Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Kaa
This article is in appreciation of the song Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka from Naya Daur. © mohdrafi.com
It is the rhythm of the rural India where the golden grains sow the seeds of prosperity, where the hardworking couples pray to the Mother Nature with their sweaty hands, and where the children taste the saltiness of the soil in their early days, that can be experienced throughout this song.
The song unveils the celebrations of the ‘Shravan’ when each villager gathers in the central place to celebrate the year’s best days. They forget about their worries and famines. Now it is Shravan, the month of prosperity. If they don’t enjoy now, then when?
Here, there is no difference between Hindu, Muslim or Sikh. The Shravan is the same for all, so is the celebration. The united spirit of India is seen best in villages. It is this harmony that once prevailed in those villages that created a nation of Veer Jawans (Brave Soldiers).
Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Kaa from Naya Daur [1957] starring Dilip Kumar, Vyajayantimala, Ajit and others. This song is sung by Rafi, Balbeer with others. Lyrics by Sahir Ludhiyanvi and music by O.P.Nayyar.
The movie Naya Daur (A New Road) is not just an entertainment piece. It is considered as one of the classic Indian movies of the 20th century, with its extraordinary plot of a cart racing. Shankar, the cart racer (Dilip Kumar), had to race his horse carriage against a bus in order to unite the divided village, and the thème of the story is that he wins over all the challenges.
Sahir Ludhyanvi composed the beautiful lyrics for this song that created a sensation in the hearts of the proud Indian of the mid-twentieth century with its beautifully drawn village panorama. The typical Punjabi music tone of the singers Mohammed Rafi and Balbeer added the perfect symphony to the beats of the drums. It is not only the rhythm of the music, but also the dance movements of the village girls and the turban-clad farmers that made the combination of the music and the dance work in perfect harmony.
Dilip Kumar, the hero of the movie, is leading the song along with Ajeet. The female cast is played by the old beauty queen Vyjayantimala. The movie unveils a very relevant social theme. The village in which Dilip Kumar works as a horse carriage puller had to face a new challenge when the son of their old employer takes over the farming with his innovative business plans. The villagers suffered owing to the loss of jobs due to the commercialisation as well as exploitation by the new employer. Dilip Kumar faced his worst moments in life when the employer introduced a bus in the village and he lost his earning from the horse carriage. The climax of the plot is unveiled when Dilip Kumar wins over the employer after winning a race against the bus using his horse carriage.
The movie unveils a typical romantic saga also. The scene of the romantic fields waiting for a shower from the rain gods and the roads that witness the active movements of the village symbolize the thriving energy of the villagers. In the song ‘Yeh Desh Hai…’ we can see this spirit of the villagers who live each moment of their lives with maximum spirit. It is aptly said that India lives in villages.
well said Prakashji, I would like to add few songs in many more,
hum aur tum aur ea shama kea nasha nasha sa he…
kahi ek masum naguk si ladki, bohut khub surat magar sawli se…
and many many more..
RAJKUMAR and Irony are right by theire thinking
there are many more in the category of difficult songs in hindi cinema but one and only one rafiji made it easy by his calibur and mastery in singing .
Badi der bhaee- Basant bahar
kaun hai jo sapney me aaya-ZGA
Main apne aap se gabhara gaya hoon
Inasaaf ka mandir- AMAR
Na aadmi ka koi bharosa- AADMI
Ab kyaa misal doon_-AARTI
O-mere sha-e kuba-Love in tokyo
AAj purani baato se-AADMI
HUm ne jaffa na sikhi-ZINDAGI
Zindagi aaj mere-Son of ind
Tu Kahan e bata—TERE Gar ke ssamne
apni to har aah-kala bazar
amd many more——. next time
irony81 is absolutely right. The most difficult songs of indian cinema were sung by Rafi Saab. Songs like KUHOO KUHOO BOLE KOYALIA…KAI KHWAB DEKH DALE…KOUN APNA KOUN PARAYA…AANCHAL ME SAJA LENA KALIYAN…AAE BAHAR BANKE…AJAB HAI DASTAN TERI YE ZINDADI (sang for Kishor Kumar on screen) were composed only because a versatite singer like Rafi Saab was there in Indian cinema. And I would not say anything about the song O DUNIYA KE RAKHWALE…because that is the peak of mountain everest.
