Category: Music and Cinema

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

This is the Song #40 in the series. I hope you liked Song #40 – Ek woh bhi diwali thi.

Song #41
O sajna barkha bahaar aayi
Theme-word: The last line: Akhiyon mein raina gayi, Nindiya na aayi

Everyone’s Favourite Rain-Song

What Suhani raat dhal chuki is to Mohammad Rafi, this song is to Lata Mangeshkar; in that, if you join a new group on songs and music and you want to impress people with your excellent taste, you’d, as quickly as possible, put up Suhani raat dhal chuki and O sajana barkha bahar aayi.
Anyone could have put up this in this series. However, it has come to me to actually do so.

Parakh – 1960 Movie

Parakh was produced and directed by Bimal Roy on a satire or farcical story penned by Salil Chowdhury who also composed the songs including this one.

I loved the satire. The postmaster in the small village receives a cheque of Rupees 5 Lakhs (during those days, a really princely sum) to be given to a person of the village who’d use it for the good of the people. Indian democracy is all about greed and “coming to power” and so was the case with greedy village authorities vying with one another to receive the grand cheque.

In the midst of this is Sadhana and her lover Basanta Chowdhury.

This rainy-night song is sung by her pining for him.

The Song

The song was penned by Shailendra who also penned Madhumati songs for Salil da.

Lata Mangeshkar has sung some of her best songs for Sadhana and we have already taken up Lag jaa gale (another Raat song).

This song was composed by Salil da in Raag Khammaj (otherwise composing songs in Western classical tunes such as Dil tadap tadap ke keh raha hai and Jaaneman jaaneman tere do nayan). The taal is the commonest taal Kaherava. Some of the background music was thought of by him by listening to the swish of the wiper of his Ambassador car.

Here are the lyrics:

(ओ सजना, बरखा बहार आई
रस की फुहार लाई, अँखियों मे प्यार लाई ) – २
ओ सजना

तुमको पुकारे मेरे मन का पपिहरा – २
मीठी मीठी अगनी में, जले मोरा जियरा
ओ सजना …

(ऐसी रिमझिम में ओ साजन, प्यासे प्यासे मेरे नयन
तेरे ही, ख्वाब में, खो गए ) – २
सांवली सलोनी घटा, जब जब छाई – २
अँखियों में रैना गई, निन्दिया न आई
ओ सजना …

My Own Poetry

Phir Barsaat Chali Aayi

आज फिर भीगने का दिल करता है बरसात में,
कुछ शोख़ हवा चली है सुहानी रात में I

यादों की बूंदे दिल के आँगन में गिर रही हैं,
और दस्तक दे रही हैं देहलीज़-ऐ-जज़्बात पे I

मेरे रूखे जहान पे सावन को भी तरस आ गया,
लगता है रो रहा है वह भी मेरे हालात पे I

घने धुएं में रौशनी की किरण जगमगाई है,
कुछ और लौ बची है शमा-ए-हयात में I

सावन क्या आया, बस यूँ लगता है,
हल चल सी मच गयी है कायनात में I

हवाएं उनकी बज़्म से लायी हैं खुशबू,
उधर उठ के देखता हूँ बात बात पे I

सोचता हूँ, रवि, यह कहीं सरआब तो नहीं,
कुछ हकीकत तो होगी ख्याल-ए-करामात में I

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: O sajna, barkha bahar aayi…

I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #41.

Please await Raat or Din Song #42- Zulfon ki chhaon mein chehre ko.

 

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 23 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

Last time, I gave you Beautiful Duet #40 – Aaja re ab mera dil pukara. So here, then, is the next one:

Song #78 (#41 of mine)
Dil dhoondta hai phir wohi

Remembering Sanjeev Kumar on His Death Anniversary 06 Nov

He died on this day in 1985. Having been born in Surat Gujarat on 09 Jul 1938, he was just about 57 years old when he died. There are many actors who are missed not just because they died relatively early but also because their acting made us miss them when they went away. Surely, Sanjeev Kumar was one of them.

Some of us would recall his roles in Dastak, Khilauna, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Sholay, Mausam, Parichay, Aandhi and Koshish.

He won two National Awards for his acting; one for Dastak and one for Koshish.

Mausam – 1975 Movie

This movie was released in the same year as Sholay in which he acted as Thakur. This movie was directed by Gulzar and had lyrics too by him. The songs were composed by Madan Mohan who also composed songs of Rajinder Singh Bedi’s Dastak.

Mausam starred Sharmila Tagore with him. Just as Dev Anand and Mumtaz starrer Tere Mere Sapne, this movie too was based on a novel by AJ Cronin: The Judas Tree.

Sanjeev Kumar was Dr Amarnath Gill who fell in love with Chanda (Sharmila Tagore) and promises that he would meet her later. Twenty five years go by and now he returns to Calcutta as a wealthy man and looks for Chanda. She is married to a crippled old man. The rest of the story is not really required because this part serves as the scene of the song.
The song was sung by Bhupinder Singh for Sanjeev Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar for Sharmila Tagore.

Yesterday, I saw a movie ’45 Years’ in which a couple, about to celebrate 45 years of their wedding, discover that the body of the girl that the husband used to love had been found in the snowy mountains of Switzerland, rather intact.

The fact of the matter is that old flames never die!

My Own Poetry

I have selected one of several on the subject:

Koi Lauta De Woh Din

मुझे याद आते हैं बचपन के वो पल,
लगता न था कभी आएगी कल,
मासूमियत में कह देते थे दोस्तों को:
मैं आता हूँ तेरे पीछे, तूँ चल।

एक एक करके होने लगे वो विदा,
जो रात को भी न होते थे जुदा,
हमारी फुसफ़साहट भी वो सुन लेते थे,
अब नहीं पहुंचती उन तक मेरी सदा।

आती हैं वो सब शरारतें याद,
पेड़ से तोड़े आम का अलग था स्वाद,
क्या लुत्फ था उन हरकतों का,
हालांकि बहुत मार खाई उनके बाद।

क्या अजब खेल था लुकन छिपाई।
कब दिन शुरू हुआ और कब रात आयी,
सब सांझेदारी में बराबर के हकदार थे,
न कोई चीज़ अपनी, न कोई चीज़ परायी।

लगता न था वो प्यारे दिन गुज़र जाएंगे,
तिनके तिनके से बनाये घरोंदे बिखर जाएंगे,
ज़िन्दगी की ऊंचाईयां चढ़ने की ख्वाइश में,
जहां चढ़े बैैठे थे वहीं से उतर जााएंगे।

काश रोक लेते वो दिलकश समां,
हम सब संग संग थे उस जगह जहां,
ढूंढते फिरते हैं उस बीते ज़माने को,
कोई तो बता दो वो बचपन गया है कहां।

The Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Dil dhoondta hai, phir wohi, fursat ke raat din…

दिल ढूँढता है फिर वही फ़ुरसत के रात दिन – (२)
बैठे रहे तसव्वुर-ए-जानाँ किये हुए
दिल ढूँढता है फिर वही फ़ुरसत के रात दिन…

जाड़ों की नर्म धूप और आँगन में लेट कर – (२)
आँखों पे खींचकर तेरे आँचल के साए को
औंधे पड़े रहे कभी करवट लिये हुए
दिल ढूँढता है फिर वही फ़ुरसत के रात दिन…

या गरमियों की रात जो पुरवाईयाँ चलें – (२)
ठंडी सफ़ेद चादरों पे जागें देर तक
तारों को देखते रहें छत पर पड़े हुए
दिल ढूँढता है फिर वही फ़ुरसत के रात दिन…

बर्फ़ीली सर्दियों में किसी भी पहाड़ पर – (२)
वादी में गूँजती हुई खामोशियाँ सुनें
आँखों में भीगे भीगे से लम्हे लिये हुए
दिल ढूँढता है फिर वही फ़ुरसत के रात दिन…

I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #41.

Please await Beautiful Duet #42- Phool ahista phenko.

