Guest authors Piyush M Pandya (Gujarati) and Ashok M Vaishnav (English translation)
(The most prominent identity of Dattaram is as long-time assistant of Shankar-Jaikishan. He later started giving music independently, but he continued his association with S-J. Thus in public mind when one thought of Dattaram, one thought of Shankar-Jaikishan, even though Dattaram had composed some outstanding songs independently.
Most of us also know him as an ace percussionist who could play many instruments, such as tabla, dholak, drums, duff proficiently. His unique style of playing percussion instruments came to be known as Dattu Theka.
It is this aspect of Dattaram as a percussionist that the guest authors Piyush M Pandya (Gujarati original) and Ashok M Vaishnav (English translation) focus on. Continuing the series on Arrangers and Musicians, they highlight several immortal songs with which Dattaram has been associated as a percussionist, many with music directors other than Shankar-Jaikishan.
Thank you Piyush ji and Ashok ji for another informative article in the series. – AK)
Dattaram (Wadkar) (1929 – 7 June 2007), is, unfortunately, remembered either as one of those talented music directors who could not get the commercial success he deserved or as assistant to Shankar-Jaikishan who handled the percussion part of the orchestration. However, lamenting over this stark reality of the ways of Hindi Film music world, Dattaram’s nonrecognition as music director or as arranger also hides his outstanding contribution as an outstanding player of dholaki and other percussion instruments.
[Please visit Saaj Tarang special episodes on various percussion instruments like, Dholaki, Dholak, Pakhavaj, Mridangam, Tabla Tarang, Bongo and Folk Rhythm instruments.]
Born in Goa, Dattaram had a miserable childhood. His mother, too, being a good singer, they were advised to go to Mumbai to try out their luck. Here, his mother sent young Dattu to the ace classical tabla player Pandharinath Nageshkar. Later, Dattaram’s training progressed under another guru, Yashwant Kelkar. Yashwant Kelkar introduced Dattaram to Sajjad Hussain, who himself was an expert mandolin player as well. Here Dattaram received training on classical raags. It was here that Dattaram’s knowledge base of music broadened along with the knowledge of the commercial aspects of the world of music.
Dattaram was also a keen wrestling learner. He regularly used to visit a local akhara where he met Shankar (of Shankar-Jaikishan duo). That this chance meeting transformed into a lifelong association is now a matter of every folklore about Shankar-Jaikishan music team.
[Note: Dattaram himself also dealt with this meeting in details in the documentary mentioned at the references at the end of this article.]
Soon Dattaram was assigned the responsibility of playing tabla at Prithvi Theatres. It was here that Dattaram was noticed by Raj Kapoor. When the regular tabla player Pandharinath could not remain present at the final recording session of Awara (1951) song, Ek bewafa se pyar kiya, Dattaram was roped in to play dholaki. Dattaram played all the variations so effortlessly, that he went on to become the percussion arranger for Shankar Jaikishan. He was officiously designated as the Assistant, along with Sebastian, for SJ team with effect from Nagina (1951).
Aside Trivia: HFM had two other famous ‘Datta’s – Datta Koregaonkar, a vintage era music director, who is better known as K Data and Dattarm Naik, also an independent music director of Goan origin, better known as N Datta.
Apart from being a percussionist par excellence, Dattaram’s sense of rhythm was extraordinary. In order to validate this claim, we will recall some of his famous percussion compositions and arrangements with Shankar-Jaikishan.
2. Raja ki aayegi barat – Aah (1955) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music Shankar Jaikishan
The dholaki rhythm indeed adds its own beauty to the latent poignancy of the song.
Please note subtle change in the beat @ 1.17.
3. Mud mud ke na dekh mud mud ke – Shree 420 (1955) – Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, chorus – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music Shankar Jaikishan
The song is set to SJ’s favourite waltz rhythm. The first part is supported by soft bass guitar for the rhythm. The song changes the pattern @2.31 and then @2.46 to brisk dholaki play as Manna Dey takes over the vocals. Noteworthy is quick change of dholaki beat @ 3.08.
4. Ramaiya vastavaiya maine dil tujhko diya – Shree 420 (1955) – Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, chorus – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
It is the same dholaki, or rather an ensemble of dholakis, here too, but while keeping one dholaki to maintain the rhythm, Dattaram has been able to set the variations in the use of additional dholakis to match the different moods of the songs.
We now compare three Lata Mangeshkar – Manna Dey duets from Chori Chori (1956). Our aim is to range of the highly imaginative rhythms as typical examples of Dattaram’s capabilities as percussion arranger:
5. Aa ja sanam madhur chandani mein hum tum mile to veeraane mein aa jayegi bahar – Chori Chori (1956) – Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
The prelude commences with brief accompaniment of short stokes of accordion with dholaki (0- 0.07 to 0.17) to continue with different combinations of violins and accordions as base rhythm and orchestration patterns, as Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey weave mesmerising spell.
Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandani – Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Chori Chori Song – YouTube
6. Yeh raat bheegi bheegi ye mast nazaare – Chori Chori (1956) – Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Dattaram now weaves guitar, bongo/congo and dholaki percussion instruments family combination in conjunction with brief alteration in the beat (e.g., @ 1.29 and similar other palaces) to a very lilting rhythm pattern.
https://youtu.be/f1DZxkiMjRo?si=C7BLs9AN2Ed9FeYS
7. Jahaan main jaati hun wahin chale aate ho – Chori Chori (1956) – Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Here Dattaram combines dholaki with puppet-show style dance rhythm.
https://youtu.be/lVJYXbjefCs?si=sMt1nU3meAdN8dec
We will take up one more example to demonstrate Dattaram’s range as percussion arranger:
8. Woh chaand khila woh tare hanse – Anari (1959) – Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Fast paced prelude takes a momentary pause @ 0.30 to commence the main song composition. Similar pause @ 0.53 for Mukesh’s intervention adds to the mood of romance. In the interludes the rhythm support moves to bongo in tune with accordion orchestration. In the interlude parts of the small pause, like @ 2.20, with a brief change in the dholaki beat, is Dattaram’s unique style.
