Category: Music and Cinema

THE BEST SAD SONGS OF DEV ANAND

When I wrote about Dev Anand in another article Hindi Songs And The Age of Innocence, I wrote about Dev Anand who had the toothy smile, tilted walk, and a way of being totally at ease with his heroines, especially those who sang those light-hearted, lilting and melodious duets with him. However, there was another Dev Anand in the Hindi movies; the sad, lonely, forlorn Dev Anand, forever looking for love, companionship, togetherness and happiness. Just like he did in his chirpy roles, Dev Anand excelled in melancholic roles too. Lyricists must have loved to write such numbers for him because he enacted them so well. Some of these songs, the sad songs, that is, came about by his acting in movies to prove his talent after an unsuccessful romance with a singer – actress Suraiya who was bigger than him in the Hindi movies and hence rated before him in the credits of the movies. They acted in seven movies together from 1948 (Vidya) to 1951 (Sanam). She fell in love with him and wanted to marry him but her mother opposed the match because they were of different religions: Hindu boy and Muslim girl.

Just as it happens in the movies, Suraiya fell in love with him whilst shooting one of Vidya’s songs ‘Kinare kinare chale jayenge’. She fell in water whilst enacting the number. Dev Anand, forever chivalrous, jumped right after her and saved her from drowning.

Dev Anand and Suraiya

It is not known whether Dev Anand’s perfection in lugubrious roles was as a result of unsuccessful love affair or not, but, the lyricists and directors seemed to have worked on the theme very well for him. Indeed, there is a 1963 movie Kinare Kinare with Dev Anand opposite Meena Kumari. The title song of the movie ‘Chale jaa rahe hain mohabbat ke maare; kinaare, kinaare; kinaare, kinaare’ is one such desolate song.

However, my effort tonight is to give you not just the best sad songs of Dev Anand but also to give you songs that seem to ask the questions ‘What have I got of my own?’; ‘Is it worth wandering through the world without love and happiness?’ and ‘Why can’t I have a single friend, love, companion and mate in the world?’

Here goes then. The songs that I give you all ask these questions; they are all the top sad songs of Dev Anand; but they are not in any particular order – either chronologically or in their popularity or in excellence. The first song is from the 1960 movie Bambai Ka Babu in which Dev Anand acted opposite a young Suchitra Sen. The story was written by Rajinder Singh Bedi and hence you could expect an out of the ordinary story; and yes it was because the story hinted at incest between Dev and Suchitra. The film was directed by Raj Khosla (remember him in such movies as C.I.D., Kalapani, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Do Badan, Do Raaste, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, which, some say, inspired Sholay. Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote these lyrics but the actual life in the lyrics was put by Sachin Dev Burman (who gave music for most of Dev Anand movies and thus took his favourite hero’s name as his middle name) and heart with Mohammad Rafi’s passionate singing. The song is ‘Saathi na koi manzil, diya hai na koi mehfil’:

In the 1963 movie Sharabi (Drunkard), Dev Anand excelled himself in a melancholic role. The movie had Raj Rishi writing the story and screen-play and as director too. Keshav (Dev Anand) lives a poor lifestyle in a small town in along with his ailing father, Dinanath, mother, and a much younger sister, Munni. He is an alcoholic but after the passing of his father promises to abstain completely, much to the relief of his mother as well as his sweetheart, Kamala (Madhubala), as well as her businessman dad, Laxmidas, who arranges his employment at his Coal Mine, and arranges for them to get married . Less than a week before the marriage, Laxmidas cancels it and Keshav relapses and his mother threatens to leave the town, and even Kamala refuses to speak with him. Shortly thereafter Laxmidas, on his deathbed, gets Kamala to promise to marry someone else, while Keshav, blacklisted by the entire community is well on his way to self-destruction as well as endangering lives of hundreds of coal mine workers.

The movie had some of the saddest songs of Dev Anand; eg, ‘Mujhe le chalo phir aaj us gali mein’, ‘sawan ke mahine mein’ and this number: Kabhi na kabhi, kahin na kahin, koi na koi to aayega’. Lyrics are by Rajinder Krishan who wrote the maximum lyrics for Madan Mohan and music is by the latter:

The name of this 1956 movie is Funtoosh and in this to help Dev Anand express these feelings of despair and despondence are Sahir Ludhianvi, SD Burman and Kishore Kumar. Dev Anand acted opposite Sheila Ramani. The movie was inspired by Meet John Doe, which was a Frank Capra movie about a man agreeing to impersonate a non-existent person who said he was committing suicide in political protest. The number ‘Dard hamara koi na jaane, Apni garaj ke sab hai deevaane, Kisake aage rona roye, des praaya log baigaane Dukhi man mere sun mera kehhana is the one I have chosen for you since it meets the theme that I have set for the evening:

Two years before the above song and the movie was Dev Anand in and as Taxi Driver. This 1954 movie was directed by his brother Chetan Anand, who directed quite a few of his movies under the banner of Navketan Films. Dev Anand acted opposite his would be wife Kalpana Kartik. The movie, if watched, offers a nostalgic journey through Bombay of 1950s. Same combination of Sahir Ludhianvi with SD Burman in this song too but this time it is Talat Mehmood singing this forlorn number. Maayusiyon kaa majmaa hai dil mein, Kya reh gaya hai is zindagi mein; Rooh mein ham dil mein dhuaan; Jaayen to jaayen kahan kis ko kahen apna yahan?

Talking about Talat Mehmood, who can ever forget this disconsolate number by him for Dev Anand in 1963 movie Kinare Kinare on similar theme? Nyay Sharma wrote the lyrics and Jaidev composed the music. Mere Malik kya kahoon teri duyaayon ka fareb, Mujh pe youn chhaya ke mujhako ghar se beghar kar diya. Dekh li teri khdaai, bus mera dil bhar gaya:

I know all this while you have been waiting for this song from Hum Dono on similar theme and, ladies and gentlemen, how can I ever forget it? Hum Dono has, as depicted by the name, Dev Anand in double role opposite Nanda and Sadhan. Music director Jaidev came up with some of his best music and songs in this movie, many of them having been penned by Sahir Ludhianvi and sung by Mohammad Rafi, who had such magic in his singing that he could actually step into the soul of actors for whom he sang. There were songs like: Abhi na jaayo chhod kar, allah tero naam, main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya and this great number with the ending stanza: Kaun rota hai kisi aur ki khaatir ai dil, Sabako apni hi kisi baat pe rona aaya; Kabhi khud pe kabhi halaat pe rona aaya.

Yes, Dev Anand was popular for his light hearted songs, especially his being totally at home with his heroines in duets, but, he was also outstanding in melancholic roles. Here is one with my favourite singer Hemant Kumar in Manzil. Dev Anand and his childhood love Nutan, are separated at the hands of fate. Thinking that Dev is scandalising his relationship with her, she confronts him at a function where Dev is being honoured as a composer. What follows in the confrontation scene is drama, dialogue, acting, and picturisation at its peak. Dev and Nutan simply excel in their roles. One cannot but mention the classic song ‘Yaad aa gayin woh nashili nigahen’, composed by maestro S D Burman and penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Main in zakhmon ko seeke, Kya karun hosh mein jeeke: Yaaro tham lena tham lena meri baahen Yaad aa gayin vo nasheeli nigaahen. I have given for you the scene leading to the song so that you may see their acting at their best.

 

As late as in 1973, Dev Anand sang on the same theme in Joshila. The movie was directed by Yash Chopra who was ever fond of making movies with a triangle. In this movie the triangle was between Dev Anand, Hema Malini and Rakhi. Dev Anand is imprisoned for a murder that he didn’t commit but it was pinned on him by the evidence of the same witness whose life and honour he had tried to save. The movie, therefore, opens with this song by Dev Anand in the prison. The combination of Sahir, SD Burman and Kishore was the most abiding combination for Dev Anand. Enjoy the song: Kiska rasta dekhe ai dil ai saudaayi, Meelon hai khaamoshi, barson hai tanhaayi…

Lets get back to Sharaabi and I am now going to put up the most romantic and beautiful number sung by Dev Anand: ‘Mujhe le chalo phir aaj us gali jahan se main betaabiyan le ke aaya’. An equally good song from this movie is ‘sawan ke mahine mein, ik aag si seene mein, lagti hai to pi leta hoon, do chaar ghadi ji leta hoon’. However, this one is special to me. Rajinder Kishan, Madan Mohan and Mohammad Rafi have together not just created a song but a complete era; an unforgettable era of such adorable pulchritude that you feel like helping Dev Anand to go back in time and live his love life again…this time with happy ending:

I shall do grave injustice if I don’t choose this number in the top ten sad songs of Dev Anand. The 1965 movie Guide is regarded as a classic, the best of Dev Anand. It was directed by Vijay Anand and starred Waheeda Rehman opposite Dev Anand. The story was by RK Narayan about a man with whom nature conspires to make him a great swamy, after he is betrayed by a woman whom he thought he had won in love from her husband who neglected her. The name Guide, therefore, applied on two planes; one in reel life where Dev Anand as Raju was a tourist guide; and the other as a Guide for the villagers who were dying of hunger and thrust and take him as a saint with miraculous powers. On another plane, Guide is all about finding the guide within ourselves to direct us towards a path of goodness and sacrifice. Once again SD Burman has given outstanding music on Shailendra’s lyrics. ‘Pyaar mein jinake, sab jag chhoda, aur hue badnaam,
Unake hi haathon, haal hua ye, baithe hain dil ko thaam,
Apane kabhi the, ab hain paraaye’. One more reason for selecting this is to bring out the great melancholic singing:

Shall we end tonight with the 1958 movie Kaala Pani? And why not? Majrooh Sultanpuri penned some of the best songs for Dev Anand movies that were composed by Sachin Dev Burman. The scene here is farcical since Dev Anand only wants to play to the good sense of the courtesan Nalini Jaywant so as to get to the secret about his father’s disappearance. He borrowed the song, the tunic, the baton and the cap from his room-mates. Nevertheless, it is a great sad number of Dev Anand.  Tum to naa kaho ham, khud hi se khele, Duube nahin ham hi youn, nashe mein akele, Sheeshe mein aapako bhi utaare chale gaye. Ham bekhudi mein tumako pukaare chale gaye.

SD Burman composed it in Raag Chayanat, Tal Kaherava and see how beautifully Mohammad Rafi delivered:

I have given you the top ten sad numbers of Dev Anand on the theme: what have I got of my own? Should you feel your list is different or I have forgotten your favourite number on the theme, please do write.

“Kaun rota hai kisi aur ki khatir ai dil,
Sabko apni hi kisi baat pe rona aaya”

GIVING AWAY MEMORIES

After retirement we moved into a small two-bedroom flat in a far suburb of Mumbai; this is as big as the one that I could afford after being an officer in the Navy for close to 37 years. In my last house whilst still in the Navy, my wife and I took months to sort out things and pack. We knew that we had to give away lot of stuff that we had accumulated. This invariably used to happen with our frequent postings in the Navy.

I saw this 1957 Hindi movie with my parents; one of the earliest ones that I saw with them. The movie was named ‘Bhabhi‘ (brother’s wife) starring Balraj Sahni and Nanda. Rajinder Krishan wrote these most appropriate verses:

[lineate]Toone tinaka tinaka chun kar nagri ek basaai,[/lineate][lineate]Baarish mein teri bheegi palken dhoop mein garmi khaai,[/lineate]Gum na kar jo teri mehnat tere kaam na aayi[lineate]Achha hai kuchh le jaane se dekar hi kuchh jaana[/lineate][lineate]Chal udja re panchhi ke ab ye des hua begana[/lineate]

[lineate](O’ bird, twig by twig you picked a complete nest of a world[/lineate][lineate]Rain wet your brow, and sun made you sweat[/lineate][lineate]Don’t rue that you couldn’t enjoy the fruit of your labour.[/lineate][lineate]It is better to give and go then to take and leave[/lineate][lineate]Fly away bird, now this place is not yours anymore)[/lineate]

So, as we move house, what do we finally end up giving away? Most often we give away junk that was only gathering moss, mildew and dirt. This would include all those notes and dockets from the Staff College that I’d assumed I couldn’t ever do without and which, I had never cared to read even once after leaving the Staff College. Then there would be those mementoes of “love and affection” given to me at farewells without any particular emotion other than the relief at seeing me go. However, like the Master Card ad, there would still be a lot of things that we’d wince if we had to give them away; those things that money can’t buy; because there are so many memories attached to them.

It is not my intention to bore you with a list of such things. I know each one of us has a list of such dear and precious things. However, I shall give you some examples of what it means. I gave away the first vehicle that I ever owned: a Yezdi 250 cc mobike. I still remember the number: KEE 438. I bought the mobike in the year 1980 when, as a lieutenant in the Navy, I was undergoing my specialisation course in communications and electronic warfare at Navy’s Signal School in Cochin (now Kochi). My would-be-wife was at Coimbatore and I made many a trip up and down between Cochin and Coimbatore on this bike during its (my?) running-in period. Once, on a long weekend, we went to Coonoor together.

