Chhaiyya-Chhaiyya (Dil Se..)

In Banasthali, we had offs on Tuesday (yes, not on Sundays). So instead of Saturday nights we used to celebrate Monday nights. I had joined Banasthali some time in July 1998, when Dil Se.. was just about to be released. So on our first few Monday nights, half the time we ended up dancing to Chhaiya-chhaiya (the other half was taken up by Chhamma-chhamma). So this song still reminds me of those crazy (but well practiced) dance-steps from 13 years back.

All the dance memories aside, the lyrics are not typical for a dance track. Initially, Sukhwinder Singh had offered a Punjabi devotional track 'Thaiya-thaiya' (based on Bulleh Shah's verses) for this situation. Gulzar wrote Chhaiya-chhaiya drawing inspiration from the devotional undertones but essentially interpreting it in his own inimitable way. These devotional undertones are often present in his non-filmy poetry as well, where the beloved is depicted as almost sacred or divine. (Will update the blog with a few such lines soon - updated here).

Once again, I'll give the literal translation (shabdaarth) first, followed by my interpretation of the intended meaning (bhaavaarth), wherever required. Specifically, I've tried to explain the paragraphs which allude to faith etc. in detail. I've tried to do a little research before writing; but if I've interpreted something incorrectly, please do correct me. Because I do not want to hurt any religious sentiments here.

Lyrics, and translation

Jinke sar ho ishk ki chhaon, paaon ke neeche jannat hogi

Jinke sar ho ishk ki chhaon

[[Those, who have the shade of love over their head, will have heaven at their feet.

This world is not a pretty place to live in. And living here without love is like walking under the glaring sun, and it could get really unpleasant without (the shade of) love. But if you've loved someone, life becomes so beautiful it's almost as if you're in heaven - without any pain or suffering.]]

Chal chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

Chal chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

[[So, walk in this shade (of love).]]

Sar ishk ki chhaon chal chhaiya-chhaiya

Paaon jannat chale chal chhainya

[[Walk in this shade of love, and you'll feel like you're in heaven.]]

(Chal chaiya-chaiya...)

Wo yaar hai jo khushbu ki tarah, jiski zubaan Urdu ki tarah

Meri shaam-raat, meri kaaynaat, wo yaar mera saiyaan-saiyaan

[[My beloved, who's sweet like a fragrance; and whose voice is like a beautiful poetry in Urdu language,

The one who is my day and night, who's the whole world for me - only she can be my lover.

Khushbu ki tarah - like a fragrance: sweet and pure, but cannot be caught or held down.]]

(Chal chaiya-chaiya...)

Gulposh kabhi itraaye kahin, mahke to nazar aa jaaye kahin

Tabeez (Taveez) bana ke pahnoon use, aayat ki tarah mile jaaye kahin

[[She, who's clad in flowers, loves to flaunt (her beauty); her fragrance is so bewitching that you can find/recognize her by her fragrance alone.

She's sacred like an aayat (a verse from Quran). I wish I come across her (by a miracle), then I'll wear her like a amulet.

Aayat is the plural of aayah which means a verse from the Quran but it can also mean signs, revelations, miracles, etc. (source). 

Tabeez is an amulet with Quranic inscription, which protects you from evil.

So the second line could mean that "If I meet her, I'll treat her as a sacred verse from Quran, and always keep her close to me." Also, she's like his good-luck charm.]]

Wo yaar hai jo imaan ki tarah, mera nagma wahi mera kalma wahi

(Mera nagma-nagma, mera kalma-kalma)

[[She's like my faith, she is my song and my Kalma from Quran.

In this line as well as in the previous lines, the devotional, almost reverential allusions are pretty apparent. There are six Kalma's in Quran (Please correct me if I'm wrong), the first one being "Laa ilaaha illal Lahoo Mohammadur Rasool Ullah", considered very sacred by in Islam.]]

Yaar misaal-e-os chale, paaon ke tale firdaus chale

Kabhi daal-daal, kabhi paat-paat, main hawa pe dhoondhoon uske nishaan

[[My beloved walks like dew-drops, it's as if she's walking with the paradise under her feet

I keep looking for her everywhere, I search for her signs in the air.

Misaal-e-os - Like dew-drops. One moment she's there, and the next she has disappeared.

Paaon ke tale firdaus chale - Again referring to 'paon ke neeche jannat' line, perhaps?

Hawa pe dhoondhoon uske nishaan - Could refer to the first line 'misaal-e-os' where she has disappeared like a dew-drop and now I'm looking for her in the air. Or could refer to a previous line 'mahke to nazar aa jaaye kahin' - he's searching for her fragrance in the air. In all, he's hoping that the air will whisper to him about her whereabouts or give him a clue about how to find her.]]

(Sar ishk ki chhaon chal chhaiya-chhaiya...)

Main uske roop ka shaidaayi, wo dhoop-chhaon sa harjaayi

Wo shokh hai rang badalta hai, main rang-roop ka saudaayi

[[I'm an admirer of her beauty, but she's elusive like sun and shade.

She is playful and keeps changing her colors, and I deal in beauty and colors.

Rang badalta hai - Changes colors. Doesn't stay the same. Is fleeting and deceptive.

The other recurring theme in this song is the elusive nature of this beloved. She's been referred to as fragrance, dew drops, sun-and-shade at various points in this song - basically she's not easy to catch or pin down. She's like an enigma, which makes her all the more desirable to this saudaayi (derived from 'sauda' (trade).]]

(Jinke sar ho ishk ki chhaon...)

Totally unrelated: Watch SRK's jump atop the train at 3:30 minutes in the video.

