A guest post from Sathya (imsathya@yahoo.com), and as it turns out,
another Lata-CR song. One of their very best.

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#471
       Song:   ab woh raatein kahan ab woh baatein kahan
               woh mere pyaar kii chaandni lut gayi

       Film:   Yasmin (1955)
       Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
       Music:  C.Ramchandra
       Lyrics: Jan Nissar Akhtar
       *ing:   Vyjantimala, Suresh

"Yasmin" is a treasure trove for any lover of music. The magnificent
compositions stand our vying with each other for supremacy. This song is
possibly the best. What a melody. From the first notes, it is apparent
that here is a very different song. And it moves through differnt
levels of singing leaving us gasping for breath. The best piece is when
Lata takes off on the first stanza :
     "Mujhko apni khabar thi na dil ki khabar
      Kaisi madhosh thi main har shamo seher"

Brilliant composition beautifully rendered by Lata,. Yasmin may be the
movie where this great duo(CR & Lata) reached their peak. And it was
also almost the last where Lata sung for CR. A tragedy- for no other
pairing has given as great compositions as they have.

This film has a number of other great compositions. "Aankhon mein sama
jao" is a must-hear in the darkness of the night. "Mujhpe ilzaame
bewafai hai" , "Dil unko doondtha" are both fine numbers.

The other singer who CR held in great regard was Talat Mahmood-and he
gave us much to relish in the voice of the 50S with that fabulous
duet "Tum apni yaad bhi dil se" wherse" where Talat completely
overshadows Lata as he did in "Seene mein sulagte hain". That
was Talat's age - the most melodious age of Indian music. Then possibly
the most popular song of the film "Bechain nazar betaab jigar,yeh dil
haikisi ka diwana" - a bewitching number with the superb use of the
mandolin. As with all Talat songs, fine lyrics :
         Hai dil ka chaman khilne ke liye,
         Aayega koi milne ke liye
         Phoolon se kaho, taaron se kaho
         Chupke se sajale veeraana

Its a treasure really - and this is film music at its best.Dont know if
the film is available on tape. "Ankhon me sama jao" appeared on Lata
rare gems srs and "Ab woh raten" I am yet to findon any HMV release.
Only the two Talat songs appear frequently.

Sathya
imsathya@yahoo.com

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Just a couple of observations... Yasmin was nowhere close to their last-
Amardeep(1958), Baarish(1957), Sharda(1957?), Stree(1961), etc.

And Talat 'completely overshadows' Lata in 'seene mein sulagte hain
armaan' ?? I think not.