Remembering Mukesh - His Realm Was Pathos

One has to concede that the very timbre of his voice imposed certain limitations on the singer. Though he sang romantic, patriotic, devotional songs and 'ghazals', Mukesh was in his element in the pathetic.

 

His realm was pathos, as was the late Meena Kumari's in acting and Madan Mohan's in composing. Coupled with this Mukesh had the uncanny gift of putting himself (and his audience) into a sort of trance, a state in which one forgets one's being, having become one with the emotion, identifying oneself with the situation.

Composer C Ramachandra [sic] once said that Mukesh sang 'besur' (out of tune). The remark is hardly fair. There was the time Sardar Malik was rehearsing Mukesh for a song, Saranga teri yaadmein, Nain huve bechain at the Mehboob Studios, two decades ago. The 'murki' or subtle short 'harkat' as Malikji wanted at two particular places in the song was eluding Mukesh for a long time. The singer became uneasy as the evening shadows advanced and the song could not be recorded. At last, happily, Mukesh sang it the way Malikji wanted it. Today the tune still haunts music lovers. If taking-more time than unusual for a particular portion was misconstrued as being 'besur,' then the remark is ill-founded.

If Mukesh was a great singer, he was greater as a man Kisiki muskurahaton pe ho nisar; Kisika dard mil sake to le udhar; Kisike waste to tere dil mein pyar; Jeena isika naam hein. That was his own philosophy. A quote hung prominently in his drawing room gives us an insight into the man; it reads "If you ever find a man without a smile, give him your own". Throughout his life, Mukesh lived up to the saying.

A shy, soft spoken and unassuming personality, he had the catholicity of mind to lavish praise on his fellow artistes, even juniors, without any reservations. Sub kuch seekha humne na seekhee hoshiyari; Such hein duniyawalon ke hum hein anaaree. And so he was. A peerless artiste who simply could not blend art with business. His was a heart with malice towards none and everybody longed for his company.

Mukesh completed only days before he left on his concert tour abroad from where he was never to return, the last of the eight long playing records on "Tulsi Ramayana." It was to be his last marathon performance for posterity. While on the tour, Mukesh was reported to have expressed his preparedness to face death; one wonders whether he had a premonition.

Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahin wapas bula le;
Mein sajade mein gira hun, mujhko ei malik utha le.

Mukesh will be remembered as long as there is love, good-will and compassion in our hearts. His songs, profoundly emotional in character, carry undertones of these qualities. We, the new generation of singers, will have paid him our honest homage if we can successfully emulate him as a man instead of attempting to imitate him as a singer.


This article was published in 'Filmfare' magazine's 1-15 September 1978 edition.