When she visited Bombay where I got posted, we decided to go to Goa on – we called it – our donkey. One officer had named his bike ‘kilometer eater’; but, we were quite happy about calling it donkey for not only carrying our weights but many other things (for example, at one time we carried a complete cooking gas cylinder on it since waiting for the delivery boy would have been too much). What a trip it turned out to be. We returned from the Navy Ball at about 1 AM and suddenly, without any plan, I asked Lyn if she wanted to visit Goa. Knowing my capricious moods, she was fearful of asking me “when” but, I solved that problem for her by saying, “Tomorrow morning”. We got up at 5 AM, hurriedly packed up a rucksack and off we went “for a few days”, which finally turned out to be almost a month.

Oh, to be young again. Love teaches you togetherness and we were not in any hurry to reach anywhere. We clicked pics, admired the scenery and I even tried to teach her driving. Together with our donkey, we owned the world. Here is Lyn on the Bombay-Goa highway as it used to look in 1980 (not that it is better 32 years later):

We reached Belgaum at about 10 PM and that’s the time Lyn asked me if we should finally find a shelter for the night. At about midnight we found the Military Engineering Services Inspection Bungalow (MES IB). The Major-in-Charge saw our blackened faces (with the soot from the lorries), gave us a room and had only one request: “Please have breakfast with us before leaving tomorrow morning.” We were wondering why; but, the mystery was solved over breakfast. Apparently, just before they turned in for the night, the Major’s wife had a debate with her husband that the spirit of adventure was dying down in the armed forces. Just then we landed up.

The three of us: Lyn, donkey and I, had a most adventurous Bombay-to-Goa trip and stay in Goa. On the way back, we loaded our donkey on a ship (for 90 bucks) and returned to Bombay.

Our donkey instinctively understood us and never gave us any anxious moments. When Arjun, our elder son was born in 1984, that was the first vehicle he rode, perched up between Lyn and me. For one year after Arun was born in end 1986, we still managed on donkey with Arun held in her arms by Lyn and Arjun sitting on the fuel tank. God always gave us enough; in the year 1988 I was sent to Spain on duty and I returned with enough money to buy a car. Good bye, donkey. He went for 3500 rupees. All of us were saddened to see him go and the children even cried. I took solace in Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics:

[lineate]Jiyo to aise jiyo jaise sab tumhaara hai;[/lineate] [lineate]maro to aise ke jaise tumhaara kuchh bhi nahin.[/lineate]

(Live in such a way as if everything belongs to you; but die as with nothing belonging to you)

During our days there used to be a song by Trini Lopez with the title: ‘What have I got of my own?’ In the end, life and particularly life in the navy with its frequent transfers has taught me how true are these words:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ICeHLkaolyI%3Ffs%3D1

Then there was this playpen we got for Arjun. He was never alone there; he was there with his cat and toys. It was large, painted lavender and Lyn even made a mosquito-net for it. The front side could be slid down for helping the baby in and out and, though large, it even had wheels to move it around. Arjun used to love being inside it; the problem was that Lyn and I hadn’t made peace about not having him with us on our own bed. The Friday movies on the doordarshan and Benjamin Spock had prompted us to spend Rupees 1000 in getting this cot cum playpen. Arjun, in the vein of most babies who won’t be neglected, knew when exactly to wail endlessly during our watching the movie on doordarshan that used to start at 7:30 PM. Once evening, when a repeat of Rajesh Khanna’s Anand was to be aired, we planned to play with him in the afternoons so much so that at the appointed hour, Arjun would be fast asleep in the cot-cum-playpen. The movie began and we watched about 30 minutes of it without any interruptions from Arjun. However, both of us knew that our minds were elsewhere. Finally, I uttered what Lyn wanted to hear all the while, “Go and get Arjun; it is no fun watching the movie without him keeping us from watching it.” We moved to Delhi in 1987 and the cot went with us. Arun couldn’t use it initially because we didn’t have a house; we lived in one room with all our baggage lying around us in unopened boxes. When we finally got a big enough house to open the cot-cum-playpen for Arun, it was time for posting; this time for undergoing Staff Course in Coonoor (Nilgiris). We finally had to give it away without Arun using it much. However, we still wistfully remember the fun it used to be to put first Arjun and then Arun there in the first world that was entirely their own:

In the meantime, when it wasn’t possible to open the cot, we had to buy a smaller one for the smaller one. Lo and behold, even the elder one used to like me taking them for a ride in this cot-cum-pram-cum-swing (it had a stand from where it could be hung and the baby rocked to sleep). This was even greater fun for them than the playpen since they could put their toys in it and push it around the house. It was sad to see it go. But, then the relief was that the children didn’t require it anymore.

What a lot of fun they had on this cycle for a few years. Arjun felt like a big boy taking his younger brother around and telling him reassuringly, “Don’t worry; I am a safe driver”.

It was nice to see Arjun grow into a boy on this cycle from an infant. But, our heart was in our mouths when we had to give it away:

I remember giving away my complete collection of Hemant Kumar’s songs on audio cassettes, my PG Wodehouse Books, my collection of Readers Digests, flower pots that had started looking deliciously verdant just when the transfer orders came, photo frames and even paintings each one of those had a story to tell. Would the new owner have guessed how much we paid in terms of minutes of our lives (and not money) in maintaining them, cherishing them and looking after them?

Curiously, there were also things that we didn’t feel a thing about losing; electronic stuff, eg, music systems, televisions, fridges, clothes, shoes and the like. This only goes to prove that things acquire life of their own because of priceless memories attached to them and not because of their money-value. I still miss our first telly: Dyanora 14″ B&W portable, though.

The other day I read a story by a fellow blogger Anupam Patra who writes very imaginatively. In the story a man gave away his eyes to his killer’s son. That got me thinking how can giving away anything inanimate be so hard or difficult?

As Elton John sang in ‘Talking Old Soldiers’:

[lineate]Just ignore all the others;[/lineate] [lineate]you got your memories….[/lineate]

Finally, the pictures – both in the sepia and on the mind’s screen – are still with me; the memories are never given away. I can still relive even my own childhood without any of the material things associated with it let alone that of my children.

Mujhe ab bhi yaad hai kitana ameer tha main…..jab paani mein mere jahaz chalte the (I still remember how rich I was then….when my ships used to ply in the waters):

HINDI SONGS AND THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

Recently, when Rajesh Khanna died, after a long illness, we reminisced about his being a super-star during the Era or Age of Innocence in the Hindi movies. What exactly can be age or era of innocence? One thing is clear that it was an era different from the present era.I am not chronicling the life and movies of Rajesh Khanna. Paeans have been and would be written and sung about his overpowering image in the movies. During the height of his popularity, in 1970, when the movie Aan Milo Sajna was released, there was a duet he sang with Asha Parekh: the duet starts with she (playback by Lata Mangeshkar) declaring, “Achha to hum chalte hain” (Okay, I shall take your leave now) and he (playback by Kishore Kumar) asking: “Phir kab miloge?” (When will I meet you again?). Eligible girls in the movie hall would sing back in unison: “Jab tum kahoge” (Whenever you say). Such was the popularity of Rajesh Khanna.Kaka, as he was affectionately called, is no more and as he seems to sing: ‘Achha to hum chate hain’; we ask him again and again, “Phir kab miloge?”
The article is about the Age of Innocence in the Hindi movies and I shall try to concentrate on three really good actors that we lost in a span of less than one year: Shammi Kapoor just one day prior to the last Independence Day at the age of nearly 80: Dev Anand who left us on 3rd Dec last year, still young at the age of 88; and Rajesh Khanna who left us a fortnight back at the age of 69.Take Rajesh Khanna’s Amar Prem (Immortal Love), for example. It is a 1972 movie directed by Shakti Samant. If it has resonance with eternal love between two ideal lovers, you are wrong; the love depicted in the movie was the innocent love of a man (Rajesh Khanna) for a courtesan (Sharmila Tagore). The movie brings out how our society thrives on pretensions and deception and being judgmental of those who don’t overtly show such pretensions (and covertly embrace decadence).
Anand Bakshi’s lyrics were extremely apt and subtly hard-hitting, eg, “Tu kaun hai tera naam hai kya Sita bhi yahan badnaam hui.”. Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore both underacted superbly.

The movie had some excellent songs which surprisingly (because these were serious and not lilting) became quite popular. For example, Raina beeti jaaye, shyam na aaye; Ye kya hua, kaise hua, kab hua: Chingaari koi bhadake; and this one which I have selected for you portraying the theme of the movie: Kuchh to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna(People will find something to say; they always do). The music is by Rahul Dev Burman.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=95UdAo4JdJI%3Ffs%3D1

AGE OF INNOCENCE in the Hindi movies is nostalgically remembered by all of us. At one time in the Hindi movies (before we bastardised them by calling them Bollywood movies) it wasn’t the done thing to be direct about such emotions as Love. Do you remember a very young Sharmila Tagore singing in 1964 movie Kashmir Ki Kali: ‘Muhabbat jo karte hain vo, muhabbat jatate nahin; dhadakane apne dil ki kahin kisi ko sunaate nahin. Maza ka raha jab ke khud kar diya ho muhabbat ka izehaar apni zubaan se?”

Kashmir Ki Kali too was a Shakti Samant movie. Lyrics were by SH Bihari and music by OP Nayyar. A young Shammi Kapoor (son of a rich father) acts opposite a younger Sharmila Tagore (who sells flowers for a living). Hats off to Omkar Prasad Nayyar, born in Lahore on 16 Jan 1926 when Lahore was in undivided India. He started his career in Hindi movies  in 1949 by composing background score for the movie Kaneez. He must be having a record for the highest number of hit songs for any movie that he composed music for, eg, Aar Paar, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, CID, Mr and Mrs 55, Naya Daur, Howrah Bridge,Phagun, Jaali Note, Mere Sanam and Dus Lakh. Meanwhile, enjoy this hit number from Kashmir Ki Kali: Isharon isharon se dil lene waale bata yeh hunr tune seekha kahan se? None of OP Nayyar’s songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar. This one is a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Lata’s sister Asha Bhosle:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HxZyRkqo0r0%3Ffs%3D1

Shammi Kapoor was the middle one of the three sons born to Prithviraj Kapoor, the elder one being Raj Kapoor and younger one being Shashi Kapoor. Prithviraj was a leading light of theatre in Calcutta and Shammi Kapoor (born Shamsher Raj Kapoor) had his early education in Calcutta, later moving to Bombay. His playboyish image got honed in movies like Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Dil Deke Dekho. However, he always wanted to do serious roles. His most memorable serious role came in 1970 movie Pagla Kahin Ka where he played a mentally deranged person who by his innocence brought home the contrast that others in society were even more deranged than him. His song in the movie ‘Tum mujhe youn bhula na payoge’ is simply ungorgettable. However, I am presenting to you songs representative of Age of Innocence and I can’t find a better song for Sahmmi Kapoor on this theme than this one from the 1964 movie Brahmachari for which he got his first Filmfare Best Actor award. Of course, two years before his death Shammi Kapoor got the coveted Phalke Legend Actor Award by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy but Brahmachari award must have been close to his heart. Brahmachari song is representative of the theme of the movie: Shammi Kapoor being an orphan looking after umpteen orphan children against all odds. The great Shailendra got the Best Lyricist award for this song and the incomparable duo of Shankar Jaikishan the best music director for the film. Mohammad Rafi got Filmfare award for another song ‘Dil ke jharokhe se’ but, undoubtedly, the best song in the movie was Main gaaoon tum so jaao:

Lets shift to the great and the ‘youngest’ actor in the Hindi movies Dev Anand. His death at the age of 88 came as a great shock to all of us for the simple reason that we were first expecting him to grow and look old and then only die. Who can ever forget that toothy smile and the becoming way of shaking and tilting one side of his torso whilst looking at you with twinkling eyes? Dev Anand got his first filmfare award for the 1958 movie Kalapani that he produced. This song that Dev Anand enacted opposite the effervescent Madhubala is so innocent both in lyrics and in acting that it really is an anthem for the Age of Innocence. Lyrics are by Majrooh Sultanpuri and music by Sachin Dev Burman; the pair was together in many of Dev Anand movies. Here it is then: Achha ji main haari chalo maan jaayo na:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=g2rFmmdUIbQ%3Ffs%3D1

The 1969 movie Aradhana (worship) presents two roles of Rajesh Khanna, one as Arun in love with Vandana (Sharmila Tagore); he sings a song to her from the adjoining road when she is in a train to Darjeeling reading an Alistair MacLean novel. The song became a superhit song ‘mere sapno ki rani kab aayegi tu’. It was rated as the amongst the ten most songs of Hindi movies. They don’t get married but as a result of their having taken shelter in rain where he seduces her with the song ‘Roop tera mastana’, she becomes pregnant. He is an IAF pilot just like Raj Kapoor in Sangam. However, unlike Raj Kapoor, he is actually killed.

