DEBATABLE PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE

One of the biggest truths about God’s Creation is that He/She/It made all virtues and evils Relative. The only Absolute is God Himself. Thanks to Albert Einstein, the Relativity of Time in the Universe is now somewhat well known to us. For others, please read my Absolute Virtue if you entertain any doubts.

What an essay, at the end of the year, you may remark. The fact of the matter is that end-of-the-year itself is not universal or absolute reality. It exists on Earth simply because of rotation of Earth around its axis and its revolution around the Sun. It doesn’t universally exist. It is a convenient method adopted by us to anchor our lives to a dimension called Time, which too is purely our own creation. You may argue with me that Time does exist; after all, we do get older, trains and aircraft are scheduled by hours and minutes (and sometimes seconds), we get our salaries because of it and if there was no Time, our world would collapse. Fair enough; but do remember that our invention of Time is actually an effort, on our part, to give a beginning and end to things, events and people on Earth only and has relevance only to our minuscule part of the Universe, ie, very micro part of God’s endless Creation as a whole.

One of the fundamental laws of the universe that we have discovered (not invented) is the Law of Conservation of Energy. The law of conservation of energy is a law of science that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only changed from one form into another or transferred from one object to another. This law of science is actually a pointer towards the ludicrousness of considering our self-invented dimension of Time so as to define beginning and end to things and people.

Einstein's Spacetime Cone (All of physical reality is contained within this cone; the region outside ("elsewhere") is inaccessible because one would have to travel faster than light to reach it. (Pic courtesy: einstein.stanford.edu)
Einstein’s Spacetime Cone (All of physical reality is contained within this cone; the region outside (“elsewhere”) is inaccessible because one would have to travel faster than light to reach it. (Pic courtesy: einstein.stanford.edu)

That leaves Events, Ideas, Thoughts, and Emotions. Lets take Events first. All Events actually result in Energy and Mass to be changed from one form to the other and hence it is covered in Law of Conservation of Energy. As far as Ideas, Thoughts and Emotions are concerned, we often claim to be the first person to have come up with a thought or idea; whereas, all these already exist in one form or the other. We only re-discover them. Mercifully, as far as emotions are concerned, we never claim to be the first persons to become angry, happy, fall in love with, hate etc. We have no idea how these evolved and who was the first person to get angry, love-stricken, hated or happy.

From my Facebook Page 'Make Your Own Quotes
From my Facebook Page ‘Make Your Own Quotes

The second last thing to consider before we take up the main discussion is whether there are any universal truths, beliefs or perceptions that have withstood the test of time. There ain’t many; not even the most sacred ones. Consider that Adam and Eve were sent on the earth and they produced a  boy and a girl. For the world to progress, this boy and girl, brother and sister, that is, must have procreated amongst themselves. Likewise, hundreds of beliefs and tenets have changed over centuries. Hence, whilst there are no Absolute Truths in Space, there are none in Time too except one.

The last thing that I want to take up is the distinction between Natural and Artificial that we have made. Natural is defined as existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by humankind. Artificial is the exact opposite of it; made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural. On the easier side is the difference between natural flowers with their texture, hues and fragrance and artificial look-alike flowers. On the complex side is the natural way (fire, flood, solar-action, wind-force etc) to convert one form of energy into another and artificial way of doing it say in lighting a bulb. It becomes even more complex when we think of the fact that human beings are part of Nature and there is nothing that they can do that has Free Will (Please read: ‘How Unbiased Or Innocent Can We Become?’). Hence, if Natural is God’s Creation, accepting as something Artificial is like accepting that someone other than God can create. Let alone faith, it is against the science of law of conservation of energy. So much for the distinction between Natural and Artificial. God makes the temperature drop as we move away from the centre of the Earth (increase altitude) and away from the Sun (in earth’s elliptical orbit around the Sun); that is natural. But, we, as human beings made air-conditioning (God had no role to play in it!) and made temperature fall wherever we are even when we are closest to the Sun in the orbit of the Earth. Now, that is Artificial.

(Michaelangelo's The Procreation)
(Michaelangelo’s The Procreation)

With this background, lets look at some of the debatable philosophies of life; I call all our philosophies as philosophies of convenience to serve specific purposes or objectives. Lets examine if these are anachronisms.

Philosophy #1 We Should Be Selfless

An ideal man, it is said, is the one who is selfless. To start with, if you read ‘How Unbiased Or Innocent We Can Become?’, you would know that to be completely selfless (without ‘haume’ as Guru Granth Sahib calls it) is to find and merge with param atma. Therefore, we can only be partially selfless.

Now, lets examine how being selfless is against the grain of human nature (what a word, you may say, when seen in the light of the discussion on Natural and Artificial.

Every instinct and every reflex action of a human being, over generations and centuries, is honed towards self-preservation and survival. Indeed, Men have come up with Herculean efforts, brave and courageous acts that we have admired in furtherance of their survival instincts.

You take away self from Man and he merges with Param Atma. That means that it is not possible to be absolutely selfless for a man. Would that really be the purpose of Life that God sent us on this earth and we should always be doing everything to merge back with Him? We can only be partially selfless. However, in the bigger definition of selflessness, to do something for the betterment of one’s soul, family, nation and world still has the element of haume’ about it; one does it because it is one’s own. There is still me and mine involved in it. A mother, for example, does everything for her child; it would be somewhat more selfless if she did for other than her own child. It would be somewhat more selfless if she did it without thinking of gains for her own soul.

Philosophy #2 We Should Not Live In The Past or We Should Forget The Past

All our knowledge is in the past. The world is made safer, securer and better place to live in because of past knowledge. And yet, many of those who have the best interests of our society in mind routinely tell us to forget the past.

In our survival instincts, we are hard wired to remember the past and learn from it. We don’t have to, for example, die ourselves to learn the horrors of dying. We have knowledge of people dying and we consciously avoid all those things that can kill us; say, for example, jumping from high-rise buildings.

Think of how dangerous the world would become if all of us we were to forget the past and start discovering everything afresh. Think of how lost we would be if we were to start with a clean slate everyday or every hour. In this case, Ignorance will not be bliss.

There are people and countries such as Taliban in Afghanistan who tried to bury the past. But, these generally have disastrous results.

Another connected advice or philosophy is to live in the present. It is like living in a house made of just one straw. That’s exactly what Present is; a fleeting moment that becomes past like a bubble in a pond. Trying to capture the Present is like holding this bubble in the palm of one’s hand.

Lastly, the Past also enables us to provide an anchor to excel. So, if you are trying to break the world record in high jump, and you have been jumping, say, 6 feet, you are able to make out the gap that you must fill. Other people’s similar feats also enable us to emulate and excel.

Philosophy #3 All Men Are Born Equal

Of all the hogwash that is dished by those who are adept at making feel-good philosophies, this takes the cake.

Millions of years ago when Life started on earth, it is possible that God may have made all men equal. However, over all these years, generational and genetic memory ensured that each became unique and different. It is for this reason that even though the DNA of even twins at birth is the same, it undergoes changes as they grow up and their children do not have the same DNA.

This philosophy of convenience actually fills us with hope that we have the same chances of succeeding as, say, Bill Gates or Narendra Modi.

Every once in a while we have success stories from those who were not born with silver spoons in their mouths but did well through sheer grit and commitment. The fact is that if similar grit and commitment were displayed by the ones born with silver spoons, it would be a totally different story.

Now, I am not suggesting that it should fill each of us with defeatism that we were not born of the same mould as Ambanis or Birlas. All I am saying here is that it is okay to make peace with one’s circumstances dictated by generations of data-memory and move on to do one’s best to achieve the best under the circumstances.

Philosophy #4 As You Sow, So Shall You Reap

There is absolutely no proof of this philosophy except in folklore. It appears to be a plaintive cry for divine justice by the meek and the downtrodden and fills him with hope when he sees that the thugs, ruffians, and cheaters in the world seem to be doing well in comparison to the good guys. The latter imagine the former burning in the fires of the hell and paying for their sins.

In South India there is a respectable chain of restaurants. At the entrance of these restaurants is a picture of the founder with huge sandalwood garland around it. You are filled with great respect for the man whose vision, sagacity and generosity enabled him to set up mass eating joints at affordable prices. Decades later many had forgotten that he had spent time in jail for making counterfeit money and that he was enjoying the fruits of his earlier labour after his jail term.

These days, the rich and the influential don’t even have to go to jail before enjoying the fruits of their deceit and swindles.