RRR Songs (Songs of Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness)

I started this new series on 17 Jan 21 on my Facebook Group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne. My efforts failed to involve people in writing their own stuff about songs and music rather than copying and pasting from here and there or worse, just sharing url of songs from YouTube. Hence, I had decided to give the group a burial that it deserved rather than making it like thousands of groups on Facebook about songs with nothing unique about them at all.

Hence this series shifted to my page Lyrical.

I hope you liked RRR Song #20: Toote huye khwabon ne. Here is the next song:

Song #21
Dil ki tamanna thi masti mein

RRR Songs (Songs of Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness)
Song #21
Dil ki tamanna thi masti mein (Sad version)

Already 21st RRR Song

It is like a gun salute being the 21st. However, rarely Sunbyanyname thinks of the sad part of life and hence it is as if a funereal gun salute. Sadnesses, in life, transform themselves into happinesses. However, until they do, excellent lyrics are born.

Majrooh Sultanpuri

For quite some time he was the only Lyricist winner of Dadasaheb Phalke Award and see how much he deserved it.

He made this song in two versions. One was the happy version sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle for Bharat Bhushan and Mala Sinha respectively. The sad version was sung by Rafi for Bharat Bhushan on the same stage as the happy one. Have a look at the poignant lyrics:

दिल की तमन्ना थी मस्ती में मंज़िल से भी दूर निकलते
अपना भी कोई साथी होता, हम भी बहकते चलते-चलते

साथी मिला, यूँ तो मगर, रस्ते में था चाँदी का नगर -२
चाँदी की नगरी भाई उसे हम, रह गए आँखें मलते-मलते

यादों की धूल आँखों में है, दामन की हसरत हाथों में है -२
ख्वाबों के वीराने में तन्हा, थक गया राही चलते-चलते

The middle stanza is missing and it is missing in all sites that I have seen (because they just copy-paste from one another). I have reconstructed this stanza by listening to the song:

उसने यह दिल ठुकरा दिया, शीशा ही था वो मय तो ना था – 2
सिक्कों की झनकार में खो गए, गीत वफा के ढलते ढलते

Composition – N Dutta

N Dutta composed it as a waltzing number; the happy duet version and then made Rafi’s solo into a slower waltz. Rafi has kept his voice subdued as if impressing on the regret and rpentance. It has been superbly done.

Gyarah Hazaar Ladakiyan

Yes, that was the name of this 1962 movie directed by KA Abbas and starring Bharat Bhushan as the lawyer Puran who defends Mala Sinha as Asha, facing a murder trial. Why was this name given to the movie? I have no idea. However, as Bharat Bhushan lip-syncs this beautiful RRR song and Mala Sinha in the hall looks uncomfortable, you will see the hall is full of girls only.

My Own Poetry

CHALO INTEZAAR KARTE HAIN

तू भी देखना एक ऐसा भी दिन आएगा,
आंसुओं से मेरे तेरा दिल पिघल जाएगा
मेरी ना श से तुझे कोई शिक्वा ना होगा
तेरे दिन तो क्या जहान संवर जाएगा

प्यार और इश्क़ मुझे करना ही ना था
घुट घुट रोज़ मुझे मरना ही ना था
अब सोचता हूँ क्यों चला गया वहां
तेरी राहों से मुझे गुज़रना ही ना था

सोचा था ज़िन्दगी का हमसफ़र मिला है
मेरी तनहा रातों का सहर मिला है
हम जिसे पीते रहे दवा जान के, ऐ दिल,
अब पता चला के ज़हर मिला है

खैर ग़म- ऐ-इश्क़ की कोई तो होगी मंज़िल
यह बेवफा निकली, यह हर वक़्त रही संगदिल
यह ज़िन्दगी तो रो रोके गुज़ार दी हमने
आने वाली ज़िन्दगी शायद ना हो मुश्किल

चलो इंतजार करते है! चलो इंतज़ार करते हैं!
ठोकर खा चुके हैं फिर भी प्यार करते हैं
तेरे वादे पे तो तमाम उम्र गुज़र गयी लेकिन
हम अब मौत की वफ़ा का ऐतबार करते हैं|

The Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Dil ki tamanna thi masti mein…

I hope you liked Song #21 in this series.

Please await Song #22: Phir thes lagi dil ko.

Zindagi or Jeevan Songs Series

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Oct 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

I hope you liked my choice for Song #39 – Duniya mein agar aaye hain in Zindagi or Jeevan Songs series. Let’s start with Song #40.

Song #39
Zindagi kuchh to bata

Happy Birthday Salman Khan 27 Dec

After having done his first lead role in 1988 Sooraj Barjatya movie Maine Pyar Kiya, there was no looking back for Salman Khan; one of the three Khans who was always in demand and who made more money than the other two.

His structured and strong body (reportedly he is so fond of his body that he loses his shirt very quickly in any role like the song O O jaane jaana, Dhoonde tujhe deewana (a favourite of mine)) is matched with the softness of his looks; a super combination.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan

I like to see his movies on the day of his release and so on 17 Jul 2015 you could have seen me in I-Max watching this movie. The movie was his own production together with Kabir Khan and Rockline Venkatesh. He had Kabir Khan direct the film. It had a story which too was written by Kabir Khan.

The movie stars Harshaali Malhotra as Shahida ‘Munni’ Rauf Ali Khan, a mute Pakistani girl who gets lost in India (separated from her family visiting India from Pakistan) only to bump into Pawan (Salman Khan; a devotee of Hanuman), who makes it his mission to take her back home in Pakistan. Whilst there, they run into a kind hearted Pakistani reporter Chand Nawab played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The Song

I immediately took to this song when I saw the movie. Neelesh Mishra’s lyrics (I have already given you his Jaadu hai nasha hai earlier once) were composed by Pritam and sung by Jubin Nautyal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Pritam himself and Rekha Bhardwaj. More than anything, I love the lyrics:

इक दिन मोहब्बत ओढ़ कर
इक दिन गली के मोड़ पर
तेरी हथेली पर लिखूं
मेरा नाम, तेरे नाम पर
फिर तु तक़ल्लुफ़ छोड़ कर
फिर तु झुका कर के नज़र
रखना मेरे काँधे पे सर
ज़िन्दगी
कुछ तो बता ज़िन्दगी
अपना पता ज़िन्दगी

तारों भरी इक रात में, तेरे ख़त पढ़ेंगे साथ में
कोरा जो पन्ना रह गया, एक कांपते से हाथ में
थोड़ी शिक़ायत करना तू, थोड़ी शिक़ायत मैं करूँ
नाराज़ बस ना होना तू ज़िन्दगी
कुछ तो बता ज़िन्दगी
अपना पता ज़िन्दगी…

(तू है तो मैं हूँ, तू है तो मैं हूँ
तू है तो फ़लक, तू है तो ज़मीं)

कोई रस्ता, कोई डगर
कोई निशाँ तो दे मुझे
कुछ तो बता ज़िन्दगी
ज़िन्दगी

My Own Poetry

ZINDAGI KYA KYA SIKHATI HAI?

क्या अजब हकीकत है यह दोस्तो:
खुशी बढ़ती है बांटने से,
दर्द बांटने से घटता है,
गमगीन हों तो वक़्त बोझ है,
मुस्कराते बस यूं ही कटता है।
लेने से दौलत नहीं बढ़ती,
देने से हम होते हैं अमीर,
वो क्या गरीब जो किसी का ग़म खरीदे,
वो क्या अमीर जो बेच डाले ज़मीर?
क्या फायदा उस सच का,
जो किसी की ले ले जान,
क्यूं नफ़रत करें उस झूठ की,
जो आदमी को बना दे इंसान?
बहुत बोझ मिलते हैं उठाने को,
उठता नहीं बोझ गुनाहों का।
लोगों से तो नज़रें बचा लोगे,
क्या करिए अपनी अंदरूनी निगाहों का?
जो दूसरों के चुराएं ख्यालात,
वो तो बहुत मकबूल हैं,
वो बेचारे अकेले फिरते हैं
जिनकी अपनी तखील और असूल हैं।
सुनने देखने पे भी दोस्तो,
न करना कभी उसका यकीन,
जो मीठी मीठी बातें करे,
पर हो सांप ए आस्तीन।

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Zindagi kuchh to bata….

