I have done a long stint in the Indian Navy that lasted for nearly thirty seven years; I rose as far as my somewhat rebellious and irreverent nature allowed me to. On retirement, in Feb 2010, the first thing that occurred to me, and those around me, was that I Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (you will find an article with this title in this blog) and hadn't lost all my noodles and hence thought of a blog titled 'This 'n That'. I later realised that every third blog is called 'This 'n That' and changed the name to 'Sunbyanyname'. I detest treading the beaten track. This blog offers me to air 'another way' of looking at things. The idea is not just to entertain but also to bring about a change. Should you feel differently, you are free to leave your comments. You can leave comments even when you agree and want to share your own experience about the topic of the blog post. Impudent or otherwise, I have never been insousciant and I am always concerned about the betterment of community, nation and the world. I hope the visitors of this blog would be able to discern it.
At the end of the Fest, my sister Suman Saxena paid the following tribute to Shakeel Badayuni (there can’t be a YKDN Fest without him). By the way, the entire lot of participants were divided into two groups: Basant and Bahaar and Suman was the leader of the Bahaar group that won the Fest.
Tribute to Shakeel Badayuni ————————————- Sab karishmat-e-tasavvur hai ‘Shakeel’ Warna aataa hai na jata hai koi
Dedicating this song to our Ravinder PS Ravi Bhaiya and Basant Team (fans of Shakeel).
I wanted to post something unique for ‘Basant’ team for their unconditional love and support throughout the meet. While surfing songs came across this rare gem “Hangaama E Gham Se Tang Aakar” which is the only song that Shakeel Badayuni has recorded in his own voice in movie Paak Daaman (1957). Music directed and composed by Ghulam Mohammad and lyrics written by Shakeel Badayuni.
Hope you all will like it.
Requesting Ravinder PS Ravi Bhaiya to add value to this post with his comments.
Lyrics
Hangaamah e gham se tang aa kar Izhaar e masarrat kar baithhe ae Mashoor thi apni zinda dili Daanistah sharaarat kar baithhe ae
Koshish to bahut ki hamne magar Paaya na gham e hasti se mafarr Veeraani e dil jab hadd se badhi Ghabraa ke mohabbat kar baithhe ae
Har cheez nahin ek markaz par Ik roz idhar ik roz udhar Nafrat se na dekho dushman ko Shaayad ye mohabbat kar baithhe ae
Allaah to sab ki suntaa hai Jur’at hai ‘shakeel’ apni apni Haali ne zubaan se uff bhi naa ki Iqbaal shikaayat kar baithhe ae Hangaama e gham se tang aa kar Izhaar e masarrat kar baithhe ae.
Here is what I wrote on her poet spontaneously without giving it too much of a thought:
Shakeel का कलाम उन्ही की ज़ुबान से,
सुनते ही फरिश्ते बन जाते हैं इनसान से,
दिल की तरंगें उठके गिरने का नाम नहीं लेतीं,
सांस थम जाती है जशन-ऐ-अरमान से।
और क्या मैं लिखूं इस बारे में Suman?
यही के उन जैसा शायर कहाँ चला गया जहान से?
शुक्र गुज़ार हूँ आपका, आपने जज़्बात की कदर की,
वर्ना आजकल लोग नज़र आते हैं मेहमान से।
अल्लाह, मुझे Shakeel की बज़्म में ही जगह देना,
कल जब मैं उठ जायूँ इस जहान से।
Doesn’t look like I will ever fail to pay tribute to Shakeel Badayuni. A sizeable portion of my blog Sunbyanyname is already devoted to Shakeel whose ‘takhallus‘ means: Handsome, Idealistic, Sensitive. Just how ‘sensitive’ he could get can be made out from just two couplets from his songs:
फिर आह दिल से निकली, टपका लहू जिगर से
शायद वो जा रहे हैं, छुपकर मेरी नज़र से
and….
तूने वो दे दिया ग़म, बेमौत मर गये हम
दिल उठ गया जहाँ से, ले चल हमें यहाँ से
ले चल हमें यहाँ से
किस काम की ये दुनिया जो ज़िंदगी से खेले रे
हम को भी साथ ले ले, हम रह गये अकेले
And yet, he was a poet of Husn and Bahaar. What did he have to say about the latter, Bahaar or the group Bahaar commanded by Suman Saxena? Here are a few examples:
ज़रा सुन हसीना ऐ नाज़नीं
मेरा दिल तुझ ही पे निसार है
तेरे दम से ही मेरे दिलरुबा
मेरी ज़िंदगी में बहार हैI
आई हैं बहारें मिटे ज़ुल्म-ओ-सितम
प्यार का ज़माना आया दूर हुए ग़म
बहारों की दुनिया पुकारे तू आ जा
तेरे मुन्तज़िर हैं सितारे तू आ जा
दो दिन की बहार प्यारे
दिल में बसा ले प्यार
हम-तुम ये बहार
देखो रंग लाया प्यार
मुस्कराएँ जो तेरे लब तो बहारें आईं
खिल गए फूल पड़ी तेरी जहाँ परछाईं
तूने गुलशन मेरा महकाया है
तेरी सूरत ने गज़ब ढाया है
तू है ऐसी कली जो गुलशन में
साथ अपने बहार लायी हो
And here is a special one for Yaad Kiya Dil Ne group from Shakeel:
ये बहारें ये फ़िज़ा, देखकर ओ दिलरुबा
जाने क्या दिल को हुआ, तुम याद आये
The fact is that I can go on and on and on and yet not come to the end of what Shakeel had to write about Bahaar!
So, how do you put both these things together: One side ‘Dard‘ (Ache) and extreme sensitivity and on the other side Husn (Beauty) and Bahaar (Spring)?
Simple! Many a times, he combined both together and made it into ‘Irony’ especially for those who understood the deep emotions. For others who like their poetry and lyrics as ‘fast food’, he made it look like as if there was ‘Bahaar‘ and happiness and celebrations around.
Her name too was Bahaar – the senior courtesan in the court of Emperor Akbar (Mughal-e-Azam) (Please also enjoy ‘Immortal Songs Of Mughal-e-Azam’) and she was jealous of the love that existed between Prince Salim and a junior courtesan Nadira (Anarkali; the blossom that sprouts in Bahaar! (Height of Irony)). So she tattled to the Emperor and he immediately had Anarkali imprisoned. When you are in love you can do anything. Hence, Prince Salim amassed an army against his own father to rescue Ananrkali. Salim was defeated and sentenced to death and it was Anarkali who offered to die in his place! This was accepted by Emperor Akbar. Before being entombed alive to die, she asked for a few hours of the night with Salim. It was granted on the condition that she would make him smell a sedative in a rose flower so that he won’t interfere with her being taken to the dungeon.
Shakeel had nothing to do with the above story; it is just historical. So where did he come in? He had to make a song that would bring out the irony of this situation! He was – this is what I have dubbed him as – the King of Irony. He came up with this outstanding song that was composed by Naushad in a Qawwali in K Asif’s 1960 movie Mughal-e-Azam. He composed it in Raag Jaijaiwanti, Taal Kaherava (Please read: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs In Hindi Movies – Raag Jaijaivanti’).
Each word of this qawwali has been scripted keeping in mind the dual meaning of total happiness at Salim and Nadira being together for the night and, at the same time, pointing indirectly (and cleverly) to her being entombed to death in the morning.
Shakeel’s fans (the Basant Group, for example) can delve in ‘Irony’ as much as Shakeel did! They selected this qawwali to pay tribute to what should have been their rival group: the Bahaar group. Please see how outstandingly they did it:
नग़मो से बरसती है मस्ती
छलके हैं खुशी के पैमाने आज ऐसी बहारें आई हैं कल जिनके बनेंगे अफ़साने
अब इसे ज्यादा और हसीं ये प्यार का मौसम क्या होगा?
No one could have even thought of it but Shakeel did and his fans did!
Last year (56 years after the movie was released), the Akademi for promoting South Asian Dance form in UK paid tribute to the genius of Shakeel, Naushad and K Asif by re-enacting (in dance form) that magnificent night when Anarkali was granted her wish to spend a part of night with Prince Salim, her lover.
(Ladies and gentlemen, we of the Bassant Group also take the help of Shakeel to convey a further message to the Bahaar group through a rare Shakeel song sung by Kishore Kumar (of course with Asha Bhosle) in the year 1955):
ये चार दिन बहार के
हँसी-ख़ुशी ग़ुज़ार के
भुला दो ज़िन्दगी के ग़म
तुम्हारे दिल में हम रहें
हमारे दिल में तुम रहो
किसी से अपनी दास्ताँ
न हम कहें न तुम कहो
ज़माना चाहे कुछ कहे
ज़फ़ा करे सितम करे
जुदा न होंगे तुम से हम
भुला दो ज़िन्दगी के ग़म)
Ladies and gentlemen please enjoy the magic and irony of one of the greatest songs that Shakeel wrote so as to remember him on his 48th death anniversary: Jab raat hai aisi matwaali phir subah ka aalam kyaa hoga?
ये दिल की लगी कम क्या होगी
ये इश्क़ भला कम क्या होगा
जब रात है ऐसी मतवाली – २
फिर सुबह का आलम क्या होगा – २
नग़मो से बरसती है मस्ती
छलके हैं खुशी के पैमाने – २
आज ऐसी बहारें आई हैं
कल जिनके बनेंगे अफ़साने – २
अब इसे ज्यादा और हसीं ये प्यार का मौसम क्या होगा – २
जब रात है ऐसी मतवाली
फिर सुबह का आलम क्या होगा – २
ये आज का रंग और ये महफ़िल
दिल भी है यहाँ दिलदार भी है – २
आँखों में कयामत के जलवे
सीने में सुलगता प्यार भी है – २
इस रंग में कोई जी ले अगर मरने का उसे ग़म क्या होगा – २
जब रात है ऐसी मतवाली
फिर सुबह का आलम क्या होगा – २
हालत है अजब दीवानों की
अब खैर नहीं परवानों की – २
अन्जाम-ए-मोहब्बत क्या कहिये
लय बढ़ने लगी अरमानों की – २
ऐसे में जो पायल टूट गयी फिर ऐ मेरे हमदम क्या होगा – २
जब रात है ऐसी मतवाली – २
फिर सुबह का आलम क्या होगा – २
When Socrates said: ‘The more you know, the more you come to know how little you know’, no one could have visualised how well it fits in with Shakeel Badayuni, the greatest poet and lyricist.
In ‘The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – Part I’, I gave you two dozen songs. Initially, I started with a favourite of mine: Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko, mardon ne use bazaar diya, from the 1958 BR Chopra movie Sadhana. I soon settled with giving you his songs chronologically from Thandi hawayen, lehrake aayen (from 1951 movie Naujawaan) to Ab woh karam karen yaa sitam main nashen main hoon (from 1955 movie Marine Drive).
In ‘The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – Part II’, I gave you two songs more than two dozens as I wanted to finish with the songs of 1957 Guru Dutt classic Pyaasa in one part only (the last song was ‘Aaj sajan mohe ang laga lo’). This was the last and the 18th movie when Sahir Ludhianvi paired with SD Burman. Of course, the Part II we had started with ‘Ye baharon ka sama’ from the 1955 Dev Anand, Geeta Bali movie Milaap.
In ‘The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – Part III’, I gave you 22 songs from Youn to hamane lakh haseen dekhe hain from the 1957 movie Tumsa nahin dekha to Bachcho tum taqdeer ho kal ke Hindustan ki from the 1959 movie Didi.
Let me reiterate that I am a lyrical man; words of the songs are often the most important part of the songs for me. Indeed, on the Facebook I have a page titled ‘Lyrical’ to honour and pay tribute to various lyricists. I have several (almost a dozen) posts on my blog on my favourite lyricist and poet Shakeel Badayuni. The following posts about Sahir Ludhianvi have been reconstructed from the same page. Sahir was given the moniker of being the People’s Poet. As we go along, you would know why.
Lets proceed further into the world of Sahir Ludhianvi’s songs.
Song #73
Ye husn ye ada….
The next movie of 1959 in which there was just one song by him (the rest were by Anand Bakshi) was Lal Nishan. The song Ye husn ye ada was penned by him, composed by Nirmal Kumar and sung by Sudha Malhotra and Mohammad Rafi. It is a qawwali.
Please enjoy: Ye husn ye ada….
ye husn, ye ada, ye najakat to dekhiye
aji tuti hai hum pe jo wo
haye tuti hai hum pe jo, wo kayamat to dekhiye
tuti hai hum pe jo, wo kayamat to dekhiye
tuti hai hum pe jo, wo kayamat to dekhiye
tuti hai hum pe jo, wo kayamat to dekhiye
ye shokh, ye junun, ye dahshat to dekhiye
aashiq bane hai haye
aashiq bane hai, aapki surat to dekhiye
aashiq bane hai, aapki surat to dekhiye
o aashiq bane hai, aapki surat to dekhiye
aashiq bane hai, aapki surat to dekhiye
zulfo me badaliya hai, nigaho me bijaliya
baato me shokhiya hai, adao me mastiya
inki nazar ke waar se, bachna muhal hai
is husne nau bahar se, bachna muhal hai
jab chahe ye dilo ke, khazane ko lut le
ek hum hi kya hai, sare zamane ko lut le
zamane ko lut le
ye husn, ye ada, ye najakat to dekhiye
haye najakat to dekhiye
hoye najakat to dekhiye
tuti hai hum pe jo, wo kayamat to dekhiye
tuti hai hum pe jo, wo kayamat to dekhiye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOD5UiiKzL8
Main hoon Mister John….
(Pic courtesy: LyricsBogie)
The next movie of 1959 was indeed his last for that year: Naach Ghar and he was back with N Dutta or Datta Naik.
Have a look at the songs that they made together:
1. Dil Zubaan Na Khol Sirf Dekh Le Kisi Se Kuch Na Bole Sirf Dekh Le.
2. Dukh Jo Diye Hain Duneeya Ne.
3. Meri Sune To O Pardesi Dil Se Dil Takrane De, Bhala Lage Toh Gale Se Lagja.
4. Dil Tujhko Diya Tha Dildar Maan Ke.
5. Janeman Chilman Utha Kar Dekh Le Dil Jalo Se Dil Laga Kar Dekh Le.
6. Door Se Yun Na Tarsao.
7. Main Banjara Door Ka.
8. Main Hoon Mr. John.
9. Tere Shaharo Se Raaja Hame Ban Hee Bhale.
10. Tumhe Kaise Kahoon.
Lets listen to Main Hoon Mister John if not for anything but to relive that era that Sahir earlier than 1957 had with SD Burman. The movie Naach Ghar was a forgettable movie starring Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar, Kamala Laxman, Helen, Shobha Khote, Iftekhar, and Gopi Krishna.
Please enjoy: Main hoon Mister John….
(The picture shown in the video is NOT the picture of this song but from Mr and Mrs 55: Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji)
main hoon mr. John
watan hai mera Bonn
rang birange bhes badal kar
ghooma hoon jahaan
main hoon mr. John
watan hai mera Bonn
rang birange bhes badal kar
ghooma hoon jahaan
arbastaan,
inglistaan
cheen japan aur afghanistaan
mat khaa mere kaan
chhod yeh ulti taan
jaan na hai pehchaan
magar tu ban baithha mehmaan
mat khaa mere kaan
chhod yeh ulti taan
jaan na hai pehchaan
magar tu ban baithha mehmaan
oh shaitaan
be-imaan
kehnaa maan
kho baithhegaa jaan
main hoon mr. John
hrr
tum ne ham se dil thha lagaaya
haan
ham ne thha tum ko apnaaya
hmm hmmm
tum ne ham se dil thha lagaaya
ham ne thha tum ko apnaaya
beech mein tapka ek paraaya
jis ne tum ko ham se chhudaaya
oh baap re
ham ko tum bin chain na aaya
deputy jaisa bhes banaaya
desh desh mein khoj lagaaya
aakhir iss mehfil mein paaya
meri jaan
jaa jaa
ho main qurbaan
achcha
kuchh pehchaan
kyun hai tu hairaan
main hoon mr. john
watan hai mera Bonn
rang birange bhes badal kar
ghooma hoon jahaan
arbastaan,
oh ho
inglistaan
aa aa
cheen japan aur afghanistaan
main hoon mr. John
o awaara o deewaane
oh ho ho ho
waah waah
samajh gayee main tere bahaane
aa haaa
o awaara o deewaane
samajh gayee main
tere bahaane
chala hai tu kis ko behkaane
yeh saare kartab hain puraane
kitne bhi hain tere thhikaane
sab hain mere jaane pehchaane
tu ho kar aaya hai thaane
ab jaayegaa paagalkhaane
yaah yaah yaahu hu yaa
hu yaa yaa yaahu
chhod yeh jaan
khaak na chhaan
pakad yeh kaan
ishq nahin aasaan
mat khaa mere kaan
chhod yeh ulti taan
jaan na hai pehchaan
magar tu ban baithha mehmaan
oh shaitaan
ah haa haa
be-imaan
oh ho ho
kehnaa maan
kho baithegaa jaan
main hoon mr. John
Song #75
Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo….
And that brings us to the first movie of 1960 Babar which started a very meaningful pairing that Sahir had with Music Director Roshan. Another thing that happened with the movie was that Sahir was with Sudha Malhotra in a big way.
The movie was directed by Hemen Gupta who was secretary to Netaji Subhash Chndra Bose and made several movies for Bimal Roy including Anand Math and Kabuliwala.
(Moghul king Babur as depicted in a painting)
Hindi movies’ infatuation with our moghul rulers and trying to find something good about them are indeed fascinating. Babur or Ẓahīr-ud-Dīn Muḥammad was responsible for laying the moghul dynasty foundation in India. He was the direct desendant of Taimur and Genghis Khan who perpetrated untold atrocities on our people. “Unlike his father, he had ascetic tendencies and did not have any great interest in women. In his first marriage, he was “bashful” towards Aisha Sultan Begum, later losing his affection for her. However, he acquired several more wives and concubines over the years, and as required for a prince, he was able to ensure the continuity of his line; Babur treated them and his other women relatives well. In his memoirs, there is a mention of his infatuation for a younger boy when Babur was 16 years old. According to the historian Abraham Eraly, bisexuality was common and pederasty high fashion among the central Asian aristocrats of the time.” However, since he was relatively nicer to women as compared to his predecessor and successors, the imagination of Hindi films industry was aroused!
Following are the songs that Sahir and Roshan put together:
1. Payaam\-e\-ishq muhabbat hame.n pasa.nd nahii.n.
2. Salaam\-e\-hasarat qubuul kar lo.
3. Tum ek baar muhabbat kaa imtahaan to lo.
4. Tum maa ho tum aisa na karo.
5. Haseeno ke jalwe pareshan rehte agar ham na hote.
We shall be taking up two out of these.
The first one is a favourite Mohammad Rafi song of mine. It has very romantic and powerful lyrics. The Mughals were known to have ill-treated their women and Babar was no exception. However, in poetical expressions especially in the movies, they made the women feel absolutely great!
One person who needs to be appreciated for the song is Mohammad Rafi.
Please enjoy: Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo….
tum ek baar muhabbat ka imtahaan to lo
mere junun meri vahshat ka imtahaan to lo
tum ek baar muhabbat ka imtahaan to lo
salaam-e-shauq pe ranjish bhara payaam na do
salaam-e-shauq pe ranjish bhara payaam na do
mere khloos ko hiras-o-havas ka naam na do
meri vafa ki haqikat ka imtahaan to lo
tum ek baar muhabbat ka imtahaan to lo
na takt-o-taz na laal-o-guhar ki hasarat hai
na takt-o-taz na laal-o-guhar ki hasarat hai
tumhare pyar tumhari nazar ki hasarat hai
tum apne husn ki azmat ka imtihaan to lo
tum ek baar muhabbat ka imtahaan to lo
mai apni jaan bhi de du to aitbaar nahi
mai apni jaan bhi de du to aitbaar nahi
ke tum se badhke mujhe zindagi se pyar nahi
yu hi sahi meri chahat ka imtihaan to lo
tum ek baar muhabbat ka imtahaan to lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSmeq0fqA50
Song #76
Haseeno ke jalwe parehsan rehte….
(Gajanan Jagirdar as Babar or Babur in the 1960 movie)
Yesterday, we started taking up songs of the 1960 movie Babar and we had taken up just one song, one of the best of Mohammad Rafi: Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo.
I told you yesterday that with this movie there started a very meaningful relationship between Sahir Ludhainvi and Roshan.
Roshan was, of course, very good at qawwalis.
Here is, therefore, a very fine qawwali from the movie, sung by Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Sudha Malhotra and Asha Bhosle.
Please enjoy: Haseeno ke jalwe parehsan rehte….
hasino ke jalwe pareshan rahte
hasino ke jalwe pareshan rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
hasino ke jalwe
mohabbat se tum log anjan rahte
mohabbat se tum log anjan rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
mohabbat se tum log anjan rahte
hami ne tumhe jane mahfil banaya
nigaho me tulne ke kabil banaya
hami ne sikhaya tumhe war karna
huye katl or tumko katil banaya
huye katl or tumko katil banaya
ye sab nazo bejan rahte, bejan rahte
ye sab nazo bejan rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote
hasino ke jalwe pareshan rahte
hami ne tumhe pyar ki roshni di
jo aachal se chalki wo chandani di
najar se jawani ki shabnam luta ke
tamanna ke har phul ko tajgi di
tamanna ke har phul ko tajgi di
chamak aarzuo ke viran rahte, viran rahte
chamak aarzuo ke viran rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
tumhe hamne jadu bhare khwab bakshe
andheri fizao ko mahtab bakshe
junu ko wafa ka salika sikhaya
dilo ko dhadkane ke aadab bakshe
dilo ko dhadkane ke aadab bakshe
ye nadan dil yuhi nadan rahte, nadan rahte
ye nadan dil yuhi nadan rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
mohabbat se tum log anjan rahte
jawa bajuo ko lachak hamne di hai
hasi chudio ko khanak di hai
hami ne bhara loch angadayi me
tumhe bijliyo ki chamak hamne di hai
tumhe bijliyo ki chamak hamne di hai
tum is husn par khud pasheman rahte, pasheman rahte
tum is husn par khud pasheman rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
hasino ke jalwe pareshan rahte
dua do ke tumko mohabbat sikha di
murabbat ki khatir sarafar sikha di
hami ne tumhe dhange tahzib baksha
hami ne tumhe aadmiyat sikha di
hami ne tumhe aadmiyat sikha di
jamane me wahsat ke saman rahte, saman rahte
jamane me wahsat ke saman rahte
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
agar hum na hote, agar hum na hote
mohabbat se tum log
Song #77
Naa to karvaan ki talaash hai……
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, if you are waiting for me to tell you about the affairs of Sahir Ludhianvi, I think you all know about Amrita Pritam already. She had an unsuccessful marriage with Pritam Singh. She listened to Sahir in a mushaira in 1944 and was enamoured by him. He was shy of course and usually the one thing that they shared together was – hold your breath – silence. She was so fascinated by him that when they were together, mostly in silence, he would smoke cigarettes, leave them half and light more. She used to save all the stubs and smoke them after he’d leave. That’s how she took to smoking.
In 1958, suddenly after 14 years of their silent acquaintance, he took fancy to Sudha Malhotra. She was an aspiring singer and Sahir started giving her his best songs to sing. I have already given her: Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao to ye haq hai tumako. I just gave you another qawwali from 1960 movie Babar and one of the singers was Sudha.
It didn’t go beyond his “morning-alarm” calls to her (always to discuss songs only) and then it ended as abruptly as it started. Many people feel that the 1963 Gumraah song that he wrote: Chalo ik baar phir se ajanabee ban jaayen hum dono, was meant for her!
The 1960 movie Barsaat Ki Raat had Bharat Bhushan as a poet with Madhubala enamoured by him. Sahir was such a lyricist and poet that many movies had poets as central character, based on his own life. This continued, if you recall, until 1976 movie Kabhi Kabhi!
I have already given you three songs from Barsaat Ki Raat on the birth anniversary of Madhubala on Valentine’s Day this year: 14th of Feb.
