Commemorating the 112th Birth Anniversary of legendary filmmaker Sashadhar Mukerji: Monarch of Musical Marvels

By Priyanka Raina
Commemorating the 112th Birth Anniversary of legendary filmmaker Sashadhar Mukerji: Monarch of Musical Marvels

Sashadhar Mukerji (of Filmistan and Filmalaya) was highly dynamic and enterprising, full of zest and zeal, brimming with positive outlook and, not the least, always on the move… as exemplified by his successful sojourn from Bombay Talkies to Filmistan to Filmalaya to S Mukerji Film Syndicate …..

Truly, his name Sashadhar (the Crescent Moon) signified radiance and resplendence of a personality attractive and awe inspiring, exalted and enamouring who touched gold at every step. It is this unabated spate of success after sucess that kept the Mukerji on the Move ~ All’WAYS’ !!

Mukerji was a MSc with Physics and, interestingly, he represented the ‘kinetic energy’ of a moving object irrespective of whether he moved with his family and friends or walked alone!

He was the Monarch of Musical Marvels with an impressive track record of successful musicals ranging from:
Bandhan, Jhoola, Kismat (as the Producer for Bombay Talkies ) to his own Filmistan’s formula laden feisty entertainers:
Do Bhai, Eight Days, Safar, Shikari, Saajan, Shehnai, Sindoor, Shaheed, Nadiya ke Paar, Samadhi, Sargam, Anand Math, Shabistan, Shreematiji, Shart, Anarkali, Nagin, Nastik, Jagriti, Durgesh Nandini, Champakali, Heer, Munimji, Paying Guest, Tumsa Nahin Dekha to the offspring Filmalaya’s fun filled offerings :
Dil Deke Dekho, Hum Hindustani, Love in Simla, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Aao Pyar Karen, Tu Hi Meri Zindagi to the S Mukerji Film Syndicates’ gambol and gamble: Leader and Sambandh respectively…

Clean and wholesome entertainment with particular emphasis on good music and dance was the hallmark of Mukerji’s movies.

Two noteworthy features of the Midas Mukerji were:

Fundamentally, he was an Indian and probably a Gandhian; at best a nationalist who was always attired in white with a prominent Gandhi cap!

Quite a number of romantic musical films set in the backdrop of freedom struggle and dialogues and songs resonating with patriotism bear testimony to this:
Films like Shaheed, Samadhi, Anandmath, Hum Hindustani (not sure), Leader, Tu Hi Meri Zindagi had nationalistic fervour with, of course, the essential box office staple of romance, music and dance. Even films like Chal Chal Re Naujawan, Shikari, Shabnam, Shreematiji, Jagriti, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina had the turbulent war time backdrop though not connected to the main plot.

Mukerji understood the pulse of the people and touched the right chord with songs like:

Door hato ae duniyawalo Hindustan hamara hai (Kismat)

Bharat ke naujawano chalo ek raah par (Chal Chal Re Naujawan)

Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan shaheed ho (Shaheed)

Sab milkar Hind pukaaren, Jai azaad Hind ke baare (Samadhi)

Subhashchandra ke naam se hai Hindustan ka Naam (Samadhi)

Vande maataram (Anandmath)

Aao bachcho tumhen dikhaayen jhaanki Hindustan ki (Jagriti)

Hum laayen hai toofan se kishti nikaal ke (Jagriti)

De di hamen azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal (Jagriti)

Chhodo kal ki baaten (Hum Hindustani)

Apni azaadi ko hum hargiz mita sakte nahin (Leader)

Mere watan ka hai tu woh ratan

Ae mere watan, mere pyaare watan, tu hi meri zindagi

Tumhen watan phir pukarta hai

Mayoos na ho ae mere watan…. Adam ka lahu
(All four from Tu Hi Meri Zindagi)

Since many Mukerji movies were all about ‘Romance on the Road’, yet another noteworthy feature was the picturisation of songs on ‘moving objects’ like bullock cart, horse, caravan, boat, ship, cycle, jeep, motor car, train including ferris or giant wheels. As mentioned before, like these vehicles, he too represented the kinetic energy which literally kept Mukerji on the Move ~ All’WAYS’:

Chal chal re naujawan
(First Song ‘On Feet’ for a bigger Feat at every step)

Na jaane kidhar aaj meri naav chali re (Boat)

Jawani ki rel chali jaaye re (Toy Train)

More raja ho le chal nadiya ke paar (Boat)

Main hoon ek khalasi (Ship)

Do naina tumhare pyaare pyaare (Boat with mast)

Vande maataram (Horse)

Zindagi pyar ki di char Ghadi (partially on a royal craft)

Piya main to hui baawri (Jeep)

Chala kaafila pyar ka (bullock carts)

Aao bachcho tumhen dikhaayen (Train)

Dekh tere sansaar ki haalat (Train)