Vandana’s family abandons her and she is forces to work as a nanny for her own son Suraj who is adopted by a childless couple. Vandana is stalked by Shyam (Manmohan) and is nearly raped but her own son Suraj arrives and stabs his uncle to death in order to save her. When the police arrives, Vandana takes the blame upon herself and spends time in the jail whilst Suraj grows into the likeness of his dad Arun (Rajesh Khanna).

What a story it was. Suraj too becomes an IAF officer (weren’t they obsessed with IAF pilots at that time, the ultimate macho man with Ray Ban glasses?) and falls in love with Renu (Farida Jalal).

During those days, as I brought out in the Kashmir Ki Kali song earlier, acknowledgement of love was not direct and in-your-face like these days. Here is Suraj asking Renu a series of questions so that somehow she’d acknowledge being in love with him. Anand Bakshi wrote the lyrics with music by SD Burman. Rafi and Lata have sung for Suraj and Renu respectively: Baagon mein bahar hai?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=78JhA_TJvBI%3Ffs%3D1

Before I turn to songs by other actors and actresses and singers on the Age of Innocence, lets have just one more song of Dev Anand, one of the three great and inimitable actors that we lost during the course of last one year.

Look at and hear this duet and tell me where all do you see innocence: is it in the mischievous smile of Dev Anand? Is it in the shy enthusiasm of Kalpana Kartik or is it all over there in the loving atmosphere or is it in all these things? This duet should be representative of that era; the era which can only be called the golden era or the age of innocence.

The duet has all the bests in it. First of all the movie Nau Do Gyaraah was produced by Dev Anand and was the directorial debut of his brother Vijay Anand (do you remember Kala Bazaar, Guide, Johnny Mera Naam, Jewel Thief, Haqeeqat, Kora Kagaz and Teesri Manzil?). Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote some of his best lyrics for the movie such as Hum hain rahi pyaar ke, dhalti jaaye chunariya, Kali ke roop mein. SD Burman gave music for most Dev Anand movies and gave superb music for this movie too. Finally, that was the era of the duets and there is nothing to beat Asha Bhosle pairing with Kishore Kumar. Enjoy Aankhon mein kya ji:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=edqh8JLnV7s%3Ffs%3D1

Age of innocence wasn’t just about Love only; it was about good conduct, good manners, trusting, lack of cunning and deceit except in the villain. A number of songs (thousands) came up during that era celebrating innocence. I give you just a few of them.

What can be more innocent than this song I have selected for you? The name of the movie is Anari (Naive). It came during an era when Innocence and Naivete were desirable virtues and not looked down upon. Indeed, cleverness and cunning were not considered smart as these are today. Anari is a 1959 Bollywood film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The film stars Raj Kapoor, Nutan, Motilal and Lalita Pawar. The music was by Shankar Jaikishan and the lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri (just one song, ie, Ban ke panchhi gaaye pyaar ka taraana) as well as Shailendra (both lyricists and music directors being regular in Raj Kapoor films). Among the few movies that Lalita Pawar played a positive role and Motilal a role with shades of grey. Raj Kapoor is the innocent hero of the movie who falls in love with a maidservant played by Nutan. Little did he know that she is the daughter of the person who gave him employment when he couldn’t make a living through trading and painting. His landlady played by Lalita Pawar dies of poisoning and now Raj must prove his innocence – not his Chaplinesque innocence but real one. Just see in this song how Nutan chides Raj Kapoor for being so naive as not to understand the atmosphere or the aura of love. The title of the song is: Vo chand khila vo taare hanse, ye raat ajab matvaali hai; samajhane vaale samajh gaye hain, naa samajhe vo anari hain:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OvtU5FYxK-c%3Ffs%3D1

Anari was a 1959 movie directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Raj Kapoor and Nutan look so fresh and – you guessed it – innocent that one misses that era when it didn’t pay to be clever and cunning. Another song from the movie is the anthem of innocence and Shailendra got the Best Lyricist award for this song just as Raj Kapoor got the Best Actor award for the movie. Mukesh, who has sung most of Raj Kapoor’s songs, got the best singer award for this movie. Also, the best ever music duo of Shanker Jaikishan got the Best Music Director award for the movie. The song is also my facebook profile song. Enjoy this anthem of innocence; the answer to Nutan asking Raj Kapoor why is he so naive. The song says: sab kuchh seekha humne na seekhi hoshiyari:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=d1BIf0PN5x4%3Ffs%3D1

Balika Badhu (The Girl Wife) is a 1976 Hindi film produced by Shakti Samanta and directed by Tarun Majumdar. The film is based on the Bengali novel by the same name by Bimal Kar, about a young girl who is married before she is old enough to understand what marriage is all about, against the backdrop of Indian freedom struggle. Gradually she and her school-going husband grow as a couple and begin to love one another. The film was previously made into a Bengali film, Balika Badhu (1967), starring Moushumi Chatterjee, by Tarun Majumdar himself. This romantic comedy drama stars Sachin with Rajni Sharma, Asrani, A. K. Hangal, Asit Sen, Paintal and Om Shivpuri. The music is by R. D. Burman and lyrics by Anand Bakshi, who penned several hits in the film including “Bade Achchhe Lagte Hain…”, which was singer Amit Kumar’s first hit and featured on the Binaca Geetmala annual list 1977. Enjoy:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3pN7sITXVyk%3Ffs%3D1

The one is really dear to me. It is by my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni with my favourite singer/music director Hemant Kumar. The song is from the 1962 movie Bees Saal Baad. The movie was Hemant all the way: it was produced by him and he sang some of the best songs in the movie such as Bekraar karke humen youn na jaayiye and Zara nazron se keh do ji. Here is the plot: After a lusty Thakur rapes a young girl, she kills herself. Thereafter, the Thakur is killed by what the local people call the girl’s vengeful spirit. Then the Thakur’s son is also killed in a similar way. Thereafter the brother of the Thakur is also killed. The grandson of the Thakur, Kumar Vijay Singh (Biswajeet) returns from abroad to claim his ill-fated legacy. He is warned to stay away from the grounds that have killed his ancestors, but he intends to find out who or what is behind the killings, and hires a private detective, Gopichand Jasoos (Asit Sen). Kumar meets with Radha (Waheeda Rehman), the daughter of the local doctor, Ramlal Vaid (Manmohan Krishan), and both eventually fall in love. Then a man is found dead wearing the clothes of Kumar Vijay, and Kumar Vijay must now decide to stay away from his new residence, or continue to live there, and fear for his life everyday until death. With such a plot, where does innocence enter here? Well, listen to a young Waheeda Rehman singing this number. Going with the mystery of the plot, Lata Mangeshkar got the Filmfare award for ‘Kain deep jale kahin dil’. However, I would go for this number anytime: sapne suhaane ladakpan ke:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AReakaj_bW8%3Ffs%3D1

Here is a very young Saira Bano in 1961 movie Junglee made famous by Shammi Kapoor with his wild yaahoo chahe koi mujhe koi junglee kahe. This girl is touched by love for the first time and she is stepping from girlhood to womanhood. Hasrat Jaipuri has captured her feelings so well in his lyrics and the best ever music duo Shanker Jai Kishan have given the kind of music that speaks excitedly of her transition. Innocence indeed: ja ja ja mere bachpan, kahin jaa ke chhup nadaan:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OnBJLHyQxxs%3Ffs%3D1

Before I end, just one last song from the Age of Innocence. Teesri Kasam (Third Oath) is a 1966 film based on a short story, ‘Mare Gaye Gulfam’ by Phanishwarnath Renu. The film stars Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman. Music of the film was by the famed duo of Shankar – Jaikishan.

The film was so much ahead of its time that it flopped at box office. Directed by Basu Bhattacharya, Teesri Kasam is an unconventional film that portrays the society of the rural India and simplicity of villagers. The whole film was shot in Araria, Bihar. Hiraman (Raj Kapoor) is a bullock cart driver with conservative traditional values. While smuggling illegal goods on his bullock cart and close escape from police, Hiraman takes vow (first Kasam) to never carry illegal goods again in his cart. While transporting bamboo for timber trader on his bullock cart, he is beaten by two men when their horses are upset by bamboos of Hiraman’s cart. After that incident, Hiraman takes another vow (second Kasam) to never carry bamboo again in his cart. One night, Hiraman is asked to carry Hirabai (Waheeda Rehman), a nautanki dancer as a passenger to the 40 miles distance to the village fair. As they travel together Hiraman sings to pass time and tells her the story of the legend of Mahua. As the journey progresses, Hirabai is mesmerized by Hiraman’s innocence and his simple philosophy of life. Hiraman in return sees her as an angel of purity. Once they reach the village fair, Hiraman joins with his band of bullock cart drivers and Hirabai joins the nautanki company. Hirabai asks Hiraman to stay at village fair for a few days to see her dance. Hirabai arranges free passes for Hiraman and his friends to see nautanki on every night as long as village fair runs. As Hiraman attends nautanki, he becomes aware that other people see her as a prostitute and it disturbs him. He tries to shield and protect her from society. The bond between two grows stronger as the days pass at the fair. He gets involved in fights with local people who speak badly about her and her profession. Hirabai tries to make him understand the harsh reality of her life. Hiraman asks her to leave her profession and start living a respectable life. Hirabai refuses to leave her acting career. Depressed, Hiraman leaves village fair and returns to his village. In the mean time, Hirabai understands Hiraman’s unselfish love. Hirabai meets Hiraman and reveals her past secret that she had been already sold and she was no longer a virgin beauty. Hirabai returns to her hometown. After seeing Hirabai going away from his life, Hiraman takes third vow (teesri Kasam) to never carry a nautanki company dancer again in his cart This song written by Shailendra Singh depicts the innocence of Hiraman: sajan re jhoot mat bolo khuda ke paas jaana hai:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tY50kphA4-k%3Ffs%3D1

Finally, lets have a look at what Age of Innocence meant for the western people. It is the name of Edith Wharton’s novel published in 1920, which won the 1921 Pulitzer Award. The Age of Innocence centers on an upper-class couple’s impending marriage, and the introduction of a woman plagued by scandal whose presence threatens their happiness. In 1993 it was made into a Hollywood movie by Columbia Pictures.

Taste the first three stanzas of this song titled ‘Age of Innocence’ and try to think where Innocence has gone:

I can’t be compromising in my thoughts no more
I can’t prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can’t be sympathizing with a new lost cause
I feel I’ve lost my patience with the world and all

And all the politicians and their hollow promises
And all the lies, deceit and shame that goes with it
The working man pays everything for their mistakes
And with his life too if there was to be a war

So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only got one life, can’t exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have, don’t replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream

Don’t we all miss the Age of Innocence?

THE BEST OF ZINDAGI (LIFE) SONGS

One would think that Hindi movies have obsession with Pyaar and Mohabbat (Love and Romance) and Yaad (Memory) and Chand (Moon). However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Hindi movies’ biggest obsession is about Zindagi or Jeevan (Life). In a way it reflects we Indians’ fixation about unravelling the mysteries of Life; which, lightheartedly, is very different from an American’s fascination with Life: “Dad” asked the American son of his father, “Can I ask you something about Life?” Dad, expecting the embarrassing question, gingerly responds, “Go ahead, son; ask without fear.” And the son asks, “Why are we not subscribing to it (Life magazine) anymore.”