I hope you enjoyed my choice for Song #40 in the series.

Please await Song #41 –  Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haay.

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

This is the Song #40 in the series. I hope you liked Song #39 – Raaton ko chori chori bole mera kangana.

Song #40
Ek woh bhi diwali thi
Theme-word: Samajho na ise raat yeh hai gham ka savera

Nazrana – 1961 Movie

It was a CV Sridhar movie (in direction and story). It starred Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala, Usha Kiran and Gemini Ganesan (who has to be there in movies directed by Sridhar).

Songs and dialogues were penned by Rajinder Krishan and the songs were composed by Ravi. Diwali was quite important in the movie, Beside this song, there was another song on Diwali: Mele hain chiragon ki diwali sung by Lata Mangeshkar. There was a beautiful duet in the movie sung by Mukesh and Lata: Bikhra ke zulfen chaman mein na aana, And then there was a superb Mohammad Rafi number: Baazi kisi ne pyar ki.

How Did This Song Come About?

Raj Kapoor (Raj) was in love with Vyjayanthimala (Vasanti). However, her sister Usha Kiran (Geeta) too falls in love with him and Vyjayanthimala sacrifices her love for her sister’s sake. Later, after Vyjayanthimala engineers it, Raj Kapor marries Usha Kiran and they have a child. When Vyjayanthimala visits them, it doesn’t take Usha Kiran much to find out her husband and her sister were former lovers. She dies of guilt in breaking up their love. And now Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala are back together and a Nazrana from her sister: her son.

The Lyrics

एक वो भी दीवाली थी
एक ये भी दीवाली है
उजड़ा हुआ गुलशन है
रोता हुआ मालि है
एक वो भी दीवाली थी
एक ये भी दीवाली है
उजड़ा हुआ गुलशन है
रोता हुआ मालि है

बाहर तो उजाला है
मगर दिल में अँधेरा
समझो न इसे रात
ये है ग़म का सवेरा
बाहर तो उजाला है
मगर दिल में अँधेरा
समझो न इसे रात
ये है ग़म का सवेरा
क्या दीप जलाएं हम
तक़दीर ही काली है
उजड़ा हुआ गुलशन
है रोता हुआ मालि है

ऐसे न कभी डीप
किसी दिल का बुझा हो
मैं तो वो मुसाफ़िर हूँ
जो रास्ते में लूट हो
ऐसे न कभी डीप
किसी दिल का बुझा हो
मैं तो वो मुसाफ़िर हूँ
जो रास्ते में लूट हो
ऐ मौत तू ही आ जा
दिल तेरा सवाली है
उजड़ा हुआ गुलशन
है रोता हुआ मालि है

एक वो भी दीवाली थी
एक ये भी दीवाली है
उजड़ा हुआ गुलशन है
रोता हुआ मालि है
एक वो भी दीवाली थी
एक ये भी दीवाली है
उजड़ा हुआ गुलशन है
रोता हुआ मालि है.

My Own Poem

Here is another contrast between two Diwalis:

HAPPY DIWALI

She, a girl of five,
In tattered clothes,
And shattered hopes,
Tugged at her mother’s torn sari nervously.
Diwali; it was their big day..
For begging along the Marine Drive.
Rich people who came here
To burst crackers, huge bombs and rockets
That burst and filled the sky
With myriad colours
Were always in good mood
To let the beggars have
A miniscule part of the money
That went up in flames and sounds.
Each bomb, rocket, cracker, flower-pot
Cost several times Montek’s Thirty Two Rupees,
That separated them from becoming rich.

Seventy three rupees and fifty paise
They had already collected
And three empty whisky bottles
And two un-burst bombs
And two empty boxes of sweets
Empty for the rich but..
With remnants of sweets still sticking on edges
Enough for the girl and mother
To have a Happy Diwali feast.
Tonight was the night when
They could collect enough
For the next few days
Even after paying half to the beat-cop on duty.

In the din of crackers
And daze of sparklers
The little child and mother
Couldn’t help thanking
Lord Ram for having returned to Ayodhaya
Several centuries ago
And given them reason
To rejoice;
And sleep, after days
With stomachs nearly full
“Shubh Deepawali, maa” the child whispered.
“Shubh Deepawali, Lakshmi”, the mother responded,
“Let’s await Christmas, to have more….fun ”.

The Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Ek woh bhi diwali thi…

I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #40.

Please await Raat or Din Song #41- O sajana barkha bahar aayi.

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 23 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

Last time, I gave you Beautiful Duet #38 – O shama mujhe phoonk de. So here, then, is the next one:

Song #40
Aaja re ab mera dil pukara

Remembering Jaikishan on His Birth Anniversary 04 Nov

My dad loved parties; both attending and organising. I recall sing-song sessions were always essential parts of those parties. My dad’s younger brother is the only surviving sibling of my dad. When dad organised a party to receive him and his American wife Connie, she sang Ye raat ye chandni phir kahan!

However, in all local parties, the songs that I heard most were Shankar Jaikishan songs. Sad songs were more welcome during those days than happy ones and this song made a sort of Jubilee!

I didn’t know Hasrat Jaipuri at that time; Kishwar Jaipuri behna, do forgive me since I was only a boy of about seven to eight years old. However, we were still aware of Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar and Shankar Jaikishan, the guys who gave us the most popular and memorable songs in Hindi movies.
Of course, I was unaware of Prithvi Theatre. However, in my later life, Prithvi Theatre became an essential part of my off working hours in the Navy. Other than seeing excellent plays there, we used to look forward to Irish Coffee during the Interval with adequate lacing with Whiskey.
We should be grateful to Prithvi Theatre and the doyen of Kapoor family: Prithviraj Kapoor (whose birth anniversary was yesterday) and his son Raj Kapoor for having brought together Shankar Jaikshan for us.

Aah – 1953 Movie

Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat, a 1949 movie, was the first movie of Shankar Jaikishan and the first movie in which Lata Mangeshkar was credited on screen as playback singer (for both Nargis and Nimmi).

What a team leader Raj Kapoor was. Raja Nawathe had worked as an assistant director to Raj Kapoor in Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949) and Awaara (1951). In this movie, Raj Kapoor as the producer, took Raja Nawathe as full fledged director!

Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra divided the nine songs of the movie between themselves and these were composed by Shankar Jaikishan. And what beautiful and unforgettable songs these were:

1. Sunate the naam jinaka bahaar se.
2. Raja ki aayegi baraat.
3. Jaane na nazar.
4. Ye shaam ki tanhayiyan.
5. Jo main janati unke liye.
6. Aaja re ab mera dil puakara.
7. Chhoti si ye zindagani.
8. Raat andheri door savera.
9. Jhanan jhanan jhanan.

This film was a flop because initially the movie was to have a tragic ending (inspired by Devdas) but Raj Kapoor insisted on a happy ending, which killed the movie.

The Song

Fortunately, the sad and melancholic songs didn’t get killed and are therefore among the best remembered songs of Shankar Jaikishan.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy Lata Mangeshkar and Manoj Kumar singing for Nargis and Raj Kapoor: Aaja re ab mera dil pukara..

आ जा रे
आ जा रे, अब मेरा दिल पुकारा
रो रो के ग़म भी हारा
बदनाम ना हो प्यार मेरा
आ जा रे

हो ओ ओ घबराये हाय ये दिल – २
सपनों में आके कभी मिल – २
मौत मेरी तरफ़ आने लगी
जान तेरी तरफ़ जाने लगी
बोल शाम-ए-जुदाई क्या करे – २
आस मिलने की तड़पाने लगी
आ जा रे …

आपने बीमार-ए-ग़म को देख ले
हो सके तो तू हमको देख ले
तूने देखा ना होगा ये समा – २
कैसे जाता है दम को देख ले
आ जा रे …

I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #40.

