“Had it been possible, I would have even worn Bhupinder Singh like a ‘holy taaveez’ around my neck , “ Gulzaar-saab (October 2017)

Tall, smart-looking Bhupinder Singh ( Soin) started off as talented singer-actor- in the war-movie ‘Haqeeqat’ (1964) directed by Chetan Anand - Chaitanya Padukone

In that evergreen song ‘Hoke Majboor Mujhe’ from ‘Haqeeqat’ the handsome singer-actor Bhupinder had faced the camera as a newcomer ‘actor’ and the same song is partially picturised on him.

The song composed by Madan Mohan has beautifully recorded voices of four legendary playback singers including Mohd. Rafi. Manna Dey, Talat Mahmood and Bhupinder himself.

What is interesting is that in the initial mukhda phrase of ‘Hoke Majboor Mujhe’, one can observe that Mohd Rafi’s voice is picturised on singer Bhupinder’s lip-sync. In portions of the antaraa, Bhupinder’s own voice is picturised on himself.

Explaining this to senior musicologist and film-music analyst Ajay Sheth, versatile singer-actor –maestro guitarist Bhupinder had in the recent past clarified in a personal –response-post-status on Facebook that “director Chetan Anand-saab tried a few other actors to give lip-sync on that Rafi-saab’s portion.

But no one could do that, it is only then that Chetan-saab asked me to do it. And with God’s grace my ‘first take’ was okayed with Rafi-saab’s voice. That’s how it happened.”

In the song ‘Naam Gum Jaayega’ , from the musical movie ‘Kinara’ (1977 ) )Bhupinder’s playback voice is picturised on Jeetendra. But five years ago, in ‘Parichay’ ( 1972) Bhupinder’s playback voice in two songs ‘Biti Na Bitaai Raina’ and ‘Mithwa Bole Meete Bain’ is used for classical singer role played Sanjeev Kumar.

Interestingly, Kishore Kumar’s playback is used for Jeetendra for song ‘Musaafir Hoon Yaaron’ in ‘Parichay’ Both the movies Kinara and Parichay had innovative genius R D Burman ( Panchamda) as its composer-music director.

In this movie ‘ Dharam Kaanta’ ( 1982) Bhupender has sung for composer Naushad-saab in a song along with Mohd Rafi. The tonga-ghoda-gaadi rhythm song ‘Duniya Chute, Yaar Na Chute’ is picturised on Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra, and this time Bhupinder’s playback voice is used for Rajesh Khanna .

At a formal event at Hotel Taj Lands End, where I was also present, even as Gulzar-saab released the variety eight-track non-filmi album titled ‘Dil Peer Hai’ in October 2017 , all composed by Bhupinder, the Oscar-Awardee lyricist-director (Gulzar) had reacted.

“It was such a delight writing the lyrics for all these songs sung by luminaries like Rashid Khan, Sonu Nigam, Mitalee and these two supremely talented sibling singers Vaishakhi Desai-Dave and Shivangi Desai.

The crowning glory of the album is Bhupi’s amazing composing talent that is so surreal and he has brilliantly composed my ‘blank verses’.

Agar mumkin hota toh, I would have worn Bhupinder like a ‘taaveez’ ( holy amulet-locket) on my neck, stringing together all his classic songs”, insists Oscar Awardee Gulzar who had also done the ‘naamkaran’(christening) of Bhupinder-Mitali-Nihaals music company calling it ‘Bhumitaal’ .