Posted on Trivia - The Spice of Life on 31/12/2021

Screengrab Courtesy : YouTube

This is that time of the year when family, friends and acquaintances send messages expressing their gratitude. I don't recall sending or receiving such messages ten years ago. This is a relatively nascent trend - gaining traction with the advent of various social media platforms. Social media is flooded with messages like these:-

This made me wonder about Hindi film songs of the golden era which express gratitude. The words used generally are shukriya (शुक्रिया) and meherbani (मेहरबानी). I felt this would be the best time to write this post when gratitude is in the air (alongside Omicron!!). I must mention here that there is a movie called Aji Bas Shukriya (1958) but sadly, it has no songs with the word Shukriya figuring in them. So here is my playlist of ten songs belonging to the golden era. They are not arranged in any particular order.

1) Ae Nigah-e-yaar Tera Shukriya (Shahnaz, 1948) Lyricist: Ameer Usmani Deobandi; Music Director : Amirbai Karnataki; Playback Singer : Amirbai Karnataki. This is a song that was not just sung by Amirbai, but also composed by her. The lyrics are full of gratitude. In love, one does become beemaar. The lady thanks her beloved's gaze for rendering her unwell. The song is a rather light hearted one. 

Ae nigaah-e-yaar  tera shukriya  kar diya beemaar   tera shukriya

2) Shukriya Shukriya Shukriya Ae Pyaar Tera (Aaram, 1951) Lyricist: Rajinder Krishan ; Music Director : Anil Biswas; Singer : Talat Mahmood. This is one movie which I have never been able to watch fully. I have seen the first half quite a few times. I have thus not seen this song, which features in the second half, as the plot thickens. What is special about this song is that it sung on screen by Talat Mahmood himself as he plays the harmonium in a gathering. Thus, the singing star shines on screen. The song is nothing but a string of backhanded compliments. It is not a peppy party song but one of heartbreak. Rajinder Krishan uses all the words that can express gratitude in the ghazal - shukriya, meherbaan and navaazish. Talat, Anil Biswas and Rajinder Krishan have created an immortal melody. 

  Shukriya ai pyaar tera shukriya shukriya ai pyaar tera  dil ko kitna khubasurat ghum diya shukriya  dil ko kitna khubasurat ghum diya shukriya  shukriya ai pyar tera shukriya shukriya shukriya

3) Ae Dil-e-nashad Tera Shukriya (Abe-Hayat, 1955) Lyricist: Kaif Irfani ; Music Director : Sardar Malik; Playback Singer : Asha Bhosle. While the opening lyrics of this song are very similar to the one from Shahnaz, the mood of this song is sombre. This is a song where Shashikala (the heroine of the movie) is addressing her broken heart and thanking it for destroying her by falling in love. 

Ae dil-e-nashad tera shukriya  kar diya barbaad tera shukriya

4) Dekh Li Teri Ada Aji Bas Shukriya (Qaidi, 1957) Lyricist: Jan Nisar Akhtar ; Music Director : O.P.Nayyar; Playback Singer : Shamshad Begum. This song has danseuse Padmini's scintillating performance. The lyrics, her demeanour and that of the male actor seem to suggest that this is a honeytrap. The way the words aji bas shukriya are used and sung in this song suggest that it is not a usage to express gratitude but it actually means - give me a break!! It is interesting to note that the phrase Aji Bas Shukriya became the title of a movie that was released just a year later. The producer-director team of Md. Hussain and F.C.Mehra made both Qaidi (1957) and Aji Bas Shukriya (1958). It is possible that the phrase of this song led to the naming of their next venture. 

Yun hi baatein na bana tu  mere dil ko na jala tu  dekh li teri ada  aji bas shukriya

5) Dil Diya Hain Aapne To Meherbani Aapki (Sangram, 1950) Lyricist: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan ; Music Director : C.Ramchandra; Playback Singer : Lata Mangeshkar & Chorus. This movie is about a spoilt child in adulthood - a role essayed by Ashok Kumar. This song features in the movie as a graceful dance performance in a club. The lyrics are replete with a sense of being beholden. 

