But this is about some great film songs by Mehdi Hasan, and I’m putting up 15 of my favourites.īheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein: Here’s the first. Many of these Pakistani songs were copied by not only regular copycat Nadeem-Shravan, but Rajesh Roshan too. Composed by the great Robin Ghosh (the music director from Bangladesh, who, while composing brilliantly written romantic songs picturized on the beautiful heroine Shabnam, fell in love with her and married her, to move ultimately to Bangladesh after a hugely successful musical career) and M Ashraf, perhaps Pakistan films’ most successful music director, and Kamal Ahmed and Tafu, along with others, these are some of the best songs Mehdi Hassan has sung. The man with a truly gentlemanly voice sang dulcet romantic songs for some of the top Pakistani heroes, like Nadeem. A common factor, throughout, would be Mehdi Hassan’s voice. I reveled in those songs, and such was my love for Mehdi Hassan’s voice, that even though eight out of ten Pakistani film songs - especially the ones by Noor Jahan and Nahid Akhtar - sounded more like nasal noise with loosely arranged, loud music with rough sounding strings arrangements, the remaining two gems that crept in, as if embarrassed, truly glittered – as lilting as the best melodies from India.
Mehdi Hassan was the undisputed Ghazal King, and also excelled at film songs. The door to the room shut, Volume nicely up, Bass and Treble levels set, I would sit back and pray that the next song my favourite announcer on Radio Pakistan Lahore, Hassan Shahid Mirza, announced, would be one sung by Mehdi Hassan, and for a film. It had a golden grill, two speakers, and a lovely green-glowing valve, the tuning indicator light which you tried to reduce as close to a hair-thin sliver as possible – for that indicated the finest tuning. Thankfully, Radio Pakistan’s Lahore station tuned loud and clear on Medium Wave on my cherished possession, the six-band HMV Peacock radio with a glowing rich wooden body the grains of which gleamed brighter with each dusting. Rafta Rafta Woh Meri Hasti Ka Saamaan Ho Gaye, Ranjish Hi Sahi, Kaise Kaise Log Hamare Dil Ko Jalaane Aa Jaate Hain, Tanha Thi Aur Hamesha Se Tanha Hai Zindagi… It was 1974-75, I think, and I was in Chandigarh. I remember, some of the first Mehdi Hassan songs I heard were from an LP of his old Pakistani Film songs – each a gem. (My heart goes out to a dear friend from Pakistan, Goher Iqbal Punn, who, years ago, had sent me an assortment of excellent Pakistani songs. Thank God for recordings – Mehdi Hassan’s golden voice, with the breathtakingly handsome balance of smoothness and gravelly texture that surely was the result of a divine fluke, will live on for ever. I loved her even more then, if that is possible, because Mehdi Hassan has always been my favourite too. It has been used in multiple Bollywood movies.Back in 2004, I think it was, when I met the great Lata Mangeshkar to discuss PR for MAX for the India v/s Sri Lanka benefit match for the Dinanath Mangeshkar Memorial Hospital she was keen on setting up in Pune, when she told me, in response to a question about her favourite singers: “If I can, I always make it a point to listen to two singers every night before going to bed, and every morning after I wake up.” One, she said, was Barbara Streisand. This ghazal gave Hassan the fame that he deserved. The complexity of the language was unriddled by Hassan’s simple yet soulful voice. Written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, this ghazal was beautifully cradled by Hassan’s voice. Here are the top 5 ghazals by Mehdi Hassan that are immortal in the hearts of all ghazal listeners: He was the rightful owner of the title, ‘Shahanshah-e-ghazal.’ The Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar, once called his voice the “Voice of God.” His voice had just the right amount of pain that would immediately connect with listeners’ souls.
There have been a few legendary ghazal singers who managed to produce magic with their voices. They have the power to connect with the deepest of feelings. Enchanting, melodious, and soothing, ghazals have a special place in the world of music. Mix it with soulful words, and you have, what can be considered, a god-like potion of harmony. Music is a language that has the potential to transcend physical as well as spiritual barriers.
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