Tansen is a sweet film with beautiful singers and a brilliant music director. Khemchand Prakash has been one of my favorite music directors since I saw Mahal (back during the first year of this blog), and I like Khursheed so much, I have been listening to a double-CD of her songs regularly for at least a couple of years. And I do like the voice of K.L. Saigal, which seems to grow on me continually. He is definitely one of my favorite male singers…
I should say more, but I don’t really know how to give either singer adequate praise. On the other hand, I can show some examples of their greatness via clips from Tansen, which clearly illustrates how much their voices could accomplish…
Because, you see, K.L.Saigal’s voice is so brilliant, it can light a house full of candles!
But at times, it is so soothing, it can calm a raging elephant.
And Khursheed’s voice is so moving, it can cause the clouds to burst.
…Which explains why it is so relatively easy for her to get the attention of livestock.
Meanwhile, when they sing together, it can… Oh, never mind, let’s just say it is sweet, indeed.
And that pretty much sums up Tansen. It’s a simple and straightforward fable (about a legendary singer named Tansen), and it’s very uplifting. Though it is not, I should mention, a film to look to for fine acting… (Khursheed and K.L. Saigal did have their moments here, and Khursheed, in particular, had a very expressive face. But as for the rest of the cast…) Additionally, it is probably not much of a source of historical realism and accuracy, nor does it ever even come close to being philosophically or metaphorically deep. (If you’re looking for a Tansen-related tale with great ambitions to be deep, go and watch Baiju Bawra. Though I’m not sure those ambitions were fulfilled so well…) But for me, at least, all those shortcomings are almost beside the point. I am certainly glad that I had a chance to see Tansen and, especially, to hear it.
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P.S. January 18 is K.L. Saigal’s death anniversary. I actually did not know about that until I was just about ready to start this write-up, but even if it is basically a result of coincidence, I am glad that I can post something to honor him today.
Dances on the Footpath 
lovely songs and music, so grateful for that, shudder to think what a present day Tansen film would come up with
Love your description of K L Saigal’s voice . I’ve begun to love his voice now, but used to wonder at it when young. I’ve often wanted to watch Tansen and will definitely do so one day.
Thanks for bringing this film up. Old and forgotten. Especially on his birthday.
My favourite song here is rumjhum rumjhum chal tihari
Bawa, I am glad that you like this film so much, too, and that’s a funny comment about shuddering to think what a new Tansen would come up with. I’m wondering which part you dread the most… Would it be the Tansen hip-hop remix during the scene at the dance club, Tani’s skimpy designer outfits, the highly “controversial” “love” scene, the workout scene where Tansen shows off his pecs and abs, or the mind-numbingly overblown special effects?
Reeba, thanks for the nice words about my descriptions. and I like “Rumjhum Rumjhum Chal Tihari” a lot, too. That is also a great scene. That’s why, when I went through the songs days before I actually watched the film, I had to use a screen cap from that one for my image header. (Though I’m not sure a lot of people are able to make out what that is…) For listening, though, my favorite is “More Balapan Ke Saathi.” I have heard that many times on my Khursheed CD, and I love listening to the two of them in a duet! I think I’ve heard, though, that the most famous of the songs is “Diya Jaalao”? Well, that’s very good, too – they all are!
By the way, I guess I should mention, you said something about it being K.L. Saigal’s birthday, but actually, it’s his death anniversary. (But I know, with old Hindi film stars, the two are often treated in the same way.)
Like pacifist, I didn’t much care for KL Saigal’s voice when I was younger. But it’s grown on me, and something like Baabul mora can give me gooseflesh. So good. I must watch Tansen someday; have been meaning to.
By the way, Tansen’s tomb is in Gwalior, with a small tamarind tree beside it (there used to be a large one, but it collapsed and died a few years back – this one, which the caretaker told us came up from probably a stray seed, is still a sapling). Legend has it that if you eat some of the leaves of this tamarind, your voice will be as sweet as Tansen’s! :-)
Thanks for that nice little legend, Madhu. So I take it you have been there… Did you test the legend? (Are people really allowed to eat the leaves from this tree? I am thinking that there is probably some restriction on this – especially for the newer, small tree; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of leaves left. :) )
Yes, we did go there. Tansen’s tomb is inside a larger complex, with a massive mausoleum dominating it. If I remember correctly, the larger tomb is that of a Sufi saint whom Tansen revered. The day my husband and I visited, we were the only ones around, so the caretaker who took us around himself tore off a couple of leaves from the tamarind and give them to us. Didn’t work! ;-)