1984’s Hit Television Serial

Hindi movies and television, though, are refreshingly different about Zindagi (Life). You’d find songs covering every aspect of Life. Lets kick off with this 1956 movie ‘Jaagte Raho’ (Remain Vigilant). The great Shailendra was the lyricist. Shailendra hada long association with music directors Shankar Jaikishan (Punjabi-Gujarati duo) and the show man Raj Kapoor who liked his poetry in a mushaira (Poetry Recital Meet) in Mumbai when Shailendra was working in Indian Railways. This was in 1947 and Raj Kapoor immediately signed him for his 1948 film ‘Aag‘ (Fire). Jaagte Raho was produced by Raj Kapoor and he was the hero in the movie; but, the movie was directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra. The song talks about Zindagi (Life) being a Khvaab (Dream) and hence there is no sach (truth) and no jhoot (lie). Mukesh, who sung almost all songs for Raj Kapoor sung this too. The music though is not by Shankar Jaikishan but Salil Chaodhary. The song is almost a satire on Life. The actor in the song, the one who is drunk, is Motilal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZaG5SZRYk

Lets jump to 1972 movie ‘Piya Ka Ghar‘ (My Husband’s House) about Life in Mumbai (then Bombay) and the lack of privacy when large families stay in small flats with common bathrooms and toilets, and when water is so scarce (nothing has changed in Mumbai after so many years). The movie was a comedy directed by Basu Chatterjee starring Jaya Bachchan and Anil Dhawan. Anand Bakshi as lyricist and Laxmikant Pyarelal as music directors made the most popular hits in the Hindi movies without any extraordinary philosophy. However, the theme song of the movie had Life’s philosophy described in very simple terms: ‘Ye jeevan hai is jeevan ka yehi hai yehi hai rang roop; thode gham hain, thodi khushiyan hain, yehi hai yehi hai chhanv dhoop‘ (This is Life and this is its colour and face: some sorrows, some joys, here only you find sun and darkness):

Now, lets talk about what appear to be two opposite thoughts about Zindagi (Life). The one is by what I regard as the greatest lyricist of all times Shakeel Badayuni (Read ‘The Best of Old Hindi Songs: Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad and Dilip Kumar Together‘) writing these immortal lyrics for 1948 movie Mela (The Fair). The crux of the song is that we, as human beings, are too small entities in the Fair of Life; we are like drops in an ocean and whilst we give ourselves lots of importance, we must remember that the world can go on very well without us as it has done before and will do later. ‘Ye zindagi ke mele duniya mein kam naa honge, afsos hum na honge’:

The other is by the great Sahir Ludhianvi for the 1961 movie ‘Hum Dono‘ (Both of Us). Actually, if you pay attention to the lyrics, both mean the same. In Hum Dono, Dev Anand in this song thinks of Zindagi in the manner of Miller of Dee, ie:

There was a jolly miller once
Liv’d on the river Dee ;
He danc’d and he sang from morn till night,
No lark so blithe as he.
And this the burden of his song
For ever us’d to be
I care for nobody, no, not I,
If nobody cares for me.

Likewise, Sahir in this song says:

Jo mil gayaa usi ko muqaddar samajh liyaa – 2
Jo kho gayaa main usako bhulaataa chalaa gayaa
Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya.
(What I found, I thought of it as Destiny,
What I lost, I forgot about it
I gave full company to the Life)

What about Zindagi (Life) and Pyaar (Love)? The best on this theme is this Rajinder Krishan written song for the 1953 movie Anarkali () starring Pradeep Kumar and Bina Roy. Pradeep Kumar acted as Prince Salim who later became the emperor Jehangir. Salim revolted against his father, the Emperor of India Akbar over his love for a common girl Anarkali. C Ramchandra gave the music for the song. C Ramchandra was in love with Lata Mangeshkar, who, in order to teach him a lesson, was instrumental in ruining his career; even though he composed music for many songs sung by her including the famous ‘Ai mere watan ke logo’ Lata Mangeshkar though sang the song for Anarkali didn’t pay heed to the lyrics in relation to C Ramachandra: ‘Ye zindagi usi ki hai jo kisi ka ho gaya, pyaar mein jo kho gaya‘ (This Life belongs to the one who belongs to his love and is lost in such love):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eFso_5-bFc

Talking about Life devoted to Love, how can we forget the other immortal number of Anarkali by the same team of Rajinder Krishan and C Ramachandra. This one, though, is sung by my favourite singer Hemant Kumar. Hemant Kumar Mukhopadhyay or Hemant Mukherjee was a Bengali singer who was born in Varanasi. He sang for the All India Radio in Calcutta and his first movie as Music Director was the 1947 movie Abhiyatri. His first Hindi movie came in 1952, Anand Math. He was a leading exponent of Rabindersangeet. Most of his songs in Hindi movies have a special atmosphere built around them, eg, ‘ye raat ye chandni phir kahan‘ for the movie ‘Jaal’ and ‘yaad aa gayin vo nasheeli nigaahen’ for Manzil. This song for Anarkali brings out that even though Life of Love is short, but it is still a Life worth living. One can have crown, throne, and all the riches in the world; nothing is more precious than Love. “Zindagi pyaar ki do chaar ghadi hoti hai”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCViCUyk9-g

When it comes to Life of Love, I don’t suppose one can find better words than the Pakistani lyricist Qateel Shafai for the 1973 Pakistani movie Azmat. I can be forgiven for this not going entirely with the songs from Hindi movies. However, one, the song is a composition beyond compare; and two, Mehdi Hasan, the gazhal singer is as well known in India as in Pakistan. His ghazals such as ‘Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhane ke liye aa‘ and ‘patta patta buta buta haal hamara jaane hai’ would set afire any mtiushaira in India. The strain of the ghazal below is: “Zindiagi mein to sabhi pyaar kiya karte hain; main to mar kar bhi meri jaan tujhe chahunga” (In their Lifetime many Love their beloveds; I am the one who’d love you beyond Life too.” It is worth listening to over and over again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfBS-8Fs5sI

The next Zindagi song has its music composed by another great Bengali music composer Salil Choudhury who helped Hemant Kumar find his feet in the Hindi film industry. Salil’s genre is to have the music tune go up and down with the emotion of the song. His best, of course is from the 1960 movie Parakh: ‘O’ sajana barkha bahar aayi, ras ki fuhaar layi, akhiyon mein pyaar layi’ (Read ‘Rains And Our Songs’). His music literally pitter-pattered with the rain with the words: ‘aise rimjhim mein ho sanam, pyaase pyaase mere nayan; tere hi khvaab mein kho gaye’. In the 1970 unforgettable movie ‘Anand’, he brought out similar magic in this Zindagi song written by Yogesh: ‘Zindagi kaisi hai paheli hay, kabhi ye hasay, kabhi ye rulaaye‘ (Life, what a riddle it is; sometimes, it makes you laugh, at others, it makes you cry):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vgDb4TQneA

Whichever way you look at zindagi, whether as a love song or as a sea of sorrow, you have to live it. Here is some sane advice about zindagi given by the lyricist Sawan Kumar whose most popular song in the Hindi movies was ‘Teri galiyon mein na rakhenge kadam aaj ke baad’ for the 1974 movie Hawas. No one, therefore, can give him credit for great philosophy or emotions (eg, ‘shayad meri shaadi ka khyaal dil mein aaya hai’). However, surprisingly, he wrote this gem for the 1983 movie ‘Sauten’ (the other wife). Some credit for the song also goes to Usha Khanna as the music composer. Please pay attention to the lyrics whilst playing this; ‘Zindagi pyaar ka geet hai‘:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9YGUkKphsg

Zindagi, for some, though can be a painful episode and they pray to the one who has given them Life to cut it short for them and recall them. The first one on this theme is a song by one who wants God to terminate his Life. The song is from the 1953 movie ‘Dil-e-Nadaan’ starring Shyama and Talat Mehmood. Shakeel wrote the lyrics and Talat himself sang since he was the king of ghazals in India. It is plaintive cry to the Creator to hear that his heart is burdened by Life since here in this world he died whilst still living (this happens with those who lose everything in love) (Zindagi dene waale sun teri duniya se dil bhar gaya):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVI_PsOm84I

The other is about the one whose Life is being terminated prematurely by God due to a terminal disease like cancer: ‘Zindagi ka safar hai ye aisa safar, koi samjha nahin koi jaana nahin…..aise jeevan bhi hain jo jiye hi nahin, jinako jeene se pehle hi maut aa gayi’ (The journey of this life is such a journey that nobody knows, nobody understands….such lives are also there who haven’t really lived, who were visited by death even before living). Indeevar wrote these lyrics for the 1970 movie ‘Safar’ (Journey) and Kalyanji Anandji provided the music. It is a very soulful number sung by the great Kishore Kumar:

I end with the lyricist Shailendra writing these wonderful lyrics for the greatest music duo Shankar, Jai Kishan for the 1971 movie Andaaz. Once again Kishore Kumar sang the song. Kishore Kumar was born as Abhas Kumar Kanjilal Ganguly. His active career was nearly of four decades when he made his debut for ‘Ziddi’. He was the most versatile personality in the Hindi film industry: singer, actor, composer, producer, director, screen-writer and script-writer. His movie ‘Door Ka Rahi’ was a one man show in most of his avatars. The song has a sane advice (though given in flambuoyant style) that Death will any case get you in the end; why should you go through the journey of life by being anything but happy (‘Zindagi ik safar hai suhaana, yahan kal kya ho kisane jaana’):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_806iQ86Ns

What lesson do we take about Zindagi (Life) then? Is it a dream? Is it a moment of Love, of Sorrow, of Pain? Life goes on without stopping for us to pause and think. Perhaps, if we pay attention to poets as above we can have a few carry-home points how to live Life. There are many really good Zinadagi and Jeevan numbers I had to leave out. However, there is one poem I don’t want to leave out. It is so Lyrical: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ‘A Psalm of Life’:

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

In short, as Faani Badauni wrote: ‘Zindagi zinda dilli ka naam hai; murda dil kya khaak jiya karte hain‘ (Life is translated as Liveliness in Heart; those who have Dead Hearts, they cannot call their Living as Life)

NOSEY ABOUT NOSTALGIA

The Present is just a moment – a fleeting moment; whereas the Past is an accumulation of memories. Our memories are based on personal experiences and hence they are dear to us. We, therefore, idealize the past and yearn for it. This is called Nostalgia, a word derived from the Greek νόστος (nóstos), meaning ‘homecoming, and ἄλγος (álgos), meaning ‘pain, ache’. Just like Depression, Nostalgia was, at one time, thought of as a psychiatric condition, a form of melancholy. It is only in the early Modern Era that the word got associated with yearning for the ‘good old days‘.

We have nostalgia concerning all our five senses of Hearing, Seeing, Smelling, Touching and Tasting. We are, therefore, nostalgic about, for example, old songs, sepia coloured pictures especially of our childhood, smell of crayons in our first classroom, the touch of our mother’s hand as she guided us through the busy city streets and the taste of our tiffins carrying lunch that we used to savour sitting under a tree next to the playground.

Are there any scientific studies done on Nostalgia? Yes, there are but not enough. Scientists feel that the recall of our memory about something gives a stimulus to amygdala or that part of the brain that gives us emotions. The trigger for Nostalgia is something from the past. Our emotions about the past can be happy or sad. However, in the present context, Nostalgia is generally about happy memories of the days gone by.

What exactly is Nostalgia broken down to its commonest sense? It is a fact that we do like the present when it becomes past. There is a good one about a mother telling her son who was making fuss about eating what she’d cooked, “Eat it. Years later you’d be telling another woman how good your mother cooked.”
As long as we are aware that we like all Nostalgia about a miserable present until it becomes past, we shall be happy with that old gramophone we struggled with and which still gave screechy sound in comparison to crystal clear digital sound of today.
Pic courtesy: ucl.ac.uk
In our minds, we should go back to those exact times that we are nostalgic about and see if we really liked them at that time. A friend of mine put up a facebook post about the era of the postman and nostalgically reminisced about the postman visiting us leisurely and reading to us our letters and delivering money orders. Others have written about walking to the school (there were no buses those days) and breathing in the invigorating air. It is yet another thing that we hated being chased by the street dogs and hated walking in the scorching sun but the filter of Nostalgia leaves out the bad memories. But I guess if we don’t have nostalgia we can say bye bye to about 50 percent writing in the world; including this one.
 There is, therefore, romanticism about Nostalgia. For example, this Kishore Kumar song from the 1964 movie ‘Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein’ (Far Under The Sky):
Albele din pyaare, mere bichhade saathi saareHaay! Kahaan gaye, haay! kahaan gaye(Wonderful lovely days, all my friends I parted from
Oh, where are they now)
Koi lauta de mere beete hue din,
Beete hue din vo hai pyaare pal chhin.
(Someone, return to me my past,
My past, those dear moments)

Main akela to na tha, the mere saath kayi,
Ek aandhi si udhi, jo bhi tha leke gayi
Aaj main dhoondu kahan, kho gaye jaane kidhar
(I wasn’t alone, many were with me
A storm came, what was there it took away
Today, where should I search for those that were lost)
Beete hue din…

Mere khvabon ke nagar, mare sapno ke shehar,
Pee liya jinake liye, maine jeevan ka zehar.
Aise bhi din the kabhi, meri duniya thi meri.
(The towns of my dreams, the cities of my imagination
For them only I drank the poison of life
Those were the days, when my world was my own)
Beete hue din…

And for those who’d prefer to hear this thought in English, here is Mary Hopkins singing ‘Those Were The Days’:

Finally, the Moral of the Story: Treasure every moment when you have it rather than when it is gone.

In short when you get a tooth pulled out you miss the slow pain it used to cause and your tongue goes to the exact spot nostalgically. However, you should relish the moment at the dentist’s chair too.

God, I am becoming a Saint in my old age. Let me love it now rather than later when everyone has finished hating me for writing this post. One of my friends feels that the word ‘Nostalgia’ gives a feel as if it is a nose-related problem. In which case, one can imagine a doctor prescribing a tablet like DCold to have with warm water twice a day after meals. Sounds far fetched? Think again: the other day a drug called scopolamine was in the news. If the powder is blown into your face you have an instant loss of memory and are immediately cured of Nostalgia. Perhaps later scientists will discover a drug whose powder, when blown into our faces will convert all our bad, sad, horrible and unpleasant memories into ‘good old days’.

