Eri Mai To Prem Diwani

Eri Mai To Prem Diwani-Lata Mangeshkar-Film Naubahar 1952Lyricist Satyendra Athaiya-Music Roshan

Naubahar, released in 1952, was a romantic musical film decked with Roshan's sweet and melodious music. After the fil Anhonee this was another film in which Roshan's music played an important role in making the film a commercial success.

Dilip Kumar played a role of blind in film Deedar. Deedar was a raging hit film. As a result, a wave of hero or  heroine playing blind role came in Hindi Film Industry. Film Parchhain was the prominent example of this wherein V.Shantaram played a role of blind Hero. Both Dilip Kumar and V.Santaram played their blind role by keeping their eyes open. In Naubahar howeveer, Ashok Kumar wore contact lenses. In the credits of Naubahar, the blind effects are attributed to Dr.Marathe, a opthamalogist in Bombay.

The story essentially revolves around blind Ashok (AShok Kumar) and Jamna (Nalini Jayawant). The Blind Ashok lives with his Father Raisaab and cousin Hari. The film starts when Ashok is returning from unsuccessful trip to Bombay to see a surgeon. His car breaks down, and while repairing it, he hears a song in a divine voice. He instantly falls in love with the voice. His father is very disturbed that Ashok's blindness is not cured. Before Ashok lost the eyesight, his father has decided to marry him to one of his friend's daughter. Ashok however is sceptic about anybody marrying him.

One day, during his visit to garden, he meets the girl Jamna (Nalini Jaywant), who is daughter of care taker of the garden, and owner of sweet voice. She thinks of him as bilnd wealthy man.Ashok however pretends that he is ordinary poor mud statue maker. Their love blossoms. Ashok's visit to the garden become frequent. He makes her statue also. Things are running smooth for viewers when the twist comes.

Ashok's father is in haste to marry him with his friend's daughter Kamala (Kuldip Kaur). She comes to visit Ashok on his birthday, and immediately takes dislike for him as he is blind. Ashok has no problem. His heart is with Jamna. One day while rushing for a meet with Jamna, he meets with double accident. (Falling from stairs and hitting by a passing car).  Predictably he regains his sight and more predictably Kamala  now agrees to marry him. The treatment takes a month long period. During that period, Jamna ,unable to find Ashok, goes crazy. Her father carts her off to Janpur to enable her to forget Ashok. Cured Ashok refuses to marry with Kamala and sets off to Janpur to locate Jamna. By this time Jamna's ailing father dies and Raisab (Ashok's father), during one of his charity visits to the hospital, finds Jamna in distressed state. He brings her to his home on compassionate ground, adopts her as his daughter and sends her to Bombay to learn music.

When ashok returns home empty handed he has no option but to agree for marriage with Kamala. What happens next.? Better see the movie. This song "Eri Mai To Prem Diwani", comes in the film when during one of his visits to garden, Ashok is aqqainted with lotus faced Jamna (Nalini Jaywant). Ashok had inadvertently sat at the site of her pooja. She gently removes him away from pooja site and performs pooja while singing this Meera song. Lyricist Satyendra Athaiya has take only Mukhada and weaved entire song around this mukhada by his own lyrics.

Lata's divine voice has given a golden touch to this song. Roshan composed an out of the word tune for Satyendra Athaiya's  lyrics and the result is this unforgettable and immortal song from Roshan-Lata combination that keeps you rooted and enthralls you. Nalini Jaywant's easy and effortless enacting of  simple and humble girl , adds to the beauty of the song.Truly a musical gem par excellence.

ए री मैं तो प्रेम दिवानी
मेरा दर्द न जाने कौन

न मैं जानु आरती वंदं,ना पूजा की रीत
है अनजानी दरस दिवानी,मेरी पागल प्रीत
लिये रे मैंए दो नैनों के,दीपक लिये सन्जोग्(?)
ए री मैं तो ...

आशा के फूलों की माला,साँसों के संगीत
इन पर फूली चली रे जाने,अपने मन का मीत
ए री मैने नैं डोर में,सपने लिये फिरोये
ए री मैं तो ...

Naubahar 1952

Starcast: Ashok Kumar, Nalini Jaywant,  Kuldip Kaur, Jagdish Sethi, Badri Prasad

Lyricist: Satyendra Athaiya

Music Roshan

Produced by Ashok Kumar/  M.S. Ahaluwalia

Directed by Anand Kumar.