In a recent article titled ‘Is Truth Worth Fighting For?’ I had concluded that all that the conscientious and the saintly do get is the hope that, in the end, they would die happily. So the reward for them to have spent their lives in constant toil and misery is the promise of happiness when the body and soul part. Some compensation that.

Most people are nowadays already aware of it and leave the count of those that live wretchedly but are promised happy deaths.

When the evil don’t appear to be getting just punishments, we cover it up by saying that someone somewhere in one of their previous lives has done something good or that they would suffer in their next lives.

The charade goes on.

It is absolutely debatable whether your deeds, good or bad, will repay you in kind.

It is time we found a new philosophy.

Philosophy #5 Religions Started Centuries Back Should Be Preserved Till The End of the World

Lastly, all present major religions in the world are based on the premise that God or Son of God arrived in this world only during a certain period of time in history, started the religion for all times to come and all those who are loyal adherents of these religions are pious and righteous. The rest are as good or bad as pagans. God will one day punish the non-believers.

The followers of all major religions also believe in and practice the philosophy that even violence and war, in the name of God and Religion are just and justified. Hence, Religion and God are worth laying down lives for – one’s own and those of one’s enemies.

Lastly, the followers of all major religions in the world believe that since the founders of the religions were God or descendants, these have been writ in stone and nothing in these should ever change.

From my Facebook Page: Make Your Own Quotes
From my Facebook Page: Make Your Own Quotes

In my ‘Whose God Is It Anyway?’ I had brought out that when, for example, Mohammad told his followers that men should marry many women, he had in mind the war widows of the 7th century AD in Arabia who were young and required shelters, which could be provided to them if men married them. He won’t have made this as a law for all times to come.

There, I have given you at least five philosophies and beliefs that are debatable and suffer from obsolescence. Let me hear your views, if you so desire, in the comments below.

Beliefs, perceptions and philosophies take a long time changing. Why, even expressions do. We still use the expression, for example, skeletons in the cupboard though the last person to see them must have been a hundred years ago.

From my Facebook Page: Make Your Own Quotes
From my Facebook Page: Make Your Own Quotes

It is high time we change them in keeping with the modern times. Please remember that when religions were founded they changed the existing beliefs and philosophies of those times. It can’t, therefore, be sacrilegious to do so.

Happy new year 2016 to all my readers and friends.

 

EK AUR NAYA SAAL AA RAHA HAI

एक और नया साल आ रहा है,
वादी – ए – दिल पे भंवरा मंडरा रहा है I

नया वादा – ए – आरज़ू है, नया दिल – पसंद है,
खुशियों के ख़ज़ाने भर के ला रहा है I

यादों के जज़ीरे खड़ा कर गया जो,
वह माज़ी के धुंदले में कदम बढ़ा रहा है I

“अलविदा दोस्तों, इक रोज़ मैं भी नया था यहाँ”,
यह कह के उदास ओ तनहा वह जा रहा है I

दुनिया में हर नयी चीज़ का यही तो है अंजाम,
बुत – तराश अपनी ही तख़लीक़ पे मुस्करा रहा है I

लाल ओ गौहर तख़्त – ए – ताऊस किस के रहें हैं हरदम,
जो आ रहा था कल, आज वह भी जा रहा है I

जनाज़ा – ए – क़दीम है पर माहौल – ए – जष्न है,
यही ज़िन्दगी का पहलू हमें समझा रहा है I

ज़िन्दगी में नए की तमन्ना बेशक करना, ऐ रवि,
पर ना भूलना कभी जो पुराना सिखा रहा है I

image

Ek aur naya saal aa raha hai,
Waadi-e-dil pe bhanvra mandra raha hai

Naya vaada-e-aarzoo hai, naya dil-pasand hai,
Khushiyon ke khazaane bhar ke laa raha hai

Yaadon ke jazeere khada kar gaya jo,
Woh maazi ke dhundle mein kadam badha raha hai

“Alvida dosto, ik roz main bhi naya tha yahan”,
Yeh keh ke udaas o tanha woh jaa raha hai

Duniya mein har nayi cheez ka yehi to hai anjaam,
But-taraash apani hi takhleek pe muskara raha hai

Laal o gauhar takht-e-taa.uus kis ke rahen hain hardam,
Jo aa raha tha kal, aaj woh bhi jaa raha hai

Janaaza-e-qadeem hai par mahaul-e-jashn hai
Yahi zindagi kaa pehlu hamen samajha raha hai

Zindagi mein naye ki tamanna beshaq karna, ai Ravi,
Par naa bhoolana kabhi jo maazi sikha raha hai

AAP KE EHSAANO KI HADD PAAR HO GAYI

आप के एहसानो की हद्द पार हो गयी,
गरीब की यह दुनिया माला – माल हो गयी

तन्हाईयों की दौलत का न था नाम – ओ – निशाँ,
अब यूं मिली है कि शाम शर्मसार हो गयी

यूं तो ज़िन्दगी में ग़म यहाँ वहां पढ़े थे,
तुमने दिए कुछ ऐसे कि ग़म – ए – बहार हो गयी

अपने ही अश्क़ों की कीमत का न था हमें एहसास,
आँख खुश्क हुई तो देखा तंग – हाल हो गयी

मासूमियत – ए – मोहब्बत पे बहुत नाज़ था हमें,
तेरी महफ़िल में जाने क्यों गुनाहगार हो गयी

दिल की धड़कन को अपनी ज़मानत समझते थे,
रफ्ता रफ्ता वह भी तेरी तरफदार हो गयी

सोचता हूँ, रवि, कैसे बचा रखूं इसे,
मेरी ज़िन्दगी की दौलत सर – ए – बाज़ार हो गयी

Aap ke ehssano ki hadd paar ho gayi,
Gareeb ki yeh zindagi maala-maal ho gayi.

Tanhaayiyon ki daulat ka na tha naam-o-nishaan,
Ab youn mili hai ke shaam sharamsaar ho gayi.

Youn to zindagi mein gham yahan wahan padhe the,
Tumane diye kuchh aise ke gham-e-bahaar ho gayi.

Apane hi ashqon ki keemat ka na tha hamen ehsaas,
Aankh khushk hui to dekha tung-haal ho gayi.

Masoomiat-e-mohabbat pe bahut naaz tha hamen,
Teri mehfil mein jaane kyun gunaahgaar ho gayi.

Dil ki dhadkan ko apani zamaanat samajhate the,
Rafta rafta woh bhi teri tarafdaar ho gayi.

Sochata hoon, Ravi, kaise bacha rakhun isse,
Meri zindagi ki daulat sar-e-bazaar ho gayi.

SADHANA – DIL ABHI BHARA NAHIN!

Sadhana – We can’t believe it; it is shocking beyond words. We knew you were battling with cancer; but, still it is shocking beyond words to let you go.

Last night, my wife Marilyn and I returned from what should have been Midnight Mass for Christmas, at 10:30 PM. Silent night, holy night, cannot be allowed to break the peace of Mumbaites beyond 10 PM, once in a year, since they are a very silent community. They never make noise during any of the other religious festivals beyond 10 PM, not on the roads, not in the parks and other public places in the open and hence cannot make an exception for Christmas.

Anyway, our Midnight Mass having finished at 10 PM, I had lot of time at home and so I thought of seeing this Raj Khosla movie that I had missed seeing during my young days: Woh Kaun Thi (Who Was She)? Sadhana played Sandhya in the movie and carried the movie virtually on her shoulders with the strength of her histrionics and enigmatic charm.

My hair now stand on their ends when I think of the fact that when she sang, in the movie: “Lag jaa gale ke phir ye haseen raat ho na ho, shaayad is janam mein mulaqaat ho naa ho“, she actually meant that it was her last night in real world too.

Sadhana1

I have never come across such a strange coincidence in my life; the kind that makes me shiver now after hearing about her demise a few hours ago.

The best of Lata Mangeshkar songs have been picturised on her including the three (the first three in the list) from the movie that I finished seeing at about 1:37 AM today:

  1. Lag jaa gale se.
  2. Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim.
  3. Jo hamane dastaan apani sunaayi aap kyun roye.
  4. Chanda ja re ja re (from Manmauji that she did with Kishore Kumar).
  5. Main to tum sang nain mila ke (from Manmauji).
  6. Naino mein badra chhaye (Mera Saya with Sunil Dutt).
  7. Tera mera pyaar amar phir kyun mujhako lagata hai dar (Asli Naqli with Dev Anand).
  8. O sajana barkha bahaar aayi (Parakh with Motilal).
  9. Tu jahan jahan chalega mera saya saath hoga (Mera Saya)

And, hold your breath, my most liked song in Hindi movies: Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam is also acted upon by her in the movie Mere Mehboob that had one of her best roles as Husna to Rajendra Kumar as Anwar. Indeed, you need to see this song from Mere Mehboob and another one: Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke ham, to see the dignity, charm, elegance and beauty that she brought to acting. Anwar only saw her through the burqa (veil) once and that changed his life; that was supposed to be the effect of her striking beauty.

