Movie – Gharana (1961):
Mere banne ki baat na poocho appeared in 1961 Gemini Studios’ hit family drama Gharana (1961) produced and directed by S S Vasan. The movie starred Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Asha Parekh, Bipin Gupta, Lalita Pawar, Devika, Shobha Khote, Agha, Vijayalakshmi, Krishna Kumari, etc.
Tyrannical Shanta (Lalita Pawar) runs the large household of her husband Ramdas (Bipin Gupta). The movie makers have intentionally given this character the name Shanta, which is paradoxical, considering the character-traits. Ramdas is a very religious but meek man, who allows his wife to bully everyone in the house. Gauri (Krishna Kumari) is the eldest widowed DIL of the house. She has 2 naughty little boys.
Ramdas’ second son is Kailash (Raaj Kumar), who is married to Sita (Vijayalakshmi), who loves her husband and is devoted to him. College student Kamal is Ramdas’ youngest son. Kamal is in love with another student Usha (Asha Parekh). Bhairavi (Shobha Khote) is the old couple’s youngest child. This woman is married and used to live with her husband. She gave up her married home to return to her mother’s place, due to a trivial matter that she did not like her FIL’s singing. Sarang (Agha), Bhairavi’s husband is also living in the household trying to convince his wife to return home, with him. Bhairavi is the typical spoilt brat.
Sita becomes pregnant, soon and begins to be treated well by her MIL, Shanta. Bhairavi cannot tolerate this. Several coincidences later, Usha’s marriage is finalized with Kamal and she is in the know about it. Thus, she sings a song in jubilation just before her date with Kamal. Kamal comes that way by the end of the song. Usha teases him about the girl, his parents had seen for him. He still does not know that it is Usha. She describes Kamal’s behavior in front of her father and says that the man she is betrothed to is a bully. Kamal realizes that the old man, who had come to meet his father, was none other than Usha’s parent. Kamal runs back home to rectify his mistake and tells his mother that he would marry the girl, she had chosen, very happily.
Sita requests Kamal to meet her and asks him about his change of mind. Bhairavi has placed seeds of distrust in the heart of Kailash about his wife and brother. He listens to only part of the conversation and decides that all is not hunky dory with them. Kamal and Usha get married. Bhairavi and Usha’s tyrannical step-mother Sheila (Devika) sing this song with some other ladies, during the reception.
Song – Mere banne ki baat na poocho:
Shakeel Badayuni has penned the lyrics of this song and Ravi has set the music.
The girls praise the groom and the bride during the reception of the wedding ceremony.
Video – Mere banne ki baat na poocho:
The cinematography is by P Ellappa. Dance choreography is by Gopi Krishna.
The video opens with the lead pair sitting on a sofa for 2 and Shobha Khote and Devika and other women beginning to clap in unison with the music. Lalita Pawar comes close to the lead pair and moves some money in front of them to remove the effects of the evil eye. The money is distributed to the poor or the invited artists. This is a tradition in most places in India.
The kids Moppet Raju and Pappu shake a few legs in the space between the 2 ‘warring’ parties and leave. Shobha Khote and Devika sing the praises of their own side of the lead pair and deride the other, intending just to be funny. The lead pair takes it sportingly. Lalita Pawar cannot tolerate this and joins Shobha Khote in the song.
Someone calls Lalita Pawar and she leaves the place. I wonder how she could have heard the voice of someone behind the camera, in the din of the music and the song. The ladies then, begin to deride the families the lead pair has married into! Rajendra Kumar gets up and goes looking for someone or something.
Raaj Kumar sees him and gets suspicious again. Agha is also looking for someone and the song and the video end.
Artists:
Asha Bhonsle and Shamshad Begum have given playback for this song and the onscreen performances are by Shobha Khote, Devika, Moppet Raju, Pappu, Asha Parekh, Rajendra Kumar, Lalita Pawar, Raaj Kumar and Agha.
Cultural Influence:
This typically filmi song shows some North Indian cultural influence. It also has some influence of the Qawwali tradition. This song is good. The video is watchable for the same.
