I hope you liked the last post in the series: ‘Rajinder Krishan Song Of The Week #5 – Humse Aaya Na Gaya‘. Lets begin with this song of his as the Song of the Week #6 as it appeared on my Facebook group ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne‘.
Rajinder Krishan Song of the Week (RKSOW)
Week #6
Kabhi na kabhi, kahin na kahin, koi na koi to aayega
Much Before COVID 19
This song was penned by Rajinder Krishan, composed by Madan Mohan and sung by Mohammad Rafi in an era when people craved for contact with others. Instances wherein meeting people would result in deaths were very limited (The closest was that a villain called Pran would make damsels pregnant by simply looking at them; but then, becoming pregnant was the potential of adding lives rather than extinguishing them). Yes, lovers, especially in Hindi movie, often bemoaned that Love actually killed them (they have penned any number of songs to that effect). But, you know that that was only for dramatic effect and no one was ever proved clinically dead by a doctor.
You can, therefore, conclude that craving for human contact was a desire that most people had.
Sharabi
Dev Anand as Keshav in 1964 Raj Rishi movie Sharabi didn’t have to be Corona positive to kill himself; he had liquor and he was, in the movie, on a path of self-destruction faster than any virus could. He had promised to reform (most drunkards do it and such resolves of theirs are often inscribed on the tombstones). However, if Hindi movies are to be believed, all (without exception) drunkards, prostitutes (or courtesans) and dacoits are merely victims of circumstances.
Dev Anand’s circumstances were that he was to leave drinking and spend the rest of his sober and saintly married life with Madhubala as Kamala. But then, he was drawn to drinking again and she was to be married elsewhere.
This ghar ghar ki kahani made RK, MM and MR rise to the occasion and made not only this beautifully poignant number but several others, such as:
Sawan ke mahine mein….lagati hai to pee (drink and not urinate) leta hoon; do chaar ghadi jee leta hoon.
Mujhe le chalo aaj phir us gali mein jahan penhle pehle ye dil ladkhadaya.
You would agree that Sharabis beat Prostitutes and Courtesans hands down in Hindi movies in respect of quality of songs including those in Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan. One major reason for this is that courtesans and prostitutes are females and how can any female singer beat Mohammad Rafi in the quality of singing? Even males couldn’t. When Manna Dey, whose birth anniversary we celebrated yesterday, was asked where would he rank Rafi, he promptly replied “From #1 to #10”. By this he meant that any other singer is simply ten places below him.
Rajinder Krishan’s Lyrics
This Shimla boy always said things differently and there are several examples of it; eg:
Ghar se chale the ham to khushi ki talaash mein
Gham raah mein khade the wahin saath ho liye.
(I have often qouted this): Phir tassavur tere pehlu mein bitha jaayega.
Wo ghadi yaad hai jab tumase mulaaqaat hui
Ek ishaaraa huaa do haath badhe baat hui.
Lets examine the lyrics of the current song:
Kabse tanha ghum raha hu duniya ke virane mein,
Khaali jaam liye baitha hoon kab se is maikhane mein,
Koi to hoga mera sakii koi to pyas bujhayega
Kabhi na kabhi kahi na kahi koi na koi to aayega
Naturally he is hinting about a Pyaas that is not physical. Rajinder Krishan has taken the metaphor of maikhana and saki to hint towards seeking empathy from a kind hearted and loving person.
Kisi ne mera dil na dekha na dil ka paigam suna
Mujhko bas aavara samjha jis ne mera naam suna
Ab tak to sab ne thukaraya koi to pas bithayega
Kabhi na kabhi kahi na kahi koi na koi to aayega
People do take own virtues as hidden treasures. However, the evils of others are always taken at face value. Even Sahir had something to write about it:
Achhon ko bura sabit karna duniya ki purani aadat hai
Is may ko mubarak cheez samajh maana ke bahut badnam hai ye
I am not even giving you the third stanza. I think you get my point.
My Own Poetry
I wrote innumerable poems in lighter vein for my friend Maj Vishwas Mandloi’s group i-peg. I have selected one on similar theme:
MERE GHAMON KA ILAAJ
दुनिया में कोई अपना है तो वो है शराब,
बाकियों ने तो मिल के ज़िन्दगी की है खराब;
एक एक के किस्से सुनाता हूँ मैं आज सब को,
सब के चेहरों से आज मैं उठाता हूँ नकाब।
पहले मेरी बीवी थी बहुत कमसिन और हसीन,
अब लगती है जैसे buffalo in tight jeans;
रवैय्या उसका अब ऐसे जैसे कोई सैय्याद हो,
हर एक बात पे create करती है scene.
बच्चे मेरे ऐसे जैसे अपने नहीं पराये हों,
जैसे ससुराल से श्रीमति जी ने दहेज में लाये हों;
लोगों को तो वो यूँ बताते फिरते हैं,
Daddy के ज़ुल्मों से बहुत तंग आये हों।
रिश्तेदारों के बारे आप को क्या सुनाएं,
ग़म के गीत बार बार क्यों हम गायें;
उन्हें ज़रूरत है तो आ जाते हैं खाली हाथ,
मेरी ज़रूरत में तो वो नज़र भी ना आयें।
दोस्त मेरे हैं एक से एक बड़ के,
आते हैं मेरे पास अपनी बीवियों से झगड़ के;
मेरी दारू, मेरा खाना खाने के बाद,
चले जाते हैं मूँह बनाये मुझसे ही लड़ के।
इस हालात में मेरे पास एक ही है सहारा,
बाकियों से तो हम कर बैठे हैं किनारा,
सारे ग़म, सारे गिले शिकवे हो जाते हैं दूर,
एक जाम को जब गले से नीचे उतारा।
इसलिए शराब बनी है सबसे बड़ी मीत,
ज़िन्दगी से हार के यही है मेरी जीत,
इसी से शामें जो पहले कभी कटती नहीं थीं,
अब तो पल भर में खुशी से जाती हैं बीत।
Please enjoy: Kabhi na kabhi, kahin na kahin, koi na koi to aayega…
I am sure if Dev Anand had come to know that I was going to write the above, he would have put that too in the movie Sharabi. Anyway, his loss!
I hope you liked my choice of song for RKSOW #6.
Please await the next song in the series.
