Songs That Tug At Your Emotions – Song #34

The thirty-fourth song in this series.

Dil ne phir yaad kiya….

This was the title song of the 1966 movie: Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya that was produced by BL Rawal, written by GL Rawal and directed by CL Rawal. The movie starred Dharmendra, Nutan and Rehman in a complex triangle.

I saw the movie with my parents in the hill town of Dalhousie where I had gone with my parents from Chamba (about 45 Kms away). My father was posted as a Horticulture Development Officer there.

To understand the song one has to know the story and I shall straightway tell you that:

Dharmendra as Ashok is in love with and wants to marry Nutan as Ashoo. In the toy store wherein Ashok works, he has a close friend Amjad (Rehman). Rehman’s marriage has been fixed with Shabnam (also played by Nutan though Ashok doesn’t know this).

As the story progresses, Ashok goes to the village to marry Ashoo and finds she has been abducted by his brother Bhagat (Jeevan) after killing her brother Bhagwan. Ashok successfully rescues Ashoo and they head to the city to attend Amjad’s wedding with Shabnam.

The train that they travel by meets with an accident. Ashok survives but Ashoo dies. Amjad finds that his friend Ashok is under tremendous shock and asks Shabnam to act like Ashoo with Ashok. Ashok suspects that Ashoo has changed (he doesn’t realise it is Shabnam) and that’s how this song came about.

He starts singing this song (Mohammad Rafi sings for him) in a boat rowed by him where his friend Amjad and Shabnam sit opposite him. He reminds her of the past which is no more there now. Suman Kalyanpur sings for Shabnam (as Nutan) and tells about the cards that fate played to her (she having reluctantly agreed to act as Ashoo at the behest of her would-be husband Amjad (Rehman). Finally, in the song, Mukesh sings for Amjad (Rehman) and he tells about his own emotions.

The song’s lyrics were written by GS Rawal who also wrote the lyrics for the 1968 CL Rawal movie Aabroo starring Ashok Kumar, Vimi and Rehman. Finally, he wrote the songs of the 1971 CL Rawal movie Ladki Pasand Hai starring Mumtaz, Deepak Kumar and Jeevan. All his songs were composed by Sonik Omi.

A complete list of his songs is (Songs #1 to 10 for this movie, 11 to 17 for Aabroo and 18 to 25 for Ladki Pasand Hai):

1″Aaja Re Pyar Pukare”Lata Mangeshkar
2″Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya”Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Suman Kalyanpur
3″Main Suraj Hoon Tu Meri Kiran”Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
4″Lo Chehra Surkh Sharab Hua”Mohammed Rafi
5″Hamen To Khushi Hai”Asha Bhosle
6″Kaliyon Ne Ghunghat Khole”Mohammed Rafi
7″Yeh Dil Hai Mohabbat Ka Pyasa”Mukesh
8″Yun Chaal Chalo Na Matwali”Mohammed Rafi
9″Humne Jalwa Dikhaya To Jal Jaoge”Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle
10″Main To Naina Ladake”Usha Khanna, Usha Mangeshkar, Krishna Kalle
11 “Aap Se Pyaar Hua Aap Khafa Ho Baithe” Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle
12 “Aap Se Pyaar Hua Aap Khafa Ho Baithe” Mohammed Rafi
13 “Meri Aankhon Ke Ujale” Mohammed Rafi
14 “Yeh Dil Nahin Ki Jiske Sahare Jeete Hain” Mohammed Rafi
15 “Jinhen Ham Bhulna Chaahein Woh Aksar Yaad Aate Hain” Mukesh
16 “Aai Aai Re Holi” Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey
17 “Yeh Vaadi-E-Kashmir” Mohammed Rafi
18″Tu Kar De Nazar Se Mastana Main Cheez Hai Kya” – Hemlata, Mukesh
19″Maan Bhi Jao Sanam Ruth Ke Jaya Na Karo” – Mohammed Rafi
20″Vafaa Ke Naam Par Mitanaa, Agar Tu Aabaru Apani” – Mukesh
21″Zulfon Me Chupana Kya, Main Apne DilMein” – Hemlata, Mohammed Rafi
22″Jawani Phir Na Aayegi mahobbat phir” – Hemlata
23″Pappa Humse Pyar Karo” – Hemlata, Sulakshana Pandit, Usha Timothy
24″Ho Bhala Pyar Ka Ek Ho Gaye Begane Do” – Mahendra Kapoor, Mumtaz
25″Kaha Le Kar Jaye Ye Tuta Hua Dil” – Lata Mangeshkar

