Though Microsoft PowerPoint was officially launched on 22nd May 1990, in the armed forces in India, it hit us with the force of a Tsunami much later. I think possibly it was in 1997-98 that we shifted from OHP slides to PPTs in a huge manner.
PPTs made a paradigm shift in the way we looked at things. It killed all imagination and concentration totally. Earlier if we had to tell someone that ship Alpha was to proceed to area Kilo, he (the target of our instructions, that is) had to concentrate to find ways and means. Nowadays, we show him the entire thing in animation on a PPT slide. The adverse effect is so much that people, these days, can’t concentrate on a talk using their own imagination unless PPT depicts to them exactly what is being spoken. The only imagination is that of the speaker or more specifically that of the ‘author’ of the PPT.
PPTs also mushroomed innumerable speakers who thought of innovative ways to kill your imagination; they had their complete spoken text written on the slides. In these talks cum presentations, in case they ever fumbled for a word, the audience would tell them. They, at the end of their ‘talks’, could proudly tell as to how they ensured ‘audience participation’.
It was only a matter of time before military ‘excesses’ in PowerPoint presentations became the subject of spoofs, parodies and farce. A new breed of officers came to limelight. These were called “PowerPoint Rangers”. Their mastery over PPTs made them climb rung after rung in the military hierarchical ladder. Once they reached the higher and top levels, their lofty example was emulated by others who became PowerPoint Rangers-in-the-making. The military succession planning was thus in good hands – the hands that made innovative PPTs possible. They and Microsoft laughed all the way to the bank.
(Pic courtesy: honored2serve.com)
Before this era was the era of demonstration. So, if you as leader wanted your subordinates to emulate, you demonstrated. Many a times, such demonstrations resulted in hilarious situations. For example, during that era, a married sailor even after attending a family planning demonstration kept producing kids. When enquired he feigned helplessness saying that he was following the instructions in toto; whenever he and his wife had sex, he had a new condom rolled out on his right thumb!
During the demo era there was this Time magazine cartoon of a Jehadi Suicide Bomber fitted with self-destructive bombs tied to his waist with wires leading to a detonator in his hand. He is about to press the plunger and tells the class of would-be suicide bombers: “Now, pay attention; I am going to demonstrate only once.”
(Pic courtesy: thecanadiansentinel.blogspot.com)
Despite all the faults and adverse fallout of PowerPoint, how I missed it when I was on the minesweeper Karwar and after a refit, sailors’ WCs were shifted from Indian style to Western style? It was left to our CO to ‘demonstrate’ the advantages to the sailors so that they would sit doing their job “as if watching a movie in a cinema” rather than squat as in the Indian invented game of Kho-Kho.
This demonstration on the ship’s minesweeping deck (the only deck large enough to have a complete and attentive ship’s company), took almost an hour complete with a detailed question and answer session wherein sailors were encouraged not to feel shy but to “come straight out with” what was bothering them. A cane chair was used to demonstrate. Fortuitously, most of the tubular cane chairs of that era had a large hole in the centre due to the cane having worn out and tattered.
Anyway, you got the picture, didn’t you? Well, I helped you use your imagination without a PPT! Eureka, it can be done!!
As we ambled back to our cabins after the demonstration, all of us, without exception, felt that this was mother of all demos and even left mouth-to-mouth resuscitation miles behind.
‘Be Kind to Your Behind’ could very well have been the innovative title of the PPT; but:
In days of old, when knights were bold,
And PPTs not yet invented,
They explained with demos,
Written orders and memos,
And they were quite contented.
Historically, and I am talking about many hundred years ago or so, the Indian record of racial and communal indiscrimination had been better than the world’s average. At one time in our history, we didn’t require the kind of advice that the US President Barack Obama gave to Indians through his talk to the Delhi students recently when he visited us as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day Parade. Obama reminded predominantly Hindu India about the rights of minorities and the challenges the developing nation faced about religious pluralism.
“No society is immune from the darkest impulses of men,” said Obama. “India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith.”
For many painful years the Europeans and Americans suffered the adverse and in case of Europe horrible effects of racial discrimination. The German concept of Master Race (die Hessenrasse) was adopted as a Nazi ideology. The German ubermensch (overman or superman) was a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzche and finally adopted by Adolf Hitler as one of the significant thoughts behind his desire to purge the world of other than pure white Nordic race. The end result was the Holocaust in which approximately six million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis. The “Final Solution” was a Nazi term used to refer to their plan to abrogate the Jewish race during World War II. The race extermination of the Jews was the summit of the Nazis anti-Semitic hatred. The massacre of the Jews was invoked in stages. Here is one of the many horrible pictures of the pogroms carried out by the Nazis:
(Pic courtesy: www.kalleiceberg.blogspot.com)
Barack Obama’s own country, the USA, had the concept of Master Race in the context of Master – Slave relations and even provided a pseudo-scientific justification for slavery based on superior race’s relations with an inferior race. During the colonising period, anti-Catholicism was at its peak. In 1915 the Ku Klux Klan re-emerged on a national level, preaching anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism; it amassed more than 4 million members. In American history, it was as late as in October 1964 that Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting the racial inequality prevalent in the American society. Nevertheless, the immediate after-effect of 9/11 was that anyone of Asian origin and supporting a beard was targeted simply because the 9th September 2001 attacks in New York and Washington DC that killed nearly 3000 people were coordinated by an organisation called Al-Qaeda that had roots in Afghanistan and whose leader Osama bin Laden and many others in the organisation supported free-flowing beards. It is only later that it occurred to America not to alienate an entire community in reprisal for attacks by a handful.
Ku Klux Klan (Pic courtesy: www.time.com)
The European record of Wars based on religion is quite pathetic and indeed violent. From the 7th to 8th centuries of Muslim Conquests to Christian Crusades and finally Wars of Religion of 16th to 17th centuries killed millions of people. The Christians even fought a Hundred Years War between themselves, euphemistically called Wars of Reformation.
India, on the other hand, had a great tradition of religious and racial tolerance. For the first time in our history, we were exposed to large scale religious intolerance by the Muslim kings that ruled over us. It started sometime in the 11th century. These rulers, unlike others from Central Asia retained their religious identity and created legal and administrative systems that superseded the systems in India based on religious and racial tolerance. They, for the first time in the history of India, also indulged in the hated and much bandied about word: Conversions; that is, forcing, inducing, facilitating and motivating people of indigenous religions to convert to Islam. The cruel and violent exploits of the Afghan warlord Mahmud of Ghazni (early 11th century), Muhammad Ghori (from Ghor in Afghanistan), Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Timur, Babur, Aurangzeb and Nadir Shah are only too well known for their cruelty and atrocities. Even at that, some of the rulers such as Akbar the Great (11 Feb 1556 to 27 Oct 1605) found a way of merging their religion with the religion in India. He was as orthodox a Muslim as any of his predecessors. However, so impressed was he with the Sufi practice in India and the good in various religions that he integrated them all into a common belief called Din-e-Ilahi.
The Ibādat Khāna (House of Worship) was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) at Fatehpur Sikri to gather spiritual leaders of different religious grounds so as to conduct a discussion on the teachings of the respective religious leaders. (Pic courtesy: en.wikipedia.org)
Therefore, if we really trace the seeds of modern-day religious Intolerance in India, these were laid during the century and a half leading to India’s independence on 15th August 1947. As is easy to visualise these were politically exploited for vested interests. The British openly propagated a policy of Divide and Rule, which served their political and military aims quite well. We were puppets in their hands. However, just as we learnt the system of dowry from the Europeans and then left them far behind in its practice; similarly, as soon as the politicians of the sub-continent realised the political advantages to be gained from dividing people along religious lines, they left their original exponents the British far behind. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan excelled in it before independence and the Indian politicians learned to stay in power through this after independence.
For several decades after independence the only ruling party in the country, the Congress, learnt to exploit the minorities and dubbed this appeasement of minorities as Secularism. It was so successful in this game of exploiting minorities that any voice even remotely critical of this pseudo-secular approach was promptly dubbed as anti-secular. It very often rallied all so-called ‘secular’ parties behind its plank in order to keep at bay any opposition to its rule.
Lets, for example, take the infamous Shah Bano Case of April 1985 in the regime of Rajiv Gandhi. Shah Bano Begum, mother of five children and an old woman (62 years old) was divorced by her husband in 1978 as per the Islamic practice prevalent in the country. She filed and won a criminal case in the Supreme Court of India. The court ruled that she was entitled to alimony from her husband as per the law of the land. However, since Muslims were an assured vote-bank for the Congress, the Indian Parliament reversed the judgment of its highest court buckling under pressure from Muslim orthodoxy. Since the Congress enjoyed absolute majority in the parliament, it caused to pass the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 and diluted the intent of the Supreme Court in yet another act of appeasement of minority, in this case Muslims.
The infamous Shah Bano case (Pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)
The main opposition to Congress came from a splinter party formed in 1951 by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and called Jana Sangh that was in response to Congress’s pseudo-secularism. The leaders of the party in succession after the death of SP Mookerjee were Deen Dayal Sharma, Atal Behari Vajpayee and then LK Advani. The party was widely regarded as the political arm of Hindu nationalist organisation called the RSS or the Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh. After Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country in June 1975 when her election was set aside by Allahabad High Court on the ground of misuse of official machinery in her election campaign, in 1977, Jayaprakash Narayan led a successful campaign and a collision of parties under the banner of Janata Party came to power in 1977. This experiment didn’t last long and the Janata government collapsed in 1979. Bharatiya Janata Party emerged in 1980 from the break-up of Janata Party.
The formation of BJP was followed by a longish period of communal violence and it was widely perceived by the party under LK Advani that its Hindu revanchist strategy directly led to its forming the government at centre under Atal Behari Vajpayee. LK Advani, of course, was the mastermind of Ram Janambhoomi movement that eventually led to the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhaya on 6th Dec 1992. Waves of violence emerged in the country following this and over 2000 people were killed, at least half of them in Bombay riots of early 1993 that became, amongst others, the subject of Mani Ratnam’s famous 1995 movie Bombay starring Arvind Swamy and Moinisha Koirala.
Babri Masjid just before its demolition by Kar Sevaks (Pic courtesy: indiatoday.intoday.in)
Before that, the so called secular party Congress masterminded anti-Sikh riots in the capital New Delhi itself for four days after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in her residence at the hands of her own Sikh bodyguards Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. By an independent estimate approximately 10000 Sikhs including women and children were mercilessly massacred by frenzied mobs incited by Congress leaders. The worst was that her son Rajiv Gandhi was anointed as the Prime Minister and he tried to justify the massacre by his now infamous utterance, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes”. Thirty years later the victims of this pogrom are still to find justice.
A scene of 1984 massacre of Sikhs in the capital of India (pic courtesy: www.en.wikipedia.org)
And then, of course, the Feb 2002 Godhara Riots took place. The initial cause was reported to be the burning of a train on 27 Feb 2002 in Godhara, Gujarat that caused the death of 58 pilgrims returning from Ayodhaya. The resultant riots in reprisal resulted in the massacre of approximately 1000 people, mostly Muslims. The case has been widely used as the cause of Muslim terrorism both indigenous and from across the border. In a game of pot calling the kettle black, the Congress took the government of the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi (now Prime Minister) to task for allowing the rioters free hand over the next 72 hours or so to settle scores.
Godhara Riots (Pic courtesy: inewsindia.com)
The fact of the matter is that political parties of all hues and leanings have found it expedient to play the communal card or the so called secular card in direct or indirect attempts to garner assured votes. Therefore, after coming to power, even though the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assiduously steered clear from the manifestation of religious ideology of his party BJP or its ideological parent organisation RSS, the Hindu revanchists have started the process of Ghar Wapasi (Reverse Conversions of those Hindus who had earlier converted to Islam or Christianity) and many other controversial movements that have actually called to question our secular leanings. Recently, Prakash Javedkar, a BJP MP from Rajya Sabha and BJP official spokesman mooted the idea of dropping the two words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ from the Preamble to the Indian Constitution. These words were incorporated in the Preamble in the year 1976.
It is in this background that Barack Obama said: “The peace we seek in the world begins in human hearts; it finds its glorious expression when we look beyond any differences in religion or tribe and rejoice in the beauty of every soul,” said the president, who namechecked prominent Indian Muslims, Sikhs and sportswomen. “It’s when all Indians, whatever your faith, go to the movies and applaud actors like Shah Rukh Khan. When you celebrate athletes like Milkha Singh, or Mary Kom,” he said.
The present Prime Minister Narender Modi came to power as the 15th PM of the country in May 2014 with BJP winning 282 of National democratic Alliance (NDA)’s 336 seats of the Lok Sabha’s 543 seats. This means that not just the NDA, but even the BJP has absolute majority (272 seats required) in the Lok Sabha. During Obama’s recent visit, the media (both India and American) went ballistic about the growing personal relationship between the two leaders. However, Modi is the same leader who was previously denied a US visa following accusations that he tacitly facilitated the Godhara anti-Muslim riots in his state Gujarat in 2002 wherein he was the Chief Minister.
A series of attempts by rightwing Hindu groups to hold mass conversion ceremonies and somewhat mysterious fires at churches have sparked controversy in recent months. Last week the hardline Vishnu Hindu Parishad group claimed to have “re-converted” more than 20 Christians in the southern state of Kerala. The organisations come from the same broad political family as Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
In this background, lets ask the question again: Is there real danger of the latent communal disharmony blowing over into large scale unrests and violence that would undermine India taking its rightful place as an emerging economic and political power? The answer to this is sadly in the affirmative due to several counts.
The first is the tacit policy being adopted by Pakistan’s terrorist organisations supported both covertly and overtly by those in power to bleed India by a thousand cuts either by themselves or in collusion with home-grown terrorists and supporters to their cause. It is in their interest to cause as many communal unrests as possible and weaken India. Just like the 2002 Godhara Riots, every communal violence in India helps their cause.
The second is the success rate of using the religion and caste cards by political parties. They have tasted the blood of vote bank politics by exploiting the communal passions and are unlikely to see reason in a hurry.
