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 #30 in the series. I hope you liked Song #29 – Savere wali gaadi se chale jaayenge.
Song 30
Jab raat nahin katati, Ek raat nahin katati, Zindagi kaise kategi?
A Zindagi Song as Raat Song
The other day, I preferred to put Farida Khannum’s Aaj jaane ki zidd na karo as Zindagi song and not as Raat song. That’s because whilst Fayaz Hashmi talked about Raat, his lesson or focus was life.
In this song, I feel the focus is Raat.
A friend of mine would have killed two birds with one stone and put it up as a song in both the series. Busy people do have their ways. Thank God, I never was too busy to see things.
Lata Mangeshkar, Qamar Jalalabadi and Hansraj Behl
My dad was very fond of Hansraj Behl. He used to sing this song even though it was a female song (Lata Mangeshkar singing for Bina Rai). Two years later we saw Bhangra, the Punjabi movie and then my dad’s adoration for Hansraj Behl went up to zenith. The fact is that even I recall most of the songs of Bhangra, thanks to my dad.
This song was penned by Qamar Jalalabadi.
Changez Khan – 1957 Movie
It was a Kedar Kapoor movie made during the times when we went out and explored the world to make Hindi movies; eg, Kabuli Khan about Afghani immigrants, Yahudi about the condition of Jews in Rome and so on.
Changez Khan had Sheikh Mukhtar in the title role. After a military campaign against the Tatars, the Mongols under Changez Khan (Genghis Khna) gather in their camp and look at the loot and prisoners: young men and women.
Changez is not satisfied since he had fallen in love with Tatar princess Azra (Bina Rai). So besotted is he with her that he is ready to lay waste everything in order to get her.
He lets out a reign of tyranny against the Tatars so as to win Azra. Tatar Commander is Sherwa (Prem Nath) is captured by him but escapes.
Finally one day he takes some women prisoners and Azra is one of them. He is overjoyed but it turns out that she is Azra’s twin sister: Zohra.
Finally, after a long winding story he has Azra and offers that he would give up his tyrannical ways if she should marry him.
The song, for you, is the hint.
The Song
All four deserve credit for the song: Here are the lyrics of Qamar Jalalabadi:
जब रात नहीं कटती
एक रात नहीं कटती
ज़िन्दगी कैसे कटेगी
जो आग़ लगी दिल में, अश्क़ों ने बुझाई है,
अश्क़ोन ने जो भड़काई आग़ वो कैसे बुझेगी
दे-दे के हमें आँसू, ये दुनिया ख़ुशी मांगे,
जो शाख़ से टूटी हो, कली वो कैसे खिलेगी
ऐ दर्द ज़रा दम ले, मरने की दुआ कर लूँ,
गर हम न मिटे ऐ दिल, मौत फिर कैसे जियेगी
Hansraj Behl’s composition is simply awesome and so is Lata’s singing. Bina Rai of Anarkali fame enacted it.
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Jab raat nahin katati, Ek raat nahin katati, Zindagi kaise kategi…
I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #30.
Please await Raat or Din Song #31- Raaton ko chori chori.
