Image Courtesy: Prathamesh Bandekar
No Independence Day is celebrated without Mere desh ki dharti (Upkar) on the radio, on TV and blaring from the speakers at nukkads. So also, no romantic can remain indifferent to the love and longing in the classic Chalo ek baar (Gumrah) and Tum agar saath dene ka (Hamraaz). Mahendra Kapoor’s full-bodied voice could convey both — the passion of patriotism and the ache of love.
“After the hit Tere pyaar ka aasra (Dhool Ka Phool, 1959), filmmaker BR Chopraji took a liking to dad. He was then signed on for Gumraah, Waqt and Humraaz (1963-1967), all composed by Ravi saab,” says singer-actor Ruhan Kapoor recalling the dream team of Mahendra Kapoor-BR Chopra-Ravi.
Mahendra’s association with patriotic numbers began with Mera rang de basanti for Manoj Kumar’s Shaheed (1965). “Dad had witnessed the freedom movement. He even began his shows with a patriotic song. It brought in the vibrancy. Indians abroad would get ecstatic and cry,” says Ruhan. The singer’s partnership with Manoj Kumar got an extra thump with chartbusters Bharat ka rehnewala hoon (Purab Aur Paschim, 1970) and Ab ke baras (Kranti, 1981).
No wonder then that when Mahendra passed away, Kumar couldn’t help lament, “I have lost my voice.” And while singer Mohammed Rafi remained his mentor, Mahendra Kapoor, who sang around 2,500 songs in various languages, came to be eventually heard on his own terms…
Musical vein
It was to the strains of classical music and their father’s vocals that Ruhan Kapoor and his sisters, Benu, Anu and Purna, woke up every morning at their Peddar Road residence in South Mumbai. Amritsar-born Mahendra inherited his musical genes from his mother Shano Devi (Shanti) who enjoyed singing folk songs at marriages in their hometown. Even as a student, Mahendra exhibited the panache of a performer.
“In dad’s school (St Xaviers), documentaries on British royalty were shown in the audio-visual period. The students found it boring. Once, the projector failed. The teacher asked if someone could sing and entertain the class. Dad’s friends nudged him to sing. He sang Noor Jehan’s songs to much clapping and whistling. For subsequent classes, the students would bribe the technician to say that the projector wasn’t working,” laughs Ruhan.
Family man
Later, Mahendra attended St Xavier’s College and also acted in plays directed by Vijay Anand (the late filmmaker was his peer). He got engaged to wife Praveen during that time. Ruhan says his father was a man of simple tastes. “Being Mahendra Kapoor’s children, we got extra attention. Dad saw to it that we didn’t get spoilt. But the day he had a good recording, the family celebrated. Dad would order kheema matar, biryani and butter chicken from Kwality restaurant near our house.
Mom would spread a mat and we’d all sit together and enjoy the meal. He never smoked or touched alcohol." Ruhan reveals that his mother was a great fan of Talat Mehmood. “Mom loved Talat saab’s voice and dad would tease her about it. But dad’s Tum agar saath dene ka (Hamraaz) was her favourite. He adds, “Dad took her along everywhere, even for dinner with the President or the Prime Minister. And she stood by him like a rock. Music is a beautiful pursuit but an unstable profession. There are ups and downs as trends change.”
His guru Rafi
Mahendra was around 13 when he heard the Mohammed Rafi number Yahan badla wafa ka (Jugnu, 1947) and was totally mesmerised by the singer. “Dad somehow found out Rafi saab’s house in Bhendi Bazaar and reached there even though it was a riot-affected area post-Partition,” recalls Ruhan.
Winning the Metro Murphy All-India singing competition (1957) made it easier for Mahendra to make inroads in Bollywood. “Rafi saab helped him perfect the nuances. He sang the non-film song Ilaihi koi tamanna nahin composed by Rafi saab for the competition.” Incidentally, Mahendra’s first playback hit was Aadha hai chandrama in
V Shantaram’s Navrang (1958).
The singer’s association with Rafi only grew deeper. In fact, the first time Mahendra travelled by a plane, it was with Rafi for his show in Kolkata where the youngster was a part of the chorus. Ruhan recalls, “They were put up at The Grand Hotel. Rafi saab was to perform after two and was asked to rest till then. Unable to relax, he went to the verandah and called out to dad. He said, ‘Mahendra, look at the stars and the moon. It’s such a beautiful night. The creator of so much beauty has no ghamand (pride). Then how can we, who’ve just sung a few songs, pride on ourselves? I’ll perform namaz, you do pooja and let’s thank the Lord’. And the two lost themselves in prayer.”
Mahendra would never let go of any opportunity to show his gratitude towards Rafi. In 1979, a Mahendra Kapoor night was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London where Rafi’s sons, Khalid and Sayyed, happened to be present.
“When dad came to know of it, he asked the organisers to get him two garlands, something impossible at that hour. They were, however, bought from a temple in the vicinity. Then, he called the boys on stage, garlanded them, touched their feet and said, ‘I am not touching your feet, I am touching the feet of my guru who’s sitting in Mumbai!’ The audience was moved. Every singer has been influenced by another but no one acknowledges it. My father did.”