The third is the revanchist attitudes by communities to undo the historic wrongs done to them. In this we would do well to keep in mind what Obama said: “No society is immune from the darkest impulses of men”. It won’t do any good to revert to a selected point in history when the others were on the wrong foot. Take the track record of both the major parties. The Congress, for example, has been calling BJP communal on the basis of such acts as Babri Masjid demolition and Godhara Riots. The BJP has been equally strident in pointing out the track record of communal riots in Congress ruled states including the national shame of Sikh Riots in the capital of India post the assassination of Smt. Indira Gandhi. Similarly, any attempts to alienate the Muslim community on the basis of historic wrongs done by Muslim rulers of erstwhile India are intrinsically wrong. Just as USA quickly realised post 9/11 that alienating and isolating indigenous Muslim community was not in the interest of America; similarly, sane thoughts should prevail in India.
The fourth is the emotional nature of religion as is practised in India. Every religion believes in one God but it has to be their God only and no other God. Surprisingly, even though our religion is decided for us by our parents at an age when we don’t even understand what religion is, when we grow up we are prepared to (somewhat blindly) give up our lives for it. A quote from my Facebook page ‘Make Your Own Quotes’ brings this out succinctly:
The fifth is the current situation. From all accounts, after nine months of being in government, Narendra Modi and to some extent his party have earned people’s appreciation for doing everything within their means to restore governance and India’s image abroad. In this scenario, Congress, that had been so far in India’s independent history triumphantly proclaiming that there is no alternative (TINA) to Congress, seems to be realising that it is headed for oblivion. There is only one hope and that is if BJP falls prey to communal machinations, riots and violence. This actually increases the probability of such engineered communal disharmony.
In the light of this, rather than brushing aside what Obama said, we should take it rather seriously and see to it that nothing comes in the way of India’s march towards progress. Neither political parties, nor ideological and militant organisations, nor even forces from across the border can do much harm without the help of people at large. If we as people resist being manipulated, we can yet make India into a great country, as visualised by Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore as early as in the year 1910:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
There was a time, and times have not changed even now, when the Israelites found themselves in constant battle or war for survival with their neighbours. During one of these, a battle weary Israelite with bombs and shells falling all around him, his house and town in shambles, his clothes in tatters, looked skywards and asked, “God, are we your chosen people?” God’s voice, from the heavens was heard by him over the crescendo of shells and splinters, “Yes, son you are.” At this, the Israelite, unable to stop his tears asked, “God, isn’t it time you chose someone else?”
Communicators were perceived by officers of other branches in the Indian Navy as the chosen people. They were, hence, not only constantly slanged but held responsible for anything and everything that went wrong with naval operations. Today’s generation of people, with world-wide means of communications in their pockets, would find it difficult to perceive the bad and ugly world of communications that I went through as a professional Communications and Electronic Warfare officer. Since this is a humorous article, let me give some light-hearted examples:
One, there used to be a Very High Frequency (VHF) portable set called VM25C (pronounced as Vee Em Two Five Charlie). It was called portable but as big as a Murphy radio set complete with an antenna sticking out from one side and a hand set like that of a telephone. One had to press the prestle for speaking and release for listening. In a scenario, say, a boat being sent to 5 – 7 miles away, in order to make sure that it would work when required, extensive pre-testing and pre-trials used to be done with the set having been lowered into the boat whilst still alongside and another one on the quarterdeck of the mother-ship. This testing would go on something like this:
Mother: Baby this is mother, over.
(No response from baby)
Mother (a little louder now): Baby this is mother, over.
(No response from baby)
Mother (at the top of his voice now): BABY THIS IS MOTHER, OVER.
Baby (feebly): Mother this is baby, over.
Mother (Still shouting): BABY THIS IS MOTHER, HOW DO YOU HEAR ME? OVER.
Baby (feebly): Mother this is baby, I hear you loud and clear, over.
Mother (For the first time conscious of the phenomenon being unfolding): BABY THIS IS MOTHER, NOT DIRECTLY BUT OVER THE SET, HOW DO YOU HEAR ME? OVER.
Baby (Realising this himself): Mother this is baby, directly loud and clear. But, over the set nothing heard, out.
We were, therefore, relieved when a “quantum jump in communications” was achieved with the help of PUNWIRE (M/s Punjab Wireless Systems Ltd) sets both for portable and tactical communications. These PWSL sets had to be synchronised before sailing out and repeatedly during the sortie at sea. Choicest abuses were hurled at the communicators of those ships that went out of Sync and were to be re-inducted into the fold. As far as portable communications were concerned many times the loud-hailers worked better than the PWSL sets.
Communicators everywhere, like the Israelites in the opening paragraph, after getting confirmation from God that they indeed were the chosen people were most likely to tell God, “Please do us a favour and choose someone else for a change.”
At the end of the sea sortie, when their other counterparts merrily went home, communicators were seen establishing shore telephone lines. If the communications at sea were awful, you have no idea of what communications in harbour would be like. Most of these shore telephones produced only noise and sometimes wrong numbers. Those who eventually obtained the dialed numbers ran through naked like a certain Greek gent named Archimedes and shouted the equivalent of Eureka in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil or Bengali.
One forenoon, on my ship INS Ganga, I was working at the writing table when suddenly on my bunk-bed a shore telephone unit landed with a crash. I don’t normally swear but since this crash was precipitously close to my head I nearly uttered what is common expression these days amongst youngsters: “WTF”. But, before I could do so I heard the booming voice of my Captain KK Kohli, “Call this shore telephone, do you, SCO? It is the shame of @$%*##& communicators.” With this spitting of contemptuous venom he left. There is no sky in a cabin. Indeed, the cabin being luxury of 7 ft by 7 ft, it hardly has any room. Even at that, I looked upwards, the general direction of God and repeated to him what Pandit Kedar Sharma had penned for Bawre Nain, “Teri duniya mein dil lagata nahin waapis bula le..” (I am not finding it worth amusing my heart in your world, recall me to you.)”
Shore Telephone – A hateful object for practising communicators
In the midst of endless woes as communicators, the Director of Naval Signals (DNS), that time Commodore VK Malhotra, decided to visit us on INS Ganga. He was a course mate of our Captain KK Kohli and he was visiting us in connection with the first ever installation of SATCOM (Satellite Communication) system in the Navy. Charity begins at home and hence as DNS nothing better than fitting the system on a course-mate’s ship. In any case, Ganga was the latest ship in the Fleet and deserved this honour. Our Captain had asked us (self and SCO II) to look-after him in Captain’s absence and we dutifully left no Heineken can unopened (the naval equivalent of no stone unturned) to make him feel at home. Several Heineken cans later and post a sumptuous lunch, the decision to install the SATCOM system on Ganga was sealed. The complete party went to see the site of the fitment, ie, atop the helo hangar.
After Vijji Malhotra left, the squeals of glee and mirth of my SCO II (an outstandingly brilliant officer in various respects but totally naive in other respects) could be heard all the way to Okinawa, Japan. However, I was finding it hard to match his glee. He asked me the reason. I narrated to him the incident of the Captain chucking the shore telephone on my bunk-bed in harbour. “Imagine” I told him somberly, “We were to be free from the taunts about shore telephone at sea at least. Now, with SATCOM being fitted, we would have to be on guard at sea too.”
INS Ganga at sea
My utterance was prophetic in two different ways. When the bally thing didn’t work at sea, the complete communication department’s efficiency was suspect. And when it worked, the Fleet staff merrily kept making urgent calls from at sea resulting in Lakhs of rupees of bills (since at that time, SATCOM calls were to the tune of Rupees 540 per minute or so).
A communicator used to be the most god faring person in the Navy. Whilst everyone else blithely used communications, the SCO, in the silence of the nights, often communicated with God…….totally free of cost. I wonder if things have changed now.
आज फिर तसव्वर में उनका दीदार हो गया
खुदा की रहनुमाई पे फिर से ऐतबार हो गया
ना मेरे करीब हैं वो ना मुझसे दूर रहते हैं
फिर से दिल की अफरा तफरी का आसार हो गया
ज़िन्दगी सेहरा बनी थी उनकी अलैहदगी में
उनके मिलते ही आलम गुलज़ार हो गया
हमने माना करामात-ऐ- ख्याल ही था लेकिन
चंद लम्हों के लिए दिल खुशगवार हो गया
मुझे यकीन है तग़ाफ़ुल मुझे वह नहीं करते
उनकी खामोशी से ही इश्क़ का इज़हार हो गया
हैरत तो उनको खूब होगी मेरे अंदाज़-ऐ-वफ़ा पे
अब मुझे अपनी तन्हाई से भी प्यार हो गया
(Pic courtesy: www.flickr.com)
Aaj phir tasuvvar mein unaka deedaar ho gaya
Khuda ki rehnumaai pe phir pe phir se aitbaar ho gaya
Naa mere kareeb hain vo naa mere door rehate hain
Phir se dil ki afraa tafri kaa aasaar ho gaya.
Zindagi sehra bani thi unaki alahaidgi mein
Unake milate hi aalam gulzar ho gaya
Hamane maana ke karaamaat-e-khayaal hi tha lekin
Chand lamhon ke liye dil khushgavaar ho gaya.
Mujhe yakeen hai taghaful mujhako woh nahin karate
Unaki khaamoshi se hi ishq kaa izhaar ho gaya
Hairat to unako khoob hogi mere andaaz-e-wafa se
Ab mujhe apni tanhaayi se bhi pyaar ho gaya.
This is the second year in succession when I forgot her birthday. Could there be a hidden mental process involved in my repeatedly forgetting her birthday besides the fact her famous book by Nasreen Munni Kabir titled ‘Conversations With Waheeda Rehman’ is always at my bedside table? Perhaps the hidden mental process is secretly wishing for her not to become older!
Her films have a great association with my childhood and boyhood days and even later days. For some reason, until about three years back, I thought of her as a Telugu origin actress. This was because, at the age of 17 years, she was the find of Guru Dutt in his movie C.I.D. to be directed by Raj Khosla and she was discovered by him in Hyderabad?
Waheeda in C.I.D. performing the famous number Kahin Pe nigaahen (Pic courtesy: myhindiforum.com)
Anyway, the other night, I was listening to Annu Kapoor in the late night Mastii.. show and he brought out how she refused to act in the movie with revealing clothes as expected by the director Raj Khosla and how despite that, because of her superb histrionics, her career still progressed to the extent of making her the finest actress in Hindi movies.
(pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)
What is so special about her? Could it be just the innumerable awards and honours that have been conferred on her; including the Living Legend Award conferred to her by the President of India in Dec 2013 on the occasion of 25th anniversary of NDTV when they honoured 25 Living Legends?
(Pic courtesy: www.ndtv.com)
C.I.D. was not the first movie in which I saw her. I saw it many years later. She was a vamp in the movie and one of her songs: Jaata kahan hai deewaane was banned due to its suggestive double entendre’. I saw her other song: Kahin pe nigaahen kahin pe nishaana and was instantly captivated by her; her eyes speak, she had that intrinsic innocence even as a vamp.
In my later life, speaking with her eyes and her likeable elegance and grace are some of the attributes that I associated her with. She is a superb dancer; not of the same class as the other Tamil origin actress Vyjaynthimala (who is to be seen to be believed in Hontho pe aisi baat (Jewel Thief) and Jisse tu kabool karle (Devdas)). However, the overall effect of her dances comes out even better than Vyjaynthimala’s. Some of my favourite dance numbers of hers are: Piya tose naina laagi re, and Mose chhal kiye jaaye (boh from Guide), Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi bheegi (Mujhe Jeene Do; which is her first movie that I saw. She was a courtesan who falls in love with a dacoit Sunil Dutt. This is the first scene in the movie where he sees her. She did with her full clothes on what actresses of today won’t be able to do with revealing clothes); Paan khayo sainyya hamaro (Teesri Kasam) and a difficult dance number when she was drunk in Prem Pujaari: Rangeela re tere rang mein youn rangaa hai mera man.
(Pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)
I also am indebted to her for being the heroine of my favourite singer Hemant Kumar’s song: Ye Nayan Dare Dare and my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni’s best-in-Hindi-movies-song describing the beauty of a woman: Chaudhvinh ka Chand ho yaa aftaab ho, job hi ho tum khuda ki kasam laajwaab ho..
Waheeda in sad roles? Well, her acting in sad roles makes you feel for her and her situation in the movie to an extent that you feel personally involved to rescue her from the situation. Some of my favourite numbers in this respect are: Badale badale mere sarkaar nazar aate hain..(Chaudhvinh Ka Chaand), Jhoom jhoom dhalati raat (Kohra), Kahin deep jale kahin dil (the song that won Shakeel Badayuni one of his four Best Lyricist awards in Bees Saal Baad), Meri baat rahi mere man mein (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam) and Rangeela Re (Prem Pujari).
Waheeda acting on Shakeel’s Aye mohabbat meri duniya mein tera kaam naa tha, in Bees Saal Baad
One reason why I keep forgetting her birthday is because I am still intensely in love with her girlhood songs: Sapane suhaane ladakpan ke..(Bees Sal Baad), Kaanto se kheench kar ye aanchal (Guide); Kaisa jaadu balam toone daara (12 O’Clock, another Guru Dutt movie) and Rimjhim ke taraane leke aayi barsaat (Kaala Bazar).
Waheeda performing on Kaisa jaadu balam toone daala…
So, happy birthday Waheeda Rehman. Thank you very much for bringing enormous happiness, joys, enchantment, and wonderment into our lives. You are a Living Legend and we are proud of belonging to the same era that has been made more beautiful by your eternal grace and elegance.
Let me end by giving you her duet with Dev Anand in the 1960 movie Kaala Bazaar. The song has been put together by Shailendra, Sachin Dev Burman, Geeta Dutt (who sang many of her songs both in Dev Anand and her (Geeta Dutt’s) husband Guru Dutt’s movies.
