That was the time I met him last . It was in front of Bhagirath Palace in Chandini Chowk were I had gone to buy some medicines that I found myself looking at a person that was Mukesh . We looked at each other and for a while kept on staring at each other without saying anything . Then he said " Anil Da , what are you doing here ? " I asked him " what are you doing here ? " In reply he did what he always did . I lifted him and gave him a bear hug. I them told him that I was in search of some medicines . Mukesh introduced a gentleman who was with him and whose presence I had not noticed till then said that there was so and so and in future I could just give him a tinkle and the medicine or anything else would be found and delivered . The gentleman asked Mukesh as to who I was and added that he could , of course , guess some thing from the manner of his greeting . " He is Anil Biswas , Who made Mukesh what he is today " he said . I told him never to repeat this statement and added that no one ever made anyone ; it was all God 's grace and that I was only a medium . I repeated the question as to what he was doing there . Mukesh said that he had a concert at Ambala or some such place and that he was on his way to that place . He said that he tried to telephone mea number of times but could not get through and enquired as to what had happened to my telephone . I said " The same thing that happens to all the telephones in Delhi . But why did you telephone ? Do you think i do not want to see your face or is it that you do not want to see my face ? " He went on saying " No Anil Da , Not so , whenever I come here I am in the hands of others and am conducted around all the time and before I know what is happening , I am back in Bombay . " That was the last time I saw Mukesh , my Mukesh . Mukesh was brought to me in 1949 or 41 , I do not exactly remember , by my friend late Motilal - the one and only Motilal of whom the film industry would ever remain proud . Moti said , " Here is a boy , I am just leaving him to you . He says he sings , I know that he does , I have heard him ." and that was the beginning . He had the voice and what a voice but no training . He sang by instinct and could not execute Meends or Murkis . But the tonal quality was superb and I fell in love with timbre . I started rubbing it into him but it was difficult for Mukesh to imitate my technique that had a combined touch of classical and Bengali style of singing which was rather unfamiliar to Mukesh . After a few months I had a song that I thought I could offer him . The song was " Sanjh Bhayee Banjaray " and after a lot of efforts I almost gave up as he could not do it the way I wanted . Meanwhile , the producer , the late Mr. Mehboob Khan was pressurizing that the song be recorded soon . I had to sing the song and finish the job for the producer . I had been occasionally singing for his films . After hearing the recording of the song Mukesh said something that touched me the core . He said , " Dada who else could express this song as you have . But , Dada does the mean we shall never have a chance to sing your songs ? " He asked me like a helpless child whose toy had been suddenly taken away from him . That night I could not sleep . I said to myself , " What are you doing ? If you go on singing songs yourself what will happen to the young aspirants who possess talent and grace . Is it fair to the boy called Mukesh and to all such aspirants ?" And I could sleep only after I had decided firmly and finally not to sing professionally thereafter . After this incident and till the day when " Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De" was recorded , almost four years had passed . In between , the grilling went on . Mukesh went about one studio to another , one music director to another but nothing much came out of it . He used to see me now and then or ring up and seek my guidance occasionally . He was not the singer that we know as Mukesh today , but he did sing . Then came Pehli Nazar , and with it Motilal , Anil Biswas and Dr. Safdar "Aah" Sitapuri , the writer of the song . The year was 1946 and that year " Dil Jalta " was recorded which was picturised on Motilal who was the hero of the film . Mukesh sang it with such pathos and emotional intensity that many belived it was rendered was Saigal . " Dil Jalta Hai " launched Mukesh on to a journey where he never had to look back . Mukesh soon became amuch sought-after singer and had the occasion and experience of singing with a large number of music directors . But whenever there was a song that suited Mukesh , neither I nor Mukesh missed it . He sang my songs on a number of occasions including those in " ladli " which was one of my productions . Its song " Zamane Ka Dastur Hai Yeh Purana " had become very famous . My last picture with him was Motilal's " Choti Choti Baten " . This was also the last picture of Motilal . It was started quite some years ago but Motilal had a paralytic stroke . There were also financial difficulties . Mukesh took over the entire responsibility of completing the film . He phoned me from Bombay when the picture was completed and said , " Dada , the shooting is finished and now the background music is to be done so that I can deliver it to the distributors . " I thought that doing something for a friend like Motilal would be a proud privilege . I was then with the All India Radio and had to take leave to go to Bombay for this purpose . When I reached Bombay , I found that Motilal was in a nursing home . Mukesh said , " Dada there is no one for Motilal excepting you and me ." Motilal was literally living as if to see the release of his film . The background music was done in about two days only with Sitar, Sarod, Flute, Santoor and Drums . When music was completed , I rang up Motilal in the nursing home around eight in the evening and said , " Moti I have completed the background music " . and I could definitely hear a sigh of relief even on the telephone . After a moment's silence he asked me as to when I was meeting him. I said ," tomorrow , around eleven." But next morning before I could go to nursing home I learnt that he was no more. Instead of exchanging memories next days , I had to give my shoulder to his janaza. So did Mukesh who had taken the entire film on his shoulders . Mukesh had developed into a fine singer in due course. One day at Regal cinema , Delhi I saw " Himalaya Ki Gode Mein " and was touched by the maturity his singing. He had sung for many top star. But it was for Raj Kapoor that his voice suited to the "T". This matching is , perhaps , unequalled in the film industry. As he grew in the profession , he did not have to be at the beck and call of Anil Biswas or anybody for that matter. He was very busy and dates had to be taken from him much in advance as in the case of stars. I have meet millions of people in my life and Mukesh was one of those few whom I regard as an elevated soul who retained his humility and humanity despite all the hullabaloo of the film industry. I have seen him standing in the queue like any other devotee in front of the Hanuman Mandir with his bowl of oil, pedas and flowers for the offering. This was a man who used to go out of the way to help not only his colleagues but anyone he came in contact with and became friends. He would ask in his inimitable manner , " I am going to such and such place , is there anything I can do for you?" The only other such person I know of this nature is Chandrakant Naik , my Tabla player. There was hardly a man who was not his friend and I hardly remember a man who was his enemy. Better musicians probably will come and go but Mukesh will remain Mukesh. Death came to him suddenly and he died in harness while performing. What the T.V. news did to me on that fateful day is beyond words. I, however , drew satisfaction and pride on seeing him on the T.V. a couple days of later, performing in full glory in America in the last concert of his life. Mukesh , who was a part of me had became history. Words are mere words , which can not describe the inner beauty of a soul that was Mukesh. Note : To pay homage to Mukesh the article was published at ninth death anniversary . |
