Aaj Sandhaay (1954)

Aaj Sandhaay is one of the rarer Bengali films of the 1950s, and tracking down the complete set of songs has historically been extremely challenging.

One of its most unique compositions is “Taare Udaas”, written by Prem Dhawan, which stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical elegance.

Gayatri Basu’s “Naa Jaani Re” is considered just as haunting in Bengali as the Hindi version sung by Shamshad Begum in Biraaj Bahu. Her renditions in this film highlight the expressive power of her early playback work.

The scarcity of prints and high-quality audio has turned this film’s music into a collector’s treasure, especially among admirers of Salil’s early melodic style.