Please enjoy: Rimjhim ke taraane le ke aayi barsaat….
(giitaa: rim jhim ke taraane leke aayii barasaat
rafii: yaad aaye kisii se vo pahalii mulaaqaat ) – 2
(giitaa: bhiige tan man pa.De ras kii phuhaar
rafii: pyaar kaa sandesaa laayii barakhaa bahaar ) – 2
giitaa: mai.n naa boluu.N, mai.n naa boluu.N aa.Nkhe.n kare.n a.Nkhiyo.n se baat
rafii: rim jhim ke taraane leke aayii barasaat
(rafii: sunake matavaale kaale baadalo.n kaa shor
giitaa: ruum jhuum ghuum ghuum naache man kaa mor ) – 2
rafii: sapano.n kaa saathii chal rahaa mere saath
giitaa: rim jhim ke taraane leke aayii barasaat
rafii: yaad aaye kisii se vo pahalii mulAqaat
dono: rim jhim ke taraane leke aayii barasaat
(giitaa: jab milate ho tum to chhUTe.n dil ke taar
rafii: milane ko tum se mai.n kyo.n thaa beqaraar ) – 2
giitaa: raha jaatii hai, raha jaatii hai kyo.n hoTho.n tak aake dil kii baat
rafii: rim jhim ke taraane leke aayii barasaat
giitaa: yaad aaye kisii se vo pahalii mulAqaat
dono: rim jhim ke taraane leke aayii barasaat!
मेरी आरज़ू-ऐ- मोहब्बत के जनाज़े पे वो भी उदास थे
कहीं मरने वाला उनका कोई हबीब तो नहीं?
यह हालात-ऐ-वफ़ा का ही कोई अंजाम लगता है
वरना ज़ालिम तो वह हैं पर कोई रकीब तो नहीं
क्या खून-ऐ-जिगर के बाद कोई अफ़साना बाकी है?
इस बद नसीब के कहीं ऐसे नसीब तो नहीं?
उनके नक्श-ऐ-कदम से कहीं ये फिर ना धड़कने लगे
इतना तो यह बेचारा नजीब तो नहीं
लटके हुए थे आज तक उनकी उल्फत के फंदे से
वह फिर भी कहते थे कोई सलीब तो नहीं
हमने दो जहां उनके किये एक कर दिए
उन्होंने फरमाया आम है, कोई अजीब तो नहीं
जलते गए, सहते गए, बहते रहे यह अश्क़
फिर भी तेरे रुखसार के करीब तो नहीं
तेरे दौलत-ऐ-ग़म मेरी बज़्म में ही तो रहते हैं
दिल तेरे बाजार-ऐ-इश्क़ में इतना गरीब तो नहीं
(Pic courtesy: www.galleryhip.com)
Meri aarzoo-e-mohabbat ke janaaze pe who bhi udaas the
Kahin marne waala unaka koi habeeb to nahin?
Yeh halaat-e-wafa ka hi koi anjaam lagata hai
Warna zaalim to who hain, par koi rakeeb to nahin.
Kyaa khoon-e-jigar ke baad bhi koi afsaana baaki hai?
Is badnaseeb ke kahin aise naseeb to nahin?
Unake nakshe-e-kadam se kahin who phir naa dhadakane lage?
Itana to yeh bechaara najeeb to nahin.
Latake huye the aaj taq unaki ulfat ke fande se
Who phir bhi kehate the koi saleeb to nahin
Hamane do jahan unake liye ek kar diye
Unhone farmaata aam hai ajeeb to nahin.
Jalate rahe, sehate rahe, behate rahe yeh ashq
Phir bhi tere rukhsaar ke kareeb to nahin
Tere daulat-e-gham meri bazm mein hi to rehate hain
Dil tere bazaar-e-ishq mein itana gareeb to nahin.
Out of all my course mates, the most effervescent of the entire lot, was PR Chowdry. Since he was a police officer’s son, he was nicknamed Bobby and everyone called him that.
He and Sabera Chowdry were amongst the most gracious hosts that I have come across. I have spent many a delightful evening enjoying their hospitality. They were so hospitable that by the time they were seeing you off from one dinner at their residence, they were already inviting you for another. Regrettably, we lost Bobby (to cancer) in Oct 2007, a few months after he got his daughter Prianka was married. Bobby had no idea that when he was moving around spiritedly, deadly cancer was growing within him.
Bobby had been an endless source of mirth to all around him. No one ever won an argument with him, though many tried (Suffice it to say that Bobby had his inimitable ways of winning!)
This anecdote takes me back to the year 2000 when Bobby was in command of Godavari and Billoo (another course mate P Chauhan) was in command of the newly commissioned ship, Brahmaputra. I happened to be in Mumbai from Vizag, undergoing my PCT (Pre Commission or Command Training) to take over Jyoti (later changed to Aditya because a C-in-C didn’t like me). And that was the day of Brahmaputra’s Anniversary cocktails (she had finished one year of commision in the Navy).
INS Brahmaputra
Bobby and Sabi graciously offered to take me to the ship by their car. And there we had a beaming Billoo to greet us (we have spent 40 years together and I haven’t yet seen him when he is not beaming! He is like a lighthouse).
Even though Billoo offered good Scotch, Bobby somehow felt that the party was too dull. Also, because of the Fleet Commander, at that time Rear Admiral Sangram Singh Byce being on board as the chief-guest, Biloo himself was rather subdued (a rare phenomenon indeed).
Bobby, therefore, decided to liven up things. The first ‘sensible‘ step was to gulp down large quantities of Scotch. The next ‘sensible‘ step was to regale all the guests, especially ladies, with lurid though humorous anecdotes. And the last – I guess it became a concomitant or collateral step because of the first two – ‘not-so-sensible’ – step was to kiss everyone within range.
After the Fleet Commander departed, the livening up role that Bobby had embarked on became quite zealous. Somewhat similar to how hard core holi revellers don’t leave anyone in vicinity uncoloured, Bobby had not left anyone on the helo-deck (the party-deck) of Brahmaputra unkissed.
Billoo, the perfect host that he always is, couldn’t wind up the party as long as guests like Bobby and others were around. But finally, there were only three guests left – looking from L to R – Bobby, Sabi and me. All the hosts, including ladies, had been kissed several times in acknowledgement of good quality of Scotch and some were visibly fidgeting because of lateness of hour.
Finally, their covert and not-so-covert looks had effect on Bobby’ s conscience and he decided to leave after a few more rounds of drinks and kissing.
He stepped on the brow and alighted on the Cruiser Wharf. Before getting into his car, he noticed the ship’s Master-at-Arms, standing there with a baton, looking smart and erect. Bobby was in a happy and gregarious mood. Even the sight of a provost (naval police) sailor didn’t mar his mood.
Bobby went to him, gave him a hug and kissed him on both his cheeks.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you ever visit Cruiser Wharf, in Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, you will find a memorial there honouring the gallant provost sailor who instantly died of mortification, that night! His children now tell stories about how their courageous dad withstood the wars: the 1965 and 71 wars with Pakistan. But, how, a kiss finally did him in. Years of reputation of being fierce and ferocious gone in a few seconds!
Married to a Catholic Christian I am familiar with Lazarus of Bethany who was witness to resurrection of Christ four days after he was crucified.
LtCdr Lazaro had a similar sounding name. He resurrected us when we were cadets on the cruiser INS Delhi and were ‘crucified‘ with the tough and listless routine on board; which including holy-stoning the wooden decks (rubbing the decks with wet sand and pumice stone in order to preserve the glean of the deck). He visited us to deliver a talk about the advent of missiles in the Gunnery world.
He was commanding one of the Osa class of missile boats, similar to the ones that took part in Operation Trident, on 4th Dec 1971 and devastated Karachi. With that the Indian Navy entered the missile age and since these guys had started with a stupendous success, they had the air of supreme confidence, swashbuckling approach and insouciant manner of speech.
An Osa class missile boat of the Indian Navy (pic courtesy: www.bharat-rakshak.com)
We were totally bowled over by Lazaro and his talk. His carefree mannerism, Russian looking beard and lingo was the stuff we had imagined heroes of the sea to possess. When he called the Prime M Indira Gandhi as Indu aunty, we were tickled. He could have called God as “Jesus old chap” and would have gotten away with it. For a number of days after his talk we were moving around in a daze.
Some 36 years later, I had taken over as Director of College of Naval Warfare, at Karanja Mumbai. One of the DSs suggested that since Lazaro was visiting Mumbai from US, we could invite him to deliver a talk. He said, he, Lazaro, was now a research scientist in a university there (I think University of Wisconsin) and he would speak to us on – say – Decision Making Under Conditions of Ambiguity.
I was really excited. Here was my boyhood hero and he was coming to talk to us. I was looking forward to the effect of his swashbuckling style on the students. I thought they would be floored just as I was 36 years back when I was a young cadet.
Lazaro arrived at the college. He looked scholarly and a far cry from my cadet time hero. He started his talk giving some complex equations. He ended it 90 mins later (it looked like eternity) with even more complex equations. In between, if you think he filled it up with absorbing anecdotes or nonchalant humour, you are sadly mistaken. He packed his speech with still more complex equations. His talk was, therefore, as interesting as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaking on ‘The Exciting Moments of His Tenure as PM’. I noticed that the student officers were visiting the toilets more frequently than with any other speaker; a sure sign of weary apathy.
Some of the ‘exciting’ formulae of the talk!
One of the student officers mentioned to me later that if Decision Making was so monotonous, Ambiguity wasn’t a bad bet at all.
The only person who benefited from his talk was me. I was planning, after retirement from Navy, to be doing research on Benefits of Meditation on Stressed Officers in Indian Navy. I have decided to drop the idea to my next to next life after I recover from the let-down of my gallant and rakish hero becoming a research scholar.
A few days after our 68th Independence Day, last year, I gave you a compendium of The Best Azaadi (Independence) Poems, together with their translations. A large number of people have messaged to me that it is the finest compendium available on the Internet.
Now, a few days after our 66th Republic Day, I give you – what I consider as – the best patriotic songs. Sometimes, we are filled with anxiety about our country; at others, we are downright cynical. I myself took a reality check four years back with How Proud Should We Be Of Indian Republic At 62? However, we do recognise the fact that it is better to be free, independent and a sovereign republic than to be under a foreign yoke. With all our problems, there won’t be too many of us who don’t love our country India, both as a geographical entity and as an idea or concept. These songs, therefore, not only reflect our history but how and why we love India, that is, Bharat.
The very first song that comes to mind is of course Vande Mataram. It translates into ‘I praise thee, Mother’; wherein Mother is Bharat Mata. The poem was penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his 1882 classic Anand Math, which was later (in 1952) made into a movie by the same name by Hemen Gupta who was private secretary to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and who, in 1961, directed Kabuliwala based on a story by Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore. The music of the movie was given by my favourite singer and music director Hemant Kumar. Vande Mataram had many versions sung by many; the latest being on music composed by Oscar winner AR Rehman. However, my favourite is naturally the one sung by Hemant da, even though the movie itself had another version sung by Lata Mangeshkar, widely regarded as one of the best.
Lets now turn to Tarana-e-Hind (Anthem of the People of Hindostan) or the National Song of India: Saare Jahan Se Achha or Better Than The Whole World. It was penned by the Urdu poet Muhammad Iqbal and was published in the weekly journal Ittehad on 16th Aug 1904. It was the leading poem/song of our opposition to the British rule. In the 1950s, the Sitar Maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar composed the music of the national song and Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar sang it. It also became the marching tune of the Indian Armed Forces. India’s astronaut, in 1984, in an interview with the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in answer to a question by her as to how India appeared from the outer space promptly replied (and gladdened the hearts of millions of Indians): “Saare jahan se achchha”!
Please enjoy our national song Saare Jahan Se Achchha sung by Lata Mangeshkar on the music of Pandit Ravi Shankar:
saare jahaa.N se achchhaa, hindostaa.n hamaaraa
ham bulabule hai.n isakii, vo gulasitaa.n hamaaraa
gurabat me.n ho.n agar ham, rahataa hai dil vatan me.n
samajho vahii.n hame.n bhii, dil ho jahaa.N hamaaraa, saare …
parvat ho sabase uu.Nchaa, hamasaayaa aasamaa.N kaa
vo sa.ntarii hamaaraa, vo paasavaa.n hamaaraa, saare …
godii me.n khelatii hai.n, jisakii hazaaro.n nadiyaa.n
gulashan hai jisake dam se, rashk-e-jinaa.n hamaaraa
saare …
ai aab-e-rau.nd-e-ga.ngaa! vo din hai yaad tujhako
utaraa tere kinaare, jab kaaravaa.n hamaaraa, saare …
majahab nahii.n sikhaataa, aapas me.n bair rakhanaa
hindii hai.n ham vatan hai.n, hindostaa.n hamaaraa, saare …
yuunaan, misr, romaa.n, sab miT gae jahaa.N se
ab tak magar hai baakii, naam-o-nishaa.n hamaaraa,
saare …
kuchh baat hai kii hastii, miTatii nahii.n hamaarii
sadiyo.n rahaa hai dushman, daur-e-jahaa.N hamaaraa, saare …
Kadam kadam badhaye jaa was the regimental quick march of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Written by Pt. Vanshidhar Shukla. Composed by Ram Singh Thakur who served in Netaji’s Indian National Army and was of Nepali origin. The song is also currently the regimental quickmarch of the Indian Army.
Please enjoy: Kadam kadam badhaye jaa, khushi ke geet gaaye jaa….