Huzoor is kadar (Masoom)

Indian men are not known for their expressiveness. I'm not talking about writing novels or making movies (and recently, writing blogs) running over with emotions. I'm talking about them expressing their (soft) emotions (love, romance, happiness, sadness) in real life. Have you seen a middle-class, middle-aged Indian man tell his wife how beautiful she is, in public? I'm sure you haven't - because they just don't do that. 

Unless they're drunk.

We've often been to parties where a very disciplined and strict by the day uncle, after a peg or two, would suddenly go all soft, declaring his love for his wife, even singing songs for her. The shocked but amused wife will pretend to be angry and scandalized, though she's enjoying every minute of this attention.

All this has been perfectly captured in this song. Naseeruddin Shah and Saeed Jaffrey are at their suave but impish best, mirroring on screen the playfulness of Bhupinder and Suresh Wadkar's voice. This, in my opinion, is the ultimate grown-up party song :D

Lyrics, and translation

Huzoor is kadar bhi na itra ke chaliye

Khule aam aanchal na lehra ke chaliye

[[My lady, don't be so vain!

Don't walk with such a carefree, breezy attitude.

 In Indian society, women are supposed to cover themselves (in this case, in saree) and walk with care, so they wouldn't be considered promiscuous. So walking 'khule aam aanchal lehra ke' (with her scarf flowing away) would mean that she doesn't care what others are thinking about her. 

My translation might have made it look like it's said in a serious manner, but read it all as a playful banter - because that's how it is meant.]]

Koi manchala gar pakad lega aanchal

Zara sochiye aap kya keejiyega

Laga de agar, badh ke zulfon mein kaliyan

To kya apno zulfein jhatak deejiyega

(Huzoor is kadar...)

[[What would you do, if someone starts flirting with you?

If someone puts flowers in your hair, would you simply wrench it off your hair?

(That's why, my lady, don't walk with such an attitude..)]]

Badi dilnasheen hain haseen ki ye ladiyaan

Ye moti magar yoon na bikhraaya keeje

Uda ke na le jaaye jhonka hawa ka

Lachakta badan yoon na lehraya keeje

(Huzoor is kadar...)

[[Your smile is really divine, but don't waste these pearls so freely (on everyone who looks your way).

The way you seem to glide about, I'm afraid lest a gush of wind takes you away.

(That's why, my lady, don't walk so vainly...)]]

Bahot khoobsoorat hai har baat lekin

Agar dil bhi hota, to kya baat hoti

Likhi jati phir daastaan-e-mohabbat

Ek afsaane jaisi mulakat hoti

(Huzoor is kadar...)

[[Everything about you is beautiful, if only you also had a heart!

Then we'd have had a fairy-tale encounter, and stories would have been written about us.

(If only you were not so cruel and heartless, you would have noticed my love for you. And we might have even had a fairy-tale romance.]]

(Side note: As a kid I thought Javed Jaffrey was Saeed Jaffrey's son :D)

Qatra-qatra milti hai (Ijaazat)

Dear readers, let me warn you on the outset, that I expect this to be a long post. But I hope you'll bear with my raves and rants for the sake of this beautiful song.

This is my favorite composition by Pancham, coming from an all-time favorite album Ijaazat (1987). The movie has just four songs, 'Chhoti si kahaani se', 'Qatra-qatra', 'Mera kuchh saamaan' and Khaali haath shaam aayi hai' - all sung by Asha Bhosle, making her the sole singer for the entire album. This particular song makes extraordinary use of Asha's dual vocals - one on a slightly lower note than the other - and the outcome is just spectacular. Pancham has given so many great songs, but if he had composed nothing but this song, I'd still consider him a genius.

The stage is set thus

Mohinder (Naseeruddin Shah) loves Maya (Anuradha Patel), but is forced to marry Sudha (Rekha) because of his grandfather's wish; and also because Maya, the free spirited woman that she is, has disappeared  for a few months without so much as a word to Mohinder. 

Sudha, though aware of Mohinder's love for Maya, is too much in love with him to let Maya's presence in his heart affect her. She just wishes to live and enjoy each moment as it comes, even if it is not hers alone. This is her song.

Lyrics, and translation

Like a kid translating a poem with 'shabdaarth' (word-by-word translation) and 'bhaavaarth' (interpretation); I'll give the literal translation first, followed by my interpretation of certain parts.

Qatra-qatra milti hai, qatra-qatra jeene do

Zindagi hai (zingadi hai), bahne do (bahne do)

Pyaasi hoon main, pyaasi rahne do

(Rahne do, na)

[[Translation: It's given to me a moment (drop) at a time, let me live it like that

Such is life (such is life), just let it flow (let it flow)

If it leaves me thirsty, let that be so

(Just let it be)

Interpretation: 'Qatra' means drop. Here ,since Gulzar is referring to time, so it means a drop of time or a moment. Sudha knows that Mohinder is not hers completely, but she's grateful for every moment she gets to spend with him, even if it leaves her thirsty (asking for more); because those moment are what's keeping her alive.]]

Kal bhi to kuchh aisa hi hua tha

Neend mein thi, tumne jab chhua tha

Girte-girte baahon mein bachi main

Sapne pe paaon pad gaya tha

Sapnon mein, bahne do

Pyaasi hoon main, pyaasi rahne do

[[Translation: Do you remember what happened yesterday? I was deep in sleep when you touched me.

It made me start, and I almost fell in your arms on stumbling upon a dream.

Just let me live in this dream, and if it leaves me asking more more, let that be so!

Interpretation: Your touch makes me start even in my sleep. It's as if I stumbled upon a dream. And I want to live this dream-like life forever.]]

Tumne to aakaash bichhaaya

Mere nange pairon mein zameen hai

Paa ke bhi tumhari arzoo ho

Shayad aise zindagi haseen hai

Arzoo mein, bahne do

Pyaasi hoon main, pyaasi rahne do

[[Translation: You have given me the sky to walk on, but my bare feet are still on the ground.

