Bollywood Rewind | Baiju Bawra: Naushad’s timeless musical masterpiece

In this weekly column, we revisit gems from the golden years of Hindi cinema. This week, we revisit Vijay Bhatt’s 1952 movie Baiju Bawra.
The legend of Baiju Bawra describes him because the singer who might soften stones along with his vocals, his artwork was so divine that lamps would mild up as he sang. The famed Tansen from Emperor Akbar’s courtroom, who is commonly thought to be the best singer of that period, as soon as misplaced a contest to Baiju, or so the legend suggests. But what’s the true story of this legendary legend?
As the 1952 movie Baiju Bawra opens, we learn the textual content, “Around the popular figure gathers many a legend that obscures History, if any… and what is History but legend agreed upon?” With this textual content, we step into the world of Baiju Bawra. The historic legacy of the famed singer has by no means been verified however the movie buys into the parable of the singer and introduces us to his mystical life.
Baiju Bawra is about through the sixteenth century when Tansen’s fame was recognized the world over, even amongst those that had by no means heard him. His identify was held as the best commonplace in music. And in Akbar’s capital, nobody however Tansen was allowed to sing. If somebody wished to sing, they needed to first show that they have been higher than Emperor’s favorite ‘navratna’. Death awaited those that failed. When Baiju’s father is killed by the town’s guards for singing, Baiju (performed by Bharat Bhushan) pledges to avenge the dying. Thus, begins his journey.
At its core, Baiju Bawra is a love story starring Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari.
At its core, Baiju Bawra is a love story. When he falls in love with Gauri (performed by a mesmerising Meena Kumari), Baiju detaches himself from the world. As he practices his music below the moonlit sky, Gauri, his muse, sits beside him and is enchanted by his voice night time after night time. It’s his music that binds them collectively, and ultimately turns into the trigger that tears them aside.
When Baiju decides to actual his revenge from Tansen, he winds up on the palace with a sword in his hand and waits for the proper second. Soon, he finds himself transfixed by Tansen’s music. The singer disarms him, actually and metaphorically, and thus begins Baiju’s journey to be taught music, the best way his late father meant him to. As Baiju devotes himself to his artwork, we see that his love for Gauri has reached a divine stage. Baiju’s guru Haridas doesn’t train him instantly, as he doesn’t consider in weaponising the purest artwork kind that exists, however as an alternative encourages Baiju to give up himself to music.
Surendra performs Tansen in Baiju Bawra. (Photo: Express Archives)
In a big scene within the movie, Baiju realises that he can’t be a grasp at his music until he devotes himself to his love. But this realisation involves him after Gauri has given up on her life. The scene previous to this has Baiju denouncing Gauri, and calling her a distraction. He thinks that so long as she is round, he won’t ever be capable to defeat Tansen. He fully reductions her presence in his life and pushes her away. This scene feels disrespectful in direction of Gauri, the lady who has treaded in opposition to the social norms to be with Baiju. His love feels dishonest as he solely involves see Gauri as his power after his Guru suggests so. But the impact of Gauri’s supposed dying turns Baiju right into a bawra.
When he winds up at Akbar’s courtroom to compete with Tansen, Baiju is singing simply so he may be with Gauri. And it’s this musical duel that makes Baiju Bawra a surprising success. It is alleged that folks lined up exterior theatres simply so they might watch two musical geniuses have interaction in a jugalbandi and watch the magic of a dice of marble melting into water because of their singing.
Baiju Bawra is a musical interval piece that’s remembered for the exemplary music by Naushad. Since the movie’s story relies on Baiju’s musical journey, each track right here relies on a raga. It is alleged that makers discovered it to be an enormous threat as they weren’t sure how the viewers would reply to classical music however to their shock, Baiju Bawra was a giant hit. It crossed 100 weeks, primarily due to its music. While a big a part of its viewers may not be aficionados of classical music, Baiju Bawra’s music transcended that hole and created a connection that affected the viewers on a subliminal stage.

“O Duniya Ke Rakhwale”, “Mohe Bhool Gaye Sanwariya”, “Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj” and naturally, the love ballad “Tu Ganga Ki Mauj” are simply among the classical songs that stay as memorable at present as once they have been composed. With lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni and the vocals of Mohd Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad Amir Khan, the album of this movie is a timeless traditional, very like Indian classical music.
Meena Kumari, who later got here to be recognized for her tragic roles, is a grasp at her craft in Baiju Bawra and though this was certainly one of her early works, her command on her expressions and motion is so delicate and exact that it’s inconceivable to look away as she takes over the display screen. Director Vijay Bhatt, who dared to inform the story that appeared off-beat in 1952, took on a daring threat and it created a musical masterpiece that continues to depart the viewers spellbound.

Watching in 2021, the closest comparability one could make to the core of the movie is the therapy of music in Chaitanya Tamhane’s The Disciple or the dedication proven by the protagonist within the net sequence Bandish Bandits, however these two are additionally distant cousins of Baiju Bawra. There have been rumours of Sanjay Leela Bhansali remaking this 1952 traditional however the director is but to announce his concrete plans. Just a few years in the past, director Vijay Bhatt’s grandson, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt even stated that if there was anybody who might remake the traditional, it was Bhansali.
Baiju Bawra is a movie that connects classical music to the soul of the listener and appears like a divine expertise that’s nothing in need of prayer.
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Baiju Bawra is streaming on ShemarooMe, MXPlayer.