( kadam-kadam ba.Dhaaye jaa
Kushii ke giit gaaye jaa
ye zi.ndagii hai qaum kii
tuu qaum pe luTaaye jaa ) -2
( tuu sher-e-hind aage ba.Dh
marane se phir bhii tuu na Dar
u.Daa ke dushmano.n kaa sar
ju.D-e-watan ba.Dhaaye jaa ) -2
kadam-kadam ba.Dhaaye jaa
Kushii ke giit gaaye jaa
ye zi.ndagii hai qaum kii
tuu qaum pe luTaaye jaa
( chalo chale.n pukaar ke
Gam-e-nishaa.N sa.mbhaal ke
laa qile pe gaa.D ke
laharaaye jaa laharaaye jaa ) -2
( kadam-kadam ba.Dhaaye jaa
Kushii ke giit gaaye jaa
ye zi.ndagii hai qaum kii
tuu qaum pe luTaaye jaa ) -2
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bQcBNutX4GY%3F
This song sung by Lata Mangeshkar on a day after Republic Day in 1963, immediately after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, in Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, brought the Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to tears. In 2013 when the song turned its glorious 50 years, it was sung by Lata ji at Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai whereat the Armed Forces personnel with gallantry medals were re-honoured.
The lyrics of the song were written by Kavi Pradeep, the national poet; and the music was composed by C Ramchandra.
Please enjoy: Aye mere watan ke logo….
ai mere vatan ke logo
tum khuub lagaa lo naaraa
ye shubh din hai ham sab kaa
laharaa lo tira.ngaa pyaaraa
par mat bhuulo siimaa par
viiro.n ne hai praaN ga.Nvaae
kuchh yaad unhe.n bhii kar lo -2
jo lauT ke ghar na aaye -2
ai mere vatan ke logo.n
zaraa aa.Nkh me.n bhar lo paanii
jo shahiid hue hai.n unakii
zaraa yaad karo qurabaanii
jab ghaayal huaa himaalay
khatare me.n pa.Dii aazaadii
jab tak thii saa.Ns la.De vo
phir apanii laash bichhaa dii
sa.ngiin pe dhar kar maathaa
so gaye amar balidaanii
jo shahiid…
jab desh me.n thii dIvaalii
vo khel rahe the holI
jab ham baiThe the gharo.n me.n
vo jhel rahe the golii
the dhanya javaan vo aapane
thii dhanya vo unakii javaanii
jo shahiid…
koii sikh koii jaaT maraaThaa
koii gurakhaa koii madaraasii
sarahad par maranevaalaa
har viir thaa bhaaratavaasii
jo khuun giraa pav.rat par
vo khuun thaa hi.ndustaanii
jo shahiid…
thii khuun se lath-path kaayaa
phir bhii banduuk uThaake
das-das ko ek ne maaraa
phir gir gaye hosh ga.Nvaa ke
jab ant-samay aayaa to
kah gaye ke ab marate hai.n
khush rahanaa desh ke pyaaro.n
ab ham to safar karate hai.n
kyaa log the vo dIvaane
kyaa log the vo abhimaanii
jo shahiid…
tum bhuul na jaao unako
is liye kahii ye kahaanii
jo shahiid…
jay hind… jay hind kii senaa -2
jay hind, jay hind, jay hind
After the success of 1957 Mother India, in 1962 Mehboob Khan made Son of India. As compared to the big cast of Mother India including Nargis, Khan took lesser known Simi Grewal, Kamaljith, Jayant and Kumkum in the lead roles. However, he retained the team of my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni and music director Naushad Ali for the songs of the movie. For a young and newly independent nation, the voice of Shanti Mathur singing Nanha Munna Rahi Hoon was just what India wanted. It became a super-hit song instantly and is reflective of a resurgent India.
Please enjoy: Nanha munna raahi hoon…
nanhaa munnaa raahii huu.N, desh kaa sipaahii huu.N
bolo mere sa.ng, jay hi.nd, jay hi.nd, jay hi.nd …
raste pe chaluu.ngaa na Dar-Dar ke
chaahe mujhe jiinaa pa.De mar-mar ke
ma.nzil se pahale naa luu.ngaa kahii.n dam
aage hii aage ba.Dhaau.ngaa kadam
daahine baae.n daahine baae.n, tham! nanhaa …
dhuup me.n pasiinaa bahaau.ngaa jahaa.N
hare-bhare khet laharaae.nge vahaa.N
dharatii pe faake na paae.nge janam
aage hii aage …
nayaa hai zamaanaa merii na_ii hai Dagar
desh ko banaau.ngaa mashiino.n kaa nagar
bhaarat kisii se na rahegaa kam
aage hii aage …
ba.Daa ho ke desh kaa sitaaraa banuu.ngaa
duniyaa kii aa.Nkho.n kaa taaraa banuu.ngaa
rakhuu.Ngaa uu.nchaa tira.ngaa haradam
aage hii aage …
shaa.nti ki nagarii hai meraa ye vatan
sabako sikhaauu.ngaa pyaar kaa chalan
duniyaa me.n girane na duu.ngaa kahii.n bam
aage hii aage …
This song from the 1965 movie Shaheed on the lives and sacrifices of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev still makes my hair stand on end. The lyricist was Prem Dhawan and music was also composed by him. It was sung by Mohammad Rafi. The version that gives you goose pimples is when Bhagat Singh’s mother visits him in the jail before he and his two friends are taken to the gallows. There is promise in the song that ‘O, mother, your son will not die even after he is hanged and is fortunate to be wedded to the nation’.
Please enjoy: Ai watan, ai watan hamako teri kasam….
tuu nA ronA, ke tU hai bhagat si.nh kii maa.N
mar ke bhI laal terA maregaa nahii.n
Dolii cha.Dhake to laate hai dulhan sabhii
ha.Nsake har koI phaa.Nsii cha.Dhegaa nahii.n
jalate bhii gaye kahate bhii gaye
aazaadii ke paravaane
jiinaa to usiikaa jiinaa hai
jo maranaa desh par jaane
jab shahiido.n kii Dolii uThe dhuum se
deshavaalo.n tum aa.Nsuu bahaanaa nahii.n
par manaao jab aazaad bhaarat kA din
us gha.Dii tum hame.n bhuul jaanaa nahii.n
ai vatan ai vatan hamako terii qasam
terii rAho.n mai.n jaa.n tak luTaa jaaye.nge
phuul kyaa chiiz hai tere kadamo.n pe ham
bhe.nT apane saro.n kii cha.Dhaa jaaye.nge
ai vatan ai vatan
koii pa.njaab se, koii mahaarAshhTr se
koii yuu pii se hai, koii ba.ngaal se
terii puujaa kii thaalii me.n laaye hai.n ham
phuul har ra.ng ke, aaj har Daal se
naam kuchh bhii sahii par lagan ek hai
jot se jot dil kii jagaa jaaye.nge
ai vatan ai vatan …
terii jaanib uThii jo kahar kii nazar
us nazar ko jhukaa ke hii dam le.nge ham
terii dharatii pe hai jo kadam Gair kaa
us kadam kaa nishaa.N tak miTaa de.nge ham
jo bhii diivaar aayegii ab saamane
Thokaro.n se use ham giraa jaaye.nge
When it comes to a patriotic song that still gives you goose pimples, there is nothing to beat this one from Chetan Anand’s 1964 movie Haqeeqat (Reality) that sought to recreate the reality of 1962 Sino Indian War. The movie starred Dharmendra and Priya Rajvansh besides Balraj Sajni, Vijay Anand, Jayant and Sanjay Khan.
This song was penned by Kaifi Azmi who had mastered the art of writing simple words powerfully. Music was composed by Madan Mohan and the song was sung by Mohammad Rafi.
Please enjoy: Kar chale hum fida jaano tan saathiyo….
(kar chale ham fidaa jaan-o-tan saathiyo.n
ab tumhaare havaale vatan saathiyo.n ) – (2)
saa.Ns thamatii ga_ii nabz jamatii ga_ii
phir bhii ba.Dhate kadam ko na rukane diyaa
kaT gaye sar hamaare to kuchh Gam nahii.n
sar himaalay kaa hamane na jhukane diyaa
marate marate rahaa baa.Nkaapan saathiyo.n, ab tumhaare …
zi.ndaa rahane ke mausam bahut hai.n magar
jaan dene kii rut roz aatii nahii.n
husn aur ishq dono.n ko rusavaa kare
vo javaanii jo khuu.N me.n nahaatii nahii.n
baa.Ndh lo apane sar par kafan saathiyo.n, ab tumhaare …
raah qurbaaniyo.n kii na viiraan ho
tum sajaate hii rahanaa naye qaafile
fatah kaa jashn is jashn ke baad hai
zi.ndagii maut se mil rahii hai gale
aaj dharatii banii hai dulhan saathiyo.n, ab tumhaare …
khii.nch do apane khuu.N se zamii.n par lakiir
is taraf aane paaye na raavaN koii
to.D do haath agar haath uThane lage
chhuune paaye na siitaa kaa daaman koii
raam bhii tum tumhii.n lakshmaN saathiyo.n, ab tumhaare …
Lets turn to a little more modern movie and little more modern song. I love this song for its pathos and quiet resolve in the face of unequal war perpetrated on India by the terrorists from across the border. It brought national acclaim to two people: the story-writer and director of the movie Mani Ratnam and its music director AR Rehman. The 1992 movie Roja was first made in Tamil starring Arvind Swamy and Madhoo who nearly received the National Best Actress Award until she was beaten by Dimple Kapadia. The music got the Best Movie on National Integration Award and Best Music Director award for AR Rehman in his debut movie. The soundtrack of the movie by Rehman was declared by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the ten best sound tracks.
The song has the lyrics by PK Mishra and sung by Hariharan.
Please enjoy: Bharat hamako jaan se pyaara hai….
Bhaarat hamako jaan se pyaaraa hai
sabase nyaaraa gulistaa.n hamaaraa hai
sadiyo.n se bhaarat bhuumi duniyaa kii shaan hai
bhaarat maa.n kii rakshaa me.n jiivan qurbaan hai
bhaarat hamako jaan se …
uja.De nahii.n apanaa chaman, TUTe nahii.n apanaa vatan
duniyaa dhar dharatii korI, barabaad naa karade koii
mandir yahaa.N, masjid vahaa.N, hinduu yahaa.N muslim vahaa.N
milate rahe ham pyaar se
jaago …
hindustaanii naam hamaaraa hai, sabase pyaaraa desh hamaaraa hai
janmabhuumi hai hamaarii shaan se kahe.nge ham
sabhii to bhaaI-bhaaI pyaar se rahe.nge ham
hindustaanii naam hamaaraa hai
aasaam se gujaraat tak, ba.ngaal se mahaaraashhTr tak
jhanakii sahii gun ek hai, bhaashhaa alag sur ek hai
kashmiir se madraas tak, kah do sabhii ham ek hai.n
aavaaz do ham ek hai.n
jAgo …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wqb4HIcZ-Gc%3F
Talking about AR Rehman, one can never forget his Maa Tujhe Salaam that has been sung by him on his own music. Its lyrics are by Mehboob. AR Rehman has a way of reaching to the hearts of our countrymen with his music and this song really assumed iconic proportions.
Please enjoy: Maa tujhe salaam….
maa.N
(mother)
va.nde maataram
(I pray to you, o mother)
yahaa.N-vahaa.N saaraa jahaa.N dekh liyaa hai
(here and there, i have seen the entire world)
kahii.n bhii tere jaisaa ko_ii nahii.n hai
(but, there is no one anywhere like you)
assii nahii.n sau din duniyaa ghuumaa huu.N
(I have travelled across the world, not for eighty, but for a hundred days)
nahii.n kahii.n tere jaisaa ko_ii nahii.n hai
(no one anywhere, like you no one is there)
mai.n gayaa jahaa.N bhii bas terii yaad thii
(wherever i went, only your memories were there)
jo mere saath thii mujh ko ta.Dapaatii-rulaatii
(that had accompanied me, torturing me, making me weep)
sab se pyaarii terii suurat pyaar hai bas teraa pyaar hii
(your face is the loveliest of them all, your affection is the only love)
maa.N tujhe salaam
(oh mother! i salute to you)
ammaa tujhe salaam
jahaa.N tuu hai vahaa.N mai.n teraa huu.N divaanaa mai.n
(wherever you are, i am there, i am mad after you)
jhuumuu.N naachu.n gaa_uu.N tere pyaar kaa taraanaa mai.n
( i swing, i dance, i sing, the song of your love)
cha.ndaa nahii.n suuraj nahii.n duiyaa kii daulat nahii.n
(i don’t want the moon, nor the sun, nor the wealth of this world)
bas luuTuu.Ngaa tere pyaar kaa khazaanaa
(i will only loot the treasure of your love)
ek nazar jab terii
(one glance of yours)
hotii hai pyaar kii
(you cast on me, filled with love)
duniyaa tab to merii chamake damake mahake re
(then my world shines, glitters, smells)
teraa cheharaa suuraj jaisaa chaa.Nd sii ThaND hai pyaar me.n
(you face is like the sun, the coolness of the moon is in your love)
tere paas hii mai.n aa rahaa huu.N apanii baa.Nhe.n khol de
(i am going to come near you, you please spread your arms)
jor se mujhako gale lagaa le mujhako phir vo pyaar de
(and hug me enthusiatically, grant me again that love of yours)
tuu hii zi.ndagii hai tuu hii merii mohabbat hai
(only your are the life, only you are my love)
tere hii pairo.n me.n jannat hai tuu hii dil tuu jaa.N maa.N
(the paradise lies only in your feet, you are my heart, you are my life, oh mother!)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jDn2bn7_YSM%3F
Lets now turn to a song that has been filmed in the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasala, near Pune (Maharashtra). It is from the 1970 film Aadmi Aur Insaan. Lyrics of this vivacious song were penned by Sahir Ludhianvi and music composed by Ravi. The song was sung by Mahendra Kapoor, S Balbir and Joginder.
Please enjoy: Yaara dildaara mera dil karta…..
