Jaaye To Jaaye Kahan....

Jaye To Jaye Kahan- Talat Mahmood- Film Taxi Driver 1954- Lyricist Sahir Ludhiyanvi-Music S.D.Burman.

After the debacle of Aandhiyan and Humsafar, Navketan was in deep financial crisis. To save the company from doldrums, Uma Anand and Vijay Anand, the youngest of the Anand brothers wrote a script which was an ideal quickie. Dev Anand produced the film on a shoe-string budget ,shooting almost the entire film on the streets of Mumbai. It is therefore, a virtual journey of nostalgic Bombay (as it was called then), with calm road with minimum vehicular traffic, less crowded roads and electric trams. A city without any hustle bustle , cruel urbanization, pathetic sprawling slums and ugly glass skyscrapers in unconcerned materialistic world, that it has turned into.

The plot is all about a taxi driver Mangal (Dev Anand), who drives British made Hillman Minx taxi with number 1111. While living a jolly life he is fondly called 'Hero' by his colleagues .He comes across Kalpana Kartik, a simple damsel in distress who arrives  in Mumbai to make it as a singer. Hero saves her from the clutches of two gangsters and helps her reach Govindlal, a music director, who heard Kalpana sing. However, she soon discovers that her musical mentor is attached with criminal activities. After lot of twists and action packed climax, she leaves him and joins her hearthrob, Mangal. The end...

Taxi Driver was a trend setter film in following ways.....

1. It was a first neo-realistic film, with all characters coming from humble and modest background, and were having grey shades. A striking departure from earlier films, in which characters were portrayed in stark white and black shades. The hero himself comes from non- descriptive background . The characters have ambitions and aspirations for prosperity, but at the same time they are susceptible to fall prey for deceit , yet they do not abandon their large hearted nature. Co writer Vijay Anand once quoted " I was never able to write the script like Taxi Driver again, which was original and portrayed the working class of Bombay with real dignity".

2.      This was also actress Sheila Ramani's introductory film.

3. The Film's lead pair Dev Anand and Kalpana Karthik, fell in love with each other, and got married on the sets of Taxi Driver, during break in the afternoon. Kalpana acted in six films (Bazi, Aandhiyaan, Hamsafar, Taxi Driver, House No.44, and Nau Do Gyarah). After Nau Do Gyarah, she quit acting and settled as homemaker.

4. A raging hit Taxi Driver is still remembered five and a half decades after it was released as much for the Navketan family as also for the original jazz band of Vernon Corke, Betty Corke and their sons Noel and Alan who lit the screen with their cameo performances and performed during the dance numbers of Sheila Ramani.

4. Composer S.D.Burman got the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for his Talat version song " Jaye To Jaye Kahan".

5. The model of Taxi driven by Dev Anand's character in this movie, became so popular, that  the British made Hillman Minx model was a choice model for Taxi till 1970.

6. At the film’s premiere, members of the taxi drivers union who attended it, parked their vehicles outside Minerva Theatre. It was a rare sight ......

This song comes in the film in two versions. One is male version in Talat Mahmood's velvet smooth voice and another is female version in Lata's tender voice brimming with desolateness and despondency. Both versions are captivating, however Talat's version got more recognition and fame.

Movie/Album: टैक्सी ड्राईवर (1954)
Music By: एस.डी.बर्मन
Lyrics By: साहिर लुधियानवी
Performed By: तलत महमूद

जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ
समझेगा, कौन यहाँ
दर्द भरे, दिल की ज़ुबां
जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ
मायूसियों का मजमा है जी में
क्या रह गया है इस ज़िन्दगी में
रुह में ग़म, दिल में धुआँ
जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ...
उनका भी ग़म है, अपना भी ग़म है
अब दिल के बचने की उम्मीद कम है
एक कश्ती, सौ तूफां
जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ...

And this is female version of the same song in Lata Mangeshkar's voice.....

जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ
समझेगा, कौन यहाँ
दर्द भरे, दिल की ज़ुबां
जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ
ओ जाने वाले, दामन छुड़ा के
मुश्किल है जीना, तुझको भुला के
ओ जाने वाले, ओ जाने वाले, दामन छुड़ा के
मुश्किल है जीना, तुझको भुला के
इससे तो है, मौत आसाँ, जाएं तो जाएं कहाँ ...
सीने में शोले, सासों में आहें
इस ज़िन्दगी से, कैसे निबाहें
सीने में शोले, सीने में शोले, सासों में आहें
इस ज़िन्दगी से, कैसे निबाहें
हर जज़बात है वीराँ, जाएं तो जाएं कहाँ ...





Dev Anand marries co-star Kalpana Kartik in a hush-hush ceremony in 1954 while shooting for Taxi Driver, which made him a star.

Taxi Driver 1954
Film Cast: Dev Anand, Kalpana Karthik, Sheila Ramani, Johny Walker, Rashid Khan,
Written by Vijay Anand and Uma Anand
Lyricist: Sahir Ludhiyanvi
Music S.D. Burman.
Produced by Dev Anand.
Directed by Chetan Anand.
A Navaketan Film