It remains for me only to give you the best qawwali in Hindi movies ever, which was a qawwali that he made Sudha Malhotra sing together with Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle, SD Batish and Manna Dey.
A scene from the best qawwali in Hindi movies: Na to karwaan ki talaash hai…
Roshan based on Raag Kalavati, Taal Kaherava.
Please enjoy: Naa to karvaan ki talaash hai……
naa to kaaravaa.N kii talaash hai, naa to hamasafar kii talaash hai
mere shauq-e-khaanaa kharaab ko, terii rahaguzar kii talaash hai
mere naamuraad junuun kaa hai ilaaj koI to maut hai
jo davaa ke naam pe zahar de usii chaaraagar kii talaash hai
teraa ishq hai merii aarazuu, teraa ishq hai merii aabaruu
dil ishq jism ishq hai aur jaan ishq hai
Imaan kii jo puuchho to Imaan ishq hai
teraa ishq hai merii aarazuu, teraa ishq hai merii aabaruu,
teraa ishq mai.n kaise chho.D duu.N, merii umra bhar kii talaash hai
ishq ishq teraa ishq ishq …
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
jaa.Nsoz kii haalat ko jaa.Nsoz hii samajhegaa
mai.n shamaa se kahataa huu.N mahafil se nahii.n kahataa kyo.nki
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
sahar tak sabakaa hai a.njaam jal kar khaak ho jaanaa,
bharii mahafil me.n koI shammaa yaa paravaanaa ho jAe kyo.nki
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
vahashat-e-dil rasm-o-diidaar se rokii naa gaI
kisii kha.njar, kisii talavaar se rokii naa gaI
ishq majanuu kii vo aavaaz hai jisake aage
koI lailaa kisii diivaar se rokii naa gaI, kyo.nki
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
vo ha.Nsake agar maa.Nge.n to ham jaan bhii dede.n,
haa.N ye jaan to kyaa chiiz hai Imaan bhii dede.n kyo.nki
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
naaz-o-a.ndaaz se kahate hai.n ki jiinaa hogaa,
zahar bhii dete hai.n to kahate hai.n ki piinaa hogaa
jab mai.n piitaa huu.N to kahate.n hai ki marataa bhii nahii.n,
jab mai.n marataa huu.N to kahate hai.n ki jiinaa hogaa
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
mazahab-e-ishq kii har rasm ka.Dii hotii hai,
har kadam par koI diivaar kha.Dii hotii hai
ishq aazaad hai, hi.nduu naa musalamaan hai ishq,
aap hii dhama.r hai aur aap hii Imaan hai ishq
jisase aagaah nahii shekh-o-barahaaman dono,
us haqiiqat kaa garajataa huA ailaan hai ishq
ishq naa puchchhe diin dharam nuu, ishq naa puchchhe jaataa.N
ishq de haatho.n garam lahuu vich, Dubiyaa.n lakh baraataa.N
ke … de ishq
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
raah ulfat kii kaThin hai ise aasaa.N naa samajh
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
bahut kaThin hai Dagar panaghaT kii
ab kyaa bhar lAU.N mai jamunaa se maTakii
mai jo chalii jal jamunaa bharan ko
dekho sakhii jii mai jo chalii jal jamunaa bharan ko
na.ndakishor mohe roke jhaa.Do.n to
kyaa bhar lAU.N mai jamunaa se maTakii
ab laaj raakho more ghuu.NghaT paT kii
jab jab kR^ishhN kii ba.nsii baajii, nikalii raadhaa saj ke
jaan ajaan kaa maan bhulaa ke, lok laaj ko taj ke
janak dulaarii ban ban Dolii, pahan ke prem kii maalaa
dasha.rn jal kii pyaasii miiraa pii gaI vishh kaa pyaalaa
aur phir araj karii ke
laaj raakho raakho raakho, laaj raakho dekho dekho,
laaj raakho raakho, he he he,
laaj raakho raakho, he he he,
laaj raakho raakho
ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq, ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq
allaah rasuul kaa faramaan ishq hai
yaane hafiiz ishq hai, quraan ishq hai
gautam kaa aur masiih kaa aramaan ishq hai
ye kaayanaat jism hai aur jaan ishq hai
ishq saramad, ishq hii ma.nsuur hai
ishq muusaa, ishq koh-e-nuur hai
Kaaq ko but, aur but ko devataa karataa hai ishq
intahaa ye hai ke ba.nde ko Kudaa karataa hai ishq
haa.N ishq ishq teraa ishq ishq
teraa ishq ishq, ishq ishq …
Song #78
Kashti ka khamosh safar hai, aaj mujhe kuchh kehna hai….
(Pic courtesy: LyricsBogie)
That brings us to the 1960 movie Girl Friend that starred Kishore Kumar with Waheeda Rehman. For the first time, Sahir paired with Hemant Kumar as Music Director and they made the following songs:
1. Aaj Rona Pada Toh Samjhe – Kishore Kumar.
2. Aaj Mujhe Kuchh Kahanaa Hai, Aaj Mujhe Kuchh Kahanaa Hai – Kishore Kumar and Sudha Malhotra.
3. Kashti Kaa Kaamosh Safar Hai, Aaj Mujhe Kuchh Kahanaa Hai – Kishore Kumar and Sudha Malhotra.
4. Mai Pagal Hu – Kishore Kumar.
5. Na Dhela Lagta Hai Na Paisa – Daisy Irani, Kishore Kumar.
6. Kahate Hain Ise Paisaa, Paise Ki Kahaani – Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Ranu Mukherjee.
7. Jhuk Jhuk Buddhi Maa Ko – Kishore Kumar.
8. Bum Buma Bum Karega Kutum Jo – Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar.
Lets take up the song sung by a girl in her twenties at that time that Sahir had crush on: Sudha Malhotra. Was this the song that he would have sung for her?
Please enjoy: Kashti ka khamosh safar hai, aaj mujhe kuchh kehna hai….
ki: kashti ka khaamosh safar hai, shaam bhi hai tanahaai bhi
dur kinare par bajati hai laharo ki shahanai bhi
aaj mujhe kuchh kahana hai, aaj mujhe kuchh kahana hai
lekin ye sharmili nigaahe mujhako ijaazat de to kahun
ye meri betaab umage thodi fursat de to kahun
su: jo kuchh tumako kahana hai, vo mere hi dil ki baat na ho
jo mere khvaabo ki mazil us mazil ki baat na ho
ki: kahate hue dar sa lagata hai, kahakar baat na kho baithun
ye jo zara sa saath mila hai, ye bhi saath na kho baithun
su: kabase tumhaare raste pe mai, phul bichhaaye baithi hun
kah bhi chuko jo kahana hai mai aas lagaaye baithi hun
ki: dil ne dil ki baat samajh li, ab munh se kya kahana hai
aaj nahi to kal kah lege, ab to saath hi rahana hai
Before we broke off last week, I gave you a song from the 1960 movie Girl Friend: Kashti ka khamosh safar hai. If in Girl Friend, Sahir paired with Hemant Kumar for the first time, for the 1960 movie Hum Hindustani, he paired with Usha Khanna for the first time. In a typical male bastion of music direction, Usha Khanna battled to establish herself and she did.
The title song of the movie: Chhodo kal ki baaten made waves. But, as some of you may know, the song was not penned by Sahir, but by Prem Dhawan. The movie starring Asha Parekh and Joy Mukherjee (both in their second movies after Dil Deke Dekho and Love in Shimla respectively) and Sunil Dutt had nine songs: four penned by K Manohar, two by Bharat Vyas, and one each by Prem Dhawan, Rajinder Krishan and Sahir Ludhianvi.
The Sahir Ludhianvi song Hum jab chale to ye jahan jhuume was sung by Mohammad Rafi for Sunil Dutt.
Please enjoy: Hum jab chale to ye jahan jhuume…..
ham jab chale.n to ye jahaan.N jhuume
aarazuu hamaarii aasamaa.N ko chuume
o ho ho ham jab chale.n …
ham na_e jahaan ke paasabaa.N
ham na_ii bahaar ke raazadaa.N
ham ha.Nse.n to ha.Ns pa.De har kalii
ham chale.n to chal pa.De zindagii
saare nazaaro.n me.n phuulo.n me.n taaro.n me.n
hamane hii jaaduu bharaa
ham jab chale.n …
hamase hai fizaa_o.n me.n ra.ng-o-buu
hamase hai is zamii.n kii aabaruu
nadiyo.n kii raaginii hamase hai
har taraf ye taazaGii hamase hai
saare nazaaro.n me.n …
duur ho ga_ii.n sabhii mushkile.n
khi.nch ke paas aa ga_ii.n ma.nzile.n
dekhakar shabaab ke hausale
khud-ba-khud simaT ga_e faasale
saare nazaaro.n me.n …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2x54fTVjI
Song #80
Ye haath hi apni daulat hai….
(Pic courtesy: CineMaterial)
In his next movie, the 1960 movie Masoom (in Hindi films, at least four movies have been named Masoom: in 1941, 1960, 1983 and 1996).
The movie had a favourite song of mine albeit penned by Shailendra: Nani teri morni ko more le gaye sung by Ranu Mukherjee with composition of Hemant Kumar. Four other songs were penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and one by Sahir, all with compositions by Robin Banerjee.
Sahir’s one is titled: Yeh haath hi apni daulat hai and was sung by a woman Sahir was in love with: Sudha Malhotra though at that time, whatever was the enthusiasm for love, had already tapered off.
Please enjoy: Ye haath hi apni daulat hai….
mehnat karte aaye hai hum mehnat karte jayenge
jab tak ye hath salamat hai kyu daan ke tukde khayenge
kyu daan ke tukde khayenge ye hath hi apni daulat hai
ye hath hi apni takat hai kuch aur to punji paas nahi
ye hath hi apni kismat hai ye hath hi apni daulat hai
hum dhanwalo ke put nahi nirdhan ma bap ke bache hai
sab aur sahare chhute hai ye do hi sahare sache hai
ye do hi sahare sache hai ye hath hi apni daulat hai
ye hath hi apni takat hai kuch aur to punji pas nahi
ye hath hi apni kismat hai ye hath hi apni daulat hai
kya gam jo hamare mat pita sona chandi na jod sake
wo achhe dil ke malik the wo lut ka mal na jod sake
wo lut ka mal na jod sake ye hath hi apni daulat hai
ye hath hi apni takat hai kuch aur to punji pas nahi
ye hath hi apni kismat hai ye hath hi apni daulat hai
bhulenge hum na is shiksha ko chori se mehnat behtar hai
sukh ke liye zilat sahne se dukh sahne ki aadat behtar hai
dukh sahne ki aadat behtar hai ye hath hi apni daulat hai
ye hath hi apni takat hai kuch aur to punji pas nahi
ye hath hi apni kismat hai ye hath hi apni daulat hai
Song #81
Bhool sakta hai bhala kaun tumhaari aankhen…..
(Pic courtesy: LyricsBogie)
His next movie was the 1961 movie Dharamputra in which he was back with N Dutta or Datta Naik. Dharamputra was one of the early movies of Yash Chopra based on a novel by the same name by Acharya Chatursen. If you recall, two years before this, Yash Chopra had made Dhool Ka Phool and I gave you songs of that too, penned by Sahir and composed by N Dutta.
If Dhool Ka Phool was steeped in Nehruvian secularism (I gave you the song: Tu Hindu banega na musalmaan banega, insaan ki aulad hai insaan banega), the same theme in another manner returns in this movie through the characters of Shashi Kapoor (Dilip Rai, a Muslim hater but born to Mala Sinha as Husn Bano and her lover Rehman as Javed) and Indrani Mukherjee (Meena).
The movie had excellent songs just like Dhool Ka Phool.
1 Main Jab Bhi Akeli Hoti Hoon Asha Bhosle
2 Aaj Ki Raat Mahendra Kapoor
3 Naina Kyon Bhar Aaye Asha Bhosle
4 Tumhari Aankhen Mahendra Kapoor
5 Jo Dil Deewana Machal Gaya Mohammed Rafi, Chorus
6 Yeh Kis Ka Lahu Hai Kaun Mara Mahendra Kapoor, Chorus
7 Jai Janani Jai Bharat Maa Mahendra Kapoor, Chorus
8 Chahe Yeh Mano Chahe Woh Mano Mahendra Kapoor, Balbir, Chorus
Please enjoy my favourite by Mahendra Kapoor: Bhool sakta hai bhala kaun tumhaari aankhen…..
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun ye pyaarii aa.Nkhe.n
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …
merii har sos ne har soch ne chaahaa hai tumhe.n
jab se dekhaa hai tumhe.n tab se saraahaa hai tumhe.n
bas ga_ii hai.n merii aa.Nkho.n me.n tumhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …
tum jo nazaro.n ko uThaao to sitaare jhuk jaaye.n
tum jo palko.n ko jhukaao to zamaane ruk jaaye.n
kyuu.N na ban jaaye.n in aa.Nkhon kii pujaarii aa.Nkhen
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …
jaagatii raato.n ko sapano.n kaa khazaanaa mil jaaye
tum jo mil jaao to jiine ka bahaanaa mil jaaye
apanii qismat pe kare naaz hamaarii aa.Nkhen
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun ye pyaarii aa.Nkhe.n
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDE2vaArWsY
Song #82
Abhi na jaao chhod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahin…..
We have had a two weeks break in continuing with the best songs of our fourth Lyricist in our ‘Remembering Great Lyricists’ series: Sahir Ludhianvi. At this juncture I want to remind you that these lyricists are not being taken up in any particular order and the number of the lyricist doesn’t correspond with his or her ranking or standing.
His next movie in 1961 was Dev Anand’s Navketan Films production Hum Dono which was credited to have been directed by Amarjeet but Dev Anand claimed that it was his brother Vijay Anand who directed the movie based on his own script.
Dev Anand had a double role in the movie: as Army Captain Anand and Major Manohar Lal Verma. Anand was in love with Sadhana as Mita and joined the army so as to prove to Sadhana’s father that he could be someone in life. Manohar Lal Verma was married to Nanda as Ruma. Both, the Captain and the Major meet in Burma and the Major is reported dead in action. Captain has to break news to his widow Ruma and the story becomes complicated when Nanda as Ruma starts thinking of him as her husband Manohar and Sadhana as Mita suspects that her love of lifetime is having affair with another woman. In the end, Manohar too returns having miraculously escaped death.
Dev Anand had a double role in the movie, seen here with his two heroines: Sadhana and Nanda (Pic courtesy: Indiandhamaal)
After 1955, when Sahir paired with Music Director Jaidev in the movie Joru Ka Bhai, Sahir paired with him again in this movie and both ended up creating some of his best songs:
1. “Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar” – Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
2. “Adhuri Yaad Pyas Chhod Ke” – Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
3. “Allah Tero Naam Ishwar Tero Naam” – Lata Mangeshkar
4. “Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai” – Asha Bhosle
5. “Kabhi Khud Pe Kabhi Haalaat Pe” – Mohammed Rafi
6. “Main Zindagi Ka Saath” – Mohammed Rafi
7. “Allah Tero Naam” – Lata Mangeshkar
We shall be taking up three songs tonight.
Lets first take up the song that is considered one of the most iconic and enchanting duets in Hindi films, having been sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle. It was composed by Jaidev in the Raaga of the evening: Kalyan. Taal is Dadra.
Please enjoy: Abhi na 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VlDX_U2PkI
Song #83
Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya….
We had just started taking up songs of the 1961 movie Hum Dono starring Dev Anand in double role as Captain Anand and Major Verma together with Sadhana and Nanda.
Anand was in love with Sadhana as Mitu. Her father was not keen on the match since Anand didn’t even have a job whereas she was the daughter of a rich Jagirdar (played by Gajanan Jagirdar; yes, ladies and gentlemen the same man who played Babar’s title role). So, in order to prove to the father that he could become something, he joined the Indian Army.
In the video of the last song you must have seen the cigarette lighter that Sadhana as Mita had given him. He lights a cigarette with this lighter and then sings this song whilst looking at himself in a pond, after joining the Army.
Mohammad Rafi sang this on Jaidev’s composition.
Please enjoy: Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya….
mai.n zi.ndagii kaa saath nibhaataa chalaa gayaa
har fikr ko dhu.Ne.n me.n u.Daataa chalaa gayaa
jo mil gayaa usii ko muqaddar samajh liyaa – 2
jo kho gayaa mai.n usako bhulaataa chalaa gayaa
mai.n zi.ndagii…
Gam aur khushii me.n fark na mahasuus ho jahaa.N – 2
mai.n dil ko us muqaam pe laataa chalaa gayaa
mai.n zi.ndagii…
Song #84
Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya…
The last song of the 1961 movie Hum Dono has some of the best lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi and as per my personal choice, actually his best lyrics. I feel that following lines are the best lines that he ever wrote:
कौन रोता है किसी और की ख़ातिर ऐ दोस्त
सबको अपनी ही किसी बात पे रोना आया
What’s the scene? Dev Anand as Captain Anand meets Dev Anand as Major Manohar Lal Verma in a camp during the Burma Campaign. He is filled with heartache of having parted from his beloved Sadhana as Mita and Manohar has similar feelings for his wife Nanda as Ruma. It is Dev Anand as Captain Anand who lip syncs this song sung by Mohammad Rafi on Jaidev’s composition.
Dev Anand as Captain Anand (left) and also as Major Manohar Lal Verma (right)
Jaidev composed it in Raag Gara, Taal Dadra; the same Raag and Taal in which these songs were composed: Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain, Aise to na dekho, Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale, and that beautiful song of Shakeel Badayuni in 1963 movie Mulzim composed by Ravi and picturised on Pradeep Kumar and doe-eyed Shakeela: Deewana keh ke aaj mujhe phir pukaariye.
Please enjoy: Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya…
kabhii Kud pe, kabhii haalaat pe ronaa aayaa
baat nikalii, to har ik baat pe ronaa aayaa
ham to samajhe the ki ham bhuul gae hai.n unako
kyaa huaa aaj, ye kis baat pe ronaa aayaa
kisa liye jiite hai.n ham kisake liye jiite hai.n
baarahaa aise savaalaat pe ronaa aayaa
kaun rotaa hai kisii aur kii Kaatir ai dost
sabako apanii hii kisii baat pe ronaa aayaa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEoSO3lppyg
Song #85
Rimjhim rimjhim sawan barse tumse milan ko jiyara tarse…..
(Pic courtesy: Cinestaan)
We finished with the songs of the 1961 Navketan production Hum Dono last night. In 1962 he worked only with N Dutta or Datta Naik and did three movies with him: Dilli Ka Dada, Kala Samundar, and Sachche Moti.
In Dilli Ka Dada, Sahir penned four songs and Jaan Nisar Akhtar wrote three. These were the four songs penned by Sahir:
1. Aji ham Dilli ke daade hain.
2. Hamne bhi mohabbat ki thi.
3. Rimjhim rimjhim sawan barse tumse milan ko jiyara tarse.
4. Zara suno ji.
Lets take up Song #3 sung by Manna Dey and Asha Bhosle.
Please enjoy: Rimjhim rimjhim sawan barse tumse milan ko jiyara tarse…..
rim jhim rim jhim sawan barse
rim jhim rim jhim sawan barse
tumhare milan ko jiyra tarse
tumhare milan ko jiyra tarse
chham chham chham chham payal chhanke
chham chham chham chham payal chhanke
bolo sajan kaise niklu ghar se
bolo sajan kaise niklu ghar se
chham chham chham chham payal chhanke
sawan barse
chanchal shital pawan jhakore
vyakul man me aag lagaye
garaj garaj ke kare badarwa
dekh ke soi peed jagaye
nain hatat nahi tumhari dagar se
nain hatat nahi tumhari dagar se
nain hatat nahi tumhari dagar se
tumhare milan ko jiyra tarse
chham chham chham chham payal chhanke
sawan barse
more anganwa laz ka pahra
band kiwadiya khol na pau
gili lakadiya ban ban sulgu
muh se kuch bhi bol na pau
mar mar jau jag ke dar se
mar mar jau jag ke dar se
bolo sajan kaise niklu ghar se
bolo sajan kaise niklu ghar se
chham chham chham chham payal chhanke
sawan barse
Song #86
Arre O deewane khushi ke zamaane phir nahin aane….
In the next movie of 1962 Kala Samundar, Sahir penned just one song whilst Anand Bakshi wrote the rest including Meri tasveer lekar kyaa karoge.
The song that Sahir penned was Mohabbat karo to karo chhup chhupa ke that was sung by Asha Bhosle and Mohammad Rafi. I am not giving it here.
Asha Bhosle and Mohammad Rafi singing song Chahe dekhe ghoor ke
In the next movie Sachche Moti starring Madhu Apte, Helen and Jeewan, he penned all the songs:
1. Arre O deewane khushi ke zamaane phir nahin aane.
2. Chahe dekhe ghoor ke chahe deve gaaliyan.
3. Garaz ho to nakhre dikhati hai biwi.
4. Mere munne re seedhi raah pe chalna.
5. Ai mere meharbaan ab na le imtihaan.
6. Sachche ka hai bol bala suno re bhai.
In the first song, danced by Helen, N Dutta somewhat recreated the magic that Sahir had with SD Burman.
Geeta Dutt sang this song.
Please enjoy: Arre O deewane khushi ke zamaane phir nahin aane….
are o diwane khushi ke jamane
phir nahi aane re man bhi ja
are o diwane khushi ke jamane
phir nahi aane re man bhi ja
ye sharmana ye ghabrana thik nahi
aahe bharna ji tarsana thik nahi
jine ke bahane sare jag jane
tu nahi jane re jaan bhi ja
are o diwane khushi ke jamane
phir nahi aane re man bhi ja
badh ke dil ka daw laga le der na kar
koi suhana dhokha khale der na kar
jine ke bahane sare jag jane
tu nahi jane re jaan bhi ja
are o diwane khushi ke jamane
phir nahi aane re man bhi ja
are o diwane khushi ke jamane
phir nahi aane re man bhi ja
Song #87
Mujhe gale se laga lo bahut udaas hoon main….
In the first movie of the year 1963, Sahir Ludhianvi paired, for the first time in his career as a lyricist, with Ravi. You may recall that two years before him, for the first time, Shakeel Badayuni too had paired with Ravi in Chaudhvinh Ka Chand and straightway won his first Filmfare Award as Best Lyricist, an award that Shakeel made a hat-trick of in the next two years, and an award, which so far since inception two years before Shakeel had gone to Shailendra (Yeh mera deewanapan hai, and Sab kuchh seekha hamne). Sahir would have to wait for another year before he would get his for Taj Mahal song, pairing with Roshan.
(Pic courtesy: webmallindia)
The name of the movie was Aaj Aur Kal. The movie produced and directed by Vasant Joglekar starred Sunil Dutt, Raj Kumar and Nanda besides Tanuja and Ashok Kumar.
Sahir and Ravi created the following songs:
1. “Mujhe Gale Se Laga Lo” Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle 3:14
2. “Raja Saheb Ghar Nahin” Mahendra Kapoor and Asha Bhosle 3:23
3. “Maut Kitni Bhi Sangdil Ho” Asha Bhosle 3:24
4. “Taqat Na Hoga Taj Na Hoga” Manna Dey and Geeta Dutt and Mohammed Rafi 3:15
5. “Yeh Wadiyan Yeh Fazayen” Mohammad Rafi 3:13
6. “Mujhe Chhedo Na Kanha” Asha Bhosle 3:25
7. “Itni haseen itni jawaan raat kya karen” Mohammad Rafi
8. “Zindagi ke rang kayi re” Asha Bhosale
We shall take up one song today and one tomorrow.
This song was composed by Ravi in Raag Asavari, Taal Kaherva. It is amongst the best sad songs of Asha Bhosle and the lyrics are outstanding.
Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle sing for the lead actors a marvellous song: Mujhe gale se laga lo bahut udaas hoon main….
aa: mujhe gale se lagaa lo, bahut udaas huu.N mai.n
nazar me.n tiir se chubhate hai.n ab nazaaro.n se
mai.n thak ga_ii huu.N sabhii TuuTate sahaaro.n se
ab aur bojh na Daalo
ra: bahut sahii, Gam-e-duniyaa, magar udaas na ho
kariib hai shab-e-Gam kii, sahar udaas na ho
bahut sahii
sitam ke haath kii talavaar TuuT jaaegii
ye uu.Nch-niich kii ciivaar TuuT jaaegii
tujhe kasam hai merii hamasafar udaas na ho
aa: na jaane kab ye tariikaa ye taur badalegaa
sitam kaa Gam kab musiibat kaa daur badalegaa
mujhe jahaa.N se uThaa lo, bahut udaas huu.N mai.n
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dozK_TbXP38
Song #88
Ye waadiyan ye fazayen bula rahi hain hamen….
Last night, I started giving songs of the 1963 movie Aaj Aur Kal in which, for the first time, Sahir paired with Ravi, the music director with a golden touch (I say that conscious of the fact that as soon as Shakeel Badayuni paired with him, he received two of his three Filmfare Awards).
Last night I gave you one of the most beautiful songs of Asha Bhosle: Mujhe gale se laga lo bahut udaas hoon main.
Tonight I give you the other song from the movie that is so refreshing. And the reason it is so refreshing is because it has been composed in Raag Pahadi (Tal Kaherva). Pahadi is a dhun and is indeed very refreshing. In this case, it is actually used in the hills.
Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi sing: Ye waadiyan ye fazayen bula rahi hain hamen….
ye vaadiyaa.N ye fizaa_e.n bulaa rahii hai.n tumhe – 2
khaamoshiyo.n kii sadaa_e.n bulA rahii hai.n tumhe
ye vaadiyaa.N ye fizaa_e.N bulaa rahii hai.n tumhe
tumahArI zulpho.n se khushabU kI bhIkh lene ko
jhukI jhukI sI ghaTAe.n bulA rahI hai.n tumhe
khAmoshiyo.n kI sadAe.N …
hasI.n champAI pairo.n ko jabase dekhA hai
nadI kI mast adAe.n bulA rahI hai.n tumhe
khAmoshiyo.n kI sadAe.N …
merA kahA nA suno dil kI baat to sunalo
har ek dil kI duAe.N bulA rahI hai.n tumhe
khAmoshiyo.n kI sadAe.n bulA rahI hai.n tumhe
ye vAdiyA.N ye fizAe.N bulA rahI hai.n tumhe …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1l52x3wXYw
Song #89
Umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyun…
Sahir’s next movie in 1963 was Bahurani in which, once again, for the first time he paired with music director C Ramchandra. The movie had the following songs:
1. Umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyun.
2. Balma anari man bhaye.
3. Main jaagun sari rain sajan tum so jao.
4. Ye husn tera ye ishq mera rangeen to hai badnaam nahin.
5. Kaam krodh aur lobh ka maara.
6. Etal Ke Ghal Me Tital Bahar Acha Ya Bheetar.
7. Kab gham ki ghatayein.
8. Bane aisa samaaj.
We shall be taking up two tonight.
Lets take the first one sung by Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar for Guru Dutt and Mala Sinha.
Please enjoy: Umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyun…
umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyo
aise lage jaise pahali baar mile hai
umr hui baag saje phir bhi jaane kyo
aise lage phool pahali baar khile hai
rup jagaa yun, bin sanvaare saajanaa mai sanvar gai
rup jagaa yun, bin sanvaare saajanaa mai sanvar gai
aaj lagaa yun, aaj lagaa yun
motiyo se meri maang bhar gai
kajaraa chhalake, acharaa dhalake
umr hui tumse mile phir bhi jaane kyo
aise lage jaise pahali baar mile hai
sag tumhaaraa, meri zindagi ko raas aa gayaa
sag tumhaaraa, meri zindagi ko raas aa gayaa
paa ke sahaaraa, paa ke sahaaraa
dur thhaa mai, apne paas aa gayaa
duniyaa saari laage nyaari
umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyo
aise lage jaise pahali baar mile hai
jhum uthaa tan, man me ek aisi baat aa gai
jhum uthaa tan, man me ek aisi baat aa gai
jiski thi lagan, jiski thi lagan
aaj vo milan ki raat aa gai
akele rah gaye, akhiyaan bah gayi
umr hui tumase mile phir bhi jaane kyo
aise lage jaise pahali baar mile hai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtMK5pHLHWU
Song #90
Main jaagun sari rain sajan tum so jao…
And the last song tonight is also from the 1963 T Prakash Rao film Bahurani, a remake of Telugu film Ardhangi, which was based on Maddipatla Suri’s Telugu translation of Bengali novel Swayamsiddha written by Manilal Banerjee. Swayamsiddha went on to be made into a 1975 Bengali movie of same name.
The movie starred Guru Dutt and Mala Sinha in the lead roles together with Feroz Khan.
The second promised song from the movie is once again a slow song and very very good. It has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar and brings out the self-sacrificing image of the Indian women, at least in that era.
Please enjoy: Main jaagun sari rain sajan tum so jao…
mai jagu sari rain sajan tum so jao so jao so jao
gito me chupa lu sajan tum so jao so jao so jao
saanjh dhale se bhor bhaye tak jaag ke jab katti hai ghadiya
saanjh dhale se bhor bhaye tak jaag ke jab katti hai ghadiya
madhur milan ki aas me baskar khilti hai jab jeevan ladiyan
mai jagu sari rain sajan tum so jao so jao so jao
phiki pad gayi chand ki jyoti dhundhale ho gaye dip gagan ke
phiki pad gayi chand ki jyoti dhundhale ho gaye dip gagan ke
so gayin sundar sej ki kaliya so gaye khuilte bhag dulhan ke
khulkar ro le nain khulkar ro le nain sajan tum so jao
mai jagu sari rain sajan tum so jao so jao so jao
jag ke so gayi tan ki agni badhkar tham gayi man ki halchal
jag ke so gayi tan ki agni badhkar tham gayi man ki halchal
apna ghunghat aap uthakar khol di maine panv ki chhagal
abb hai chain hi chain sajan tum so jao so jao
mai jagu sari rain sajan tum so jao so jao so jao
Song #91
Laaga chaunari mein daag chhupaaun kaise….
(Pic courtesy: The-Sales Room)
In the next movie of 1963, Dil Hi To Hai, it was the third time that Sahir paired with Roshan: Babar and Barsaat Ki Raat in 1960 and now in 1963 Dil Hi To Hai. The movie was a Rawal movie: written by CL Rawal, produced by BL Rawal and directed by both CL Rawal and PL Santoshi. It starred Raj Kapoor and Nutan.
Sahir and Nutan created the following songs in the movie:
1. “Bhoole Se Mohabbat” – Mukesh
2. “Dil Jo Bhi Kahenga” – Mukesh
3. “Laaga Chunri Mein Daag” – Manna Dey
4. “Nigahen Milane Ko Jee Chahta Hai” – Asha Bhosle
5. “Parda Uthe Salam Ho Jaye” – Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey
6. “Tum Agar Mujhko Na Chaho” -Mukesh
7. “Tumhari Mast Nazar” – Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh
8. “Yun Hi Dil Ne Chaha Tha” – Suman Kalyanpur
9. “Gusse Men Jo Nakhra Hai” – Mukesh
10. “Chura Le Na Tumko Ye Mausam Suhana” – Mukesh, Suman Kalyanpur
11. “Tumhari Mast (Revival)” – Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar
12. “Laga Chunari Mein Daag (Revival)” – Manna Dey
If you notice, one after the other, all good and popular songs. However, we shall be taking up only three.
First lets take up Manna Dey‘s favourite genre’ of singing: the classical. This was composed by Roshan in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava.
The song is at two levels: one is the ordinary sounding worldly level and the second is the spiritual level about a person visiting the Earth from his/her babul’s (father’s) place in Heavens and getting corrupted here and then having to return to the Creator (babul). It is the deeper meaning which is indeed the essence of the song.
(ho ga_ii mailii morii chunariyaa
kore badan sii korii chunariyaa ) – 2
aa … jaake baabul se, nazare.n milaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …
bhuul ga_ii sab bachan bidaa ke
kho ga_ii mai.n sasuraal me.n aake
aa … jaake baabul se, nazare milaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …
(korii chunariyaa aatmaa morii
mail hai maayaa jaal ) – 2
vo duniyaa more bAbul kaa ghar
ye duniyaa sasuraal
haa.N jaake, baabul se, nazare milaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …
aa aa~
dhiim ta na na na dir dir taanum
taa na dere na
dhiim ta na na na dir dir taan, dhiim ta dere na …
sapt suran tiin graam ba.nsii baajii
dir dir taanii, taa nii nii da, nii da pa ma, pa ma ma ga
ma dha ga ma ma ga re sa
dha dha keTe dha dha dha keTe dha dha keTa dha keTa
dharat paag pa.Dat nayii paraN
jhaa.Njhar jhanake jhana nana jhana nana
dir dir ta tuum ta da nii, ta na na na ta na na na
dhiim ta na na na na dir dir taam …
Song #92
Bhule se mohabbat kar baitha…..
We have just started taking up songs of the 1963 movie Dil Hi To Hai penned by Sahir Ludhianvi and composed by Roshan.
Lets now take up the title song sung by Mukesh. The movie had a predominant Urdu content as was the trend during those days. Raj Kapoor acted as Ysuf/Chand/Khan and Nutan as Jamila Banu. Even the villain Pran was Sheku/Yusuf in the movie. Hence, one would witness in the movie sherwanis and the like.
This one though has Raj Kapoor wearing a western suit and he sings in the style that he perfected: standing in front of the mike and emoting mostly with facial expressions; you may recall his Dulha Dulhan song of five stanzas in front of the mike: Hamane tujhako pyaar kiya hai jitana kaun karega itana.
Please enjoy: Bhule se mohabbat kar baitha…..
bhuule se mohabbat kar baiThaa
naadaa.N thaa bechaaraa dil hii to hai
har dil se Kataa ho jaatii hai
biga.Do na Kudaaraa dil hii to hai
duniyaa me.n hamaaraa dil hii to hai
( is tarah nigaahe.n mat phero
aisaa na ho dha.Dakan ruk jaa_e ) -2
siine me.n ko_ii patthar to nahii.n -2
ehasaas kaa maaraa dil hii to hai
duniyaa me.n hamaaraa …
( bedaadagaro.n kii Thokar se
sab Kvaab suhaane chuur hu_e ) -2
ab dil kaa sahaaraa Gam hii to hai -2
ab Gam kaa sahaaraa dil hii to hai
duniyaa me.n hamaaraa …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4-6CFRmehs
Song #93
Nigaahen milane ko ji chahta hai….
As you saw in the movie Barsaat Ki Raat that had the best qawwali in Hindi movies: Na to karwan ki talaash hai, Roshan was very accomplished in this genre of music.
The 1963 movie Dil Hi To Hai too had a qawwali that has been sung by a female: Asha Bhosle singing for Nutan. Roshan composed it in Raag Kalyan, the raag of the evenings, Tal Kaherava.
Please enjoy: Nigaahen milane ko ji chahta hai….
… raaz kii baat hai
mehafil me.n kahe.n yaa na kahe.n
bas gayaa hai koii is dil me.n kahe.n yaa na kahe.n
kahe.n yaa na kahe.n …
nigaahe.n milaane ko jii chaahataa hai
dil-o-jaa.n luTaane ko jii chaahataa hai
vo tohamat jise ishq kahatii hai duniyaa
vo tohamat uThaane ko jii chaahataa hai
kisii ke manaane me.n lazzat vo paayii
ki phir ruuTh jaane ko jii chaahataa hai
vo jalavaa jo ojhal bhii hai saamane bhii
vo jalavaa churaane ko jii chaahataa hai
o… jis gha.Dii merii nigaaho.n ko terii diid huii
vo gha.Dii mere liye aish kii tamahiid huii
jab kabhii mai.nne teraa chaa.Nd saa cheharaa dekhaa
iid ho yaa ki na ho mere liye iid huii
vo jalavaa jo ojhal bhii hai saamane bhii
vo jalavaa churaane ko jii chaahataa hai
mulaaqaat kaa koii paiGaam diijiye kii
chhup chhupake aane ko jii chaahataa hai
aur aake na jaane ko jii chaahataa hai
aur aake na jaane ko jii chaahataa hai
nigaahe.n milaane ko jii chaahataa hai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBo-wwCttec
Song #94
Yeh fiza, Yeh hawa, Aa bhi jaa….
The year 1963 was a very successful year for Sahir Ludhianvi, if not the most successful. He started his career as a lyricist from the 1949 movie Azaadi Ki Raah Par and it was in 1964 that he received his first Filmfare Award for the 1963 movie Taj Mahal, which he did with Roshan. It would be another 13 years before he would get his second and last one for the movie Kabhie Kabhie.
Best Lyricist Award was instituted in 1959, four years after the Awards themselves were instituted and Shailendra received the first two: 1959 and 1960. After these Shakeel did a hat-trick from 1961 to 1963 and then it was Sahir.
We shall come to Taj Mahal later. Before that, even if Sahir failed to get award for the movie Gumraah, these are indeed his best and most beautifully worded songs:
1. “Yeh hawa, ye fiza, Aa Bhi Ja” Mahendra Kapoor
2. “Aa Ja Aa Ja Re” Mahendra Kapoor, Asha Bhosle
3. “Aap Aaye To” Mahendra Kapoor
4. “Chalo Ek Baar Phir Se” Mahendra Kapoor
5. “Ek Pardesi Door Se Aaya” Asha Bhosle
6. “Ek Thi Ladki Meri Saheli” Asha Bhosle
7. “In hawaaon mein Tujhko Mera Pyar Pukare” Mahendra Kapoor, Asha Bhosle
We shall be taking up three tonight; Song #s 1, 3 and 4.
Gumraah was the fourth BR Chopra film for which Sahir penned the lyrics. For the other three: Naya Daur, Sadhana and Dharamputra, BR Chopra had got N Dutta as Music Director. Here he got Ravi and after Aaj Aur Kal, this was the second film in which Sahir paired with Ravi.
Lets take the setting of Song #1. Meena (Mala Sinha) an ex beloved of Rajendra (Sunil Dutt) is married to Ashok (Ashok Kumar). They are in Naini Tal and Rajendra is waiting for his ex flame to have a tryst with him on a hill top, for old time’s sake.
Ravi composed this in Raag Bhupali, Taal Kaherva.
Please enjoy Mahendra Kapoor sing for Sunil Dutt: Yeh fiza, Yeh hawa, Aa bhi jaa….
o ho ho
o ho ho o ho o ho
o ho ho ho
o ho ho o ho ho ho ho ho
o ho ho ho ho ho
o ho ho
ye hawaa ye hawaa ye hawaa
ye fizaa ye fizaa ye fizaa
hai udaas jaise meraa dil meraa dil meraa dil
aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa -2
aa ke ab to chaa.Ndanii bhii zard ho chalii ho chalii ho chalii
dha.Dakano.n kii narm aa.Nch sard ho chalii ho chalii ho chalii
Dhal chalii hai raat aa ke mil aa ke mil aa ke mil
aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa -2
raah me.n bichhii hu_ii hai merii har nazar har nazar har nazar
mai.n ta.Dap rahaa huu.N aur tuu hai beKabar beKabar beKabar
ruk rahii hai saa.Ns aa ke mil aa ke mil aa ke mil
aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa -2
o ho ho
o ho ho o ho o ho
o ho ho ho
o ho o ho ho ho ho ho ho
o ho ho ho ho ho
o ho ho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZs2NqhNFWs
Song #95
Aap aaye to khyaal-e-dil-nashaad aaya….
We are taking up songs of the 1963 BR Chopra movie Gumraah in which Mala Sinha is married to Ashok Kumar but is still in alliance with her ex lover Sunil Dutt. The name of the movie Gumraah (Astray) is revealing. Both Sunil Dutt and Mala Sinha are astray.
The next song is when she actually meets him for the recording of his song in a studio. The lyrics are amongst the best of Sahir and very impressive and revealing indeed.
This too has been sung by Mahendra Kapoor for Sunil Dutt.
Please enjoy: Aap aaye to khyaal-e-dil-nashaad aaya….
aap ke lab pe kabhii apanaa bhii naam aayaa thaa
shokh nazaro.n se muhabbat kaa salaam aayaa thaa
umr bhar saath nibhaane kaa payaam aayaa thaa
aapako dekh ke vo ahad-e-vafaa yaad aayaa
kitane bhuule hue zakhmo.n kaa pataa yaad aayaa
aap aaye …
ruuh me.n jal uThe bujhatii huii yaado.m ke diye
kaise diivaane the ham aapako paane ke liye
yuu.N to kuchh kam nahii.n jo aapane ahasaan kiye
par jo maa.Nge na paayaa vo silaa yaad aayaa
kitane bhuule hue zakhmo.n kaa pataa yaad aayaa
aap aaye …
aaj vo baat nahii.n phir bhii koii baat to hai
mere hisse me.n ye halkii sii mulaaqaat to hai
Gair kaa ho ke bhii ye husn mere saath to hai
haay kis vaqt mujhe kab kaa gilaa yaad aayaa
kitane bhuule hue zakhmo.n kaa pataa yaad aayaa
aap aaye …
Song #96
Chalo ik baar phir se ajanabee ban jayen ham dono….
Ladies and gentlemen, if in the last two songs of the 1963 BR Chopra film Gumraah you appreciated the lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi, the compositions of Ravi and silky smooth singing of Mahendra Kapoor, then you haven’t seen the best yet.
The best is about it dawning on both the Gumraah or Astray lovers that it is not socially acceptable to carry on with a love afffair of earlier days after she had got married.
This is the best of Sahir, in the same class as his Hum Dono (surprisingly, these two words actually occur in the song!) number: Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya.
The husband between the two ex lovers.
Please enjoy: Chalo ik baar phir se ajanabee ban jayen ham dono….
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 …
Song #97
Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua deti hoon….
We finished taking up songs of the 1963 BR Chopra movie Gumraah in which Sahir had some of his best lyrics especially in the iconic and unforgettable song: Chalo ik baar phir se Ajnabee ban jaayen hum dono.
As I mentioned earlier, 1963 was the most successful year for Sahir since that was the year for him to get his first Filmfare Award. He got the next and last one more than a decade later with Kabhie Kabhie.
We shall come to that movie two movies later. First, lets take up his Mujhe Jeene Do, a production of Sunil Dutt’s company Ajanta Arts (the same one that made Sadhana earlier, whose songs I gave including the one with which I started this tribute for him: Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko).
The movie was directed by Moni Bhattachargee and was about the rehabilitation of dacoits. Hindi movies were and are very concerned about the rehabilitation of prostitutes, dacoits, Pakistanis and anyone whom the society looks down upon. Considering that Hollywood has similar obsession (eg, Pretty Women), we conclude that nothing like taking up cudgels for the downtrodden and pariahs whilst laughing all the way to the bank.
We should never forget that the Film industry also hold faujis in great esteem on the screen and lose no opportunity making money from their misery, valour and values. However, in real life, ask anyone in the film industry to stand up for the faujis and they have sudden bouts of amnesia.
One person, who probably believed in everything that he was writing was Sahir Ludhianvi and his last song that justifies the title of the movie, as Waheeda Rehman is running away from the police with her child born out of relationship with a dacoit is indeed the most memorable song of the movie with the best lyrics.
Jaidev, who paired with Sahir in Dev Anand movie Hum Dono (glorifying the life of an army officer) was the composer.
Knowing me, it should surprise no one that I should start with this, the last song, whilst taking up songs of 1963 movie Mujhe Jeene Do.
Please enjoy Lata Mangeshkar sing: Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua deti hoon….
This song is sung by a mother (Waheeda) to her child as a “lori”. The father (Sunil Dutt) is a “daaku” and is on the run from the law. Hence the entire family is constantly in hiding, moving from place to place hoping to remain undetected. This song is basically an expression of how the sins of the parents visit the children. The “dard” and softness in Lata’s voice as she sings this song makes it one of the most moving songs that you can get from Sahir.
tere bachapan ko javaanii kii duaa detii huu.N
aur duaa deke pareshaan sii ho jaatii huu.N
mere munne mere gulazaar ke nanhe paudhe
tujhako haalat kii aa.ndhii se bachaane ke liye
aaj mai.n pyaar ke aa.nchal me.n chhupaa letii huu.N
kal ye kamazor sahaaraa bhii na haasil hogaa
kal tujhe kaa.nTo.n bharii raaho.n pe chalanaa hogaa
zi.ndagaanii kii ka.Dii dhuup me.n jalanaa hogaa
tere bachapan ko javaanii …
tere maathe pe sharaafat kii koI mohar nahii.n
cha.nd hote hai.n muhabbat ke sukuun hii kyaa hai.n
jaise maao.n kii muhabbat kaa koI mol nahii.n
mere maasuum farishte tuu abhii kyaa jaane
tujhako kis-kisakii gunaaho.n kii sazaa milanii hai
diin aur dharm ke maare hue i.nsaano.n kii
jo nazar milanii hai tujhako vo khafaa milanii hai
tere bachapan ko javaanii …
be.Diyaa.N leke lapakataa huaa kaanuun kaa haath
tere maa.N-baap se jab tujhako milii ye saugaat
kaun laaegaa tere vaaste khushiyo.n kii baaraat
mere bachche tere a.njaam se jii Darataa hai
terii dushman hii na saabit ho javaanii terii
khaak jaatii hai jise sochake mamataa merii
usii a.njaam ko pahu.nche na kahaanii terii
tere bachapan ko javaanii …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECphye5BvqY
Song #98
Jo wada kiya wo nibhana padhega….
We just started taking up songs of the 1963 movie Mujhe Jeene Do in which Sahir paired with Music Director Jaidev to create the following songs, the last one of which we have already taken up. We shall not take up any more remembering the fact that we took up these songs for the birthday of Waheeda Rehman on 03 January.
Lets take up the songs of his next movie Pyaar Ka Bandhan, in which, once again, he paired with Ravi after Gumraah, the same year.
The movie starred Raj Kumar and Punjabi actress Nishi. Sahir and Ravi made the following songs:
1 “Ghodaa Pishori Meraa, Main Hun Alabelaa” Mohammed Rafi
2 “Meri Pahali Aarazu Ka” Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
3 “Aa Meri Ankho Ki Gehrayi Me” Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
4 “Zaraa Bach Ke O Balie Bach Ke” Mahendra Kapoor, Asha Bhosle
5 “Bojh Utha Le Saathi Bojh Uthale” Mohammed Rafi
6 “Ek Pyar Ke Bandhan Ki Khatir (Sad)” Asha Bhosle
7 “Sambhal Kar Ishq Farmana” Mohammed Rafi, S. Balbir
None of these deserve to be given here. Hence, without much ado, we jump to his 1963 movie Taj Mahal. The movie was directed by M Sadiq and starred Pradeep Kumar as Mughal Emperor Shehan Shah and Beena Rai as Mumtaz, his beloved, for whom Shahen Shah erected the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.
After Dil Hi To Hai, the same year, Sahir paired with Roshan and this was their best pairing ever. They created the following songs:
1. “Jo Baat Tujh Mein Hai” Mohammed Rafi
2. “Jo Wada Kiya Wo” Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
3. “Jurm-E-Ulfat Pe” Lata Mangeshkar
4. “Qhuda-E-Burtur” Lata Mangeshkar
5. “Na Na Na Re Na Na, Haath Na Lagana” Suman Kalyanpur, Minoo Purshottam
6. “Paaon Chhoo Lene Do” Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
7. “Chandi Ka Badan” Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, Meena Kapoor
8. “Husn Se Duniya Hansi” Asha Bhosle
We shall be taking up two of the songs tonight.
The first song is the one for which Lata Mangeshkar was nominated for yet another Filmfare Award. For the movie, of course, both Sahir and Roshan were goven Filmfare Awards for Best Lyricist and Best Music Director respectively.