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
aisa kuch kar paye yado me bas jaye
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
ho sadiyo jahan me ho charcha hamara
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
jalti mashale leke milni ki raato me
milni ki rato me
aage aage hum chale yaro ki baraato me
yaro ki baraato me
fanse koi bholi bhali apni bhi baato me
apni bhi baato me
kisi ki kalaayi aaye apne bhi haatho me
apne bhi haatho me
ho sadiyo jahan me ho charcha hamara
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
aisa kuch kar paye yado me bas jaye
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
nit naye dhundhe mujhe nit naye mile ho
nit naye mile ho
pariyo me ghire rahe kabhi na akele ho
kabhi na akele ho
gum ki ghataaye ho ki khushiyo ke rele ho
khushiyo ke rele ho
dono se nibhaane wale hum albele ho
hum albele ho
ho sadiyo jahan me ho charcha hamara
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
aisa kuch kar paye yado me bas jaye
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
humsa jiyala koi mile na hajaro me
mile na hajaro me
mare chahe jiye rahe agli kataro me
agli kataro me
jhalke hamara lahu kal ki baharo me
kal ki baharo me
ashqo ka tauhafa hoke bant jaye yaaro me
bant jaye yaaro me
ho sadiyo jahan me ho charcha hamara
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
aisa kuch kar paye yado me bas jaye
dil karta o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
o yara dildara mera dil karta
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3adU-Pg7g-o%3F
Lets get back to 1954 movie Jagriti (Awakening) directed by Satyen Bose. It won the Filmfare Best Movie Award and brought for its lead actor Abhi Bhattacharya the Best Supporting Actor Award. This songs lyrics, once again, are by Kavi Pradeep who has excelled in writing patriotic songs. Music is by Hemant Kumar and the song has been sung by Mohammad Rafi.
Please enjoy: Ham laayen hain toofaan se kishati nikaal ke….
paase sabhii ulaT gae dushman kii chaal ke
akshar sabhii palaT gae bhaarat ke bhaal ke
ma.nzil pe aayaa mulk har balaa ko Taal ke
sadiyo.n ke baad phir u.De bAdal gulaal ke
ham laae hai.n tuufaan se kashtii nikaal ke
is desh ko rakhanaa mere bachcho.n sambhaal ke
tum hii bhavishhy ho mere bhaarat vishaal ke
is desh ko rakhanaa mere bachcho.n sambhaal ke
dekho kahii.n barabaad nA hoe ye bagiichaa
isako hR^iday ke khuun se baapuu ne hai sii.nchaa
rakkhaa hai ye chiraaG shahiido.n ne baal ke, is desh ko…
duniyaa ke daa.nv pe.nch se rakhanaa nA vaastaa
ma.nzil tumhaarii dUr hai lambaa hai raastaa
bhaTakaa nA de koii tumhe.n dhokhe me.n Daal ke, is desh ko…
aiTam bamo.n ke jor pe ai.nThii hai ye duniyaa
baaruud ke ik Dher pe baiThii hai ye duniyaa
tum har kadam uThaanaa zaraa dekha bhaal ke, is desh ko…
aaraam kii tum bhuul bhulayyaa me.n nA bhuulo
sapano.n ke hi.nDolo.n pe magan hoke nA jhuulo
ab vaqt aa gayaa hai mere ha.Nsate hue phuulo.n
uTho chhalaa.Ng maar ke aakaash ko chhuu lo
tum gaa.D do gagan pe tira.ngaa uchhaal ke, is desh ko…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ddrx8288qwA%3F
What can you say about this song? You can only marvel at its lyrics that represents how India was known for the nation with Sone Ki Chidhiya. Rajinder Krishan, its lyricist needs to be congratulated for the words that became immortal, a cherished dream in later years. Music is by Hansraj Behl who has not only given music for several Punjabi movies but also for Hindi movies. It has been sung by Mohammad Rafi. The song is from the 1965 movie Sikander-e-Azam.
Please enjoy: Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidhiyan karti hain basera….
jahaa.N Daal-Daal par
sone kii chi.Diyaa.n karatii hai baseraa
vo bhaarat desh hai meraa
jahaa.N satya, ahi.nsaa aur dharm kaa
pag-pag lagataa Deraa
vo bhaarat desh hai meraa
ye dharatii vo jahaa.N R^ishhi muni
japate prabhu naam kii maalaa
jahaa.N har baalak ek mohan hai
aur raadhaa har ek baalaa
jahaa.N suuraj sabase pahale aa kar
Daale apanaa pheraa
vo bhaarat desh hai meraa
alabelo.n kii is dharatii ke
tyohaar bhii hai alabele
kahii.n diivaalii kii jagamag hai
kahii.n hai.n holii ke mele
jahaa.N raag ra.ng aur ha.Nsii khushii kaa
chaaro aur hai gheraa
vo bhaarat desh hai meraa
jahaa.N aasamaan se baate karate
ma.ndir aur shivaale
jahaa.N kisii nagar me kisii dvaar par
koii na taalaa Daale
prem kii ba.nsii jahaa.N bajaataa
hai ye shaam saveraa
vo bhaarat desh hai meraa …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=-0kPkqkrHPk%3F
Lastly, I give you a song from Manoj Kumar’s 1967 movie Upkaar in which for the first time the villain Pran shifted to good roles. Manoj Kumar was an artificial stereo-typed actor but he excelled in making movies on patriotic themes. The movie Upkaar was also known for Kalyanji Anandji’s music and Indeevar’s lyrics. This very popular song has been sung in the silk-smooth voice of Mahendra Kapoor.
Please enjoy: Mere desh ki dharti…..
mere desh kii dharatii sonaa ugale, ugale hiire motii
mere desh kii dharatii …
bailo.n ke gale me.n jab ghu.ngharuu jiivan kaa raag sunaate hai.n
Gam kos duur ho jaataa hai khushiyo.n ke ka.nval muskaate hai.n
sunake rahaT kii aavaaze.n yuu.N lage kahii.n shahanaaI baje
aate hii mast bahaaro.n ke dulhan kii tarah har khet saje,
mere desh …
jab chalate hai.n is dharatii pe hal mamataa a.nga.Daaiyaa.N letii hai
kyuu.N naa puuje is maaTii ko jo jiivan kaa sukh detii hai
is dharatii pe jisane janam liyaa, usane hii paayaa pyaar teraa
yahaa.N apanaa paraayaa koI nahii.n hai sab pe hai maa.N upakaar teraa,
mere desh …
ye baaG hai gautam naanak kaa khilate hai.n chaman ke phuul yahaa.N
gaa.ndhii, subhaashh, Taigor, tilak, aise hai.n aman ke phuul yahaa.N
ra.ng haraa harii si.nh nalave se ra.ng laal hai laal bahaadur se
ra.ng banaa basa.ntii bhagat si.nh ra.ng aman kaa viir javaahar se,
mere desh …
Before we say Jai Hind, lets recall the 1910 poem of Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore and pray that India takes its rightful place in the great nations of the world:
Where The Mind Is Without Fear
by Rabindranath Tagore
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
It has been less than two years since I put up in this blog ‘Best Of ‘Make Your Own Quotes’ ‘. In these 21 months since the post and 23 months since I started with the Facebook Page called ‘Make Your Own Quotes’, a lot has happened. One, from a membership of just 30 or so, the Page has a membership of nearly 500 now. Two, a number of (nearly 300) new Quotes have been started.
Why did I start with the page? As I mentioned in the introduction of the first post, “I noticed that on the Facebook and elsewhere, there is a great penchant about putting up Quotes. These range from quotes about Love, Friendship, Politics, Life; indeed about each and every subject. Whilst reading these quotes I was stuck by the realisation that somehow we have this feeling that the sages, saints and wise-people of the past had abundance of sane-advice on all kinds of subjects; but, by a curious quirk of fate, we ourselves and fellow citizens have nothing great to offer in terms of such advice. When I started analysing this, I reached the conclusion that there is nothing simpler than giving sane advice; the answer is really blowing in the wind; it is everywhere. We only have to gather these pearls around us and weave them in a garland”. That’s how I started this Facebook page called ‘Make Your Own Quotes’ with an introduction: “There is nothing simpler than giving sane advice; you don’t have to follow great teachers. Make your own quotes and let others follow you.”
This venture started on the 25th of Feb 2013 and very soon it would be two years old. I have received tremendous interest from friends in these Quotes and I am told that around the world these Quotes are being circulated in all kinds of garbs. I have nothing against these since I shall never be making this into a commercial activity.
I like all quotes on Facebook; these provide quick and easy solutions to life’s seemingly complex problems. I believe life is as simple as Facebook; what you get is dependant upon your “settings”.
I started off by giving tips to people on how to make their own quotes, eg,:
Great Quotes Tip #1: Compare Life, Love, Relationships etc to something mundane and infer “great” sounding advice out of it.Here is an (original example): “Friends should be like electricity wires; opposite poles, running parallel and lighting up lives by meeting”. For effect, inscribe this on a totally unrelated picture of, say, a Frog in a Pond. Wanna try your hand at it; go ahead….nothing is simpler! Try comparing Life to Beans!! Go ahead, now that you have joined this site, you will eventually follow your own quotes!!!
Here is therefore the second tranche of Best of ‘Make Your Own Quotes’.
Going into historical background of things has been a favourite subject with me. We have documented some of our history whereas most of the important one is in the form of gospel, ie, passed down from one to other without being written. However, one important aspect of the history is the history of not just the events but history of our emotions. This is important since it has been asserted that God is beyond emotions. So, how then did the first man or woman get these emotions?
Now this is totally tongue in cheek and about my life in the armed forces which are largely hierarchal and authoritarian:
The subjects of God and Religion are close to my heart; both being the inventions of Man to keep sanity. I have written a number of articles about this in this blog. The most comprehensive is the one that tracks the origin of God and Religion, viz, Whose God Is It Anyway? I have argued that whilst we do need God, but Religion has to move away from being community activity to something personal. Here is a Quote about God:
I continue to indulge in Alternate Definitions of words, as in the previous edition. Here is one on Secretariat:
Rains always bring out the romantic spirit in me. Here is one about the rains:
Here is another:
As we move into a world where we are in crowds and yet alone and lonely, I have frequently given quotes on this subject. Here is the first one:
Here is another:
And yet another (though all these appeared at different times):
And a penultimate one on the same subject:
Finally, if we have ever examined sadness, we would have probably reached the same conclusion as me:
I frequently bring out the comparisons between Faith and Science; and, my way of looking at it is that both are the same except that the differences are more entrenched in our minds than similarities. Taste the following:
Whilst on this subject, I am often amused at the prevalent distinction between God-made and Man-made; it is as if the latter really have equal powers to make things as God!
I also frequently indulge in the witty, humorous and the light-hearted. For that, I have a running series called ‘My Moments Of Madness’. Here is one such post:
Here is another:
And another:
Here is one in which I have even expressed ‘Hope’ after Life!:
Here is another funny one, addressed to God:
Another running series is Alternate Definitions. Some of these are merely punning on words; but, these would make you feel. Taste the first one about my specialisation or field of interest: Maritime (I spent 37 years in the Indian Navy and am retired now):
Every one of us have heard the word Anglicised. Here is my definition of it:
Lets take a few about the attributes of the Indians. First of all, we are really very filthy people and litter everywhere with abandon. Here is a take on that:
Our traffic conditions are amongst the most chaotic in the world. Indeed, we kill more people on the roads than during wars. Here is a take on that:
And the third is the Indian Politics. But then, when I put it up, foreigners told me that it is the same in their country too:
As I told you, I spent nearly 37 years in the Navy and hence sea is in my veins. There are several Quotes on this theme; the most popular of these was:
Here is another one about the same romance of the seas:
Here is one about the sea itself and how it changed my life:
The four lettered word Life is a favourite topic with me. I give you a few quotes about this subject. Here is the first one:
Here is another:
And another since Life is such a vast subject:
And yet another:
This one about Life should make you think:
And a last one about Life:
Let me now give you three at random before finishing with this edition of Best of Make Your Own Quotes. There are, of course, many more and you can await the next edition. This one is about the limitation of Reason and Reasoning:
This one is being happy about what the sages and saints say; that is, Life is a Myth:
And to end this edition, here is a quote about my ability to make you look at God’s world differently:
I am sure by now I have convinced you to subscribe to ‘Make Your Own Quotes’. What do you have to pay for the subscription? Nothing; not a cent, pence or paisa. It is totally free. All that you have to do is to like the Page and these Quotes would be delivered to your timeline automatically. You can, on the page, make your own Quotes and share these too with others too. Dozens of subscribers have done it already.
These are not merely the songs on guitar. But, these are also the songs in whose scene the guitar is to be seen prominently.
The curious thing about the instrument guitar in the Hindi movies is that the guitar is a fashion statement; the hero or the heroine swings it any which way – across the shoulder, left and right like a man gone berserk with his carbine, or even to rotate it around on the floor a la Zeenat Aman style. Very rarely you come across a song in which the singer actually strums on the guitar throughout the song; most often than not the song starts with the singer strumming the guitar and then forgetting all about either strumming or the guitar itself.
One Music Director who really mastered the acoustic guitar in his songs was Sachin Dev Burman. As soon as you think of the acoustic guitar on the Indian scene, you think of Goa and that’s where Guru Dutt’s 1952 movie Jaal (the Net/Trap) was based; the second movie after Baazi in which Guru Dutt starred Dev Anand.
Dev Anand, as Tony Fernandez, is a good-for-nothing man who comes to a fishing village in Goa with a strange girl Lisa. There Tony seduces a Carlos’s (KN Singh’s) daughter Maria (played by Geeta Bali). Maria is cautioned not to fall for the no-gooder Tony but so strong is the seduction that she cannot help herself. Finally, pure Catholic love of Maria wins over the waywardness of Tony.
Sachin Dev Burman brought the seduction so well through the acoustic guitar that the song is still considered the best that Hindi movies have to offer in this genre. Sahir Ludhianvi, who often penned the lyrics of Guru Dutt movies songs (as in the classic Pyaasa) wrote the lyrics of this song. My favourite singer Hemant Kumar himself sang the song.
