Ek chidia, Anek chidian ...Suraj ek, Chanda ek...simple but meaningful animation film by our Doordarshan!

.



It is a long time since we saw a Films Division emblem/film. Nice to see this here. Nowadays, they don't show Films Division documentaries even in theatres! I don't know if they show in Doordarshan, though I often watch some musical programmes in DDs.

I did a few posts on Doordarshan serials in 2009, for celebrating 100 years of Doordarshan. Like me, many friends remembered the good old days of 'only Doordarshan serials' days in the comments section!

Recently, my son came across this video of 'Ek chidia, anek chidian' and he mentioned that this was India's first animation film, screened in TV, in 1974. I remember watching this film in the 80's and singing this song with the children. It was screened often in between serials, esp. on Sundays. We were fascinated by the birds, squirrels etc. in animation - we were not yet exposed to foreign channels, then. Tom & Jerry and other animations came later in our Indian TV! But this one was enjoyed for the animation and the message it sent, which was very simple and effective!

In this song, an elder sister (badi didi), takes the responsibility of telling good stories with some message. The voices of the singer and the chorus by children, are so natural and innocent that we feel that our own small 2-3 year olds are singing! I loved the way the sister is nodding her head and the way the children are blinking their huge eyes! The story of the hunter capturing the birds in the net and the birds flying together and escaping (because they were together, they could escape, she says!), is shown so simply and beautifully that every small child will understand and follow the storyline! I can imagine the children clapping their hands together while watching the hunter running after the flying birds!

The music director is the famous Vasanth Desai and the main singer is our own Sadhna Sargam, who must have been a child herself, in those days! The illustrations were done by Bhimsain Khurana, who had directed one of my favourite film, Gharonda! The illustrations are so simple that they look like the children who sing the song, have drawn them, which is amazing! I couldn't get much details about the director of this song, Vijay Mule...who must have been a good children story-teller! Check the no. of hits for this video - 15,42,905! 5-6 more videos of this song are available with many more hits! I feel this is one of the best National Integration song!

Bhimsain Khurana's son Kireet Khurana is becoming famous for his documentary films and animation film making.

The Economic Times says, 'The educational, lyrical, illustrated by Bhimsen and sung by Sadhna Sargam, holds cult status and sweet nostalgia for a number of TV viewers even today!' .

If you feel like telling the story to your children from the song, the lyrics are given below:

Lyrics of Ek Chidiya, Anek Chidiyan:

mmmm mmmm

hind desh... mmm huhu... hum sabhee.... ek hain... tara ra ra raaa
bhashaa anek hain
mmmm mmmm bhasha anek hain.... mmmm mmmmm


yeh anek kya hain didi ?
anek yani bahut saare....
bahut saare, kya bahut saare?
acha, batatee hoon...

suraj ek...
chanda ek.....
taare anek....

taroN ko anek bhi kehte hain ?????
nahi nahi !!
dekho phir se
suraj ek, chanda ek, ek ek ek karke taare bane anek....
theek se samjhao naa didi

dekho dekho ek gilahari
peeche peeche anek gilahariyan
ek thithli, ..... ek aur thithali......
ek ek ek karke ho gayee ab, anek thithliyaaN...

samajhgaya didi
ek ungli, anek ungliyaan

haaan,

didi didi woh dekho anek chidiyan...

anek chidiyoN ki kahani sunoge ....
haan haan

aa aa aaa,

ek chidiya, ek ek karke anek chidiya....
dana chugne aayee chidiyan .....
chorus : didi humen bhi sunaonaa.......

tho suno phirse...

ek chidiya, anek chidiyaN
dana chugne baith gayee thi .....

hai raam, par wahan byaadh ne ek jaal bhijaya tha...

byaadh, byaadh kaun didi ?
byaadh ... chidiya pakadne wala

"phir kya hua didi, byaadhne unhe pakad liya, maar daala... "

un..huh...

Himmat se gar jute rahe to
chote ho par, mile rahe tho
bada kaam bhi hove bhaiya..
bada kaam bhi hove bhaiya ...

ek..do..theen..

Chaturrr cidiyaaN, sayaani chidiyaaN
miljul kar, jaal le kar, bhaagee chidiyan
furrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

door, ek gaaon ke paas, chidiyon ke dost, chuhe rahte the....
aur unhone, chidiyonkaa jaal, kaat diya.........

tho dekha ki tumne, anek, sirf ek hojate hain tho kaisa mazaa aata hain
didi main bataoon...

HO GAYE EK ...
BAN GAYEE TAKAT..
BAN GAYEE HIMMAT...

didi agar hum ek ho jaayen to bada kaam kar sakte hain?
haan haan, kyon nahi ...
to is ped ke aam bhi thod sakte hain ???
haan, thod sakte hain, par jugat lagani hogi ...

*
* *
* * *
* * * *

achaa, eh jugat, wah... bada mazaa ayegaa..

hind desh ke niwasi sabhi jana ek hain, -2
rang-roop vesh-bhaasha chaahe anek hain -2
ek-anek... ek-anek...

suraj ek, chanda ek, taare anek,
ek titli, anek titaliyaaN
ek gilhari , anek gilhariyaaN
ek chidiyan, ek ek... anek chidiyaan

bela gulab juhi champa chameli..... -2
phool hain anek kintu mala phir ek hai ...-2

Lyrics courtesy:

Manisha