Hemant-da, as Hemant Kumar Ganguly was affectionately called, was not only a popular playback singer, but also an accredited exponent of Rabindra Sangeet, and an excellent composer for Hindi and Bangla
films. Some of his hit Hindi films are; Naagin, Anupama, Bees saal baad, Kohra, and Sahib bibi ghulam. As a singer, Hemant with deep, sweet voice had a very limited range (like Mukesh), at times sounded off-key, one more constraint was the barely comprehensible thick Bengali accent, and restricted throat opening. Despite all the limitations, Hemant da created his own style and sang some memorable songs from 1951 to 1966, from Jaal to Mamta. Hats off to the great composers of the era who created great music within the confines of the restrictions and limitations, yet every song was unique! Hemantda once was the most affordable singer available. Hence all lesser known/budding composers patronized him initially, but soon he became so successful that all composers right from Naushad, Shanker Jaikishen,SD Burman, C Ramchandra, Kalyanji Anandji, and Roshan started using him.
A time came when it was difficult to get Hemant-da’s dates! Shanker Jaikishen brought Subir Sen who sounded like Hemant-da, but he couldn’t make it, thus ended up singing just 3 songs. This album features only duets, hence many of Hemant da’s famous solos are not included. My favorites from this album are;
1. Yeh raat yeh chandni phir kahan: Hit duet with Lata from Jaal, a sensous song filmed on Dev Anand and Geeta Bali.
2. Chandan ka palna: a sweet, soothing “lori” (lullaby) of Naushad, which even today helps me go to sleep!
3. Mujhko tum jo mile: A melodious waltz.
4. Tumhe yaad hoga …
5. Neend na mujh ko aaye….
6. Tumhi mere meet ho..: all the three duets with Lata composed by the then newcomers Kalyanji Anandji became super hits. Superb use of piano, bongos and saxophone.
7. Lehron pe lehar: Duet with Nutan! Very few people knew that Nutan was a good singer too. This song is so well composed for Hemant Kumar that no one else could have sung it! Mandolin accompaniment is the best ever in Hindi film music.
8. Chhupa lo yun dil mein pyar mera: A melodious, soothing, touching romantic duet with Lata from Mamta, the last hit of Roshan.
Hemant Kumar has left behind a rich legacy of songs and compositions for the connoisseurs of Hindi film music.
Quiz: Can you name the songs sung by Subir Sen, the duplicate Hemant Kumar!