Flashback To Odia Song ‘Phula Rasia Re’ & Some Less-Known Facts

Bhubaneswar: Songs are to Odia cinema what breath are to life. These ditties of love, pining, dreams, hope and numerous other emotions are the essence that have been drawing Odia audiences to the silver screen through the ages.

Many of these compositions have gone on to become blockbuster hits and some have even attained cult status. Many of these songs also have wonderful anecdotes associated with them, but remained hitherto unknown.

Today, Odisha Bytes brings you some interesting background information on one such hit Odia song.

Song: Phula Rasia Re Mana Mora Chhuin Chhuin Jaa Jaa

Movie: Shri Lokanatha  (1960)

Singer: Sandhya Mukherjee

Music Composer: Balakrushna Das

Reminiscing about the song, Balakrushna Das said, “Narasingha Mohapatra had written the lyrics of ‘Phula Rasia Re’. I had added two ‘Jaa’ in that line, which was more listenable. I had made that ‘Nihsa’ of Odissi. The song was recorded at Technician Studio in Kolkata. ‘Surashri Orchestra’ was given the job of playing the instruments. But, the noted Tabla player of ‘Surashri Orchestra’, Radhakanta Nandi, couldn’t play ‘Athatali’ properly.

“Krushna Kumar Bose from Cuttack had come to the studio as an audience. He was helping the production house also. Bose was also a Tabla vadak and a student of noted guru Kahnailal Ghosh. I requested him to play the Tabla.

“While recording the song, Sandhya Mukherjee couldn’t pronounce the words properly. I had to stand in front of her and acted like singing the song. Then she sang the song.

“After listening to the song ‘Phula Rasia Re’ at the India Film Labrotary studio, the late Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar had told me, ‘Tumi ek din bado music director habe’ (You will become a great music director one day).”

(With Inputs From Film Historian Surya Deo)