Most readers of this blog would have seen MS Subbulakshmi’s Meera (1945). Those who have not would have definitely seen/heard the immortal song Katrinile Varum Geetham, which remains the highlight of an even otherwise very memorable film. There is something about the tune, the words, the little cameo of Kamala and Radha dancing, the grandiose Rajasthani setting and of course the ethereal presence of that star of stars- Subbulakshmi. Even today,I get a catch in my throat when lines such as Aaa yen solven mAya piLLai and vAna vELi tanil tArA gaNangaL are sung.
Years ago, Vintage Heritage, that wonderful initiative (does is still survive I wonder), used to screen old films for the benefit of its members at the theatre in Nadigar Sangam on Habibullah Road. Meera’s screening was special, for we had Randor Guy and Kalki Krishnamurthy’s daughter Anandi, both wonderful speakers and raconteurs, giving us details of what went into the making of this film. Randor was great with his in depth knowledge but Anandi was even better for she had been an eye-witness to the entire production.
Speaking on Katrinile she said she could modestly take some credit for it. In those days there was a very popular gramophone record of a song that went Toot Gayi Man Bina. Anandi was so enamoured of it that she pestered her father to write a Tamil equivalent for Meera and thus was born Katrinile. In her speech she said the record was by Jutika Ray. I searched high and low for it but never found the song. And then came YouTube and along with it the discovery that this was sung by Sheela Sarkar and not Jutika Ray. The music is by Kamal Dasgupta who was with the Gramophone Company of India before he migrated to East Pakistan along with his Muslim wife. Now for the interesting bit, courtesy Wikipedia – Kamal Dasgupta had a PhD from Benares Hindu University for his thesis on Meerabai! What a coincidence that his tune should become the basis for the best known song in the best known film on Meera! I have not been able to discover much on Sheela Sarkar. VAK Ranga Rao says she must have been an artiste who like Juthika Ray was frequently contracted for singing by the Gramophone Company of India. You can listen to her Toot Gayi Man Bina here
This article is part of a series on old film songs, chiefly Hindi and Tamil. You can read the earlier ones here
So, even the great “Kaatrinile varum geetam” is an imitation! When I heard the Kamal Dasgupta version, I said to myself, the MS version is better. To be fair, it appears better because I grew up with that song, not the Hindi version. Now I think, the original version is indeed ORIGINAL. Someone who conceived the song first is indeed worthy of honour. And imitation is the best form of flattery, I suppose!.
My father was a Juthika Roy fan, and I grew up with HIS favourite songs. So how did I miss this Hindi version? You solved the mystery by discovering this was sung by Sheela Sarkar. I don’t think my father followed Sheela Sarkar even in his Calcutta days.
Thanks for a great article. Another Sriram gem!
Thanks. Now it transpires that the Kamal Dasgupta tune may have been lifted from Mozart or Chopin or some such. Apparently Anil Srinivasan has the details. I will find out
After all 7 svarss totalling 12 including flat and sharp notes. They are universal and contain the core of melody and harmony thst appeal to anyone regardless of barriers. Man is man and his creativity though taking infinitely diverse forms in music, art or poetry, or dpirituality can, though very rarely foes, finds similar expression through diffetent jeevatmas. Viewed in this perspective there can be no imitation at deeper or dubtler levels of creativity which is divine. Are we going to say, for instance, that European music ikitated Indian music for its C major scale from Carnatic melakarta, Sankarabharanam; or, within the Indian music system, the North Indian Hindustani Charukrshi or Keeravani from the Carnatic ? Sumilar line of logic can be applied to the Laya aspect of music as well.
But I appreciate the quantum of effort made by you, thinking cteatively, in tracing the first time dedigner of the tune with different lyrics that appeated good enough for import into the Meera film in Tamil.
You will probably agree, in this context, listening to Katrinilay recalls to the mind of any discerning listener the
tunes of Jagajjanani, Maname kanamum maravaadhe jaga-deesan malar, or from the old Hindi film songs, prabhu tero naam, to cite a few examples.
At the bottom of this anakysis, ine finds that the tune composer looks to the moods or emotional essence of the nathabhairavi and kharaharaoriya melakarta-s for a judicious of them in setting (or creating if you eill) the tunes with its different musical phrases to suit the emotional (rasa) and rhythmic *laya) needs of the song.
Thank you.
With kind regards.
Wow! Some strange connections behind a song!