Nostalgia indeed.

THE BEST OF ‘YAAD’ SONGS

Love is a many splendoured feeling; even if you don’t get anything out of Love (eg, the 1955 movie Udan Khatola’s song written by Shakeel Badayuni: “Muhabbat ki raahon mein chalna sambhal ke; yahan jo bhi aaya gaya haath mal ke” (Walk cautiously on the paths of Love; anyone who walked this way, lost everything), you at least get Yaad (Memory or Rememberance). Indeed, poets of yore, thought of Yaad as a person. In this the best is Raja Mehndi Ali Khan who wrote for the 1965 movie Bekhabar(Out of Touch or Devoid of Reality) as folows:Phir teri yaad naye geet sunane aayee
Dil ki duniya mein naye deep jalane aayeeYe khayalon mein bhi khwabon mein bhi tadpati hai
Muskurati huyee ye keh ke chali aati hai
Main tujhe ishq ke sholon se bachane aayee
Phir teri yaad naye geet sunane aayeeYaad-e mehboob idhar aa main tujhe pyar karoon
Tu agar jaan bhi mange to na inkar karoon
Ek diwane se kyun pyar jatane aayee?
Phir teri yaad naye geet sunane aayee(Once again your memory has come with a new song,
She has come to light new lamps in the world of my heart.

She makes me miserable in my thoughts, in my dreams,
Smilingly, she approaches me with these words:
“I have come to protect you from cinders of love”

My beloved’s Memory, come, I shall make love to you,
If you ask me for my life, I shall not flinch to say ‘No’
Why have you come to express Love to a Crazy-in-Love?)

Is this my best choice? As always, the best actually is Mere Mehboob by Shakeel, my favourite lyricist (Read The Best Of Old Hindi Songs – Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad And Dilip Kumar Together) I can’t, however, put it up being too sacred a song to be put up on this blog:

Yaad hai mujhako meri umr ki pehli vo ghadi
Teri aankhon se koi jaam piya tha maine
Meri rag rag mein koi barq si lehraayi thi
Jab tere marmari haathon ko chhuya tha maine

(One only has to imagine the scene:
I remember that first time of my life
I drank from the wine-glass of your eyes
In every sinew I had an electric feeling
When I held the marble of your hands)

However, here is Mohammad Rafi’s rendition of Phir Teri Yaad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SF3p6BETxo

Hemant Kumar Mukhopadhyay has been my favourite singer. He was born in Varanasi but shifted to Calcutta, His was a life given to music having recorded his first song for All India Radio in 1933. His first album in Bengali was released in 1937 and since then there was no looking back. All his songs transport you instantly into the world of the song. Here is my favourite Yaad song for the 1960 movie Manzil. The lyrics are by Majrooh Sultanpuri and music by SD Burman. No one knew how to act like a Sharabi (drunkard) better than Dev Anand (he acted in the movie by this name):

Rajinder Krishan was born in a Punjabi Duggal family in Jalalpur Jattan in Gujarat and then shifted to my hometown Shimla. His interest in poetry made him participate in many poetry competitions in Shimla and then, in mid 1940s, he shifted to Bombay to become a screenwriter. His first screenplay was for the 1947 movie Janta. He won a jackpot of Rupees 46 Lakhs in horse racing and became very rich. However, richer than all his riches was his poetry. He wrote this Yaad song for the 1961 movie Sanjog for which Madan Mohan gave music and Mukesh sang. The song is “Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na satayo; ab chan se rehne do mere paas na aayo”.

Daman mein liye baitha hoon toote hue taare,
Kab tak main jiyunga inhi khvaabon ke sahare,
Diwaana hoon ab aur naa diwaana banao
Ab chan se rehne do….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vslBZB58SGI

Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh was popularly known as Suraiya and sang many beautiful songs for the Hindi films in 1940s and 50s. She was born in Gujeranwala, Punjab (now in Pakistan). She sang Rajinder Krishan’s song ‘Yaad aa raha hai dil ko bhoola hua zamaana’ for the 1949 movie Amar Kahani that starred her. Please read the superb lyrics:

Yaad aa rahaa hai dil ko
Bhoola huaa zamaanaa

Har shay pe zindagi thi har cheez par jawaani
Aaankhon mein ik kahaani honthon pe ik taraanaa
Yaad aa rahaa hai dil ko….

Unaki adaayen dil ko ab yaad aa rahi hain
Chupake se unakaa aanaa aur mujhako choom jaanaa
Yaad aa rahaa hai dil ko..

Dil ko khabar nahin thi ban jaayegaa kisi din
Do dil kaa muskuraana rone kaa ek bahaanaa
Yaad aa rahaa hai dil ko…

Unfortunately I couldn’t find the song video by itself. However, here is the audio of the song:

 Talat Mehmood was born in Lucknow (UP) on 24th Feb 1924. He was the most famous singer of ghazals in the Hindi movies and had a unique style of his own. He started singing the ghazals of great Urdu poets such as Daag, Mir, Jigar at the age of 16 on All India Radio in Lucknow. In 1941 he cut his first disc with HMV. He was very handsome and also acted in thirteen movies from Rajlaxmi in 1949 to Sone Ki Chidiya in 1958 opposite Nutan. Meri yaad mein naa tum aansoo bahana is one of his best songs for the 1951 movie Madhosh starring Manhar and Meena Kumari. Raja Mehdi Ali Khan provided the lyrics and Madan Mohan Kohli the music. Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was born in Karimabad in what is now Pakistan and his first film as Lyricist was Do Bhai in 1946. Madan Mohan was a contemporary of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan having been born on 24 Jun 1924 in Baghdad, Iraq. He joined the army and was commisioned in 1943. However, his love for music claimed him and he got his first big break in the Hindi movies in 1950 movie Aankhein. There was no looking back after that. Listen to this Yaad song put together by the three of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUGjgk29cp4

 Alright, now it is time to get back to Mere Mehboob; though not really the title song. I have written enough about Shakeel, Naushad and Rafi and hence I don’t have to do it again. And what can you write abaout Lata Mangeshkar, the most versatile female singer in the Hindi movies industry, who has sung more than 50,000 songs in various languages and has received every conceivable award including Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratna and Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Indeed, from 1980s she has opted out of receiving any Filmfare annual award so as to give encouragement to young emerging singers. The song Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke ham raat bhar karvatein badalte hain is a beautiful number:

As the name suggests Majrooh Sultanpuri was born in Sultanpur in UP in 1919. Between 1946 and 2000 (when he died) he earned a name for himself as the finest avant-garde poet of Urdu language. Some of his songs are: Babuji dheere chalna, Achha ji main haari, Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal, Dekho mausam kya bahaar hai, and Humein tumase pyaar kitna. Roshan, the music director, was born on 14 Jul 1917 in Gujeranwala, Punjab (now in Pakistan) and was the father of actor, director Rakesh Roshan and music director Rajesh Roshan, and grandfather of actor Hritik Roshan. He came to Hindi movies in 1948 and composed some delectable music until he died in Nov 1967. The song Aapne yaad dilaya to mujhe yaad aaya is a duet between Rafi and Lata and is in the 1962 movie Aarti. Enjoy:

 Lets move on to the versatile and lovable Shailendra. He was born in Aug 1923 and died in Dec 1946 at a very young age. He joined Indian Railways and came to Bombay in 1947 where in a poetry recitation the great Raj Kapoor noticed him. Rest is history. He paired with Shankar Jai-Kishan and wrote some of the most beautifully romantic songs for Raj Kapoor that were invariably sung by Mukesh. Here is an unforgettable Yaad song from the 1959 movie Kanhaiyya starring Raj Kapoor and Nutan. The song is: Yaad aayi aadhi raat ko. Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF52Y3CQmXQ

Shailendra paired with Shankar Jai-Kishan to write some very soulful numbers for Dil Ek Mandir starring Rajendra Kumar, Meena Kumari and Raj Kumar. This one is an all time favouite of mine:

Yaad na jaae, beete dinon ki
Jaake na aaye jo din, dil kyun bhulaaye, unhen
Dil kyun bhulaaye
Yaad na jaaye …

Din jo pakheruu hote, pinjare mein main rakh detaa
Paalataa unako jatan se
Moti ke daane detaa
Seene se rahataa lagaaye
Yaad na jaaye …

Tasveer unaki chhupaake, rakh duun jahaan ji chaahe
Man mein basi ye suurat
Lekin mite na mitaaye
Kehane ko hain vo paraaye
Yaad na jaae …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2On9ix8wy9w

Indeed, that’s the theme of this article: Yaad doesn’t ever leave you.

As we come to the end of the article, you must be wondering how many really good Yaad song I have left out. Well, I can’t go on and on and it is pretty late in the night. Here is the song from the 1959 movie Satta Bazaar and you can’t help keep singing it whenever you hear it. Gulshan Bawra wrote the lyrics and Kalyanji Anandji provided the music. My favourite singer Hemant da paired with Lata ji to sing one of the best Yaad songs that leaves you with a lump in your throat. The song is ‘Tumhein yaad hoga kabhi hum milenge‘; it is picturised on Suresh and Vijaya Choudhury:

Yaad never dies. Yaad takes us back to those times that were. As JM Barrie wrote, “God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December.” The lyricists, music directors and most singers of that era are no more but the roses are still here, as fresh as ever.

THE BEST OF OLD HINDI SONGS – RAFI, SHAKEEL, NAUSHAD AND DILIP KUMAR TOGETHER

How proud I am that I lived in an era when Mohammed Rafi sang the songs whose lyrics were written by Shakeel Badayuni, music composed by Naushad and Dilip Kumar enacted those songs? There are other great lyricists such as Hasrat Jaipuri, Sahir Ludhianvi and Majrooh Sultanpuri. Similarly, there are other great music composers such as Ravi, Hemant Kumar, Salil Choudhury, Shanker-Jai Kishen, and Laxmikant Pyarelal. However, this article is only about the greatest ever quartet of Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad and Dilip Kumar being together.

The best musical trio ever: Naushad, Rafi, Shakeel – I would give anything to meet them

Sadly, out of the four, the first three are no more except Dilip Kumar who celebrated his 89th birthday on the 11th of Dec. Mohammed Rafi died three and half decades ago (31 Jul 1980) at the age of 56. If he were alive, he would have celebrated his 87th birthday on 24th of Dec.Similarly, Naushad who died on 5th May 2006 would have been 92 on 25th of Dec. Can you imagine that the three of them had their birthdays this month? Shakeel didn’t even reach the age of 54: born on 3rd Aug 1916, he died on 20 Apr 1970

As far as songs not including the complete quartet are concerned, by far the number one song in Hindi movies has been the 1963 movie Mere Mehboob’s title song. Its lyrics are the finest written by Shakeel and Naushad has given the most heart-touching music. Rafi’d rendition is the best ever. But I am not putting it here because instead of Dilip, the film had Rajendra Kumar.

Once again you are bound to ask me: what about ‘Suhani raat dhal chuki’ from 1949 Dulari. Once again it has Shakeel-Naushad and Rafi but not Dilip Kumar. I think by this time you get the point hat this article is all about.

Let me begin with the oldest of the four: Shakeel of the village Badayun in UP. Initially he started as a shayar (poet) but moved in 1944 to Bombay to find a career in films. He met Naushad. During those days shayars were full of songs about upliftment of society. But Shakeel chose to write about love and Naushad liked his romantic poetry immediately and signed for AR Kardar’s 1947 movie Dard. The songs were a hit especially Afsana likh rahi hoon. Shakeel had arrived in the Hindi film industry with a bang. Shakeel wrote for Ravi, Burman, Hemant Kumar, C Ramachandra etc too but his favourite always was his first: Naushad. Unlike shayars of that era, Shakeel didn’t drink. However, he died young at 53 years of age in diabetes related problems.

The greatest lyricist of Hindi movies. He wrote Mere Mehboob

Naushad was the next younger, having been born three and a half years after Shakeel. However, he was in Hindi film industry as an independent music director for close to seven years before he paired with Shakeel. He too was from UP; the city of Lucknow famous for its old Urdu etiquette and refinement. Naushad was the most versatile music director the industry ever saw. His genre was to base his music on classical raagas. His career spanned more than six decades. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1981 and Padam Bhushan in 1992.

The Greatest with the Greatest – Naushad with Mohammad Rafi

Next is Dilip Kumar who is still alive having been born as Muhammad Yusuf Khan in Peshawar (now in Pakistan) on 11 Dec 1922. Satyajit Ray called him the ultimate method actor. He too began his career in the same year as Shakeel did. He was the first actor to win Filmfare Best Actor Award; ultimately he won the highest number, ie, eight, an honour that he shares with Shah Rukh Khan. He was awarded the Padam Bhushan in 1991, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994. He remained a good friend of Shakeel and Naushad.

