An upcoming episode of ‘Indian Idol’ will feature a rare and heartwarming slice of Bollywood history. The show reviews the legendary connection between the singers Mohammed Rafi and late superstar Shammi Kapoor and reveals why the latter initially refused to portray one of Hindi cinema’s most loved songs, ‘Dil Ke Jharokhe Mein’.
Shammi Kapoor has said no to the iconic song ‘Dil Ke Jharokhe Mein’
The section has lyricists and poets By Manoj Muntashirwho appeared as the host of a special segment dedicated to the legendary Asha Bhosle. In the episode, Manoj shared a fascinating and little-known anecdote about the song from the 1968 film ‘Brahmachari’ and the surprising reason for Shammi Kapoor’s initial hesitation.The lyrics recalled the chaos that ensued when the news broke that Shammi Kapoor had rejected the song. He shared, “Jab yeh gaana Shammi ji ko sunaya gaya tha, toh unhone is gaane ko picturise karne se mana kar diya tha (When this song was played for Shammi ji, he initially refused to picture it).”He added, “‘Brahmachari’ film ke producer Ramesh Sippy ji the, aur set par sab jagah hadkamp mach gaya tha ki Shammi ji ne gaane ke liye mana kar diya. Sabko laga ki shayad unhe gaana pasand nahi aaya (Ramesh Sippy ji was the producer of Brahmachari, and when Shammi said the song was not complete. People assumed that maybe he didn’t like the song.”
Manoj Muntashir reveals the real reason why Shammi Kapoor refused to shoot the song
But the truth behind his refusal was much more touching. Manoj revealed, “Actually, wajah kuch aur hi thi. Shammi ji ne kaha tha ki film ki situation mein unhe rona nahi tha, lekin Shankar-Jaikishan ne itna emotional gaana bana diya tha ki unhe darr tha ki woh is gaane ko picturise karte hue apne aansu nahi tha. Unrokhone know myself know… gaana badal do.”(But the real reason was something else. Shammi ji said that according to the situation of the film, she shouldn’t cry, but Shankar-Jaikishan composed such a touching song that she was afraid she might not hold back tears while picturing it. He said: ‘I know myself… please change the song’).
Shammi Kapoor’s own words about the experience
Manoj added a final memory that made the moment even more touching, recalling what Shammi Kapoor himself had once publicly admitted: “Shammi ji ne khud ek interview mein kaha tha ki is gaane ko shoot karte while apne aansu rok paana unke liye bahut mushkil tha aur uss ehsaas ji sakta he once told himself in an interview that while recording this song it was very difficult for him to control his tears, and only his heart could understand that emotion).“
More about the song
Composed by the iconic duo Shankar-Jaikishan and sung by Mohammed Rafi, ‘Dil Ke Jharokhe Mein’ remains one of the most treasured songs in Bollywood history.The movie ‘Brahmachari’ starred Shammi Kapoor, Rajshree, Pran, Mumtaz, Jagdeep, Sachin and Asit Sen. The film directed by Bhappie Soni was released on 26 April 1968.
