Page 38 - Seniors Toady - September Issue 2020

Once Upon a Time | Music

The Copycat

Countdown

Hindi film music is by now known for picking up songs from

English and other languages, and turning them into desi
numbers. Narendra Kusnur lists a few popular copies

Every September, the title tune of the 1961 songs. SD Burman’s ‘Thandi Hawayein’
Hollywood film Come September does the from Naujawan, itself loosely inspired by a
social media rounds. Some even forward tune from Arabian Nights, was later used by
links of ‘Nazrein Mili’ from the 1995 film Madan Mohan in ‘Yehi Hai Tamanna’ (from
Raja, where Nadeem-Shravan had blatantly Aap Ki Parchaiyan), Roshan in ‘Rahein Na
lifted the western tune. Rahein Hum’ (Mamta) and RD Burman in
This year, there was an added attraction, ‘Saagar Kinare’ (Saagar), among others.
as a non-film version sung by 1960s singer Plagiarism has been rampant for years, and
Suman Kalyanpur is also being circulated. even the most renowned music directors
Composed by Shankar-Jaikishen, it begins have taken western tunes. In some cases,
with the lines ‘Rimjhim jhim jhim’ and they acknowledged the source, but in others,
credits Come September in its title. the ‘copy’ was discovered by listeners.
There are two other known Indian versions Here are 20 instances where western tunes
of this song. In 1967, T.K. Ramamoorthy’s have been lifted. The actual list is much
song ‘Vanthal Ennodu’ from the Tamil film longer, and extends to a few hundred.
Naan used the same tune. And in the 1995
film Baazi, Anu Malik used it in ‘Dole Dole 1 Yeh Hai Bambai Meri Jaan - CID
Dil Dole’. The song became an anthem for Bombay, but
There have been other instances where OP Nayyar’s tune was clearly a rehash of
the same tune has been used in multiple the country hit ‘O My Darling Clementine’,

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