Please enjoy this lovely duet sung for the lovers by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. Roshan composed it in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava: Jo wada kiya wo nibhana padhega….
jo vaadaa kiyaa vo nibhaanaa pa.Degaa
roke zamaanaa chaahe roke khudaaii tumako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
tarasatii nigaaho.n ne aavaaz dii hai
muhabbat kii raaho.n ne aavaaz dii hai
jaan-e-hayaa, jaan-e-adaa chho.Do tarasaanaa tumako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
ye maanaa hame.n jaa.N se jaanaa pa.Degaa
par ye samajh lo tumane jab bhii pukaaraa hamako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
ham apanii vafaa pe naa ilazaam le.nge
tumhe.n dil diyaa hai tumhe jaa.N bhii de.nge
jab ishq kaa saudaa kiyaa phir kyaa ghabaraanaa tumako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
chamakate hai.n jab tak ye chaa.Nd aur taare
na TuuTe.nge ab ehad-o-paimaa.n hamaare
ik duusaraa jab de sadaa hoke diivaanaa hamako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
sabhii ehal-e-duniyaa ye kahatii hai hamase
ki aataa nahii.n koii mu.Dake adam se
aaj zaraa shaan-e-vafaa dekhe zamaanaa tumako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
bahut jii lagaayaa zamaane se hamane
bahut vaqt kaaTaa bahaane se hamane
jab se huaa tumase judaa ye dil na maanaa tumako aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa kiyaa
ham aate rahe hai.n ham aate rahe.nge
muhabbat kii rasame.n nibhaate rahe.nge
jaan-e-vafaa tum do sadaa fir kyaa Thikaanaa hamako,
aanaa pa.Degaa
jo vaadaa…
Song #99
Paanv chhune do phuulon ko inaayat hogi…
And the last song for tonight from the 1963 movie Taj Mahal too became equally popular. This too is a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar singing for Pradeep Kumar as Shahen Shah and Bina Rai as Mumtaz; they, if you remember, also acted as Prince Salim and Anarkali in the 1953 movie Anarkali that had some of the best lyrics of Rajendra Krishan.
Please enjoy: Paanv chhune do phuulon ko inaayat hogi…
paa.Nv chhuu lene do phuulo.n ko inaayat hogii, inaayat hogii
varanaa hamako nahii.n, inako bhii shikaayat hogii
shikaayat hogii
aap jo phuul bichhaae.n unhe.n ham Thukaraae.n – 2
hamako Dar hai
hamako Dar hai ke ye tauhiin-e-muhabbat hogii, muhabbat hogii
paa.Nv chhuu lene do …
dil kii bechain uma.ngo.n pe karam faramaao – 2
itanaa ruk ruk
itanaa ruk ruk ke chaloge to qayaamat hogii, qayaamat hogii
paa.Nv chhuu lene do …
sharm roke hai idhar, shauk udhar khii.nche hai – 2
kyaa khabar thii
kyaa khabar thii tabhii is dil kii ye haalat hogii
ye haalat hogii
paa.Nv chhuu lene do …
sharm gairo.n se huaa karatii hai apano.n se nahii.n – 2
sharm ham se
sharm ham se bhii karoge to musIbat hogii, musIbat hogii
paa.Nv chhuu lene do …
Ladies and gentlemen, with that I finish with Part IV of the best songs of our fourth lyricist (not in any order): Sahir Ludhianvi. I hope you liked my selection. We have reached only up to the year 1963 and have a long way to go. Please await following parts.
All names and incidents in the story are fictional and any resemblance to anyone or anything real is purely coincidental. Historical details are however real and pains have been taken to re-report them as correctly as possible.
1975
Greased face, slimy hands, torn shorts, bare feet, he stealthily went around the crowd in front of the theatre. He was so small – he came up to hip level of most people there – that he was hardly noticed other than by those in immediate vicinity. However, the cop on duty there already was up to his tricks and had chased him many times with his danda. Yet, so determined was Chikoo to sell his five tickets in black that he came there again and again with his barely audible whisper, as he went around the crowd like a fruit-fly over garbage: Dus ka tees, dus ka tees.
He was named Chikoo because his father, now in jail, used to sell the fruit by that name on the foot-path, in a basket. He was in jail because an upper class woman purchased Chikoos from him and when she bent down to take the paper bag with the fruit, her gold-pendant broke and fell into the basket unknown to her and also to him. Later, she lodged a police complaint and the pendant was recovered from Chikoo’s father. The police beat him up black and blue and then marched him into a court and he was sentenced to 15 days of jail. Chikoo’s mother delivered him in the absence of her husband and everyone called him by that name because she sold Chikoos on the street in the absence of her husband and then came home to look after him. Also, he was very cute and Chikoo in slang meant a very cute boy.
A man made eye contact with him and he signaled him to follow him. They went behind the Chai-wala khokha on the side of the theatre and there two tickets and sixty rupees exchanged hands much before the policeman with the danda made his appearance.
The remaining tickets were sold in two lots of one and two respectively. Suddenly, Chikoo had 150 rupees with him whereas in the morning he had just 50. He went confidently to the cop, signaled him to follow him and near the chai stall gave him 50 rupees for allowing him to go about doing his business whilst keeping up the appearance of chasing him away every now and then. This was part of the game and Chikoo, at the age of six, had learnt it well.
Everything in Bombay (the name was changed to Mumbai, some twenty years later) worked on Black, Chikoo thought. And he was right to quite an extent. Black was the way of life in Bombay, later Mumbai and everyone was happy. Everything was available at an additional cost and Chikoo was to learn in his later life that everything meant everything. Very soon Chikoo had found that bigger money than what he made in front of the cinema halls could be made on the Bombay Central Railway Station by buying tickets of the long-distance trains and then selling them in black. Here, his assistants were not just the police guys but also the railway booking clerks.
His father, an upright man, had disapproved of his illegal ways but, after spending 15 days in the cooler, for no fault of his, he had started looking at societal norms afresh. In any case, it took him the entire day to earn fifty rupees. Whereas his son, at the age of six, was making that kind of money in an hour’s work: half an hour in the queue to buy the tickets and half an hour in the police protected environment to sell them off. Chikoo’s father was happy that Bombay was a safe city since police was involved in everything and actually facilitated all kinds of business.
1984
They still lived in the slums but thanks to Chikoo’s earnings, life was becoming better for them. They – his father and mother, one brother and a sister – were as happy as they could get under the circumstances.
One day, in the summers, his father was selling Chikoos on his allotted space on the pavement when an SUV driven by a rich kid, barely sixteen years old, went amok and ran over several of them on the pavement. His father was amongst the three who were killed on the spot whilst five others were admitted in the hospital with serious injuries. One of them succumbed to his injuries later.
It was an incident that shook the conscience of the city. In later years the city, which called itself the financial capital of the country, got used to periodic acts of terrorism such as bomb blasts. However, in that year, since it was the first major incident in the city, it was really shocking. Bombay was unlike Delhi at that time. Its police used to be compared to Scotland Yard in its efficiency. Delhi had its share of Billa, Ranga cases but Bombay was considered safe. The politicisation of police, criminalisation of polity and parochial tendencies hadn’t yet started showing their ugly heads.
The clout of the rich and influential was such that the legal wranglings continued for quite some time till the incident was off from public gaze. After that, the culprit got away lightly because of, as orchestrated in the court, his being a juvenile. It was rumoured in the media that palms were greased at various levels. Chikoo’s mother’s lawyer, who was also the lawyer for other victims, got them some money out of court. However, it came out in the media that he himself made many times more money than the victims. This is almost invariably the case in law-suits in India. In the olden days – of say, barrister Mr. MK Gandhi – law was a very reputed profession and there were any number of Hindi movies in which the lead actors would become lawyers. Nowadays, Hindi word for lawyer – Vakeel, that is – used in a very pejorative manner and there is a popular saying that if you come across a snake and a lawyer, you should kill the lawyer first.
March 1993
If the year 1984 was bad for Chikoo, it was even worse for the country. On the 31st October of that year, the third Prime Minister of India after her father Jawahar Lal Nehru and Lal Bahdur Shastri, was assassinated by her security guards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh when she was walking from her residence to the adjoining Congress office for an interview with British actor Peter Ustinov. The assassination was in retaliation for the Indian Army, at her orders, storming the Golden Temple (founded by the fifth guru of the Sikhs Arjan Dev in the year 1604) to flush out the armed followers of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, accused of waging a war against the state.
The year and subsequent years saw the transition of the Indian society from peace-loving to a society in turmoil. Indira Gandhi’s successor was her elder son Rajiv Gandhi who too was assassinated, five years and 32 days after becoming the PM, on 21 May 1991, by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu, a member of the Sri Lankan militant organisation called LTTE or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Rajiv Gandhi, of course, lived through the Bofors Deal Kickbacks scandal and allegations of black-money. As big time corruption scandals became a routine in India, there was a cartoon by RK Laxman (India’s most loved cartoonist who died on India’s Republic Day in 2015). In this cartoon, a petty thief in handcuffs is being led by a cop who tells him, “Your bad luck is that you stole fifty rupees; if you had stolen fifty crores, I could have been your security guard.”
Indeed, that year, when Chikoo was caught by a new cop in front of the cinema, he told him, “Chhodo sahib, bahut chhota black kiya hai, koi Bofor nahin kiya hai.” (Leave it, Sir, I undulged in very petty black, I am not involved in any Bofors deal).
Rajiv Gandhi’s successor was his erstwhile Finance Minister VP Singh who was sacked by him for going after black-money in such an obsessive way that he didn’t even spare his party, Congress’s, main fund contributors: the industrialists. He was then made the Defence Minister, which was considered a safe bet. However, here too he uncovered the Bofors Scandal and became an embarrassment to the government. He joined the Janata Dal and as Prime Minister, he took up the unfinished agenda of the earlier Janata Dal PM Morarji Desai in setting up the Mandal Commission in 1978 to identify socially or educationally backward classes in India so as to provide them with seat-reservations and quotas in educational institutions and jobs. This led to widespread protests and even self-immolations by anti-reservationist students.
Caste based hydra was, however, let loose in the country and its pinnacle was on 6th Dec 1992 when the Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu Kar Sevaks since they believed that the mosque stood at the same spot in Ayodhya, which was the birthplace of God-king Rama (or Ram Janambhoomi). This led to large-scale riots in the country. The most violent of these took place in Mumbai in which nearly a thousand people died mostly belonging to the minority community.
Just as the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had once said, “An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind“, these riots were followed by retaliatory Mumbai bombings (12 of them) on 12th March 1993. This was the first time in the world that serial-bomb-blasts were perpetrated.
A total of 257 people were killed. Chikoo’s mother, brother and sister were amongst them.
Chikoo was just 24 years old when this occurred. His world was shattered. Suddenly, it wasn’t such a happy place as he had imagined where people paid underhand just to see their favourite movie or go comfortably by train especially during overnight journeys. He was alone in the world and everything looked black to him.
After the cremation he sat on a rock near the sea, aimlessly throwing pebbles into the waves, when he saw a man approaching him. He wasn’t in a mood to talk to anyone and he hoped that the man would just go past him. To his annoyance, he saw that the man sat on a rock next to his and also started throwing pebbles into the sea.
After about ten minutes, this man spoke as if he was speaking to the sea, “I can be your friend.”
He too replied in the same manner, “What do I require a friend for?”
And the man insisted, “Everyone requires a friend.”
In the ensuing silence Chikoo realised that the man spoke a fact that had started haunting him. He asked, “What do I have to do to become your friend?”
“We can discuss over tea.”
They went to a way-side tea-stall. The man’s story in patches was that he belonged to a governmental anti-terrorist organisation and in the aftermath of the Mumbai blasts it was decided to clamp down on and track the movements of certain organisations that were inimical to national interests. SIMI or Students Islamic Movement of India had been identified as one such organisation. Though it was founded in April 1977, it is only after the Babri demolition that it started country-wide violent protests and landed up on the wrong side of the police and anti-terrorist organisations.
Chikoo was scared in the beginning. But, all that the man wanted was for him to keep his eyes and ears open in his chawl and surroundings and report any untoward things going on. He asked how do I report? The man told him that one of their operators would pick up information from him along with tickets in black and pay him for the information much more than the black price of the tickets. The first time pass-phrase would be ‘black milega kyaa?’ (a question that nobody buying tickets in black ever asks) and his reply would be ‘nahin seth mere paas to green hain‘ (the actual colour of the tickets). His next pass-phrase would be given with the money for the tickets.
He told the man that it appeared dangerous to him but the man said they would take care of his protection. He agreed.
1993 Onwards
Initially, he would supply them with information about suspicious persons and happenings such as suspicious call at the local STD booth or suspicious meetings of a few of them and they would pay him; the information and money exchanging hands at the chai-wala place at the cinema. He noticed that the money was more substantial than what he was used to for selling tickets in black.
One night, he had an upset tummy and kept going to the toilet every now and then. As usual there was no water and whatever water was kept in a tin there had got over. The stench was therefore unbearable. So, past midnight, when the nature’s call came again, he ambled across to the sea and sat on his haunches in a small clearing between the rocks. He saw a flashing light approaching from the sea and when he looked towards the woods on the shore, he noticed another answering flashing light. After what appeared to be eternity, he saw a fishing boat beaching on the sand. Some people came from the woods and helped in shifting the boat’s cargo. It was unusual for a fishing boat at that hour. Also, he observed that the cargo wasn’t the usual fish-catch but wooden boxes. He was curious and followed them in the woods. There were six large size crates (more long than wide) and he noticed that holes had already been dug in the ground to lower them and cover them with sand and soil.
The next day, at the matinée show itself, he passed the information to one of the operators. They laid a trap and on the next night, at least two men smuggling arms and ammunition were caught red-handed whilst taking out the crates from their holes. The others ran away. These two men were also later killed in an encounter whilst making a bid to escape from police custody.
This made big news and although Chikoo was very scared, he was happy to have got a huge sum for the information.
With the newly acquired wealth, Chikoo’s lifestyle changed. He was an occasional drinker; but, now, he started drinking regularly. It helped him get over his fear of the happenings that he had become part of as also to forget his family that he had lost. The bar that he used to frequent was a dance bar and he loved those voluptuous dancers who danced there, especially those who came near him, brushed their bodies against his, and seductively took his money and hid in their bosoms with knowing smiles and winks. He had seen the re-run matinée show of the dacoit movie Mujhe Jeene Do and everytime a dancing girl came near him, he imagined her to be Waheeda Rehman and himself to be the dacoit Sunil Dutt.
Her name was Rehana. Chikoo knew that most of them, if not all, kept fictitious names such as Rehana, Asma, Shama and Shabana. One was even called Madhuri, named after the actress at her peak at that time. He had seen her Khalnayak with Sunil Dutt’s son Sanjay Dutt with its super-hit song: Choli ke peechhe kya hai? One month after Mumbai Blasts, Sanjay Dutt was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, in April 1993 and that made sensational news. Charges of terrorism were dropped later but he was convicted of illegal possession of armaments. When Sanjay Dutt was first jailed, in Chikoo’s circles, it was talked about that whereas the father had police after him in reel life only (Mujhe Jeene Do), Sanjay had police after him in real life. Anyway, Chikoo wasn’t interested so much in the life of Sanjay Dutt as he was in Rehana, the bar dancer, who had started showing more than routine interest in him. They had started meeting covertly in the day time whilst in the evenings and nights she performed her acts at the bar. One afternoon when they made love in his room in the chawl, Chikoo noticed that it was more than sex; she appeared to be in love with him.
He won’t have even dreamt of sharing this information with his shady contacts. In a world of extreme scare, danger and intrigue, she provided him with love, the greatest feeling on earth. At his young age, when he could get a lot of things which were denied to many people, love really had fascination for him. She soon fell into the habit of cooking for him and washing his clothes and he loved it when she would take a morsel of chapati in her manicured hand, wrap it around his favourite bheendi subji, and put it in his mouth. Suddenly, he had a home and he thanked God for the gift of Rehana in his life. Once or twice he had tried to find her real name and she had countered it with: “Kyun Rehana nahin pasand aapko? Rehana ko to Chikoo bahut pasand hai.” (Why, don’t you like (the name) Rehana? Rehana, however, likes (the name) Chikoo a lot). He had given up.
He was still supplying his contacts with information and they were still giving him money for it. Gradually, he felt that there would be no harm in sharing his life with Rehana since, in any case, very soon they had decided to get married. The day when they first talked of their marriage, she teasingly asked him what he would name her after marriage and he had equally jokingly responded: “Bheendi”.
And then, one day, it happened. She said that he must meet her people and propose marriage and she would make sure that they would accept. When he enquired about her people, she said she was an orphan like him; but, she had brothers and cousins who would be only too delighted to meet him.
He wanted to accompany her to her place but she said that traditionally the man visits the woman’s house and they would wait for him with bated breath.
As he came out of the chawl that evening, a black cat crossed his way. His mother was a great believer in such bad omens. But, he was in a hurry. All throughout the journey to her place by an auto-rickshaw, he kept thinking of her abundant charms, the way she tickled him when she caressed his ear lobes and even inserted her little finger inside, her wanting him again immediately after they made love, and her sleeping in the crook of his right arm.
When he got down from the auto-rickshaw and paid the driver, he noticed that Rehana wasn’t living in a chawl but in a house that was more than a little distance from the other houses in the area. But, then, she had been a bar dancer for several years and he reckoned that she could afford a house. On closer look, he found that it looked more like a dilapidated house. He was having second thoughts about entering the house but then a kindly man opened the door and ushered him in with, “Aa jaao Chikoo, aap ka hi intezaar hai.” (Come in Chikoo, we are waiting for you).
There were only men in the room, some five of them, and he thought he had seen one, in a skull cap, sometime earlier. One of them addressed him heartily: “Daro mat; hum tumhaare azeez hain.” (Don’t be afraid; we are your dear ones).
And that’s the time when he recognised the man in the skull-cap. He was the one who came out of the boat with those crates many years back on that dark night and wasn’t caught in the raid.
Suddenly, he was mortally scared and he made an attempt to flee. They caught him, there was no escape. They confronted him with proof of all that he had done in the last several years.
At the end of it, they carried him to an upstairs room and that’s where they put acid in his eyes and said, “You are proud of these eyes with which you observe things. Well, today onwards, you will see nothing.”
Suddenly, his world became black. Gandhi was right, after all…an eye for an eye….
Epilogue
Chikoo gradually learnt to survive as a blind man. There was no money in selling movie tickets in black after the advent of multiplexes. There was no money in selling train tickets in black after the online bookings and many people choosing to travel by air. He sat the whole day in the same spot that his father used to sit at, selling Chikoos. In his spare time, he liked to grope his way to the rocks next to the sea behind his chawl through his constant companion: a white stick. He loved the sound of the waves and gentle drenching of his face. One day, he felt a man first approaching and then sitting on a rock next to him and joining him in throwing pebbles into the sea. “I can be a friend”, he said and Chikoo recognised the voice. He kept silent. The man continued, “With your eyes gone, you can be even more useful than earlier since no one would suspect you. You can hear and feel and tell us about any suspicious activity.”
Chikoo sighed and said to himself: I thought I was the one who was blind.
My wishes on the birthday of my sister, Surekha Saini:
जन्मदिन मुबारक सुरेखा,
जबसे हमने तुम्हें है देखा,
दिल में ख़ुशी और उमंगो की,
खींच गयी है जैसे रेखा।
आप अच्छाई और सुंदरता की मूरत हो,
हम भाइयों के लिए बहिन की सूरत हो,
आपसे मिल के यूँ लगता है हमें,
ज़िन्दगी की एक हसीन ज़रुरत हो ।
सूफ़ी संगीत आपकी पसंदीदा चाहत है,
इसी से आपके जीवन में राहत है,
“जैसा जिसका संगीत हो, वैसा ही इन्सान होता है”
यह तो बहुत पुरानी कहावत है ।
बच्चों और उनके बच्चों संग आप लहराती हो,
बहुओं को तो आप दोस्त बनके भाती हो,
बाकी रहे हम आपके YKDN के fan (पंखे),
हमें rare और सुरीले नग़में सुनाती हो ।
आपको रब्ब ने बहुत इत्मिनान से है बनाया,
क्या मुस्कराहट दी है, और क्या दी है काया,
यानि यूँ कहो के गहरी अँधेरी रात में भी,
जैसे चौदहवीं का चाँद हो निकल आया ।
Vipan कहते हैं उनका पहले से आप से नाता, Raj कहते हैं वह हैं आपके असली भ्राता, Vishwas तो “मैडम” से ही काम चला लेता है, Nitin तो सुबह शाम आपके ही गीत गाता ।
Manik पल पल आपके ही गुन गाती है, Leela आपके बारे सोच मंद मंद मुस्कराती है, Sumedha आपको समझती हैं अप्सरा, Ritu को वह aunty मिली जो उसे भाती है ।
Surinder आपको समझता है देवी का रूप, Sumona के लिए आप हैं छाँव में घूप,
और जो आपकी Ambale वाली फॅमिली है,
उनके लिए आप हैं KFC और Manchow सूप।
और वह भी हैं जिनके मैंने नाम नहीं लिए, (जैसे कि Jaswant)
उनके लिए हो आप सबसे प्रिय,
बाकी मैं रह गया आपका खुश किसमत वीरजी,
मेरी बहिन हो आप सौ जन्मो के लिए ।
सोचता हूँ बहिन पा के मुझे मिला है इनाम,
मुझ नामुराद को भी मिल गया है नाम,
आपका वीरजी बनना किसी तोहफ़े से कम नहीं,
भगवान् तुझे दिल जिगर से सलाम ।
आपका जन्मदिन शुभ हो, यह हमारी आशा है,
प्यार से family संग रहना, YKDN की भाषा है,
सौ वर्ष जिए हमारी सुन्दर और प्यारी बहना,
हम सबकी आज के शुभ दिन की अभिलाषा है ।
Janamdin mubaarak Surekha,
Jabase hamane tumhen hai dekha,
Dil mein khushi aur umango ki,
Kheench gayi hai jaise rekha.
Aap achchhayi aur sundarta ki moorat ho,
Hum bhatiyon ke liye bahin ki soorat ho,
Aap se mil ke youn lagata hai hamen,
Zindagi ki ek haseen zaroorat ho.
Sufi sangeet aapki pasandeeda chahat hai,
Isi se aapke jeevan mein raahat hai,
“Jaisa jiska sangeet ho, waisa hi insaan hota hai”,
Yeh to bahut purani kahawat hai.
Bachchon aur unake bachchon sang aap lehraati ho,
Bahuyon ke liye aap dost ban ke bhaati ho,
Baaqi rahe ham aapke YKDN ke fan (pankhe),
Hamen rare aur sureele naghmen sunaati ho.
Aapko rabb ne bahut itminaan se hai banaya,
Kyaa muskraahat di hai, aur kyaa di hai kaaya,
Yani youn kaho ke gehri andheri raat mein bhi,
Jaise chaudhvin ka chand ho nikal aaya.
Vipan kehte hain unaka pehle se hai aap se naata, Raj kehte hain woh hain aapke asli bhraata, Vishwas to “madam” se hi kaam chala lete hain, Nitin to subah shaam appke hi geet gaata.
Manik pal pal aapke hi gun gaati hai, Leela aapke baare mein soch mand mand muskraati hai, Sumedha aapko samajhati hai apsara, Ritu ko woh aunty mili jo use’ bhaati hai.
Surinder aapko samajhata hai devi ka roop, Sumona ke liye aap hain chhanv mein dhoop,
Aur woh jo aapki Ambale waali family hai,
Unake liye aap hain KFC aur Manchow soup.
Aur woh bhi hain jinake maine naam nahin liye,(eg, Jaswant)
Unake liye ho aap sabse priya,
Baaki main reh gaya aap ke khush kismat veerji,
Meri bahin ho aap sau janamo ke liye.
Sochata hoon bahin paa ke mujhe mila hai inaam,
Mujh namuraad ko bhi mil gaya hai naam,
Aapka veerji banana kisi tohfe se kam nahin,
Bhagwan tujhe dil jigar se salaam.
Aapka janmadin shubh ho, yeh hamaari aasha hai,
Pyaar se family sang rehna, YKDN ki bhasha hai,
Sau varsh jiye hamaari sundar aur pyaari behna,
Hum sabaki aaj ke shubh din ki abhilasha hai.
It was to be our first transfer out of Bombay after marriage and that too to Naval Headquarters in New Delhi. We had nightmares of packing and unpacking even though we hadn’t got much (Please also read: ‘Giving Away Memories’).
