then Geeta was a mature singer while Asha was still raw. But due to her troubled marriage Geeta was not free to practice in the style required by S.D.Burman who was a hard taskmaster in matter of rehearsals.  He joined O.P. Nayyar in shaping Asha rather than wait for Geeta. Some memorable songs sung by Geeta under S.D. Burman's baton are:

'Mera sundar sapna beet gaya' (Do Bhai - 1947 )
'Woh sapnewaali raat' (Pyaar - 1950 )
'Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer' (Baazi - 1951 )
'Aan milo aan milo' (Devdas - 1955 ) with Manna Dey
'Aaj sajan mohe ang lagalo' (Pyaasa - 1957 )
'Hawa dhire aana' (Sujata - 1959 )
'Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam ' (Kaagaz ke Phool - 1959 )

Geeta sang 72 songs for Dada Burman of which 43 were solos. The last song she recorded for him was from the film Ziddi(1964), 'Main tere pyaar mein kya kya na bana dilbar

Geeta suited O.P. Nayyar's ebullient themes to a T. He developed the side of Geeta which had emerged with Baazi. Under his freewheeling baton Geeta developed into a really hep singer who could belt out any number - soft, sultry, happy, snappy, romantic, teasing or tragic. It was Geeta Dutt's rare gift that she could effervescently sing for both the doll and the moll. And it was O.P. who got Geeta to stop being overtly emotional in sad songs.  O.P.'s comments on Geeta :

" ..........Who will deny there is a unique quality to her singing. Give her a blatantly westernized tune this momentand a complex classical composition the next, and she will do equal justice to both with an ease of expression which a singer can only be born with. She is particularly good for songs accompanying boisterous jamborees. With that tantalizing lilt and fascinating curves she puts into her singing,she is the ideal choice if it is seductive allure you want in a song........Geeta Dutt is an asset to any music director. "

Some immortal gems sung by Geeta Dutt underO.P. Nayyar's baton :

'Zara saamne aa'( Baaz - 1953 )
'Babuji dhire chalna' (Aar Paar - 1954 )
'Thandi hawa kali ghata' (Mr. & Mrs 55 - 1955 )
'Jab badal lehraya' (Chchoomantar - 1956 )
'Mere zindagi ke humsafar' (Shrimati 420 - 1956 )
'Chor, lutere, daku'( Ustad - 1957 )
'Mera naan chin chin choo' (Howrah Bridge - 1958 )
'Kaisa jadoo balam tune dara' (12 o'clock - 1958 )

This is not to say that Geeta was any less effective with other music directors. The songs she has sung for Hemant Kumar in Anandmath ( 1952 ), Bahu ( 1954 ),Ek Jhalak ( 1957 ), Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam ( 1962 ) bear testimony to this. It's just that for the sheer volume and the scaleof popularity that the songs of S.D. Burman and O.P. Nayyar reached make them special in Geeta's oeuvre.

You are alive;
You still thrive;
Countless still rejoice
Over your voice.

A Geeta Dutt song
Invites to sing along:
You could tease
And sing with ease.

Perfect for romance
And a hot dance,
Your nightclub songs:
What joyous songs!

My heart longs
For your sad songs;
They make no demand
But hold my hand.

How they reduce pain
I can't explain:
They fill a hole
Left in my soul.

You are alive;
You still thrive;
Countless still rejoice
Over your voice.

You are alive;
You still thrive;
Countless still rejoice
Over your voice.
You are alive.

 September 3, 2006

Geeta Dutt's daughter pays tribute to her mother with remixes of two of her evergreen chart-toppers that Nina has lent her voice to in her debut album Pal. The video of 'Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...' will also feature Guru and Geeta Dutt's granddaughter Nafeesa and will be directed by her father, Naushad

She's Guru Dutt's daughter and admits she doesn't remember him at all because he passed away when she was just two. Nina got to spend 10 years more with her mother but even Geeta Dutt went away too soon leaving her with the lingering taste of her crab curry. "My mother was a fabulous cook and I could always tell when someone else had made my favorite crab curry and would inevitably throw a royal tantrum," Nina laughs.

