Phir Se Aaiyo (Namkeen)

"Itna na mujhse tu pyaar badha, ki main ik baadal aawaara / Kaise kisi ka sahaara banoon, ki main khud beghar bechaara"

[From Chhaya (1961), lyrics by Rajendra Krishan]

How can someone who drifts about like a cloud, having no home or stable income, support someone else? Isn't one a fool for falling in love with such a man?

For Mithu, who has only known despair and loneliness all her life, this very drifter is the ray of hope, happiness and love. It matters not to her that Gerulal is a truck driver who is in her village for a few days in passing; it matters not to her that he doesn't even realizes she loves him. Perhaps it's not even her intent to make him know. Right now all that matters is that his presence is enveloping her life like the clouds envelop their village atop the mountain; making it look a bit less miserable; giving a semblance of serenity and even beauty to it.

Needless to say, the trio of Pancham-Gulzar-Asha has once again succeeded in creating a song full of pathos. Gulzar's words as well as Asha's voice are at once full of hope and longing. Pancham gives a haunting score like only he could. Like another of this trio's song (also my favorite), Chhoti Si Kahaani Se, this song is picturised in the hills - except that instead of dripping with rains, these hills are covered in mist - just the sort of place this song takes you to, even without the visuals.

But what indeed is much more stunning about the visuals here, is Shabana Azmi. Without uttering a single word, she manages to convey so much. The tiny smile constantly playing on her lips is a dead giveaway of the state of her heart. Roaming barefoot in the mist-covered valley, she looks content and happy - she couldn't care less if no one else listens to the tune of her heart - it's for her and it's for him, the cloud-like drifter that she awaits.

Lyrics and Translation:
Phir se aaiyo badra bidesi, tere pankhon pe moti jadoongi
Bhar ke jaaiyo humaari talaiya, main talaiya kinaare miloongi
Tujhe mere kaale kamli waale ki saun

[[Come again, O visiting cloud; and I'll embellish your wings with pearls
Make the pond full of water; and it's by its shore that I will meet you
I beseech you, in the name of God!]]

Tere jaane ki rut main jaanti hoon, mud ke aane ki reet hai ki nahin
Kaali darga se poochhoongi jaa ke, tere mann mein bhi preet hai ki nahin
Kachchi puliya se ho ke gujariyo, kachchi puliya kinaare miloongi

[[I know that you have to depart come the season, but would you promise to return as well?
I intend to ask the gods if you love me the way I do
Come by the narrow bridge, and it's here that I will meet you]]

Tu jo ruk jaaye meri atariya, main atariya pe jhaalar laga doon
Daaloon chaar taabeez gale mein, apne kaajal se bindiya laga doon
Chhoo ke jaaiyo, humaari bageechi, main peepal ke aade miloongi

[[If you promise to stay longer, I'll bedeck the terrace with frills and lights
I will put amulets around your neck and mark you with a black tikka with my kohl (to ward off evil)
When you come to touch my garden, it's by the peepal tree that I will meet you]]

My two cents:
Like Ijaazat's Maya and Aandhi's JK, Mithu writes poetry. In fact, as someone who cannot speak, her diary is her only outlet - It's here that she writes of her woes and fears; and of her dreams and hopes. Like Maya and JK, Mithu is all about sentiments and uses poetry to get away from the harsh reality that is her life.

Maya is in this on-again-off-again relationship with a married man, which she knows leads nowhere. JK was married to a woman who was poised to become (and indeed does become) much more successful and powerful than him, leaving him on the way up. Mithu has only known a life of poverty and misery, living with her senile mother and two sisters, while barely making a living.

All three are surrounded by uncertainty and heartache. Words are their escape. (Like Gulzar? Like all poets indeed?)

Watch the video here:

(You can watch the full movie on youtube here)

Khaali Haath Shaam Aayi Hai (Ijaazat)

[Find the other songs of Ijaazat here]

Evenings are beautiful. Probably the second most beautiful part of the day for someone in love (other than dead at night, when the silence underscores every act of intimacy (think साँसों में उलझी रहे मेरी साँसें)) and magnifies it tenfold.

But the same evening can also be a time of suffering. If you have ever been in love and spent an evening waiting futilely for that someone, you'll know the pain it brings. Not a stabbing pain either, just a dull ache accompanied by a feeling of being deserted. Now imagine this happening to you day after day. This is what the song is about.

Gulzar himself has introduced this song thus, "रात और दिन कितने खूबसूरत दो वक़्त हैं, और कितने खूबसूरत दो लफ्ज़। इन दो लफ़्ज़ों के बीच में, एक वक़फ़ा आता है, जिसे शाम का वक़्त कहते हैं। ये वो वक़्त है, जिसे न रात अपनाती है, न दिन अपने साथ लेकर जाता है। इस छोड़े हुए, या छूटे हुए लावारिस वक़्त से, शायर अक्सर कोई न कोई लम्हा चुन लेता है, और सी लेता है अपने शेरों में। लेकिन कोई-कोई शाम भी ऐसी बाँझ होती है, के कोई लम्हा देकर नहीं जाती।"

The Song is Set Thus:

Sudha (Rekha) is waiting for her husband Mohinder (Naseer) to come back; while he is in the hospital, tending to his sweetheart Maya (Anuradha Patel) who has tried to commit suicide. Day after day, as Sudha waits for Mohinder, we see him spending time with Maya to help her recover. The song plays.

Lyrics and translation:

Khaali haath shaam aayi hai, khaali haath jaayegi

Aaj bhi na aaya koi, khaali laut jaayegi

[[Empty-handed this evening has come, and would end the same way
Seeing that no one has come, it'll leave feeling deserted yet again]]

Aaj bhi na aaye aansu, aaj bhi na bheege naina

Aaj bhi ye kori raina, kori laut jaayegi

[[Yet I find myself devoid of tears
And so the evening will return blank, just the way it came]]

Raat ki syaahi koi, aaye to mitaaye na

Aaj na mitaayi to ye, kal bhi laut aayegi

[[Wouldn't someone come and erase the ink of this black night?
Because if left unerased, it'll surely come to haunt me tomorrow as well]]

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)

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!

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'.

Chhoti si kahaani se (Ijaazat)

Since most of the comments on my previous post wanted the next post to be more Gulzar-esque, here we are, with a song that defines the 80's Gulzar that we all fell in love with.

This song is so much more than the sum of the beautiful, beautiful lyrics, music and voice. It is a perfect introduction to the movie Ijaazat, which is poetry in itself. Ijaazat is arguably Gulzar's best screenplay till date - and the dialogues should find a place in every cinema-lover's bookshelf.

The movie sets off against the magically surreal beauty of rain-soaked Konkan (or is it North-east?). And playing in the background is 'Chhoti si kahaani se' in Asha's heart-achingly beautiful voice. The song transports you to a different world altogether - pure and passionate, yet melancholic. It also makes you long for something, someone.

The song is pure liquid magic in the ears. And that's why it is impossible to 'translate' it. It can only be felt.