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 Was SD unfair to Manna? -(By Tadatmya Vaishnav)

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The Manna Dey - Sachin Dev Saga

- HQ Chowdhury

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    Manna Dey is one of the few or perhaps only, living artists whose personal association with Sachin Dev Burman dates all the way back to Burman's youth. A young SD trained under the Dey's illustrious uncle, KC Dey. Their musical association too has been long and consistent. Starting from Mannada's salad days as Burman's assistant in Mashaal in the 40s right upto to Us Paar in the 70s,  he was a regular in SD Burman's music room. HQ Chowdhury meets the legendary Manna Dey to reminisce about his days with the maestro ...

"For each song situation Sachinda would have so many alternative tunes. " 

(Above : SD Burman)

	"Manna what are you doing?"
	"I am about to go out Sachin da."
	"Would you drop by for a few minutes."
	"Yes of course."
	This was the typical Sachin Dev Burman-Manna Dey conversation when SD would summon Manna Dey to visit him home.
	"How do you like this tune?”
	"Hmmm it is okay".
	"Accha tui ahon za" (off you go in native Bangla).
	In the evening there would be another such call from SD when Manna Dey almost retired for the day. "I had no choice but to go. After all it was Sachinda’s call ”.
	"How do you like this tune?"
	"Oh, this is beautiful"
	A beaming Sachin Dev would then inevitably say, "Report tomorrow for the rehearsal."
	"But dada what happened to that tune in the morning?"
	"That is out. You only said OK!"

"I did not sing much for Sachin da. My favourite composer was Shanker Jaikeshan, and then RD Burman. Sachin da was a great composer but nothing compared to Shanker Jaikeshan, I mean Shanker not Jaikeshan who was often too busy to please the ladies -- Shanker was a genius".

There is every reason for Manna Dey to make such a sweeping statement. Shanker (Jaikeshan) gave Manna Dey time and again that opportunity (and freedom) to be the “lead" singer as in the Bharat Bhusan musical classic "Basant Bahar" or in the many Raj Kapoor movies.

"But Manna da, SD gave you such lingering numbers for example Tere naina talaash I snubbed in. "Sachin da made least contribution to that song. All he did was set the tune. He then handed it over to Pancham (RD Burman) for orchestration”, giving an insinuation that it was he and RD who did the trick.

"Often after rehearsing a song for days with me, Dada would tell me 'Now that you know the song well guide Rafi to sing the song!"

Above: (Manna Dey)

"But then for this particular number, he only had the confidence in you, not even Rafi despite the fact Rafi was the lead singer in the movie and also well trained in classical music; Pancham, as SD’s assistant, only orchestrated it the way he had wanted it. Manna Dey was silent not a word spoken. “And he chose you for Poocho na kaise in Meri Surat Teri Aakhen or Mere sab kuch mere geet re  in Zindagi Zindagi, which are collector’s delights and amongst your favorites as well. Manna Dey was silent again. “Furthermore, did you not time and again say that Rafi as of today happens to be the complete singer in the history of Hindi films ? In such a case where did SD go wrong ? How many times did he replace you with Kishore, Talat or Mukesh ? Even uncle KC Dey did the same with you !! 

To be fair to Manna Dey, for a singer of his calibre, he was never given the “deal" he deserved, in fact by any music director, not even Manna's fancied Shanker Jaikeshan and RD Burman. Perhaps his voice was far too sophisticated and “over crafted” for the Indian film heroes. And again to be fair to SD, who was a hard core professional when it came to composing and choosing a singer, Manna did get a bounty from him but certainly not enough as Manna Dey had expected

"Sachinda was a great composer, but nothing compared to Shankar Jaikishen..... Shankar was a genius!"

Above: (Manna Dey with Shankar)

If we take Upar gagan vishal in Mashal to be the starting point i.e. Manna Dey’s first super solo and tuned by SD (Manna until then had been struggling for seven years since his break in Ram Rajya in 1943 ) then there is virtually no border of music that Manna Dey did not touch under SD's baton. Mituwa in Uspar was Upar gagan vishal’s pefect foil for one to sense the fathomless range of Manna's voice. And between these two songs were 20 plus years. And what do we have on record ?

The soul searching Aan milo aan milo ( with Geeta) in Devdas, the comic beauty Hato kahe ko jhuti  in Manzil (that established Manna as a singer par excellence in comedy songs apart from his “classy” ones), the heart breaking Na tel aur na bati in Ek Ke Baad Ek, the soul stirring Maat ro mata in Bandini, the wistful Aei kash chalte milte (with Asha) in Manzil, the Qawwali dash Kisne chilman se in Baat Ek Raat Ki, the satirical  Andhi parjaa Andha raja in Tere Mere Sapne, the frolicsome  Main tere pyar mein ( with Geeta) in Ziddi, the romantic refrain Soch ke yeh gagan (with Lata) in Jyoti. You name it, it is there.

Leave aside SD, SJ and RD who took Manna Dey to some admirable heights. But what about the other trend setters like Anil Biswas who had him once in a while, Naushad during blue moons, C. Ramchandra once or twice, Roshanlal once upon a while, Madan Mohan now and then, Salil Chowdhury sometimes, OP Nayyar -- ever ? Yet if one had asked each one of them about Manna Dey’s capability none would disagree with his versatility!! These thinking composers could not care less for the thinking singer and his thinking listeners. What a pity!!

Years later I chanced to ask the ace Bangladeshi composer Robin Ghosh in one of those coffee chats “Who do you think is the greatest Hindi playback singer”.
"Undoubtedly Rafi" was the answer. "What about Manna Dey" I pressed hard.
"Manna Dey is the perfect singer. A model singer. But we are talking about films and in this media Rafi is the most versatile, he has no match, not even Kishore". That probably settles the incomparable SDB's score with the quintessential Manna Dey.

Manna Dey with  SD Burman - The Top Pick
Song	Film	Hear Online at
1. Upar gagan Vishaal	Mashaal
2. Aan milo shyam sanware (with Geeta Dutt)	Devdas	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=aan%20milo%20shyam&c=0303
3. Hato kahe ko jhooti banao	Manzil	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=hato%20kaheko&c=0303
4. Aie kaash chalte milke	Manzil	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=Aye%20kash%20chalte&c=0303
5. Hum dum se gaye hum dum ke liye	Manzil	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=hum%20dum%20se%20gaye&c=0303
6. Na tel aur na baati	Ek ke baad ek	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=na%20tel%20aur%20na&c=0303
7.  Poocho na kaise maine	Meri soorat teri aakhen	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=poochho%20na%20kaise&c=0303
8. Kisne chilman se maara	Baat ek raat ki	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=are%20kisne%20chilman&c=0303
9. Sochke yeh gagan jhoome (with Lata)	Jyoti
10 Tere naina talaash karen.	Talaash
11 Sanjh Dhali dil ki lagi	Kala Bazaar	http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/s/?q=saanjh%20dhali&c=0303
12  Mera sab kuch mere geet hain	Zindagi Zindagi

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Prof Surjit Singh for providing us with the picture of Shankar and Manna Dey.

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