I am shocked beyond words.

Here is how I shall always remember her. This song that is probably her best was written by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and had been composed in the Raag of my place: Raag Pahadi by none other than Madan Mohan and sung by Lata for her; each word now has another sublime meaning after she left us suddenly.

Please listen to this in Sadhana’s memory: Lag jaa gale ke phir ye haseen raat ho na ho….

Lag jaa gale ki phir ye hasii.n raat ho na ho
Shaayad phir is janam me.n mulaaqaat ho na ho
Lag jaa gale se …

Hamako milii hai.n aaj, ye gha.Diyaa.N nasiib se
Jii bhar ke dekh liijiye hamako qariib se
Phir aapake nasiib me.n ye baat ho na ho
Phir is janam me.n mulaaqaat ho na ho
Lag jaa gale ki phir ye hasii.n raat ho na ho

Paas aaiye ki ham nahii.n aae.nge baar-baar
Baahe.n gale me.n Daal ke ham ro le.n zaar-zaar
Aa.Nkho.n se phir ye pyaar ki barasaat ho na ho
Shaayad phir is janam me.n mulaaqaat ho na ho

Lag jaa gale ki phir ye hassii.n raat ho na ho….

Dil Abhi Bhara Nahin

You decided to leave us, Sadhana on this Christmas day; but, the fact is that we wish we could sing, as Dev Anand did in Hum Dono, for you: Abhi na jaao chhod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahin.

And how can dil bhar jaata? When we loved you so much. You brought in your acting so much of charm, romanticism, elegance and beauty that to call you stunning would be an understatement. Coincidentally, for all of us who hail from Simla, the first major movie of yours was Love in Simla with Joy Mukherjee in 1959. Woh Kaun Thi and Anita were also shot in Shimla in parts.

You dared to be different and not just with your haircut which came to be known as Sadhana cut.

This was the most popular duet of our times and I was fortunate to have heard Rafi and Asha Bhosle live singing it.

Being an evening song, Jaidev composed it in Raag Kalyan. It has the lyrics by a favourite poet and lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi.

Here is to you Sadhana, a plea that you cannot hear anymore: Abhi naa jaao chhod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahin…..

ra: abhii na jaao chho.D kar ke dil abhii bharaa nahii.n – (2)
abhii abhii to aaii ho – abhii abhii to
abhii abhii to aaii ho, bahaar banake chhaaii ho
havaa zaraa mahak to le, nazar zaraa bahak to le
(ye shaam Dhal to le zaraa – 2), ye dil sambhal to le zaraa
mai.n tho.Dii der jii to luu.N, nashe ke ghuu.NT pii to luu.N
nashe ke ghuu.NT pii to luu.N
abhii to kuchh kahaa.Nahii.n, abhii to kuchh sunaa nahii.n
abhii na jaao chho.Dakar ke dil abhii bharaa nahii.n

aa: sitaare jhilamilaa uThe, sitaare jhilamilaa uThe, charaaG jagamagaa uThe
bas ab na mujhako Tokanaa
bas ab na mujhako Tokanaa, na ba.Dhake raah rokanaa
agar mai.n ruk ga_ii abhii to jaa na paauu.Ngii kabhii
yahii kahoge tum sadaa ke dil abhii nahii.n bharaa
jo khatm ho kisii jagah ye aisaa silasilaa nahii.n
ra: abhii nahii.n abhii nahii.n
aa: nahii.n nahii.n nahii.n nahii.n
ra: abhii na jaao chho.Dakar ke dil abhii bharaa nahii.n

ra: adhuurii aas, adhuurii aas chho.Dake, adhuurii pyaas chho.Dake
jo roz yuu.Nhii jaaogii to kis tarah nibhaaogii
ki zi.ndagii kii raah me.n, javaa.N dilo.n kii chaah me.n
ka_ii muqaam aae.nge jo ham ko aazamaae.nge
buraa na maano baat kaa ye pyaar hai gilaa nahii.n
aa: haa.N, yahii kahoge tum sadaa ke dil abhii nahii.n bharaa
ra: haa.N, dil abhii bharaa nahii.n
aa: nahii.n nahii.n nahii.n nahii.n

For an actress who started as a chorus girl in one of the songs in a Raj Kapoor movie, the 1955 movie Shree 420 (the song being Mud mud ke naa dekh mud mud ke), you came a long way off to become one of the most loved actresses of your times. After the release of your 1959-60 movie Love in Simla wherein you acted opposite Joy Mukherjee (in his debut movie) since the movie was directed by his uncle Sashadhar Mukherjee (Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Anoop Kumar’s brother in law), you acted in Bimal Roy’s Parakh (1960 movie) opposite Motilal.

Another best song of Lata Mangeshkar was picturised on you and that song happens to be the best in Hindi movies on rain. The song was penned by the great lyricist Shailendra (Raj Kapoor’s find in the movies) and composed in Raag Khammaj by Salil Chowdhury who composed many of his songs on Western Classical beats.

Yes, I am talking about the song: O sajana, barkha bahaar aayi….(its composition is so great that when it comes to Aise rimjhim mein ho sanam, pyaase pyaase mere nayan, you can actually imagine the pitter patter of rain even if you don’t understand the words).

Here is, remembering you, Sadhana, with the best rain song ever: O sajana, barkha bahaar aayi…

(o sajanaa, barakhaa bahaara aaI
rasa kii phuhaara laaI, a.Nkhiyo.n me pyaar laaI ) – 2
o sajanaa

tumako pukaare mere mana kaa papiharaa – 2
miiThii miiThii aganii me.n, jale moraa jiyaraa
o sajanaa …

(aisI rimajhima me.n o saajan, pyaase pyaase mere nayana
tere hii, khvaaba me.n, kho gae ) – 2
saa.nvalii salonii ghaTaa, jaba jaba chhaaI – 2
a.Nkhiyo.n me.n rainaa gaI, nindiyaa na aaI
o sajanaa …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zSEV7-CqhwI

At a very early stage in her acting career, she acted in a Bimal Roy movie and Bimal Roy’s movies used to have focus on women such as Bandini and Madhumati. However, the person who made a trilogy on her in movies based on the mystery woman was Raj Khosla. He took her in the 1964 movie Woh Kaun Thi, 1966 movie Mera Saya and 1967 movie Anita.

Mera Saya repeated the Lyricist – Music Director team of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (my second most favourite lyricist after Shakeel Badayuni) and they gave some beautiful songs picturised on her: Jhumka gira re, the title song: Tu jahan jahan chalega mera saya saath hoga, and my favourite: Naino mein badra chhaye.

Naino mein badra chhaye was composed by Madan Mohan in Raag Bhimpalasi and till today remains one of the top songs of Lata Mangeshkar.

Please enjoy, thinking of Sadhana: Naino mein badra chhaye…

naino.n me.n badaraa chhaae, bijalii sii chamake haae
aise me.n balam mohe, garavaa lagaa le
naino.n me.n…

madiraa me.n Duubii a.Nkhiyaa.N
cha.nchal hai.n dono.n sakhiyaa.N
Dhalatii rahe.ngii tohe
palako.n kii pyaarii pakhiyaa.N
sharamaa ke de.ngii tohe
madiraa ke pyaale
naino.n me.n…

prem diivaanii huu.N me.n
sapano.n kii raanii huu.N mai.n
pichhale janam se terii
prem kahaanii huu.N mai.n
aa is janam me.n bhii tuu
apanaa banaa le
naino.n me.n…

Sadhana was born in a Sindhi family in Karachi on 02 Sep 1941. Post partition riots saw the family shift from Karachi to Bombay and that is where all her life was spent. Sadhana married her Love in Simla (her first movie as heroine) director Ram Krishna Nayyar on 7 March  1966. They were married for nearly thirty years, until his death in 1995 from asthma. The couple had no children. After her retirement from the movies (Geeta Mera Naam was her last movie in 1974, a film that she directed), she declined to be photographed and lived like that in her Santa Cruz flat. And the reason for not being photographed post retirement was because she wanted to be remembered as she was in the movies. And that’s why, in today’s tribute, within a few hours of her death, I have tried to remember her by some of the roles that she did.

