The news of South Indian actress B Saroja Devi’s passing away at the age of 87 had my earliest reminiscences of the 1960s to the fore. Many yester-year stars had iconic songs associated with them – ‘Chaudvi ka Chand’ with Waheeda Rehman, ‘Na Jao Saiyan’ with Meena Kumari’, ‘Sapno ki Rani’ with Sharmila & ‘Dum MaroDam’ with Zeenat & so on.
Saroja Devi was paired with ‘Jubilee Hero’ Rajendra Kumar in the social film ‘Sasural’ (1961) which I recall very vaguely was a hit. More importantly, it had some nice music & an evergreen Rafi song ‘Teri pyaari pyaari surat ko..’ inimitably sung in his mellifluous voice. My memories revolve around this lilting number which was a rage in its time & featured in the Top 10 of Ameen Sayani’s Binaca Geet Mala for many weeks !
I was probably in Class III in 1961 when Mihilal, my Dad’s peon was assigned to bring me from school. On our return trip, being a music lover Mihilal would urge me “Bhaiya tum ‘Pyari pyari surat’ wala gana gao” and we’d have a great musical bike-ride every day. Later, after a few years, I remember a naughty classmate in Class V who dared to sing this song to our young Class Teacher. It resulted in his Dad being called to Principal’s Office to face a different kind of music. Surely our friend got a big walloping back home.
It wouldn’t be right to construe that such love songs had the wrong effect on young boys. Almost all Hindi films then, quintessentially had the hero wooing the leading lady with romantic songs and the writers would compose lyrics that had highest praise for their ethereal beauty. Metaphors & references to sun, moon & stars was common. There was poetry with grace but no indecency. For young boys and girls that ‘Mills & Boon’ era was full of idyllic notions of romance but today it would appear quite archaic and dated.
Surprisingly the retro music of the 1960-70s is much appreciated by the Gen Zee, who prefer singing vintage songs when performing. As for us, we still sing and swear by them and so here’s my effort as a tribute to the winsome B Saroja Devi & the voice of Md. Rafi.
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