Dilip Kumar – there hasn’t been a better actor than him in Hindi films

The youngest was Rafi, born on 24 Dec 1924 in village Kotla Sultan Singh near Amritsar in Punjab. He has sung nearly 8000 songs including 112 in non Hindi and 328 non filmy private songs. He too started his career in Hindi movies in 1944 and became a contemporary of the other three. However, his career lasted nearly half of Naushad’s. He, however, had started singing at the age of 13. He sang 149 songs for Naushad. Other than Hindi and Urdu (the languages of the Hindi songs), he has sung songs in Konkani, Bhojpuri, Orya, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Sindhi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Maghi, Maithili, Assamese, English, Persian, Spanish, and Dutch. His genre too was Hindustani and he was reputed to have moulded his voice to suit the character of the actor. I do not consider myself qualified to describe his talent. He is simply God of Hindi songs and there would never be a time when I shall not want to hear a song sung by Rafi.

The gretest Hindi films singer ever – Rafi was also the most humble

The first of the movies in which the quartet was together was the 1948 Mela. Its title song ‘Yeh zindagi ke mele duniya mein kam na honge afsos hum na honge‘ is still the standard in Urdu poetry. Taste this:
Duniyaa hai mauj-e-dariyaa, qatare ki zindagi kyaa
Paani mein mil ke paani, a.njaam ye ke paani
Dam bhar ko saans le le, ye zindagi …

The next movie of the quartet was 1951 movie Deedar. The song that I love the most is a duet between Rafi and Lata:
Dekh liya maine kismet ka tamaasha dekh liya.
Milakar bhi rahaa main mushkil mein
Milane ka natijaa dekh liyaa
1952 Aan became a super-hit movie of that time. It was produced and directed by the legendary Mehboob Khan. Amongst all the song that best describes the theme of the movie, ie, a poor villager Dilip Kumar overcoming the pride (Aan) of the princess Nadira is Maan mera ehsaan arey nadaan ke maine tujhse kiya hai pyaar. Enjoy:

Two years later the great Mehboob Khan got the quartet toegther again for the movie Amar. The song close to my heart is the bhajan ‘Insaaf ka mandir hai ye bhagwan ka ghar hai‘. Just imagine all four Muslims getting together and making a mandir (Hindu temple) song. This was the essential greatness of the society, the movies and songs of that era: people of all communities participated in hymns of all religions. Two years earlier, for Baiju Bawra, Shakeel-Naushad-Rafi had combined to make one of the best Hindu bhajans: ‘Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj’.

The next movie of the quartet was the 1955 movie Uran Khatola that was produced by Naushad. The story-line was about a plane that crashed near an isolated town that is ruled by women. I have a problem now. There are so many good songs in this movie that I don’t know which one to select. There are, eg, Na toofan se khelo, na sahil se khelo’, ‘Hue ham jinake liye barbaad’ and ‘O door ke musaafir’. My choice is ‘Mohabbat ki raahon mein chalna sambhal ke‘. It is about the hopelessness of love. There are these immortal lines in the song:

Hamen dhoondhati hain, bahaaron ki duniyaa
Kahaan aa gaye ham, chaman se nikal ke.

And if you can see better acting than Dilip Kumar, do let me know.

Then there was a five year period in which no movie of the quartet together were released though there were others for them to accept movies separately. It was worth the wait. The 1960 Mughal-e-Azam, written by Kamal Amrohi (amongst others. Kamal went on to make his own classic Pakeezah a few years later) and directed by K Asif. It was the biggest box office hit ever (Rupees 133 Crores after adjusting for inflation) until Sholay broke its record. The movie was about the love affair between Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jehangir) and Anarkali. The movie belonged to Lata Mangeshkar who bagged the best and most popular songs like ‘Mohe panghat pe Nandlal’, ‘Mohabbat ki jhooti kahani pe roye’, and ‘Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya’. Rafi had only one important song but it became very famous: ‘Zindabaad, zindabaad; ai mohabbat zindabaad’. Enjoy:

The year 1960 also saw the light-hearted Kohinoor; a movie with Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari. Dilip Kumar had, by this time, earned the reputation of a Tragedy King with movies like Devdas and had actually gone into depression with the intensity of his roles. This movie was, therefore, to break the monotony of tragic roles. He won the Filmfare Best Actor award for this too. The movie had two very beautiful duets: ‘Chalenge teer jab dil par’, and ‘Do sitaaron ka zameen per hai milan’ and Rafi’s ‘Koi pyaar ki dekhe jadugari’ and ‘Zara man ki kewadiyaa khol’. My choice is: ‘Madhuban mein Radhika naach re‘, one of the best songs sung by Rafi:

Just a year later, in 1961, was released Dilip Kumar’s musical romance with Vyjantimala in the shape of Ganga Jamuna. Asha Bhonsle sang ‘Tora man bada paapi’, and Lata sang ‘Na maanu, na maanu na maanu re dagabaaj tori‘ and the all time hit song ‘Dhundo dhundo re saajna mere kaan ka baala’. However, Rafi’s ‘Nain lad jainhe to manavaa mein kasak hoibe kari‘ showed the rustic dancing by Dilip at its best. Here it is then:

We had to wait for another three years until 1964 to find the quartet again in Leader starring Vyjantimala once again opposite Dilip Kumar. The duet ‘Ek Shahenshah ne banwa ke hasin Taj Mahal’ was famous. But the movie belonged to Rafi with songs such as ‘Apni aazaadi ko hum’, ‘Hamin se mohabbat hamin se ladaayi’ and ‘Tere husn ki kya taareef karun’. I am, however, putting up ‘Mujhe duniya waalo shraabi na samjho’ if only to see Dilip in a drunken stage and Rafi matching the drunken voice in his singing:

One year later, the quartet was back again with the movie ‘Dil Diya Dard Liya‘ based on Emile Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights; this time with some of the best songs that Mohammad Rafi has sung. Dilip acted opposite Waheeda Rehman. Rafi’s songs that became famous and are still famous are: ‘Koi saagar dil ko behlaata nahin’, ‘Dilruba maine tere pyaar mein’, and a duet with Asha Bhosle, ‘Sawan aaye na aaye’. My choice is an all time favourite of mine: ‘Guzre hain aaj ishq mein‘. I adore these lines:

O bewafaa teraa bhi youn hi toot jaae dil
Tu bhi tadap-tadap ke pukaare haay dil
Tera bhi saamnaa ho kabhi gam ki shaam se

Two years later, the quartet were back in the super-hit movie Ram Aur Shyam. The theme of twins separated at birth and united later in life made its debut and continue unabated for many years. The movie had a soul-stirring song by Rafi: ‘Aaj ki raat mere dil ki salaami le le‘. Enjoy:

We could see the quartet for the last time in 1968 movie Sunghursh. The movie about thugee (conning) in Varanasi was based on a story by Jnanpith Award winner Mahasweta Devi; and starred Dilip Kumar and Vyjantimala. Rafi sang: ‘Jab dil se dil’ and ‘Ishq Diwana’; but, Dilip’s rustic dancing was once again to be seen in ‘Mere pairon mein ghungroo‘:

Well folks that is all from me for the quartet of Shakeel Badayuni as lyricist, Naushad Ali as Music Director, Mohammad Rafi as singer and Dilip Kumar as an actor with all four being together. How I wish that era had never ended. But, like Shakeel wrote in Mela: ‘Ye zindagi ke mele duniya mein kam na honge, afsos hum na honge’.

NH7 BACARDI WEEKENDER – ROAD TO HEAVEN

This is not an expert’s coverage of the NH7 Bacardi Weekender at Pune (from 18 to 20 Nov 11). That I am sure Arjun S Ravi would have done in NH7 and Indiecision and some of his coverage was live too. Nor are the photographs in the article even one tenth of the professional excellence, clarity and story-telling quality of Kunal Kakodkar’s. This is an ordinary music lover’s response at being amongst the music loving crowd during the music fest in Nov 11.NH7 Bacardi Weekender this year was simply great in its organisation, crowd response, and the gigs that participated. One can listen to the music and the songs on You Tube and one’s best hi-tech music system. But, there is nothing like the Live Experience. It is electric. It transports you into another world of excitement, love, ecstasy and happiness.

Papone and the East India Company at the Dewarist Stage

This year was probably the best assembly of gigs in an Indian music fest. There were five stages in all at the same Laxmi Lawns: The Dewarist, The Other Stage, Pepsi Dub Station, Eristoff Wolves Den, and Bacardi Black Rock Arena. The organisers need to be congratulated for having put up the stages, and the programme so meticulously. Arjun told me that most of it was done by his friend Dhruv and his team.

A view of the on-site admin office – Arjun and friends operated from here
Whilst the stages buzzed with music and crowd frenzy the organisers “quietly” (???) went ahead with their job

In addition to the music gigs, what makes an even like this special are organising and ensuring participation by the crowds; for example, the flea market selling anything from memorabilia to T shirts, hair dos, caps, hats, trinkets.

A happy visitor at the Flea (not free) market

Then there are food and drinks stalls and…hold your breath, a Tattoo Pavilion.

One of the many watering holes. The pictures collage at the rear wall is by Kunal Kakodkar and all the pics were lit at night

Even though the crowds were huge (when Imogen Heaps had the stage about 700 people had to be sent back due to no place available for the crowds to even stand), these were managed very well. At the parking lot, there was complete order. One of the newspapers brought out at the end of the fest that the policemen on duty had nothing to do since the crowds were so well behaved. They were in there to have a good time and they were genuine music afficiondos. Have a look at the total orderliness even at the entrance despite the ‘bouncers’ frisking everyone for drugs etc:

Entrance to the music fest

We enjoyed the music, the ambience, the young foot-tapping crowds with their lovely, colourful hair dos and head gear. To our surprise we found that Anna Hazare is the rage with the youngsters and Gandhi caps were the most preferred headgear:

An Anna Hazare Designer cap
This group of girls were always in these hats
A nice blue hair-do
Some more colours

As you entered the fest arena they gave you a Guide Book to the facilities there and a Pocket Guide. Both were very beautifully done and provided complete information about the stages, the programme, the artistes, flea markets, food stalls, watering holes etc. Here is Lyn holding one of these Guide Books:

A Gibson stall in the fest

Let me now give you a glimpse of  the Food stalls and the Tattoo shops in the Tattoo Republic

The armed forces bands play the Tattoo!
The atmosphere at the food-stalls

Before I go on to the music, the real reason for the fest, let me give you glimpses of riot of paints and colours:

Lyn trying to merge with the paintings.

As far as Music was concerned, there was so much to choose from. On the first day, Friday, the 18th Nov, there were three live stages: Eristoff Wolves Den, Pepsi Dub Station, and Eristoff Club Invasion. The gigs that played included Sky Rabbit (formerly Medusa), Midival Punditz, Ash Boy, Dualist Inquiry, Basement Jaxx, Jatin Puri, and DJ Swaggamuffin. Here is a pic of Sky Rabbit in action:

Sky Rabbit (formerly Medusa)

The second day was a delectable treat of music: On the Dewarists stage there were, amongst others Imogen Heap and Raghu Dixit. How did it go? Well, even though the crowds filled the lawns fully, they were not really on the grounds; most often than not they were airborne. Bacardi Black stage had, amongst others, Tough on Tobacco, Pentagram, and Blackstratblues. Eristoff Wolves Den stage had Reggae Rajahs.

The third day was sadly the last day. There were gigs like Scribe, King Creosote, Swarathma, Papon & the East India Company, Bhayanak Maut and Indian Ocean. In the end, another treat awaited the fans in the shape of Weekender All Stars on Bacardi Together stage.

See how neatly the organisers had worked out everything:

A Directions Map from the Guide Book

 

And an ‘Out of Toon’ Guide to the fest
And from these ‘before’ pictures, lets go to the pics of crowd frenzy, the vibrations, the rhythemic jumps, screams of joy and charged up atmosphere:

When the last of the gigs, Indian Ocean played there was not an inch of ground left to stand on. Well, no one was standing anyway. People were air borne most of the time. Lyn and I found a good vantage point to watch Indian Ocean live. Halfway through a girl tapped me from behind and said with becoming pleading, “Sir, you are tall you can watch from anywhere, can I come in front?” What would you have done? I did the same. She stood next to Lyn and watched and I felt like a boy scout having done my good deed for the day.

Lyn not allowing her place near the stage to be taken by anyone

There was a treat waiting for Lyn and I at the end of Indian Oceans performance. We could meet the versatile Rahul Ram of Indian Ocean and even take pics with him; all this courtesy Arjun:

Lyn and me with Rahul Ram of Indian Ocean

For Lyn and me another great and warm feeling was to be with Arjun; he lives music, breathes music. His friends say about him that other than music nothing registers in his mind.

Arjun looking satisfied with the response to NH7 Weekender and Lyn looking happy that Arjun is satisfied

The last item was the All Gigs Together and….like one often did with a long novel just before the ending, you didn’t want it to end.