Please enjoy the irresistible seduction of acoustic guitar in the iconic song: Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan sun jaa dil ki dastaan……….
ye raat ye chaa.Ndanii phir kahaa.N
sun jaa dil kii daastaa.N
ye raat…
pe.Do.n kii shaakho.n pe soii soii chaa.Ndanii
tere khayaalo.n me.n khoii khoii chaa.Ndanii
aur tho.Dii der me.n thak ke lauT jaaegii
raat ye bahaar kii phir kabhii na aaegii
do ek pal aur hai ye samaa, sun jaa…
laharo.n ke ho.nTho.n pe dhiimaa dhiimaa raag hai
bhiigii havaao.n me.n Tha.nDii Tha.nDii aag hai
is hasiin aag me.n tuu bhii jalake dekhale
zi.ndagii ke giit kii dhun badal ke dekhale
khulane de ab dha.Dakano.n kii zubaa.N, sun jaa…
jaatii bahaare.n hai.n uThatii javaaniyaa.N
taaro.n ke chhaao.n me.n pahale kahaaniyaa.N
ek baar chal diye gar tujhe pukaarake
lauTakar na aae.nge qaafile bahaar ke
aajaa abhii zi.ndagii hai javaa.N, sun jaa…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=dBw_JSiNF9c%3F
Yes, this iconic song doesn’t have the singer strumming the guitar; but, then, you can hardly ever come across a better guitar song in the Hindi movies. It is guitar all the way; so much so that it is hard to imagine this song without the guitar.
This has the consistent magic of the combine of Shailendra with Shankar Jaikishen as Lyricist and Music Director. Lata Mangeshkar sang this for the 1960 movie Dil Apna Aur Preet Praayi. Shankar Jaikishen bagged the best Music Director Award for the movie.
The story of the movie takes you to my home-station Shimla where Raaj Kumar as Doctor Sushil Verma is doctor in the hospital. Meena Kumari as nurse comes to the hospital and since they are together in a difficult operation, they come close to each other.
The story takes a turn when Doctor Sushil’s mother organises a trip to Kashmir. Doctor Sushil is to marry Nadira (Kusum) in gratitude to Nadira’s father for having paid Doctor Sushil’s medical studies fees! It is on this occasion that the song is sung.
With the story, now, you will identify with the lyrics, the now happy, now sad notes and the rueful atmosphere in a boat. More than rueful, it is enigmatic.
Please enjoy: Ajeeb dastaan hai ye….
ajiib daastaa.n hai ye
kahaa.N shuruu kahaa.N khatam
ye ma.nzile.n hai kaun sii
na vo samajh sake na ham
ajiib daastaa.n…
(ye roshanii ke saath kyo.n
dhuaa.N uThaa chiraag se) -2
ye Kvaab dekhatii huu.N mai.n
ke jag pa.Dii huu.N Kvaab se
ajiib daastaa.n…
(kisiikaa pyaar leke tum
nayaa jahaa.N basaaoge) -2
ye shaam jab bhii aaegii
tum hamako yaad aaoge
ajiib daastaa.n…
(mubaarake.n tumhe.n ke tum
kisiike nuur ho gae) -2
kisiike itane paas ho
ke sabase duur ho gae
ajiib daastaa.n…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=eJLdL5_QkVo%3F
Why do I like this guitar song from the 1968 movie Kismat (Destiny) so much? Is it just because of the enchanting guitar notes brought into the song by OP Nayyar whose music direction ensured that he invariably had the maximum number of hit songs in his movies be it Kashmir Ki Kali or Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon. He even made songs that the comedian Johnny Walker sang (including the iconic Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan….ye hai Bombay meri jaan). Yes, that’s there. But, the song also has Biswajeet acting on the guitar in a club/hotel and he is not just effectively strumming the guitar but also has the right body-language throughout the song. SH Bihari, who wrote lyrics for OP Nayyar in Kashmir Ki Kali too, penned these too. The song has been sung by Mahendra Kapoor, which is not surprising at all considering that even Manna De sang guitar songs!
Please enjoy: Laakhon hain yahan dilwaale par pyaar nahin milata….
mahafil mahafil jaa dekhaa, har dil me.n samaa kar dekhaa
har saaz pe gaa kar dekhaa
dil ko kahii.n chain naa milaa – 2
mai.n to duniyaa me.n pyaare akelaa hii rahaa
laakho.n hai yahaa.N …
is dil ko kahaa.N le jaae.n, kuchh aap agar faramaae.n
to aap ke ham ho jaae.n
kah do hame.n ha.nsake zaraa – 2
ajii jo kuchh bhii dil ne tumhaare hai kahaa
laakho.n hai yahaa.N …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=lzqA4kjBHK8%3F
Ravi, my namesake’s song too in the 1962 Shammi Kapoor and Shakeela starrer movie China Town, reached iconic proportions. So much so that when they talk about guitar songs, this one of the first songs that comes to one’s mind. Majrooh Sultanpuri was one lyricist who was far ahead of his times and penned songs that reflected the modern era during those times (his numbers in Dev Anand starrer Guru Dutt movie C.I.D., for example, shall come to your mind including the one that was banned due to its “suggestive double entendre”): Jaata kahan hai deewaane, sab kuchh yahan hai sanam. Then there are other Dev Anand starrers such as Kaala Paani, Bambai Ka Babu). His songs for Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Pyaar Ka Mausam, Yaadon Ki Baraat, all reflected the modern spirit.
Sixteen years later, the story of China Town was copied in Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don. In China Town, Shammi Kapoor as Shekhar is a singer in a hotel. He is in love with Rita (Shakila); but her father wants her to marry someone of their own status, that is, rich. They relocate from Darjeeling to Calcutta and Shammi Kapoor follows them. Shakila’s father gets him arrested. It is at this time that the police realise that Shekhar’s face resembles that of China Town gangster Mike in jail with them. The police think of replacing Mike with Shekhar so as to get to China Town.
Baar baar dekho is one of the songs that Shekhar sings in the hotel in the presence of Rita. Please enjoy: Baar baar dekho, hazaar baar dekho…..
Baar baar dekho, hazaar baar dekho
ke dekhane kii chiiz hai, hamaaraa dilarubaa, Taalii ho
Taalii ho, Taalii ho
(haa.N jii haa.N, aur bhii ho.nge diladaar yahaa.N
laakho.n dilo.n kii bahaar yahaa.N
par ye baat kahaa.N ) – 2
ye bemisaal husn, laajavaab ye aadaa, Taalii ho
Taalii ho, Taalii ho
(dil milaa, ek jaan-e-mahafil milaa
yaa chiraaG-e-ma.nzil milaa
ye na puuchho ke kahaa.N ) – 2
nayaa nayaa ye aashiqii kaa raaz hai merA, Taalii ho
Taalii ho, Taalii ho
(balle balle, uThake misTar kyo.n chale
pyaar pe mere kaho kyo.n jale
baiTh bhii jaao meharabaa.N ) – 2
duaa karo mile tumhe.n bhii aisaa dilarubaa, Taalii ho
Taalii ho, Taalii ho
https://youtube.com/watch?v=k6pYkSh2NcA%3F
Now imagine Majrooh Sultanpuri writing twenty-six years after China Town song Baar baar dekho; he was still writing for the young, the modern, the romantic. The generation had changed and Majrooh kept pace with the times. The film was the 1988 movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Taq. It was the debut film for three important people: Mansoor Khan who directed the film following in the footsteps of his father Nasir Hussain who wrote the story; Nasir Hussain’s nephew Aamir Khan who was later to emerge as the actor who set new standards in acting excellence; and finally Juhi Chawla who emerged as a bubbling and fresh star. The movie was the first grand hit for Music Director Anand, Milind and singer Udit Narayan.
This guitar song became a craze with the younger generation. Please enjoy: Papa kehte hain bada naam karega…..
Paapaa kahate hai.n ba.Daa naam karegaa
beTaa hamaaraa aisaa kaam karegaa
magar ye to, koii nA jaane
ke merii ma.nzil, hai kahaa.N
baiThe hai.n milake, sab yaar apane
sabake dilo.n me.n, aramaa.n ye hai
vo zindagii me.n, kal kyaa banegaa
har ik najar kaa, sapanaa ye hai
koii ##engineer## kaa kaam karegaa
##business## me.n koii apanaa naam karegaa, magar ye to …
meraa to sapanaa, hai ek cheharaa
dekhe jo usako, jhuume bahaar
gaalo.n me.n khilatii, kaliyo.n kaa mausam
aa.Nkho.n me.n jaaduu, hoTho.n me.n pyaar
bandaa ye khUbasUrat kaam karegaa
dil kii duniyaa me.n apanaa naam karegaa, magar ye to …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=FEvBiayarlc%3F
The 1973 Nasir Hussain movie Yaadon Ki Baraat had the oft repeated theme of siblings separated by destiny but meeting in later years through the same destiny.
Shankar (Dharmendra), Vijay (Vijay Arora), and Ratan (Tariq Khan) are three brothers. In their childhood, on their father’s birthday, their mother taught them a song titled Yaadon Ki Baaraat. One day, their father witnessed a robbery by Shakaal (Ajit Khan) and his henchmen and is hence killed by Shakaal together with his wife. The boys watch this and flee.
After they grow up, they cannot forget the nightmarish memories of their parents’ murder. Shankar is haunted by it and is now joined by his friend Usman on a crime spree around the city. Vijay was adopted by a fairly wealthy man who is the groundskeeper to the love of his life, Sunita (Zeenat Aman). Ratan was raised by the boys’ maid, who changed his name to Monto. With his new identity, Monto starts a band and does gigs at hotels for a living and is also in love with a co-singer (Neetu Singh).
The brothers meet several times, yet do not recognize each other; until their song Yaadon Ki Baraat brings them together. This too is a lovely guitar song. However, the guitar song that scores over this in my list of Best Guitar Songs in Hindi movies is certainly the one between Zeeant Aman and Vijay Arora. Now, here is one heroine who looked class with a guitar even if she only rotated it on the floor and hardly strummed it. Majrooh Sultanpuri who never disappointed with his modern era lyrics, penned the lyrics for this too. And, RD Burman’s music is simply superb. Mohammad Rafi who has sung all types and genres of songs in the movies including children’s songs, ushered in the era of pop music in Hindi movies and was totally at home singing it. Asha Bhosle, singing for Zeenat Aman was sensuous indeed.
Please enjoy: Chura liya hai tum ne jo dil ko…….
Churaa liyaa hai tum ne jo dil ko
nazar nahii.n churaanaa sanam
badal ke merii tum zi.ndagaanii
kahii.n badal na jaanaa sanam
le liyaa dil, haay meraa dil
haay dil lekar mujhako naa bahalaanaa
churaa liyaa… churaa liyaa hai …
bahaar ban ke aauu.N kabhii tumhaarii duniyaa me.n
guzar na jaae.n ye din kahii.n isii tamannaa me.n
tum mere ho, haa.N tum mere ho
aaj tum itanaa vaadaa karate jaanaa
churaa liyaa … churaa liyaa hai …
sajaauu.Ngaa luT kar bhii tere badan kii Dolii ko
lahuu jigar kaa duu.Ngaa ha.nsii.n labo.n kii laalii ko
hai vafaa kyaa, is jahaa.N ko
ek din dikhalaa duu.Ngaa mai.n diivaanaa
churaa liyaa… churaa liyaa hai …
le liyaa dil, haay meraa dil
haay dil lekar mujhako naa bahalaanaa
churaa liyaa… churaa liyaa hai …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HvY9nHIAneg%3F
This song would have jumped several steps up and would have rubbed shoulders with the top-most guitar songs in Hindi movies, except that it was spoiled by bad picturisation by the director T Prakash Rao. Its lyrics by Anand Bakshi, music by Kalyanji Anandji and singing by Kishore Kumar are all top-notch though. It is from the 1970 movie Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani with Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy in title roles. They have three school going children Ravi, Roopa and Raja. The three go into a hunger strike because the parents are not able to meet their demands, what with the father’s income being only Rupees 630 per month. It is at this time that Balraj Sahni tries to teach them budgeting by giving them reign of household expenses for the next six months. A beautiful story follows, literally ghar ghar ki kahani.
The song is played on guitar in the movie by Jalal Agha, a college student whilst Rakesh Roshan and Bharati are seen loving in the backdrop. How one wishes, the scene was built up better in the movie.
Anyway, enjoy: Samaa hai suhaana suhaana, nashe mein jahaan hai……
Samaa hai suhaanaa suhaanaa
nashe me.n jahaa.N hai
kisii ko kisii kii khabar hii kahaa.N hai
har dil me.n dekho
mohabbat javaa.N hai
##hmm##…
kah rahii hai nazar nazar se afasaane
##hmm##…
kah rahii hai nazar nazar se afasaane
ho rahaa hai asar ke jisako dil jaane
dekho ye dil kii ajab daastaa.n hai
nazar bolatii hai, dil bezubaa.n hai
##hmm##…
samaa hai suhaanaa suhaanaa…
ho rahaa hai milan dilo.n kaa mastaanaa
##hmm##…
ho rahaa hai milan dilo.n kaa mastaanaa
ho gayaa hai koii kisii kaa diivaanaa
jahaa.N dilarubaa hai, dil bhii vahaa.N hai
jise pyaar kahiye, vahii darmiyaa.N hai
##hmm##…
samaa hai suhaanaa suhaanaa…
Now that I have introduced you to a guitar song by the composers Kalyanji Anandji, I am tempted to give you another beautiful one by the same duo; this one with even better guitar notes. It is from thew 1983 movie Kalaakar starring Sridevi and Kunal Goswami. Lyrics are by Indeevar.
