The complete ALBUM

There8217;s a gem in every song of the 1961 classic Hum Dono, says Shankar Mahadevan
For me, the best classic Hindi film scores are those of Hum Dono and Guide. If I have to pick one, it has to be Hum Dono because it features my all-time favourite Hindi film song Abhi na jao chod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahin8230; . What poetry and what a beautiful metre 8211; for me, it8217;s the 8216;deadliest8217; romantic song, ever.
I first heard the song in my college days and since then it has remained a favourite. The song not only flows seamlessly, it also rhymes compositionally. For instance, the melody in the lines 8216;8230;Abhi abhi to aaye ho, bahar banke chaye ho8230; abhi abhi to8230;8217; is like flowing water. Its composer Jaidev never got the due he deserved as a legendary music director, and every song in that album is a testimony to his genius.

For instance, in Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya8230;, think of the long pause at the end of the second line Har fikr ko dhuan mein uda-aaaa8230; Doesn8217;t it make you see the wisps of smoke blowing in the wind? This is one of those rare albums where not just one or two but every song was a hit with equally memorable visuals. While you cannot but visualize a debonair Dev Anand walking and puffing with a confident charm when you hear Main zindagi ka saath8230;, the restrained abandon and shy smile of Sadhana in Abhi na jao8230; remains another appealing image.
The Lata Mangeshkar sung Allah tero naam, ishwar tero naam8230; remains one of the finest prayer compositions ever in Hindi cinema. It8217;s a beautifully composed antara, whose every mukhda seamlessly weaves back to the antara. Mohammad Rafi8217;s Kabhi khud pe kabhi halat pe rona aaya is a beautiful ghazal written by Sahir Ludhianvi, who in all the film8217;s songs reinforces his uncanny ability to convey great thoughts and messages through simple words.

Hum Dono is a complete album 8212;it has a lovely romantic duet, a life song, a ghazal, a bhajan, a melancholy song Jahan mein aisa kaun hai ke jisko gham mila nahin8230;. And each song is a chartbuster on its own. But what8217;s worth noting is that none of Hum Dono8217;s songs is an easy composition. Each is a complex, intricate song and yet very popular. The success of the album belies the popular industry notion that only simple tunes are popular8212;a good tune will always be remembered irrespective of the complexity of its composition.