 

Here is one that has stayed in my mind. It is from her 1969 movie Inteqaam (Revenge) (directed by her husband RK Nayyar) in which she acted as Rita Mehra a poor girl looking after her sick mother. She was out to take revenge because after her refusal to entertain a rich businessman, her boss managed to send her to jail for one year on trumped up charges of theft.

And here is her revenge song that was quite popular in our era (she feigned drunkenness to bring the high society to mother earth). The song was penned by Rajinder Krishan (responsible with Madan Mohan for half of Lata’s Top Ten songs) and it was composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Please see Sadhana perform in feigned drunken stupor: Kaise rahun chup ke maine pi hi kyaa hai hosh abhi taq hain baaqi…aur zara si dede saaqi…

kaise rahuu.N chup ki maine pii hii kyaa hai
hosh abhii tak hai baaqii
aur zaraa sii de-de saaqii aur zaraa sii aur
kaise rahuu.N chup …

muddato.n kii pyaas aaj ek jaam ban ga_ii
ye Kushii kii shaam shaam-e-intaqaam ban ga_ii
jo baat hamame.n tumame.n thii vo baat aam ban ga_ii
kaise rahuu.N chup …

pataa hai tumako raaz kyaa hai mere is suruur kaa
ke is suruur me.n zaraa saa ra.ng hai Guruur kaa
jo maine pii to kyo.n nashaa utar gayaa huzuur kaa
kaise rahuu.N chup …

The 1963 movie Mere Mehboob saw her at her elegant best. The title song in Raag Jhinjhoti was sung separately, in the movie, by both Rajendra Kumar and Sadhana. It was such a great song by Shakeel, Naushad, Rafi and Lata, that I can never bring myself to actually post it lest I should do dishonour to the song by my ignorance or inanity.

However, in order to depict her characteristic elegance in the movie, I am able to give you another song: Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke hum….

yaad me.n terI jaag-jaag ke ham
raat bhar karavaTe.n badalate hai.n
har gha.Dii dil me.n terI ulfat ke
dhiime dhiime chiraaG jalate hai.n

jabase tUne nigaah pherii hai
din hai suunaa to raat a.ndherii hai
chaa.Nd bhI ab najar nahii.n AtA
ab sitaare bhI kam nikalate hai.n
yaad me.n terI jaag-jaag ke ham …

luT gayii vo bahaar kI mahafil
chhuT gayii hamase pyaar kI ma.nzil
zi.ndagii kI udaas rAho.n me.n
terI yaado.n ke sAth chalate hai.n
yaad me.n terI jaag-jaag ke ham …

tujhako paakar hame.n bahaar milii
tujhase chhuTakar magar ye baat khulii
baaGabaan hii chaman ke phuulo.n ko
apane pairo.n se khud masalate hai.n
yaad me.n terI jaag-jaag ke ham …

kyA kahe.n tujhase kyuu.n huii duurii
ham samajhate hai.n apanii majabuurii
tujhako maaluum kyA ke tere liye
dil ke gam aa.Nsuo.n me.n Dhalate hai.n
yaad me.n terI jaag-jaag ke ham …

Fianlly, to remember her by, let me give you a song from her 1962 movie Manmauji that she did with Kishore Kumar. Old timers would remember Kishore Kumar’s comic and popular number from the movie: Zaroorat hai zaroorat hai zaroorat hai, ik shrimati ki, kalawati ki, sewa kare jo pati ki; a vacuous fantasy in the modern world.

This song put together by Rajinder Krishan, Madan Mohan and Lata Mangeshkar for her continues to be the kind of song Sadhana would have wanted to be remembered by: young, romantic, intense and with histrionics that made her fans like me lose their hearts to her.

Please enjoy: Main to tum sang nain mila ke….

mai.n to tum sa.ng, nain milA ke ##(slow)##
hAr gaI sajanA, ho, hAr gaI sajanA
mai.n to tum sa.ng, nain milA ke
hAr gaI sajanA, ho, hAr gaI sajanA

kyU.N jhUThe se prIt lagAI – 2
kyU.N chhaliye ko mIt banAyA
kyU.N A.ndhI me.n dIp jalAyA
mai.n to tum sa.ng …

sapane me.n jo bAG lagAe
nI.nd khulI to vIrAne the
ham bhI kitane dIvAne the
mai.n to tum sa.ng …

nA milatI.n ye bairan a.NkhiyA.n
chain na jAtA dil bhI ne rotA
kAsh kisI se pyAr na hotA
mai.n to tum sa.ng …

Truly Sadhana, abhi gayi ho tum chhod ke, par dil abhi bhara nahin.

 

IS TRUTH WORTH FIGHTING FOR?

Some of my most favourite Hindi movies songs have been penned by Shakeel Badayuni and have Naushad’s music. This has been sung by my favourite singer Hemant Kumar and picturised on the village school teacher Abhi Bhattacharya in 1961 movie Ganga Jamuna:

Insaaf kii Dagar pe, bachcho.n dikhaao chal ke
Ye desh hai tumhaaraa, netaa tumhii.n ho kal ke

Duniyaa ke ra.nj sahanaa aur kuchh na mu.Nh se kahanaa
Sachchaaiyo.n ke bal pe aage ko ba.Dhate rahanaa
Rakh doge ek din tum sa.nsaar ko badal ke
Insaaf kii …

Apane ho.n yaa paraae sabake liye ho nyaay
Dekho kadam tumhaaraa haragiz na Dagamagaae
Raste ba.De kaThin hai.n chalanaa sambhal-sambhal ke
Insaaf kii …

Insaaniyat ke sar par izzat kaa taaj rakhanaa
Tan man bhii bhe.nT dekar Bharat kii laaj rakhanaa
Jiivan nayaa milegaa a.ntim chitaa me.n jal ke,
Insaaf kii …

Abhi Bhattacharya teaching village school children to follow the path of Justice and Truth (Pic courtesy: You Tube)
Abhi Bhattacharya teaching village school children to follow the path of Justice and Truth in the movie Ganga Jamuna (Pic courtesy: You Tube)

India had become a free nation less than a decade and half back and there was heady idealism in the air. These young ignited minds of our villages (India lives in its villages!) were being taught to walk on the path of Truth and Justice unwaveringly so as not just to become future netas of the country but also be filled with the promise of changing the world.

Mahatma Gandhi’s My Experiments With The Truth and Satyagraha goaded us to always seek the Truth and be counted amongst men of stature. Our schools, wherein mottoes generally adorned the walls, had Truth is God and God is Truth painted across in large letters.

It was a lofty objective but there was a sizable number of people who still believed in the Truth and saw merit in fighting for it.

It wasn’t as if that was an ideal or idealist India; the Truthful were then too poor and miserable and Liars ruled then too and lived in comfort and luxury. The path of Truth was then too more difficult than the path of Evil. The difference is that it wasn’t considered totally impractical or to be jeered at as something bereft of realities of life. Those who walked on the path of Truth were respected.

Recently, when actor Salman Khan was acquitted of all charges against him for negligently and drunkenly driving his Land Rover, late night in 2002, that went out of control on to a footpath and killed a labourer sleeping there, there was a public outcry about whether the surviving family of the victim should have sought Justice and Truth or should have shamefacedly accepted the underhand compensation that the accused would have given them and which, allegedly, would have led to the case being allowed to go awry after having been proved beyond reasonable doubts in the High Court judgment of 06 May 2015 that sentenced him to five years imprisonment? It seems that they and others involved with the case followed the more practical path than insaaf ki dagar.

A few years back a person that I am related to accepted compensation for his young son having been killed in a road accident when it was clearly the other party’s fault. I was shocked. But then my relation explained that the family had belatedly made peace with their fate and gotten over the initial trauma; and, they didn’t want to subject themselves to the trauma of seeking justice through the Indian courts.

In April 2012 I wrote an article titled ‘The Great Indian Judicial Circus‘ to bring out the true face of the Indian judicial system. I had brought out that seeking Justice through such a system is not just naive but extremely frustrating, humiliating and devoid of all dignity.

Recently, I started seeing on my computer (through Internet) old Hindi movies that I had missed out during my younger days. In many of these, a barrister was always depicted as a person of high repute. Take Adalat and Mamta as just two examples. Pradeep Kumar in the former and Ashok Kumar in the latter return after their law education in London and on return occupy a most revered position in the society. Their personal integrity and morals were supposed to be beyond reproach. Before that, we had the lofty example of the great barristers like MK Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Chittranjan Das, Vallabhai Patel, Motilal Nehru, and others whose value system is worth emulating.