With the kind of ‘packing-sense’ that comes to ‘faujis‘ almost naturally, I told my wife only to look after our sons, three-year old and six months old and that I would do everything. We ‘faujis‘ are really good at it and we divide the entire work into easily manageable phases, as we do with wars and battles: the Planning Phase, the Preparation Phase, the Execution Phase, and finally the Aftermath.
The ‘packing-sense’ that descends upon us from heavens tells us that we should have black wooden boxes with our names prominently painted in white together with our rank. This same ‘sense’ tells us that boxes are to be serially numbered. It also goads us to buy locks for the boxes with numbers of the corresponding boxes painted on them. All keys are to have stickers on them with numbers corresponding to boxes and locks.
Gods are fond of ‘faujis‘ and this ‘packing-sense’ that they give us also tells us to first plan and then prepare boxes with list of contents of each noted in a notebook. I mean, we ‘faujis‘ are a very systematic lot. With a sense of pride (another thing about ‘faujis‘ is that whether or not we have money and other worldly possessions, we have abundance of ‘pride’) I then told my wife the essential difference between ‘faujis‘ and civilians: we do everything in orderly fashion. I explained to her that whereas a civilian in a new station would be trying by hit-and-trial to locate, say, a gas-lighter, a ‘fauji‘ would tell you precisely that it is in Box No. 38, left hand top of the box.
My wife was impressed. Who wouldn’t be?
Finally, we landed up in New Delhi and the baggage fetched up within two days, having been despatched by railway container. Just as the battle plans and preparations last only up to the first shot being fired, now all my plans went for a six. We hadn’t got a house, not even a temporary shelter. The railways were very helpful (they always are). They told me that for each day of my failing to receive my baggage, I would have to pay exponentially increasing demurrage. Finally, after running from pillar to post (one activity that keeps us ‘faujis‘ fit and fine), I could manage an outhouse in Kotah House Naval Officers Mess. In the days of the Rajah of Kotah, his retinue staff used to stay in those erstwhile ‘servants’ quarters’. In order to keep the servants in good humour, these were called ‘outhouses’ rather than ‘servants’ quarters’; they had just one room with a covered verandah each at the back and front.
When the railway container arrived, we faced problem similar to the conductors of Madhya Pradesh buses plying between Mhow and Indore; viz, how to adjust 300 plus passengers in a 42 seater bus. The labourers were perspiring and agitating about our quickly finding place for our boxes. Finally, we had them stacked up all around the two beds in the room and some in the verandahs. And off they went after receiving their money and bakhshees for wasting their time with our indecision.
We got food from the mess for the first three days but soon made a discovery (‘faujis‘ are born Christopher Columbses) that unless we started cooking etc we would land up with fat bills that we could ill afford.
And that’s where elaborate packing came in handy! We knew which boxes exactly had gas stove, utensils, gas lighter etc. But, there was a major problem. Those boxes were stacked at the bottom or middle of stacks that, if moved, would bring down the entire stack like a house of cards. In any case, I estimated that it would require more efforts to bring them out and open them than Atlas did in holding up the sky that he was condemned to do.
So, finally, this ‘systematic fauji‘ with all his elaborate planning, preparation and execution went about buying afresh everything that his wife required after satisfying himself that the required item were in such and such boxes that were lying at the bottom of the stack.
Aftermath: It is not such a bad thing having two of everything! In any case, I am a Gemini!
I felt it in my guts when you first came in my life,
That you are the one for me in peace and in strife,
It started with love, we can never forget that,
But, we both knew, for sure, you’d be my wife.
And when we wedded, it was the best hour,
Even gods, I know, sprinkled many a flower,
As we stood before the deity in the temple we chose,
We knew to do us apart there wasn’t a power.
Just the two of us in love, with virtually no support,
We started with a mere handwritten order of the court,
But, we went from strength to strength, my love,
And soon we held an impregnable fort.
Yes, we went through the smooth and the rough,
But, somehow, we always managed to have enough,
And when luck refused to see us through,
We caught the elusive luck by the cuff.
Soon, God sent His angels, for us, on earth,
Both Arjun and Arun filled us with unending mirth,
We didn’t have much but we had one another,
And we always kept the fires burning in our hearth.
Friends and relations were loving and kind,
Virtually everyday there was a new find,
Of how much love was in and around us,
To fill our hand, heart, soul and mind.
I don’t suppose we ever felt broken and alone,
Thank God for the Navy, we always had a home,
And don’t forget the delightful places we visited,
London, Paris, to name a few, Cape Town and Rome.
Thirty six years later, we are content and together,
In the cap of our love, we have many a feather,
I feel proud when they quote us as an example,
Of how Love is strong to withstand any weather.
All that you require in life is love, we can proclaim,
Love is more glorious than riches and fame,
It may be dim at times but it burns constantly, Lyn,
The warmest glow is that of Love’s Flame.
Happy Anniversary, my life, love, and soulmate,
Today is the day to rejoice and celebrate,
We did it, purely on the strength of our love,
And built a loving life, and have memories great.
This anecdote has been reminded by my former Engineer Officer of INS Vipul: Syed Shahid Raza. This was his comment on my post ‘Viraat Ship’s Commander Overboard!’:
“Lovely Sir. Proud to have served under you on-board Vipul. The ward room of Vipul had also similar sentiments everyday. All officers only used to think about next day 10 Km early morning jog with you always beating all of us. Also remembered how you managed to bring all of us back in time for Navy Ball after 60 day operational deployment.”
The “similar sentiments” that he is talking about is if good fortune would come their way on Vipul and I would suddenly go ‘missing‘, as I did on Viraat! Regrettably for them, it didn’t happen.
We had a forward deployment in the Gulf of Kachchh due to our North-West neighbour’s intransigence in the year 1993-94. Life was tough and more so because of the CO – that is, mine – exacting standards. It was all building up in their minds, hearts and guts.
Generally, if the Wardroom officers want to tell the CO something obliquely, they come up with occasions to drink. After a few drinks, all such talk as would show the light of the day to the CO, would be automatically condoned or charged off to that beautiful phrase: “under the influence of alcohol he said it, but otherwise, he is a very fine guy”.
Now the problem was that their CO, that is me, was off drinks. Anyone of them was ready to bell the cat but the big-cat wasn’t giving them the opportunity.
Now, it would be a heartless Captain who doesn’t sense it all building up and I was anything but heartless. So, one fine make and mend afternoon, in Okha Harbour, when they invited me to the Wardroom to have a drink (“Sir can have nimbu-paani”), I went prepared. It didn’t take considerable cajoling from them for me to accept “just one glass of beer, Sir, only to keep company”.
Amongst the biggest lies or deceptions in the world is the expression: “just one glass of beer”. It is like saying: “just have one peanut”. Hence, one thing led to the other and by about 3 PM, we were competing with Viraat (seen in the background of Vipul in the picture) for launching – not aircraft – but, us into the air. And that’s when slyly (as planned by them), the talk began: “You are a very fine CO Sir” began the XO, in the manner of a great chess player moving Queen Pawn to d4. I expected the next move (of Queen’s Gambit) to begin with a ‘but’ and sure he didn’t disappoint me, “But, Sir, you need to relax and let go a bit……I mean, you are tough all the while……Steward, please fill up Captain’s glass….thank you”.
Well, many of you have been CO’s and you know the rest of the story. They insisted that I should have lunch too with them and I agreed. They had got it off their chests and I was happy for them.
But, now, it was my turn to invite them. And I did: “Okay, guys, we have had ‘just one glass of beer together‘ and I joined you in the activity that brings you loads of fun. Now, this evening, why don’t you join me on the jetty, in games rig, in my 10 Kms evening run?”
What happened during the evening jog? Any guesses? Most of you (the young guys, that is) won’t have seen the 1948 movie Pyaar Ki Jeet (What an apt name). In this movie, there was a very popular song penned by Qamar Jalalabadi and composed by the first music duo of Hindi films: Husanlal Bhagatram. It went like this:
इक दिल के टुकड़े हज़ार हुए,
कोई यहाँ गिरा कोई वहाँ गिरा I
बहते हुए आँसू रुक न सके,
कोई यहाँ गिरा …
(For those who cheated in their minimum Hindi test:
Ik dil ke tukade hazaar huye,
Koi yahan gira koi wahan gira.
Behte huye aansu ruk na sake,
Koi yahan gira…..)
P.S. When you go on long-distance runs, a time comes when hormones called endorphins are secreted within the brain. These activate body’s opiate receptors and the overall effect is as if being intoxicated. I should have told them this scientific fact so that they need not have wasted beer to be intoxicated!
Recently, a number of friends and collegues have left us……
जाने कब सांस रुक जाए, गर्म खून हो जाए सर्द?
यह जो महल हमने बनाये हैं, कब हो जाएँ गर्द?
जाने कब फरमान आ जाए मौत के शेहन-शाह का?
कौन जाने कहाँ है मुकाम ज़िन्दगी की राह का?
तिनका तिनका बटोर कर बनाया है जो आशियां,
हमसफ़र ओ रहबरों का बढ़ता हुआ ये कारवां,
कठपुतलियां हैं सब, जाने किस को वह उठा ले?
आज, कल या परसों, कब, कैसे, कहाँ?
मजबूरी ओ उदासी ने बाँध दिए हैं हाथ,
दोस्तों और आशिकों का है पल दो पल का साथ;
अभी तो सुहाना दिन है, रंग है और नूर है,
जाने कब बन जाए यह सियाह अँधेरी रात?
आज हमारी बज़म से जाने कहाँ वह जाते हैं?
कल हम ज़ुबान थे, आँख अब चुराते हैं,
मेला है भाई, भीड़ में भी सब अकेले हैं,
दुनिया यूँ ही चलती है, लोग आते हैं, जाते हैं I
यही हकीकत है तो आता है ख्याल मन में,
क्यों ना खुशियों के बूटे उगाएं दिल के आँगन में?
दोस्ती हो सबसे दुश्मनी का नाम ही न हो,
सब ही खुश आमदीद हों अपने नशेमन में I
ज़िन्दगी मिल जुल के प्यारी ओ हसीन हो,
दोस्तों की यादें खूबसूरत और रंगीन हों,
ज़िन्दगी ज़िंदादिली से जियें हम ऐसे,
के मौत को भी हमारी ज़िन्दगी पर यकीन हों I
ज़ेहन में न रंजिश किसी के वास्ते हो,
“छोटी सी ये दुनिया, पहचाने रास्ते” हों,
वफायें हों, जफाओं से कोई नाता ही न हो,
दिल में गर्माहट हर किसी के वास्ते हो I
मौत के फ़रिश्ते को पुर उम्मीद मिलें हम,
वक़्त आने पे हमारे हँसते हुए निकले दम,
छोड़ जाएँ खुशियां सब अपनों के लिए,
न आंसू हों, न पशेमानी, न ख़ौफ हो, न ग़म I
ऐ खुदा, तेरा ‘रवि’ हर दम तैयार हो,
मुस्कराते ले जाना, न के जब बिमार हो,
जीते जी मेरे अपनों का हो घर संसार,
मेरे मरने पे भी उनकी ज़िन्दगी में बहार हो I
Jaane kab saans ruk jaaye, garm khoon ho jaaye sard?
Yeh jo mahal hamane banaaye hain, kab ho jaayen gard?
Jaane kab farmaan aa jaaye maut ke shehan-shah ka?
Kaun jaane kahan hai mukaam zindagi ki raah ka?
Tinaka tinaka batore kar banaaya hai jo aashiyaan,
Hamsafar o rehbaron ka badhata hua ye karvaan,
Kathhputliyan hain sab, jaane kis ko woh uthha le?
Aaj, kal ya parson, kab, kaise, kahan?
Majburi o udhasi ne baandh diye hain haath,
Dosto aur aashiqon ka hai pal do pal ka saath,
Abhi to suhaana din hai, rang hai aur noor hai,
Jaane kab ban jaaye yeh siyah andheri raat?
Aaj hamari bazm se jaane kahan woh jaate hain?
Kal hum zubaan the, aankh ab churaate hain,
Mela hai bhai, bheedh mein bhi sab akele hain,
Duniya youn hi chalti hai, log aate hain, jaate hain.
Yahi haqeeqat hai to aata hai khayaal man mein,
kyun na khushiyon ke boote ugaayen dil ke aangan mein?
Dosti ho sabse dushmani ka naam hi na ho,
sab hi khush amdeed hon apne nasheman mein.
Zindagi mil jul ke pyaari ho o haseen ho,
Doston ki yaadein khoobsurat aur rangeen hon,
Zindagi zindadili se jiyen ham aise,
Ke maut ko bhi hamaari zindagi pe yakeen ho.
Zehan mein na ranjish kisi ke vaaste ho,
“Chhoti si ye duniya, pehchaane raaste” hon.
Wafaayen hon, jafaayon se koi naata hi na ho,
Dil mein garmaahat har kisi ke vaaste ho.
Maut ke farishtay ko pur umeed milen ham,
Waqt aane pe hamaare hanste huye nikle dam,
Chhod jaaye khushiyan sab apno ke liye,
Na aansu hon, na pashemaani, na khauf ho, na gham.
Ai khuda, tera ‘Ravi’ har dam taiyyar ho,
Muskraate le jaana, na ke jab bimaar ho,
Jeete ji mere apno ka ho ghar sansaar,
Mere marne pe bhi unaki zindagi mein bahaar ho.
My wife and I went for the decommissioning functions of Indian Naval Ship Viraat on 5th and 6th of March 2017. We clicked more pictures in these two days than during my entire tenure as the Ship’s Commander in 1994-95. Our pictures were still better and more relevant than, for example, Times of India publication Mirror that showed the jetty with three Delhi class destroyers next to it and Guard of Honour in readiness to receive the Chief of the Naval Staff; and no picture of about to be decommissioned oldest active warship in the world: Viraat.
One of the first few pictures that we took was in front of the legendary Sea Harrier, the V/STOL (Vertical/Short Take Off And Landing) strike fighter aircraft that served the Indian Navy between Dec 1983 and when they operated last from Viraat on 06 Mar 2016 (exactly one year before Viraat herself was decommissioned).
Sea Harriers formed a squadron called INAS 300 or White Tigers. Having served on Viraat, I can assure you that there was nothing more beautiful than to see these White Tigers taking off and landing on Viraat (Please also read: ‘Pussy-Cat, Pussy-Cat, Where Have You Been?’).
I have been airborne as a passenger in many an aircraft, both civil and military. I have also been airborne without aircraft, on a few occasions, because of drinking with friends. However, if not airborne, at least to be in the cockpit of a Sea Harrier was my desire and fascination. And, on Viraat, it happily came my way, when one of the pilots offered to show me a Sea Harrier in the hangar complete with my sitting in the cockpit.
Part II – There Is Never A Dull Moment!
I had chosen the hour for my personal education of Sea Harrier on a forenoon at sea when I thought nothing would be happening. I was wrong. There is always something happening and Ship’s Commander is always required to handle one or the other situation.
There was, therefore, an announcement for me to report to the Captain on the Bridge. These announcements are heard everywhere on the ship except when your ears are muffed to avoid noise of machinery and aircraft in the hangar!
After about five minutes (the time it would have taken for me to reach the Bridge from my cabin), the announcement was repeated, “Ship’s Commander requested Bridge, Captain”. The ear-muffs that I wore in the cockpit of Sea Harrier were very effective and this announcement too was not heard.
And now, the Captain asked OOW (Officer of the Watch) to make an announcement: “Do you hear there? This is the OOW speaking. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Ship’s Commander, report to the Bridge immediately.”
Sea Harrier was a beautiful piece of machinery and my total attention being on that, even that announcement was missed.
Finally, the Captain picked up the Broadcast mike himself and made, what he felt was ominous announcement of the missing Ship’s Commander. There are hundreds of methods by which you can die on a ship; Man Overboard is only one of them. For example, if you enter a closed compartment, you can die of lack of air or of inhaling poisonous gases and there are safety procedures about how to enter such compartments. One small mistake and you are gone.
No one thought of looking for me in the hangar; the Ship’s Commander hardly has any business there.
Viraat hangar after decommissioning on 6th March 17. This is where I was in the cockpit of a Sea-Harrier when I was presumed to be missing.
I finished satisfying my desire of being in a Harrier and then ambled up to the Bridge unmindful of the panic caused by my absence.
Part III – Mixed Feelings
The Captain was relieved to see me and so were other officers and personnel. There was general euphoria about the Commander having been resurrected, nearly 2000 years after a certain JC did from his tomb.
In the evening when the HODs gathered in my cabin for usual tea and shakarparas, one of them commented tongue in cheek, “You failed us, Sir; we were happy that you went missing so that we won’t have to join you for the Mass PT next morning on the Flight Deck”!
It started in early twentieth century. The industrial era had brought with it problems of aspiring needs of milling populations. Amongst these, the one problem that came to fore was oppression of women and gender inequality. For the first time in the year 1908, 15000 women marched through the streets of New York demanding equality with their male counterparts. This led to National Women’s Day being held on 28th Feb or last Sunday of the month. In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen and following the success of it, it was announced that IWD would be held on 19th March. In 1913 following discussions, International Women’s Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women’s Day ever since.
Remembering Devika Rani on Her Death Anniversary and Sahir Ludhianvi on His Birth Anniversary, 08 March
I have a Facebook Group called ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne’ for serious music lovers (not the ones who just copy-paste You Tube urls of songs and clap their hands for a job well done). In this group, besides monthly thematic music fest, we pay tribute to actors, singers, lyricists and composers involved with the making of the songs.
It is only appropriate (a magnificent coincidence) that we should remember these two icons: Devika Rani and Sahir Ludhianvi on this important day, the International Women’s Day (08th March). IWD is the day for remembering the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. We shall be doing so for Devika Rani. We shall also recollect what Sahir wrote about women.
Devika Rani
Devika was the first lady of the Indian Cinema (not just Hindi movies) who was active in the Indian movies from 1928 to 1943 and who chose to live life her own way. My wife and I, on our visit to Kulu and Manali last September, went out of our way to visit the Roerich Art Gallery and Roerich House in Naggar, about 25 Kms from Manali.
Please have a look at the accompanying pictures, a remembrance of our visit. In their house, her room and her prized possessions (including a type-writer) have been maintained exactly as they were. Then there is a separate Devika Rani and Svetoslav Memorial:
She was born on 30th March 1908 in Waltair (Andhra Pradesh) as Devika Rani Choudheri to Colonel MN Choudheri, IMS (Indian Medical Services) and Mrs. Leela Choudheri. She came from a distinguished family. She was the grand-niece of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Her father rose to become the first Indian Surgeon General of Madras.
Her schooling was in London. She graduated in Arts from there, specialising in textile designing and architecture. She had started work as a textile designer in London when she met Himanshu Rai, who was instrumental in her joining his films production unit and contribute towards Indian films.
In 1929, at the age of 21 years, she married Himanshu Rai. Initially, she assisted him in only production related activities such as Art Direction and Costume Designing. However, in 1933, she debuted as an actress in his movie Karma, in which their kissing scene is still regarded as one the longest kissing scene in Indian movies (of more than four minutes). After her schooling in London, she had done courses in acting and music at he Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Royal Academy of Music. However, after joining hands with Himanshu Rai, during a visit to Germany, inspired by their methods of film-making, she enrolled for a film-making course at Universum Film AG studio in Berlin. She also took an advanced course in Acting.
Himanshu Rai then started the famous films studio called Bombay Talkies, the second oldest movie studio in the Indian movies and also the best equipped. Himanshu started the studio in the year 1934 and she continued running it after his death in 1940. In 1935, Bombay Talkies first production Jawani Ki Hawa was launched. It starred Devika Rani and Najm-ul-Hassan, and was shot fully on a train.
During the making of the movie Jeevan Naiya, her second film with the hero Najm-ul-Hassan, she eloped with him. Her husband Himanshu Rai, having spent a lot of money on that movie already, was going to be in ruins.
Ashok Kumar’s uncle Sashadhar Mukherjee, who was an assistant sound-engineer at Bombay Talkies got in touch with Devika Rani and Najm and convinced Devika to return to Himanshu. Two of the reasons he was able to convince her is relevant on this International Women’s Day: One, in India, at that time, it was next to impossible to get legal divorce; and two, women who eloped were regarded as prostitutes and also disowned by their own families. Thus she was made to be convinced that she won’t ever get divorce from Himanshu and marry Najm.
She, therefore, did the next best thing. Through Sashadhar Mukherjee she sought and obtained financial independence from her husband as a condition for her return. Another condition was that he would pay entirely the expenses for running the house. And, lo and behold, Himanshu agreed to this, in order to save face in society and to prevent his studio from going bankrupt. Today, when we celebrate IWD again and remember how wretched are the lives of Indian women (Please read ‘Is There Reason To Celebrate Women’s Day In India?’ which is what I wrote on the eve of IWD seven years ago and one of my first essays after I formed this blog), please remember that Devika Rani was gutsy enough to do this in 1936.
On her return, Himanshu Rai dropped Najm-ul-Hassan altogether and got Ashok Kumar, Sashadhar Mukherjee’s cousin (later Joy Mukherjee’s father) to do the role. This marked the debut of Ashok Kumar’s long career in the movies.
She made a number of movies with her co-star of Jeevan Mrityu Ashok Kumar. Their 1936 movie Achhut Kanya is still considered iconic.
I am giving you a song from the movie Achhut Kanya of 1936 that was penned by JS Kashyap (known by his nickname Natawa) and sung by Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar (during those days there was no playback singing and actors and actresses sang their own songs). Saraswati Devi (the second Hindi and Indian female music director after Jaddan Bai; Usha Khanna, the living female MD is the third one) composed the song.
The song is all about her saying that she is a free bird and he saying that he would have her. Finally, he succeeded in that Sashadhar and Ashok Kumar started another film studio called Filmistan and she had no support to continue running Bombay Talkies. She had to thus give up films.
Please enjoy: Main ban ki chidhiya ban ke ban ban bolun re….
(de: mai.n ban kii chi.Diyaa ban ke ban ban boluu.n re
a: mai.n ban kaa panchhii ban ke sa.ng sa.ng Doluu.n re) – 2
de: (mai.n Daal Daal u.D jaauu.N
nahii.n paka.Daa_ii mai.n aauu.N) – 2
a: (tum Daal Daal mai.n paat paat
bin paka.De kabhii na chho.Duu.N
sa.ng sa.ng Doluu.n re ) – 2
de: ban ban boluu.n re
de: mai.n ban kii chi.Diyaa ban ke ban ban boluu.n re
a: mai.n ban kaa panchhii ban ke sa.ng sa.ng Doluu.n re
de: mai.n ban kii chi.Diyaa ban ke ban ban boluu.n re
a: sa.ng sa.ng Doluu.n re
In 1944, she quit film idustry and in 1945 she married Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich, son of Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. That’s how Lyn and I visited their house in Nagger (Manali). Both Roerich and Devika were favourites of Jawahar Lal Nehru and the gallery has quite a few photos of them together. During her stay in Manali, Devika Rani made a few documentaries on wildlife, which are dutifully kept in the gallery. She died of bronchitis in 1994—a year after Roerich died—in Bangalore.
In 1958, Devika Rani was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour. In 1969, when the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted (the highest award for films in India), she became its first proud recipient. In the year 1990, USSR honoured her with Soviet Land Nehru Award. Finally, in Feb 2011, a postage stamp honouring her was released by the Government of India.
Sahir Ludhainvi
Sahir (Magical) Ludhianvi was born on this day in 1921 as Abdul Hayee. His mother, left on her own, her estranged husband and Sahir’s father, and hence, she forfeited willingly any claim over her husband’s assets. Sahir and his mother stayed together though the father, after remarrying, made abortive attempts to obtain custody of the son.
I am presently engaged (on my Facebok Page Lyrical) in paying tribute to Sahir and hence do not want to write about him at great length here.
Suffice it to say that having seen the deprivation of his mother, Sahir was full of feelings for women: his mother and the two that he was romantically inclined with Amrita Pritam (Punjabi writer and poet) and Sudha Malhotra (Singer).
I have, in my tribute on Lyrical, already covered the 1958 movie Sadhana, a BR Chopra movie that starred Vyjayanthimala as a prostitute whom Sunil Dutt’s mother (Leela Chitnis) finally had to accept as his wife.