THE MOST DIFFICULT SONG IN INDIAN HISTORY IS PROBABLY (IF NOT IN THE WHOLE WORLD) “O DUNIYA KE RAKHWALE…” AND IF YOU REALLY LISTEN TO THE HINDI SONGS FROM THE BEGINNING TO DATE, YOU WILL FIND THAT MOST OF THE MOST DIFFICULT SONGS WERE SUNG BY RAFIJI.
Hi Murthi,
Well said Keep it up
All patriotic songs of Rafi Sahab’s are full of enthusiam inspite of these Monoj Kumar promote Mahinder Kapoor as a patriotic singer while every one knows Rafi is best.
As said by great Madan Mohan why he should be paid when Mohd rafi sing for him,any song singed by Mohd Rafi it look so easy but it is difficult to other singers when they try to sing it like Mohd Rafi,there some songs singed by Talat Ji first after that to Mohd Rafi but when u listen to Talat ji song u will see that he singed it so great but after listen to Mohd Rafi one u will see that no one can be great singer than Mohd Rafi……………
Irony81
I think it is a very difficult one but it may be from Naushads Shabab,Baiju Bawraa,Deedaar,Dulaari,Aadmi,Mere Mehboob,Kohinoor or from S.D.Burmans Pyaasa,Kagaz ke phool,Guide,Kala Paani,Kala Bazaar or Ravis Chaudavin ka Chaand, Do Badan,Waqt,Dus Lakh or Shanker Jaikishens Junglee,Dil ek Mandir,Aarzoo,Suraj,Sasuraal,Basant Bahaar etc or LPs Dosthi,Parasmani,Khilona,Loafer etc.
Yes it is very difficult to choose the most difficult one.
NO DOUBT THAT THIS LOVELY SONG IS ONE OF RAFI SAAB’S BEST WORKS. WHAT DO YOU RAFIANS THINK, WHAT CAN BE RAFI SAAB’S NO. 1 SONG OF ALL TIME. TO ME, IT IS THAT SON WHICH IS UNDOUBTEDLY INDIA’S MOST DIFFICULT SONG, IF NOT IN THE WHOLE WORLD. AND I CHALLENGE ANY GREAT SINGER AROUND THE WORLD TO SING IT BETTER THAN RAFI, OR EVEN AS GOOD AS RAFI. NO PRISELY, NO MICHAEL JACKSON, NO LATA, NO MANNA, NO KISHORE, NO ASHA, NO MARIAH CARRY, NO FRANK SINATRA, NO STEVIE WONDER, NO OTHER GREAT SINGER CAN SING IT SO PERFECT, SO TOUCHY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT IS THIS SONG I AM THINKING ABOUT?
Another master piece from O P Nayyar based on Punjabi folk.
T r u s t O.P.Nayyar to weave tunes which will last for centuries.
Same effect when Rafi saab and Sahir come together. We had the
good fortune to hear the song on stage just a week before O P leftp
us, in Mumbai. This was a tribute programme to O P on his 81st
birthday. The audience were dancing to this song.. . the sound of
dholaks mesmerised us.. and we wanted even more.
Sahir has depicted India in all its glory and what gutsy words he
pennned in this number.
We Indians must come together and follow true SECULARISM and
PROGRESS as wished by countless Jawans who sacrificed their
lives so that we Indians could live – with our head held high.
In the troubled times our hearts and minds go out to a true patriot
and to his great patriotic songs, the inimitable and incomparable
Mohd Rafi.
I have found Rafi saab going the extra mile while delivering
religious and patriotic numbers. Shirdi wale.., Bhagwan.., Kar chale..,
are three songs which come to my mind. Rafians, pl. check and
COMMENT…
all play big role in this song from music actor ext..but we r lucky because this song singed by Mohd Rafi because he made it be proud to love u r home land.
A nice patriotic song sung by Rafi Saheb, the country should be proud of having Rafi Saheb.
IF ONLY!
If only the the views and feelings are expressed and enacte in real life!
Great and best ever traditions but no follow up. Politicians, media, bureaucrats, social workers, sportsmen and self individuals are all impotent. No more VEER JAWANO! Only talk these days.
Rafisaab is the ONLY ONE we have to be proud of.