IndiaTv9a388a_BR_Ambedkar

What about now? The present day lawyer or advocate is as far from seeking Truth and Justice as can get. Indeed, one of the major reasons that the Indian judicial system is in such a mess is because of the avarice of the Indian lawyer (Please also read: ‘Why Do Indian Lawyers Behave Like Gods?’).

It is because of the Indian judicial system that if you started a case in order to seek justice, it or other cases arising out of it would be pending for the rest of your life whilst both the contending lawyers would have made more money through your cases than your original loss against which you sought justice. The Salman Khans of the nation do not have cases pending against them because their money power ensures that they get expedient justice whilst some 46 Lakh cases are pending in the High Courts and thousands in the Supreme Court. But, if you are an ordinary citizen, to your original misfortune (against which you seek justice) is added the misfortune that you pay for in terms of money, loss of peace, dignity, physical and mental health.

The judicial system provides for judicial immunity enjoyed by the judges and others employed by the judiciary from liability resulting from their judicial actions. Cases where the judges have misused this immunity are increasingly surfacing in the media and public debate nowadays. But immunity generally does extend to all judicial decisions in which the judge has proper jurisdiction, even if a decision is made with “corrupt or malicious intent”. More and more cases are coming out in the open these days wherein the judges had been bought.

My family in general and I in particular have been at the receiving end of trying to get justice through the court for someone having encroached upon our land in Himachal in the year 1999, sixteen years back. We are now mired in so many cases that the original case (five times decreed in our favour but repeatedly challenged in higher court by the other party because of loopholes provided by the lawyers and/or the judges) is now relatively insignificant. The closest analogy that comes to one’s mind is that of making you forget your headache by hitting yourself hard on the toe with a hammer. That, in a nutshell, is the essence of seeking Truth and Justice through the corrupt and inefficient Indian judicial system.

“War” said Herman Wouk, “Is a terrible business in which thousands get killed and you are damn glad you are not one of them”. Likewise, if you have never been a victim of the Indian judicial system you are likely to have that superior air about you and look down at others who are forced to seek Truth and Justice through the system.

All seekers of Justice and Truth through the unending loop of Indian judicial system are not just ridiculed constantly for their impracticability; but also sneered at for not having evolved with the society. You are roughly in similar position as a rape victim. But, whilst people have at least sympathy for rape victims, no one has sympathy for you for being so obdurate as persisting with seeking Truth and Justice through the Indian system.

For the number of years – decades really – when you are fighting for Truth and Justice and your case drags on, you lose sleep, peace, money, dignity, reputation, respectability and as I brought out earlier, physical and mental health. Any time between one-third to half your life is spent in abject misery.

And, what is the reward waiting for you for having been loco enough to follow the path of Truth? Well, the song itself tells you:

Jeevan naya milega, antim chita mein jalake
(A new life after cremation!)

The 1957 V Shantaram movie had this very popular hymn penned by Bharat Vyas:

Ai maailik tere bande hum
(O, Master, we are your people)
Aise hon hamaare karam
(Our deeds should be such that)
Neki par chalen, aur badi se taren
(We should tread the path of Goodness and shun the Evil)
Take hanste huye nikale dum
(So that we should die happily)

Dying happily; is that all that one would hope to get after living in abject misery for greater part of one’s life fighting for Truth and Justice?

Two stark examples come into my mind. One is about the whistle blowers in our country who have sought the difficult, tedious and now increasingly dangerous path of Truth. Their antim chita (cremation) has been much sooner than expected. And second, about the fate of Right To Information activists; many of them lost dum (breath) in Maharashtra alone (just like the police protection officer did later who was traveling with Salman Khan on that fateful night in 2002 in his Land Rover) and one can only hope that they did so hanste huye (happily).

As the Indian society plunges further into the cesspool of hopelessness (today’s news, for example, brings out that 77 percent Indians live in various grades of poverty as per international norms) and more and more districts abandon the Indian law (already in about one-third of our districts, the Maoist belt that is, Indian rule of law, justice and governance is negligible), we have to find newer ways to convince people that virtues and human values still have a place in our society. Fighting for Truth and Justice through the Indian system is already a dodo.

How many more have written such 'stories' after he wrote?
How many more have written such ‘stories’ after he wrote?

THE BEST RAAGA BASED SONGS IN HINDI MOVIES – RAAGA BHIMPALASI – PART I

As you are already aware, these blogs are being recreated from the posts on my Facebook page Lyrical wherein I started with this theme of giving you the best raaga based songs in Hindi movies on the 8th of Aug 2015. Presently, I am on my 12th Raaga: Raag Bageshri. I have already given you blogs on Raaga Bhairavi, Yaman or Kalyan, Jhinjhoti and Darbari Kanada; which make only four of the twelve Raagas. This means that I am well behind schedule.

Tonight we start with our fifth Raag: Raag Bhimpalasi. Raag Bhimpalasi is an afternoon raaga, sung from late afternoon to sunset, Bhimpalasi is poignant and passionate, filled with yearning. The raga is reputed to reduce tension and short temper.

Bhimpalasi5

Now look at the cover picture depicting the song Khilate hain gul yahan khilake bikharane ko. You get the yearning, the longing, the passion and the poignancy. I have always given you, in the cover pictures of the Raagas, what I feel is the song that comes nearest to the description of the Raaga.

The Raaga is in Thaat Kafi. The other Raagas in Thaat Kafi are Pilu, Kafi and Bageshri. Raag Bhimpalasi is sung in Bhakati, Shringar and Vir ras.

Bhimpalasi6

Song #1 Khilate hain gul yahan khil ke bikharane ko…

Sharmilee, the 1971 movie, has Rakhee‘s double role as Kamini (the bad girl) and Kanchan (the innocent one). Shashi Kapoor as Captain Ajit Kapoor falls in love with Kamini when he is returning from Army base and takes shelter in a rest house whereat Kamini and her friends are having a party. It is snowing outside and in order to warm up the party, he sings this song for them. Kamini and Ajit instantly fall in love.

The song has Neeraj‘s lyrics and SD Burman‘s music. It is one of the most passionate songs Kishore Kumar ever sang.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Khilate hain gul yahan khilake bikharne ko…..

khilate hai.n gul yahaa.N, khilake bikharane ko
milate hai.n dil yahaa.N, milake bichha.Dane ko
khilate hai.n gul yahaa.N …

(kal rahe naa rahe, mausam ye pyaar kaa
kal ruke na ruke, Dolaa bahaar kaa ) – (2)
chaar pal mile jo aaj, pyaar me.n guzaar de
khilate hai.n gul yahaa.N …

jhiilo.n ke ho.nTho.n par, megho.n kaa raag hai
phuulo.n ke siine me.n, Tha.nDii Tha.nDii aag hai
dil ke aaine me.n tuu, ye samaa utaar de
khilate hai.n gul yahaa.N …

pyaasaa hai dil sanam, pyaasii ye raat hai
ho.nTho.n me dabii dabii, koii miiThii baat hai
in lamho.n pe aaj tuu, har khushii nisaar de
khilate hai.n gul yahaa.N …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HBgKPyi1aXA%3Ffs

Song #2 Aa neele gagan tale pyaar ham karen….

Poignant, passionate, filled with yearning….here is another very good example of it except that I couldn’t find its original video and picture. It has recently assumed iconic proportions as the number one Hindi song for Valentines day.

The song speaks of Shankar Jaikishen‘s excellence in Raaga based songs and Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar‘s excellence in romantic duets. Hasrat Jaipuri‘s lyrics are so exquisite that they leave you with stunning beauty that stays with you forever. The name of this 1954 movie is Baadshah starring Pradeep Kumar and Usha Kiran.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Aa neele gagan tale pyaar ham Karen….

aa niile gagan tale pyaar ham kare.n
hil mil ke pyaar kaa iqaraar ham kare.n
aa niile …

ye shaam kii belaa ye madhur mast nazaare
baiThe rahe.n ham yuu.Nhii.n baaho.n ke sahaare
vo din naa aae intazaar ham kare.n
aa niile gagan …

do jaa.n hai.n ham aise mile ek hii ho jaae.n
Dhuu.NDhaa kare duniyaa hame.n ham pyaar me.n kho jaae.n
bechain bahaaro.n ko gulazaar ham kare.n
aa niile gagan tale …

tuu maa.Ng kaa sinduur tuu aa.Nkho.n kaa hai kaajal
le baa.ndh le haatho.n ke kinaare se ye aa.Nchal
saamane baiThe raho shrR^i.ngaar ham kare.n
aa niile gagan tale …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=WnOFZw8wElg%3Ffs

Song #3 Naino mein badara chhaye bijli si chamake haay…

Some of Lata Mangeshkar‘s best songs are picturised on the actress Sadhana. Of course this one is composed by her “bhaiyya” Madan Mohan who was steeped in Raagas. Indeed, on my cellphone, when I listen to this song, I also listen to Lata Mangeshkar’s introduction about how Madan bhaiyya bled from his hand when in disgust he hit it against a glass door; the disgust caused by Madan Mohan observing that some of his musicians were playing against the beat of the Raaga!