Life is a lot more beautiful, when I still long for you when you're with me.

Let me live in this desire. And if it leaves me thirsty, so be it!

Interpretation: Though the time spent with you has taken me to cloud nine (given me hope of our future together), I'm still aware of the ground reality (that you love someone else). 

And I feel that it's much more beautiful to desire you than having you all for myself. So let me enjoy this yearning.]]

Halke-halke kohre ke dhuen mein

Shaayad aasmaan tak aa gayi hoon

Teri do nigaahon ke sahaare

Dekho to kahaan tak aa gayi hoon

Kohre mein, bahne do

Pyaasi hoon main, pyaasi rahne do

[[Translation: (Walking) in this soft mist of fog, looks like I've touched the sky.

Guided by your eyes, look where I've reached.

Now just let me float in this mist, and if it leaves me thirsty, so it be!

Interpretation: Being with you is as if I'm on sky (cloud nine).  I trust you (with my eyes closed) to take me to a beautiful place, even if I don't know where I'm going.]]

Though the video of original song (from the movie) is available on youtube, I'm sharing the one from the album 'Pancham : Gulzar remembers RD Burman'. Even though this version doesn't contain a video, it's worth sharing simply for listening to Gulzar's words as he remembers his dear friend Pancham. Pancham's vocals, as he hums notes from the song, sound out-worldly.

"Yaad hai baarishon ke din the woh, Pancham! Aur pahaadi ke neeche vaadee mein dhundh se jhaank kar nikalti hui rail ki patariyaan gujarti theen. Aur dhundh mein aise lag rahe the hum, jaise do paudhe paas baithe hon. Hum bahut der patariyon pe baithe us musafir ka zikr karte rahe, jisko aana tha pichhli shab, par uski aamad ka waqt talta raha. Hum bahut der patariyon pe baithe hue train ka intezar karte rahe. Train aayi, na uska waqt hua, aur tum yoon hi do kadam chalkar dhundh par paon rakhke gum ho gaye. Main akela hoon dhundh mein, Pancham! "

- Gulzar, from the album 'Pancham' by HMV

To read other posts about Ijaazat songs on my blog, click here.
(On Swati's request)

Saathiya (Title track)

So I was on the road today, when some FM channel started playing 'Do pyaar karne waale' from Jungle. And I thought, there are some songs that I could listen simply for Sonu Nigam's voice. Now add AR Rahman and Gulzar to the mix, and the song is sure to feature in my all-time favorites (think 'Satrangi Re' from Dil Se). Saathiya title track is no different. So it was a happy moment for me when it won a Filmfare Award each for its musical trio of Sonu, Rahman and Gulzar (Filmfare has often disappointed me in the past).

The lyrics of this song are hardly what you'd call linear or simple. In fact, I feel they are less like Gulzar's Bollywood work, and more like his poems - metaphors, allegories and analogies galore! But the thought is pretty simple - it's a love song from a boy to girl. A boy with a pretty vivid imagination too! Such is his love, that his entire world revolves around this girl. 

Lyrics, and translation

Translating this song literally will kill its beauty. So please ignore the literal translation, and focus on the feelings behind it.

Saathiya, saathiya, maddham-maddham teri geeli hansi

Saathiya, saathiya, sun ke humne saari pi li hansi

[[Literally: My beloved, your laughter is soft and fluid, which I drank upon hearing it.

'Geeli' (wet) is not an adjective used very often for laughter. These lines could could mean that our hero drank up the laughter like someone who has been thirsty. Or it could mean that he is drunk on (intoxicated by) this girl's laughter. Or it could mean that like a liquid seeps inside surfaces, the laughter has soaked his soul. You prefer!]]

Hansti rahe tu hansti rahe, haya ki laali khilti rahe

Zulf ke neeche gardan pe, subah-o-shaam milti rahein

Saundhi si hansi teri, khilti rahe, milti rahe

[[May you keep smiling forever, your cheeks blushing

May the mornings and evenings keep meeting at the nape of your neck, under your hair.

May your fragrant laughter keep blooming for ever.

I wish more poets would think beyond the eyes and lips of a girl! How sensuous is the description of the dark hair brushing the fair neck of the girl - how beautiful is its comparison to the meeting place of mornings and evenings! The blush of the girl's cheeks is like the redness of sky at dusk or dawn.]]

Peeli dhoop pahan kar tum, dekho baag mein mat jaana

Bhanvre tumko sab chhedenge, phoolon mein mat jaana

[[Don't go out in the garden, dressed in (yellow) sunshine

All those insects will bug you, don't go near the flowers

(PS: Bhanvra is a black insect that eats flower nectar. What's it called in English?)]]

Maddham-maddham hans de phir se

Sona-sona phir se hans de

[[Smile that soft, beautiful smile of yours yet again]]

Taaza gire patte ki tarah sabz laan* par lete hue

Saat rang hain bahaaron ke, ek ada mein lapete hue

Saavan bhaadon saare tumse

[[Like a freshly fallen leave, lying still on the green lawn.

Yet containing all the shades of spring in every glance

(It's as if) all my seasons are because of you


*Laan = lawn]]

Mausam-mausam hanste rahna

Maddham-maddham hanste rahna

[[Keep smiling that soft smile of yours in every season]]

Saathiya, saathiya ...

