Rahul Dev Burman

Sholay (1975)

Song-Chaand sa koi chehra na pehlu mein ho (Sholay)

During the making of “Sholay” the writers thought that there was room for a qawwali in the comedy track of the film and that “Soorma Bhopali” would get to sing a song. But Javed suggested the “Chaar Bhand” instead of the qawwali. Through his contacts Javed found a Chaar Bhaand group in Bhopal. They came to Mumbai and played for RD Burman in his music room. RDB then developed a qawwali along chaar bhaand style—an eight minute long musical interplay of words and wit between four singers.

The singers for this were Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Bhupinder and Anand Bakshi himself. The qawwali was ready but never shot. It is said that Anand Bakshi was the most disheartened; “Perhaps if they had kept it he might have had a career as a singer.”