The song for which Madan Mohan injured his hand was this song for the 1966 movie Mera Saya. Raja Mehdi Ali Khan penned the lyrics.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Naino mein badra chhaye….

naino.n me.n badaraa chhaae, bijalii sii chamake haae
aise me.n balam mohe, garavaa lagaa le
naino.n me.n…

madiraa me.n Duubii a.Nkhiyaa.N
cha.nchal hai.n dono.n sakhiyaa.N
Dhalatii rahe.ngii tohe
palako.n kii pyaarii pakhiyaa.N
sharamaa ke de.ngii tohe
madiraa ke pyaale
naino.n me.n…

prem diivaanii huu.N me.n
sapano.n kii raanii huu.N mai.n
pichhale janam se terii
prem kahaanii huu.N mai.n
aa is janam me.n bhii tuu
apanaa banaa le
naino.n me.n…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=moLtGICevDY%3Ffs

Song #4 Maine chand aur sitaaron ki tamanna ki thi….

Okay, we have just started with this Raag and taken up only SD Burman, Shankar Jaikishen and Madan Mohan so far.

Lets take up a beautiful song composed by N Dutta now. Remember N Dutta? He had that beautiful numbers of Dhool Ka Phool to his credit: Dhadakane lage dil ke taaron ki duniya and Tere pyaar ka aasra chahata hoon and some other excellent numbers such as Tang aa chuke hain kashmekash zindagi se ham.

This one sung by Mohammad Rafi is amongst his best. It was there in the 1956 movie Chandrakanta. Lyrics are by Sahir Ludhianvi. The song is picturised on Bharat Bhushan. Once again, I am sorry I couldn’t find the original video but you may listen to and enjoy the song.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Maine chand aur sitaaron ki tamanna ki thi…..

(mai.n ne chaa.Nd aur sitaaro.n kii tamannaa kii thii
mujhako raato.n kii siyaahii ke sivaa kuchh na milaa ) – 2
mai.n ne chaa.Nd sitaaro.n …

mai.n vo naGamaa huu.N jise pyaar kii mahafil na milii
vo musaafir huu.N jise koii bhii manzil na milii
zakhm paae.n hai.n bahaaro.n kii tamannaa kii thii
mai.n ne chaa.Nd sitaaro.n …

kisii gesuu kisii aa.Nchal kaa sahaaraa bhii nahii.n
raaste me.n koii dhu.Ndhalaa saa sitaaraa bhii nahii.n
merii nazaro.n ne nazaaro.n kii tamannaa kii thii
mai.n ne chaa.Nd sitaaro.n …

merii raaho.n se judaa ho gaI raahe.n unakii
aaj badalii nazar aatii hai.n nigaahe.n unakii
jisase is dil ne sahaaro.n kii tamannaa kii thii
mai.n ne chaa.Nd sitaaro.n …

pyaar maa.Ngaa to sisakate hue aramaan mile
chain chaahaa to uma.Date hue tuufaan mile
Duubate dil ne kinaaro.n kii tamannaa kii thii
mai.n ne chaa.Nd sitaaro.n …

dil me.n naakaam ummido.n ke basere paaye
roshanii lene ko nikalaa to a.ndhere paaye
ra.ng aur nuur ke dhaaro.n kii tamannaa kii thii
mai.n ne chaa.Nd aur sitaaro.n …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=e_Dqn-SLK2w%3Ffs

Song #5 Afsaana likh rahi hoon dil-e-beqraar kaa…

How many of you know that the very first song of my favourite lyricist and poet Shakeel Badayuni was composed by his mentor and music director Naushad Ali in Raag Bhimpalasi?

It is from the 1947 movie Dard starring Suraiyya and Munnavar Sultana and was sung by Uma Devi (who later assumed the name of Tun Tun).

By this time you have guessed the song; haven’t you?

Yes, I am talking about: Afsaana likh rahi hoon dil-e-beqraar kaa…..

afasaana likh rahii huu.N (2) dil-e-beqaraar kaa
aa.Nkho.N me.n ra.ng bhar ke tere i.ntazaar kaa
afasaanaa likh rahii huu.N

jab tuu nahii.n to kuchh bhii nahii.n hai bahaar me.n
nahii.n hai bahaar me.n
jii chaahataa hai muu.Nh bhii
jii chaahataa hai muu.Nh bhii na dekhuu.N bahaar kaa
aa.Nkho.N me.n rang bhar ke tere i.ntazaar kaa
afasaanaa likh rahii huu.N

haasil hai.n yuu.N to mujhako zamaane kii daulate.n
zamaane kii daulate.n
lekin nasiib laa_ii
lekin nasiib laa_ii huu.N ik soGavaar kaa
aa.Nkho.N me.n rang bhar ke tere i.ntazaar kaa
afasaanaa likh rahii huu.N

aajaa ki ab to aa.Nkh me.n aa.Nsuu bhii aa gaye
aa.Nsuu bhii aa gaye
saaGar chhalak uThaa
saaGar chhalak uThaa mere sabr-o-qaraar kaa
aa.Nkho.N me.n rang bhar ke tere i.ntazaar kaa
afasaanaa likh rahii huu.N

https://youtube.com/watch?v=D7XJy4bSNRY%3Ffs

Song #6 Kuchh dil ne kaha, kuchh bhi nahin….

Now that we have taken a song of Shakeel Badayuni, I am tempted to give one of my other favourite: Hemant Kumar; but, this time as music director.

This is from the 1966 movie Anupama with Sharmila Tagore in the title role. She became a recluse in the movie because her father Tarun Bose lost her mother during her delivery and hence her father hates her. Dharmendra as a poet and writer tries to bring her out of her shell. The movie had a remarkably beautiful song sung by Hemant Kumar: Yaa dil ki suno duniya waalo.

This was the first attempt by Hrishikesh Mukherjee to pair together Sharmila Tagore and Dharmendra. So impressed was he with their performance that he did a number of movies with them together such as Chupake Chupake and called this the best pairing in Hindi films. Interestingly, both Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore celebrated their 80th and 71st birthdays respectively day before yesterday.

Kaifi Azmi‘s lyrics and Lata Mangeshkar‘s singing are both superb too.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Kuchh dil ne kaha, kuchh bhi nahin….

kuchh dila ne kahaa, kuchha bhii nahii.n – 2
aisii bhii baate.n hotii hai.n – 2
kuchha dila ne kahaa, kuchha bhii nahii.n

letaa hai dila a.nga.Daa_iyaa.n, isa dila ko samajhaaye koI
aramaana naa aa.Nkhe.n khola de.n, rusavaa naa ho jaaye koI
palako.n kii Tha.nDii seja para, sapano.n kii pariyaa.n sotii hai.n
aisii bhii baate.n hotii hai.n – 2
kuchha dila ne kahaa, kuchha bhii nahii.n

dila kii tassalii ke liye, jhuuThii chamaka jhuuTh nikhaara
jiivana to suunaa hii rahaa, saba samajhe aayii bahaara
kaliyo.n se koii puuchhataa, ha.nsatii hai.n yaa rotii hai.n
aisii bhii baate.n hotii hai.n – 2
kuchha dila ne kahaa, kuchha bhii nahii.n

https://youtube.com/watch?v=69dnqIFfrnE%3Ffs

Song #7 Mere mann ka bawra panchhi…

In two days of songs based on Raag Bhimpalasi, I have given you songs by six music directors: SD Burman, Shankar Jaikishen, Madan Mohan, N Dutta, Naushad and Hemant Kumar.

