S.D. Burman wanted to experiment with the majestic Hemant Kumar for the song ‘Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni’ in Jaal . The haunting Sahir Ludhianvi lyrics had a deep romantic essence.
Director Guru Dutt and hero Dev Anand were excited about the idea. Lip-syncing the song, Dev performed sans mannerisms. It created musical and cinematic magic in 1952, establishing firmly his eternal lover boy image.
The down-to-earth Hemant confessed in a Doordarshan interview, decades later, that it was the efforts of Burman and Dev that made him popular. Not vice versa. Burman went a step further, using Hemant’s regal voice for Dev effectively, along with the versatile Sandhya Mukherjee for ‘Aa Gupchup Gupchup Pyar Karen’ in Sazaa .
Inspired by Burman’s success, Shankar-Jaikishan opted for Hemant to sing for Dev, along with Lata Mangeshkar, the haunting ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne’ in Patita in 1953. Dev agreed, and Hemant lent a sublime effect to his romantic image with every song.
Burman, the musical soul of Dev, kept using Hemant in one hit after another. ‘Teri Duniya Mein’, ‘Chup Hai Dharti’ ( House No. 44 ), ‘Shivji Bihane Chale’, ‘Dil Ki Umange’ with Geeta Dutt ( Munimji ) and ‘Hai Apna Dil To Awara’ ( Solva Saal ). Burman played the harmonica beautifully in the last number.
N. Dutta composed a brilliant ‘Yeh Baharon Ka Sama’, rendered by Hemant, for Milap . It was not picturised in the film, and later, director Raj Khosla lamented about it.
In 1955, Hemant scored music for Hemen Gupta’s Ferry, starring Dev and Geeta Bali. Hemant sang inimitably the background number ‘Naav Badha Le Maajhi’ in Ferry .
Revered musician Ali Akbar Khan played the sarod superbly in the composition. Old timers cannot forget the scene shot in natural light by Ajoy Kar — Dev with the sarod and Hemant’s son Ritesh on the tabla.
If Kishore Kumar was considered Dev’s voice, Mohammed Rafi has also rendered many memorable numbers for the actor.
The 60s saw only two super hit numbers by Hemant for Dev Anand. The romantic and sad ‘Yaad Aa Gayi’ ( Manzil ) and ‘Na Tum Hamen Jano’ ( Baat Ek Raat Ki ) had the inimitable touch of the legend — S.D. Burman. It is said that Dev had tears in his eyes when rendering ‘Yaad Aa Gayi’ on screen, as for the immortal ‘Na Tum Hamen Jano’, Dev brought out beautifully the emotions in the lyrics through his expressions. After that, sadly, the two didn’t work together.
Once-renowned Bengali music director Nachiketa Ghosh said Hemant was equally effective for Dev in Hindi, as he was for Uttam Kumar in Bengali.
Hemant passed away on September 26, 1989, Dev’s 66th birthday. Grief-struck Dev stated that the voice of his romanticism received a big setback with the loss of Hemant Kumar.
On his 92nd birthday today, when Dev is no more, countless music lovers remember this unparalleled combination, now lost in golden autumn.
