Besides a birdlike voice and vast repertoire, what Vani Jairam had was dignity. A chance meeting in a Camac Street apartment, almost three decades ago, still remains etched on my mind, especially when I asked her about why two popular women singers had an edge over her in Hindi films. With grace and poise, she admitted it could be so but there was no foolproof evidence of it.
Deeply concerned with her voice, she asked her husband to shut the windows as the waft of incense stick was drifting in from the next flat. In the same breath, she admired her famous sister-in-law, N. Rajam, a classical violinist. And when she came to Kolkata, she would call on the landline and thank me for writing about her. A rare quality amongst the brood, especially someone who had the nation singing Bole re papihara after Guddi’s success. Though the 77-year-old left us on February 4, she leaves behind a melodic collection of songs. Here are five rare Vani Jairam numbers that have become timeless.
Sei gaan keno ami
To find Vani Jairam’s name in the credits of a Bengali film (Pompa, a Subrata Chatterjee starrer) is a rarity. This beautiful number, picturised on a little girl whose father (the late Satya Banerjee) had just died, was on all radio stations for many decades. The song’s wide range and passion (credited to music director Nirmal Chakraborty) was so emotional that it seemed Jairam was destined to sing it.
Dhire dhire subah huyee
A routine Jeetendra-Jaya Prada potboiler titled Haisiyat would have passed on as yet another ordinary film had it not been for this beautiful Bappi Lahiri composition picturised as the sun comes up. Jairam gives it her best shot, finding the melodic twists and turns easy to navigate. Your heart goes out as she warbles Dil ke dware tujhko pukare with elan. No wonder the “female version” of the song is still hummed but maybe no one realises it’s Jairam and not BL’s usual choice of singers.
Pyar kabhi kam na karna sanam
Jairam and Kishore Kumar feature in this rare duet from Ek Mutthi Aasmaan (starring FTI grads Radha Saluja and Vijay Arora). One wonders how the actual recording took place with such contrasting personalities and voices. Jairam matches Kishore Kumar in this fun song, which is really Kishore’s forte but she never falters, never mind if there’s a slight Southern twang in her rendition. Clearly, music director Madan Mohan saw more than that to pair her with Kishore.
Aeri main to prem diwani
The gossip about the lead singer falling out with composer Pandit Ravi Shankar and Jairam getting a lion’s share as a result, is done and dusted. Gossip aside, she turned this beautiful yet sad song from Meera (starring Hema Malini and Vinod Khanna) into a masterpiece. Hear her as she rises to a crescendo, repeating the title line again and again with a mellifluous alaap playing in the background. It was one time that both the singer and the actress complemented each other in acting and singing histrionics.
Sumiran karle
To find this bhajan composed in jhaaptaal (10 beats) and with crossbar-like interludes and preludes is a delight. Jairam’s voice flows through it as if it’s tailor-made for her. No wonder, Vividh Bharati would play this number frequently in the ’80s and ’90s. Listen to her in the first antara — Jaise taruwar prani bina heena and realise why her absolute control of her vocal chords in the higher octaves is such a rarity. Jairam will be missed as one of the purest voices in the Indian music industry.