Please enjoy: Neele neele ambar par chand jab aaye……..
nIle nIle ambar par, chA.Nd jab aaye
pyaar barasaae, hamako tarasaaye
aisaa koii saathii ho
aisaa koii premii ho
pyaas dil kii bujhaa jaae
nIle nIle …
(ho, uu.Nche uu.Nche parvat
jab chuumate hai ambar ko
pyaasaa pyaasaa ambar
jab chuumataa hai saagar ko ) – 2
pyaar se kasane ko
baaho.n me.n basane ko
dil meraa lalachaaye
koI to aa jaaye
aisaa koI saathii ho
aisaa koI premii ho
pyaas dil kii bujhaa jaae
nIle nIle …
(ho, Tha.nDe Tha.nDe jho.nke
jab baalo.n ko sahalaae.n
tapatii tapatii kiraNe.n
jab gaalo.n ko chhU jAe.n ) – 2
saa.Nso.n kii garamii ko
haatho.n kii naramii ko
dil meraa tarasaae
koI to chhU jAye
aisaa koI saathii ho
aisaa koI premii ho
pyaas dil kii bujhaa jAe
nIle nIle …
(chham chham karataa sAvan
bU.ndo.n ke baaN chalAe
satara.ngii barasaato.n me.n jab
tan man bhIgaa jaae ) – 2
pyaar me.n nahAne ko
DUb hii jaane ko
koI to aa jAe
khvaab jagaa jAye
aisaa koI saathii ho
aisaa koI premii ho
pyaas dil kii bujhaa jae
nIle nIle …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZUlDWcik6dg%3F
After the success of 1952 movie Jaal’s guitar based song Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan, Sahir Ludhianvi, SD Burman and Hemant Kumar did it again, in another Dev Anand movie, the 1955 film Munimji in which Dev Anand acted with Nalini Jaywant and Pran. However, this time, singing for the heroine wasn’t Lata Mangeshkar but Geeta Dutt.
There will be some who will consider this song as a little comical because of Pran’s farcical attempts at singing. However, it is still a very beautiful guitar based song, well deserving of being included in the Best Guitar Songs compilation.
Please enjoy: Dil ki umange hain jawan, rang mein dooba hai samaa…..
he : dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
ra.ng me.n Duubaa hai samaa
mai.n ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
haar ke dono.n jahaa.N
pa ma pa dha pa ga sa pa
dil kii uma.nge.n hai.N javaa.N
gaa_ie
praa: dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
gii: bahut achchhe
praa: ra.ng me.n Duubaa hai samaa
gii: vaah vaah vaah
he: dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
aa haa haa haa haa haa haa
gii: gaa_ie gaa_ie gaa_ie
praa: o ho ho ho ho ho ho
gii: kyaa kahane
he: o~ o~ o~ o~ o~
sadiyo.n puraanii ye zamiin
hai aaj kitanii hasiin
aataa nahii.n hai yakiin
hotaa nahii.n hai bayaa.N
gii: aap bhii gaa_ie
praa: dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
ra.ng me.n Duubaa hai samaa
gii: jiyo jiyo
praa: mai.n ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
he: uu.N huu.N, mai.n ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
haar ke dono.n jahaa.N
dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
bhiige nazaaro.n se kaho
gaatii havaao.n se kaho o o
jaatii bahaaro.n se kaho
ruk jaaye aaj yahaa.N
dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
gii: gaa_ie naa
kyaa mazaa aa rahaa hai
huu.N huu.N huu.N
praa: dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
ra.ng me.n Duubaa hai samaa
he: mai.n ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
haar ke dono.n jahaa.N
dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
praa: dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
ra.ng me.n Duubaa hai samaa
he: mai.n_ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
haar ke dono.n jahaa.N
gii: aa_ie na aap bhii naachiye
he, gii: dil kii uma.nge.n hai.n javaa.N
ra.ng me.n Duubaa hai samaa
he: mai.n ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
gii: uu.N, huu.N mai.n ne tumhe.n jiit liyaa
he, gii: haar ke dono.n jahaa.N
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5rRt2jt5Aw
Lets now turn to some of the latter day movies and the guitar based songs in them. The title song of the 1990 Mahesh Bhatt movie Aashiqi. The film was a total success because of the music given by Nadeem Shravan and because of Kumar Sanu’s singing. Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal also debuted in the movie and came in as whiffs of fresh air. In the title song, Nadeem Shravan used the electric guitar notes so well that these stay with you long after you have finished listening to the song. Lyricist is Ravi Malik and the song has been sung by Kumar Sanu and Anuradha Paudwal.
Please enjoy: Saanson ki zaroorat hai jaise zindagi ke liye……
saa.Nso.n kii zaruurat hai jaise – (2)
zi.ndagii ke liye – (2)
bas ek sanam chaahiye, aashiqii ke liye
(jaam kii zaruurat hai jaise – 2), bekhudii ke liye
haa.N ek sanam chaahiye, aashiqii ke liye
bas ek sanam chaahiye, aashiqii ke liye
vaqt ke haatho.n me.n sabakii taqadiire.n hai.n – (2)
aaInaa jhuuThaa hai sachchii tasaviire.n hai.n
jahaa.N dard hai vahii.n giit hai
jahaa.N pyaas hai vahii.n miit hai
koI naa jaane magar jiine kii yahii riit hai
(saaz kii zaruurat hai jaise -2), mausiqii ke liye
bas ek sanam chaahiye, aashiqii ke liye
ho ho ho ho ho ho ho – (2)
ma.nzile.n haasil hai.n phir bhii ek duurii hai
binaa hamaraahii ke zi.ndagii adhuurii hai
milegii kahii.n koI rahaguzar
tanhaa kaTegaa kaise ye safar
mere sapane ho jahaa.N
DhuunDhuu.N mai.n aisii nazar
(chaa.nd kii zaruurat hai jaise -2), chaa.ndanii ke liye
bas ek sanam chaahiye, aashiqii ke liye
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YCuhzjK11iA%3F
I love this song from the 1998 movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kyaa starring Salman Khan and Kajol. The singer Kamal Khan became an overnight success with this song. The guitar notes are really good; though, it is a shame that Salman Khan gets rid of the guitar like he does of his shirt.
The song is also a success story for the lyricist Sameer and composers Jatin Lalit.
Please enjoy: O o jaane jaana, dhoonde tujhe deewana…..
I love you all
Doston na koi manzil hai
No koi saathi hai
Phir bhi nikal pada hoon ghar se
Shaayad wohi saathi hai wohi manzil hai
Hit it !!!
O O Jaane Jaana
Dhoondhe Tujhe Deewana
Sapnoo Mein Roz Aaye
Aa Zindagi Mein Aa Na
O O Jaane Jaana
Dhoondhe Tujhe Deewana
Sapnoo Mein Roz Aaye
Aa Zindagi Mein Aa Na Sanam
Mere Khaab Mere Khayaloon Ki Rani
Kisi Din Banegi Humari Kahani
Mere Khaab Mere Khayaloon Ki Rani
Kisi Din Banegi Humari Kahani
Aye meri Bekhudii
Ye Kasam Maine Li
Pyaar Mein Ek Din
Meri Jaan Tujhe Hai Paana
Sapnoo Mein Roz Aaye
Aa Zindagi Mein Aa Na
O O Jaane Jaana
Dhoondhe Tujhe Deewana
Sapnoo Mein Roz Aaye
Aa Zindagi Mein Aa Na Sanam
Kisi Khoobsurat Paari Jaisi Hogi
Mujhe Kya Pataa
Dilruba Kaisi Hogi
Kisi Khoobsurat Paari Jaisi Hogi
Mujhe Kya Pataa
Dilruba Kaisi Hogi
Sochta Hoon Tujhe
Chahata Hoon Tujhe
Tujhe Choom Loon Sajan
Dil Mera Keh Raha
Saare Fasley Mitaana
O O Jaane Jaana
Dhoondhe Tujhe Deewana
Sapnoo Mein Roz Aaye
Aa Zindagi Mein Aa Na
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nX_34QEVHSk%3F
If Rakesh Roshan was the second fiddle (good expression there, considering that we are talking of Guitar Songs!) in the Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani song (he didn’t act singing it; but, was somewhere in the backgrounsd), in this song too, he was the second fiddle; in that whilst he played the guitar and sang it, it was actually for the lovers Jeetendra and Neetu Singh. But, the song is so good that once again, like the Sama hai suhaana suhaana song, you will be lost in the dream world. Yogesh, Rajesh Roshan and Kishore Kumar have put this together as Lyricist, Music Director and Singer for Rakesh Roshan in the 1977 movie Priyatama.
Please enjoy: Koi rook naa deewaane ko Man machal raha kuchh gaane ko…..
ko_ii roko naa diivaane ko
man machal rahaa kuchh gaane ko -2
ye bhiigaa-bhiigaa mausam ye bhiigii-bhiigii raahe.n
chale do ham raahii baa.Nho.n me.n Daale baahe.n
to phuulo.n ne khil ke kahaa ye dil se
haa.N din suhaanaa mausam salonaa
daaman se baa.NDh lo pyaaraa samaa.N
ko_ii roko naa …
umar ke safar me.n jise jo yahaa.N bhaa_e
usii ke sapano.n me.n ye man ra.ng jaa_e
to ra.ngo.n me.n priit ke ra.nge ra.ngiilaa
gaa le taraanaa jo ye rasiilaa
alabelaa giit vo bhuule kahaa.N
ko_ii roko naa …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7iK4trzUR7c%3F
The atmosphere of Sama hai suhaana suhaana was copied in a later day Shah Rukh Khan 1997 movie Pardes. As it happens so many times in Shah Rukh Khan movies, he is not the one wooing the heroine, in this case Mahima Chaudhary, but helping her get a good husband in Apurva Agnihotri. Her entire family would like this very much since Apurva has made himself successful in America. Now, it is up to her, Mahima, to win Apurva over and hence, Shah Rukh steps in providing the helping hand. It is only much later in the movie, when Apurva manages to show his true and evil colours that Sha Rukh and Mahima realize how much they themselves love each other. Once again, as in Sama hai suhaana suhaana song, Anand Bakshi is the lyricist. Nadeem Shravan is the composer and the song has been sung by Kumar Sanu.
Please enjoy: Do dil mil rahe hain, magar chupake chupake….
ko: gup-chup gup-chup chup-chup
ku: do dil mil rahe hai.n
do dil mil rahe hai.n magar chupake-chupake -2
sabako ho rahii hai
haa.N sabako ho rahii hai Kabar chupake-chupake
ho do dil mil rahe hai.n magar chupake-chupake
saa.Nso.n me.n ba.Dii beqaraarii, aa.Nkho.n me.n ka_ii ratajage
kabhii kahii.n lag jaye dil to, kahii.n phir dil naa lage
apanaa dil mai.n zaraa thaam luu.N
jaaduu kaa mai.n ise naam duu.N
jaaduu kar rahaa hai
jaaduu kar rahaa hai asar chupake-chupake
do dil mil rahe hai.n magar chupake-chupake
aise bhole ban kar hai.n baiThe, jaise ko_ii baat nahii.n
sab kuch nazar aa rahaa hai, din hai ye raat nahii.n
kyaa hai, kuchh bhii nahii.n hai agar
ho.nTho.n pe hai Kaamoshii magar
baate.n kar rahii.n hai
baate.n kar rahii.n hai nazar chupake-chupake
do dil mil rahe hai.n magar chupake-chupake
kahii.n aag lagane se pahale uThataa hai aisaa dhu_aa.N
jaisaa hai idhar kaa nazaaraa o vaisaa hii udhar kaa samaa.N
dil me.n kaisii kasak sii jagii
dono.n jaanib baraabar lagii
dekho to idhar se
dekho to idhar se udhar chupake-chupake
do dil mil rahe hai.n magar chupake-chupake
sabako ho rahii hai
haa.N sabako ho rahii hai Kabar chupake-chupake
ho do dil mil rahe hai.n magar chupake-chupake
ko: gup-chup gup-chup chup-chup
ku: magar chupake-chupake -2
I would be amiss if I don’t include this song in the list of Best Guitar songs in the Hindi movies. And please notice how as late as in 1995, Majrooh Sultanpuri was still going strong. The song and the guitar playing are important since Aamir Khan in the movie Akele Ham Akele Tum is teaching Manisha Koirala guitar and singing. Anu Malik’s music is refreshing indeed. The song has been sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik.
Please enjoy: Raja ko rani se pyaar ho gaya…..
raajaa ko raanii se pyaar ho gayaa pahalii nazar me.n pahalaa pyaar ho gayaa
dil jigar dono.n ghaayal hu_e tiir-e-nazar dil ke paar ho gayaa
raajaa ko raanii se …
ho raaho.n se raahe.n baaho.n se baahe.n milake bhii milatii nahii.n
ho hotaa hai aksar aramaa.n kii kaliyaa.n khil ke bhii khilatii nahii.n
o phir bhii na jaane kyuu.n nahii.n maane diivaanaa dil bekaraar ho gayaa
raajaa ko raanii se …
raanii ko dekho nazare.n milii.n to aa.Nkhe.n churaane lagii
ho karatii bhii kyaa vo sar ko jhukaa ke ka.nganaa ghumaane lagii
ho raajaa ne aisaa jaaduu chalaayaa na karate karate ikaraar ho gayaa
raajaa ko raanii se …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z4BhFQiX3xE%3F
I have taken you on quite a roller-coaster ride starting with the older songs and then brought you to some of the newer songs that had not just the guitar notes but, guitar was prominently there in the video of the songs.
To end, I shall give you a song representative of the older era. In this, the music directors had got sufficient hang of the guitar but, in the movie, the hero or the heroine merely carried the guitar as some sort of a fashion statement without playing it even once. It is from the 1963 movie Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon. The songs of this movie penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri with remarkably bubbly music composed by OP Nayyar, are amongst the most refreshing songs in Hindi movies. Mohammad Rafi sang for Joy Mukherjee carrying his guitar as a piece of baggage.
