“Saugandh”(1942) was a New Theatres Production. It was directed by Hem Chander. The star cast of this film includes Pahadi Sanyal, Bharti, Asit Baran, Chandrawati, Suprabha Mukherjee, Shrilekha, Chhavi Biswas, Vinay Goswami, Khagen Pathak, Farouk Mirza, Dar Kaashmiri, Nemo, Tulsi Chakravarty, Puttan, Narayan Rao, Maya Bose, Gopal Das, Kaali Ghosh, Heera Bai, Natwar, Jawahar Lal, Kaalo, Dwijen Sanyal. The songs of this film are penned by Pt. Natwar, and the music is RC Boral.
Here is what Mr Arunkumar Deshmukh, our beloved in house encyclopaedia, has to say about this movie:
SAUGANDH-1942 was a New Theatres film, based on a totally Bengali background. The screenplay and direction was by Hemchandra Chunder and the story and dialogues were by Boney Chatterjee.
Bipin was a hardworking man who built his business single handedly. His family was, wife, son Kumar-who studies in Calcutta and Arun- who is about to complete school in the village. Arun is more interested in loving Shanti-daughter of their neighbour and enemy Nilamber. Bipin falls sick and Kumar is called back. Kumar leaves his love-Prabha,daughter of his professor Laxmidas, and returns only to see the father dying. He gives father a promise that he will take care of business and family.
Kumar patches up with Nilamber to marry Shanti with Arun and sends Arun to Calcutta for further education. In Calcutta,Arun meets Bilas, who leads him waywards and introduces him to Gunsundari-a society girl. Kumar learns about all this, meanwhile their mother is ill and dies before Arun comes back. Kumar admonishes Arun, but he goes back to Calcutta to meet Gunsundari who throws him out. Next day Arun is arrested for her murder. Kumar reaches Calcutta and takes all the blame on himself.
Shanti and Prabha together with help of police find out that the murderer is Bilash.
Arun’s eyes open,they all return to village and both brothers get married.
This pattern of story was repeated several times not only in Hindi, Bengali but also many other languages later.
Here is a love song from this movie. It is sung by Asit Baran and Shanti.
In the lyrics, the two lovers address each other as raja beti (princess) and raja beta (prince) respectively and communicate in a dialect that is spoken in riral areas of eastern UP and Bihar, so it is difficult to decipher unless one has some exposure to this dialect. For whom is the princess preparing this floral garland, the man asks the lady. Come here and I will whisper the name in your ears, the lady replies. And who is she that the prince dreams about all the time, she asks. Come here and I will tell you in a song, he replies. The princess does not go anywhere just like that, She has to maintain her dignity, comes the reply.
The song is picturised on Asit Baran and his love interest, who I guess is played by Bharti. I request our knowledgeable readers to help identify her.
The wonderful and cute lyrics are penned by Pt Natwar. Music is composed by R C Boral.
All sources (obviously copying from HFGK) mention the female singer as just Shanti. I wonder who this singer is. Is she Shanti Sudha Ghosh, a playback singer active those days or someone else ? Or is it so that the name is nothing but the name of the character in the movie who lip syncs this song ? I request our knowledeable readers to throw light on the identification of this female singer.
Lyrics of this song were sent to me by Nitin Shah.
Song-Rajabeti kekra la goonthalu tu (Saugandh)(1942) Singers-Asit Baran, Shanti, Lyrics-Pt Natwar, MD-R C Boral
Lyrics(Provided by Nitin Shah)
rajabeti ee ee ee
rajabeti
kekraa la goonthalu tu rati rati
chun chun phulan ke haar
aaa haa haa
yahaan aao chupke se
kaan mein bataaun tohe
aao chupke se
kaan mein bataaun tohe
boloon naa main batiyaan pukaar aar
raja beta
kekraa tu sapan dekhal
nit jaage-adhjaage har baar
yahaan aao
yahaan aao o
rach rach geet main sunaau tohe
yahaan aao o o
rach rach geet main sunaaun tohe
boloon naa main batiyaan pukaar aar
boloon naa main batiyaan pukaar
uun hoon,
raja beti nahin jaayegi kisi ke thor
raja beti naahin jaayegi kisi ke thor
hansen nahin gaanv ke ganvaar aar
hansen nahin gaanv ke ganvaar
raja beti naahin jaayegi kisi ke thor
hansen nahin gaanv ke ganvaar
hansen nahin gaanv ke ganvaar
unhoon
haath kangan na galey moti maal sohe
goonthe rajabeti ke do haath
haath kangan na galey moti maal sohe
goonthe rajabeti ke do haath
phulan ke haar per haar haar jaayen laakhon
ratan o moti balihaar
ratan o moti balihaar
kaune mol deu sakhi
hiyaraa ke haarbaa tu
kaune mol deu sakhi
hiyaraa ke haarbaa tu
manwa jo chaahe hamaar
haan haan
manwa je chaahe hamaar
manwa kaa chaahe tor
man mein jo naache mor or or
manwa ka chaahe tor
man mein jo naache mor
aavo kahoon kaan mein tohaar
aavo kahoon kaan mein tohaar
un hoon
door se hi geet mein sunaao hamen
naahi abb hogi taqraar
haah haan
thim thum
doorse hi geet mein sunaao hamen
naahin abb hogi taqraar
rajabeti ee ee
