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Geeta Dutt – The Voice Of Warmth And Hope
Geeta Dutt – the name brings up an echoing voice which is full of youthful exuberance, as sweet as honey and which also had a pricked pain, all this at the same time. Her spontaneity and instinct showed her love and dedication towards music. She poured her heart into all the songs she rendered. Her career displays an entire gamut of songs from bhajan to cabaret to lullabies to romantic songs. While singing all these songs she never forced any style or never went in for imitation. Her kind of songs just drifted into people’s hearts. She never went in for any pomp and show, never advertised herself or her voice. She was like the red robin, who is happy singing to herself. Who indicates arrival of spring, the return of warmth. She showed clarity and contentment and joy and hope. She breathed emotions in her songs mesmerising by her melancholic effect.
Her collaboration with the top most music directors of those times – S.D.Burman, Hemant Kumar, O.P. Nayyar is well known. She gained popularity through S.D.Burman songs. She came into limelight with his Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya. But he also made her sing songs which mirrored all the genres. From melancholy to cabaret. The range of songs by them shows his confidence and her capability to reach that level. The rhythm king O.P.Nayyar gave Geeta Dutt some of her signature numbers. His songs were more of folkish and full flavoured ones. Hemant Kumar, who was himself a great singer and an even better music director, brought out lot of poignancy of Geeta Dutt’s voice. They also worked together for some unforgettable Bengali numbers. She also sang for other equally famous and talented composers like Chitragupt, Bulo C Rani, Hansraj Behl, Husnlal-Bhagatram, Madan Mohan, Anil Biswas, Roshan, Avinash Vyas, S. N. Tripathi and Vasant Desai. Geeta Dutt has also given us some terrific songs with some lesser known music director or music directors with whom she has worked only once or twice.
A glimpse into such songs rendered by Geeta Dutt –
1. K. Dutta – Geeta Dutt worked with him for 2 films Meri Kahani and Gumasta both in 1948. Given here is a song from Meri Kahani.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amv5eNOZg54
2. Shyam Babu Pathak – Shyam Babu Pathak was the co-music director of Jeet (1949) along with Anil Biswas. It starred Dev Anand and Suraiyya in the lead roles. This particular Geeta Dutt song was tuned by Shyam Babu Pathak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCjyg22C-Z0
3. Chic Chocolate – This Goan musician, a trumpeter whose real name was Antonio Xavier Vaz, had also given music to a few Hindi films. Rangili (1952) is one of them.
4. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan – Humsafar (1953) made under the Navketan banner, had Ustad Ali Akbar Khan as the music director. here’s a gem tuned by him and rendered by Geeta Dutt.
5. Iqbal – Sipahsalar (1956) starring Shammi Kapoor and Nadira had music given by Iqbal (not to be confused with Iqbal Qureshi). A frothy number by Geeta Dutt from the film.
6. Sailesh Mukherjee – This song under ghazal genre by Geeta Dutt is set to tune by Sailesh Kumar for Savera (1958) starring Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari.
7. G S Kohli – There was another Mr. India initially. Released in 1961 starring Geeta Bali, but this Geeta Dutt number is picturised on the very young and beautiful Helen. Lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar. Just look at the way she’s moulded her voice for the cabaret number!!
8. Daan Singh – A beautiful solemn ghazal by Geeta Dutt from Bhool Na Jaana (1964) under the baton of Daan Singh. Hear the clarity of her voice in this song.
9. Ghantasala – Enjoy the bubbly number by her, music by Ghantasala from Patal Bhairavi (1952)
10. Rajhans – A soulful rendition by Geeta Dutt from Ek Tha Ladka (1951). Music by Rajhans.
