I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 23 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.
Last time, I gave you Beautiful Duet #34 – Usko nahin dekha hamne kabhi. So here, then, is the next one:
Song #35
Tu cheez badi hai mast mast
Happy Birthday Raveena Tandon – the “Mast Mast Girl” – 26 October
Divya Bharti was to do this role in 1994 Rajiv Rai movie Mohra. But then she died after just five working days on the movie. In stepped Raveena Tandon and the popularity of this song made her “mast mast girl” virtually overnight. No matter what she did after this song, she is still known by this sobriquet.
Why This Song Became the Most Popular Song of 1994?
Bada is a male fantasy. From the time we were small, we used to boast about ‘My father BIGGER’ and how one thing or the other that we have is actually bigger than others. One commercial ad that capitalised on it was Tata’s OK Soap Ad with the caption: “OK nahane ka bada sabun”. Some of you would recall that.
Anand Bakshi and Viju Shah
Whatever you say, Bada, Badi, Bade has fascination. Hence, in the 1994 Rajiv Rai movie Mohra (some spell it as Mohraa), when Anand Bakshi had to describe the beauty of the woman (in this case Raveena Tandon, the winner of National Films Award for Best Actress for her role in Kalpana Lajmi’s Daman), he didn’t go the Shakeel Badayuni or Sahir Ludhianvi way. He called her a Cheez that is Badi Mast Mast.
Anand Bakshi always had an ear for the changing times and this was the biggest hit song of that year. We simply couldn’t get enough of it!
One reason for the success of the song was not just Anand Bakshi (it is just that Lyrics for me are the Bada part of the songs!). It was music by Viju Shah, the son of Kalyan Virji Shah of Kalyanji Anandji fame. What did he do to compose the song? He took the popular genre of music in temples and especially gurudwaras called Kirtan and composed the song in that. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had done it for Dam mast qalandar mast mast.
Difference Between Bhajan and Kirtan
Now, many of you, generally understand what a Bhajan is and what Kirtan is. Let me elaborate. Bhajan genre of music came to us through the Bhakti movement and in Hindustani Music, it soon became one of the most popular form of music. It would be a delight to people like Atul Dhabe since as compared to raagas, though Bhajans too would be based on raagas (such as Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj is a Bhajan in Raag Malkauns), it has no rigid rules and has freer form.
Now what is the difference between Bhajan and Kirtan. Bhajan can be sing either individually or by the gathering. In a Kirtan, there is a lead voice and the chorus either repeats the lines after the lead singer or sings the alternate lines. One example is the Raag Ramkali in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, especially Mohalla Teeja or as composed by the third guru, Sri Amardas ji. You would have noticed the Kirtan format. The head raagi sings: Anand bhaya meri maaye Satguru main paaya and the congregation sings the next line: Satguru tanh paaya sehaj seti mann wadhiya wadhayiyan. And so on.
Viju Shah took this format to compose the Mohra song and achieved unprecedented success. The reason is not difficult to find; we all resonate with the notes of the Kirtan. Now a secret. Actually, not so much a secret. Which is this: How to make out a Sardar like me? Easy, watch him during Kirtan in a Gurudwara. He would be drumming the floor with his fingers. The Vedic tradition of Kirtan is in the blood of the Sikhs. Indeed, there is a sub-caste of Sikhs called Bedis. They got their name from singing the Vedas (Vedis). In Punjabi, V is pronounced as B and hence Bedis and not Vedis (similar to Guru Gobind Singh ji).
Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy
Now what did Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy do to the song? They would have been two of the most unlikeliest people for singing Kirtan. However, they did it so well that you feel like singing with them (that’s the effect of Kirtan and how the lead voice or voices of the Raagis inspire you to sing along).
It is my job as an Admin to bring to you different genres of music and to start the day I couldn’t think of anything more different than this.
My Own Poetry
Have a written something in this light-hearted genre’? Well, I guess so!
It is titled: HUSN WAALON KO NA DIL DENA
नींद में आती हो तो नींद हो जाती है दूर,
ख्वाब बन के उठते हैं और हो जाते हैं चूर.
आज तक भूला नहीं है तेरी नज़रों का सरूर,
मैं मदहोश अब भी हूँ, मेरा ही है यह जुनून ओ फितूर.
मुन्तजिर हूँ आज रात मेरे घर आना ज़रूर,
रोशनी के लिए काफी है तेरे चेहरे का नूर.
तेरे इश्क से पहले ना थे हम यूं मजबूर,
तेरे इश्क के बाद हुए हैं अब बेहद्द मश्हूर.
माना हमारा घुट घुट के मरना भी नहीं मन्जूर,
यहाँ हम सज्दे में हैं वहाँ तुम हो मग्रूर.
या खुदा समझ गए तेरी दुनिया का दस्तूर,
कत्ल वह करते गए, ये भी मेरा ही था कसूर.
The Song
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please enjoy Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy sing a composition of Viju Shah on the lyrics of Anand Bakshi, in the 1994 Rajiv Rai movie Mohra: Tu cheez badi hai mast mast….
प नि स नि स म प …
तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त (२)
(नहीं तुझको कोई होश होश – २ ) उसपर जोबन का जोश जोश
नहीं तेरा नहीं तेरा कोइ दोश दोश
मदहोश है तू हर वक्त वक्त
को: तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त – २
आशिक़ है तेरा नाम नाम – २
दिल लेना देना काम काम
मेरी बाहें मेरी बाहें मत थाम थाम
बदनाम है तू मदमस्त मस्त
तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त – २
नि स ग म …
बोल ज़रा तू जाने महबूबी मुझमे ऐसी क्या है खूबी – २
तू एक रेशम की डोर डोर तू एक रेशम की डोर डोर
तेरी चाल पे आशिक़ मोर मोर
तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ घनी तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ घनी चितचोर चोर
घनघोर घटा मद मस्त मस्त
तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त – २
को: प नि स …
ये दिल तेरी आँखों में डूबा बन जा मेरी तू महबूबा – २
मत तीर नजर के मार मार – २
ये चोट लगेगी आर पार
आसान आसान समझ मत यार यार ये प्यार बड़ा है सख्त सख्त
तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त – २
नहीं तुझको कोई होश होश उसपर जोबन का जोश जोश
नहीं तेरा नहीं तेरा कोई दोश दोश नहीं …
मदहोश है तू हर वक़्त वक़्त
तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त – २
आशिक़ है तेरा नाम नाम
दिल लेना देना काम काम
मेरी बाहें मेरी मत थाम थाम
बदनाम है तू मदमस्त मस्त
तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त मस्त तू चीज़ बड़ी है मस्त – ४
(aalaap in the background )
I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #35.
Please await Beautiful Duet #36- Teri mehfil mein kismat.
