Baiju Bawra (film)
A musical duel for revenge in Akbar's court.
Baiju Bawra is a 1952 Hindi musical romantic drama film directed by Vijay Bhatt and produced by Prakash Pictures. It was a commercial and critical success, running for 100 weeks in theatres and launching its lead actors into stardom. The film is notable for introducing a classical component in Hindi film songs through its soundtrack based on ragas.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Vijay Bhatt
- Producer
- Vijay Bhatt; Shankar Bhatt
- Writer
- Zia Sarhadi
- Screenplay
- R. S. Choudhury
- Story
- Ramchandra Thakur
- Starring
- Bharat Bhushan; Meena Kumari
- Music
- Naushad
- Cinematography
- V. N. Reddy
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tu Ganga Ki Mauj Mein Jamana Ka Dhara (Raga Bhairavi) | |
| 2 | Aaj Gaawat Man Mero Jhoomke (Raga Deshi) | |
| 3 | O Duniya Ke Rakhwale Sunn Dard Bhare Mere Naaley (Raga Darbari) | |
| 4 | Door Koi Gaye Dhun Yeh Sunaaye (Raga Desh) | |
| 5 | Mohe Bhool Gaye Sanwariya (Raga Bhairav with traces of Raga Kalingda) | |
| 6 | Jhoole Mein Pawan Ki Aai Bahar (Raga Pilu) | |
| 7 | Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj (Raga Malkauns) | |
| 8 | Bachpan Ki Mohabbat Ko Dil Se Na Juda Karna (Based on Maand) | |
| 9 | Insaan Bano (Raga Todi) | |
| 10 | Tori Jai Jai Kartaar (Raga Puriya Dhanashree) | |
| 11 | Langar Kankariya Ji Na Maro (Raga Todi) | |
| 12 | Ghanana Ghanana Ghana Garjo Re (Raga Megh) | |
| 13 | Sargam (Raga Darbari) |
Track listing from the source article.
Plot
Tansen, one of the nine jewels of Emperor Akbar's court, is considered the greatest classical vocalist. No one could sing in the city unless they could sing better than Tansen, on pain of execution. Baiju Bawra follows an unknown singer, Baiju, who seeks to defeat Tansen in a musical duel to avenge his father's death. As a child, Baiju's father dies after a scuffle with Tansen's sentry, and Baiju promises revenge. He grows up sheltered by a village priest, falls in love with Gauri, a boatman's daughter, and forgets his promise. Dacoits raid the village; Baiju's song persuades them to spare it, but their female leader, a princess in exile, demands he follow them to their fort. There she reveals her own quest for revenge, which reminds Baiju of his vow. He leaves and sneaks into the Mughal palace, where Tansen's singing moves him so deeply that he cannot kill him. Tansen says he can only be killed by music dipped in melancholy, so Baiju leaves to learn real music.
Production
Vijay Bhatt, who had earlier made religious classics such as Bharat Milap and Ram Rajya, was drawn to literature and music, leading him to make a film about Tansen and the folk-legend Baiju Bawra. A revenge theme was combined with a love story and comic interludes, with emphasis on the Guru-shishya tradition and the bond between Baiju and his Guru Swami Haridas, who was also Tansen's Guru. Bhatt's decision to focus on Indian classical music was met with scepticism by the film industry, with friends calling him 'Viju Bawra'. He was the first to bring two classical giants together for path-breaking duets twice: Ustad Amir Khan with Pandit D. V. Paluskar in this film, and shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan with sitar player Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan in Goonj Uthi Shehnai. The film was shot at Prakash Pictures studio in Andheri East, Bombay, and the song sequence 'Tu Ganga ki Mauj' was shot at a river in Dahisar near Bombay. It took a year to complete. Dilip Kumar and Nargis were originally considered for the leads, but Bhatt chose Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari due to financial considerations and scheduling. Meena Kumari had begun her acting career at age four in Bhatt's Leatherface and had her name changed by Bhatt to Baby Meena in 1940. She shot into stardom after Baiju Bawra and became the inaugural Filmfare Best Actress winner.
Soundtrack
The film's plot revolved around music, making a top-tier soundtrack essential. Naushad composed the score, with lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni, and nearly every song was built on Hindustani classical ragas. Playback singers included Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum, and classical vocalists Amir Khan and D. V. Paluskar. Amir Khan also acted as a music consultant. Standout tracks include "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale" (Raga Darbari), "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj" (Raga Bhairavi), "Mohe Bhool Gaye Sanwariya" (Raga Bhairav with traces of Raga Kalingda), "Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj" (Raga Malkauns), "Aaj Gaawat Man Mero" (Raga Desi), and "Jhoole Mein Pawan Ki Aayi Bahar" (Raga Pilu). The soundtrack earned Naushad his first and only Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The film also cemented Mohammad Rafi as a leading playback singer, with his songs like "Man Tarpat" and "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale" becoming major hits.
Remake
A remake titled Baiju-The Gypsy was announced in November 2010, to be written, directed, and produced by American-Indian writer Krishna Shah, with Aamir Khan and A. R. Rahman involved, but the film was shelved. Narendra Hirawat of NH Studioz held the rights to the film's negative, which have since lapsed. In February 2019, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was reported to be planning a remake starring Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, and Nayanthara, with shooting speculated to commence from mid-2023, but the film is now on hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Baiju Bawra (film) released?
Baiju Bawra was released on 5 October 1952.
Who wrote Baiju Bawra (film)?
Baiju Bawra was written by R. S. Choudhury.
How long is Baiju Bawra (film)?
Baiju Bawra has a running time of 155 minutes.
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