Musician Uttam Singh is a well-known figure in Hindi cinema who started working in music from a very young age. Today, on his 76th birthday, let's explore some interesting facts he shared in a flashback conversation with Lehren Retro, including the turning points of his career and the significance of "Dil To Pagal Hai."
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00:00It was a big surprise for a person like me because I never thought that I would do music
00:20direction.
00:21I was a well-established arranger of the industry.
00:24When the judge called Mr. Bakshi, Mr. Bakshi came and asked about the situation, he said
00:31that Uttam Singh, please play the tune.
00:34So I played the tune and he left.
00:37Why did music deteriorate today?
00:40Because people are now seeing music.
00:43The devaluation of music has happened because people now only see music and not listen to
00:50it.
00:51Sir, we will start with the moment when you entered this industry.
00:57How was it?
00:58First of all, let me wish my viewers of Lehren, my greetings to all of you.
01:07I never like to talk about myself because it is better to talk about work.
01:19Still, since you have asked, I will tell you.
01:24My life started when I was four and a half years old as a music student.
01:34And when it came to being a student, I am a Sikh and Sikh means student.
01:44I am still learning music.
01:47First of all, I am a Sikh and on top of that, I am still learning.
01:52I started learning music when I was four and a half years old.
01:56My father started teaching me.
01:58In which I learned matka, tabla, classical violin, Kathak dance.
02:07And while doing all this, at the age of twelve, I started playing western classical violin,
02:15for which people know me today.
02:17I play western violin.
02:23And in 1962, I played my first recording.
02:28And in 1965, I did my first arrangement as an arranger.
02:36And as a composer, with my due, Jagdish Khanna, who is not among us today,
02:44I did my first film with him, Quinter Babu, which was in 1982.
02:48In which Manoj ji gave us a chance.
02:50My first film as a solo, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, for which you all know.
02:59Just this small life.
03:02Dil Toh Pagal Hai was a major achievement for you, sir.
03:05And it has been awarded also.
03:08Any one kind of sharing things you would like to share with us?
03:11Dil Toh Pagal Hai, it was a major achievement.
03:15And it is a very big film.
03:19ESG made a very beautiful film.
03:22But the media of this film was a bit strange.
03:27I didn't know that I was doing this film.
03:30Because before this film, I was offered a telefilm by ESG.
03:36Which was brought by Sanjeev Kohli.
03:38He said, Uttam, you do this telefilm.
03:40I said, I want to do music, whether it is a telefilm or whatever.
03:44And you are saying, so you are my friend, so I will do.
03:47So these songs were made for the telefilm.
03:51Then I had a sitting with ESG, they liked the songs.
03:55Then I had a sitting with ESG, they liked the songs.
04:00After that, I kept making songs with ESG.
04:03I didn't know what I was doing.
04:05So, at the time, after 6-7 months, when a lot of songs were made.
04:11And he was selecting the songs.
04:14Then he told me, Uttam, you are doing my film.
04:17You are not doing telefilm.
04:19So it was a big surprise for a person like me.
04:22Because it was not in my mind that I would ever do music.
04:30I was a well-established arranger of the industry.
04:33A little while before that, I did Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aap Kiya.
04:37It was a hit.
04:38So I didn't have any mind to become a music actor.
04:43So this is the opportunity I got in this way.
04:47Sir, there was one more incident in Arre Arre.
04:51Do you want to share it with us?
04:53Yes, it was a very strange incident.
04:56I was continuously singing this tune to ESG.
05:14I was singing continuously.
05:16They said, it sounds good.
05:18But after a while, 6 months passed.
05:25One day, Uday came to me and said,
05:30Uday, listen to this tune.
05:33Because I feel that this song will go very well in this film.
05:36And it will be a very beautiful thing.
05:38Because there is such a thing in this song.
05:40There is such a thing in these notes.
05:42These notes can be played in every way.
05:44For example, if there is a war scene going on,
05:49that can be played.
05:50And if there is a sad scene going on,
05:53if there is a heavy scene going on,
05:55these notes can be used in such a manner that
05:58it can be used in any way.
06:00So I want to play this tune for you.
06:03So he heard it and said, Daddy, this is fantastic.
06:06From there, everyone's mind changed.
06:09Now when the mind changed to write this tune,
06:12we started writing poetry on this.
06:15Poetry means words.
06:16Now, Yashji is also writing.
06:19Bhabhi ji is also writing.
06:21After that, Adi is also writing.
06:23Although Adi is a very good writer.
06:25He is also writing.
06:26I am also writing.
06:27I mean, like,
06:30there are fake words.
06:31For example, now this song is
06:33Now this song is
06:37Now I am writing, suppose
06:39I said this to you
06:42You are mine
06:45Why did I say this to you
06:49Whatever it is,
06:50whenever you write something,
06:52the tune becomes zero.
06:57Whenever you write something,
06:58you feel there is something wrong with the tune.
07:01So everyone thought,
07:02okay, when the time comes,
07:04let's think what to do.
07:06So, Yashji called Bakshi sahib.
07:11Bakshi sahib came.
07:14He asked the situation.
07:15Yes, Yashji, tell me the situation.
07:18Yes, Uttam Singh, play the tune.
07:20So I played the tune.
07:22So he left.
07:25I was left thinking.
07:27I played the tune.
07:28He told me the situation.
07:30So he left and went to the bathroom.
07:33I don't know what happened.
