Songs picturised on Shami Kapoor

Songs picturised on Shami Kapoor.

Shami Kapoor (also known as Shamsher Raj), was the second son of Prithviraj Kapoor and initially faced a huge challenge to match the popularity of his father and elder brother Raj Kapoor who was the showman of the millennium. Initially his films did not create a lasting impression in the minds of the viewers.

But from Tumsa Nahi Dekha, in 1957, he created a new image for himself which had the resemblance of Elvis Priestley of Hollywood films. The songs in the film composed by OP Nayyar and sung by the legend of legends Mohammad Rafi stormed bollywood with the westernized style. The hit songs include “yuh to humne lakh haseen dekhe hai”, “jawaaniyah yeh mast mast”, etc.

Shankar Jaikishan bolstered the rock and roll image of Shammi Kapoor with songs like “ai ai ya, karun mai kya suku suku”, “meri yaar shabba khair” in Junglee, where Saira Banu accompanied Shami Kapoor. Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan were responsible for numerous number of hit songs for Shami Kapoor including “tumse accha kaun hai”, opposite Rajashri in Janwar, “akele akele kahan ja rahe ho”, “aasman se aya farishta”, “raat ke humsafar” opposite Sharmila Tagore in An Evening in Paris, “tumne pukara aur hum chale aye”, “tumne kisi ki jaan ko”, opposite Sadhna in Raj Kumar, “badan pe sitaren lapate hue” in Prince, “dil tera diwana” in Dil Tera Diwana, “aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche” from Brahmchari, “aye gulbadan” in Professor, to name a few. Rafi had almost replicated the voice modulations of Shami Kapoor and everyone understood it was the song of Shami Kapoor.

The other hit songs of Shami Kapoor, include “tareef karun kya uski”, “diwana hua badal”, “kisi na kisi se kabhi na kabhi”, “yeh duniya usiki” composed by OP Nayyar in the film Kashmir Ki Kali. All the songs composed by RD Burman in Teesri Manzil for Shami Kapoor including “aja aja”, “o haseena zulfowali”, “jaenman janejan”, “diwana tujhsa nahi”, became superduper hits.

In fact Shami Kapoor was probably the first bollywood hero whose first specialization included westernized choreography and he had created a legacy for modern dancers like Hrithik Roshan and others. All his songs and the films should be restored for their musical value including rich, westernized orchestration.