Kabhie neele aasmaan par, chalo ghoomne chalein hum

Koi abr mil gaya to, zameen pe baras lein hum

[[Some time, let's go on a stroll through this blue sky

And rain down on the earth, when we come across a cloud

(At times, I wish it was just you, me and the sky and the rain - we would be one with each-other, and one with the nature)]]

Teri baali hil gayi hai

Kabhie shab chamak uthi hai, kabhie shaam khil gayi hai

[[A flicker in your earring

Makes my nights glitter, makes my evenings bloom]]

Tere baalon ki panaah mein, ye siyaah raat guzre

Teri kaali-kaali aankhein, koi ujli baat utre

[[I wish I could spend these dark nights in the shade of your hair

And see your dark eyes sparkle when a bright idea flits through your mind]]

Teri ik hansee ke badle, meri yeh zameen le le

Mera aasmaan le le

[[I could sacrifice my earth and sky in exchange for even one of your smile]]

Saathiya, saathiya ...

Barf giri ho vaadi mein, oon mein lipti simti hui...

Barf giri ho vaadi mein, aur hansi teri goonje

Oon mein lipti simti hui, baat kare dhuaan nikle

Garm-garm ujla dhuaan, narm-narm ujla dhuaan

[[Some time, when the valley is snow-clad; shivering despite being clad in woolen clothes...

Some time, when the valley is snow-clad, I wish it was echoing with your laughter

And I can see you clad in woolen clothes, smoke coming out of your mouth as you speak

A warm, bright, soft smoke]]

My three cents

1. The line 'Teri ik hansi ke badle, meri yeh zameen le le, mera aasmaan le le' is by far my favorite line of the song. So simple, yet all-giving. He's ready to give everything up just to see his beloved smile once. That's how deeply a girl wants to be loved. Plus, this line is sung with such intensity by Sonu Nigam, it's as if he really means it. Wow, I get goosebumps every time I listen to it!
2. My favorite part - Gulzar's use of colors throughout the song - haya ki laali khilti rahe (red), peeli dhoop pehen ke tum (yellow), taaza gire patte ki tarah (green), kabhie neele aasmaan par (blue), yeh siyaah raat guzre (black), barf giri ho vaadi mein (white), saat rang hain bahaaron ke.
3. The song is picturised (and performed) well. Even Manish Malhotra's costumes for Rani are in tandem with the colors (see 2 above).

Mora gora ang lai le (Bandini)

There's a saying in Hindi "पूत के पाँव पालने में ही दिख जाते हैं", meaning "Even in infancy you can tell what the child will turn out to be". With 'Mora gora rang lai le' as his first song as a lyricist*, a star was born on the horizon of Bollywood music industry - a star that will show others the way for decades to come.

Gulzar (at that time probably 26 or 27 years old) takes firm and assured steps as a first-time lyricist, not falling prey to either over-simplifying or over-complicating his words. The words used in this song are simple enough; the multiple layers, metaphors and complexity noticeable in the his later works not coming into play here.

Though the song is about a woman in love, secretly going out to meet her lover, Gulzar steers clear of the typical choice of words - pyaar, milan, dil etc. In a country besotted with all things fair, he chooses a novel path, making the heroine wish that she was darker, so she could go out to meet her lover in the night undetected (becoming one with the night).

The song turns out to be a winner, with just the right mix of naïveté in the lyrics, sweetness in Lata's voice and innocence in Nutan's expressions - and the formidable backbone of SD Burman's score.

Lyrics, and translation

Mora gora ang lai le, mohe shyaam rang dai de

Chhup jaungi raat hi mein, mohe pee ka sang dai de

[[Take my fair body away, and give me a dark skin
If it gives me my beloved's company, I am ready to be one with the night.]]

Ek laaj roke paiyaan, ek moh kheenche baiyaan

Jaaun kidhar na jaaun, humka koi batai de

[[While shyness stops me from going ahead; yearning propels me ahead, tugging at my arms
Will someone tell me, whether to go ahead or not?]]

Badari hata ke chanda, chupke se jhaanke chanda

Tohe raahu laage bairi, muskaaye jee jalai ke

[[The moon peeps at me from behind the clouds
May you get eclipsed, o evil moon, for mocking my misery!]]

Kuchh kho diya hai pai ke, kuchh pa liya ganwaayi ke

Kahaan le chala hai manwa, mohe baavari banai ke

[[I have lost something in me after finding you, and found something new in myself after losing a part of myself to you.
Where is my heart taking me to, now that I'm already crazy in love?]]

Blog author's comments:
1. My favorite line is "Tohe raahu laage bairi" - it has a very spontaneous and rustic feel to it. (In Hindu mythology, Rahu is an asura that causes solar or lunar eclipse.) The word 'Bairi' has a nice mocking tone as well.
2.* Apparently, there's some controversy regarding the first song written by Gulzar. (As pointed out to me by Raj Shekhar ji), but I'll stay out of it for now. :)

Ek Akela Is Shahar Mein (Gharonda)

Cities can be cruel. The bigger the city, the more ruthless it is. Many a men come to cities with dreams in their eyes and hope fueling there ambitions. The anguish caused by crushing of these dreams and hopes has been captured by Gulzar a few times. This song is one of the most memorable examples that come to mind. 

Another striking one that I came across while reading his book 'Pukhraaj' is as follows:

"मैं इस शहर की मशीन में फिट हूँ जैसे ढिबरी,

ज़रूरी है ये ज़रा सा पुर्जा...

अहम भी है क्योंकि रोज़ के रोज़ तेल देकर,

इसे ज़रा और कस के जाता है चीफ़ मेरा...

वो रोज़ कसता है, 

रोज़ इक पेंच और चढ़ता है जब नसों पर,

तो जी में आता है ज़हर खा लूं...

या भाग जाऊं..."

(excerpt from a poem titled 'Diary')

A pattern I've noticed is that Gulzar makes use of inanimate objects to describe hardships. So, while a person becomes a 'purza' or a 'dhibree' (a part of machinery), life becomes a 'khaali bartan' or an empty vessel etc.

This song becomes even more effective due to the deeply resonant voice of Bhupinder (perfect for this song) and the non-intrusive music of Jaidev.

