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 #44 in the series. I hope you liked Song #43 – Mujhe chhu rahi hain teri.
Song #44
Bheegi bheegi raaton mein
Happy Birthday Zeenat Aman
Having been born on this day in 1951, she won both the Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International Contest in 1970. She immediately, thereafter, joined Hindi movies and her first big success came in 1971 Dev Anand movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna. She was his sister in the movie and she became an international craze with the Hippie song Dum maro dum.
She continued being the heart throb of fans like me all over India and abroad in Yaadon Ki Baraat, Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin (wherein she equaled the art of Rishi Kapoor in qawwali singing, Great Gambler, Ajanabee (this song’s movie), Roti Kapada Aur Makan, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Qurbani, Don and Lawaris.
We all loved the Anglicized way in which she lisped her dialogues but also admired the way she kept adding to her acting skills.
Ajanabee – 1974 Movie
Shakti Samanta’s movie. He was used to making a super hit movie once every two years. Being a Bengali, he preferred Sharmila Tagore in his movies such as Kashmir Ki Kali and Amar Prem. But, here, he wanted to cash on the newfound craze of people for Zeenie Baby and he was proved right. She acted opposite super star Rajesh Khanna at the pinnacle of his success and the reviews said that she could hold on her own as an actress.
Wet Clothes Song in the Rain
There are a few milestones that any new actress in Hindi movies have to successfully cross. One of these is being a courtesan (how Hindi movies love these girls who are invariably forced to become courtesans). Nargis, Suchitra Sen, Meena Kumari, Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini, and Rekha have all gratefully done these roles. The other is, of course, wet saree song in rain. Women who have come out on the other side of success include Mumtaz (with the same actor Rajesh Khanna), Nutan, Vyjayanthimala. You name it, they have all done it.
Zeenie baby has done this with “practised innocence” and that has added to her sensuousness. Rajesh Khanna was, of course, an expert at making women wet. One of his targets was Sharmila Tagore who mastered the art of being pregnant when made wet in rain (Roop tera mastana etc).
I would like to say that the lyrics and composition of this song are such that Zeenie baby comes out winner without having to have a bun in the oven like La Tagore.
The Song
Anand Bakshi’s most versatile pairing was with Laxmikant Pyarelal. The second most versatile was with RD Burman; some called him a genius both with instruments and non-instruments.
I loved all the songs of Ajanabee and there is no denying the fact that this was the most popular:
किशोर: भीगी भीगी रातों में, मीठी मीठी बातों में
ऐसी बरसातो में, कैसा लगता है?
लता: (ऐसा लगता है तुम बनके बादल,
मेरे बदन को भिगोके मुझे, छेड़ रहे हो ओ
छेड़ रहे हो ) – २
लता: (अम्बर खेले होली उई माँ
भीगी मोरी चोली, हमजोली, हमजोली ) – २
ओ, पानी के इस रेले में सावन के इस मेले में
छत पे अकेले में
कैसा लगता है
किशोर: ऐसा लगता है
तू बनके घटा अपने सजन को भिगोके खेल खेल रही हो ओ
खेल रही हो
लता: ऐसा लगता है
तुम बनके बादल मेरे बदन को भिगोके मुझे छेड़ रहे हो हो.
छेड़ रहे हो
किशोर: (बरखा से बचा लूँ तुझे
सीने से लगा लूँ
आ छुपा लूं आ छूपा लूँ ) – २
दिल ने पुकारा देखो रुत का इशारा देखो
उफ़ ये नज़ारा देखो
कैसा लगता है, बोलो?
लता: ऐसा लगता है कुछ हो जायेगा
मस्त पवन के ये झोकें सैंया देख रहे हो ओ
देख रहे हो
ऐसा लगता है
तुम बनके बादल मेरे बदन को भिगोके मुझे छेड़ रहे हो हो
छेड़ रहे हो
As you can make out, Kishore Kumar has sung for Rajesh Khanna and Lata Mangeshkar for Zeenie baby. I could have very well taken up this song as a Beautiful Duet too.
My Own Poetry
All poets have attempted to write what rain does to a female. Sahir wrote so good about it that they made a movie (Barsaat Ki Raat) on this theme. Look at his imagination:
हाय वो रेशमी ज़ुल्फ़ों से बरसता पानी
फूल से गालों पे रुकने को तरसता पानी
दिल में तूफ़ान उठाते हुए
दिल में तूफ़ान उठाते हुए जज़बात की रात
ज़िंदगी भर नहीं भूलेगी …
डर के बिजली से अचानक वो लिपटना उसका
और फिर शर्म से बलखाके सिमटना उसका
कभी देखी न सुनी ऐसी हो
कभी देखी न सुनी ऐसी तिलिस्मात कि रात
ज़िंदगी भर नहीं भूलेगी …
सुर्ख आंचल को दबाकर जो निचोड़ा उसने
दिल पे जलता हुआ एक तीर सा छोड़ा उसने
आग पानी में लगाते हुए
आग पानी में लगाते हुए हालात कि रात
ज़िंदगी भर नहीं भूलेगी …
However, you have to admit that age catches on and then we have only memories and Armaan left. Here is my poem Kuchh Soye Huye Armaan that would fit many of us on the other side of Sixty:
आधी रात को जब उसने बुलाया “honey”,
बढ़ गयी तुरंत मेरी diabetes;
सांस का तेज हो जाना स्वाभाविक था,
दिल की धड़कन भी हो गयी increase.
सब कुछ बढ़ चढ़ के उछाले मारने लगा,
एक brain ही था जो हो गया था seize.
पैंतीस साल हो गए हमारी शादी को,
अभी भी हूँ मैं प्यार का मरीज़ I
गर्मा गर्मी में वो अरमान भी जाग उठे,
जो कल तक लेटे थे होके freeze.
आज तक कभी हिम्मत न हुई थी,
पर अब हमें भी जोश आ गया, please.
और हमने बढ़े इश्किया आवाज़ में कहा:
कल देखेंगे, अब न करो हमें tease.
वो बोली: “खिड़की बंद करने के लिए जगाया था,
और तुम क्या समझे थे, बद्तमीज़?”
“मुझे खूब पता है तुम्हारी काबलियत का,
पुराने जोड़ो में अब नहीं है grease.”
बुढापा आ गया, हमने अंदाज़ ऐ ग़म में सोचा,
छूट गयी हमसे जवानी की दहलीज़।
एक ज़माना था बंद खिड़किया खोल देते थे हम,
अब बोलती बंद है, हम बने हैं नाचीज़।
काश कहीं से जवानी वापिस आ जाए,
और बन जाए मेरी मुस्तक़िल अज़ीज़ I
Ladies and gentlemen, for those who still feel young here is Zeenie baby setting your imagination and armaan on fire with: Bheegi bheegi raaton mein…
I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #44.
Please await Raat or Din Song #45 – Mera naam chin chin chu.