She also holds on to the precious memory of music sittings with the top-ranking singer. "Ma would sit on the harmonium with me and make me croon 'Allah tero naam...' after her," Nina reminisces. Though Geeta was often ill during her growing up years, her daughter remembers her as a gentle but jovial person who loved being with her friends, was rarely mayoos and never lost her temper.

Today, it's these remembrances and some unforgettable melodies that is all Nina has left of her mother. 'Waqt ne kiya kya haseen situm...' is her chosen gem from Geeta Dutt's treasure trove. Incidentally, it's also her 17-year-old daughter, Nafeesa's best-loved song of her nani's though it's a "rather sad melody". "I guess 'Waqt ne kiya...' has grown on Nafeesa because she's heard me humming it all the time," Nina points out. This classic from Kaagaz Ke Phool does not figure in the video album that mother and daughter will be coming out with soon.

Pal is a compilation of eight numbers. Six of them are original pop songs depicting moments from a woman's life at different stages and in a variety of moods. They have been penned by Manoj Kapadia and composed by Tutun Roy. The remaining couple of songs for which also Nina has lent her voice are remixes of two Geeta Dutt hits, 'Babuji dheere chalna...' from CID and 'Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...' from China Town. The latter will be filmed on Nafessa and the video will be directed by her father, Naushad Memon.

Nina admits that her husband has been pushing her to cut an album for years but while the kids were growing up there was no time to spare. Now that Nafeesa is in college and her son in the 8th standard, Nina could let the germ of an idea blossom into what has already become a talked about project.

The decision to include 'Chin Chin Choo...' stems from the fact that it's a fast-paced peppy numbers and both Naushad and Nina felt that with a new sound and a more contemporary look it could be used to target the youth.

"I've loved the song since I was five years old and must have heard it over a 1000 times by now. It's got a very catchy beat," raves Nafeesa. The Home Science student who's only last year posed for her first photo shoot for designer clothes and jewellery, is all excited about appearing in the 'Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...' video. "It was mom who suggested my name to my dad and I was like 'Yeah, sure'," she giggles. They start shooting in 15-20 days and Nafeesa can't wait to face the camera again.

"The mood is very abstract, the choreography very modern with lots of color, different dance movements and three changes for Nafeesa. It's not going to be anything like the 'Chin Chin Choo' you've seen before because while you can recycle an old hit using technology to give it a new sound, you can't go back to the same period and ape its pasteurization," points out her director father, adding with a smile, "So, I'd say our 'Chin Chin Choo...' is an old tune in a new package."

Moving on to his singer-wife Naushad admits that Nina's voice is very different from her mother's. "There was a sharpness to Geetaji's voice, Nina's is more husky. That's why I advised her not to ape her mother. Not only would she find that difficult but given the fact that Geeta ji was a remarkable singer, it would be difficult for Nina to reach anywhere close to her. People remember the song but today in the age of remixes, I'm sure they would be open to a new sound and style given the fact that the singer is Geetaji's own daughter," he reasons.

Despite his assurances and reassurances Nina admits that at the recording studio she was in jitters. "I have a very base voice so it was quite an effort to raise my scale to that of my mother's which was way to high for me," she confesses candidly. "All through the recording I was telling myself...telling her rather to 'be with me'."

However, compared to 'Babuji dheere chalna...', Nina asserts, that 'Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...' was really a cakewalk. "'Babuji...' is a song with a lot of expressions and as you can imagine, it's not easy to imitate mom. I had to ensure that the "feel" of the song came through."

