RRR Songs (Songs of Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness)
I started this new series on 17 Jan 21 on my Facebook Group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne. My efforts failed to involve people in writing their own stuff about songs and music rather than copying and pasting from here and there or worse, just sharing url of songs from YouTube. Hence, I had decided to give the group a burial that it deserved rather than making it like thousands of groups on Facebook about songs with nothing unique about them at all.
Hence this series shifted to my page Lyrical.
I hope you liked RRR Song #15: Muft huye badnaam. Here is the next song:
Song #16
Maine chand aur sitaaron ki tamanna ki thi
Sahir Ludhianvi Whose Birth Centenary We Celebrate on 08 March 2021
He was born on 08 Mar 1921 in Karimpura, Ludhiana, Punjab. A few years ago NDTV did a debate on who was the best lyricist in Hindi movies: Sahir or Shakeel or Majrooh or Gulzar. It was undecided because each one had (has in case of Gulzar) his strong points. However, one can make out that each one was capable of extraordinary imagination.
Sahir Ludhianvi shares his birth date with the death anniversary of the first woman in Indian movies: Devika Rani who was also the first ever recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest in cinematic excellence.
There were poets and lyricists who would get flashes of extraordinary brilliance. Sahir and these others that I have mentioned, maintained this excellence all throughout.
Sample a few:
Kaun rota hai kisi aur ki khatir ai dil,
sabko apni hi kisi baat pe rona aaya.
Ye duniya jahaan aadami kuchh nahin hai
Wafaa kuchh nahin, dosti kuchh nahin hai
Jahaa pyaar ki kadr hi kuchh nahin hai
Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai?
Lehron ke hontho pe dheema dheema raag hai
Thandi hawayon mein bheegi bheegi aag hai
Is haseen aag mein tu bhi jal ke dekh le
Zindagi ke geet ki dhun badal ke dekh le
Khulne de ab dhadaknon ki zubaan
Maine jazbaat nibhaaye hain usulon ki jagah
Apne armaan piro laaya hoon phulon ki jagah
Tere sehre ki ye saugaat kise pesh karu
Ye muraadon ki hasin raat kise pesh karun, kise pesh karun?
A mere sampling tells you that Sahir, if not the greatest lyricist ever in Hindi movies, was certainly capable of expressions that are hallmark of the greatest.
This Song
It is from the 1956 movie Chandrakanta starring Bharat Bhushan and Bina Rai. Let’s start with the beauty of the lyrics of this song full of RRR: Regret, Repentance and Ruefulness:
(मैं ने चाँद और सितारों की तमन्ना की थी
मुझको रातों की सियाही के सिवा कुछ न मिला ) – २
मैं ने चाँद सितारों …
मैं वो नग़मा हूँ जिसे प्यार की महफ़िल न मिली
वो मुसाफ़िर हूँ जिसे कोई भी मन्ज़िल न मिली
ज़ख्म पाएं हैं बहारों की तमन्ना की थी
मैं ने चाँद सितारों …
किसी गेसू किसी आँचल का सहारा भी नहीं
रास्ते में कोई धुँधला सा सितारा भी नहीं
मेरी नज़रों ने नज़ारों की तमन्ना की थी
मैं ने चाँद सितारों …
मेरी राहों से जुदा हो गई राहें उनकी
आज बदली नज़र आती हैं निगाहें उनकी
जिससे इस दिल ने सहारों की तमन्ना की थी
मैं ने चाँद सितारों …
प्यार माँगा तो सिसकते हुए अरमान मिले
चैन चाहा तो उमड़ते हुए तूफ़ान मिले
डूबते दिल ने किनारों की तमन्ना की थी
मैं ने चाँद सितारों …
दिल में नाकाम उम्मिदों के बसेरे पाये
रोशनी लेने को निकला तो अंधेरे पाये
रंग और नूर के धारों की तमन्ना की थी
मैं ने चाँद और सितारों …
You will agree with me that very few would be able to write such strong emotions with ease.
Raag Bhimpalasi, Taal Dadra
This song is such a favourite of mine that I had put it up as Song #3 in my Raaga Songs of the Day series.
Bhimpalasi is a raag of the afternoon. Its mood is often an upbeat one (eg, Aaj mere man mein sakhi) before one gets into the sunset, evening and night raagas with their essential sadness.
Tal Dadra derives its name from Dadra style of singing prevalent in Dadra. It is a six or three beat Tal:
Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, 3; that is two vibhags of three matras each. The theka is:
Dhaa Dhin Naa Dhaa Tin Naa
To get the similarity of Raag and Tal, compare it with another favourite of mine: Khilte hain gul yahan khil ke bikharne ko and Hemant Kumar’s Kohra song: O beqraar dil.
Sahir was breaking up with SD Burman at that time (he did so after 1957 movie Pyaasa) and latched on to N Dutta and this beautiful song was thus composed by N Dutta.
The movie
As I mentioned, it is from the 1956 GP Sippy movie Chandrakanta starring Bharat Bhushan and Bina Rai.
Here is the story that enabled this song:
“Veerjal vanqishes Chandrakanta’s (Bina Rai) father and takes over his kingdom. On insisting on seeing the most beautiful girl in the land, he is told it is none other than Chandrakanta. To get her to come to him, he whips her father till Chandrakanta voluntarily comes to him and executes a dance at the end of which she is unsuccessful in her attempt to kill Veerjal. He responds by killing Chandrakanta’s father in front of her eyes. She escapes swearing revenge. Landing up in a remote ashram, she meets and falls in love with Kunal(Bharat Bhushan). When news reaches her of Veerjal’s increasing tyranny, she remembers her vow and rouses the people against Veerjal. Finally all’s well that ends well as Veerjal is killed and Chandrakanta and Kunal are united.”
My Own Poetry
BEWAFAI KA INTEQAAM
हरदम खुशी की तमन्ना की थी तेरे प्यार में,
ज़िन्दगी भर के ग़म मिल गए उधार में।
खिज़ा आने का इंतज़ार भी ना किया,
हम तो लुट गए काफिला-ए-बहार में।
मुहब्बत में हो गए रुस्वा कुछ इस तरह,
नज़र आने लगी तौहीन-ए-उल्फत हर जगह,
तेरी महफ़िल में बदनाम होना यकीनन था,
हंसने लगे हम पे सब लोग बेवजह।
ना समझे इस में हमारा क्या था कसूर,
मानते हैं मुहब्बत की थी हमने ज़रूर,
पर इसकी इतनी बड़ी मिलेगी सज़ा,
यह बात तो दिल के बहुत ही थी दूर।
हम लेंगे तेरी बेवफाई का इन्तकाम,
तेरी रुसवाई का भी कर लेंगे इंतज़ाम,
फ़ना हो जाएंगे तेरे प्यार में इस कदर,
के लोग तुझको भी कर देंगे बदनाम।
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Maine chand aur sitaaron ki tamanna ki thi…
I hope you liked Song #16 in this series.
Please await Song #17: Bhooli huyi yaadon mujhe.
