Geeta Dutt was born in 1930 into a rich zamindār's family as Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri in Faridpur
when she was twelve. There, composer/music director Hanumān Prasād once overheard her singing casually, and, feeling impressed, he offered to impart her training in singing. He launched her in a chorus song in Bhakta Prahlād (1946), where she sang only two lines. But her rendering of those two lines stood out.
It was in the year 1946 that Geeta Roy sang for Pandit Hanuman Prasad in a mythological movie, Bhakt Prahlad. The lines AB JAANI RE PEHCHAANI RE; and SUNO SUNO VINTEE HAMAARI were to transform her life from an unknown school girl to that of an established playback singer
Sajjad Hussain who was known for his eccentricity, such as chiding Lata Mangeshkar by saying that his was not a Naushad tune "Aap ko Aur Mehnat Karni Padegi." or calling Talat Mehmood as "Ghalat Mehmood" and who even accused Madan Mohan of plagiarism, had unflagging confidence in Geeta Roy when he gave her five solo songs to sing in the movie called Kasam.
Some unconfirmed sources mention that this film never got released.
Music Director S.D. Burman had heard the song in Bhakt Prahlad and he promptly got hold of her address and met her to use her voice in the film. The music of that film clicked in a big way particularly 'Mera sundar sapna beet gaya.' Geeta Roy had arrived. Disc scales of the song rocketed to new heights. 1947-1949 saw Geeta Roy rule as the number one playback singer in the Mumbai film industry as she moved from strength to strength
Lata went on to become the greatest playback singer the Indian screen has ever seen. Only two singers managed to survive the Lata onslaught in the 1950s. Shamshad Begam and Geeta Roy. Though relegated to the second spot, Geeta managed to hold her own against Lata for more than a decade and she and Lata were the premier two female playback singers of the 1950s.
By 1951, Geeta had become a singer well known for bhajans and weepy weepy sad songs.
But 1951 also saw the release of a film, Baazi. Directed by first time director Guru Dutt,The jazzy musical score revealed a new facet to Geeta's singing. The sex appeal in her voice and the ease with which she went western was marvellous to behold. While every song in the film was a raging hit, one stood out for special appeal. 'Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer' a ghazal that was occidentalized into a jazzy seductive song! From then on in the 1950s for a club dance or a seductive song, the first choice was Geeta. The song stood out fo rmore reasons than one. During the recording of the song she met the young director of the film, Guru Dutt. Thus blossomed a romance which culminated in marriage on 26 May,1953. Geeta went on to sing some of her best songs in her husband's films while continuing singing in various outside assignments as well. The couple had two sons Tarun and Arun and a daughter Nina.
Her capacity to be both sensual yet sensitive gives Geeta Dutt's voice a unique ethereal quality.
Lata Mangeshkar used to remain in defensive position while in the Recording studio with GEETA DUTT.
some of the great songs sung by her:
- waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam
- mera sunder sapna beet gaya
- aey dil mujhe bata de
- ye lo me haari piya hui teri jeet re
- na jao saiyan shuda ke baiyan
- jane kya tune kahi...
- ae dil muhe bata de
- mera naam chin chin chu
- thandi hawa kaali ghata aa hi gai jhum ke
- babuji dheere chalna........ and many more
No comments:
Post a Comment