Please await Beautiful Duet #41- Dil dhoondta hai phir wohi.

RRR Songs (Songs of Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness)

I started this new series on 17 Jan 21 on my Facebook Group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne. My efforts failed to involve people in writing their own stuff about songs and music rather than copying and pasting from here and there or worse, just sharing url of songs from YouTube. Hence, I had decided to give the group a burial that it deserved rather than making it like thousands of groups on Facebook about songs with nothing unique about them at all.

Hence this series shifted to my page Lyrical.

I hope you liked RRR Song #19: Tumhen zindagi ke ujaale mubarak. Here is the next song:

Song #20
Toote huye khwabon ne

Bimal Roy’s Madhumati

Many of Bimal Roy’s films had the female as the main protagonist and so was the 1958 film Madhumati that was produced and directed by him.
Bimal Roy received his Filmfare Award Nos. 5 and 6 (out of 11) for this movie: Best movie and Best Direction. He also got the President’s Silver Medal for the Best Feauture Film for it, at the National level.
Sujata, Bandini and Parineeta, also films with female protagonists won similar awards.

Madhumati had story and screenplay written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. It won seven more Filmfare awards: Best Music Director (Salil Chowdhury), Best Female Singer (Lata Mangeshkar with her best song Aja re pardesi), Best Dialogue (Rajinder Singh Bedi), Best Art Direction (Sudhendu Roy), Best Cinematography ( Dilip Gupta), Best Editing (Hrishikesh Mukherjee), , Best Supporting Actor (Johnny Walker).
Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, Dilip Kumar lost to Dev Anand in Kala Pani and Vyjayanthimal lost to her own role in Sadhna.

All in all, it would be right to say that Madhumati is among the most iconic movies of Hindi cinema. It was also the first Indian film to be released abroad after its release in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czechoslovakia.

The story dealt with reincarnation and it was one of the earliest films in India to deal with this subject (the story however didn’t figure in the awards). Another omission from the awards was the lyricist Shailendra for some of the most beautiful lyrics including Ajha re pardesi (viz, Main nadiya phir bhi main pyaaasi). Once again, like Vyjayanthimala, Shailendra lost to himself only with the Yahudi song: Ye mera deewanapan hai, making him the first recipient of Filmfare Award for a Lyricist.

Lyrics

This song is lip-synced by Dilip Kumar after the love of his life Vyjayanthimala, a tribe-woman in the neighbouring area of Shyamnagar Timber Estate, where Pran was the Raja Ugra Narain (and Dilip Kumar as his estate manager) was killed whilst being raped by the Raja.

Have a look at the lyrics:

टूटे हुए ख़्वाबों ने, हमको ये सिखाया है
दिल ने, दिल ने जिसे पाया था, आँखों ने गंवाया है
टूटे हुए ख़्वाबों ने

हम ढूँढते हैं उनको, जो मिलके नहीं मिलते
रुठे हैं न जाने क्यूँ, (मेहमान मेरे दिल के – २)
क्या अपनी तमन्ना थी, क्या सामने आया है
दिल ने, दिल ने …
टूटे हुए …

लौट आई सदा मेरी, टकरा के सितारों से
उजड़ी हुई दुनिया के, (सुनसान किनारों से – २)
पर अब ये तड़पना भी, कुछ काम न आया है
दिल ने, दिल ने …
टूटे हुए …

Salil Chowdhury composed the song in Raag Darabari Kanada and it was sung by Mohammad Rafi.

My Own Poetry

KHWABON KA KYA BHAROSA?

उनको हाल-ए-दिल क्या सुना बैठे,
लगता है खुद को खुद से गंवा बैठे।

तब तक ज़िन्दगी में सब कुछ था मुझे याद,
अब तो ज़िन्दगी का सब कुछ भुला बैठे।

जान का सौदा किया था उनको पाने के लिए,
होश आया तो अपनी हस्ती मिटा बैठे।

कहा था सबने नज़रें बचा के रखना,
नज़रें मिलते ही क्या क्या लुटा बैठे।

मेरा दिल मुझसे ही दगा कर बैठा,
नाज़ुक लबों से जब वह मुस्करा बैठे।

थम गया समां बंद हो गयी दिल की धड़कन,
तसव्वुर में जब वह पास आ बैठे।

दिल्लगी उन्होंने की, हमें लगा सच ही होगा,
जागते सोते हज़ारों ख्वाब सजा बैठे।

उनके जाने का ग़म न होता मुझे, रवि,
ग़म तो यह है हम दिल पे लगा बैठे।

This Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Toote huye khwabon ne…

I hope you liked Song #20 in this series.

Please await Song #21: Dil ki tamanna thi masti mein.

Zindagi or Jeevan Songs Series

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Oct 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

I hope you liked my choice for Song #38 – Kahan jaa raha hai tu aye jaane wale in Zindagi or Jeevan Songs series. Let’s start with Song #39.

Song #39
Duniya mein agar aaye hain to jeena hi padhega
Theme-word: Jeevan hai agar zehar to peena hi padhega

Remembering Naushad on His Birth Anniversary 26 Dec

Shakeel and Naushad managed to make not just the best but the most memorable songs in Hindi movies. Each one is full of meaning. Each one carries forward the story of the movie.

This one from the 1957 Mehboob Khan’s iconic movie Mother India that nearly (lost by one vote) won the Oscar.

Romantically, the best remembered picture of Nargis is with Raj Kapoor under the umbrella in the song: Pyar hua iqraar hua. However, as far as her most iconic image is concerned, there are no two opinions about it; it is her carrying a plough in the poster of Mother India.

And this is the song of that image! This song describes what Mehboob Khan wanted to project as the image of Indian Woman as opposed to what Katherine Mayo did in her 1927 book Mother India that vilified her. Mehboob Khan wanted to project her as an intrepid woman who’d stand firm against all odds and circumstances.

I totally agree with this image since after my dad’s death by accident in 1984, my mother fought bravely against her circumstances (by herself in Kandaghat). At her death on 09 Aug 2017, they compared her to a Sherni (Lioness) who feared only God.

Shakeel Badayuni, Naushad, Lata Mangeshkar and Her Sister Usha

I think what Mehboob Khan wanted to achieve with Nargis as Mother India, he did very ably. Two others who helped him in this were Shakeel and Naushad; their songs are still as fresh as they were 63 years ago. This was sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Nargis and Usha Mangeshkar as chorus for the two of her boys in the film. In addition to the exquisite composition, I think the lyrics too contributed towards this song finding a place in the Hall of Fame and Greatness:

दुनिया में हम आये हैं तो जीना ही पड़ेगा
जीवन है अगर ज़हर तो पीना ही पड़ेगा
दुनिया …

गिर गिर के मुसीबत में सम्भलते ही रहेंगे
जल जाएं मगर आग पे चलते ही रगेंगे
ग़म जिसने दिये हैं बही ग़म दूर करेगा
दुनिया …

औरत है वही औरत जिसे दुनिया की शर्म है
संसार में बस लाज ही नारी का धर्म है
ज़िन्दा है जो इज़्ज़त से वही इज़्ज़त से मरेगा
दुनिया …

मालिक है तेरे साथ न डर ग़म से तू ये दिल
मेहनत करे इन्सान तो क्या काम है मुश्किल
जैसा जो करेगा यहाँ वैसा ही भरेगा
दुनिया …

The Song

Hats off to you, Naushad; hats off to you, Shakeel.
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Duniya mein hum aaye hain to jeena hi padhega….

I hope you enjoyed my choice for Song #39 in the series.

Please await Song #40 –  Zindagi kuchh to bata.

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

This is the Song #39 in the series. I hope you liked Song #38 – Tum pukaar lo.

