Musician Uttam Singh Opens Up About His Initial Career, Major Break & Way To Success

Lehren Retro

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."

Transcript

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

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