Every song Dattaram has arranged for SJ that with dholaki as the percussion instrument will have such interesting variations in the regular pattern. That brief variation is now known as Dattu Theka. Let us try to clearly visualize this unique variation of pattern with the help of an example:
9. Ye chaman hamara apna hai – Ab Dilli Door Nahin (1957) – Asha Bhosle, chorus – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music- Dattaram
The prelude commences on the notes of string instruments. Then @ 0.13, dholaki enters with staccato style beginning, later to turn into a regular rhythm. However, that regular rhythm very deftly weaves a seamless brief variation so as to inject a very unique, multiple combination of the rhythm patterns. Similar experiments can also be observed in the interlude parts of the song.
When so required, Dattaram has used tabla and other percussion instruments with equal ease. However, we need to specifically highlight the innovative use of duff. As he narrates in the herein specially referred interview video clip, use of fingers, instead or usual use of stick, to play the duff is testimony of Dattaram’s immense reserves to come up with imaginative and equally effective experiments.
10. Dil ka haal sune dilwala – Shree 420 (1955) – Manna Dey – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Here too one cannot miss variations in the regular rhythm pattern, e.g., between 1.00 to 1.07 etc.
Another very famous example of use of duff is in the title song of Jis Desh Men Ganga Bahti Hai.
11. Hothon pe sacchai rahti hai – Jis Desh Mein Ganga Bahti Hai (1960) – Mukesh – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
The prelude itself demonstrates use of duff being played with sticks. Listening to the use of multiple percussion instruments is a bonus.
12. Mera naam Raju gharana anaam – Jis Desh Mein Ganga Bahti Hai (1960) – Mukesh – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Here duff is played with fingers.
Dattaram worked as assistant music director for only Shankar-Jaikishan, even after the death of Jaikishan in 1971. Dattaram’s talent for his rhythm innovations were duly recognised by several other music directors. Sadly, much of the authentic details of these contributions remain undocumented. Such was the respect Dattaram commanded that he would be called in to play dholaki (or tablla as the case is) almost at eleventh hour. Here are some very well-known songs:
13. Saari saari raat teri yaad sataye – Aji Bas Shukriya (1958) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Farooq Qaiser – Music: Roshan
The regular dholak player of the Roshan team was not available during the final take of the song. Dattaram was called in as SOS. It is said that Dattaram sat down to understand the song and the composition. He then conjured up the rhythm. And then, the song went through in the first take itself.
Salil Chowdhury and Dattaram had so good a chemistry that Salil Chowdhury called in Dattaram to compose and play the rhythm for three songs for Madhumati (1958). Salil Chowdhury simply gave Dattarm the brief of the music composition and requested Dattaram to compose the rhythm as would suit him. Dattaram came up with different rhythms on tabla for each of the three songs as suited to the mood and situation of the respective songs, while maintaining the unique style of Salil Chowdhury of song composition.
14. Aa ja re pardesi – Madhumati (1958) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics; Shailendra – Music: Sallil Chowdhury
15. Ghadi ghadi mera dil dhadake – Madhumati (1958) – Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics; Shailendra – Music: Sallil Chowdhury
16. Suhana safar aur ye mausam haseen – Madhumati (1958) – Mukesh – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Sallil Chowdhury
Dattaram never hesitated to play for new music directors as well.
17. Mere dil mein hai ek baat kah do to bhala kya hai – Post Box No. 999 (1958) – Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: P L Santoshi – Music: Kayanji Veerjii Shah
In those early days, Kalyanji Veerji Shah used to play string instruments for Shankar-Jaikishan. So, when he ventured on his own it was but natural that when he wanted the distinct ‘Dattu theka’ based rhythm for his composition, Dattaram was called upon to play the dholaki.
Laxmikant-Pyarelal were assistant to Kalyanji Veerji Shah in this film. When they became independent music director, Dattaram would be called in to play very special rhythms, particularly after Jaikishan’s death when the flow of music to Shakar trickled down heavily. Raj Kapoor had close bond with Dattaram; when Raj Kapoor handed over reins to LP in Bobby (1973), Dattaram was the mainstay of rhythm department. Dattaram then continued working for LP for many good years, till Prem Granth (1996).
Even Naushad had included Dattaram on the technical side of rhythm composition for Pakeeza (1972).
Dattaram independently composed music for 19 Hindi, and one Magadhi, Marathi and Bhojpuri films each. Since much as been said about the misfortune of Dattaram as music director, we would not repeat that painful narrative. I have selected two sets of articles as additional refences and highlighted at the end of the present article so as to bring up key details of this aspect of Dattaram’s career on the same page.
When all is said and done, even if Dattaram did get success by the normal standards of the HFM industry, his very distinct contribution as one of the most creative beat and rhythm wizard remains permanently etched in the annals of the HFM history.
Credits and Disclaimers:
- The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over these songs, which vests with the respective copyright holders.
- The thumbnail picture is taken from the internet, duly recognising the full copyright for the same to either the original creator or the site where they were originally displayed.
Additional References:
Masti Bhara Hai Sama – Dattaram Reminisce – Documentary
Dattaram Part 1: Under the shadow of big banyan tree with songs of Mukesh and Manna Dey and Dattaram Part 2: Breaking out of the Banyan Tree with ‘Other’ Singers
A series of Dattaram’s compositions as an independent music director – ‘Dilli’ – so near and yet too far.