Tansen
About Tansen
Orphaned young, Tansen (K. L. Saigal) trains for years and comes home to a village where he falls in love with the singer Tani (Khursheed Bano), a shepherdess. He tames an elephant with his voice after she saves it, and Raja Ramchandra of Rewa becomes his friend. Emperor Akbar (Mubarak), looking for a musician for his navratnas, hears of a song that brings a leafless tree into bloom and has Tansen brought to Agra. Court rivals press the Deepak raga on him; the film shows the lamps catching fire and Tansen burning until Tani sings Megh Malhar and rain restores him.
Cast & crew
More about Tansen
Jayant Desai directed for Ranjit Movietone and borrowed K. L. Saigal from New Theatres, where Saigal was under contract. Munshi Dil wrote the dialogue. At the opening Desai called it a love story of Tansen and Tani, and Saigal spoke about the musician.
Themes
Background
It opened in 1943, while the Muslim League was calling for a separate state. Later comment has read the Mughal court scenes as a picture of Muslims in India rather than as a straight historical record.
In film history
Saigal's Tansen, with Khursheed as Tani, became one of the main Hindi musical versions of the court singer, and one of its tunes was later used as a model by Naushad.
Making
Saigal was not on the Ranjit roster. Desai borrowed him from New Theatres for the lead and had him speak about Tansen at the start of the film.
Reviews
On a radio programme, composer Anil Biswas singled out Prakash for keeping 'Sapt Suran Teen Gram' in the Dhrupad style. Commentary on the film has also described its Mughal court as 'affirming the place of the Muslim in India rather than interpreting history.'
Audiences
It was the second highest-grossing Indian film of 1943.
Music
Khemchand Prakash composed, with lyrics by Pandit Indra and D. N. Madhok. Saigal and Khursheed Bano sing the leads, including 'More Balapan Ke Saathi,' 'Rumajhum Rumajhum Chaal Tihaari,' and 'Baraso Re.'
Preservation
A copy is on Wikimedia Commons as Tansen (1943).webm.
Notes
- It was the second highest-grossing Indian film of 1943.
- The score has 13 songs. Saigal sings 'Diya Jalao' in Deepak, 'Kahe Gumaan Kare Re Gori' in Gaara, and 'Baag Laga Dun Sajani' in Megh Malhar.
- Anil Biswas later credited Khemchand Prakash for having Saigal sing 'Sapt Suran Teen Gram' in Dhrupad rather than Khayal, a genre Biswas said did not exist in Tansen's lifetime.
- Prakash used a piano in the score, later noted as a slip in a period film.
- Naushad's 'Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal Chedd Gayo Re' in Mughal-e-Azam was drawn from 'Kahe Gumaan Kare Re Gori.'
- Kamala Chatterjee plays Akbar's daughter and Nagendra plays Birbal.
- Desai's next historical, in 1945, was about Chandragupta Maurya.
Scenes
- Tansen sings a leafless tree into bloom for Tani, and Akbar's men take him to Agra.
- After Deepak sets the lamps alight and burns him, Tani's Megh Malhar brings the rain.
Influenced
- Mughal-e-Azam (song 'Mohe Panghat Pe' drawn from 'Kahe Gumaan Kare Re Gori')
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Tansen (1943).webm)