REMINISCENCES - AN INTERVIEW

Thanks to Sri Sridhar Mukherjee, who gladly shared with me the rare photographs of Alpana Banerjee, presented along with.

(NOTE - THIS IS AN INTERVIEW GIVEN BY EMINENT VOCALIST ALPANA BANERJEE, TO AKASH BANGLA, TRANSLATED FROM BENGALI.)

RELEASE - 1957

SONG - AMI ALPANA ENKE JAI ALOY CHHAYAY

LYRICIST - PULAK BANERJEE

MUSIC COMPOSER - BHUPEN HAZARIKA

My paternal house was on Kankuliya Road. My father, Kantigopal Banerjee, a professor of the Presidency College, had a lot of knowledge in Music. Hearing me singing as a child, he had accepted me as his student.

Although throughout my career span, I primarily based on Contemporary Light Music, I had great passion for Classical Music, and would accompany Baba (my father) to famous musical programmes like the Tansen Music Conference, the Dover Lane Music Conference and the Sadarang Music Conference. We would often hear recitals of eminent artistes like Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravishankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Amir Khan and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, together. That was primarily how; I had developed great love for Indian Classical Music.

'ALPANA BANERJEE - A PORTRAIT'

Through Baba’s connection again, I had got the opportunity of coming in touch with various maestros of the musical world. Ali Da (Ustad Ali Akbar Khan) would often visit our house. As an artiste of Light Music, I have even gone for performances with Ali Da. For instance, there was a programme at Jamshedpur, where I had gone with him. I remember, Nikil Da (Pandit Nikhil Banerjee) was there too. There was another programme in Chittagong, where we had gone together. Ali Da was very affectionate towards me and liked my singing. He had even asked me to go off to America, to give music lessons in his Music College. I recall, once Ali Da had expressed his wishes to compose songs for me. I was humbled and said, “I am afraid, I might not be able to do justice your compositions - you’re such a great artiste!” Gnan Babu (Pandit Gnan Prakash Ghosh), who was again very affectionate towards me, was an eminent figure of the Radio in those days. Ali Da informed him of his wishes to compose songs for me. On Gnan Babu’s approval, I sang two songs in Ali Da’s composition for Akashbani’s Ramyageeti programme - “Aadho Raate Jege Khunji Nirala Akashe” and “Aajo Aankhijal Patho Cheye Roy”.

'WITH USTAD ALI AKBAR KHAN'

Baba would always tell me that he did not like the type of music I mainly dealt with. He always emphasized on learning Classical Music, as he believed that one’s foundation in music depended on his practise of Classical Music.  I had learnt various techniques of preparing the voice, from Baba.

It was the year 1948, when I first sang on the Radio. Then I was a young girl of fourteen or fifteen years. In those days, Anurodher Asor was a famous radio programme. Akashbani would purchase rights from HMV to broadcast songs released on records. Whenever I would go for musical programmes even in those early days, as soon as my name was announced, I was greeted with loud applauses. I felt so nice, being loved by all my listeners! I do not recall a single function, where I had been allowed to leave the stage after singing one or two songs. My listeners wouldn’t leave me until I sang four-five or six songs at least.

'BEING AWARDED FOR THE “SUBHADA” SONG'

I have given playback in quite a few films like “Pathe Holo Deri”, “Sagarika”, “Ora Thake Odhare”, “Saheb Bibi Ghulam” and “Subhada”. While thinking of, “Subhada”, a film produced by Sunanda Devi and based on Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s writing, I recall an incident. It was the year 1952 - I was quite young then and would wear a frock at home. Only when I went out, would I wear a saree. Gouri Da (Gouri Prasanna Majumdar) had penned my song for the film, “Ami Janina, Janina, Janina, Oi Jadubhora Kalo Chokhe Ki Maya Dole”, sung by Manju Dey on screen, for which, Bangiyo Chalachhitra O Natya Sangha had awarded me the best playback singer’s prize for the year. The Award Ceremony was held at the Shree Cinema in Shyambazar, and the person who handed me over the certificate, was the then Governor of West Bengal, Dr. Harendranath Mukherjee.

