Chalo Honolulu chalo Honolulu
Posted on: May 13, 2013
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Today’s song is a fun song from Sanam-51, a film in which Dev Anand and Suraiya were the lead pair and the music was by Husnlal Bhagatram.
In the 50 to 70s period Dev Anand was the Darling Hero of the millions of youngsters all over India and wherever Hindi films were seen in the world. Dev Anand acted-sorry,worked in 116 films.
I say ‘ worked ‘ and not ‘ acted ‘, because Dev was not required to act. He was only required to look cute and charming, give a patent smile with his crooked tooth and walk bonelessly. That is all. For acting, there were other actors like Ashok Kumar, Balraj Sahni, Sanjiv kumar, Dilip Kumar etc.
Dev was prolific in whatever he did. He not only acted as a Hero in 116 films, he also produced 33 films, directed 19 films and wrote stories for 13 films. He even tried singing in films with Asha Bhonsle, in Mahal-1969.
In our younger days, there used to be groups who favoured Dev with a particular Heroine. He acted with many Heroines, but his popular films were divided amongst only 10 major Heroines-
Dev Anand worked with Mumtaz and Vyjayantimala in 3 films each, with Nutan in 4 films, with Geeta Bali in 6 films, with Waheeda and Suraiya in 7 films each and with Hema Malini and Madhubala in 8 films each.
That makes a total of 56 films.
Dev acted with Suraiya in Vidya-48, Shair and Jeet-49, Neeli and Afsar-50 and Sanam and Do Sitare-51.
In their very first film together, viz. Vidya, they fell in love. It so happened that the shooting of the song ” Kinare Kinare” was going on in a boat. Suddenly, the boat capsized and Suraiya fell in the lake. She did not know swimming. Dev Anand jumped in the water and saved her and brought her to the shore. From this incident their love bloomed, but they had to keep it secret, because of Suraiya’s Grandmother, ho was always with her to keep a keen watch on her ward !
According to an article published in film magazine ‘ SHAMA ‘, Suraiya’s Grandmother was actually Suraiya’s real mother. Suraiya’s father had a small Furniture shop in Gujranwala. After Suraiya was born she was shifted to Delhi shortly and later brought to Bombay with her ‘Grandmother’. Suraiya’s father never ever came into her life again and no one knows what happened to him. Even Suraiya’s ‘mother’ was never seen with her anytime in her life.(ref: Cineplot).
Anyway, the love between Dev and Suraiya had sympathisers in form of Durgabai Khote and Kamini Kaushal, who helped the pair to meet in secret and exchange love letters.
During the shooting of Jeet Dev proposed to Suraiya for marriage. She was ecstatic and ready for it.
However after a few months, when the subject was discussed with Suraiya’s Grandmother, she opposed it vehementally. May be she did not want to lose the ‘Goose that gave Golden Eggs’. But the reason cited by her was their different religions.
This happened during the shooting of Do Sitare-51. This proved to be their last film and both parted ways.
Suraiya never married anybody and remained single till her death. Dev Anand, however, played practical than sentimental,and married Kalpana Kartik during the shooting of Taxi Driver-1954. The marriage was kept secret till Nau Do Gyarah-57, when it was announced and Kalpana Kartik ended her film career to raise a family.
Suraiya was an excellent singer. She was also the last of the Singer-Actor generation. Normally she sang only for herself and did not opt for playback singing for others. However, in the following instances, she did give playback as follows-
1. Playback to actress Mehtab in Sharda-42, Kanoon-43 and Sanjog-43.
2. Playback to Nimmi in Shama-61, when Suman Kalyanpur did not turn up for dubbing her part of the song and Suraiya sang it.
3. Two songs for Shyama in Taqdeer-58.( actually these were the songs recorded for an unreleased film and used here).
Though Suraiya was famous for her singing abilities and had also sung with K L Saigal, she was very humble. She once said ” Noorjahan was born Great. Lata achieved Greatness and Greatness was thrust on me ! ”
Today we will enjoy a song from ‘ Sanam ‘ -51, a film in which Suraiya and Dev were in Lead and for which Husnlal-Bhagatram gave the music.
It is shot on Gope, Meena kumari and Suraiya.
Song-Chalo Honolulu Chalo Honolulu (Sanam)(1951) Singers-Unknown male voice, Shamshad Begam, Lyrics-Qamar Jalalabadi, MD-Husnlal Bhagatram
Lyrics
aa aa aa aa
kyun hamen paida kiya aa aa
Bhagwan Hindustan mein ae ae
tum gira dete hamen
ae kaash Englishtan mein ae ae
yahaan pyaar na jaane koi re
nahin nahin nahin nahin
nahin jamaa bhai
nahin jama
yahaan pyaar na jaane koi re ae ae
re re re re kya huyi
nahin jamta nahin jamta
nahin jamta
yahaan pyaar na jaane koi re
ab jamaa maan gaye
arre waah khan sahab
kyaa baat hai
tumhaara jawaab nahin hai
chalo Honolulu
chalo Honolulu
chalo Honolulu
chalo Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu ki sair karaaunga
ho Honolulu ki sair karaaunga
ho sair karaaunga
sair karaaunga
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
kuchh nahin
kuchh nahin
machar hai machchar
chalo honolulu
chalo honolulu
chalo honolulu
chalo honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu ki sair karaaunga
Honolulu ki sair karaaunga
sair karaaunga
sair karaaunga
Honolulu
Honolulu u u u
Honolulu ki sair karaaunga
Honolulu ki sair karaaunga
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
Honolulu
lu lu lu lu
hoho ho hohoho
6 Responses to "Chalo Honolulu chalo Honolulu"
May 15, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Another very informative post by you, Arunji. Thank you very much. Indeed, Dev Anand only had to turn up, roll those eyes and put on that smile – and the audience was his. 🙂
Interesting about Suraiya also – she was a much bigger star at that time than Dev was, I believe.
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May 15, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Raja ji,
Thanks for liking the post.
In all the 7 films,Dev worked with Suraiya, her name was always First-before Dev Anand in the credits of the films.
-AD
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May 27, 2013 at 3:14 am
Arun ji nice write up! There seems to be a typo. Shamshad Begum’s name appears instead of Suraiyya. Also in Tag name of Yakub appears instead of Gope.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
May 13, 2013 at 10:12 am
Pandit Husnalal and Bhagatram…will be remembered for ever…what a great spell of Punjabi tunes and dholak , all his songs mark their genius and mastery… 1940 to 55 almost 15 years they reigned. Atulji great contribution ..
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