Lyrics, and translation

Ek akela is shahar mein, raat mein aur dopeher mein

Aab-o-daana dhoondhta hai, aashiyaana dhoondhta hai

[[The mukhda begins simply enough by describing an outsider in town, lonely, day and night searching for something to eat and drink, searching for a house. The sadness in Bhupinder's voice sets the tone for the song. (Aab-o-daana = water and food)]]

Din khaali-khaali bartan hai, aur raat hai jaise andha kuaan

In sooni andheri aankhon mein, aansoo ki jagah aata hai dhuaan

[[Days are like empty vessels, and nights are like bottomless pits. My eyes have dried up and instead of tears, they only have smoke in them. (see points 1 and 2 below)]]

Jeene ki wajah to koi nahin, marne ka bahaana dhoondhta hai, dhoondhta hai,

Dhoondhta hai, dhoondhta hai

[[There are no longer any reasons to live, so I just look for an excuse to die. And I keep looking, I keep looking...]]

In umr se lambi sadkon ko, manzil pe pahunchte dekha nahin

Bas daudti phirti rahti hain, humne to thaharte dekha nahin

[[These roads, longer than lifetimes of those running on it, keep running without pausing for breath; and are still somehow incapable of making people reach their destinations/destiny. (see point 3 below)]]

Is ajnabee se shahar mein, jaana-pehchana dhoondhta hai, 

Dhoondhta hai, dhoondhta hai

[[In this city of strangers, I keep looking for a known face. And I keep looking, and I keep looking...

(When you are new and alone in town, few things can match the happiness a known face gives you. Beautiful!)]]

My two three cents

1. Khaali-khaali bartan (Empty vessel): Anyone who has lived alone for long enough could understand what a depressing sight an empty vessel is. In India, we are so used to mothers keeping food prepared when we get home that almost everyone has faced the issue of not wanting to eat when living alone. The utensils in kitchen somehow seem to mock your loneliness, making it all the more worse.
2. Ansoo ki jagah aata hai dhuaan: Could mean either of (a) you've cried so much that you are no more capable of doing that; and (b) the city has made you heartless, and you've lost the capacity of crying.
3. For someone coming from a small town, the roads of a city are a labyrinth, a sea of people constantly running, faces wrought in grim determination. They can be most intimidating and can make you feel so small, insignificant and lonely. I think these feelings (and more) have been perfectly described in second antara.

(Sharing this song sung in beautiful karaoke style, that I came across while browsing. I don't know who the singer (Amitabha Bhattacharya) is, but he's quite good!)

Chhod aaye hum wo galiyaan (Maachis)

In a listener's mind, this song's iconic whistling is so important a part of the complete package, that last I started writing about this song, the post was hijacked by the whistling part alone and I ended up writing this post instead. While whistling is often associated with a carefree disposition and an untroubled mind, the feelings behind this song are anything but carefree or untroubled.

Maachis (1996) is a movie about the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. As violence broke out, the atrocities against Sikhs resulted in many Sikh youths joining militancy.

The song itself shows a transition - from four (apparently) happy young men singing (and whistling) about leaving behind their loved ones' streets (in the mukhda) - to a slightly melancholic mood (in the first antara) - and suddenly shifting gears to a hard-hitting second antara talking about 'Ek chhota sa lamha hai, jo khatm nahin hota' - those moments of atrocities that one tries hard to forget, but is unable to.

Lyrics, and translation

Chhod aaye hum wo galiyaan... - 2

[[We've left behind those streets...]]

Jahaan tere pairon ke kanwal gira karte the

Hanse to do gaalon mein bhanwar pada karte the

Teri kamar ke bal pe, nadi muda karti thi

Hansi teri sun-sun ke, fasal paka karti thi

[[Where the lotuses of your feet used to fall /

When you used to laugh, the dimples in your cheeks were deep like whirlpools /

The river used to take its curves from your waist /

And the crops ripened with the sound of your laugh

(Everything beautiful revolved around you)]]

Chhod aaye hum wo galiyaan... - 2

[[We've left behind those streets...]]

Jahaan teri eDi se dhoop uda karti thi

Suna hai us chaukhat pe, ab shaam raha karti hai

Laton se uljhi lipti ek raat hua karti thi

Kabhie-kabhie takiye pe, wo bhi mila karti hai

[[Gulzar shifts into a more melancholic gear with this antara - though the hero has left behind his love for a greater(?) cause, he is missing those times and places.

When you used to walk, sunlight took off from your heels (you set free the sunlight) /

(I've heard that) that doorstep of yours is now under a gloomy shadow of dusk /

The night that I found entangled and coiled around in your hair /

Once in a while it comes to pay me a visit when I'm lying awake at my pillow]]

Chhod aaye hum wo galiyaan... - 2

[[We've left behind those streets...]]

Dil dard ka tukda hai, patthar ki dali si hai

Ek andha kuaan hai ya, ek band gali si hai

Ek chhota sa lamha hai, jo khatm nahin hota

Main laakh jalata hoon, yeh bhasm nahin hota

[[The song shifts mode yet again, giving a glimpse of the heart of a militant. No one becomes a terrorist for the heck of it. It often results from deep-rooted pain and suffering.

My heart is like a lump of pain, it's like a piece of stone /

(It's) Like a bottomless pit, or a blind alley / 

There is this fragment of time, which just wouldn't end /

No matter how much I try to burn it, it just wouldn't reduce to ashes]]

Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Lyricist: Gulzar
Singers: Hariharan, KK, Suresh Wadkar, Vinod Sahgal

My two cents:

1. The last para talks about how there are some memories which, no matter how much one tries to forget, are impossible to get out of your mind. They change your life for ever.
2. This song somehow reminds me of Bhagat Singh - also a young man who left behind his family and loved ones to join a cause he believed in.