Song #39
Raaton ko chori chori bole mera kangana
Theme-word:In the mukhada itself

SH Bihari – OP Nayyar – Asha Bhosle

It is rare for me to give you a song that has the theme-word in the mukhada itself. However, I have been meaning to put up this song for some time now.

I have liked all the lyrics of Shamsul Huda Bihari; particularly those that have been composed by OP Nayyar. One straightway thinks of Kashmir Ki Kali, Ek Mussafir Ek Hasina, Sawan Ki Ghata, and Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi.

OP Nayyar, of course, is best remembered for his songs with horse-trot beat such as Maang ke saath tumhara, Laakhon hain yahan dilwale and Phir wohi dil laya hoon. His movies had the largest number of hit and super hit songs. He claimed not to know much about raagas and the like and yet some of his songs were very well composed in raagas; his favourite being Raag Peelu or Pilu and next favourite being Pahadi.

He refused to have Lata sing any of his songs and hence Asha Bhosle was the hot favourite with him together with Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum.

Mohabbat Zindagi Hai – 1966 Movie

This movie was directed by Jagdish Nirula and starred Dharmendra, Rajshree, Chand Usmani and Mehmood.

The story was very interesting indeed. Rajshree’s father passes away and it is revealed in his will that Rajshree would inherit his property if she’d marry within three months of his dying.

She has a quick way out. She selects Dharmendra as an opportune husband because he is on the death row and would die and she would enjoy the riches of her dad without being encumbered by her spouse.

However, Dharmendra is pardoned and is free to go and that makes the background of the story to follow.

I have not been able to make out anywhere (since I didn’t see the movie) as to how Chand Usmani is singing this song at one end and on the other end Rajshree is in her bed. If any of you have seen the movie, please thrown some light on it.

The Song

I have always been fond of OP Nayyar’s compositions. He has done an exceedingly good job here to make it into a memorable song, Of course, SH Bihari’s lyrics are extraordinary:

रातो को चोरी चोरी बोले
मोरा कगना…
अब के जो बरखा आयी आएगे
सजना…
रातो को चोरी चोरी बोले
मोरा कगना…

कैसी अनोखी प्यारी होगी
वो राते
जबकि पिया से होगीे
मनवा की बाते…
दो चॉद चमकेगे मोरी
अटरिया …-२
एक तो कबर मे होगा दुजा
मोरे अगना
रातो को चोरी चोरी बोले
मोरा कगना…

विरहा अगन बैरी मन को
जलाय-२
बरखा की रिमझिम आग
लगाये
बदरो से केहदे कोइ अब के
बरसिया…-२
आ जाये सइया घर तो जम के
बरसना
रातो को चोरी चोरी बोले
मोरा कगना…
अब के जो बरखा आयी आएगे
सजना…

My Own Poetry

Raat Se Nahin Badalte Haalaat

कसम है तुम्हारी ऐसा लगा कल रात,
जैसे हमारे प्यार में कुछ बने यूँ हालात;

चांद से तुम उतरी, मैं ज़मीन से उठा,
फलक पे हमारी हो गयी मुलाकात।

दिल धड़कने की आवाज़ बनी शहनाई,
साथ में थी हसीं चांदनी की बारात,

फरिश्तों ने बरसाए फूल कई रंग के,
दुल्हन की तरह सजी थी सारी कायनात।

दिल की उमंगे कुछ इस कदर थी बुलंद,
लब खुले पर हो न पाई कोई बात;

बादल गरजे, बिजली चमकी और ऐसा लगा,
थमेगी न कभी इश्क़ की बरसात।

और फिर….

बिखर गए ख्वाब, टूट गए सपने,
तन्हाई की फिर से हो गयी शुरुआत;

हम वहीं खड़े थे जहां तुमने फना किये थे,
रफ्ता रफ्ता गुंचा-ए-दिल-ए-जज़्बात।

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Raaton ko chori chori bole mera kangana…

I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #39.

Please await Raat or Din Song #40- Ek woh bhi diwali thi.

Zindagi or Jeevan Songs Series

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Oct 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

I hope you liked my choice for Song #37 – Ek haseen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya in Zindagi or Jeevan Songs series. Let’s start with Song #38.

Song #38
Kahan jaa raha hai tu ai jaane wale
Theme-word: Ye jeevan safar ek andha safar hai

Remembering Mohammad Rafi on His Birth Anniversary 24 Dec

End of the year is the time of the year for retrospection. We were so keen to usher in New Year. But, did we do anything new at all? Did we get rid of old habits and adopted new virtues? Did we think of new ways to solve life’s problems? Or, we were just puppets at the hands of Time and drifted aimlessly?

As with everyone, I too get philosophical at the end of the year. In the end of the Year 2015 and beginning of the Year 2016 I wrote two important essays on philosophies. I am giving you the second one since it has the link of the first one in it:
Philosophies That May Help You 

Whither Goest Thou?

This song was penned by Shailendra and composed by Shankar Jaikishan for the 1955 Amiya Chakravarty movie starring Nutan as Gauri who is running away from the life of oppression.
It was sung by Mohammad Rafi whose Birth Anniversary is tomorrow, 24 Dec.

As with all Lyricists of that era, Shailendra too was seeped in scriptures. He has relied, no doubt, on the following:

“Quō vādis? (Classical Latin: [kʷoː ˈwaːdɪs], Ecclesiastical Latin: [kwo ˈvadis]) is a Latin phrase meaning “Where are you marching?”. It is also commonly translated as “Where are you going?” or, poetically, “Whither goest thou?”.

It also may refer to a Christian tradition regarding Saint Peter. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter (Vercelli Acts XXXV), Peter flees from crucifixion in Rome at the hands of the government, and along the road outside the city, he meets the risen Jesus. In the Latin translation, Peter asks Jesus, “Quō vādis?” He replies, “Rōmam eō iterum crucifīgī” (“I am going to Rome to be crucified again”). Peter then gains the courage to continue his ministry and returns to the city, where he is martyred by being crucified upside-down. The Church of Domine Quo Vadis in Rome is built where the meeting between Peter and Jesus allegedly took place.”

Please look at the extraordinarily beautiful lyrics penned by Shailendra:

कहाँ जा रहा है तू, ऐ जानेवाले
अँधेरा है मन का, दिया तो जला ले
कहाँ जा रहा है तू, ऐ जानेवाले
कहाँ जा रहा है

ये जीवन-सफ़र एक अँधा सफ़र है
बहकना है मुमकिन, भटकने का डर है
सँभलता नहीं दिल किसीके सँभाले
कहाँ जा रहा है तू, ऐ जानेवाले
कहाँ जा रहा है

जो ठोकर ना खाए, नहीं जीत उसकी
जो गिरके सँभल जा,ए है जीत उसकी
निशाँ मंज़िलों के ये पैरों के छाले
कहाँ जा रहा है तू, ऐ जानेवाले
कहाँ जा रहा है

My Own Poetry

I have many many poems on the subject. I have selected one for you about Life’s Lessons:

How many of us are able to read correctly,
When important lessons Life gives out?
Some are given directly but most are indirectly,
But we are still filled with unsurety and doubt.
These precious lessons then lie in vain,
Instead of learning we merely complain.

Life is the greatest teacher of them all,
There is so much to learn as we go along.
Some of us, not a single one, can recall,
Others by these have actually emerged strong.
These are provided by God totally free,
But we pretend to be blind and don’t see.

Many lessons are meant for a life’s phase,
You just can’t apply them later at will.
Some would last only for a few days,
Like the expiry date on a medicinal pill.
We can save ourselves grief if we act,
But we fail to gauge their impact.

We pray to God to give us various things,
And He often makes our prayers come true.
We never ask for ability to read what Life brings,
Most often than not we haven’t got a clue.
So, let’s ask God to gift us the blessing,
That Life’s lessons don’t find us guessing.

The Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Kahan ja raha hai tu ai jaane wale….

I hope you enjoyed my choice for Song #38 in the series.

