State PCS
The song 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle' from the film 'Upkar' was sung by:
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Answer: Option A — Mahendra Kapoor
Detailed Solution
"Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle, Ugle Heere Moti" ("The soil of my country yields gold, diamonds and pearls") is a patriotic song from the Hindi film "Upkar" (1967). It was sung by Mahendra Kapoor, written by Gulshan Bawra, and composed by the duo Kalyanji-Anandji. In the film, the song is picturised on Manoj Kumar, who plays a farmer.
"Upkar" was written, directed by and starred Manoj Kumar. It was inspired by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan", which he gave during the 1965 war with Pakistan, honouring both soldiers and farmers. Shastri had asked Manoj Kumar to make a film on this theme. Because of his many patriotic films, such as "Shaheed" (1965), "Upkar", "Purab Aur Paschim" (1970) and "Kranti" (1981), Manoj Kumar became known as "Bharat Kumar". He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015.
"Upkar" won the National Film Award for the second-best feature film, and the song became one of the most popular patriotic songs in India. It is still played widely on Independence Day and Republic Day.
Mahendra Kapoor (1934-2008) was a playback singer known for his powerful voice and his patriotic songs in Manoj Kumar's films, such as "Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet Sada" ("Purab Aur Paschim"). He also sang "Chalo Ek Baar Phir Se" ("Gumraah"). He received the Padma Shri in 1972. He had won the Metro Murphy singing contest in the 1950s, which started his career.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Mohammed Rafi sang "Kar Chale Hum Fida" and "Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo" from "Haqeeqat" (1964).
- ✗Mukesh sang "Mera Joota Hai Japani".
- ✗Kishore Kumar sang "Yeh Dosti" from "Sholay".
Quick tip
Remember: "Mere Desh Ki Dharti" (Upkar, 1967) = Mahendra Kapoor, lyrics Gulshan Bawra, music Kalyanji-Anandji, Manoj Kumar ("Bharat Kumar"), based on "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan".
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Music & Musical Instruments — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Music & Musical Instruments, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers Indian classical music, its two main traditions (Hindustani and Carnatic), gharanas, ragas and talas, folk music styles, and the musical instruments of India along with the artists who are famous for playing them. It also includes the four classes of instruments: string (tata), wind (sushira), percussion (avanaddha) and solid (ghana). Exam questions usually pair an instrument with its maestro, such as the sitar with Pandit Ravi Shankar, the shehnai with Ustad Bismillah Khan or the santoor with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Other common questions ask about the origin of a gharana, the instrument a folk style uses, or the class an instrument belongs to. Making a two-column list of instruments and artists is the quickest way to revise. Practise the music and musical instruments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.