Dil diyaa hain aapne to  meharbaani aapki   ham na ab waapas karenge  ye nishaani aapki   Shukriya kahke ham  is tohfe ko karte hain qubool   jaan se pyaara hain hamein  baag-e-muhabbat ka ye phool...

6) Dil Deke Dil Diya Hain (Stage, 1951) Lyricist: Sarshar Sailani ; Music Director : Husnlal Bhagatram/Sardar Malik; Playback Singers : Md.Rafi & Lata Mangeshkar. Featuring Dev Anand and Ramola in the lead roles, Stage is a murder mystery. This song is a fitting reply to the song from Sangram. Here there is no sense of gratitude at all. There has been an exchange of hearts and thus, there is no question of feeling beholden!!

Dil Deke Dil Diya Hain ehsaan kya kiya hain itna gurur kaisa kya muft de diya hain

7) Bahut Shukriya Badi Meherbani (Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, 1962) Lyricist: S.H.Bihari ; Music Director : O.P.Nayyar; Playback Singers : Md.Rafi & Asha Bhosle. This is perhaps the sweetest romantic duet of this post, which is very tastefully shot as well. Sadhana looks ravishing. The man expresses his gratitude to his lady love for accepting his hand. This is an S.H.Bihari-O.P.Nayyar composition to remember for ever. The use of the dholak and the harmonium on screen is very innovative.

Bahut shukriya badee meherbanee  meri zindagi mein huzur aap aayen  kadam chum lun ya ki aankhen bichha dun  karun kya yeh meri samajh mein na aayen

8) Aapne Huzoor Mujhko Kya Se Kya (Fariyaad, 1964) Lyricist: Kedar Sharma ; Music Director : Snehal Bhatkar; Playback Singers : Md.Rafi & Suman Kalyanpur. Starring Ashok Sharma (Kedar Sharma's son) and Zeb Rehman, this movie did not fare very well. Ashok Sharma perhaps did not have it in him to deliver a powerful performance. I love the rhythm of the song and the way in which the lyrics are repeated. The parts where both singers sing together are a real treat. I would rate this as one of the best songs of Snehal Bhatkar. This is however not a very well known song, especially since the movie did not do well. The song is one of mutual admiration, where both express gratitude for having found the other - as the word meherbaani is repeated in the song quite a few times. 

 Aapne huzur mujhe  kya se kya bana diya  khaak se uthaya   aasaman pe baitha diya  zindgani, zindgani, zindgani  meherbaani meherbaani

9) Jaane Teri Nazron Ne Kya Kar Diya (Grahasthi,1963) Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni ; Music Director : Ravi; Playback Singers : Md.Rafi & Lata Mangeshkar. This was the time when Shakeel Badayuni had started working with music directors other than Naushad. A typical family drama as the name suggests, it is about a married man who lives dual lives. This song seems to have shot in the Brindavan Gardens of Mysore. This song features Rajshree and Manoj Kumar. The man here thanks the lady - apna banaane waale tera shukriya.

Jaane teri nazron ne kya kar diya  jab tujhe dekhoon mera dhadke jiya  toone mohabbat se mera dil bhar diya  apna banaane waale tera shukriya

10) Tera Shukriya Ki Toone (Humsaya, 1968) Lyricist: Shewan Rizvi ; Music Director : O.P.Nayyar; Playback Singers : Md.Rafi & Asha Bhosle. This song is from a war movie with an espionage subplot. It has excellent compositions of O.P.Nayyar. This is a song of reconciliation and an expression of gratitude at having made up. It is picturized on Joy Mukherji and Sharmila Tagore.

Tera shukriya ke tune  gale phir laga liye hain maine dil ke tukde chunkar,  naya dil bana liya hain mujhe mera pyaar de de tujhe aazmaa liya hain,  teri wafaa ke aage maine sar jhuka liya hain..

Here I end my list of ten. There were quite a few songs that I did not include as I was spoilt for choice. What I like best about the songs of gratitude is that some of them are tongue in cheek while others are steeped in irony. They are peppered with back handed compliments in the name of expressing gratitude.

I am taking your leave for this year. Before that, I must thank (😊) all my readers for reading, following and commenting. Here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year!!

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