Please enjoy the last song in this article: Laakhon hain niggah mein, zindagi ki raah mein, sanam haseen jawaan….
laakho.n hai.n nigaah me.n, zi.ndagii kii raah me.n
sanam hasiin javaa.N
hoTho.n me.n gulaab hai, aa.Nkho.n me.n sharaab hai
lekin vo baat kahaa.N
(laT hai kisii kii jaaduu kaa jaal
ra.ng Daale kisii pe kisii kaa jamaal) – 2
taubaa ye nigaahe.n, ke rokatii hai raahe.n
le leke tiir kamaan
laakho.n hai.n nigaah me.n …
(jaanuu.n naa diivaanaa mai.n dil kaa
kaun hai khayaalo.n kii malikaa) – 2
bhiigii bhiigii rut kii chhaao.n tale
man ko kahii.n vo aan mile
kaise pahachaanuu.N, ki naam nahii.n jaanuu.N
Dhuu.NDhe mere aramaan
laakho.n hai.n nigaah me.n …
(kabhii kabhii vo ek maha-jabii.n
Dolatii hai dil ke paas kahii.n) – 2
ke hai.n jo yahii baate.n
to ho.ngii mulaakaate.n
kabhii vahaa.N nahii.n to yahaa.N
This incident happened half-way through my tenure on INS Himgiri, the first time I served on that ship, as an Acting Sub Lieutenant for my Watch-keeping certificate.
We had a prim n propah CO: Cdr NN Anand, also known as Baby Anand since he was way ahead of his contemporaries. What they would achieve several years hence, he had already achieved.
During those days COs gained reputation by how cool they were on the Bridge and Baby Anand was a cool one, indeed. I recall that he trained us well and gave us ample opportunity to have independent charge of the ship in harbour as well as at sea.
The Command Headquarters never plan out your sea sorties keeping such important dates in mind as New Year, Diwali, Holi and Raksha Bandhan. Indeed, it appears to me that they actually keep these dates in mind and ensure you don’t waste time and money spending such dates with your families.
So, it was with the New Year Eve of 31st Dec 1975. We were on passage from Cochin to Bombay and the New Year of 1976 was to be ushered in on our helo deck.
There was an entertainment programme by the ship’s company. We, the Sub Lieuts, presented yet another spoof on the movie Sholay, for example:
G.S.: Are’ o bison, how many tablets are there in this pistol?
S.: Government, six.
G.S.: Tablets six and men only three? Big injustice……
Frankly, it had gone a wee bit flat despite our innovation. CO had a guest on board. One Commander Awasthi who was taking passage with us to Bombay. We didn’t know about it; but, the sailors knew his reputation for ribaldry.
Soon, there were several cat calls to finish with the Sholay spoof of ours just when we had come to what we thought was the juicy item:
Veeru: Springy, in front of these dogs, don’t dance….
And, then, the sailors had Awasthi to regale them with his earthy wit and humour in the language of the streets.
Awasthi was used to calling a spade as spade and uttered with a straight face, Hindi equivalents of English four letter words.
This was much to our CO’s discomfiture. Every-time Awasthi related a juicy one, CO was seen closing his eyes in silent prayer to God to let that be the last one! However, Awasthi’s repertoire was rather large and he had us lapping up his rustic jokes for close to an hour.
Finally, at the stroke of midnight, all other nautical activities took place as in my other anecdote ‘Goddamn Happy New Year!’.
Our CO was the happiest steering Awasthi towards his cabin after that.
P.S. For those of you who entertain the hope that I would relate at least one of them here, I can only say that my blog policy doesn’t permit me to squeak even a single one. How filthy were they? Well, in comparison, Rugby jokes can be told to a bishop’s daughter!
P.P.S. I was reminded of the inimitable Khushwant Singh. He was a rare guest speaker at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Nilgiris (Tamilnadu) when I was undergoing the staff course in the year 1990. He recounted to us an anecdote about meeting the Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. Apparently, Bhajan Lal was used to surfeit of Hindi expletives in his conversation. When he seemed to cross his limit, Khushwant gently reminded him, “Sir, please gaali mat deejiye” (Sir, please don’t use expletives. At this, if Khushwant Singh was to be believed, Bhajan Lal countered with a straight face: “Kaun behen___ gaali deta hai?” (Who is the sister-f—-r who is using expletives?)
I have lost count of the number of times I have been on duty in my ship or establishment on the New Year Eve. Somehow, my friends – my ‘good friends’, that is – have talked me into paying the price of having them as ‘good friends’ in a manner not dissimilar to what Eklavya (of Mahabharta) had to pay having Guru Drona (or his statue) as his mentor in archery. Eklavaya, the low-caste, lost his thumb only once; whereas, yours truly, the bottom-most (gullible) caste, had lost my liberty and entertainment on several new year eves.
One such New Year Eve was to be on Himgiri, under the command of Captain R Patel (Jerry Patel) at Cochin. On this occasion, honestly speaking, not even lots were drawn. Most of the wardroom officers made yours truly people’s choice #1 and departed in the evening with great back-slapping etc with hefty promises such as: “Don’t you worry, old chap, you shall not miss out on the fun; as every-time we have a drink or dance, we shall think of you.”
A few stayed back on the ship and busied themselves in having drinks in the ante-room and then later join in the general revelry on the ships (blowing of ship’s siren and firing of Very pistols (signalling pistols giving out red, green or white flares) at the stroke of midnight, when the ship’s bell too is rung.
I finished taking my rounds of the ship and found that all was well in God’s world in general and on Himgiri in particular. And then I entered the Wardroom to have my dinner. One look at the would-be-revellers brought out that the mood was rather sombre. A direct enquiry from me brought out that they wanted to usher in the New Year with champagne and the wine steward had told them that there were only two bottles of good French champagne Moet (Brut Imperial) but these had been reserved for the Captain.
I asked for the Wine Steward and told him that the Regs Navy made me, the Officer of the Day (OOD), as Captain for the time being and that I was going to release for the thirsty souls what had been reserved for me as Captain. The Wine Steward saluted and used the wonderful naval expression that has won many a heart the world over: “Aye aye, Sir”. Anon, two of the best of the bubblies stood before me, bowing to my authority as the OOD.
It would take time to chill these and hence in the meantime, enjoying my power to bring cheer in their otherwise d and d lives, I invited the caboodle in the ante-room to Captain’s cabin. The stewards were given the surprise-test-of-professional-abilities to produce the best for the best in the world; that is, the jing-bang from the wardroom.
Ladies and gentlemen, this old chap called Albert Einstein, like many Germans, knew exactly what he was talking about when he came up with the Theory of Relativity of Time. It appeared to us that in the time it takes one to read E=mc2, several bottles of liquor flowed down the Ganges in Captain’s cabin and soon I, and not poor Albert E, was being nominated for the Nobel Prize.
Soon, when it came to ringing out the old year and ringing in the new year on the ship that I had charge of as Captain-for-the-time-being, it appeared to me that a fair amount of ringing had already been done in the Captain’s cabin itself.
After a brief ceremony on the helo-deck, wherein we witnessed sounding of siren, ringing the ship’s bell and firing of Very pistols; when the j-b returned to Captain’s cabin to further usher in the New Year, yours truly had sobered down quite a bit and wanted it to end abruptly like Dhoni’s test career. However, now that I had aroused a sleeping giant (the last such “arousing of the sleeping giant”, if you recall, was on 7th Dec 1941 with Admiral Yamamoto’s fighters wreaking havoc on Pearl Harbour with the war-cry of “Tora! Tora! Tora!”), it was well-nigh impossible to let them sleep until they had completely ransacked the Captain’s bar. It was at around 1:30 AM, when my constant endeavour to restore ‘Good Order and Naval Discipline’ had some effect and the wild lot departed, loudly singing, “Ravi’s a jolly good fellow….so say all of us”.
It took me another one hour to get the Captain’s cabin ship-shape and that’s about the time the party from US Club landed on board led by Captain Jerry Patel. As I saw him off to his cabin, Jerry asked me to have a drink with him to ‘usher in the new year properly‘. I declined saying that it wasn’t proper for me to drink on duty!
I was quite sure, in the night, that I had removed from his cabin the last traces of a drunken soiree or mayhem. But, next day, after breakfast, frantic announcements for me to report to Captain’s cabin told me something was amiss.
I reported there breathlessly and there was our beloved CO staring at an object on his table in a manner similar to the police looking at the dead body in James Hadley Chase novels. It turned out to be CO’s Visitors Book and there, et tu Brutus, my good friends, in their stupor had all signed one by one with melodramatic messages of “Happy New Year, Sir”, “You and your OOD are the bestest guys this side of Suez” etc.
It is the ruddy Visitors Book that did me in.
I hate New Year; Goddamn Happy New Year!
P.S. Later in (what-was-left-of) the night, I had to send the Fire and DC Party to extinguish a slow smouldering harmless fire in a sulphur dump next to our commercial berth; this fire being caused by the firing of Very pistols to – you guessed it right – usher in the New Year properly.
मेरी शाम से उसकी तन्हाईयाँ ना चुराओ
इसके पास इसके इलावा और कुछ नहीं
मैं यहाँ खुश हूँ मुझे वहां ना बुलायो
ना शौक, ना ख्वाइश, और कुछ नहींI
बेकसी की चादर ओढ़े सो रहा हूँ मैं
बुझे अरमान तले राख है, और कुछ नहीं
ये दौलत कभी कम न हो रो रहा हूँ मैं
अश्क़ों का खज़ाना है, और कुछ नहींI
मेरा हसीन आशिआना मुझे अब भी है याद
अब बर्बादी का आलम है, और कुछ नहीं
अब कौन सुनेगा मुझ गरीब की फ़रियाद
फ़टे दामन में दाग है, और कुछ नहींI
बुझा दो शमा, तोड़ डालो शीशा-ऐ-दिल
उम्मीद-ऐ-गम की दुनिया में और कुछ नहीं
इस ज़िन्दगी की शाम में कुछ तो हो हासिल
मुझे ख़ाक में मिला दो, और कुछ नहींI
हसरतों के सहारे कब तक चलेंगे हम
गर्दिश-ऐ-सफर में अब और कुछ नहीं
एक ही चिंगारी से देखना खूब जलेंगे हम
सूखी हड्डियां हैं, यादें हैं, और कुछ नहींI
Meri sham se usaki tanhaayiyan na churaayo
Isske pass isske siwaye aur kuchh nahin
Main yahan khush hoon, mujhe wahan naa bulaayo
Naa shauk, naa khwaaish, aur kuchh nahin.
Bekasi ki chaadar ode so raha hoon main
Bujhe armaano tale raakh hai, aur kuchh nahin
Ye daulat kabhi kam naa ho, ro raha hoon main
Ashqon ke khazaane hain, aur kuchh nahin.
Mera hasin aashiyana mujhe ab bhi ha yaad
Ab barbaadi ka aalam hai, aur kuchh nahin
Ab kaun sunega iss gareeb ki fariyaad
Fate daaman mein daag hai, aur kuchh nahin.
Bujha do shamaa, tod daalo shisha-e-dil
Umeed-e-gam ki duniya mein aur kuchh nahin
Iss zindagi ki sham mein kuchh to ho haasil
Mujhe khaak mein mila do, aur kuchh nahin.
Hasraton ke sahaare kab tak challenge ham
Gardish-e-safar mein ab aur kuchh nahin
Ek hi chingaari se dekhana aise jalenge ham
Sookhi haddiyan hain, yaaden hain, aur kuchh nahin.
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
तब नया सूरज उगा था
तब जलते चिरागों की लौ में
अँधेरे दूर भागते थे
अब रौशनी को तरसते रात के साये
बढ़ते ही जा रहे हैं
सबेरा दूर है, बहुत दूर
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
चमन में फूलों की खुशबु से
फ़िज़ाएं मदहोश थी तब
अब मुरझाये फूल गिरते हैं मज़ार पे
सूखे पत्तों के संग
लहर आई थी चले गयी
हम साहिल पे अब भी खड़े हैं इंतेज़्ज़ार में
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
तेरे क़दमों की आहट से
बंधे थे मेरे दिल के तार
तेरी साँसों में तब था
मेरे ही प्यार का खुमार
अब खाली पैमानों की बज़्म में
हम प्यासे खड़े हैं
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
तब हम मुन्तज़िर थे
तेरे अहद-ओ-पैमान से
अब नींद से जागी हमारी आँख
मौत का नज़ारा ढूंडती है
काश उस ज़िन्दगी को रोक लेते वहीँ
जो अब हर कहीं जिन्दगी का सहारा ढूंडती है
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
फरक सिर्फ इतना है:
तब सब कुछ हमारे आगे था
अब सब कुछ हमारे पीछे है
तब हम कहते थे, “यही है ज़िन्दगी”
और अब? अब सवाल ही सवाल है:
“बस यही है ज़िन्दगी, क्या?”
ज़िन्दगी तब भी थी
ज़िन्दगी अब भी है
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi ab bhi hai
Tab naya suraj uga tha
Tab jalate chiraagon ki lau mein
Andhere door bhaagte the
Ab raushni ko tarsate raat ke saaye
Badate hi ja rahe hain
Sabera door hai, bahut door
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi aaj bhi hai
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi aaj bhi hai
Chaman mein phoolon ki khushbu se
Fizayen madhosh thi tab
Ab murjhaye phool girte hain mazaar pe
Sukhe patton ke sang
Lehar aayi thi chale gayi
Hum saahil pe ab bhi khade hain intezzaar mein
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi aaj bhi hai
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi aaj bhi hai
Tere kadmon ki aahat se
Bandhe the mere dil ke taar
Teri saanson mein tab tha
Mere hi pyaar ka khumaar
Ab khaali paimaano ki bazm mein
Ham pyaase khade hain
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi aaj bhi hai
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi ab bhi hai
Tab ham muntazir the
Tere ahad-o-paimaan se
Ab neend se jaagi hamaari aankh
Maut ka nazaara dhoondati hai
Kaash us zindagi ko roke lete wahin
Jo ab har kahin zindagi ka sahaara dhoondati hai
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi aaj bhi hai.
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi ab bhi hai
Fark sirf itana hai:
Tab sab kuchh hamaare aage tha
Ab sab kuchh hamaare peechhe hai
Tab ham kehte the, “Yehi hai zindagi”.
Aur ab? Ab sawaal hi sawaal hai:
“Bus yehi hai zindagi, kyaa?”
Zindagi tab bhi thi
Zindagi ab bhi hai.