07:35After 2-3 minutes,
07:36when he came out of the bathroom,
07:38he said,
07:39Yashji, your situation
07:42and Uttam Singh's tune says
07:44Oh, oh, oh, what happened
07:47No one recognizes
07:49Whatever it is.
07:50Oh, oh, oh, don't become
07:53A story somewhere
07:56This is a poet.
07:58So we all became like this.
08:01And he wrote the whole tune in 10 minutes.
08:06And after that,
08:08he took the interval.
08:11And I think
08:13when he came next time,
08:15he brought 18 or 20 or 15-20 intervals.
08:19Then it would be difficult for us
08:20what to select in this.
08:22Then we made an interval of two intervals.
08:25So that maximum
08:27his writing could be found.
08:29So you never know
08:31what to say.
08:32And see,
08:33this tune
08:34from the first frame
08:36to the last frame
08:37this song is played.
08:39Be it in the background,
08:40or in the song,
08:41or in the solo,
08:42or anything.
08:43Because
08:44Oh, oh, what happened
08:45And the whole film is happening.
08:47What is happening?
08:48How is it happening?
08:49Why is it happening?
08:50So that suited
08:52so well in the film.
08:54Sir, any one tune
08:55that you still
08:57maybe yours
08:58or the past
08:59that you were inspired by.
09:00Any one tune
09:01that you love a lot.
09:05See, there are so many songs
09:07that have no limitation.
09:09And what will a person think
09:11how to
09:12I have
09:17a lot
09:20Even in childhood,
09:21I used to repeat that song.
09:24That song is of Shankarji.
09:28Sir, I may be forgetting the words.
09:30But
09:32see, what is his feeling,
09:33and what is the song,
09:34and what is the writing,
09:35and what is his composition.
09:38A hundred years ago
09:41I loved you
09:49Even today
09:51and
09:52even tomorrow
09:54It is so simple.
09:56What is his feeling,
09:57what is his composition,
09:59what is his performance,
10:00what song has Rafi Sahib sung.
10:03So, these things are immortal.
10:06Because, see
10:07can anyone say
10:08where did this song come from?
10:10This song may be
10:11from any tune
10:12or it may have come
10:13from any medium
10:14or it may have a source.
10:15No, its source
10:16was God.
10:18Its source was
10:19Amat.
10:20Because music
10:21is just air.
10:23No one can see it.
10:25Only the listener can hear it.
10:27Why did music go bad today?
10:28Because today
10:29music has become
10:30visible.
10:32The devaluation
10:33of music
10:34has happened
10:35because
10:36today people
10:37only see music
10:38and not listen to it.
10:41When you listen
10:42to something
10:43it will touch your soul.
10:44That thing
10:45is immortal.
10:46See, this song
10:47I sang it 40 years ago
10:4845 years ago
10:49and I still remember it.
10:50I still remember
10:51its tune.
10:52If I don't remember the words
10:53it doesn't matter.
10:54But I still remember
10:55the tune.
10:56Sir, you have
10:57told us a very good thing.
10:58Similarly,
10:59the music you used to
11:00give earlier
11:01with Yash ji
11:03those were actually
11:04melodies.
11:05And today
11:06those were also
11:07directors of that era
11:08who had such films
11:09and you gave
11:10such music.
11:11That charm.
11:12Because it's all about
11:13directors, what you want.
11:14It's all about
11:15your interest
11:16with that director
11:17and the chemistry.
11:18But if today's
11:19directors
11:20take an example
11:21of Farhan Akhtar
11:22and the present directors
11:23those were
11:24so how much
11:25will you change
11:26your style
11:27to give music
11:28to their films?
11:29See, I
11:30will not change
11:31myself.
11:32I will try to
11:33opt the modern
11:34style.
11:35If you see
11:36Dil Toh Pagal Hai
11:37is a pure modern
11:38film.
11:39Gaddar is
11:40totally against it.
11:41Dushman is
11:42after that
11:43today we have
11:44Pinjar.
11:45Pinjar is
11:46pure Punjab.
11:47I can't say
11:48that we have
11:49heard this Punjab.
11:50Is it Punjab?
11:51It's a story
11:52of 1947.
11:53Gaddar is
11:54also a story
11:55of 1947.
11:56Pick up both
11:57their music.
11:58Take both
11:59their subjects.
12:00Both have
12:01different music.
12:02Although it is
12:03Punjab.
12:04I will opt
12:05the way
12:06people want
12:07but I will
12:08keep my tendency,
12:09I will keep
12:10my reputation,
12:11I will keep
12:12my music,
12:13I will keep
12:14my creation.
12:15If someone
12:16asks me
12:17to leave,
12:18I will say
12:19Namaste.
12:20This is
12:21not my job.
12:22I will try
12:23to give
12:24melody
12:25which is
12:26always
12:27lasting,
12:28long lasting
12:29plus keeping
12:30my musical
12:31arrangement
12:32according to
12:33the situation,
12:34according to
12:35the film,
12:36according to
12:37the time.
12:38But I will
12:39not opt
12:40a music
12:41from somewhere
12:42that tomorrow
12:43my song
12:44will be
12:45played
12:46and people
12:47will say
12:48this is
12:49from there,
12:50this is from
12:51there and
12:52people
12:53will write
12:54that this
12:55is from
12:56there.
12:57I don't
12:58think,
12:59till now
13:00my name
13:01has not
13:02come in
13:03that list
13:04and I
13:05don't
13:06want my
13:07name to
13:08come in
13:09that list.
13:10So,
13:11I will
13:12try to
13:13have my