Lets proceed further. The first music director of tonight is C Ramchandra. This song is a tribute to the South Indian actress Padmini and her dancing skills (you may recall her from the Raj Kapoor starrer Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai). The name of this 1958 movie is Amardeep starring Dev Anand, Padmini and Vyjaynthimala. Lyrics of this song were by Rajendra Krishan.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Mere mann ka bawra panchhi….

mere man kaa baavaraa pa.nchhii kyo.n baar baar Dole -2
sapano.n me.n aaj kis kaa vo bahake pyaar Dole
mere man kaa …

kis ke khayaal me.n ye nazare.n jhukii jhukii hai.n -2
dekho idhar bhii lab par aahe.n rukii rukii hai.n -2
tum ho qaraar jis dil kaa -2
vahii beqaraar Dole
mere man kaa …

dil ko lagan hai usakii miiThii nazar hai jisakii -2
ham paas hai.n tumhaare phir dil me.n yaad hai kis kii -2
tum jo nazar milaao -2
dil me.n bahaar Dole
mere man kaa …

kab se kha.De hue hai.n kah do to lauT jaae.n -2
tumhe duur hii se dekhe.n har dil na paas aaye -2
aa.Nkho.n me.n zi.ndagii bhar tak -2
teraa i.ntazaar Dole
mere man kaa …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hAFZCN1DwX0%3Ffs

Song #8 Mere pyaar woh hai ke mar ke bhi tumako….

I hope you liked the last song with Lata singing for Padmini and on C Ramchandra’s music.

Lets turn to our eighth music director composing in Raag Bhimpalasi. The pairing of Lyricist SH Bihari with Music Director OP Nayyar in the 1964 movie Kashmir Ki Kali produced some of the most enchanting songs in Hindi movies. Two years later, they were back in Ye Raat Phir Na Aayegi, which, just like Kashmir Ki Kali starred Sharmila Tagore but, instead of Shammi Kapoor, having Biswjeet as the hero.

The song is one of the best songs of Mahendra Kapoor.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Mera pyaar who hai ke mar ke bhi tumako….

merA pyAr vo hai ke, mar kar bhI tum ko ##(slow)##
judA apanI bAho.n se hone na degA
merA pyAr vo hai ke, mar kar bhI tum ko
judA apanI bAho.n se hone na degA
milI mujhako jannat to jannat ke badale
khudA se merI jA.n tumhe.n mA.ng legA
merA pyAr vo hai

zamAnA to karavaT badalatA rahegA
nae zindagI ke tarAne bane.nge
miTegI na lekin muhabbat hamArI
miTAne ke sau sau bahAne bane.nge
haqIkat hameshA haqIkat rahegI
kabhI bhI na isakA fasAnA banegA
merA pyAr vo hai ke …

tumhe.n chhIn le merI bAho.n se koI
merA pyAr yU.n besahArA nahI.n hai
tumhArA badan chA.ndanI Ake chhUle
mere dil ko ye bhI gavArA nahI.n hai
khudA bhI agar tumase Ake milegA
tumhArI qasam hai merA dil jalegA
merA pyAr vo hai ke …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=R9xoj0E3ZOo%3Ffs

Song #9 Tu kahan yeh bata iss nasheeli raat mein…

Lets now turn to a movie partly shot in my home station Shimla. It is a Dev Anand, Nutan movie Tere Ghar Ke Saamne; just like another movie Manzil starring both of them that too was shot in Shimla: Manzil with the Hemant Kumar number: Yaad aa gayin wo nasheeli nigaahen.

Being a Dev Anand Movie, it wasn’t surprising to have SD Burman as the music director (Indeed Hum Dono was a rare Dev Anand starrer that had Jaidev’s music).

In Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, Nutan has travelled to Shimla from Delhi. Dev Anand follows her on a scooter. In Shimla she cannot be found. So Dev Anand sings this song to find her and of course, by the end of the song, finds her!

Lyrics are by Hasrat Jaipuri and Mohammad Rafi is the singer.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Tuu kahan yeh bata is nasheeli raat mein….

tuu kahaa.N, ye bataa, is nashiilii raat me.n
maane naa meraa dil diivaanaa
haay re … maane naa meraa dil diivaanaa

he … ba.Daa naTakhaT hai samaa – 2
har nazaaraa hai javaa.N
chhaa gayaa chaaro.n taraf, merii aaho.n kaa dhuaa.N
dil meraa, merii jaa.N, naa jaanaa … tuu kahaa.N …

o o … aaii jab Tha.nDii havaa – 2
maine puuchhaa jo pataa
vo bhii kataraake gaI, aur bechain kiyaa
pyaar se, tuu mujhe, de sadaa … tuu kahaa.N …

he … chaa.nd taaro.n ne sunaa – 2
in bahaaro.n ne sunaa
dard kaa raag meraa, rahaguzaaro.n ne sunaa
tuu bhii sun, jaaneman, aa bhii jaa … tuu kahaa.N …

o o … pyaar kaa dekho asar – 2
aae tum thaame jigar
mil gaI aaj mujhe, merii manachaahii Dagar
kyuu.N chhupaa, ek jhalak, phir dikhaa … tuu kahaa.N …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wUgMMgANjV0%3Ffs

Song #10 Chalo ik baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayen hum dono…

Nine directors so far who have composed in Raag Bhimpalasi: SD Burman, Shankar Jaikishen, Madan Mohan, N Dutta, Naushad, Hemant Kumar, C Ramchandra, OP Nayyar and SD Burman.

Our tenth one is my namesake Ravi and this is really one of his best, as also the best of the lyricist Sahir Ludhainvi and singer Mahendra Kapoor. It is from the 1963 movie Gumraah starring Sunil Dutt, Mala Sinha and her husband in the movie Ashok Kumar.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Chalo ik baar phir se….

chalo ik baar phir se, ajanabii ban jaae.n ham dono
chalo ik baar phir se …

na mai.n tumase koI ummiid rakhuu.N dilanavaazii kii
na tum merii taraf dekho galat a.ndaaz nazaro.n se
na mere dil kii dha.Dakan la.Dakha.Daaye merii baato.n se
na zaahir ho tumhaarii kashm-kash kaa raaz nazaro.n se
chalo ik baar phir se …

tumhe.n bhii koI ulajhan rokatii hai peshakadamii se
mujhe bhii log kahate hai.n ki ye jalave paraae hai.n
mere hamaraah bhii rusavaaiyaa.n hai.n mere maajhii kii – 2
tumhaare saath bhii guzarii huii raato.n ke saaye hai.n
chalo ik baar phir se …

taarruf rog ho jaaye to usako bhuulanaa behatar
taalluk bojh ban jaaye to usako to.Danaa achchhaa
vo afasaanaa jise a.njaam tak laanaa naa ho mumakin – 2
use ek khuubasuurat mo.D dekar chho.Danaa achchhaa
chalo ik baar phir se …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cE5q9kst-Zc%3Ffs

Song #11 Koi nahin hai phir bhi hai mujhako…..

Lets take our eleventh composer composing a song in Raag Bhimpalasi. We have Laxmikant Pyarelal. It is a song from the 1967 movie Patthar Ke Sanam starring Waheeda Rehman and Manoj Kumar. She is alone in the hills but she has a strange waiting for someone. Majrooh‘s lyrics are exquisite and so is Lata Mangeshkar‘s singing.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Koii nahin hai phir bhi hai mujhako….

ko_ii nahii.n hai phir bhii hai mujhako -2
kyaa jaane kisakaa i.ntazaar ho o o
ko_ii nahii.n hai phir bhii hai mujhako
kyaa jaane kisakaa i.ntazaar ho o o
ye bhii naa jaanuu.N laharaa ke aa.Nchal
kisako bulaaye baar baar

sochuu.N ye hai.n ungaliyaa.N kisake pyaar kii
gaalo.n ko chhuye jo Daalii bahaar kii
chhuye jo Daalii bahaar kii
sochuu.N ye hai.n ungaliyaa.N kisake pyaar kii
kaun hai ai hawaa ai bahaar

ko_ii nahii.n hai phir bhii hai mujhako
kyaa jaane kisakaa i.ntazaar -2

paanii me.n chhabii mai.n dekhuu.N kha.Dii kha.Dii
baalo.n me.n sajaa ke kaliyaa.N ba.Dii ba.Dii
sajaa ke kaliyaa.N ba.Dii ba.Dii
paanii me.n chhabii mai.n dekhuu.N kha.Dii kha.Dii
phir banuu.N aap hii bekaraar

ko_ii nahii.n hai phir bhii hai mujhako
kyaa jaane kisakaa i.ntazaar -2

waadii me.n nishaan mere hii paa.Nv ke
phuulo.n pe hai.n ra.ng merii hii chhaa.Nv ke
hai.n ra.ng merii hii chhaa.Nv ke
waadii me.n nishaan mere hii paa.Nv ke
phir bhii kyuu.N aaye naa aitabaar

ko_ii nahii.n hai phir bhii hai mujhako
kyaa jaane kisakaa i.ntazaar ho o o
ye bhii naa jaanuu.N laharaa ke aa.Nchal
kisako bulaaye baar baar
kyaa jaane kisakaa i.ntazaar -2

https://youtube.com/watch?v=iDNbYdrUTFo%3Ffs

Song #12 Le to aaye ho hamen sapno ke…

Our last composer for the day composing in Raag Bhimpalasi is Ravindra Jain. I am really very fond of this song as I saw the movie with my parents in my home place. Lyrics are also by Ravindra Jain and the voice is that of Hemlata.