(On Samyak's request)

Mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan (Anubhav)

This is one song that is mellow, yet so sensuous and fiercely intimate, it takes your breath away. Sung superlatively by Geeta Dutt, composed by (my namesake) Kanu Roy, and penned by the inimitable Gulzar; this song is like liquid romance in your ears. The playfulness of Geeta Dutt's voice perfectly balances the witty wordplay by Gulzar; and Roy's minimal musical arrangement provides the perfect foil to the package.

Backed by a stunning cinematography by Nando Bhattacharya, this song is a joy to behold visually as well. The palpable chemistry between Sanjeev Kumar and Tanuja gets sparks flying even in the constant drizzle outside. There's no mindless running around trees or fancy sets, as the song is almost entirely filmed within the frame of one window, with only the rain-soaked plants and rain-stained windowpanes for backdrop. (Do watch the video at the end of the post, it's truly beautiful.)

This is another one of those songs that mom had in one of her cassettes, and I was not able to appreciate till much later in my life. Ironically, both starred Sanjeev Kumar, one of the finest actors Bollywood has produced.

Movie: Anubhav (1971)

Music director: Kanu Roy

Lyricist: Gulzar

Singer: Geeta Dutt

Lyrics, and translation

Meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan

Meri jaan!

[[My life, don't call me your life, oh my life!

This right here is a classic Gulzar wordplay at work. While the first 'jaan' could be taken to mean 'my dearest/darling', the second one is in fact, life. Though why she is asking him to not call her his life is only made clear in the next antara.]]

Jaan na kaho anjaan mujhe, jaan kahan rahti hai sada - 2

Anjaane, kya jaanein, jaan ke jaaye kaun bhala

[[Oh ignorant one, don't call me your life, since life is not permanent. It doesn't stay with you forever.

So, though unknowingly people say that; knowingly no one would go down that path.]]

Sookhe saawan baras gaye, itni baar in aankhon se - 2

Do boondein na barsein, in bheegi palkon se

[[I've cried so many times with dry eyes,

But my moist eyelids have never allowed even 2 teardrops to escape from them.

The beauty of this couplet can only be understood in the original lines :( I feel bad about ruining their beauty. But such is the nature of this blog!]]

Honth jhukein jab hothon par, saans uljhi ho saanson mein - 2

Do judwa hothon ki, baat kaho aankhon se

[[When your lips are near mine, and our breaths are entangled in one another's;

At such time, let the eyes speak what our (twin) lips want to say.

This is so beautifully written. No one can describe intimacy quite the way Gulzar does! My favorite couplet :)]]

Some more random thoughts

1. Tanuja is one underrated actress. For me the most appealing part of her is that she seems so full of love for life. There's a constant spark in her eyes. I think Kajol got that from her. Also, I think she's more beautiful than her more illustrious sister Nootan.
2. As a kid, I didn't like Geeta Dutt's (what I thought) nasal voice. But she was such an awesome singer. Songs such as this one are sung with such exquisite simplicity. Also love the playfulness in her voice.
3. So few truly romantic songs are filmed on married couples. But this one right here kicks ass of all those n00b unmarried romances.

Woh khat ke purze (Marasim)

I've been thinking about writing this post since forever. Will finally finish it today as my (inadequate and delayed) tribute to the Late Jagjit Singh (February 8, 1941- October 10, 2011). Though I had never been much of his fan, I do honour and respect him for almost single-handedly keeping ghazals alive in India for so many years; and introducing at least 2 generations of Indians to nazms and ghazals. And like so many others, I have listened to, loved and hummed his songs since I was a kid.

Trivia: The famous Lifebuoy jingle from our childhood "Tandurusti ki raksha karta hai Lifebuoy" was sung by Jagjit Singh. :)

This particular ghazal is part of the music album 'Marasim' (meaning relationship, rishta) - composed and sung by Jagjit Singh, written by Gulzar. Putting it very crudely, in this ghazal, a person (let's say a guy, for the sake of consistency in the remaining post) is talking about his observation of his lover's behaviour after their breakup. The ghazal itself is anything but crude, though.

Since it will be a gross injustice to the beauty behind these words if I translate them literally, I'll try to go into the thought (or what I think is the thought) behind each couplet. In green is my interpretation, while blue is the literal translation of the couplet.

Lyrics, and translation

Wo khat ke purze uda raha tha

Hawaaon ka rukh dikha raha tha

[[Letters are often some of most precious keepsakes in any relationship. By tearing them up and throwing them, one is not only making clear one's intention of ending this relationship, but showing that it has lost all its meaning to them. 'Hawaaon ka rukh dikhana' is used metaphorically to mean 'show the way things are going to be'.
Literal meaning: She was showing me the direction of the wind, by tearing my letters to pieces, and throwing them in the air.]]

Kuchh aur bhi ho gaya numaaya

Main apna likha mita raha tha


[[Sometimes, when a relationship goes bad, we go back and try to relive as to what might have gone wrong. At times, we realize just how wrong the whole thing was, and that it's better to forget it and begin the rest of our with a clean slate. At such times, it becomes obvious that it's time to move on.
Literal meaning: Something else also begin apparent, since I find myself erasing what I had written earlier.
Numaya = apparent, obvious]]

Usi ka imaan badal gaya hai

Kabhi jo mera khuda raha tha

[[How would you feel if for as long as you can remember you have had some conviction, some belief and something or some event makes it go off in pieces? How would you feel if you loved and trusted a person with all that you have, and one day that person turns out to be someone completely different from what you thought he was? Would it ever be possible to hold on to your own faith/beliefs after that?
Literal meaning: The person who used to be my God, has now changed her religion.]]

