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Every first Saturday of the month, a group of enthusiastic senior citizens from across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai gathers at the Fine Arts Society in Chembur. They come for the Sunahare Pal programme, an event dedicated to film songs from the golden era.
This organisation, founded by Balan Iyer, a renowned Vedic maths coach, celebrates vintage Hindi film music. Balan’s deep knowledge and passion for these timeless songs shine through in every programme. The most recent event marked the 183rd in the series and featured the hits of Talat Mahmood.
The programme was an audio-visual presentation of Talat Mahmood’s popular songs, capturing various moods. It involved extensive research into the history of golden-era film music, which remains evergreen, unlike many modern songs that are quickly forgotten. Iyer said, “We try to pick songs that include duets with different singers, solos, and those under the music direction of various stalwarts of the era.” The recent programme showcased Talat Mahmood’s collaborations with Mubarak Begum, Lata Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhonsle, highlighting music directors like Allah Rakha Qureshi, Sajjad Hussein, Shankar Jaikishan, and Madan Mohan.
Talat Mahmood came to Mumbai to pursue acting but found his true calling in singing. His distinctive style, marked by a slight quiver in his voice, initially led to many rejections. However, eminent music director Anil Biswas gave him a life-changing break, leading to his popularity as a singer. Talat was particularly known for his flawless Urdu diction and mastery of ghazals, although his career spanned just a decade.
Vishno and Poonam Punjabi, a senior couple from South Mumbai, shared, “We never miss this programme. Even when we were stuck in Dubai for ten months due to COVID-19, we watched it on Zoom.” Vishno recalled how, a few years ago, he requested permission to attend the programme while hospitalised, illustrating the powerful allure of golden-era music.
Anand Pai, known for his extensive knowledge of film music, informed the audience that before Mukesh’s emergence, Talat Mahmood was the playback singer for Raj Kapoor. M V Ramanarayan, who co-hosts the programme with Iyer, said that people come from distant places because “Music is a great leveller.” Age and minor disabilities do not deter them.
The classic hits of Talat Mahmood – Jalte Hai Jiske Liye, Jaye to Jaye Kahan, and Dil-e-Nadan – were among those featured during the three-hour programme, transporting the audience back to an era reminiscent of their youth. In the birth centenary year of Talat Mahmood, there could not have been a more fitting tribute!
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