The last item: Weekender All Stars – jampacked

On return, we were on the Expressway back to Mumbai and the only thought in our mind was: The real expressway (to heaven) was in Laxmi Lawns, Magarpatta City, Pune, from 18 to 20 Nov.

HINDI SONGS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CHAND (MOON)

I am very fond of Hindi songs, especially old Hindi songs. Most of the lyricists of the era when I was small and later young wrote in Urdu. I have brought out elsewhere in this blog that Urdu – A Language of the Heart is best suited to give expression to the emotions of people in love. Indeed, I have often concluded that  poets and lyricists of yore must have been in love themselves to bring out such deep and meaningful thoughts in their poems and songs. For example, Kaifi Azmi’s “Dil ki naazuk ragein toot ti hain, yaad itna bhi koi na aaye” (why should I miss someone to that extent that heart’s tender threads should break down?) or Neeraj’s “Saara aalam hai giriftaar tere husn mein jab, mujhse hi kaise yeh barsaat sahi jayegi; aaj to tere bina neend nahin aayegi” (Complete ambience is as if captivated by your beauty; then how can it be expected that I should go through the rains without being with you? Tonight, I won’t be able to sleep without you)

One of the obsessions of the Hindi lyricist, or rather Urdu lyricist has been Chand (Moon). Some of the finest songs have been written on it.

Having Chand in the lyrics has had various purposes; the commonest one being to describe the beauty of the beloved. It is difficult to pick the best in this category. However, I think my maximum votes would go to the 1960 song Chaudhvin Ka Chand (14th day moon or full moon). Shakeel Badayuni has carved out the words to perfection. I can’t imagine a woman listening to it and not being in a trance (as Waheeda Rehman was when Guru Dutt sang this for her in the movie by the same name). Ravi provided such excellent accompanying music that one cannot imagine the song without it. Finally, Hindi movies best singer ever, Mohammad Rafi sang it in such a way that the words seem to come alive. Sample just one of its three stanzas:

Chehra hai jaise jheel mein hanstaa hua kanval,
Ya zindagi ke saaz pe chhedi hui ghazal,
Jaane bahar tum kisi shayar ka khvaab ho.
Chaudhvin ka chand ho, ya aftaab ho,
Jo bhi ho tum khuda ki kasam lajwaab ho.
(Your face is like a lotus smiling in the lake,
Or you are a melody played on the instrument of life,
The Spring that you are, you are a poet’s dream come true.
Are you are a full moon, or a fairy,
Whatever you are, God knows, you are incredible.

Anand Bakshi penned some exquisite lines describing the beauty of a woman in his 1963 song, “Chand aahein bharega, phool dil thaam lenge, husn ki baat chali to sab tera naam lenge.” (Moon will mope, flowers will feel defeated; when they talk about beauty, all will only think of you). The song was sung by the most versatile singer of that era Mukesh. Another song of the same combine of singer-lyricist was the 1965 number: “Chand si mehbooba ho meri kab aisa maine socha tha; haan tum bilkul vaisi ho jaisa maine soch tha” (I used to wish that I’d have a beloved like the moon; yes, you are exactly like how I had wished)

Here is a variation from the great lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri for the 1967 movie Diwana (Crazy): “Ai sanam jisne tujhe chand si surat di hai; usi malik ne mujhe di to mohabbat di hai” (O’ my darling the one who has given you a moon-like countenance; the same almighty has given me something called Love):

Then, there is nothing like Chand as a witness of the lovers; a friend who can be asked by the lovers to do anything they want in love. There are many songs on this theme. The best is difficult to choose from amongst so many really good numbers. However, I would repeatedly listen to 1960 number sung by Lata Mangeshkar  and Mukesh for the movie Banjaarin (Bedouin). The lyricist was Pandit Madhur and music was provided by Pardesi: “Chanda re meri patiyaa le jaa saajan ko pahuncha de re; vo likh sakein jawab unhe tu mera pata bata de re” (Moon, my pal, take my epistle and deliver it to my Love; so that he should be able to write back, please tell him my address):

Talking about Chand as a friend or pal, how can anyone forget Raj Kapoor’s Aawaara (Vagabond) with this lovable number sung by Lata and Mukesh: “Dum bhar jo udhar moonh phere O’chandaaa, main unse pyaar kar loongi, baatein hazaar kar loongi” (Moon, my friend, if only you would turn your face away for a minute, I’ll love my love and talk to him a thousand things):
Raj Kapoor and Nargis in 1951 movie Aawara
Chand being directed to do things for the lovers also finds expression in this sad song from 1963 movie Dil Ek Mandir (Heart is a Temple (of love)). The combine is a very successful one of Shailendra Singh (lyricist) and Shankar, Jaikishan): “Ruk jaa raat thehar jaa re chanda beete na milan ki bela. Aaj chandni ki nagari mein armaano ka mela.” (Stand still Night, stop there Moon, let the tryst (of lovers) not pass. Tonight in the moonlit town is let loose the carnival of desires):

How about Chand building an atmosphere or trance or enchantment? Once again, there are many on this theme. Here, I don’t have to be confused about choosing the best. My favourite singer Hemant Kumar sang this for the 1952 movie Jaal (Net): “Yeh raat yeh chandni phir kahan, sun ja dil ki daastan” (This night, this moonlight will not come again; tonight listen to my heart’s tale):

Dev Anand in Jaal singing the best song ever on Moon

Talking about Hemant Kumar, there was no one like him to convey an entire ambience through his singing; he easily transported you to the world being talked about in his songs. His “Yaad aa gayin vo nasheeli nigahein” (Memories of those intoxicating eyes haunt me) remains an all time favourite with me. However, I shall talk about it when I write a post on my best Hindi songs on eyes (aankhein).

Getting back to being entranced by the Moon, here is another favourite: “Dil ki nazar se, nazron ki dil se; yeh baat kya hai, yeh raaz kya hai koi humein bata de.” You are bound to ask, where does Chand get into it? Well, here is a stanza: “Hum kho chale, chand hai ya koi jaadugar hai; ya madbhari yeh tumahaari nazar ka asar hai?” (We are being entranced, is it just Moon or a Magician; or is this the hypnotic effect of your eyes?):

https://youtu.be/t8vDu-C7u1Q

How about a combination of wet night with Chand as in: “Yeh raat bheegi bheegi, yeh mast nazaare; uthaa dheere dheere vo chaand pyaara pyaara“. The song is by Lata and Manna De for the 1956 movie ‘Chori Chori‘ with lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri and music by the pair of Shankar, Jai Kishan. The song is one of the memorable duets between Raj Kapoor and Nargis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1DZxkiMjRo

How about Chand being a witness to first expression of love as in “Dekho vo chand chhup ke karta hai kya ishaare; shayad vo keh raha hai, hum ho gaye tumhaar” (Look, the Moon, is beckoning us from its hiding place. Perhaps, it is saying I am yours now). The music director is Hemant, the singers are Lata and Hemant and lyrics are by SH Bihari for the 1954 movie Shart (The Bet):

One lovely Chand number was enacted by Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt in 1962 movie ‘Main Chup Rahungi’ (I Will Keep Mum); Rajinder Krishan penned the lyrics and music was composed by Chitragupt. Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar sang it very well indeed: “Chand jaane kahan kho gaya? Tumko chehre se parda hatana na tha.“(Where has Chand gone suddenly? You shouldn’t have lifted your veil):

Here is one from 1959 movie Anaadi (Novice) enacted by Raj Kapoor and Nutan and sung by Lata and Mukesh: “Vo chand khila, vo taare hanse, yeh raat gazab ki aayi hai. Samajhne vaale samjh gayen hain, na smajhe vo anaadi hain.” (There Moon has risen and stars are out, this night is really wonderful. Those who know can get the hint (to love) and the others? Well, they are just novices.):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvtU5FYxK-c

How about a proclamation of Love in terms of the age of celestial bodies like moon and stars? Easily the best number in this is, “Na ye chand hoga na taare rahenge, magar hum hamesha tumhaare rahenge.” (The Moon will cease to exist, the stars will fade away; but, I shall always be yours). The movie, once again, is 1954 movie Shart (The Bet) and the singers are Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt:
Chand, in Hindi songs, is not always supposed to bring good tidings; it is also a silent spectator when the lovers are pining. Time weighs heavily on the lovers when they are separated and they often measure the Time in phases of moon. For example, this one is an all time favourite with me from the 1957 movie ‘Paying Guest’ starring Nutan and Dev Anand; Majrooh Sultanpuri was the lyricist and music was composed by SD Burman:
Here is a 1977 number for the movie Alaap by Yesudas: “Chand akela jaaye sakhi ri, man mora ghabraye ri” (O’ friend, Moon goes alone and my heart is fearful); though it is mock pining:

A moonlit light is of no use unless your Love is with you. Even though the word ‘Chand’ or ‘Chandni’ does not occur in it, it is all about “Suhaani raat dhal chuki, na jaane tum kab aayoge?” (Moonlit night is long past its prime, I don’t know when you’ll come?) Moon is a part of the suhaani raat. This song has the Hindi movies’ best ever combination of Mohammad Rafi (singer), Shakeel Badayuni (lyricist) and Naushad (Music director):

To end let me talk about Meena Kumari’s immortal poem “Chaand tanhaa hai, aasmaan tanahaa“; the music is by Khaiyyam:

“Chaand tanahaa hai, aasmaan tanahaa
Dil milaa hai kahaan kahaan tanahaa”

(The moon is lonely, the sky is lonely
My heart that I have is lonely everywhere)

Hindi songs fascination with Chand (Moon) is abiding.

I love Hindi songs; I love Chand.

MY YOUNG DAYS OF WATCHING MOVIES IN SOUTH BOMBAY

I joined the Indian Navy in 1973 and in 1975 I was a commissioned officer. I have many happy memories of the first few years of my career in the Navy that were spent in South Bombay. I was never into politics but it is my belief that internecine and dirty politics had not spoiled Bombay at that time. Bombay Police, for example, used to be compared with Scotland Yard in efficiency and reputation. In the services club, when we used to discuss such hair-raising incidents as advent of rogues and killers like Billa and Ranga in Delhi, we used to speak with great deal of satisfaction that such incidents won’t happen in Bombay due to the pro-active approach of Bombay Police.

How safe South Bombay was can be made out from the fact that it was a common sight to see young girls watch late night shows (though South Mumbai movies had to finish by 12:30 AM by local law) by themselves and then walk back home.

South Bombay prided itself in having the finest of the theatres patronised by decent crowds; the type who would be aware as well as well mannered: Regal and Strand in Colaba, Eros at Church Gate, Metro at Dhobi Talao, New Empire, Liberty and Sterling and later New Excelsior near Flora Fountain. There was Akaashvaani near LIC Building and one could watch good repertoire of movies there devoted to a theme. For example, I saw many of Raj Kapoor movies there during a fortnight devoted to his movies.

And what were the movies of those young days? In 1974, still an Acting Sub Lieutenant, I saw  The Towering Inferno in Eros. It was a done thing during those days to read the book and then see the movie. The movie ran in Eros for over a year. During the first few months it was impossible to obtain tickets in current booking. My uncle, my dad’s eldest brother, Tej Bhan Singh, had arrived from New York with his American wife, Betty aunty, and two daughters Kiran and Maninder. Kiran and Maninder had missed seeing the Inferno in New York and requested uncle if I could take them to see the movie. They hadn’t reckoned, though, that we couldn’t just walk in to see a movie in South Bombay without prior reservation. Anyway, uncle came to our rescue. He just walked to the Booking Counter where a large sign said ‘House Full’, and addressed the Booking Clerk thus, “Sir, would it be possible to get three tickets in the Dress Circle for my daughters and nephew?” There must have been something in my uncle’s personna because the Booking Clerk dished out three tickets. It was actually House Full and he put three moulded plastic chairs for us in the Dress Circle.

A scene from Towering Inferno
We were on the edge of our seats watching rescue operations

And what a movie it was; starring Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holding and Faye Dunaway. We were at the edge of our seats with the excitement caused. The movie won three Oscars but left to us we would have given it many more. Hollywood was really very good at making disaster movies. Many years later when they made The Titanic and it was appreciated for its technical excellence, I was not surprised at all.

The Poseidon Adventure, a rescue from a ship that scuttled after meeting with cyclone at sea was another great experience. I saw it in Sterling. I hadn’t read the book before seeing the movie starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, and Red Buttons. Once again the sitting on edge quality was the hallmark of the movie.

A tense scene from The Poseidon Adventure

One movie that really changed my life was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Jack Nicholson got the Oscar for it. Louise Fletcher played Rached and did it so well that I instantly hated her. The movie was so powerful that you didn’t walk out the same person from the hall. I saw it in Regal. The last scene where the supposedly loony Red Indian uproots the wash-basin in the hospital so as to throw it at the window and escape (and thus the name of the movie) is so intense that you had your hair standing on ends. You were silently willing him to do it. I would rank the movie amongst the best that I have seen. I read Ken Kesey’s book many years later.

