Hothon Pe Sachchai Rehti Hai – Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai – The Surrogate National Anthem

Once Shanker’s doubt about Raj Kapoor making a film on daakus and amidst patthars, had been resolved, Radhu Karmakar, Raj Kapoor, Shanker Jaikishen, Hasrat and Shailendra , decided on the situations in the script where the songs would fit in perfectly…
The first was the title/theme song…
Shanker Jaikishen composed a tune with dummy words ending with the refrain
Jis Desh mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960)

Raj Kapoor loved the tune… He immediately turned towards Shailendra and said…. ” Kaviraj…. ab shuru ho jaao… ” This is when Hasrat Jaipuri raised an objection…. He asked Raj Kapoor ” Why does Shailendra always get to write the theme/ title song of every film ? I am a good writer too ! Shailendra is junior to me…. !!! ”
Raj Kapoor thought for a moment…. There was no doubt that what Hasrat had said was the truth… He HAD been partial towards his Pushkin….
He found an answer to Hasrat’s complaint…. He announced…. ” The tune is ready… You both write…. We will all meet after a couple of days and accept whichever is better…. ”
The meeting was adjourned… They dispersed, but Shailendra was not happy….
After proving himself time and again, did he have to pass a test ???

When they met again, Hasrat recited the lines he had written… He was heard out by all…
Then Shailendra was asked to recite… In his anger, Shailendra had written the ‘mukhdaa’ and TWENTY FOUR verses ! Each better than the other… !

Raj Kapoor smiled…. He knew that his Kaviraj would not let him down… The argument had ended tamely… It was a NO CONTEST !
Raj Kapoor was so fascinated by Shailendra’s writing, that, apart from the three verses in the song, he kept three verses that were used as part of the background music of the film !

There is one feature that makes this song unique… The situation !

A simpleton who has inadvertently walked into a notorious gang of hardened dacoits…. He finds it difficult to comprehend their way of thinking, they, in turn, find it difficult to believe that a man can be so simple… They look upon him with absolute mistrust, even suspecting that he is a Police informer, cleverly planted into their camp.
This song is one of the first turning points in the film as far as the dacoits’ shift in behaviour is concerned… And what impresses me is that the Director Radhu Karmakar uses music and lyrics to do that job ! What would be achieved with many verbose scenes, is achieved with just ONE song….

Shanker Jaikishen start off the introduction music with Raj Kapoor playing the dhafli almost violently… The clanging of a hammer beating on iron and other rhythms, equally violent, join in….The rhythm pattern changes as the girls among the gang break into an impromptu dance….. The menacing dacoits start looking more humane…The menacing guns are slowly lowered… Raj Kapoor’s drumming reaches a crescendo and suddenly stops… There is pin-drop silence… prolonged to create suspense in the minds of not only the audience, but also the dacoits…Raj Kapoor sees a cute little girl smiling at him… He picks her up and starts singing.
Shanker Jaikishen have done their job… they hand over the reins to Shailendra to take it up from here and cast his spell on the dacoits and the audience…
He does just that !!!
Mukesh uses his soft, smooth and silken voice to counter the frenzied rhythm we have just been put through.

The mukhda –
Hothon pe sachchaai rehti hai,
Jahan dil mein safaai rehti hai,
Hum uss desh ke waasi hain,
Hum uss desh ke waasi hain,
Jis desh mein Ganga behti hai….

The verses –
Mehmaan jo hamara hotaa hai,
Woh jaan sey pyaara hotaa hai,
Zyaada ki nahin laalach humko,
Thode mein guzaara hota hai…

Ab hum toh kya, saari duniya,
Saari duniya sey kehti hai,
Hum uss desh ke waasi hain,
Jis desh mein Ganga behti hai….

The music : Shanker Jaikishen have understood perfectly what is required … Aided by Dattaram’s rhythm, they do it perfectly in the introduction… They keep the music during the song simple… Maintaining the perfect balance… The violin runs add to the suspense about how the dacoits will react to what this man is making them aware of…

The singing : Mukesh sings exactly the way it is to be sung. Simply… No emphasis on words… soothing… calming….almost like the chanting of a mantra

Performances : Raj Kapoor excels! No other actor I have seen, can make you feel as if he is actually playing the musical instrument he is holding… 10/10

Direction : I will never agree with anyone who says that Raj Kapoor was the Director de facto for this film. Radhu Karmakar has his own brilliant way of shooting. I will stick my neck out and say… ” At times, even better than what Raj Kapoor would have done….”

Lyrics : Shailendra draws from our ancient scriptures and beliefs to send the message across, about how great this country is.

I will stick my neck out further and say….If we had a National Anthem in simple Hindi, This would be it!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2klnDakoRw