Please await Song #39 –  Duniya mein agar aaye hain.

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 23 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

Last time, I gave you Beautiful Duet #38 – O shama mujhe phoonk de. So here, then, is the next one:

Song #39
Ye kaali kaali aankhen

Happy Birthday Shah Rukh Khan and Anu Malik 02 Nov

Whether or not you believe it, it is a duet between Kumar Sanu and Anu Malik, the composer of this song. Anu Malik sings in the interludes of the song (just as Rahul Dev Burman as Music Director used to do sometimes) whilst the main song was sung by Kumar Sanu for Shah Rukh Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan is all of 55 years old today. He was 23 years old when he acted in his first movie, a Lekh Tandon movie called Dil Dariya.

In his early days in the movies, the role he loved doing was that of anti-hero and this he did in two consecutive movies Darr and Baazigar. The 1993 movie Baazigar is the movie from where I have taken this song. His complete role was vengeful. This is the first of the many movies that he did with Kajol.

Anu Malik is 60 years old today. He made his debut as composer in Hunterwali 77, a 1980 movie.

Whereas Shah Rukh Khan has won 14 Filmfare Awards, including for this movie Baazigar, Anu Malik won two: one for this movie and another for 2005 movie Main Hoon Na, which too was a Shah Rukh Khan starrer.

The Song

Kumar Sanu won his fourth consecutive Filmfare Award for singing Yeh kaali kaali aankhen. Anu Malik has composed many songs that are “inspired” (a milder word for plagiarised). This one was “inspired” by an African hit “yeke yeke”.

This song was penned by Rani Malik:

ये काली काली आँखें
ये गोरे गोरे गाल
ये तीखी तीखी नज़रें
यह हिरणी जैसी चाल

देखा जो तुझे जानम
हुआ है बुरा हाल

मैं मिला
है तू मिली
तू मिली तू मिली

दुनिया जले तो जले
प्यार करेंगे
धक् धक् दिल यह करे
उफ़ तेरी दिल्लगी दिल को जलाने लगी
दिलरुबा तू मुझे नखरें दिखाने लगी
गैरो की बाहों में इठलाके जाने लगी
ये तेरी पैरों की मुझको सताने लगी
छोडो जी छोडो सनम
ज़िद अपनी छोडो सनम
नाज़ुक है दिल यह मेरा
दिल को न तोड़ो सनम

ये लम्बी लम्बी रातें
आखिर ले मुलाक़ातें
जाने क्यों दिल यह मेरा
तेरा ही होना चाहे
उसे मैला ना कर
ये गोरे गोरे गाल

न तू कर हाथ पैट
कर ब्याह जातपात
मेरी आ जा तू दिक़्क़त
करते प्यार का टिकट
न तू जुल्फें झटक
न तू पैर पटक
अरे ऐसा न मतक
दिल गया है बीटा
चहरे पे तेरे सनम
लैला की हैं शोखियाँ
हीर से बढ़के है
आँखों की ये मस्तियाँ
जूलिएट की तरह होठों
पे हैं सुर्खियां
देख ले खुद को
तू नज़र से मेरी जान-इ-जा
देखि जो तेरी अदा
मैं फिदा हो गया
सीने से लग जा ज़रा
जीने का आये मज़ा

ये बिखरे बिखरे ज़ुल्फ़ें
ये झुकी झुकी पलके
ये गोरी गोरी बाँहें
हम क्यों न तुम्हें चाहे
ऐसा तो हम ने पहले
देखा नहीं कमाल

ये काली काली आँखें…..

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy (I just made it one minute before the day ended): Yeh kaali kaali aankhen

I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #39.

Please await Beautiful Duet #40- Aaja re ab mera dil pukara.

RRR Songs (Songs of Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness)

I started this new series on 17 Jan 21 on my Facebook Group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne. My efforts failed to involve people in writing their own stuff about songs and music rather than copying and pasting from here and there or worse, just sharing url of songs from YouTube. Hence, I had decided to give the group a burial that it deserved rather than making it like thousands of groups on Facebook about songs with nothing unique about them at all.

Hence this series shifted to my page Lyrical.

I hope you liked RRR Song #18: Mujhe le chalo aaj us gali. Here is the next song:

Song #19
Tumhen zindagi ke ujaale mubarak

Dharmendra – Meena Kumari

This handsome young man from Phagwara in Punjab joined Hindi movies as an actor so that he would act opposite Meena Kumari.

He made his debut with 1960 Arjun Hingorani movie Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere, when he was not yet 25 years old. However, he had to wait for another four years before he could act opposite Meena Kumari in the 1964 AC Tirulokchander movie Main Bhi Ladki Hoon. That they jelled very well together can be made out from the success of the movie and particularly the song: Chanda se hoga woh pyaara in which Lata sang for Meena Kumari and PB Srinivas sang for Dharmendra; a beautiful duet indeed.

Purnima – 1964 Movie

Purnima, from where I have taken this song, was only their second movie together. It was a Narendra Suri movie in which he was Prakash and she was Purnima.

Gulzar

There were eight songs in the movie that were composed by Kalyanji Anandji. Gulzar had written two of these. These were the two in the movie that became super hits: Tumhen zindagi ke ujale mubarak sung by Mukesh for Dharmendra and Hamsafar mere hamsafar sung by Lata for Meena Kumari and Mukesh for Dharmendra.

What is this about Gulzar that makes his songs so popular?

He made his debut in the 1963 Bimal Roy movie Bandini when SD Burman and lyricist Shailendra had a tiff and SD Buman latched on to Sampooran Singh Kalra (Gulzar) to have another option. Gulzar wrote Mora gora rang lai le and there was no looking back for Gulzar.

Presently, he is the man who has won more awards than any other; as lyricist, producer, director, writer, dialogue writer etc.

NDTV selected him as one of the four Lyricists that would have the Best in them: Sahir, Shakeel, Gulzar and Majrooh. He has that kind of imagination and is fully deserving of the highest award: Dadasaheb Phalke Award, something that Majrooh had got before him.

The Lyrics

Please have a look at the most beautiful lyrics:

तुम्हे ज़िन्दगी के उजले मुबारक
अँधेरे हमे आज रास आ गए है
तुम्हे पके हम खुद से दूर हो गए थे
तुम्हे छोड़ कर अपने पास आ गए है
तुम्हे ज़िन्दगी के उजले मुबारक
अँधेरे हमें आज रास आ गए है

तुम्हारी वफ़ा से शिकायत नहीं है
निभाना तो कोई रवायात नहीं है
तुम्हारी वफ़ा से शिकायत नहीं है
निभाना तो कोई रवायात नहीं है
जहां तक कदम आ सके आ गए है
अँधेरे हमें आज रास आ गए है

चमन से चले है ये इलज़ाम लेकर
बहुत जी लिए हम तेरा नाम लेकर
चमन से चले है ये इलज़ाम लेकर
बहुत जी लिए हम तेरा नाम लेकर
मुरादों की मंजिल से दूर आ गए है
अँधेरे हमें आज रास आ गए है

तुम्हे ज़िन्दगी के उजले मुबारक
अँधेरे हमें आज रास आ गए है
तुम्हे पके हम खुद से दूर हो गए थे
तुम्हे छोड़ कर अपने पास आ गए है.

