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Salil Chaudhry [Hindi]

 
1
Dharti kahe pukar ke [Film: Do bhiga zameen (1953)]
Inspired by 'Meadowlands' composed by Lev Knipper!
Listen to Dharti kahe pukar ke | Meadowland
Lev Knipper initially wrote Meadowland as part of his 4th Symphony (Ballad of a Young Soldier), but since then, it has become a true folk-song. It talks of young soldiers going off to battle, saying goodbye to their wives, who are in tears, and sing about the long road that lies ahead of them.
2
Halkey halkey chalo [Film: Taangewaali] <TC>
Inspired from The Wedding Samba. 
Listen to Halke halke chalo | The Wedding Samba
Pretty much inspired. The version of Wedding samba here is by Edmundo Ros and his orchestra.
3
Itna Na Mujhse Tu [Film: Chaya] <TC>
From Mozart's 40th symphony.
Inspired!
4
Zindagi hai kya sun mere yaar [Maaya (1961)] <TC>
Inspired by the Theme from Limelight composed by Charlie Chaplin for the 1951 movie of the same name!
Listen to Zindagi hai kya | Theme from Limelight
Oh sure, inspired. Also refer to the other two versions of the same original - by RD Burman (RDB Page - 18th listing) and Rajesh Roshan (RR Page - 21st listing)
5
Dil tadap tadap ke [Madhumati (1958)] <TC>
Inspired by the Polish folk song "Szla dzieweczka do gajeczka" (pronounced "shwah jeh-vehtch-ka duh lah-sech-kah")!
Listen to Dil tadap tadap ke | Szla dzieweczka do gajeczka (slower folk version) | Szla dzieweczka do gajeczka (faster modern version)
I had enquired about this original long back (December 9th, 2001, in RMIM, to be precise!) but couldn't get any info...till now, that is! It was my dad who told me that he had heard the original of this Madhumati number in a documentary titled 'Music and dances of Silesia' that accompanied the Polish World War II classic 'Kanal' by Andrez Wajda (My dad had seen the movie way back in the 60s while he was in Calcutta). So naturally, we both assumed that the original should have Polish origins and have been on the look out ever since. Recently I came across Sundar's website, which also talked about an original to this number. Then finally, with the help of Sundar, I managed to get the original from a Bangalore-based RJ, Seetal Iyer, who hosts the 'Matinee Show' (the FM station is called Radiocity, btw!). Seems her brother had married a girl of Polish descent and it was in their wedding video that she heard the Polish original!
For those who might be interested in knowing more about this Polish number, here goes! I had posted a query about the origins of this number in as many Polish music forums as I could find on the net. And Ms. Wanda Wilk, Director of Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California wrote back with some amazing information, for which I'm really thankful to her. Here's what she says...
"The song is a very popular folk-song that originated in the Silesian (South-Western) part of Poland i.e., from the regions of Slask Gorny (High Silesia), Cieszyn and Opole regions. The ethnographer Juliusz Roger identifies it as coming from Rybnik, which is near the Czech border. That is where the famous Polish jazz pianist, Adam Makowicz, and the famous Polish composer, Henryk Gorecki, come from. It has been very popular throughout Poland for many years, for various celebratory occasions like namesday, youth gatherings etc. It has been recorded by the professional Folk Song & Dance Ensemble, 'Slask' produced by Polskie Nagrania, by the Lira Ensemble of Chicago and by popular singers like Maryla Rodowicz and popular Polish dance bands.
As far as the pronunciation, it goes something like this...
Szla dzieweczka: shwah jeh-vehtch-ka
do laseczka: duh lah-sech-kah
do zielonego: duh zhyeh-loh-neh-go
nadeszla tam mysliweczka: nah-desh-wah tahm mih-shlee-vetch-kah
bardzo szwarnego: bahr-dzoh schwahr-neh-goh
O moj mily mysliweczku: Oh mooy mee-lyh mih-shlee-vetch-koo
dalabym ci chleba z maslem: dah-wah-bim chee hleh-bah z mahs-wem
alem juz zjadla: a-lehm yoosh zyad-wah"

Thanks to Sundar Srinivasan, his pal Nivedita, Radiocity Bangalore RJ, Seetal Iyer and Wanda Wilk at the Polish Music Center@USC. 
6
Aankhon mein tum [Half Ticket (1962)] <TC>  
Inspired by Dinah Shore's 1948 chart topper, 'Buttons and Bows'
Listen to Aankhon mein tum | Buttons and Bows
The song has been improvised to a large extent by Salilda to suit the exuberant mood of both the film and this particular track. Interesting instance, though!
7
Bachpan bachpan [Memdidi (1961)] <TC>  
Inspired by a nursery rhyme, 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' made popular by Ella Fitzerald
Listen to Bachpan bachpan | A-Tisket, A-Tasket
Also refer to Anu Malik's version of the same original, from the film Duplicate - No. 15 in the Anu Malik page. The song has been improvised to a large extent by Salilda to suit the exuberant mood of both the film and this particular track. Interesting instance, though! The song situation, going by the lyrics, revolves around kids, so I guess its a thematically appropriate lift. I can hear the question, "If Ella can cover the rhyme, why can't Salil?". Of course, he can...just that Ella's cover version officially acknowledges the source, while Salil's version doesn't. Does Hindi film music/ film industry have a way to officially acknowledge source artists? No, but that's only because the source artists/ labels have to be paid royalty and Hindi (Indian) cinema looks for the shortest, easiest, cheapest and the crookedest (!) way to appropriate others' work.
 


Hindi

Anu Malik
Anand Milind
Anand Raaj Anand
Bappi Lahiri
Jatin Lalit
Kalyanji Anandji
Laxmikant Pyarelal
Nadeem Shravan
OP Nayyar
Pritam Chakravarty
Rajesh Roshan
RD Burman
Salil Chaudhry
SD Burman
Sandeep Chowta
Sanjeev Darshan
Shankar Jaikishen
Hindi - others


Tamil
A R Rahman
Deva
Ilayaraja
Karthikraja
Yuvan S. Raja
Tamil - others


Assorted
Coincidences
Indipop
Advt. jingle lifts
Telugu
Trivia
 

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