Farida Khanum | Noor Jehan | Malgunji | सजन लागी तोरी लगन मन मा Sajan Laagii torii | Baaji (1963)

Details
Title | Farida Khanum | Noor Jehan | Malgunji | सजन लागी तोरी लगन मन मा Sajan Laagii torii | Baaji (1963) |
Author | Sundeep Dougal |
Duration | 5:36 |
File Format | MP3 / MP4 |
Original URL | https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z2gqTlsefm4 |
Description
सजन लागी तोरी लगन मन मा
लाज मोहे आए
हाय रे हाए
लगाई तैने कैसी अगन मन मा
सजन लागी ...
हर आहट पर धडके मनवा
छनके पायल मोरी धनके कंगनवा
तोरे बिन रसिया, मोरे मनबसिया
पल पल होवे चुभन मन मा
सजन लागी ...
मिलने की रैना महके सजरिया
महके सजरिया रामा बहके कजरिया
सौतन द्वारे जैयो ना साँवरिया
जल जल जाये दुल्हन मन मा
सजन लागी ...
–
Lyrics by Ahmed Rahi
Music by Salim Iqbal
Tabla: Allah Rakha
Unlike the folk, classical or semi-classical genres like qawaalis and ghazals performed in Pakistan, I am not too familiar with the film music on the other side of the Radcliffe Line. I am vaguely aware that the likes of Madam Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hasan and even Reshma have sung some great songs that have become cult classics among the Hindustani-knowing listeners, but I can't claim familiarity, the way I can with the likes of Roshanara Begum, or Ashiq Ali Khan, Nazakat and Salamat Ali Khan, Tufail Niazi, not to mention Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Abida Parveen or Mukhtar Begumm, Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum, Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, or even the likes of some exceptional singers who have sung Faiz, like Nayyara Noor or Tina Sani.
So it was quite a revelation when I first found out about Nazakat and Salamat Ali singing for the film Baazi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLYiGFL04es. That Allah Rakha, who happened to be visiting Lahore from India, was roped in to play tabla piqued my interest enough to look up the other songs, which also seemed to have another first in Farida Khanum and Noorjehan singing a duet together, in Raag Malgunji, which seemed appropriate enough, given that this apparently followed Nazakat-Salamat's Bageshri, for the raag is said to be a combination of Rageshri (in the ascent) and Bageshree (in the descent).
This apparently was also the last film when Noor Jehan made an appearance (even as a guest role) – and she can be seen in the audience.
It also made me look up other Malgunji songs in Indian films, and I was quite pleased to see many favourites, from Hemant and Lata in Nain so Nain Naahii Milaao in Jhanak Jhanak Paayal Baaje to Lata Mangeshkar singing Naa Jiyaa Laage Naa for Salil Chowdhury in Anand to RD Burman's very first song, "ghar aajaa ghir aayii badraa saaNwariyaa" to Kishore Kumar singing "jiivan se bharii terii aaNkheN" in Safar.
Not a bad beginning to start new playlists for Malgunji and Noorjehan both.