My Own Poetry

ZINDAGI AB BHI HAI LEKIN…

ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
तब नया सूरज उगा था
तब जलते चिरागों की लौ में
अँधेरे दूर भागते थे
अब रौशनी को तरसते रात के साये
बढ़ते ही जा रहे हैं
सबेरा दूर है, बहुत दूर
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है

ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
चमन में फूलों की खुशबु से
फ़िज़ाएं मदहोश थी तब
अब मुरझाये फूल गिरते हैं मज़ार पे
सूखे पत्तों के संग
लहर आई थी चले गयी
हम साहिल पे अब भी खड़े हैं इंतेज़्ज़ार में
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है

ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
तेरे क़दमों की आहट से
बंधे थे मेरे दिल के तार
तेरी साँसों में तब था
मेरे ही प्यार का खुमार
अब खाली पैमानों की बज़्म में
हम प्यासे खड़े हैं
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है

ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
तब हम मुन्तज़िर थे
तेरे अहद-ओ-पैमान से
अब नींद से जागी हमारी आँख
मौत का नज़ारा ढूंडती है
काश उस ज़िन्दगी को रोक लेते वहीँ
जो अब हर कहीं जिन्दगी का सहारा ढूंडती है
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है

ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
फरक सिर्फ इतना है:
तब सब कुछ हमारे आगे था
अब सब कुछ हमारे पीछे है
तब हम कहते थे, “यही है ज़िन्दगी”
और अब? अब सवाल ही सवाल है:
“बस यही है ज़िन्दगी, क्या?”
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है

This Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Tumhen zindagi ke ujale mubarak…

I hope you liked Song #19 in this series.

Please await Song #20: Toote huye khwabon ne.

 

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

This is the Song #38 in the series. I hope you liked Song #37 – Gumsum nisha aayi.

Song #38
Tum pukaar lo
Theme-word: Khwab chun rahi hai raat, Beqraar hai

Hemant Kumar

Hemant Kumar has been my favourite singer since my boyhood days and yet I am often very shy writing about him; just like I am writing about Mere Mehboob Tujhe.

Anyway, you will probably agree with me that some of the best songs sung by Hemant Kumar are on his compositions. This is one of them. What is more is that the movie Khamoshi of 1970 was also produced by him. He commissioned Asit Sen (not the comedian) to direct it for him.

Many of Hemant Kumar songs are to do with Khamoshi, Chup, Sannata and the like; Bus ye chup si lagi hai comes to your mind straightway and so does Chup hai dharti chup hai chand sitaare.

The fact is that for someone trained in Rabindra Sangeet (there is never a jarring note), Silence and Tranquillity come easily to Hemant Kumar. Picture this, for example:

पेड़ों की शाखों पे सोई सोई चाँदनी
तेरे खयालों में खोई खोई चाँदनी
और थोड़ी देर में थक के लौट जाएगी
रात ये बहार की फिर कभी न आएगी

Do you get the impression that there would be loud music? Or do you get the impression that the song in Raag Kafi would descend upon you like dew does in the night?

So, I think you have got the point: that’s Hemant Kumar for you; not only fond of Silence but asking of you to find your song (and hence your soul) in this Khamoshi. At this stage, I am often inspired to give you Wordsworth:

“The stars of midnight shall be so dear,
For her and she shall lean her ear,
In many a secret place;
Where rivulets dance their wayward round,
And beauty born of murmuring sound,
Shall pass into her face.”

Wordsworth could have written this about Hemant Kumar songs!

Khamoshi – 1970 Movie

This Asit Sen movie starred Rajesh Khanna as the man who has lost his noodles after being cheated in Love. Waheeda Rehman is a nurse at a mental asylum. Whereas, other nurses have found it beyond them to handle such cases, Waheeda Rehman has been the nurse of choice because of her empathy and sensitive handling.

Here the only problem is that closeness to Rajesh Khanna makes her dream too and then in the end, there is…..well….Khamoshi!

This is the main song of the theme of the movie. It was penned with great sensitivity by Gulzar and sung by Hemant Kumar as if playing gently with your own emotions:

तुम पुकार लो, तुम्हारा इन्तज़ार है,
तुम पुकार लो
ख़्वाब चुन रही है रात, बेक़रार है
तुम्हारा इन्तज़ार है, तुम पुकार लो

होंठ पे लिये हुए दिल की बात हम
जागते रहेंगे और कितनी रात हम
मुक़्तसर सी बात है तुम से प्यार है
तुम्हारा इन्तज़ार है, तुम पुकार लो

दिल बहल तो जायेगा इस ख़याल से
हाल मिल गया तुम्हारा अपने हाल से
रात ये क़रार की बेक़रार है
तुम्हारा इन्तज़ार है, तुम पुकार लो

My Own Poetry

I simply called it:
Sound of Silence

शोर ओ गुल में रूह की आवाज़ को भी सुन,
नूर ओ रंग में इस दबे राज़ को भी सुन।

बहुत दिलकश हैं ज़िन्दगी के हसीन नग़मे,
पर दूर कहीं बज रही है यह हल्की सी धुन।

फरेब-ऐ-नज़र है, सराब है, महज़ ग़ुबार है दुनिया,
जागते सोते चंद रोज़ के खवाइश-ऐ-ख्वाब न बुन।

रिश्ते, मुहबतें, याराने सब दिल ओ दिमाग की हैं बातें,
शहनाई की मुबारक धुन, घुंघरू की यह रूण झुन।

हमसफर रहे हैं अभी तक लालच, अना और खुद गर्ज़ी,
दौरान-ए-हयात में अब रहमत ओ रूहानियत भी चुन।

हंगामा-ए-जंगल में आवाज़ें बहुत रही हैं बुलंद,
गौर से, रवि, अब इस नन्हे परिंदे की भी सुन।

The Song

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Tum pukaar lo, Tumhara intezzaar hai…

I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #38.

Please await Raat or Din Song #39- Raaton ko chori chori bole mora kangana.

I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 23 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.

Last time, I gave you Beautiful Duet #37 – Main duniya bhula doonga. So here, then, is the next one:

Song #38
O shama mujhe phoonk de

Raag Bhairavi in 1962 Movie Aashiq

The favourite raag of Shankar Jaikishan again for the simple reason that there are dozens of beautiful songs composed by them in it and I haven’t given you anywhere close to enough. The 1962 movie Aashiq had something in common with the 1959 movie Anari in that both were directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Both being Raj Kapoor starrers had no surprises in lyricists, composers and music directors, and singers. The songs of the movie were penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra, composed by the greatest music duo in Hindi films: Shankar Jaikishan, and sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar.

If you were wondering as to why I brought the coincidence of Hrishikesh Mukherjee being the director of both the movies whose songs in Raag Bhairavi I have given in quick succession, then here is the main reason:
Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Raj Kapoor had a very close friendship. The most talked about movie of Hrishikesh Mukherjee was the 1971 movie Anand starring Rajesh Khanna in the title role and Amitabh Bachchan as his doctor Bhaskar Banerjee. Anand’s character was inspired by Raj Kapoor who was sick then. So fond was Hrishikesh Mukherjee of Raj Kapoor that he was fearful of losing him then. He said Raj Kapoor used to call him Babumoshai as Anand’s character calls the doctor in the film. Hence, we know that Amitabh Bachchan’s Bhaskar Banerjee is based on Hrishikesh Mukherjee himself, keeping the Bengali identity as a clue, and Rajesh Khanna was Anand Saigal, a Punjabi, like Raj Kapoor. That was the extent of their friendship.

Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar

Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar, the singers of the duet that I am giving you, made some of the most enchanting duets in Raj Kapoor movies. I had a Facebook group called Dil Ki Nazar Se based on the title of their duet in 1959 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Anari. Some of the other are: Aa ab laut chalen, Dum bhar jo udhar moonh phere, and Aaja re ab mera dil pukaara.