The name of the movie is the 1977 movie: Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhimpalasi: Le to aaye ho hamen sapano ke gaanv mein….

le to aaye ho hame.n sapano.n kii gaa.Nv me.n
pyaar kii chhaa.Nv me.n biThaaye rakhanaa
sajanaa o sajanaa …

tumane chhuaa to taar baj uThe man ke
tum jaisaa chaaho rahe vaise hii ban ke
tum se shuruu, tumhii.n pe kahaanii khatm kare
duujaa na aaye koii naino ke gaa.Nv me.n
le to aaye ho hame.n …

chhoTaa saa ghar ho apanaa, pyaaraa saa jag ho
koii kisii se pal bhar na alag ho
isake sivaa ab duujii koii chaah nahii.n
ha.Nsate rahe ham dono.n phuulo.n ke gaa.Nv me.n
le to aaye ho hame.n …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FgEfO7XGycg%3Ffs

There then, that’s my first dozen songs set in Raag Bhimpalasi. This forms the Part I of this blog.

Please await another dozen songs in Part II.

SHARING SONGS ON FACEBOOK

There is a craze on the Facebook to put up old Hindi songs, particularly to share the addresses of the web page (Uniform Resource Locators or the URLs) of the songs. Many groups have mushroomed. In most of these, I have seen, people just share the URL and then the comments follow such as “wow”, “nice”, “love it” and “Dev Anand looks so handsome”.

A few years back I too started a group titled Dil Ki Nazar Se. The song group, with its name having been taken from the title of a duet from Raj Kapoor’s 1959 classic movie Anaadi, was sought to be a group with a difference. I encouraged people to really appreciate various facets of a song; eg, lyrics, music, voice, and actors. Hence, we started paying tributes to lyricists, music directors, singers and actors on their birthdays and death anniversaries. In addition, I started off with music fests on particular themes at least once in a month.

Dil Ki Nazar Se: An enchanting Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh duet from the 1959 Raj Kapoor classic Anaadi.
Dil Ki Nazar Se: An enchanting Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh duet from the 1959 Raj Kapoor classic Anaadi.

And then I came to the difficult part; which is, to request members to put up descriptions whilst sharing the URLs of songs. Facebook and most other social-media has its popularity based on the concept of instant posts; somewhat akin to fast-food. Anything that requires time to either put up or read is not welcome/popular. I have come across even majority of the blogs that are not more than a paragraph; do not share product of any deep study, research or analysis but simply publicity gimmicks (Please read: ‘Blogging – Race Or Stampede‘). Regrettably, many of these, though dumb, are very popular. The fact of the matter is that if you do anything mediocre, the vast mediocrity is instantly on your side since it identifies with it.

I had to leave the group Dil Ki Nazar Se since there was great resistance and aversion to putting up descriptions with the songs. However, I do not give up. I started another group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne with its title taken from the title of another famous duet between Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar singing for Dev Anand and Usha Kiran in the 1953 movie Patita.

A commemorative mug made on the occasion of the first Meet of the group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne in Mumbai on Sunday, 01 Nov 15
A commemorative mug made on the occasion of the first Meet of the group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne in Mumbai on Sunday, 01 Nov 15

20151013_161420Like King Bruce’s spider, this time I tasted success. There were members willing to put up descriptions; to give out information and learn from the descriptions of others.

We have evolved over a period of time. I am glad that most of the members have now realised that the presentation of a song is much more important than the song URL that they post. The reason is that Facebook is a social media and hence we must socially share what that song means to us.

Whilst there cannot be a uniform yardstick for presentations, I normally look for the following:

1. Member’s personal linkage to that song. It doesn’t always have to be a story or an anecdote. One of the members, Evani Leela’s descriptions in Hindi are a joy to read. She invariably brings out what happens to her when she listens to the song. Another member, Sumedha Nair, for example, even honoured us by sharing her own Hindi poem regarding liberation of women whilst posting Waheeda Rehman’s Guide number: Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai, aaj phir marne ka iraada hai (Kaanton se kheench je ye aanchal). Raj Dutta and Vipan Kohli invariably personalise their descriptions and hold everyone’s attention.

2. Information about the song regarding how it was made, actors, singers, lyricist, composer, locale, period etc. One person who has excelled in this is Surekha Saini. Her information is never copy pasted but personalised. It helps us to learn about, eg, the genre’ of the song being presented by her. Sometimes, when lyrics of a song are not available, she has written the lyrics by listening to the song and providing her own translation too?

3. Any tidbits about any of the people connected with the song. You can find these by doing research on the net itself. For example, “Naushad and Shakeel stayed awake the whole night to change a single line in the Mughal-e-Azam song Jab pyaar kiyaa to darna kyaa. One person who has excelled in this is Vipan Kohli. Indeed, he started putting up songs with interesting tidbits by listening to television programmes.

4. Raaga in which the song was composed. Any other similar songs in that Raaga.

5. Genre’ of the music in the song, eg, Salil Chowdhury came up with a beat based on Western classical music and maintained that from Dil tadap tadap ke keh raha hai to Chhoti chhoti si baat. Or that N Dutta’s Dhool Ka Phool song: Dhadakane lagi dil ke taaron ki duniya was based on a Polish marching beat.

6. What are the lyrics are trying to convey? For example, Meera Bai’s Ghunghat ke pat khol tujhe piyaa milenge is not a raunchy number. Here the comparison is between ghunghat ke pat and the veils that an ordinary person has over the eyes of his/her mind that block God. Or Akbar Allahabadi’s Hubgama hai kyun barpa thodi si jo pi li hai…what hungama is he talking about?

7. The story line in the movie that led to the song. For example, Mamta’s song “Rehate the kabhi jinake dil mein hum jaan se bhi pyaaron ki tarah, baithe hain unahi ke kuuche mein hum aaj gunahgaaron ki tarah.” Can you ever think of putting it or similar number by omitting to tell what transpired from past happy situation to present sadness?

Suchitra Sen emoting on Rehate the kabhi jinake dil mein in the 1966 movie Mamta
Suchitra Sen emoting on Rehate the kabhi jinake dil mein in the 1966 movie Mamta

8. Awards and honours won by the song or those connected with the song; eg, Kahin deep jale kahin dil won for Shakeel Badayuni a Filmfare award for Best Lyrics. Or, that character actor Pran declined his award for Best Supporting Actor for that year when Ghulam Muhammad was ignored by the jury as best music director for Pakeezah.

9. Comparison with an earlier version of the same song or movie; eg, Devdas, Parineeta, and Inhi logon ne…

10. Why did you choose the song over others?

This process has really enriched us in our song group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne. Perhaps, you can take a cue from this in your own song groups and encourage descriptions whilst sharing songs on Facebook.

UNAKE KHAYAAL DIL MEIN MEHMAAN BAN KE REHATE HAIN

उनके ख़याल दिल में मेहमान बन के रहते हैं,
क्या क्या सितम हम उनके लिए सुबह ओ शाम सहते हैंI

मैंने तो घर खाली करने का notice भी दे दिया,
“दो रोज़ और रहेंगे” हर बार यही कहते हैंI

सूखी वीरान बस्ती की शिकायत वह करते हैं,
कैसे कहूँ के अश्क़ मेरे ज़ार ज़ार बहते हैं?

दिल के गरीबखाने पे ताला लगा दूँ मैं क्या?
पर उनहे कैसे बेदखल करूँ जो पहले ही से रहते हैं?

मेरे ही घर में मुझको अब पनाह नहीं कबूल,
मेरे ही दिल से मुझको जाने के लिए कहते हैंI

No Room in Heart

Unake khayaal dil mein mehmaan ban ke rehate hain,
Kyaa kyaa sitam hum unake liye subah o shaam sehte hain.

Maine to ghar khaali karne kaa notice bhi de diya,
“Do roz aur rahenge” har baar yahi kehte hain.

Sookhi veeraan basti ki shikaayat woh karte hain,
Kaise kahun ke ashq mere zaar zaar behte hain?

Dil ke gareebkhaane pe taala laga doon main kyaa,
Par unahe kaise bedakhal karun jo pehle hi se rehate hain.

Mere hi ghar mein mujhako ab panaah nahin kabool,
Mere hi dil se mujhako jaane ke liye kehte hain.

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