Rikshawaala (1955)

Rikshawaala (1955) has a remarkable place in Indian cinema history—not for its release, but for the chain of events it triggered. Ritwik Ghatak introduced Bimal Roy to Salil when the two were planning a Bengali film titled “Rikshawallah”, based on a story written by Salil himself.

Bimal Roy was so impressed by the story that he immediately wired Salil, asking him to come to Bombay. The telegram arrived on the day of Salil’s wedding to Jyoti Chowdhury, in July 1952. This unexpected twist led directly to the making of “Do Bigha Zameen”, one of the greatest films in Indian cinema.

The Bengali version, Rikshawaala, was eventually produced in 1955, directed by Satyen Bose, with story and music by Salil.

The song “Aay Re O Pousaali Bataasey” was never commercially released. This composition dates back to the 1940s IPTA era, showcasing Salil’s early melodic style. Later, in 1959, he adapted this tune beautifully into the Hindi song “Naach Re Dharti Ke Pyaare” (lyrics by Shailendra) for the film “Heera Moti”, though Roshan was the credited music director.

The other track, “Siyaram Siyaram”, was released on a rare 78 rpm record (N76006), along with the non-film Salil composition “Ab Machal Uthaa Hai Dariyaa”, a Bombay Youth Choir favourite.

As with many early Salil works, the scarcity of surviving material makes the soundtrack of Rikshawaala especially valuable for historians and collectors.