Kahan Ho Tum Zara Aawaj Do....

Kahan Ho Tum Zara Aawaj Do- Lata and Mukesh-Film Malhaar 1951- Lyricist Kaifi Irfani- Music Roshanlal Nagrath.

The story of film "Malhaar, released in 1951, was written by S.K. Prem, and revolves around the love between Rattan and Reshmi, who grow up in the same ‘badi haveli' after Rattan is brought up by Thakur, Reshmi's father, who rescues the young Rattan when his father, Chaudary, is killed by brigands in a heist. Thakur keeps the vow he took at that time to treat Rattan as his own child, something that is detested by his real son, Anand, who, while receiving education in the city falls into bad habits of gambling, drinking and visiting nautch girls. The spendthrift ways repeatedly land him in trouble, from where he is salvaged by his rich friend, Bihari.

Thakur, on his deathbed, extracts a promise from Reshmi that she will abide by the diktats of her brother, not aware that he has become wayward and debauched. When Anand, on his arrival to claim his father's legacy, declares that he has decided to marry Reshmi to Bihari, the dutiful sister, remembering the solemn promise she has made to her dying father, sacrifices her love for Rattan and relents. Rattan is heartbroken, but acquiesces. Even after this, Anand does not mend his ways and launders his father's property, repeatedly extracting money from Bihari, which creates trouble in his sister's married life to an extent that she is shunned out when she develops tuberculosis after giving birth to a son.

An ailing Reshmi is selflessly looked after by Rattan, who even tries to save Thakur's ‘badi haveli' from being auctioned after Anand looses it in a gambling spree. A spiteful Anand swears revenge. The denouement is unexpected, as a dying Reshmi has to decide between her sibling and her first love.

Although film Malhaar had good music score by Roshan, it was handicapped by inexperienced and debutant actors. along with the lead pair Arjun and Shammi, Motisagar was also a debutant in the film. Because of this handicap the film did not do well at Box office, but it's music was and is remembered by cine viewers even to this date.

Here in this song, Reshmi (Shammi), after being enforced to abondon her love for Ratan( Arjun) and marry Bihari to honour her commitment to father, expresses her anguish and agonies of heartbreak. Ratan also reciprocates in equally passionate and ardent feelings of devastated love. Both Mukesh and Lata's voices very well complement each others. 

To be fair to Shammi, she makes a spirited effort to get under the skin of Reshmi, as she moves from serenading her lover to sacrificing that very love for commitment made to her father, from being a dutiful wife, an obedient daughter-in-law to a suffering mother and then a dying patient. But the portrayal is not seamless and one cannot empathise with the character.

Ironically, while Shammi was to enjoy a long innings in Bollywood, “Malhar” was the only film in which the leading man Arjun was to act. While he had an impressive screen presence, his facial expressions were wooden and the dialogue delivery theatrical, a malady that exposed the chink in the other lead actor, Moti Sagar's (debutant as well) arsenal.

Kanhaiyalal, who also enjoyed a long stint as a character actor, is consummate as ever, albeit, those who have watched him in later years will find his performance very predictable.

However above all other thing what remains itched into the mind is the film's sterling gold music score by Roshan ,which is peerless.

Lyrics of the Song:

कहाँ हो तुम, ज़रा आवाज़ दो, हम याद करते हैं

कभी भरते हैं आहें और कभी फ़रियाद करते हैं

कहाँ हो तुम ...

जुदा बुलबुल है अपने फूल से और रो के कहती है

सारी दुनिया दिया वो ज़ुल्म हो सय्याद करते हैं

कहाँ हो तुम ...

जहाँ हैं और अब जिस हाल में हैं, हम तुम्हारे हैं

तुम्ही आबाद हो दिल में, तुम्ही को याद करते हैं

कहाँ हो तुम ...

हमारी बेबसी ये है कि हम कुछ कह नहीं सकते

वफ़ा बदनाम होती है अगर फ़रियाद करते हैं

कहाँ हो तुम ...

तेरे कदमों में रहने की तमन्ना दिल में रखते हैं

जुदा दुनिया ने हमको कर दिया फ़रियाद करते हैं

कहाँ हो तुम ...

Malhaar 1951

Starcast: Arjun, Shammi, Kanhaiyalal, Moti Sagar,

Lyricist: Kaifi Irfani, Indivar, Shyamlal

Music: Roshan

Produced by Mukesh Mathur

Directed by Harish

A darling Films Production Film

Another of Lata's beautiful sad song in this film is

Mohabbat Ki Kismat Bananese Pehle.....penned by Kaifi Irfani