Wo ek din ek ajnabi ko

Meri kahaani suna raha tha

[[There are secrets to any love story, that are intensely personal, to the point of being sacred. To discuss your ex-lover with a stranger means you're letting a third person in on that relationship's solemn secrets, thus invading its sanctity.
Literal meaning: She was telling my story to a stranger the other day.]]

Wo umr kam kar raha tha meri

Main saal apne badha raha tha


[[Honestly, I'm quite confused about this couplet, but will share what I think, which is -
While she (my ex) was trying to belittle me and the time we spent together; I thought it was the best thing that happened to me, and the most meaningful period of my life - I was attaching more and more significance to that time. 
Literal meaning: She was decreasing years from age, while I was adding them on.]]

Aye Ajnabi (Dil Se)

Rahul, this one's for you -
Because it's like I'm only half-alive when you're not here.
Because I miss you so much everything else seems unimportant and uninteresting.
Because even this festive season seems like a drag without you.
Because without you, even breathing seems like an effort.
Because I miss you so much, it's as if my whole being is aching to be with you.
Because, if it weren't for you, I'd never have realized that all these clichés I was so quick to diss were actually true.

Honestly, I had no intentions (as yet) of posting this song on this blog. I have always loved this song, but today it's been playing on a loop in my head, and it's today that I fell in love with it all over again. How fitting are the words of this song! It's a song of separation, of yearning, but above all of love. And how haunting is the melody! I'll go on to say, at the risk of sounding redundant because I've said this already, that Dil Se is one of A.R. Rahman's finest albums.

Do read the translation too, there are some 'Words of wisdom' inserted here and there :P. Yes, they break the flow of the song. Yes, I'm sorry about that. :-|

Why 'Jai Ho' deserved an Oscar

(+ Jai Ho Hindi and Spanish lyrics with English translation)

Whether or not Slumdog Millionaire (2008) deserved the 8 Academy Awards it got will always be a question that could lead to much heated discussions. The movie was good. But was it good enough? Mere rhetorical questions now. But in my mind, there are no such questions about 'Jai Ho' winning its Oscar (or Grammy).

It has a breathtaking soundtrack

I have heard many say, that by this time, A.R.Rahman had already hit his lean patch, and that Slumdog Millionaire had a pretty average soundtrack when compared to his previous work. I disagree, specifically when the song in question is 'Jai Ho'. While there's no denying the fact that Rahman has given some outstanding soundtracks before and since Slumdog Millionaire, it surely doesn't take away from the breathtaking arrangement of this masterpiece.

Title track (Kaminey)

Kaminey

(noun) scoundrel, rascal

(adjective) crooked, contemptible, questionable, unscrupulous

The word 'kaminey' could mean any of these things. And I've used these various meanings in different contexts.

The title track of Kaminey is a lyrical masterpiece for a number of reasons. But instead of jumping right to the translation of the song, let's first look at the intentions of the character (rather, the lyricist) for choosing the words he did.

The character Charlie is the narrator of Kaminey (2009),  as well as the voice behind the song (not literally, just in the movie. The singer is Vishal Bhardwaj). Charlie is a small time crook, and his mantra in life is to get everything through shortcuts (fortcut ya chhota fortcut) - a morally ambiguous, but quicker way of getting what he wants.

Zeehal-e-muskin (Ghulami)

This was inevitable. I know I have done (read translated) this song to death, but I have two reasons to do it again, on this blog.

1. Previosly I had only translated the mukhda, since that was the only part in Persian, and that was what people wanted to know (not that I know Persian, but I had read the translation on net before many around me did :P). Here, I can attempt the full song. 
2. This is a blog about Gulzar's songs, and this one is as awesome as they get.

Since I haven't watched the movie, I'll not go into the the background of, and intentions behind the song; and instead jump right to the translation part :)

Movie: Ghulami (1985)

Music Director: Lakshmikant-Pyarelal

Lyricist: Gulzar

Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Shabbir Kumar

Lyrics, and translation

Zihal-e-muskeen maqun ba-ranjish, 

Bahaal-e-hijra bechara dil hai

[[Word meanings (Persian to English): Zihal = To notice or see, Muskeen = Poor, Maqun = Do not, 

Ba-ranjish = With enmity/anger, Bahaal = Recently, Hijr = Seperation

In Hindi: Is gareeb/laachaar (miskeen) dil ko jab dekho (zeehal), to gusse se (ba-ranjish) nahin (maqun),

is bechare dil ko haal hi mein (ba-haal) apne mehboob se judai (hijr) ka gham mila hai

In English: Don't look at this poor heart with enmity,

It (the heart) is fresh with wounds of separation.]]

Tere bina zindagi se koi (Aandhi)

'Tere Bina Zingadi Se Koi' from Aandhi (1975) is one of the all time classics, in the voice of Kishore Kumar (amazing how he could yoodley and sing such soulful songs with equal ease) and Lata Mangeshkar (IMO, the greatest singer of all time). This song is composed by R.D. Burman and written by Gulzar. 

The stage is set  thus:

Aarti Devi (Suchitra Sen) and JK (Sanjeev Kumar) are married, but estranged (mainly due to her political ambitions). During one of Aarti Devi's election rallies, they meet again after many years. It's then that they begin to ask themselves, that though they have been living apart for so long, have they really lived all these years, (or merely existed)? This song conveys regret at losing one's love, and raises the question if anything you gained after sacrificing your love was worth it.

Lyrics, and translation:

Tere bina zindagi se koi, shikwa nahin (shikwa nahin, shikwa nahin)

Tere bina zindagi bhi lekin zindagi to nahin (zindagi nahin, zindagi nahin)

[[There is not much to complain about, in a life without you.

But then, a life without you is hardly a life]]

Abhi na parda giraao (Pukhraaj)

A totally amateurish sketch of Gulzar by me

I've presented two interpretations of this gair-filmi nazm in paragraphs marked (1) and (2). Which one, if any, do you think makes more sense?

