To get Manna Da to talk in this intimate fashion takes some doing for the man simply abhors interviews and interviewers. “I simply detest people who ask questions without knowing anything about the subject”- is his simple explanation. I still remember how he had tried to wriggle out of an interview with ten different excuses before agreeing for a short interview, which had then stretched over almost three hours, at the end of which I had even managed to make him sing one-on-one! While making him agree to do this live public interview session, I reminded him of that twelve year-old encounter, which brought a mischievous smile on his face. The moment I saw it, I was sure the great man was ready for the challenge!

 

Early Memories

 

He started off with a tale about his unusual name ‘Manna’ and said, “Prabodhchandra was the real name given to me by my father Purnachandra Dey but I never ever liked it.  ‘Manna’ was my nickname and my uncle and Guru- K.C. Dey, (the great blind singer of Bengal) always used to call me by that name. Somehow I liked that name and changed it officially when I reached college!”

 

He says that it was again K.C. Dey- a singer who had mastery over many Indian musical genres like Dadra, Thumri, Kajri and Ghazal, who inspired him to be an open-throated singer. ‘Awaaz Kholke Gao’ was his advice to Manna.

 

Recounting his early memories of film-industry, Manna Da said, “Composer Shankar Rao Vyas gave me my first film-song in 1943-film Ramrajya. Actually the producer wanted my uncle K.C.Dey to sing that song but he refused and instead suggested my name. In the film, the song was picturised on an old sage Valmiki. In fact, at that young age of twenty-plus mostly I ended up singing for white haired old men! At Bimalda’s (Bimal Roy’s) insistence I went to see my Parineeta- hit Chali Radhe Rani and was again disappointed to see that it was filmed on another white-bearded old man!

 

“In the 1940s, the playback singers were not given credits on records and that’s why many of my earlier songs never received any attention. In fact, the first time my name appeared on a gramophone record, it listed my name as ‘Moona Dey’! I was so angry that time!”

 

“In those days, I worked as an assistant to music directors like S.D.Burman and Khemchand Prakash and even composed music for many mythological films at the ripe old age of twenty-five. So embarrassed was I to be associated with that music that I used to flatly deny that I had composed songs for such serious, pious films! Finally in 1950-film Mashal, I got my real break as playback singer when my song Upar Gagan Vishal became a hit. ”

 

Remembering his association with Sachindev Burman- the composer who gave him that first major hit, Manna Da reminisces how different were Sachinda’s looks. “He was so tall, looked like a Chinaman and had white-paper like complexion. He always used to come to our house as K.C. Dey was his Guru, too. As a youngster, I was fascinated by his different looks and his Royal pedigree (he was a prince of Agartala) and so I used to sit besides him whenever he was at our place. Somehow he also took a liking to me and later invited me to be his assistant. Mashaal was produced by Mr. Wacchha- who was my admirer and he insisted that in that film, I should get a credit as Associate Music Director, so if you observe carefully that film credits me as Sachinda’s associate!”

 

Life was a struggle  

 

When I asked him whether singing was a great hobby but a painful profession, Manna Da readily agreed and revealed that his entire life had been a struggle. He was quite candid in accepting that he had to always fight for second place as the top spot in those days was reserved for the great Mohammed Rafi. But he proudly said, “I always took it up as challenge. After our duet Mama O Mama was recorded, even Rafi had to admit that a certain note in that song he couldn’t render but I could! He was a fine human being. He was not much educated and even though some people said that he was trained by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, his classical music knowledge was not much. But he had a unique style of his own.”

 

Without rancour, he remembered how the producers openly pressurized composers to choose other singers over him. Thus in Basant Bahar, (where he sang superb songs like Sur Na Saje and Bhay Bhanjana), the hero Bharat Bhushan’s brother Shashi Bhushan wanted Rafi and in Chori Chori (where he rendered classics like Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi and Aaja Sanam) producer A.V. Mayyappan wanted Mukesh as their main singers. Dey was grateful to composers Shankar- Jaikishan, particularly Shankar for recognizing his talent and standing up for him on both occasions, thus giving him chance to prove his mettle.

 

He said he didn’t rue the missed opportunity of becoming superstar Raj Kapoor’s regular playback singer. According to him, Mukesh shared a great personal friendship with Kapoor and the undercurrent of pathos in that singer’s voice suited RK’s screen image better. Remembering Raj Kapoor’s great sense of music, Manna Da recounted how the thespian first made the singer sing the Malhar- raga and then made composers Shankar- Jaikishan compose a brilliant comedy- classical number Lapak Jhapak for Boot Polish. Such was Kapoor’s musical passion that he even joined Manna Da in the song, lending some comic vocal gimmickry to great effect.

 

The Comedy Connection

 

Talking about his trademark Comedy Classical genre of film-songs where he had to balance classical melody with screen comedy, he was quick to point out the composer’s contribution in such songs, when he said, “Here I have to give maximum credit to composers who had the imagination to use a traditional classical tune and convert it into a popular song. As a singer, I did my best to add variations and ornamentation but the initial job was already done by the music directors.”

 

Manna Da was similarly very appreciative of comedian Mehmood’s involvement in his songs. He remembered how Pancham (R.D.Burman) first used Manna Da’s voice for Mehmood in the Pati Patni- comic number Allah Jaane Main Hoon Kaun, which later became a popular trend. He fondly reminisced how the comedian used to coax and cajole him to add more Masala (spice) to his songs. He says, “Once Chitragupt had composed a comic song- Roti Ban Gayi Sookh Ke Kaanta which was to be picturised on Mehmood and that motherly lady- Lalita Pawar, playing a fruit-vendor. After the rehearsal, Mehmood accompanied home and asked me- ‘Dada, are you singing this song for Dilip Kumar?’ I asked him why and he said, “Apne Mehmood-Bhai ke liye aapne iss mein kucchh masala nahi daala.’ Then we sat together before that recording and added many pranks to spice up the song. What a man he was! He could crack a joke in any situation. The heroes were scared of him hogging popularity and he knew it. He used to openly say, ‘Usko To Main Kha Daloonga’! I sang so many comic songs for him. I still remember the fun we had while recording the Padosan-number Ek Chatur Naar. Pancham and Kishore Kumar made that song so memorable!”

 

Comparing the two Burmans he said, “People often say Sachin Dev Burman was a great composer. Yes, he was but I feel Pancham was one step ahead of his father.”

 

The Filmfare Tale

 

Concluding the session, he lightheartedly described how he absolutely hated getting the Filmfare award for an ‘ordinary’ song like Aye Bhai Zara Dekhke Chalo instead of getting it earlier for better deserving numbers. “After recording Nirbal Se Ladai Balwan Ki for Toofan Aur Diya, V. Shantaram had told me that I would win the Filmfare for the song. Par Nahi Mila. Then Madan Mohan predicted that for Kaun Aaya Mere Man Ke Dware. Nahi Mila. Roshan was sure about Laaga Chunari Mein Daag but again it was the same story. Nahi Mila. Then it was Kasme Vaade Pyaar Wafa. Phir Nahi Mila. And then finally I got it for Aye Bhai Zara Dekhke Chalo. Woh Bhi Koi Gaana Tha? Aage Bhi Nahi Peeche Bhi, Uupar Bhi Nahi Neeche Bhi!”

 

The smilingly made observation was tinged with a lingering regret of a great singer who never really got his due!