V Shantaram and Sandhya told Laxmikant-Pyarelal to compose the song in a ‘unique’ way.

“Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli” 1971

कजरा लगाके रे बिंदिया सजाके !! हो आई में तो आई रे आई लायी मोहे लायि मिलन धुन पिया की !

(The Unique Way Of Composing Song (as narrated by Living Legend PYARELAL ji)

When SANDHYA, actress and the wife of veteran filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke award winner V. SHANTARAM told Majrooh Sultanpuri and Laxmikant-Pyarelal to write the words and compose the Song and the Rhythm by watching her Dancing Steps and the Facial Expressions.

To work with veteran Actor, Producer – Director V. SHANTARAM used to be a pride. He was a great connoisseur of the talent. He had an exceptional sensitivity for the music of his films. The quality of the songs and music for V. Shantaram film’s used to be unique and special. Music used to be the asset for his films.

It was not an easy job to enter into V. Shantaram Camp. He has his own choice of music directors which was limited to 2 to 3. Many BIG names of music directors of Forties, Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, could not get the an opportunity, baring C. Ramchandra and Vasant Desai, to work with V. Shantaram.

It was in 1971, music directors LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL got an opportunity to work for the first and the last time for V Shantaram’s “classic” film, a DANCE-MUSICAL, “JAL BIN MACHHLI NRITYA BIN BIJLI”.

In one of the songs !!कजरा लगाके रे बिंदिया सजाके !! हो आई में तो आई रे आई लायी मोहे लायि मिलन धुन पिया की !!..

A long musical sitting was held between V. Shantaram, Actress Sandhya, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Majrooh Sultanpuri. Actress Sandhya first demonstrated the dance steps, performed the full dance and then told Laxmikant-Pyarelal to prepare the tune and rhythm by watching her steps. It was a different and unique style to compose the song. BUT Laxmikant-Pyarelal along with Lata Mangeshkar and Majrooh Sultanpuri came out with an outstanding composition.

A song on MAYUR-DANCE. One more gem of composition with different style. FLUTE is prominently used in western style. Perhaps the longest “prelude” 3 minutes and 27 seconds of beautiful dance sequence. FLUTE and SANTOOR, VIOLIN, VIOLA and GUITAR are prominently used and synchronized as well as overlapped, in western style orchestra arrangements with different style of rhythm of DHOLAK. Also don’t forget to listen to the “postlude” of the song and “Mayur Dance”.

LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL have brilliantly synchronized as well overlapped LATA MANGESHKAR’s voice in the highly rich orchestra arrangements.

FIRST TIME, FOR HINDI FILM MUSIC, all the songs of this films were recorded in “”Stereophonic Sound System””.

Ajay Poundarik, Atlanta (Georgia), USA. 3rd June, 2020.