By far the best movie that I ever saw: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
She did her role to perfection and you felt like strangling her alive.

It wasn’t all disasters and hateful stuff all the while. Paper Moon was a gentle movie that I saw in New Empire. The movie was based on the novel Addie Pray and starred the father and daughter pair of Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal. Tatum, as Addie Loggins was born to a prostitute. It was rumoured that Ryan as Moze Pray was the actual father of Addie since he had had an affair with her mother. Ryan, however, was a conman and was determined to deny it. The last scene of them driving off together as father and daughter was touching.

Ryan and Tatum O’Neil in Paper Moon

Talking about conman, how can I forget The Sting that, once again, I saw in New Empire. Both Paul Newman and Robert Redford were there and the suave manner in which Sting was conducted would be probably in the same league as Count Victor Lustig who sold off the Eiffel Tower.

Superb acting by Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting

Surprisingly neither Paul Newman nor Robert Redford got the Oscar for their acting in the movie.

I can go on and on since it was such great pleasure seeing movies at that time. However, let me just bring out two more before I go on to tell about some of the Hindi movies that I saw. Both these movies are important to me. Fiddler On The Roof was one of the greatest musicals that I saw, in Sterling theatre. The movie was an adaptation by Norman Jewison of a 1964 Broadway play about a Jewish family living in Tsarist Russia. The movie had an unforgettable role by Topol as head of the family with five daughters. As a poor Jewish father he had the task of finding the daughters their matches. The movie had most memorable songs such as Matchmaker, If I Were a Rich Man, Sunset Sunset, Do You Love Me?, To Life, and Far From the Home.

Topol with his wife and five daughters in Fiddler on the Roof

The other movie is really very dear to me: Chariots of Fire, story of two English track atheletes, one a devout Jew and the other a proud Christian. This was the first movie I saw with my newly wedded wife in Bombay. We had married in a mandir in 1981, prior to my parents according their permission almost two years later. As she joined me in a one room (bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and sitting room all-in-one) flat in Naval Coastal Battery Worli, I had bought a cutlery set, a few utensils, a fridge, bucket and mug, gas stove etc on instalments. Even in such indigence we went to see this movie. The movie won four Oscars.

A scene from 1981 movie Chariots of Fire

Let me now turn to some of the Hindi movies seen by me in South Bombay. South Bombay had the distinction, at that time, of not screening the run of the mill Hindi movies about rich daughter of smuggler in love with poor but upright hero; some of these financed by the smuggler Haji Mastan at that time. It would show Hindi movies with a difference. By far the most powerful of the lot was Garam Hawa (Hot Winds), a 1975 movie that I saw in Regal. The film, directed by MS Sathyu, dealt with the plight of a North Indian Muslim family in the years after partition of India in 1947. Balraj Sahni as shoemaker Salim Mirza, the head of the family, came up with a most memorable performance of his career. As one by one, Muslims left for Pakistan, Salim’s daughter found that her betrothed Farooq Sheikh (having migrated to Pakistan) couldn’t marry her since he had found someone else in Pakistan. She then turned her attention to Jalal Agha. Nothing was decided between them until they went to Fatehpur Sikri where a most poignant scene was enacted. Jalal Agha as Shamshad told her (Geeta Siddharth as Amina) about the Emperor Shahjehan entrusting the Queen Mumtaz with two pigeons whilst he’d be away for a short while. When he retured he found that she had only one pigeon in her hand. A little annoyed he asked her, “What happened?” And she says, “It flew”. He asked, “How did it fly?” and Mumtaz released the other one saying, “Like this.” However, since the story was already known to Amina, she held Shamshad’s hand half way by saying, “I won’t let the second one fly.” In the end Shamshad is arrested and she commits suicide by cutting her vein.

Balraj Sahni in the role of his lifetime in Garam Hawa

Once again in Regal Theatre I saw a great movie called Shatranj Ke Khiladi (the Chess Players). The movie directed by Satyajit Ray and based on Munshi Premchand’s short story by the same name, had a super cast of Amjad Khan as Wajid Ali Khan, Richard Attenborough as General Outram, Sanjeev Kumar as Mirza Sajjad Ali, Syed Jaffrey as Mir Roshan Ali, Shabana Azmi as Nafisa, Mirza’s wife, Farida Jalal as Mir’s wife and Farooq Shaikh as Aqueel. Mir and Mirza get so obsessed with the game of chess that they negelct their wives. There is a famous scene in the movie when Shabana starts having an affair with Farooq but Sanjeev insists, “Hum aaj kal bahut door ki sochte hain kiyunki hum shatranj khelte hain” (We look far into the future because we play chess). Because of such far-sightedness, they continue to play chess when the British marched their forces to take over Awadh.

Sanjeev Kumar and Syed Jaffrey in Sahtranj Ke Khiladi

Another movie that I saw during those days was a Vinod Khanna starrer Achanak (Suddenly) directed by Gulzar. Vinod Khanna as Manjor Ranjeet Khanna was to face gallows for having killed his wife Lily Chakravarty and her lover Kamaldeep who were having an affair when Vinod Khanna was away fighting for his country. When Vinod Khanna, running from the police, is finally caught, he is heavily wounded. Dr Chaudhary played by Om Shivpuri is entrusted with the task of reviving him so that he could face gallows in good health. An excellent movie with ironies galore.

How can I ever forget another one directed by Gulzar called Aandhi (Tempest) that I saw in Metro? The movie starred Suchitra Sen supposedly as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sanjeev Kumar as a hotelier with whom Suchitra Sen had a love affair but with her engagement in politics it was not expedient to carry on. The movie had three excellent songs penned by Gulzar and music composed by RD Burman: Tere bina zindagi se koi shikva to nahin, Is mod se jaate hain, and Tum aa gaye ho noor aa gaya hai.

Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar in Aandhi

Once again, I can probably go on and on. However, let me end this by saying how an actor came on the scene like a breath of fresh air and during those days we were floord by the light heartedness of those movies. Yes, I am talking about Amol Palekar in Chotti Si Baat and Rajnigandha. During those days, heroes and heroines like Rajesh Khanna (I saw quite a few of them in Liberty, eg Ajnabee with Zeenat Aman), Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan (Sholay), Rekha (Umraao Jaan), Hema Malini (Sholay) were so larger than life that small timers like Amol Palekar and Vidya Sinha didn’y stand a chance in making a box-office hit. But such was Basu Chatterjee’s direction, Amol Palekar’s effortless acting, and Salil Choudhury’s lilting music of such popular songs such as Jaane man jaane man tere do nayan, Na jaane kyun hota hai yeh zindagi ke saath (title song), and Yeh din kya aaye; that the movie was a super-hit.

Amol Palkar in Chhoti Si Baat – breath of fresh air

Chhoti Si Baat was the second movie of that genre. Basu Chatterjee had earlier made Rajnigandha with the same cast and music by Salil Choudhury. It received the Critics Award in 1975, the year of my commissioning in the Navy. It too had two memorable songs: Rajnigandha phool tumhaare, and Kai baar youn hi dekha hai.

I live in Kharghar now, far from South Bombay; it is not even Bombay anymore. Every now and then I get overwhelmed with nostalgia of that era when I was young, when life was uncomplicated, when seeing a movie was such indescribable fun that it would create timeless memories. I feel like singing Gulzar’s exquisitely written lyrics for a 1975 song for the movie Mausam starring Sanjeeev Kumar and Sharmila Tagore:

“Dil Dhoondta hai phir vahi furasat ke raat din,
Baithe rahe tasavvur-e-jaanaan kiye hue”
(The heart once again yearns for those leisurely days and nights
When we could just sit back leisurely, and let our imagination wander)

RAINS AND OUR SONGS

Other day I read a beautiful quote: “Some people love to walk in rain; others only get wet.”
What makes the difference? You need to see Gene Kelly’s 1952 ‘I’m Singin’ in the Rain’ to know the difference. Listen to José Montserrate Feliciano García singing ‘Listen to Pouring Rain’ to know the difference. He was a blind Puerto Rican composer who couldn’t have seen the rain; but rain is not meant to be only seen.
“Listen to the pouring rain,
Listen to the rain pour;
And with every drop of rain,
I love you more…

Let it rain whole night long,
Let my love for you go strong;
As long as we are together,
Who cares about the weather?
Listen to the pouring rain,
Listen to the rain pour.”

Rain means diffrent things to different people. To some it means an obstruction keeping them from what they want to do; they only get wet and are annoyed with the rain. Others enjoy getting drenched in the rain. It is a welcome experience.

 By and large, I believe, lovers love the rain as it brings them closer. An Urdu couplet says:

“Badal tu itna na baras ke wo aa na sake;
Aur jab aayen to itna baras ke wo ja na sake”
(Translated:
“Rain cloud, hold on please so my beloved can arrive,
And when she does, pour so much that she can’t return”)

Various communities in India have different songs, in their own languages, about the rain. In the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) since rains are brought by East winds (in Hindi “Poorba” or “Poorvaai”) they have songs about how pleasant is Poorba. In Punjab, the rains, called sawan (pronounced saunh) remind you of what all you can do during the rains, eg, eat fried sweet delicacies. So on with other states. Maybe Indians just love to love and love rains in many different ways.

Only a few decades back, when we were kids we were so eager to sing, “Rain rain go away; come again another day”. But now rains are welcome.


My favourite Hindi songs have a special place for rains (sawan).

“Sawan ka maheena, pawan kare sore,
Manva re jhoome aise jaise banva naache more“
(Rain month is here, the breeze touches you pleasantly,
Mind dances with joy in the manner of a peacock dancing in the forest)

In folklore, somehow, rains affect no one as much as lovers, and separated lovers at that. Taste this:


“Saawan ke jhule pade hain,
Tum chale aao….
Aachal na chhode mera, pagal hui hai pavan
Ab kya karun main jatan, dhadke jiyaa jaise panchhi ude hain“
(The swings for the rains are out, my love
Come be with me.
Playing with my stole, the breeze has gone crazy,
Now what should I do, my heart is beating like the flight of birds)

Or listen to the lyrics of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan in the 1967 movie Anita, with playback singer Mukesh singing these:

“Saawan ke din aaye,Beeti yaaden laaye,
Kaun jhuka ker aankhen,
Mujhko paas bithaye;
Kaisa tha pyaara roop tumhaara,
Poochho mere dil se, hai
Tum bin jeevan kaise beeta, poochho mere dil se“

(When the rainy days came,

They brought past memories,
Of the one who sat beside me,
With eyes looking down.
How lovely you looked, my love;
You have to ask my heart.
Without you how I lived,
You have to ask my heart)

Sawan must be a great all round friend for all of us that we get so excited by its arrival. According to me, and pardon me for getting mushy, if you haven’t ever enjoyed walking in the rain you are missing something in life. And, if the following (Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar in Ishq Per Zor Nahin, a 1970 movie) doesn’t touch you, nothing will:


“Yeh dil diwaana hai,
Dil to diwaana hai.
Saawan ke aate hi,
Baadal ke chhate hi,
Phulon ke mausam mein,
Chalte hi purvaai, milte hi tanhaai,
Uljha ke baaton mein,
Kehta hai raaton mein,
Yaadon mein kho jayun,
Jaldi se so jayun,
Kyunke saanvariya ko sapno mein aana hai.”


Phoolon ke mausam mein
(This heart is crazy,
Crazy is this heart, because,
On the oncoming of rains,
In the shadow of the clouds,
In the season of flowers,
When the East winds blow, and when I am alone,
It gets me entangled in following talk,
In the nights:
Sleep quickly my master,
And get into the world of memories,
Because your beloved has to meet you in the dreams)

There are songs and songs on rains. Finally, my all time favourite is by the Music Director Salil Chaudhary, who composed music for this song from the 1960 movie Parakh in such a way that you not only get the pangs of separation but the pitter-patter of the rain that makes the separation unbearable:

“O sajnaa, barkha bahaara aayi,
 Ras ki phuhaar layi, ankhiyon me pyaar layi,

O sajnaa

Aisi rimjhim mein o sajan, pyaase pyaase mere nayan,
Tere hi, khvaab mein, kho gaye,

Saanvali saloni ghataa, jab jab chhayi,
Ankhiyon mein rainaa gayi, nindiyaa na aayi
O sajnaa …”

[lineate][/lineate](O Love, rainy season is here,[lineate][/lineate]That brings the spray of nectar (of love),[lineate][/lineate]And longing in the eyes.[lineate][/lineate]

A view from my house in Kharghar

[lineate][/lineate]In this pitter-patter, my love, my eyes thirst for,[lineate][/lineate]Dreams of you in which I lose me,[lineate][/lineate] Dark clouds of rain when they come,[lineate][/lineate]My eyes look for you in the nights, sleepless)[lineate][/lineate]

Saawan, folks, unfetters dreams…..

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