Surprisingly, Rafi and Mahendra never sang together (except in Aadmi, 1968). “Rafi would say, ‘Log hum mein kushti ladayenge (people will pitch us against each other). We are brothers, not rivals’.”
A record of memories
Ruhan has memories of accompanying his dad for recordings. “Once we were in Mahableshwar, when Laxmiji (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal) called dad to record a duet with Lataji (Mangeshkar) for Badaltey Rishtey (1978). We left early in the morning and drove down to Famous Studio, Mumbai. The song was Meri saanson ko in Raag Marwar and Raag Puriya Dhanashree. It was recorded in just two takes.”
Ruhan also recalls a funny incident when Mahendra had to record the duet Waqt ki hera pheri with Kishore Kumar (Hera Pheri, 1976) for composers Kalyanji-Anandji. “Kishoreda had reached Film Centre before us but was refusing to record. He fretted, ‘Recently, I visited the Red Fort. The guide showed us everything — the royal bedrooms, the royal dining room, everything… but the royal toilet. Did the royals then go to the fields to answer nature’s call? Even Kalyanji can’t answer this question’.” Kalyanji then promised Kishoreda that he’d find the answer by the next recording. Only then did Kishoreda agree to sing,” laughs Ruhan.
RK's promise
Though the late singer Mukesh was the voice of Raj Kapoor, the showman had great affection for Mahendra. “Raj Kapoor was God in Russia. Once, Raj saab sang Mukeshji’s numbers from his films at a show in Russia and had audiences going crazy. Then it was dad’s turn to sing. Dad translated the songs of Hamraaz and Gumrah and sang them in Russian. He received a standing ovation from an audience of over a lakh. Rajji joked, “Only a Kapoor can win such an ovation.”
Ruhan continues, “On the way back, Rajji told dad that he’d get him to sing in his film. Dad said, ‘You’re a big filmmaker, you’ll forget’. Instantly, Rajji burnt his hand with a cigarette stub and said, ‘It’s Raj Kapoor’s promise. Whenever I see this mark on my hand, I’ll be reminded of my words’.” Mahendra soon sang Har dil jo pyaar karega with Mukesh for Sangam (1964).
Out of sync
The ’70s saw a paradigm shift in film music with the combination of Kishore Kumar and RD Burman taking over. “It was a highly insecure phase for all singers, not only dad. The Indian and earthy style of singing popularised by singers like Talat saab, Rafi saab, Mukeshji and dad gave way to a western style. The instruments changed completely. That era troubled dad. Left, right and centre it was only Kishore Kumar. Even Rafi saab had stopped singing for a while. Fortunately, dad continued doing Gujarati and Marathi playback (Mahendra Kapoor was known as Dada Kondke’s voice) but Hindi film playback took a backseat.”
Ruhan recalls the day when an upset Rafi called Mahendra home. “When dad reached Rafi saab’s house, he found him sitting on the lawn, sad and alone. Rafi saab said, ‘The producers who went out of their way to greet me, turn away their faces today. It hurts me’. Dad replied, ‘It’s the way of the world’. Rafi saab then asked dad to listen to a new song he had just recorded. It was Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakhm, 1973) by composer Madan Mohan. Dad cried and so did Rafi saab, such was the melody and the mood.”
Controversy
Ruhan wants to put an end to a controversy which haunted his father during his lifetime. “Kaisi haseen raat (Aadmi) was first recorded by Talat saab (for Manoj Kumar) and Rafi saab (for Dilip Kumar). However when the tapes were heard, the unanimous opinion was that Talat saab’s voice sounded soft for the character that Manojji was playing. Talat saab’s health was failing and he could not match the throw and projection of Rafi saab’s voice. The song had to express the conflict between the two leads. Naushad saab asked dad to redub Talat saab’s part. Dad said he couldn’t do it as he had idolised Talat saab.”
Ruhan continues, “Eventually, dad met Talat saab and shared his reservations. Talat saab said, ‘You’re like my son. If you don’t sing it, someone else will. I’m not well; I’ll not be able to match the force in Rafi’s voice’. So, it was with Talat saab’s consent that dad sang it.”
Last days
It was a knee surgery that became a precipitating factor towards the singer’s demise. “After the operation, he developed an infection in his bladder and kidneys.” Consequently, he had to undergo dialysis. A week before he passed away, Mahendra Kapoor had a premonition. “Dad told me, ‘I can see my parents waiting for me’. He was a devotee of Goddess Katyayani housed in the Chhatarpur temple in Delhi. Just a day before he expired, he called up the priest there and told him, “Convey my last pranam to Maa. I’ll not be able to come there again’.”
“The day he passed away was his mother’s shraddh. After lunch, he heard Shubha Mudgal’s latest devotional CD on Lord Mahakaleshwar. He loved her rendition in Raag Yaman. A few hours later, he felt unwell. I held his hand and he passed away peacefully.”
The 74-year-old singer had suffered a cardiac arrest. “My mother’s only solace was that ‘unko mukti mil gayi’ and that he would be in a far better place than he was earlier.”