I hope you liked the first post in the series: ‘Rajinder Krishan Song Of The Week #3 – Ye Hawa Ye Raat Ye Chandni‘. Lets begin with this song of his as the Song of the Week #4 as it appeared on my Facebook group ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne‘.
Rajinder Krishan Song of the Week (RKSOW)
Week#4
Na jhatko zulf se paani
Songs Describing the Beauty of Women
Shakeel Badayuni was the only lyricist who had a hat-trick of Filmfare Awards from 1961 to 63. The first two out of these three were songs describing the beauty of women; viz, Chaudhvinh ka chand ho (Guru Dutt describing the beauty of Waheeda Rehman) and Husnwale tera jawab nahin (Rajendra Kumar describing Asha Parekh’s beauty).
Of course, almost all lyricists of fame have covered themselves in glory with such songs.
And what have the women done whilst listening to such descriptions of their beauty being sung to them, more often than not in the voice of Mohammad Rafi? They have tried to give those looks ranging from shy fascination to quizzical amusement and in the process managed to look even more seductive and even coy.
Zulf as Beauty Symbol
Aankhen and Honth are of course of particular interest to the lyricists. These are as they exist around the world with any number of songs made on Eyes and Lips. Just one example of the popularity of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Spanish Eyes would tell you about the point I am making.
However, a typically and uniquely focus for Indian lyricsts has been Zulf or Zulfen. You can expect a Rajesh Khanna singing to Mumtaz at the height of his career: Ye reshmi zulfen, ye nargisi aankhen, inhen dekh kar jee rahe hain sabhi. Then there is Sanjeev Kumar singing to Indrani Mukherjee: Tumhari zulf ke saaye mein sham kar lunga. Another one sings to his lady love: Bikhra ke zulfen chaman mein na aana. The one who crossed all limits was the one who sang: Tu mere saamne hai, teri zulfen hain khuli….main bhala hosh mein kaise rahun.
Surely, people around the world must have been amused about Indian male’s fixation for Zulfen. Guys who are separated think of Zulfen as the first loss; eg, Teri zulfon se judayi to nahin maangi thi.
Rajinder Krishan and Ravi
In such a scenario, I think, Rajinder Krishan can be excused for letting the hero (Biswajeet) notice on the wet body of the heroine (Rajshree), of all the things, Zulf. Many around the world would say: “Hair today, gone tomorrow.” But, as far as Indians are concerned hair are here to stay forever and ever.
Ravi was one music director who learnt music by observation but managed to learn far better than those formally trained. What is more he even learnt Hindustani classical music and many of his songs are raaga based. This one is in Raag Pilu or Peelu, Tal Kaherava. Pilu is, as it is a raag of devotion and piety and if you look at the hero Biswajeet, you would notice that he is full of these two feelings and not seduction which would be the case, say, in Shammi Kapoor’s song Is rang badalti duniya mein insaan ki neeyat theek nahin (Hasrat – Shankar Jaikishan – Mohammad Rafi) or Joy Mukherjee singing to Asha Parekh: Aa ja re aa zara (Love In Tokyo).
Rajshree
Between the two; Biswajeet and Rajshree, she is the one who is using seduction by – as Somerset Maugham would say – looking at him with “practised innocence” all throughout.
She is the daughter of the celebrated film-maker V Shantaram from his second wife Jayshree whom V Shantaram married at the age of 40, after 20 years of his first marriage to a 12 years old Vimlabai who gave a traditional welcome to Jayshree after her husband married her. She, Vimlabai that is, drew the line only when her husband married for the third time Sandhya. Jayshree and Sandhya have acted in V Shantaram’s movies and sometimes together.
Rajshree is married to Greg Chapman in America three years after she toured America with Raj Kapoor for the shooting of his movie Around The World. Lucky for Biswajeet that Shehnai, the movie in which the present song featured was released in 1964 and much before Rajshree was jhatkaoing her Zulf for none of the Indians but an American.
Lyrics
I have always considered Rajinder Krishan as having extraordinary imagination. I have highlighted for you parts wherein he let his imagination seek expression:
Na jhatko zulf se paani ye moti phoot jayenge
Tumhara kuchc na bigdega magar dil toot jayenge
Na jhatko zulf se paani
Ye bheegi raat ye bheega badan ye husn ka aalam
Ye sab andaz mil kar do jahan ko loot jayenge
Na jhatko zulf se paani
Ye naazuk lab hain ya aapas me do lipti hui kaliyan
Zara inko alag kar do tarannum phoot jayenge
Na jhatko zulf se paani
Hamari jaan le lega ye neechi aankh ka jaadu
Chalo achha hua mar kar jahan se chhoot jayenge
Na jhatko zulf se paani
Mohammad Rafi
I regard Mohammad Rafi as the best singer in all genre’s of music. However, the passion with which he sang the songs describing the beauty of women leaves me stunned. And here and elsewhere he does so effortlessly. I am sure Rajshree would have got drenched not just in water.
Shehnai
This 1964 movie was produced and directed by SD Narang and is not based on a musical instrument or on the lifetime of a musician. On the other hand, the film is about n IAF pilot’s widow who goes through hardship and loneliness in order to fulfil her husband’s last wish to make her son an Air Force pilot. It is anybody’s guess as to why they named it Shehnai!
Please Enjoy: Na jhatako zulf se paani…
I hoped my choice of song for RKSOW #4.
Please await the next song in the series.