Pal is Nina's tribute to her mother. She points out that a lot has been done to keep the memory of Guru Dutt and his movies alive. Nasreen Munni Kabir who penned the popular Guru Dutt—A Life in Cinema has recently released another book of 37 previously unpublished letters that Guru Dutt wrote to Geeta including a few postcards he sent to his sons, Tarun and Arun, Yours Guru Dutt—Intimate Letters of a Great Indian Filmmaker. Kabir has also done a TV series on him, In Search of Guru Dutt. A DVD compilation of his golden classics has also been brought out along with a commemorative stamp. In comparison, though Geeta Dutt's songs still play on radio channels, little by way of shradhanjali has been paid to her memory which was the reason Pal was conceived. "May be if this experiment is accepted we can work on more of mom's songs including my favorite, 'Waqt ne kiya...'," Nina maintains.

You wonder if Kaagaz Ke Phool ranks amongst her favorites from her father's repertoire too and you're surprised to hear that that's the film Nafeesa loves to rewind to. "It's so true-to-life. I love that scene in the studio when my grandfather's old. I never knew him but may be that's how he would have looked had he lived," the 17-year-old says wistfully. She also loves Subhash Ghai's Taal and yes, Guru Dutt's Shahib Biwi Aur Ghulam with Meena Kumari's heart-wrenching 'Na jao saiyaan chudake baiyaan...'.

Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam ranks on the top of Nina's list too. "All the characters stood out and I also love the zamindari ambience. I guess, it's because I'm half Bengali," she laughs. Another favorite is Chaudavin Ka Chand for its story and narrative flow. "You don't stop to think till the film is over," she says softly.

Given Nafeesa's interest in modeling and her dance lessons with Shiamak Davar one wouldn't be surprised to find Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt's granddaughter in the studio one day in front of the arc lights. Is Nina prepared for this? "My children have always been very independent and I like it that way. I want them to try everything they wish to do. You have one life so enjoy it. That's why we didn't stop her when she wanted to model or dance. If acting is what she wishes to experiment with next, we've no problems with that either. My parents were from the film industry and so is my husband. So why should I not want my daughter to be a part of the family too?"

Geeta Dutt (born: Geeta Roy) was one of the most influential vocalists in the history of Indian cinema. During the ten years that she was in her prime (1947 to 1957), she recorded the soundtracks for such popular Indian films as "Do Bhai", "Barsaat", "Andaaz" and "Mahal".. Initially known for her singing of sorrowful ballads, Dutt successfully moved to a more-jazzy approach with the soundtrack of the 1951 film, "Baazi", the directing debut of her future husband, Guru Dutt. One of ten children born to a middle class family in the East Bengal village of Faridpur District, Dutt attracted attention with her singing shortly after moving with her family to Mumbai in 1942. Overheard by a music director, Hanuman Prasad, she was given two lines to sing in a 1946 film, "Bhakt Prahlad". The movie's success resulted in Dutt being invited to sing the soundtrack of the film, "Do Bhai", the following year. Dutt's popularity continued to grow. Between 1947 and 1949, she was the most successful playback singer in India. With the emergence of Lala Manishkar in 1949, however, her status was lowered to number two. Nevertheless, Dutt continued to enjoy a thriving career. Married to Guru Dutt on May 26, 1953, Dutt's future seemed secure. The couple had two sons and a daughter. By 1957, however, the marriage had disintegrated. When Guru Dutt began a relationship with a new leading lady, Waheeda Rehman, divorce became unavoidable. In the aftermath of her divorce, Dutt attempted a return to films. Although plans were made for her to star in "Gauri", intended to be India's first film in Cinemascope, the movie was shelved a few days before shooting was scheduled to begin amidst reports of Dutt's being unavailable for rehearsals or recording sessions. Following Guru Dutt's death on October 10, 1964, reportedly from an overdose of sleeping tablets, Dutt suffered a nervous breakdown. Although she recovered and attempted a comeback, appearing in "Badhu Bharan" in 1967 and "Anubhav" in 1971, she continued to drink and her health deteriated. Dutt died of cirrhosis of the liver on July 20, 1972..