Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi....

Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi-Lata Mangeshkar-Film awara 1951- Lyricist Shailendra-Music Shankar Jaikishan

This song is possibly one of the exemplary songs for having a wonderfully brilliant theka and a range of laggis all around. Although strictly not a dholak song (for it was a dholaki song), the recording of this song was stalled for hours because no one – Raj Kapoor, SJ and their entire team was happy with the rhythm accompaniment. Someone suggested the name of a dholaki player called Lala Gangawane who worked in Marathi Tamasha as dholki player was called in – a tall strapping man carrying a little dholaki walked into the studio well past midnight! As SJs assistant and the man in charge of their rhythm section Dattaram has mentioned “Lalabhau poured out his heart in the song, he played every possible variation, every possible nuance and the result was pure magic as it mingles with Lata, the mandolin and the chorus as well as the range of instruments! This proves how Raj Kapoor had indepth knowledge of different aspects of music. He had command over what effect he wanted from the song.

The song was the first dream sequence in the Hindi Film Music. Till 1950, a normal orchestra used to contain around 20-25 instruments, but in this song, an orchestra having 100 instruments was employed first time in the history of song recording. The song surpassed all previous songs as regards to grandeur and richness.

Lyrics of the song:

ॐ नमः शिवाय, ॐ नमः शिवाय
घर आया मेरा परदेसी
प्यास बुझी मेरी अँखियन की

तू मेरे मन का मोती है
इन नैनन की ज्योति है
याद है मेरे बचपन की
घर आया मेरा परदेसी

अब दिल मत तोड़के मत जाना
रोती छोड़के मत जाना
क़सम तुझे मेरे अँसुवन की
घर आया मेरा परदेसी

Awara (1951)
Starcast: Raj Kappor, Nargis, Prithviraj Kapoor, Leela Chitnis, K.N.Singh, Cuckoo, Helen (Not in credit titles), PremNath (Cameo Appearance in a song)
Lyricist: Shailendra.
Music Shankar Jaikishan
Directed by Raj Kapoor.
Produced by Raj Kapoor.
R.K.Films Production