Like many other poets, Gulzar's fascination with death is quite apparent in many of his couplets and poems. Also apparent is his fascination with stage and characters (most famously heard in the brilliant Rajesh Khanna monologue from the movie Anand (1971)) - the latter probably resulting from his being a director and screenplay writer.

(1) In this nazm, he seems to be talking about the death of a person. The pain of someone who has lost a near one, and is not ready to let go just now. (Like the song 'Na leke jaao mere dost ka janaaza hai' from Fiza (2000)). Para-1 of the nazm supports this version.

Namak (Omkara)

[When I told Rahul that I have written a blog post about 'Namak isk ka', his first words were "But isn't that a controversial song?" I said that's why I was writing about it, to clear away at least some of the controversy.

Sure, the song may throw a few double entendres your way, but I think it was meant to be racy, what with its being filmed on a village dancer. I've heard a few songs old women in villages sing, and they are so risqué they can make our urban ears burn.

Another reason behind posting this song was the fact that the already available translations are so bad, they ruin the whole song.]

Mera Kuchh Saamaan (Ijaazat)

Surely nothing new could be written about a song as legendary as this. So let's begin with an anecdote about the song, by Gulzar himself:

"When I gave him (Pancham) ‘Mera kuCH saamaaan tumhare paas paDa hai’, he waved the lyric aside and said, “Huh, tomorrow you’ll bring me the front page of *The Times of India* and expect me to compose a tune around it. What is this blank verse you’re giving me!” Ashaji was sitting there, she started humming the phrase, “Mujhe lauta do.” He grasped it immediately; from that one phrase he developed the song, which was quite a feat! This time Ashaji and I got National Awards. Poor fellow, he did all the work and we enjoyed the ‘kheer’." (Source)

'Mera kuchh saaman' earned Gulzar his first National Award for best lyrics. There were songs before and after, but this probably best defines the Gulzar way of writing them - understated, yet breathtakingly poetic.

In a movie where every dialogue is lyrical, and every character is nothing short of being a poet; the songs had to be extraordinary. They are. And how!

Panaah (Pukhraj) - Gair-filmi

We all are aware of most of Gulzar's body of work as a lyricist in Bollywood. So I thought it might be a good idea to introduce a few of his gair-filmi poems as well. Presenting the first in this series, a nazm titled 'Panaah' from Gulzar's collection 'Pukhraj', along with its English translation.

पनाह 

उखाड़ दो अरज़-ओ-तूल खूंटों से बस्तियों के
समेटो सडकें, लपेटो राहें
उखाड़ दो शहर का कशीदा
कि ईंट - गारे से घर नहीं बन सका किसी का

पनाह मिल जाए रूह को जिसका हाथ छूकर
उसी हथेली पे घर बना लो
कि घर वही है
और पनाह भी

तुम्हारे हाथों में मैंने देखी थी अपनी एक लकीर, सोनां
.

Word-bank:
अरज़-ओ-तूल = Araz-o-tool = Length and breadth

कशीदा = Kasheeda = Embroidery

.

Refuge

Rip open the spread of the civilization
Pick up the roads, roll up every street
Tear apart the neatly-embroidered rows of this city
'Cause bricks and mortar can't make a home

If the touch of a hand comforts your soul,
Choose this hand to build your home
'Cause that alone, is your home
And that alone, is your haven

In the lines on your hand, my beloved, I found a line of my own.
.

Hope you enjoyed the nazm; and liked its translation and the sketch.

Chori pe chori (Saathiya)

[Do read the actual translation, because it's not word for word; and I've tried to express my interpretations of the lines. Especially a few paras in between.]

Saathiya (2002) is amongst one of my all-time favorite Hindi movies. Though hundreds of romantic dramadies are churned out by Bollywood every year, this one stands out - mostly because it begins where most other movies end, with the two protagonists getting married against the wishes of their parents. But also because it gets its basics right - a very believable story, backed by first-rate cinematography, amazing music (AR Rehman and Gulzar) and witty, witty dialogs (again by Gulzar). Readers, if you haven't watched Saathiya lately, I suggest you do so once more, if only for its dialogs. Of course, the story is beautifully executed by the cast, with both Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherjee pitching in one of their best performances. A word must also be put in for Sandhya Mridul.

Though I can (and most probably, will) write a separate post for each one of Saathiya's songs (I love them all), let's do the shubharambh with one of its least celebrated songs - 'Chori pe chori'.

Dil dhoondhta hai phir wahi (Mausam)

At times, music works like an incredibly potent time-travelling machine. This particularly song, for example, takes me back to the time when we were kids, living in the (at that time) picturesque little Doctor's Colony of Rewa. Not because the Rewa is an idyllic town situated in the Himalayas (it's not); but because Mom had a cassette with this song, which she often played - and in my mind the song has become deeply correlated with my childhood home with its quaint backyard and garden.

It's not as if, at the age of 8 or 10, we were able to comprehend the depth of the lyrics or enjoy the pace of Bhupinder's unhurried vocals. If anything, I probably hated this 'sad' song... But I digress!

The song is an ode to the days when life was leisurely, when minds were uncluttered, when skies were bluer, and when you could lay idle without thinking that's you're getting left behind in a supersonic world.

Satrangi Re (Dil Se)

In my opinion, Satrangi Re's distractingly beautiful cinematography and a stunning Manisha Koirala take away from it. Because the song in itself is so incredibly exquisite, it ought to be heard in isolation as well.

At the hostel in Banasthali, we used to shut all doors and windows of our room and make it pitch black. Then we played this song on full volume. That took the song to another dimension altogether. Today before writing the post, I recreated that atmosphere. And I must tell you, we were not crazy back then. Go, give it a try!

A 'Satrangi Re' montage.