FILM - ORA THAKE ODHARE (1954)

SONG - KENO THEKE THEKE AMARE DOLAY

LYRICIST - PREMEMNDRA MITRA

MUSIC COMPOSER - KALIPADA SEN

Our very own Dada, Uttam Da (Uttam Kumar) needs no introduction. He was a great person and always had a smile on his face. For him, everyone was equal - be it the waiter or the producer, for him they were no different. Uttam Da was very affectionate towards me and had even attended my wedding. One day, while I had gone to the Indrapuri Studio for a recording, Uttam Da called me and said, “Alps, come here…” - he never called me by my real name, and had affectionately nicknamed me Alps. When I went close, Uttam Da said, “Alps, Kanan Devi was a wonderful singer, and an actress as well. You sing. I act in films, and I can sing too, do you know that?” I said, “Yes, Dada, I know that you’re a good singer”. He continued, “Let’s do a film together. I’ll be the hero and you, the heroine. Will be act together and sing together in it - we would surely have a few duets as well!” I wasn’t prepared for such an offer. Looking up at him, I said, “Dada, let me honestly tell you something. You’ve acted in so many films, and none have been a flop. But if you ask me to act opposite to you, and the film is finally a flop, the reason for its failure will remain my injustice towards the role - I have no training or experience in acting, you know. In this situation, do you think it will be correct if I arrive as your heroine?” Hearing my answer, Uttam Da said, “O, so you’ll not keep my request? I am feeling sad about it, Alps.” By then it was time for me to enter the recording room. I said, “Dada, now I have a recording. Won’t you wish me luck?”  Patting on my back, Uttam Da smiled and said, “Best of luck, Alps. Your recording today will surely be successful.”

'WITH UTTAM KUMAR & SHYAMAL MITRA'

Suchitra Sen is a great artiste. But in those early days, she was not very well known. Even I had not gained much fame as of then. It was me, who sang the first song Suchitra Sen lip synched on screen - “Ei Mala Je Chao, Tumi Ei Mala Je Chao”. After this I sang for her in a few films, one of which was “Ora Thake Odhare”. In “Sagarika”, I had sung for actress Jamuna Sinha - “Hridoy Amar Sundaro Tabo Paye”.

FILM - SAAT NAMBAR KOYEDI (1953)

SONG - EI MALA JE CHAO TUMI

LYRICIST - GOURI PRASANNA MAJUMDAR

MUSIC COMPOSER - KALIPADA SEN

One day, Gouri Da and Shyamal Da (Shyamal Mitra) came to my house on Kankuliya Road. Gouri Da said, “Alpana, let’s sit and create a song”. In front of me that day, he wrote the song “Jetha Achhe Ogo Sudhu Nirabata” and Shyamal Da put it to tune.

RELEASE - 1955

SONG - JETHA ACHHE OGO SUDHU NIRABATA

LYRICIST - GOURI PRASANNA MAJUMDAR

MUSIC COMPOSER - SHYAMAL MITRA

The head of HMV, Calcutta in those days was Mr. P.K.Sen. One day he called me and asked what sort of songs I wanted to record. I answered, “See, all artistes sing songs that are more suited for mature listeners. You know, I have a lot of young friends. I wish to record songs for children. Hence my friends would enjoy them a lot and appreciate me. I would feel very nice!”

RELEASE - 1956

SONG - POUSHALI SANDHYA GHUM GHUM TANDRA

LYRICIST - BHASKAR BASU

MUSIC COMPOSER - SUDHIN DASGUPTA

Balsara Ji (V. Balsara) was a very talented artiste. He could play a wide range of instruments. Balsara Ji never played with anyone; however, he had happily accompanied me as an instrumental artiste in all my programmes in Doordarshan. I still remember the day I had gone to see him at the Calcutta Hospital on his last day, with my husband. Going there we saw, Balsara Ji was lying with a nose tube fitted on him - he was in a critical stage then. Seeing us, he called me close and said, “Alpana Didi, would you please sing to me “Chand Tumi Ghumate Paro?”

The vocal artistes of contemporary times sing very well. Even the lyricists and music composers are good at their own spheres of creation. When hearing their songs, I feel very nice. But suppose while hearing a particular song, I go to another room for some work, when I come back, I find I do not remember the song. I do not know, if this is the basic difference between the present day songs and those of the older days. But for me, no artiste is inferior.  I pray that all singers who are presently singing and also the ones, who are trying hard to achieve a platform, are very successful in life. I still believe that the older generation of artistes and their creations will never get wiped off from the memories of listeners.

RELEASE - 1959

SONG - MON BOLCHHE AAJ SANDHYAY

LYRICIST - SHYAMAL GUPTA

MUSIC COMPOSER - MANABENDRA MUKHERJEE