Miscellany

Theirs was an age of tuneful chemistry, even supreme artistry: of instinctive flavour and pristine resonance, without equal. A tribute to the original kings of melody: Shankar and Jaikishan.

The Evergreen 50s and the 60s was the epoch of Shankar-Jaikishan [S-J] -- two names that stand out as one among the sublime genii of the period… all in a special niche of its own.

Music was S-J's whole life, a great source of joy. It was astounding too. Jaikishan, for one, was just thirty-nine, when he died an untimely death, over thirty-eight years ago. But, his virtuosity and vitality were exemplary to leave their imprint on the sands of time, as much as Shankar, Jai's senior partner, who continued to use the hyphenated name, until he departed into a world beyond space and time.

What made the two so extraordinarily special was the power of their melodies -- melodies that had within them a distinct sensibility, replete with the eternal softness of petals and the long-lasting aroma of musk. What's more, their gentle radiance, what with the unmistakable changes that came later, in tune with the tides of time, never ever lost that characteristic form -- a S-J benchmark of both attractiveness and timeless appeal.

Art, quite simply, knows no age. And, the creative, melodious alchemy of S-J proved to be the central theme, not just the heart, of such a credo. Jaikishan was the soul of the S-J school of music, all right. So was Shankar -- two sides of the same coin. What took one's breath away was S-J's heartfelt pulsation, and delicate breakthrough of orchestration -- one that could not be imitated, nay emulated. S-J's theme song was simple and profound: the two were endlessly trying to do better and better, bringing to their music a savoury elegance that none could duplicate.

Which is precisely the reason why even some of their not-so-great tunes remain evergreen, fresh as the early morning dew, and stay ahead of the best that is being dished out today. To cull a short list of their monumental songs would, therefore, be well-nigh impossible. It's, quite simply, awesome: from Raj Kapoor's Barsaat, with which the duo made its debut, in 1949, Basant Bahar, Shree 420, Awaara, Boot Polish, Anari, Halaku, Chori Chori, Sangam, Junglee, Love In Tokyo, Professor, Yahudi, Mera Naam Joker to Kal Aaj Aur Kal. You'd choose your pick -- all supremely vintage-modern stuff. Which is also one primal reason why the gifted twosome held its sway for over two decades, at the peak of its prowess -- and, continues to rivet added attention… thanks to our very present epoch of unwanted biff-bang.

Nothing could stop the two classy maestros, of course, in their prime. As one critic put it, "S-J could have been knocked out by the duo itself -- not someone from outside." Because, S-J, in unison, exuded sheer magic? Doubtless. More importantly, the duo's artful finesse was not limited to conventional norms. S-J absorbed the best from both Oriental and Occidental musical spheres, yes. But, the end result was typically, even uniquely, S-J. So much so, the confluence of the two distinct parallels, or styles, made S-J's ascent to the top… almost akin to cakewalk.

Yet, not everything's flawless. As Shankar, a brilliant percussionist and pianist, and Jaikishan, a charming musician in a league of his own, grew in their stature, each began to realise that he was a full-fledged musician himself. Quite understandably, too. They began to drift… into a world of their own. For the last few years, before Jai's intempestive death, their partnership was just a facade, although their "rift" was never made public. Thank God, for big mercies, and the hyphenated acronym, therefore, never lost its hypnotic fervour. S-J continued to compose songs in movies -- each taking up pieces separately, or those that were best suited to one's own template of propensity.

S-J did not have midgets for contemporaries: Anil Biswas, Naushad, C Ramachandra, Madan Mohan, S D Burman, Salil Chowdhury et al -- each man, an institution by himself. Hence, the big question: how were they rated by "rivals?" Says the legendary Naushad: "Jai had the rare gift of instant mental notation. He had to only see a reel unfold on the screen, and the whole thing was stamped in his mind to the last detail." Avers O P Nayyar, the rebel composer: "Shankar was one real composer, if ever there's one." And, so was Jaikishan -- no more, no less.

Raj Kapoor shaped the duo's career graph, all right. Which is also one reason why many believe that the credit for S-J's phenomenal success ought to go -- to a great extent -- to the greatest Showman of Indian Cinema. The idea is grossly unfair. Because, critics forget the fact that while Raj Kapoor may have, indeed, contributed much with his fine ear and ken for music, he could never repeat the same success with the likes of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R D Burman etc., -- all top-class, brilliant composers. There never was, quite simply, another Jis Desh Main Ganga Behti Hai, Awaara, Shree 420, Sangam, or Mera Naam Joker, without S-J!

Adds a long-time analyst: "When Aah failed to woo the box-office, Raj Kapoor, perforce, had to bring in S-J, and within a matter of weeks, [they] came up with that memorable score for Boot Polish… And, just take a close look at the background score for Shree 420. You'll find at least three tunes which were used for Anari." That was music in creation… conceptualised in advance -- of dulcet sweetness and sound in the seventh heaven of its existence.

Raj Kapoor once said: "We, S-J, and I, picked out this bountiful raga, Bhairavi, right at the beginning with Barsaat, because all three of us knew that it would lend itself to a number of variations." Result: viola! So much so, that, on a close scrutiny of S-J numbers, it becomes a Hobson's choice to pick the best. Each S-J number is a gem. Priceless. Beyond compare. To pluck but one example. No composer exploited the one and only Mohammed Rafi's velvety voice so wonderfully, and expertly. Or, transformed the aggressive romanticism of Shammi "Yahoo" Kapoor… with it.

Why only Rafi, the Sultan of Melody: melody, so mellifluous! The classy Manna Dey, the ebullient Kishore Kumar, the wobbling Talat Mehmood, the sonorous Hemant Kumar… all varied talents, found a medium of elegant perfection under the S-J baton. Not only that. While the elegiac Mukesh was masterly in every tune, Lata Mangeshkar, the Queen of Song, was glorious -- as only she can be. Not only that. Asha Bhonsle was just as effulgent as ever. And, so were Suman Kalyanpur, Mubarak Begum, and even the straight-voiced Sharda. And, the backstage? It was just as talented: Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri etc., lyricists par excellence.

S-J duo, endowed with great empathy for classical music, was at home both with Hindustani and Carnatic traditions, as much as the symphonies of Mozart. There's more than an element of the Mozartian "spur" in some of S-J's great compositions: a blend of the delicate with the sophisticated. When Shankar was once asked about the corollary, pat came the riposte: "That people have 'deciphered' the Mozartian influence in our compositions is music to our ears. We are, quite simply, honoured!"

It goes without saying that Shankar and Jaikishan, who scored music for over 200 films, in Hindi, and other languages, aside from dozens of documentaries, including their own jazz presentations, were the first movie composers to be paid big professional fees -- charges totally uncommon in their time. Along with a host of national, and international, awards under their belt, they were also the first to have a legion of fans, and even genuine following, at the global level: from Russia, China, etc., to the US, and the UK. For example, one of the duo's fans, Nargita, from Romania, was known to have been not only a roving statistician of their musical creations, but also a singer in her own right!

"Music vibrates in the memory," wrote Shelley. This sums up a big keynote of S-J music: one that will reverberate, glow, and survive through posterity.

Small wonder, then, that, long after Jai's sad adieu, and Shankar's final goodbye, their ageless melodies continue to leap out of sepia-tainted frames.

They are sure earmarked to inspire young music fans, enthusiasts, and critics, including composers of every new generation -- aside from the "age bracket" that grew up with the duo's wonderful beats, right from the 1950s -- wherever they are, or whenever they hear S-J's music being played in their mind's ear.