After the 1957 Guru Dutt movie Pyaasa, after doing 18 movies together, Sahir had parted ways with SD Burman and was making songs with many different music directors. N Dutta (also known as Datta Naik) was a prominent Music Director with whom Sahir worked in more movies than with others (you might remember their Dhool Ka Phool with the famous songs: Na ye Hindu banega na musalmaan banega, and Dhadakne lgi dil ke taaron ki duniya).
Here is a song that both of them created in Sadhana and the song after 49 years is still representative of how we treat women in Indian society. Its lyrics are amongst the most powerful lyrics that Sahir ever penned (Indeed, this was the starting song of my tribute to him; I having jumped many years to give this song).
It is just a coincidence (on IWD) that Vyjayanthimala won the Best Actress award for her role in the movie.
Please enjoy: Aurat ne janam diay mardon ko….
aurat ne janam diyaa mardo.n ko, mardo.n ne use baazaar diyaa
jab jii chaahaa kuchalaa masalaa, jab jii chaahaa dutkaar diyaa
tulatii hai kahii.n diinaaro.n me.n, bikatii hai kahii.n baazaaro.n me.n
na.ngii nachavaaii jaatii hai, aiyyaasho.n ke darabaaro.n me.n
ye vo beizzat chiiz hai jo, ba.nT jAtI hai izzatadaaro.n me.n
mardo.n ke liye har zulm ravaa.N, aurat ke liye ronaa bhii khataa
mardo.n ke liye laakho.n seje.n, aurat ke liye bas ek chitaa
mardo.n ke liye har aish kaa haq, aurat ke liye jiinaa bhii sazaa
jin hoTho.n ne inako pyaar kiyaa, un hoTho.n kaa vyaapaar kiyaa
jis kokh me.n inakaa jism Dhalaa, us kokh kaa kaarobaar kiyaa
jis tan se uge kopal ban kar, us tan ko zaliil-o-khAr kiyaa
mardo.n ne banaayii jo rasme.n, unako haq kaa faramaan kahaa
aurat ke zindaa jal jaane ko, kurbaanii aur balidaan kahaa
qismat ke badale roTii dii, usako bhii ehasaan kahaa
sa.nsaar kii har ek besharmii, gurbat kii god me.n palatii hai
chakalo.n me.n hii aa ke rukatii hai, faako.n me.n jo raah nikalatii hai
mardo.n kii havas hai jo aksar, aurat ke paap me.n Dhalatii hai
aurat sa.nsaar kii qismat hai, fir bhii taqadiir kii hotii hai
avataar payambar janatii hai, phir bhii shaitaan kii beTii hai
ye vo badaqismat maa.N hai jo, beTo.n kii sez pe leTii hai
Finally, here is something from my Page: Make Your Own Quotes in which I make and publish quotes and encourage others to do so:
Now that we are less than two days away from decommissioning Indian Naval Ship Viraat, the world’s oldest warship in active service, perhaps it is time that we take in how huge are things at sea in comparison to what we are used to ashore.
I remember when I was undergoing the Army Higher Command Course in 1996-97 and it was being discussed how two-third of India’s energy imports are in the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), within easy reach of the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force, it was discussed as to why should we have these imported there? Why couldn’t we transport it “by lorries” etc to safer places? When I mentioned that a lorry carried up to about 20 tons of fuel and that an average VLCC – just one VLCC that is (VLCC – Very Large Crude Carrier) – being received at GoK ports was anything between 100000 tonnes to 250000 tonnes, this was the first time that their minds were exposed to something as large as this.
A VLCC at a Single Buoy (or Point) Mooring in GoK
There is, therefore, no shame in admitting that one is almost totally at sea whilst discussing matters of the sea. Even some of the Navy guys don’t understand the enormity of things of another branch or department.
Take the case of a ship at sea wanting to exercise with a submarine that she had met by chance encounter. The submarine signaled back, regretting her inability to do so since ‘she was charging her batteries‘. At this, the ship signaled to the submarine that she would approach close to her and batteries could be transferred to the ship for charging by her.
Didn’t understand the joke? Well, a submarine displaces about 2000 tonnes. Roughly about one-fourth to one-third displacement of the submarine is due to her propulsion batteries. These are the batteries that the submarine charges whilst on surface or at periscope depth so as to provide her with underwater propulsion. And, the CO of the ship was asking her to transfer them to the ship for charging! A submarine’s battery is not a small, unitary device like a car battery, but a massive collection of huge individual cells gathered in a large compartment in the lower section of the hull!
Cut-up view of the Russian Kilo-Class submarines (Indian Sindhughosh class) Observe the rows of batteries at the bottom (Pic courtesy: defense-update.com)
Viraat is a light aircraft carrier (only about 25000 tonnes). Yet she carries with her, in the form of her flight deck only, about 3 acres of Indian sovereignty wherever she goes. And she has done this, until 23 Jul 2016, when she sailed last, 1,094,215 kilometers of passage around the globe (Vikrmaditya is about twice her tonnage and more than 4 acres of flight deck). Viraat is about a quarter of a kilometre long and you add another about 60 metres for Vikramaditya! Anything between 28 to 33 feet of the ships are underwater. Vikramaditya, for example, has 22 decks (equivalent to ‘storeys’ of a building).
INS Vikrmaditya (Pic courtesy: jeffhead.com)
However large a ship may be, it can never match the enormity of the sea. Ask a pilot, for example, and he would tell you that at sea, landing on Viraat appears to be like landing on a match box.
In one of the theatre-level exercises, being the Director of Maritime Warfare Centre, I and my staff were in the Control Centre and also asked to analyse the exercise. One of the ships (my ex ship Ganga) sent a report from sea of not just detecting (on radar) Viraat, but actually sighting (imagine sighting with naked eyes) Viraat at close quarters. The CO asked his ship’s company to come up on the upper decks and they not just saw Viraat but some of them took pictures too!
We married the tracks in MWC and found that Viraat was 180 Nautical Miles away at that time. And yet, even in the debrief, Ganga CO insisted that they ‘saw’ Viraat!
This is just one example of ‘illusions‘ we see at sea.
You can’t blame an Awkward Sentry who didn’t come to know that the ship had sailed off in my earlier post Awkward Sentry.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is high-time that we start learning about the silent service, the Indian Navy, the fifth largest Navy in the world that is about to decommission the oldest active warship in the world: INS Viraat.
I have a Facebook Group on Humour in the Indian armed forces titled ‘Humour In And Out Of Uniform’ (the acronym HIAOOU has become a popular greeting between the members of the group close to 25000). The group encourages original anecdotes concerning humour. Even after more than three years of its inception, the group gets, on an average four to five original posts everyday.
Sometimes, of course, I get more than my hands full (in order to discourage spam and nonsensical posts, I have instituted pre-approval of admins for all posts; my course mate Balasubramaniam Mariappan and I are the admins).
This post came about when recently there was a spate of posts; we were inundated:
I am reminded of this lady complaining to another, “I don’t know what’s wrong with my husband? On Sunday I made carrots; he relished them and told me so. On Monday, I made carrots; he found them very tasty. On Tuesday, he appreciated my carrots. On Wednesday, he liked them. On Thursday, he said they were alright. On Friday, he suddenly picked up the dish of carrots and threw it down. I can’t understand him”!
And pray, why was she serving him carrots with such devotion? Simple, she had received them in Entitled Rations or RIK (Rations in Kind)!
These Rations in Kind introduced in 1979-80 for the armed forces personnel, changed the lifestyle of services officers forever. Here is a scenario that actually happened many times:
Let’s say you got fed up of eating brinjals at home because RIK issue centre suddenly gave you 2.5 Kgs of brinjals. So, you rang up your best friend’s wife, “Nisha, Lyn and I are coming over to have dinner at your place.” Chances were that Nisha too would serve you brinjals; having received them too from the RIK. There was no getting away from brinjals and RIK!
Now, of course, in the Navy at least, we have sorted out the quality of rations. At one time, these were generally of such poor quality that we thought of ways and means of getting rid of them. It is about that time that I was made member of a board for fixing rates of fresh provisions from the local market. I am a communicator and hence very well conversant with the security classifications in the Navy. In routine communications, the highest that we go to is CONFIDENTIAL (Please also read ‘Armed Forces’ Penchant For Secrecy’). However, to my shocked surprise, the proceedings of this board were marked ‘SECRET’ by the ASC guys and the President of the Board, a Colonel. I laughingly told my wife, that evening, about how ludicrous I found that proceedings of board to decide on rates of provisions should be ‘SECRET’. She told me that that afternoon only she had got the rations from the RIK and she understood as to why they won’t want anyone to know that we were getting such poor rations. There was thus some method in the madness of the ASC guys, after all.
On one occasion, my wife was complaining about the poor quality of RIK in a gathering of ladies. She particularly mentioned about carrots being of poor quality. There was this Admiral’s wife who added her two bit how half of them were mildewed. Lyn later told me at home that RIK issue centre should at least supply the right stuff to Admiral’s houses. She was taken aback when I told her that Admirals were not actually entitled to these rations!
(Pic courtesy: knowandamans.com)
Rations are not the only things that are uniform in the uniformed armed forces. Most of us visit the same places and pick up similar things; eg, from Srinagar and North-East. Hence, give or take a few things here and there, most drawing rooms look alike.
In the Navy, for example, at one time, you would find Mauritius sofa sets in many drawing rooms and centre tables made from ‘Paduak’ – Andaman’s well known, premier wood, especially from Chatham Saw Mill in Port Blair.
In ‘The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – Part I’, I gave you two dozen songs. Initially, I started with a favourite of mine: Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko, mardon ne use bazaar diya, from the 1958 BR Chopra movie Sadhana. I soon settled with giving you his songs chronologically from Thandi hawayen, lehrake aayen (from 1951 movie Naujawaan) to Ab woh karam karen yaa sitam main nashen main hoon (from 1955 movie Marine Drive).
In ‘The Best Songs Of Sahir Ludhianvi – Part II’, I gave you two songs more than two dozens as I wanted to finish with the songs of 1957 Guru Dutt classic Pyaasa in one part only (the last song was ‘Aaj sajan mohe ang laga lo’). This was the last and the 18th movie when Sahir Ludhianvi paired with SD Burman. Of course, the Part II we had started with ‘Ye baharon ka sama’ from the 1955 Dev Anand, Geeta Bali movie Milaap.
Let me reiterate that I am a lyrical man; words of the songs are often the most important part of the songs for me. Indeed, on the Facebook I have a page titled ‘Lyrical’ to honour and pay tribute to various lyricists. I have several (almost a dozen) posts on my blog on my favourite lyricist and poet Shakeel Badayuni. The following posts about Sahir Ludhianvi have been reconstructed from the same page. Sahir was given the moniker of being the People’s Poet. As we go along, you would know why.
Lets proceed further into the world of Sahir Ludhianvi’s songs.
Song #51
Youn to hamane lakh haseen dekhe hain….
After taking up songs of 1957 movies Bade Sarkar, Naya Daur, and Pyaasa, it would come as a pleasant surprise that the year 1957 wasn’t yet over for Sahir.
(Poster courtesy: Wikipedia)
Thank God he wasn’t Sameer. Else he would have done at least another dozen movies in 1957. In actuality, he did only one more: Tumsa Nahin Dekha, a movie produced by Shashadhar Mukherjee and directed by Nasir Hussain before the latter latched on to Asha Parekh, which happened only in 1960. The movie starred Shammi Kapoor (even Joy Mukherjee wasn’t big enough for Shashadhar Mukherjee to take on as hero!), Ameeta and Pran.
Sahir was the original lyricist for the movie but after writing the title number he opted out and the remaining songs were penned by Majrooh. OP Nayyar composed the songs and used his famous horse-trot beat!
Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi sing: Youn to hamane lakh haseen dekhe hain….
uf ye nazar uf ye adaa
kaun na ab hogaa fidaa
zulfe.n hai.n yaa badaliyaa.n
aa.Nkhe.n hai.n yaa bijaliyaa.n
jaane kis kisakii aaegii sazaa
yuu.N to hamane laakh ha.nsii.n dekhe hai.n …
tum bhii ha.nsii.n rut bhii ha.nsii.n
aaj ye dil bas me.n nahii.n
raaste Kaamosh hai.n
dha.Dakane madahosh hai.n
piye bin aaj hame cha.Dhaa hai.n nashaa
yuu.N to hamane laakh ha.nsii.n dekhe hai.n …
tum na agar bologe sanam
mar to nahii.n jaae.nge ham
kyaa parii yaa huur ho
itanii kyuu.N maGaruur ho
maan ke to dekho kabhii kisiikaa kahaa
yuu.N to hamane laakh ha.nsii.n dekhe hai.n …
Song #52
Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi….
Happy Birthday Waheeda Rehman
Day before yesterday, when we broke off, we took up just one song (the only song penned by Sahir Ludhianvi) of the 1957 movie Tumsa Nahin Dekha. It is the title song of the movie and has OP Nayyar’s composition.
A scene from Mujhe Jeene Do (courtesy: cineplot.com)
In the films for which Sahir penned songs, we just covered the 1957 movie Pyaasa starring Waheeda Rehman. The next of her starrers for which he penned songs was the 1963 movie Mujhe Jeene Do!
It was the second of the movies that was a Sunil Dutt production after his first (under his banner Ajanta Arts): Yeh Raastey Hain Pyaar Ke, which was on the story of Commander Nanavati, though the movie denied it. I wrote about it a few days back.
The movie was directed by Moni Bhattacharjee, who, if you recall, was Assistant to Bimal Roy in several movies such as 1953, Parineeta, 1953, Do Bigha Zameen, 1954, Biraj Bahu, 1958, Yahudi and 1958, Madhumati. Mujhe Jeene Do was his second independent directorial effort after Usne Kaha Tha, three years before that.
Sahir’s lyrics were composed by Jaidev:
1. Nadi Naare Na Jao Shyam Pai Padoon – Asha Bhosle
2. Ab Koi Gulshan Na Ujde – Mohd. Rafi
3. Tere Bachpan Ko Jawani Ki Dua – Lata Mangeshkar
4. Mohe Na Yoon Ghoor Ghoor Ke Dekho – Lata Mangeshkar
5. Raat Bhi Hai Kuch Bheegi Bheegi – Lata Mangeshkar
6. Moko Peehar Mein Mat Chhed – Asha Bhosle
7. Maang Mein Bhar Le Rang Sakhi Re – Asha Bhosle
And, you already know the three songs that I am giving you on the birthday of the Living Legend Waheeda Rehman tonight.
Lets take the first one (in no specific order).
This one has Waheeda’s sensuousness oozing out in every dance step, in every gesture. Today’s heroines would bring out such sensuousness with as less clothes as possible. However, Waheeda is fully clothed. Please recall, that in her first movie C.I.D., a Guru Dutt movie directed by Raj Khosla, when Raj Khosla wanted her to appear in skimpy clothes, she turned it down. Her maiden movie and she risked annoying the director! Waheeda, in this song, brings out that superb histrionics (and not bawdy actions) would convey much better than anything else.
Hats off to our ‘Raat’ and ‘Chand’ poet and lyricist (these were his strong points in several songs including Ye Raat ye chandini phir kahan of Jaal): Sahir Ludhianvi for adding to the sensuousness with his beautiful lyrics.
Please enjoy a favourite of mine: Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi….
raat bhii hai kuchh bhiigii-bhiigii
chaa.Nd bhii hai kuchh maddham-maddham
tum aao to aa.Nkhe.n khole.n
soii huii paayal kii chham chham
kisako bataae.n kaise bataae.n
aaj ajab hai dil kaa aalam
chain bhii hai kuchh halkaa halkaa
dard bhii hai kuchh maddham maddham
chham-chham, chham-chham, chham-chham, chham-chham
tapate dil par yuu.n giratii hai
terii nazar se pyaar kii shabanam
jalate hue ja.ngal par jaise
barakhaa barase ruk-ruk tham-tham
chham-chham, chham-chham, chham-chham, chham-chham
hosh me.n tho.Dii behoshii hai
behoshii me.n hosh hai kam kam
tujhako paane kii koshish me.n
dono.n jahaa.N se kho gae ham
chham-chham, chham-chham, chham-chham, chham-chham, raat ..
Song #53
Nadi naare na jaayo Shyam payiyan padun….
Happy Birthday Waheeda Rehman
Mujhe Jeene Do, the 1963 Waheeda Rehman starrer for which Sahir penned the songs, came six years after the earlier Waheeda starrer for which he penned songs: the 1957 movie Pyaasa.
It was the third movie on dacoit theme after Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (the Raj Kapoor’s 1960 movie though the hero wasn’t the dacoit but Pran was), and Ganga Jamuna (Dilip Kumar’s 1961 movie in which he was forced to become a dacoit) and was as popular as the other two.
If the first song that I gave you from the movie: Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi was sung by Lata Mangeshkar, this was sung by Asha. The composition happened to be that of Jaidev, again.
Please enjoy: Nadi naare na jaayo Shyam payiyan padun….
nadii naare na jaao shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
nadii naare na jaao shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
nadii naare jo jaao to jaibe karo
biich dhaare na jaao shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
biich dhaare jo jaao to jaibe karo
us paare na jaao shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
us paare jo jaao to jaibe karo
sa.ng savatiyaa na laao shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
sa.ng savatiyaa jo laao to jaibe karo
hamase na milaao, shaam, paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
nadii naare na jaao shaam paiyaa.N pa.Duu.N
Song #54
Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua deti hoon….
Happy Birthday Waheeda Rehman
In the last song from the 1963 movie Mujhe Jeene Do (I jumped five years ahead in this coverage of Sahir Ludhianvi songs so as to have a Waheeda Rehman starrer with his songs on her birthday today), she sings the song for her child that depicts the name of the movie: Mujhe Jeene Do. Both of Sunil Dutt’s productions (under the banner Ajanta Arts): Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke and Mujhe Jeene Do had stories by his best friend: Aghajani Kashmeri.
It was a lovely story indeed. Waheeda as courtesan Chameli and Sunil Dutt as dacoit Jernail Singh fell in love (he sees her for the first time in the song and dance Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi) and eventually have a son. Sunil Dutt is about to be captured by the police and sends her away with the son to the village. Instead of giving shelter to her and the son, mobs attack her!
This song, therefore, depicts her mixed feelings: joy at having become a mother (any woman would be) and anxious for the safety of her child. Sahir depicted both the contradicting emotions in his lyrics so well that I regard this as the best song of the movie from the time I saw the movie as a boy.
Lata has sung this so well. Once again, it is Jaidev’s composition.
Please enjoy: Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua deti hoon….
“This song is sung by a mother (Waheeda) to her child as a “lori”. The father (Sunil Dutt) is a “daaku” and is on the run from the law. Hence the entire family is constantly in hiding, moving from place to place hoping to remain undetected. This song is basically an expression of how the sins of the parents visit the children.
The “dard” and softness in Lata’s voice as she sings this song makes it one of the most moving songs I have heard.”
tere bachapan ko javaanii kii duaa detii huu.N
aur duaa deke pareshaan sii ho jaatii huu.N
mere munne mere gulazaar ke nanhe paudhe
tujhako haalat kii aa.ndhii se bachaane ke liye
aaj mai.n pyaar ke aa.nchal me.n chhupaa letii huu.N
kal ye kamazor sahaaraa bhii na haasil hogaa
kal tujhe kaa.nTo.n bharii raaho.n pe chalanaa hogaa
zi.ndagaanii kii ka.Dii dhuup me.n jalanaa hogaa
tere bachapan ko javaanii …
tere maathe pe sharaafat kii koI mohar nahii.n
cha.nd hote hai.n muhabbat ke sukuun hii kyaa hai.n
jaise maao.n kii muhabbat kaa koI mol nahii.n
mere maasuum farishte tuu abhii kyaa jaane
tujhako kis-kisakii gunaaho.n kii sazaa milanii hai
diin aur dharm ke maare hue i.nsaano.n kii
jo nazar milanii hai tujhako vo khafaa milanii hai
tere bachapan ko javaanii …
be.Diyaa.N leke lapakataa huaa kaanuun kaa haath
tere maa.N-baap se jab tujhako milii ye saugaat
kaun laaegaa tere vaaste khushiyo.n kii baaraat
mere bachche tere a.njaam se jii Darataa hai
terii dushman hii na saabit ho javaanii terii
khaak jaatii hai jise sochake mamataa merii
usii a.njaam ko pahu.nche na kahaanii terii
tere bachapan ko javaanii …
Song #55
Tang aa chuke hain kashmakash e zindagi se ham…..
Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday being the birthday of my favourite heroine Waheeda Rehman, I jumped several years ahead to give you songs from 1963 movie Mujhe Jeene Do whose songs were penned by Sahir Ludhianvi. Only about three days back we had finished with songs of 1957 Guru Dutt movie Pyaasa that starred her.
Tonight, lets get back to chronological sequence.
The next movie for which he composed songs was the 1958 GP Sippy movie Lighthouse that starred Ashik Kumar and Nutan.
Once again (the fifth time since the 1951 Punjabi movie Baalo) N Dutta composed the songs:
Geeta Dutt and Mohammad Rafi recording Aa aa chhori aa (Pic courtesy: i.ytimg.com)
1 “Aa Aa Aa Chhori Aa Aa Aa Ja Ja Ja Chhora Ja Ja Ja” Geeta Dutt, Mohammed Rafi
2 “Tang Aa Chuke Hain Kashmakash E Zindagi Se Ham” Asha Bhosle
3 “O Kis Jagha Jayen” Asha Bhosle
4 “Naino Se Naina Laage” Asha Bhosle
5 “Chima Chima Chimchima” Asha Bhosle
6 “Gumba Rumba Gelo” Mohammed Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur
7 “Tu Kaala Main Gori Balam Tori Mori BahalaAb Kaise Jamegi” Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi
We shall be taking up the song #2 whose title is the same as the famous Mohammad Rafi song in 1957 movie Pyaasa as also the first stanza. Here in Lighthouse it was sung by Asha Bhosle for Nutan.
Please enjoy: Tang aa chuke hain kashmakash e zindagi se ham…..
ta.ng aa chuke hai.n kashmakash-e-zindagii se ham
Thukaraa nA de.n jahaa.N ko kahii.n bedilI se ham
ta.ng aa chuke
lo aaj hamane to.D diyaa, rishtaa-e-ummId – 2
lo ab kabhI gilaa nA kare.nge kisii se ham
Thukaraa nA de.n jahaa.N ko kahii.n bedilI se ham
ta.ng aa chuke
gar zindagii me.n mil gaye phir ittafaaq se – 2
puuchhe.nge apanaa haal terI bebasI se ham
Thukaraa nA de.n jahaa.N ko kahii.n bedilI se ham
ta.ng aa chuke
o aasamaan vAle kabhI to nigaah kar – 2
ab tak ye zulm sahate rahe khaamoshI se ham
Thukaraa nA de.n jahaa.N ko kahii.n bedilI se ham
ta.ng aa chuke
ta.ng aa chuke hai.n kashmakash-e-zindagii se ham
ta.ng aa chuke
##
the last verse was simplified again from the original:
##
allaah re fareb-e-mashIyat ke aaj tak
duniyaa ke zulm sahate rahe khaamoshii se ham
##
[##mashIyat##=the will of god]
another good one from the same ghazal is:
##
maayuusii-e-maal-e-mohabbat nA puuchhiye
apano.n se pesh aaye hai.n begaanagii se ham
[maal=termination, also, consequence]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXlzwxF1XM
Song #56
Woh subah kabhi to aayegi…
When we were boys and girls in our teens, late teens that is, we have all read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s immortal novel, Crime and Punishment. Some of us, like me, still have a personal copy of the gripping novel.
(Poster courtesy: Wikimedia)
The 1958 movie Phir Subah Hogi was based on this novel, was produced and directed by Ramesh Saigal and starred Raj Kapor and Mala Sinha.