Sonik Omi, the composers and music directors have been associated with many more movies than the three that GS Rawal wrote the songs of. The duo consists of Master Sonik and his nephew Om Prakash. Some of their best-known works are Bhakti Mein Shakti, Dharma, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (1966), Sawan Bhadon, Aabroo, and Raftaar.

Besides the songs that they composed for GS Rawal, some of the their other popular songs are: Raaz ki baat keh doon to (Dharma), Kaan mein jhumka and Sun sun sun O gulabi kali (Sawan Bhadon), Lehnga manga de mere babu (Beti), and Donon ne kiya tha pyar magar (Mahua).

As far as the lead pair of Dharmendra and Nutan is concerned, they acted together in five movies: The 1962 Rajnish Behl movie Soorat ASur Seerat was their first in the year 1962. One year later they were together in Bimal Roy’s Bandini though she continued being in love with Ashok Kumar in the movie. Then they were together in this movie and one year after that they were together in DD Kashyap movie Dulhan Ek Raat Ki with a favourite Lata Mangeshkar song of mine: Sapnon mein agar mere tum aao to so jaayun and a beautiful Rafi song: Ek haseen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya. In 1988 they were somewhat together in a masala film: Sone Pe Suhaaga.

I saw three of them: Bandini, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya and Dulhan Ek Raat Ki and in the last two of these Rehman acted with them. Hats off to him for he could so easily fit into a variety of roles: Hero, side-hero, and even villain.

Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur and Mukesh sing a composition of Sonik Omi on the lyrics of GS Rawal in the 1966 CL Rawal movie Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya with the actors Dharmendra, Nutan and Rehman thrown into a situation beyond their control: Dil ne phir yaad kia….

दिल ने फिर याद किया बर्क़ सी लहराई है
फिर कोई चोट मुहब्बत की उभर आई है
दिल ने फिर याद किया …

वो भी क्या दिन थे हमें दिल में बिठाया था कभी
और हँस हँस के गले तुम ने लगाया था कभी
खेल ही खेल में क्यों जान पे बन आई है
फिर कोई चोट मुहब्बत की …

क्या बतायें तुम्हें हम शम्मा की क़िसमत क्या है
आग में ग़मे के जलने के सिवा मुहब्बत क्या है
ये वो गुलशन है कि जिस में न बहार आई है
दिल ने फिर याद किया …

हम वो परवाने हैं जो शम्मा का दम भरते हैं
हुस्न की आग में खामोश जला करते हैं
आह भी निकले तो प्यार की रुसवाई है
फिर कोई चोट मुहब्बत की …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRnI2xb2biI

Often, my first requirement of a song that tugs at my emotions is its lyrics. These should be so powerful that these can stand without any composition. You would agree with me that GS Rawal created a classic here. It won’t have been an easy task considering that both Nutan and Rehman can only bare their hidden emotions without letting the cat out of the bag. GS Rawal has done a great job of giving vent to the emotions of these two and, in the first stanza, of Dharmendra who thinks that his beloved is behaving differently (not knowing that she died).

Sonik Omi’s composition and music have significantly added to the emotions of this impossible situation in which the three find themselves. It has notes of regret, ruefulness, hurt innocence and that remarkable enigma.

And finally, you would agree with me that the three singers: Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur and Mukesh have excelled without taking anything away from one another. If you were to choose a winner I am sure you would choose all three.

In every possible aspect, the song goes deep in your heart and makes a niche there and refuses to leave.

Lastly, the scene of the song: in a boat in a lake with Dharmendra trying to be in control of the boat whereas the other two are helpless for having lost all control.

I hope you liked it too.

Please await the next song in the series.