Raj Kapoor and Padmini

The song has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh on the lyrics of Shailendra and composition by Shankar Jaikishan. As I said, it is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava. The song is picturised on Raj Kapoor and Padmini. A word about them at this stage:

Raj Kapoor acted with Nargis in as many as 17 movies, from 1947 movie Aag to 1956 movie Chori Chori. Once the Raj Kapoor-Nargis era got over, Raj Kapoor was looking for a replacement. During the shooting of Chori Chori in Madras, Raj and Padmini came close as she was working in the next studio. After that they met in Moscow where Raj Kapoor had gone to attend Karlovy Vary Award Function and she was there with her sister Ragini for a Youth Festival. After the sudden departure of Nargis from Moscow, when Raj Kapoor fell ill, it was Padmini who nursed him. Raj Kapoor told his friends that he made the 1960 movie Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai with Padmini to express his gratitude to her. Rumours started abounding that Raj Kapoor was besotted with her due to her ample physicial assets. A proof of that was that Raj Kapoor turned to display her sensuousness in the movies, something that he hadn’t done with Nargis; eg, the song Ho maine pyar kiya picturised on Padmini in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behati Hai was done in a swim suit and focussed on her cleavage and sexuality. Padmini was pregnant when she acted with Raj Kapoor in 1962 Hrishikesh Mukherjee Aashiq that was produced by Bunny Reuben and VK Dubey. There were rumours galore when she delivered in the 8th month of her marriage though most of these were later proved to be unfounded.

The Lyrics

ओ शमा मुझे फूंक दे
मैं न मैं रहूँ, तू न तू रहे
यही इश्क़ का है दस्तूर
परवाने जा है अजब चलन
यहाँ जीते जी अपना मिलन
क़िस्मत को नहीं मंजूर

शाम से लेकर रोज़ सहर तक तेरे लिए मैं हर रात जली
मैंने तो हाय ये भी न जाना कब दिन डूबा कब रात ढली
फिर भी है मिलने से मजबूर
ओ शमा मुझे…

पत्थर दिल है ये जगवाले, जाने न कोई मेरे दिल की जलन
जबसे है जनमी प्यार की दुनिया, तुझको है मेरी मुझे तेरी लगन
तुझ बिन ये दुनिया है बेनूर
परवाने जा है…

हाय री क़िस्मत अंधी क़िस्मत, देख सकी न मेरी-तेरी ख़ुशी
हाय री उल्फ़त बेबस उल्फ़त, रो के थकी जल-जल के मरी
दिल जो मिले किसका था क़सूर
ओ शमा मुझे…
परवाने जा है…

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: O shama mujhe phoonk de…

I hope you liked my choice of Beautiful Duet #38.

Please await Beautiful Duet #39- Ye kaali kaali aankhen.

RRR Songs (Songs of Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness)

I started this new series on 17 Jan 21 on my Facebook Group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne. My efforts failed to involve people in writing their own stuff about songs and music rather than copying and pasting from here and there or worse, just sharing url of songs from YouTube. Hence, I had decided to give the group a burial that it deserved rather than making it like thousands of groups on Facebook about songs with nothing unique about them at all.

Hence this series shifted to my page Lyrical.

I hope you liked RRR Song #17: Bhooli huyi yaadon mujhe. Here is the next song:

Song #18
Mujhe le chalo aaj phir us gali mein

Sharabi – 1964 Movie

When it came to women, the roles in which each one of them had to show their mettle were as courtesans and the ones in which they could dance in wet saree.

Men also had equally cliched roles. One of these was to act sharabi (intoxicated). One would feel that great actors did justice to this in many films: Raj Kapoor (eg, Ruk jaa o jaane wali ruk jaa, perhaps the only song that he addressed to a liquor bottle, Dilip Kumar (eg, Mujhe duniyawalo sharabi na samajho), Raaj Kumar (Chhu lene do naazuk honthon ko), Rajendra Kumar (eg, Chhalke teri aankhon se sharaab aur zyadah), Shammi Kapoor (eg, Ye duniya usi ki zamaana usi ka) and Dev Anand.

It appears that Dev Anand was particularly suited for this since he was asked to do it gain and again; whether in a put up drunkenness in Kaala Pani with the song: Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukare chale gaye or in Manzil Yaad aa gayin woh nasheeli nigaahen. Lets face it; he was good at it. In his own movie Guide, for example, when he sang Din dhal jaaye haay raat na jaaye, most people had their paisa wasool.

This 1964 Raj Rishi movie had the complete movie with him as Sharabi; obsessed with liquor. Though he tried to make amends, his love for Madhubala and liquor won over everything.

This Song

It is considered by me as the best song of the movie competing with other drunken songs such as Kabhi na kabhi, kahin na kahin, koi na koi to aayega and Sawan ke maheene mein.

First of all, it is a super slow song of Rafi in league with such slow numbers as Main ye soch kar uske dar se utha tha of Haqeeqat. Secondly, it talks about the first time when he fell in love and stumbled. Thirdly, the lyrics of Rajinder Krishan and composition of Madan Mohan have the requisite regret and repentance. You don’t know whether to hate him or love him for what he had become.

Lets take the extraordinary lyrics:

मुझे ले चलो, आज फिर उस गली में
जहाँ पहले-पहले, ये दिल लड़खड़ाया
वो दुनिया, वो मेरी मोहब्बत की दुनिया
जहाँ से मैं बेताबियाँ लेके आया
मुझे ले चलो …

जहाँ सो रही है मेरी ज़िंदगानी
जहाँ छोड़ आया मैं अपनी जवानी
वहाँ आज भी एक चौखट तज़ा
मोहब्बत के सजादों की होगी निशानी -२
मुझे ले चलो …

वो दुनिया जहाँ उसके नक़्श-ए-कदम हैं
वहीं मेरी खुशियाँ, वहीं मेरे ग़म हैं
मैं ले आऊँगा खाक उस रहगुज़र की
के उस रहगुज़रा की, तो ज़र्रे सनम है -२
मुझे ले चलो …

वहाँ एक रँगेएं चिलमन के पीछे
चमकता हुआ उसका, रुख़सार होगा
बसा लूँगा आँखों में वो रोशनी मैं
यूँ ही कुछ इलाज-ए-दिल-ए-ज़ार होगा -२
मुझे ले चलो …

मुझे ले चलो, आज फिर उस गली में
जहाँ पहले-पहले, ये दिल लड़खड़ाया
वो दुनिया, वो मेरी मोहब्बत की दुनिया
जहाँ से मैं बेताबियाँ लेके आया
मुझे ले चलो …

My Own Poetry

Here is how to correct the mistake Dev Anand did with Madhubala in this movie:

Mujhe Peene Do

रुह कांप गयी उसे जब चला पता,
घर में आज शराब खत्म है;
कैसे हो गई यह शर्मनाक खता?
खता नहीं हक़ीक़त में सितम है।

पूरे घर को छान मारा,
कहीं न मिले गांधी वाले नोट,
सोचा आज करते हैं मय से किनारा,
हालांके दिल पे लगेगी चोट।

फिर देखा बीवी गयी है नहाने,
बाहर छोड़ गई है सोने की चेन,
बाद में उसके सुनेंगे ताने,
पहले हो जाये शराब का लेन देन।

बोतल गयी अंदर, झूम गया आलम,
बन गए कल्लू मियां तानसेन,
बीवी ने पूछा सुनते हो बालम,
कहाँ गयी मेरे सोने की चेन?

“भूल जाओ आज ज़िन्दगी के गम” वो गाये,
“चेन से तुम कई गुना हो हसीं”
बीवी चिल्लाई: “मैं मर गयी, हाय,
इसकी भी शराब तो न पी ली कहीं?”

रसोई से बीवी ने बेलन उठाया,
और दिया कल्लू के सर पर मार;
तानसेन झट हो गया पराया,
उतर गया फितूर ए खुमार I

भाईयो इसमें छुपी है एक गहरी सीख:
गरीबखाने में गर शान से जीना,
और मांगनी न पड़े किसी से भीख
तो बीवी को भी सिखा दो पीना।

गोल्ड चेन के सारे ख्वाब,
उसके चले जायेंगे दूर;
हसीं लगेगी उसको भी शराब,
चढ़ा रहेगा हरदम सरूर।

देर मत कीजिये, बीवी को है सिखाना,
आज ही शुरू करें online class,
Women empowerment का है ज़माना,
उसके लिए अलग बोतल और गिलास।

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Mujhe le chalo aaj phir us gali mein…

I hope you liked Song #18 in this series.

Please await Song #19: Tumhen zindagi ke ujaale mubarak.