Sahir penned the following songs that were composed by Khaiyyam:
1. “Woh Subah Kabhi To Aayegi” Mukesh 02:05
2. “Aasman Pe Hai Khuda, Aur Zameen Pe Hum” Mukesh 02:31
3. “Woh Subah Kabhi To Aayegi” Mukesh, Asha Bhosle 03:38
4. “Chin-O-Arab Hamara” Mukesh 03:28
5. “Phir Na Kije Meri Gustakh Nigah Ka Gila” Mukesh, Asha Bhosle 03:23
6. “Jis Pyaar Mein Ye Haal Ho” Mohammad Rafi 03:55
7. “Do Boonden Sawan Ki” Asha Bhosle 04:04
The song #4 “Chin-O-Arab Hamara, Hindustan Hamara, Rahne Ko Ghar Nahin Hain, Saara Jahan Hamara” sung by Mukesh and picturised on Raj Kapoor, became very popular yet controversial and was very close to being banned then.
However, the best song was naturally the title song.
Please enjoy: Woh subah kabhi to aayegi….
vo subah kabhii to aayegii, vo subah kabhii to aayegii
in kaalii sadiyo.n ke sar se, jab raat kaa aa.nchal Dhalakegaa
jab ambar jhuum ke naachegii, jab dharatii naGame gaaegii
vo subah kabhii to aayegii …
jis subah kii khaatir jug-jug se,
ham sab mar-mar ke jiite hai.n
jis subah kii amR^it kii dhun me.n, ham zahar ke pyaale piite hai.n
in bhuukhii pyaasii ruuho.n par, ek din to karam faramaayegii
vo subah kabhii to aayegii …
maanaa ke abhii tere mere in aramaano.n kii, kiimat kuchh nahii.n
miTTii kaa bhii hai kuchh mol magar,
inasaano.n kii kiimat kuchh bhii nahii.n
inasaano.n kii izzat jab jhuuThe sikko.n me.n naa tolii jaayegii
vo subah kabhii to aayegii …
daulat ke liye ab aurat kii, ismat ko naa bechaa jaayegaa
chaahat ko naa kuchalaa jaayegaa, gairat ko naa bechaa jaayegaa
apanii kaalii karatuuto.n par, jab ye duniyaa sharamaayegii
vo subah kabhii to aayegii …
biite.nge kabhii to din aakhir, ye bhuukh aur bekaarii ke
TuuTe.nge kabhii to but aakhir, daulat kii ijaaredaarii kii
ab ek anokhii duniyaa kii, buniyaad uThaaii jaayegii
vo subah kabhii to aayegii …
majabuur bu.Dhaapaa jab suunii, raaho.n me.n dhuul na phe.nkegaa
maasuum la.Dakapan jab ga.ndii, galiyo.n me.n bhiikh naa maa.Ngegaa
hak maa.Ngane vaalo.n ko, jis din suulii na dikhaaii jaayegii
vo subah kabhii to aayegii …
Song #57
Chiin-o-Arab hamara, Hindostaan hamara….
Controversial or not, about to be banned or not, we take up this Mukesh song from the 1958 movie Phir Subah Hogi based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s immortal novel: Crime and Punishment.
Sahir and Khaiyam with Rafi
Thanks to Khaiyyam, it is as gentle a composition as that of the title song: Woh subah kabhi to aayegi that we took up before this.
How well it suits Sahir to write such rebellious lyrics.
Bismil@Delphi’s comments: –
“This song is a very very clever take-off of Iqbal’sTarana-e-milli. Just to show what a clever parody this is of Iqbal, the first verse of Taraanaa-e-milli goes as follows:
Chiin-o-arab hamaaraa Hi.ndostaa.N hamaaraa
Muslim hai.N ham vatan hai saaraa jahaa.N hamaaraa
The real beauty of the first verse is that it turns around Iqbal’s
arguably communal and national hymn into a cry of of the
oppressed and anguished that is neither communal nor
chauvinist nor nationalist, but internationalist. Parts are also
recognizable as being borrowed from Iqbal’s hymn of Indian
nationalism, “Taraana-e-Hind”. Some of the references are
easily identifiable, especially to Indians who know
“saare jahaa.N se achchhaa”.
e.g. Ai aab-e-rud-e-Ganga, vo din yaad hai tujhako
Utaraa tere kinaare jab kaarawaa.N hamaaraa?
To which the parody goes “sa.Dako.n pe ghuumataa hai ab kaarawaa.N hamaaraa”
or the final line to “saare jahaa.N” which most people don’t
know, goes as follows: “‘iqbal’ ko_ii maharuum apanaa nahii.n jahaa.N me.n
Maa’luum kyaa kisii ko dard-e-nihaa.N hamaaraa”
Here, of course, it is “milatii nahii.n majoorii,
Maa’luum kyaa kisii ko dard-e-nihaa.N hamaaraa”
or, from taraana-e-milli, the line goes:
Ai gulistaan-e-andalus, voh din yaad hai tujhako
Thaa terii Daaliyo.n me.n jab aashiyaa.N hamaaraa?
Contrast that with “fuuTapaath bambaii ke hai.n aashiyaa.N hamaaraa”
Overall, it seems that the song takes a somewhat dim view of
the lofty and grandiose nationalism of Iqbal by presenting some
home-truths about real present day life.”
kholii bhii chhin gaI hai, benche.n bhii chhin gaI hai.n
sa.Dako.n pe ghuumataa hai ab kaaravaa.N hamaaraa
jebe.n hai.n apanii khaalii, kyo.n detaa varanaa gaalii
vo santarii hamaaraa, vo paasabaa.N hamaaraa
chiin-o-arab hamaaraa …
jitanii bhii bilDi.nge.n thii.n, seTho.n ne baa.NT lii hai.n
fuTapaath bamba_ii ke hai.n aashiyaa.N hamaaraa
sone ko ham kalandar, aate hai.n borii bandar
har ek kholii yahaa.N hai raazadaa.N hamaaraa
chiin-o-arab hamaaraa …
patalaa hai haal-e-apanaa, lekin lahuu hai gaa.Dhaa
phaulaad se banaa hai, har naujavaa.N hamaaraa
mil-julake is vatan ko, aisaa sajaaye.nge ham
hairat se mu.Nh takegaa saaraa jahaa.N hamaaraa
chiin-o-arab hamaaraa …
Song #58
Aaj kyun hamase parda hai….
We just finished with two songs from the 1958 movie Phir Subah Hogi wherein Sahir Ludhianvi combined with Khaiyyam to make songs.
A scene from the 1958 movie Sadhana in which Vyjayanthimala was a prostitute.
That brings us to the 1958 BR Chopra film Sadhana starring Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt. You would recall that the first song of Sahir that I took up in this recall was from this movie: Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko.
Vyjayanthimala who was the heroine of BR Chopra’s 1957 movie Naya Daur took up the offer of this role as soon as she read the script. BR Chopra’s younger brother Yash Chopra, who later made a good name for himself as a director, was the Assistant Director of the movie.
Datta Naik or N Dutta once again paired with Sahir to make the folowing songs:
1 “Aurat Ne Janam Diya Mardon Ko” Lata Mangeshkar Feature actress Vyjayanthimala 05:48 Sahir Ludhianvi
2 “Kahoji Tum Kya Kya Kharidoge” Lata Mangeshkar Mujras on actress Vyjayanthimala 04:10 Sahir Ludhianvi
3 “Aaj Kyon Humse Parda Hai” Mohammed Rafi, Bhupinder Singh Picturisation on actress Vyjayanthimala 04:59 Sahir Ludhianvi
4 “Tora Manva Kyon Ghabraye” Geeta Dutt Featuring actress Vyjayanthimala, Leela Chitnis and Sunil Dutt 04:34 Sahir Ludhianvi Female version
5 “Tora Manva Kyon Ghabraye” Mohammed Rafi Featuring actress Vyjayanthimala, Leela Chitnis and Sunil Dutt 04:34 Sahir Ludhianvi Male version
6 “Sambhal Aye Dil” Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle Featuring actor Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt 03:27 Sahir Ludhianvi
7 “Aise Vaise Thikane Pe Jana Bura Hai” Lata Mangeshkar Featuring the lead pair 05:53 Sahir Ludhianvi
The film has the theme of rehabilitation of the prostitutes. The story in brief is that Professor Mohan’s (Sunil Dutt’s) mother Leela Chitnis would like to see her son getting married. But, he is forever dilly-dallying. Suddenly, Leela Chitnis becomes terminally ill and Mohan brings a woman Rajni (Vyjayanthimala) as his make-believe wife. Leela Chitnis likes Rajni a lot and even entrusts her with the family jewels. It is at this stage that they find that she is actually a prostitute.
This song or qawwali song by Mohammad Rafi, S Balbir and chorus is actually very poignant. She wants to leave the life that has been forced on her but her erstwhile clients won’t leave her. Each word that they sing pierces her heart. You have to give it to Sahir for coming up with such lyrics.
Please enjoy: Aaj kyun hamase parda hai….
aaj kyo.n ham se pardaa hai, pardaa hai jii
aaj kyo.n ham se pardaa hai -3
aaj kyo.n ham se pardaa hai pardaa hai jii
aaj kyo.n ham se pardaa hai
teraa har ra.ng hamane dekhaa hai
teraa har Dha.ng hamane dekhaa hai
paas aakar bhii tujhako dekhaa hai
duur jaakar bhii tujhako dekhaa hai
tujhako har tarah aazamaayaa hai
paake khoyaa hai khoke paayaa hai
a.Nkha.Diyo.n kaa bayaa.N samajhate hai.n
dha.Dakano.n kii zabaa.N samajhate hai.n
chuu.Diyo.n kii khanak se vaaqif hai.n
jhaa.Njhano.n kii jhanak se vaaqif hai.n
naaz-o-a.ndaaz jaanate hai.n ham
teraa har raaz jaanate hai.n ham – phir ?
aaj kyo.n ham se pardaa hai pardaa hai jii
aaj kyo.n ham se pardaa hai …
dil dukhaane se faayadaa kyaa hai
mu.Nh chhupaane se faayadaa kyaa hai
ulajhii-ulajhii laTe.n sa.Nvaarake aa
husn ko aur bhii nikhaarake aa
narm gaalo.n me.n bijaliyaa.N lekar
shoK aa.Nkho.n me.n titaliyaa.N lekar
Song #59
Sambhal ai dil tadapane or tadpaane se kyaa hoga….
The last song from the 1958 movie Sadhana that I am giving is a classic duet between Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle singing for Sunil Dutt and Vyjayanthimala respectively.
She has resigned to her fate and hence she doesn’t want to go to his house or in his heart since she knows she will never be accepted because of her being a prostitute. He loves her beyond words and wants her in his life. Indeed, in this movie, Sunil Dutt, in the end, argues in her favour with his mother so effectively that she finally accepts her.
Hindi movies obsession with prostitutes being good girls who had been forced either by evil people or circumstances was made into several movies. Some of them which did very well were: Adalat, Mamta, Umrao Jaan, Pakeezah and Amar Prem.
Once again composition is that of N Dutta.
Please enjoy: Sambhal ai dil tadapane or tadpaane se kyaa hoga….
aa: sa.Nbhal ai dil
sa.Nbhal ai dil ta.Dapane aur ta.Dapaane se kyaa hogaa
jahaa.N basanaa nahii.n mumakin vahaa.N jaane se kyaa hogaa
sa.Nbhal ai dil
ra: chale aao
chale aao ke ab mu.Nh pherake jaane se kyaa hogaa
jo tum par miT chukaa is dil ko tarasaane se kyaa hogaa
chale aao
aa: hame.n sa.Nsaar me.n apanaa banaanaa kaun chaahegaa
ye masale phuul se joban sajaanaa kaun chaahegaa
tamannaao.n ko jhuuThe Kvaab dikhalaane se kyaa hogaa
jahaa.N basanaa nahii.n mumakin vahaa.N jaane se kyaa hogaa
sa.Nbhal ai dil
ra: chale aao
tumhe.n dekhaa tumhe.n chaahaa tumhe.n puujaa hai is dil ne
jo sach puuchho to pahalii baar kuchh maa.Ngaa hai is dil ne
samajhate buujhate anajaan ban jaane se kyaa hogaa
chale aao
aa: sa.Nbhal ai dil
jinhe.n milatii hai.n Kushiyaa.N vo muqaddar aur hote hai.n
jo dil me.n ghar banaate hai.n vo dilabar aur hote hai.n
ummiido.n ko khilaune deke bahalaane se kyaa hogaa
jahaa.N basanaa nahii.n mumakin vahaa.N jaane se kyaa hogaa
sa.Nbhal ai dil
ra: chale aao
bahut din se thii dil me.n ab zubaa.N tak baat pahu.Nchii hai
aa: vahii.n tak isako rahane do jahaa.N tak baat pahu.Nchii hai
ra: jo dil kii aaKarii haq hai vahaa.N tak baat pahu.Nchii hai
baat pahu.Nchii hai
aa: jise khonaa yaqiinii hai use paane se kyaa hogaa
jahaa.N basanaa nahii.n mumakin vahaa.N jaane se kyaa hogaa
sa.Nbhal ai dil
ra: chale aao
Song #60
Raat bhar ka hai mehmaa.n a.Ndheraa…..
In the beginning of 1959, the very first movie that Sahir wrote the songs for was Sone Ki Chidiya. Guess what? This was only his fourth movie with OP Nayyar after Bade Sarkar in 1957 and this was the last time that they combined.
Sahir was a rare lyricist. Most people believe that first the lyrics are written as per the screen-play and then the music directors compose. The fact that I learnt during a meet of the Shankar Jaikishan Foundation was that about ninety percent of the times, the MDs had tunes and they wanted the lyricist to write the lyrics for the tunes. Sahir wanted it the other way round.
The writer the movie’s story was none other than Ismat Chugtai who later came into prominence with his story of MS Sathyu’s film Garam Hawa. The story in Sone Ki Chidiya was about an impoverished orphan who is first abused by her extended family, and then exploited after she becomes popular and wealthy. The movie starred Nutan, Talat Mehmood and Balraj Sahni.
OP Nayyar with Mhammad Rafi (Pic courtesy: mohammadrafi.com)
Sahir and Op Nayyar, being together for the fourth and the last time, made the following songs:
1. Aaj kii raat bahut garm hawaa chalatii hai.
2. Bekas kii tabaahii ke saamaan hazaaro.n hai.n.
3. Chhuk chhuk chhuk chhuk rel chale.
4. Raat bhar kaa hai mehamaa.n a.Ndheraa.
4. Pyaar par bas to nahii.n hai meraa, lekin phir bhii.
5. Sach bataa tuu mujh pe fidaa.
6. Sayyaa.N jabase la.Dii hai.n tose a.Nkhiyaa.N.
Lets take up the inspirational song sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle: Raat bhar ka hai mehmaa.n a.Ndheraa…..
maut kabhii bhii mil sakatii hai lekin jiivan kal na milegaa
marane vaale soch samajh le phir tujhako ye pal na milegaa
( raat bhar kaa hai mehamaa.n a.Ndheraa
kisake roke rukaa hai saveraa ) -2
raat jitanii bhii sa.ngiin hogii
subah utanii hii ra.ngiin hogii
Gam na kar gar hai baadal ghaneraa
kisake roke rukaa hai …
lab pe shikavaa na laa ashq pii le
jis tarah bhii ho kuchh der jii le
ab ukha.Dane ko hai Gam kaa Deraa
kisake roke rukaa hai …
yuu.N hii duniyaa me.n aa kar na jaanaa
sirf aa.Nsuu bahaakar na jaanaa
musuraahaT pe bhii haq hai teraa
kisake roke rukaa hai …
( aa ko_ii mil ke tadabiir soche.n
sukh ke sapano.n kii taabiir soche.n ) -2
jo teraa hai vahii Gam hai meraa
kisake roke rukaa hai …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NufQfRt0uCQ
Song #61
Pyar par bas to nahin hai mera lekin phir bhi…..
Last night we had started taking up songs of 1958 movie Sone Ki Chidiya that was the last of the four movies in which Sahir Ludhainvi paired with OP Nayyar to make songs. We had taken up just one song: Raat bhar ka hai mehman andhera.
Here is the second song of the movie that I wanted to give you. It is in the gentle voice of Talat Mehmood and it has been a favourite of mine since my boyhood days.
Pyar par bas to nahin hai song picturised on Talat Mahmood and Nutan in 1958 movie Sone Ki Chidiya
Please enjoy: Pyar par bas to nahin hai mera lekin phir bhi…..
pyaar par bas to nahii.n hai meraa, lekin phir bhii
tuu bataa de ke tujhe pyaar karuu.N yaa naa karuu.N
mere Kvaabo.n ke jharokho.n ko sajaane vaalii
tere Kvaabo.n me.n kahii.n meraa guzar hai ke nahii.n
puuchh kar apanii nigaaho.n se bataa de mujhako
merii raato.n ke muqaddar me.n sahar hai ke nahii.n
pyaar par bas to nahii.n hai …
kahii.n aisaa na ho paao.n mere tharraa jaae.n
aur terii maramarii baaho.n kaa sahaaraa na mile
ashk bahate rahe khamosh siyaah raato.n me.n
aur tere reshamii aa.nchal kaa kinaaraa na mile
pyaar par bas to nahii.n hai …
Song #62
Mere nadim mere humsafar udas na ho…….
With that we enter the year 1959 for Sahir’s songs.
(Poster courtesy: Hamara Forums)
The first one in which he penned songs was GP Sippy movie Bhai Bahen starring Daisy Irani, Rehman and Johnny Walker.
Sahir and N Dutta created the following songs (the first one was penned for the movie by Raja Mehdi Ali khan):
1 “Saare Jahan Se Achha Hindustan Hamara” Asha Bhosle
2 “Mere Nadim Mere Humsafar Udas Na Ho” Sudha Malhotra
3 “Uth Jayenge Jaha Se Hum Yu Hi Rote Rote” Sudha Malhotra
4 “Beta Dar Mat Dar Mat” Mohammed Rafi
5 “Jate Jate Isharo Se Maar Gayi Re” Geeta Dutt, Mohammed Rafi
6 “In Ujale Mahalo Ke Tale” Asha Bhosle
7 “O Chhokri Wo Tu Hai” Suman Kalyanpur, Mohammed Rafi
8 “Mere Dil Mat Ro” Lata Mangeshkar
9 “O Bacho Sun Lo Baat” Asha Bhosle
Sahir was later romantically involved with the singer Sudha Malhotra. Lets listen to her sing: Mere nadim mere humsafar udas na ho…….
mere nadim mere humsafar udas na ho
kathin sahi teri manzil magar udas na ho
mere nadim mere humsafar
har ek talash ke raste me mushkile hai magar
har ek talash murado ke phool lati hai
hazar chad sitaro ka khun hota hai
to ek subha fizao me muskurati hai
mere nadim mere humsafar udas na ho
kathin sahi teri manzil magar udas na ho
mere nadim mere humsafar
kadam kadam pe chatane khadi rahe lekin
jo chal nikalte hai dariya to fir nahi rukte
hawaye jitna bahi takraye andhiya ban kar
magar ghatao ke parchangh kabhi nahi jhukte
mere nadim mere humsafar udas na ho
kathin sahi teri manzil magar udas na ho
mere nadim mere humsafar
jo apne khun ko pani bana nahi sakte
vo zindagi me naya jang la nahi sakte
jo rasto ke andhaire se har jate hai
vo manzilo ke ujalo ko pa nahi sakte
mere nadim mere humsafar
The second movie of 1959 for which Sahir penned songs was Char Dil Char Rahen. After the 1952 movie Dorahaa (and now double the number of paths!), this was the second time that he paired with Anil Biswas.
(Poster courtesy: WebMall India)
This movie was produced and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and starred both Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, with Meena Kumari and Ajit.
The story encompasses three love stories that run simultaneously. The background of the movie is a construction of a crossroad with 4 roads and all people are related to the road that is being built and are involved. How the love stories unfold forms the crux of the movie.
Full cast of the movie is:
Raj Kapoor as Govinda
Ajit as Dilawar
Shammi Kapoor as Johnny Braganza
Meena Kumari as Chavli
Kumkum as Stella D’Souza
Nimmi as Pyari
Anwar Hussain as Nawab Saab
David Abraham as Ferreira
Nana Palsikar as Pujariji
Achala Sachdev
P. Jairaj as Nirmal Kumar
Rashid Khan
Kumari Naaz (as Baby Naaz)
Sahir made the following songs with Anil Biswas:
1. I.ntazaar aur abhii (Jab main kehati huu.N).
2. Kachchii hai umariyaa korii hai chunariyaa.
3. Koii maane na maane magar jaan\-e\-man.
4. Nahii.n kiyaa to karake dekh.
5. Qadam qadam se dil se dil (saathii re).
6. Stella O Stella, tera Johnny tha ab taq akela.
7. Char dil char rahen.
I.ntazaar aur abii was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and picturised on Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Meena Kumari and Nimmi.
Please enjoy: Jab main kehati huu.N…..
jab mai kahti hun, ke ek roz huzur ayege
to dil ye kahta hai, ki ek din to zarur ayege
intzar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi
intzar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi
intzar aur
sanjh ki lali, sulag sulag kar ban gai kali dhul
aye na balam bedardi, mai chunati rah gai phul
intzar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi
intzar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi
intzar aur
rain bhai,vo chhal ankhiyan me chubhne lage tare
desh me mai paradesan ho gai, jab se piya sidhare
jab se piya sidhare
intzar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi
intzar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi
intzar aur
Song #64
Zindagi bhar nahin bhuulegi wo barsaat ki raat….
Happy Valentine’s Day Remembering Madhubala on Her Birth Anniversary
There were only two Madhubala movies for which Sahir Ludhianvi penned songs: the 1953 movie Armaan and the 1960 movie Barsaat Ki Raat.
Just before this we took up a song of the 1959 movie Char Dil Chaar Rahen in which Sahir paired with Anil Biswas, the second movie that they did together after 1952 Doraaha. Hence, you would know that songs of the 1953 movie Armaan have already been taken up here.
Therefore, today, on Madhubala’s Birth Anniversary and Valentine’s Day, lets take up three of the songs of the movie Barsaat Ki Raat picturised on her.
Before that, let me remind you that 1957 Guru Dutt movie was the last time (18th time) that Sahir paired with SD Burman in nine years.
Hence, in the second movie of 1960 for which he wrote songs, Sahir paired with Roshan. By the way, even in the first one Babar too, he paired with Roshan and in that we have one of Rafi’s classics: Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo.
The famous brief encounter between Madhubala and Bharat Bhushan which made the song and the movie Barsaat Ki Raat possible
Barsaat Ki Raat was directed by PL Santoshi and starred Madhubala with Bharat Bhushan, KN Singh (as Madhubala’s father), Shyama and Mumtaz Begum.
The movie has the best songs of Sahir ever. Indeed, the title song is considered as equivalent of Shakeel Badayuni’s all time best: Mere Mehboob. Just as mere mehboob, the song barsaat ki raat has been sung by both the lead actors.
If Naushad composed his in Raag Jhinjhoti, Roshan composed his in Raag Kalyan, Tal Kaherava. By the way, you have to give to Sahir that his song preceded Shakeel’s by three years.
We would be listening to the version sung by both Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar.
Please enjoy: Zindagi bhar nahin bhuulegi wo barsaat ki raat….
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii vo barasaat kii raat
ek a.njaan hasiinaa se mulaakaat kii raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii …
haay vo reshamii zulfo.n se barasataa paanii
phuul se gaalo.n pe rukane ko tarasataa paanii
dil me.n tuufaan uThaate hue
dil me.n tuufaan uThaate hue haalaat kii raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii …
Dar ke bijalii se achaanak vo lipaTanaa usakaa
aur phir sharm se balakhaake simaTanaa usakaa
kabhii dekhii na sunii aisii ho
kabhii dekhii na sunii aisii tilismaat ki raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii …
surkh aa.nchal ko dabaakar jo nicho.Daa usane
dil pe jalataa huaa ek tiir saa chho.Daa usane
aag paanii me.n lagaate hue
aag paanii me.n lagaate hue jazabaat ki raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii …
mere naGmo.n me.n jo basatI hai vo tasvIr thI vo
naujavAnI ke hasI.n Kvaab kI tAbIr thI vo
aasmano.n se utar aaI thI jo raat kI raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii …
Duet Version
[lataa:]
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii vo barasaat kii raat
ek a.njaan musaafir se mulaaqaat kii raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii
haay jis raat mere dil ne dha.Dakanaa siikhaa
shoKh jazabaat ne siine me.n bhaDakanaa siikhaa
merii taqadiir me.n nikharii huii, ho
merii taqadiir me.n nikharii huii saramaat kii raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii
dil ne jab pyaar ke ra.ngiin fasaane chhe.De
aa.Nkho.n aa.Nkho.n ne vafaao.n ke taraane chhe.De
soz me.n Duub gaii aaj vahii
soz me.n Duub gaii aaj vahii naGhamaat kii raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii
[rafii]
ruuThanevaalii!
ruuThanevaalii merii baat pe maayuus naa ho
bahake bahake Khayaalaat se maayuus naa ho
khat_ma hogii naa kabhii tere, ho
khat_ma hogii naa kabhii tere mere saath kii raat
zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n …
Song #65
Maine shayad tumhen pehle bhi kahin dekha hai…..
Happy Valentine’s Day
Remembering Madhubala on Her Birth Anniversary
We have started taking up songs of the second and the last movie: the 1960 movie Barsaat Ki Raat in which Sahir Ludhianvi penned songs for a Madhubala movie.
We just took up the title song, the version picturised on her.
Here is a list of songs that Sahir and Roshan put together:
1. “Zindagi Bhar Nahi Bhoolegi Woh Barsaat Ki Raat” Mohammad Rafi 4:26
2. “Garjat Barsat Sawan Aayo Re” Suman Kalyanpur & Kamal Barot
3. “Main Ne Shayad Tumhein Pehlay Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai” Mohammad Rafi
4. “Mujhe Mil Gaya Bahana Teri Deed Ka” Lata Mangeshkar
5. “Nigah-e-Naaz Ke Maron Ka Haal Kya Hoga- A Qawwali song” Asha Bhosle, Sudha Malhotra, Shankar Shambhu, S. D. Batish & Chorus 8:43
6. “Na Tau Karvaan Ki Talash Hai – A Qawwali song” Mohammad Rafi, Sudha Malhotra, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey 12:03
7. “Yeh Hai Ishq Ishq – A Qawwali song” Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Sudha Malhotra, S. D. Batish & Chorus
8. “Ji Chahta Hai Choom Loon Teri Nazar Ko Mein -A Qawwali song” Asha Bhosle, Sudha Malhotra, Balbir, Bande Hasan & Chorus
9. “Zindagi Bhar Nahin Bhoolegi Woh Barsaat Ki Raat” Lata Mangeshkar & Mohammad Rafi
Lets take up the second song, which Roshan composed in Raag Pilu, Tal Kaherava. Madhubala’s expressions, sitting in the audience are really very beautiful.
Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi sing: Maine shayad tumhen pehle bhi kahin dekha hai…..
mai.n ne shaayad tumhe.n pahale bhii kahii.n dekhaa hai
ajanabii sii ho magar gair nahii.n lagatii ho
vaham se bhii jo ho naazuk vo yakii.n lagatii ho
haay ye phuul saa cheharaa ye ghanerii zulfe.n
mere shero.n se bhii tum mujhako ha.nsii.n lagatii ho
dekhakar tumako kisii raat kii yaad aatii hai
ek Kaamosh mulaaqaat kii yaad aatii hai
jahaa.N me.n husn kii Tha.nDak kaa asar jagataa hai
aa.nch detii huI barasaat kii yaad aatii hai
jisakii palake.n merii aa.Nkho.n pe jhukii rahatii hai.n
tum vahii mere Kayaalo.n kii parii ho kii nahii.n
kahii.n pahale kii tarah phir to na kho jaaogii
jo hameshaa ke liye ho vo khushii ho kii nahii.n
Song #66
Maayus to hoon vaade se tere….
Happy Valentine’s Day
Remembering Madhubala on Her Birth Anniversary
In the last song’s description, I had given a list of songs of the movie, as copied from Wikipedia. They didn’t give in those nine songs what I regard as the best song of the movie in the quality of its lyrics.
Madhubala listening to Bharat Bhushan singing Barsaat Ki Raat on the radio
Unfortunately in the movie except for the title song, none others have been lip-synced by Madhubala since he was the poet in the movie and she fell in love with him. And yet, her expressions can be noticed in the songs.
This one came about when Madhubala’s father KN Singh, the Suprintendent of Police of Hyderabad forbade her to see Bharat Bhushan, a poor poet, when he (KN Singh) had plans of marrying her in a ‘good’ family.
So, the poor guy (Bharat Bhushan) is waiting for her to come for the tryst and she is caged in her room.
In addition to the quality of the lyrics, Roshan needs to be congratulated for having used the blacksmith’s hammering sounds in the music of the song.
Once again the singer is Mohammad Rafi.
Please enjoy: Maayus to hoon vaade se tere….
maayuus to huu.N vaade se tere
kuchh aas nahii.n kuchh aas bhii hai
mai.n apane Kyaalo.n ke sadake
tuu paas nahii.n aur paas bhii hai
maayuus to huu.N …
hamane to Kushii maa.Ngii thii magar
jo tuune diyaa achchhaa hii diyaa
jis Gam kaa ta_aalluuq ho tujhase
vo raas nahii.n aur raas bhii hai
mai.n apane Kyaalo.n ke …
palako.n se larajate ashqo.n se
tasviir jhalakatii hai terii -2
diidaar kii pyaasii aa.Nkho.n ko
ab pyaas nahii.n aur pyaas bhii hai
mai.n apane Kyaalo.n ke …
Song #67
Dhadakne lage dil ke taaron ki duniya….
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, after that slight detour for Madhubala’s birth anniversary and Valentine’s Day when I put up three songs from her 1960 movie Barsaat Ki Raat, the second and last movie after the 1952 movie Amaanat for which Sahir penned lyrics, lets get back to chronological coverage.
We had just finished taking up songs of Char Dil Char Rahen in which Sahir paired for the second time with Anil Biswas.
(Poster courtesy: JungleKey.in)
His next movie was the 1959 movie Dhool Ka Phool. It was the second film of BR Chopra after Naya Daur. For the first one too Sahir had penned the songs and OP Nayyar composed them. In this film, N Dutta took over compositions. They made the following songs together:
1. “Apni Khatir Jeena Hai” Mahendra Kapoor, Sudha Malhotra, Chorus
2. “Daman Mein Daag Laga Baithe” Mohammed Rafi
3. “Jhukti Ghata Gaati Hawa” Asha Bhosle, Mahendra Kapoor
4. “Jo Tum Muskura Do” Asha Bhosle, Mahendra Kapoor
5. “Kase Kahoon Man Ki Baat” Sudha Malhotra
6. “Tere Pyaar Ka Aasra Chaahta Hoon” Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor
7. “Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega” Mohammed Rafi
8. “Tu Mere Pyar Ka Phool Hai” Lata Mangeshkar
We shall be taking up three of them and all tonight. Lets take the first one whose tune N Dutta copied from a Polish marching tune. It is duet between Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor.
Please enjoy: Dhadakne lage dil ke taaron ki duniya….
A: dha.Dakane lage dil ke taaro.n kii duniyaa
m: jo tum muskuraa do
A: jo tum muskuraa do
m: sa.nvar jaae ham bekaraaro.n kii duniyaa
jo tum muskuraa do
A: jo tum muskuraa do
m: jo tum muskuraa do, bahaare.n ha.Nse.n
sitaaro.n kii ujalii kataare.n ha.Nse.n
A: jo tum muskuraa do, nazaare ha.Nse.n
javaa.n dha.Dakano.n ke ishaare ha.Nse.n – 2
dha.Dakane lage…
m: havaa me.n ke Kushabuu kii a.Nga.Daaiyaa.N
ye aa.Nkho.n pe zulfo.n kii parachhaaiyaa.N
A: ye mastii ke dhaare ubalate hue
ye siino.n me.n tuufaa.n machalate hue – 2
dha.Dakane lage …
m: ye bojhal ghaTaa_e.n barasatii huii
ye bechain ruuhe.n tarasatii huii
A: ye saa.Nso.n se shole nikalate hue
badan aa.Nch khaakar pighalate hue – 2
dha.Dakane lage…
Song #68
Tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega, insaan ki aulad hai insaan banega….
BR Chopra’s 1959 movie, whose songs we are taking, starred Jubilee man Rajendra Kumar, Mala Sinha, Nanda, Ashok Kumar and Manmohan Krishna.
I saw the movie with my parents when I was a boy. And this coming song was the reason why they took me along; my parents belief in secularism being strong.
N Dutta standing to the right of Sahir Ludhianvi
It has been sung by Mohammad Rafi on a composition by N Dutta, the same N Dutta who people said was a weak point in movies; here he seemed to have done very well indeed. This one he composed in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Dadra.
Sahir needs to be congratulated again for excellent, powerful and very meaningful lyrics.
Please enjoy: Tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega, insaan ki aulad hai insaan banega….
tuu hindu banegA nA musalamAn banegaa
insaan kI aulAd hai insaan banega
kudarat ne to banAI thI ek hI duniyA
hamane use hindU aur musalamAn banAyA
tuu sabake liye aman kA paigaam banegA
insaan kI aulAd hai insaan banegA
ye din ye ImAn dharam bechane vAle
dhan-daulat ke bhUkhe vatan bechane vAle
tuu inake liye maut kA ailaan banegA
insaan kI aulAd hai insaan banegA
Song #69
Tere pyaar ka aasra chahata hoon….
And the last song of the 1960 BR Chopra movie Dhool Ka Phool that I have for you is the song that became so famous that it has been copied in many different movies (eg between Asha Parekh and Joy Mukherjee in Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon). Mala Sinha as Meena Khosla and Rajendra Kumar as Mahesh Kapoor are in the same college and are taking part in a poetry recitation competition. Through their individual recitations they express and admit love for each other. It is another thing that as the story takes a turn, Mahesh disowns a son born through a pre-marriage alliance with Meena and actually gets married to Nanda (Malti). Indeed, that’s how the previous song Tu Hindu banega na Muslamaan banega.
This one has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mahendra Kapoor.
N Dutta composed it in Raag Pilu, Tal Kaherava.
Please enjoy: Tere pyaar ka aasra chahata hoon….
tere pyaar kaa aasaraa chaahataa huu.N
vafaa kar rahaa huu.N vafaa chaahataa huu.N
hasiino se ahad-e-vafaa chaahate ho
ba.De naasamajh ho ye kyaa chaahate ho
tere narm baalo.n me.n taare sajaa ke
tere shokh kadamo.n me.n kaliyaa.n bichhaa ke
mohabbat kaa chhoTaa saa mandir banaa ke
tujhe raat din pUjanaa chaahataa huu.N, vafaa …
zaraa soch lo dil lagaane se pahale
ki khonaa bhii pa.Dataa hai paane ke pahale
ijaazat to le lo zamaane se pahale
ki tum husn ko pUjanaa chaahate ho, ba.De …
kahaa.N tak jiye.n terii ulfat ke maare
guzaratii nahii.n zindagii bin sahaare
bahut ho chuke duur rahakar ishaare
tujhe paas se dekhanaa chaahataa huu.N, vafaa …
mohabbat kii dushman hai saarii khudaaii
mohabbat kii taqadiir me.n hai judaaii
jo sunate nahii.n hai.n dilo.n kii duhaaii
unhii.n se mujhe maa.Nganaa chaahate ho, ba.De …
dupaTTe ke kone ko mu.Nh me.n dabaa ke
zaraa dekh lo is taraf muskuraa ke
mujhe lUT lo mere nazadiik aa ke
ki mai.n maut se khelanaa chaahataa huu.N, vafaa …
galat saare daave.n galat saarii kasame.n
nibhe.ngii yahaa.N kaise ulfat ki rasme.n
yahaa.N zindagii hai rivaazo.n ke bas me.n
rivaazo.n ko tum to.Danaa chaahate ho, ba.De …
rivaazo.n kii paravaah naa rasmo.n kaa Dar hai
terii aa.Nkh ke faisale pe nazar hai
balaa se agar raastaa purkhatar hai
mai.n is haath ko thaamanaa chaahataa huu.N, vafaa …
Song #70
Mere bhaiyya ko sandesha phunchana….
His next film of 1959 was Didi, in which once again (for the eighth time) he paired with Datta Naik or N Dutta. The movie starred Sunil Dutt, Shubha Khote and Jayshree.
The movie had the following songs:
1. Mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahunchana.
2. Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao to ye haq hai tumako.
3. Hamne suna tha ek hai Bharat.
4. Bachcho tum taqdeer ho kal ke Hindustan ki.
5. Pyar hi mujhe darkar hai.
6. Mamaji ke rocket par.
We shall be taking up three of them and it is not difficult to guess which ones.
First lets begin with this bhai behan song that became quite popular. Lata Mangeshkar sang it.
Please enjoy: Mere bhaiyya ko sandesha phunchana….
mere bhaiyya aaa
mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahuchana
mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahuchana
re chanda teri jyot badhe
ho re chanda teri jyot badhe
mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahuchana
re chanda teri jyot badhe
ho re chanda teri jyot badhe
door nagar mere bhaiyya ka deraa
door nagar mere bhaiyya ka deraa
beech mein parbat nadiyaa
ho beech mein parbat nadiyaa
tujhe pahunchte ik pal laage
tujhe pahunchte ik pal laage
mujhe pahunchte sadiyaan
ho mujhe pahunchte sadiyaan
mere dil ki duaayen le jaanaa
mere dil ki duaayen le jaanaa
re chanda teri jyot badhe
re chanda teri jyot badhe
mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahuchana
mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahuchana
re chanda teri jyot badhe
ho re chanda teri jyot badhe
jug jug chamke tu ambar par
jug jug chamke tu ambar par
roop ghate na teraa
ho roop ghate na teraa
tu hai mere bhaiyya jaisaa
tu hai mere bhaiyya jaisaa
tujh saa bhaiyya meraa
haan haan tujh saa bhaiyya meraa
aaj tu hi gale se lag jaanaa
aaj tu hi gale se lag jaanaa
re chandaa teri jyot badhe
ho re chandaa teri jyot badhe
mere bhaiyya ko sandesa pahuchana
mere bhaiyya ko sandesa pahuchana
re chanda teri jyot badhe
ho re chanda teri jyot badhe
Song #71
Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao to yeh haq hai tumako….
Of course, with the kind of bhai-behan song that I gave you just now, it is not difficult to guess that I saw the movie with my parents.
Now we come to the second song from the 1959 movie Didi. I didn’t know at that time that the song was the beginning of a romantic alliance between Sahir Ludhianvi and Sudha Malhotra, the singer.
Its lyrics are powerful, in the same mould as those of Shakeel Badayuni’s, full of irony.
The actress is Shubha Khote, in love with Sunil Dutt.
N Dutta composed it in Raag Pahadi, Taal Dadra. The male part has been sung by Mukesh. Lyrics are signature Sahir lyrics.
Please enjoy: Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao to yeh haq hai tumako….
tum mujhe bhul bhi jao to ye haq hai tumko
meri bat aur hai maine to mohabbat ki hai
tum mujhe bhul bhi jao to ye haq hai tumko
mere dil ki mere jazabat ki kimat kya hai
ulajhe-ulajhe se khyalat ki kimat kya hai
maine kyu pyar kiya
tumne na kyu pyar kiya
in pareshan savalat ki kimat kya hai
tum jo ye bhi na batao to ye haq hai tumko
meri bat aur hai maine to mohabbat ki hai
tum mujhe bhul bhi jao to ye haq hai tumko
zindagi sirf mohabbat
nahi kuchh aur bhi hai
zulf-o-rukasar ki jannat
nahi kuchh aur bhi hai
bhukh aur pyas ki mari hui is duniya me
ishq hi ek haqikat nahi kuchh aur bhi hai
tum agar ankh churao to ye haq hai tumko
maine tumase hi nahi to mohabbat ki hai
tum agar ankh churao to ye haq hai tumko
tumko duniya ke gam-o-dard se
furasat naa sahi
sabse ulafat sahi mujhse hi mohabbat na sahi
mai tumhari hun yahi mere liye kya kam hai
tum mere hoke raho ye meri qismat na sahi
aur bhi dil ko jalao ye haq hai tumko
meri bat aur hai maine to muhabbat ki hai
tum mujhe bhul bhi jao to ye haq hai tumko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reaf0SWnzHc
Song #72
Bachcho tum taqdeer ho kal ke Hindustan ki….
We started with Bhai-Behan song from the 1959 movie Didi: Mere bhaiyya ko sandesha pahunchana and then moved to Sudha Malhotra and Mukesh song: Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao to yeh haq hai tumako. And now we listen to the third and last song from this movie tonight. It is a children’s song sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle and picturised on Sunil Dutt, Shubha Khote, Honey Irani and Daisy Irani.
The song was a favourite of Indian PM Jawahar Lal Nehru (His birthday 14th Nov is celebrated as Children’s Day)
Please enjoy: Bachcho tum taqdeer ho kal ke Hindustan ki….
bachho tum taqadir ho kal ke hindustaan ki
baapu ke vardaan ki neharu ke armaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho kal ke hindustaan ki
baapu ke vardaan ki neharu ke armaan ki
achcho tum taqadir ho
aaj ke tute khandaharo par tum kal kaa desh basaoge
jo ham logo se na huaa vo tum kar ke dikhlaoge
tum nanhi buniyaade ho, tum nanhi buniyaade ho
duniyaa ke naye vidhaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho
din-dharam ke naam pe koi bij phut kaa boye naa
jo sadiyo ke baad mili hai vo aazadi khoye naa
har mazahab se unchi hai, har mazahab se unchi hai
kimat insaani jaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho
phir koi jaichand na ubhare phir koi jaafar na uthe
gairo kaa dil khush karne ko apno par khazar na uthe
dhan-daulat ke laalach me, dhan-daulat ke laalach me
tauhin na ho imaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho
naari ko is desh ne devi kah kar daasi jana hai
jisko kuchh adhikaar na ho vo ghar ki raani mana hai
tum aisa aadar mat lena, tum aisa aadar mat lena
aad ho jo apmaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho
rah na sake ab is duniyaa me yug saramayadari kaa
tumako jhandaa laharana hai mehnat ki sardaari ka
tum chaaho to, tum chaaho to
badal ke rakh do kismat har insaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho kal ke hindustaan ki
baapu ke vardaan ki neharu ke armaan ki
bachho tum taqadir ho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcJV5xgdNTI
Ladies and gentlemen, with that I finish with Part III of the best songs of our fourth lyricist (not in any order): Sahir Ludhianvi. I hope you liked my selection. We have reached only up to the year 1959 and have a long way to go. Please await following parts.
‘Around The World’ was a 1967 is a Bollywood romantic comedy that starred Raj Kapoor and Rajshree. It was the first 70 mm movie in India and took the audience on a tour around the world together with Raj Kapoor. The song ‘Around the world in eight dollars’ referred to the number of dollars, or an equivalent foreign currency, that an Indian was allowed, by GoI rules, to obtain by converting rupees into foreign currencies. unbelievable? Well, that was the situation in 1967.
I had my first and second foreign visits in the Navy in the year 1974, on Delhi (as a Cadet) and on Tir (as a Midshipman) respectively. When abroad, Navy personnel are given a Daily Allowance in foreign currency and on return we face Customs Clearance in the same manner as people face whilst returning from abroad, say, by air. The only difference is that these men in whites (just like us) are willing to allow us a little extra provided they are convinced the items are for home-use only. In my later life, I talked to a few of them and they told me that our own procedures and authorities are even stricter than theirs and hence when they arrive on board for the Customs Clearance, they are prepared to have a good time themselves, which is sharp contrast to the pulls and pushes, deception and chicanery that they are subjected to elsewhere and on everyday basis.
My second CO on INS Talwar: KMS Rajan (as gentlemanly as they come; God rest his soul) once won a prize (in Navy Ball raffle): a return ticket for two on board MV Chidambram plying between Chennai (that time still called Madras) and Singapore. That time Captain Rajan told me that the amount of smuggling that people indulged in was to be seen to be believed. He said people carried back huge suitcases and boxes. The procedure at the Custom Clearance was for these men to kinda forget one of these there (as a gift for the Custom people). He told me that when he and his wife disembarked with just a small suitcase, all kinds of officials descended on them. Just like in the chaotic traffic on our roads, the one who follows traffic rules is actually a menace; similarly, it appeared that they were suspecting that KMS Rajan was probably smuggling gold or diamonds.
I remember this news item in Feb 1985 about MV Chidambram having fire on board in which 11 people died. It was said that the ship had long ago outlived its safe life; however, vested interests had kept it afloat.
I also remember my first purchase abroad was a fishing rod complete with a few accessories such as reel and hooks. I wrote the actual worth of the rod, as a Midshipman on INS Tir, and paid a duty of Rupees 125 on it. The rod is still there with me in Kandaghat. Whenever I sat down for angling, I willed the fish to get caught, silently telling them that I was probably the only honest fisherman in the world (Well, the other one was the fisherman who, returning home after his abortive full-day fishing expedition, went to a fish shop and bought fish and then asked the vendor to throw it to him since he was going to tell his wife, honestly, that he caught it!)
By the time I became a commissioned officer I too had learnt the tricks of the trade. On Ganga, for example, I was responsible for the Custom Clearance of the ship together with PMC (President Mess Committee) of the Wardroom Mess: the ship’s Cdr E. After downing his fifth large one, one of the Custom Officers showed me a Custom Declaration Form of a sailor. It read: Three-in-one Music System cum Camera cum VCR – Rupees 250. He said, “We are used to drinking large quantities of Scotch. I am never so drunk that I can’t make out that they haven’t yet made Music Systems with Camera and VCR. I dutifully (what an expression!) got the form changed through the sailor. Thirty years later, though, we all carry these in our pockets; they still don’t cost Rupees 250.
Despite all our so – called smartness, we in the armed forces are still bimbos. I learnt it when four of us were going on a deputation to Spain. There was this IFS officer who I met at the airport who was also going to Spain. I found that whilst we were going via Frankfurt, this one was going via Dubai. I sympathised with him that he couldn’t get a proper connection. He said he had asked for the one via Dubai whereat he would spend the whole day, do shopping, leave the stuff there with receipts of having paid for on that date and collect them on the way back as ‘used items‘ during his deputation in Spain!
Sahir’s next movie in 1963 was Bahurani in which, once again, for the first time he paired with music director C Ramchandra. The movie had the following songs:
We shall come to Taj Mahal later. Before that, even if Sahir failed to get award for the movie Gumraah, these are indeed his best and most beautifully worded songs:
None of these deserve to be given here. Hence, without much ado, we jump to his 1963 movie Taj Mahal. The movie was directed by M Sadiq and starred Pradeep Kumar as Mughal Emperor Shehan Shah and Beena Rai as Mumtaz, his beloved, for whom Shahen Shah erected the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.
my guts when you first came in my life,
py Anniversary, my life, love, and soulmate,
I am reminded of this lady complaining to another, “I don’t know what’s wrong with my husband? On Sunday I made carrots; he relished them and told me so. On Monday, I made carrots; he found them very tasty. On Tuesday, he appreciated my carrots. On Wednesday, he liked them. On Thursday, he said they were alright. On Friday, he suddenly picked up the dish of carrots and threw it down. I can’t unders
Let’s say you got fed up of eating brinjals at home because RIK issue centre suddenly gave you 2.5 Kgs of brinjals. So, you rang up your best friend’s wife, “Nisha, Lyn and I are coming over to have dinner at your place.” Chances were that Nisha too would serve you brinjals; having received them too from the RIK. There was no getting away from brinjals and RIK!
If the first song that I gave you from the movie: Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi was sung by Lata Mangeshkar, this was sung by Asha. The composition happened to be that of Jaidev, again.
Hindi movies obsession with prostitutes being good girls who had been forced either by evil people or circumstances was made into several movies. Some of them which did very well were: Adalat, Mamta, Umrao Jaan, Pakeezah and Amar Prem.
Here is a list of songs that Sahir and Roshan put together:
His next film of 1959 was Didi, in which once again (for the eighth time) he paired with Datta Naik or N Dutta. The movie starred Sunil Dutt, Shubha Khote and Jayshree.
