A lot of things about my teenage started making sense as I grew up, became more mellow, calmed down and mature. One such things is a song I'd heard and fell in love quiet a few years ago. It was the time when Remixes were big. My mom used to blame people's lack of creativity and repeat adages like "the world is round" - contextually meaning that things are being recycled and creativity is going in circles as well.
Anuradha Paudval came up with one such an album called "A tribute to S D Burman" - yeah the legendary Sachin Dev - Pancham da's daddy and Sachin Tendulkar's namesake. All the originals were sung by the Legendary Lata Mangeshkar. This particular song that intrigued me was from a film named Bandini and I used to rewind and replay the number on our hopelessly outdated tape recorder. CDs were making their advent but the good old tapes were still predominant so instead of having the luxury of hitting the repeat button and devouring the melody in an infinite loop without the monotonous trial and error rewinds and fast forwards to reach the beginning of the song - I did all of the above just to listen to this song over and over again.
It goes
Mora Goora rang laile
Mohe Shaam rang daide
Chupjaungi raat hi main
Mohe pikasang daide.
Which means - Take my fair complexion and give me a dark one. I shall hide in the night, oh give me the company of my beloved.
The orchestra is petty simple and Paudwals's voice crooning this melodious track resonated in my ears all day and all night. The lyrics were written by Gulzar, the same legend who wrote the very recent, insanely popular Oscar winning number "Jai ho" in Slumdog. Look at the way he had come and the recognition his work had gotten - which drives home the point that true talent is like an amber hidden under the snow and eventually, it shall melt the snow and spread its light.
Anyway , my new fond love - YouTube - that comes to rescue every time I need an audio visual to celebrate or mourn the mood I am in - ranging from the memory mood to the mockery mood - I just type the one I am looking for and more often than not, the song or the scene is right there, uploaded by some kind soul. That is how I had the pleasure of watching Nutan enact the wonderfully thought of lyric and the awesomely churned tune. Now if we were to show an example of true talent, this song would be it - from depicting the mood, the melody and the emotion this one is an exemplary piece of art.
Further into the song Gulzar says
Ek laaj roke payya
Ek moh kheenche bayya
Jaon kidhar na jaanu
Hum ka koi batai de.
Meaning - a coyness stops my feet and a desire pulls my hand - I know not where to go, someone please tell me.
Badree Hatake chanda
Chupke se chaake chanda
Thuje raahu laage bairi
Humka yeh jee jalaike
Meaning - Drawing the clouds aside and spreading your aura slyly O Moon, I hope you are eclipsed - since you smile and make me burn.
Kucch Kho dia hai Payke
Kucch Paa diya gavaike
Kahan lechala hai manva
Mohe baavri banaike
Meaning - I lost something after finding it and I found something after losing it - where does my heart take me by making me crazy?
So tell me, if this is not bliss - what else is? And the context - the girl is hoping to go meet her beloved in the moonlight. She wears a dark Saree and dark bangles but her fair complexion makes her visible in the night - so she hopes to get dark so that she can camouflage in the night and escape the spying and judging eyes of the world and unite with her love.
The scene is an inspiration from "Bhagavatam" where Radha dresses herself in blue to go meet Krishna but her fairness gives in and thus she hopes she get dark to hide herself in the night.
The whole song is breathtakingly innocent and it portrays the purity of love and longing in the most brilliant way possible. Now, if the modern day Bollywood and Tollywood looks at this lyric and picturization, they might learn a lesson or two about art, love, expression, inspiration, direction, action, affection and a way to portray love without closeup shots of creepily decorated belly buttons and artificially enhanced bosoms, the hip shakes and the pelvic thrusts:-))
Here's a link to pure bliss for your viewing and listening pleasure- courtesy, Sachin Dev Burman, Gulzar and the classic, earthy beauty - Nutan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcTl6ax_LAg
A very thoughtful approach on Gulzar and his lyrics. Your style of writing meets all the requirements of a true professional.
ReplyDeleteHere are the observed points in some of the writings.
1. Maintenance of parallelism (this is an essential part of any writing)
2. Right punctuation (I get confused always, but your writings have right punctuation)
3. Flow of the idea (the central idea about the topic is very well defined in the beginning and concluded with your thoughts)
4. More analytical than descriptive (keeps the reader interested)
5. Effort and research undertaken (clearly establishes the command over the topic and proves the enough homework done)
After reading your blog on Gulzar songs, I thought i should share my couple of picks. Here are they
Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne chune,
Sapne, surile sapne,
Kuch hansee ke, kuch gum ke,
Teri ankhon ke saye churaye rasili yaadon ne,
Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke...
(Generally one will dream for him/her self.
But the thought that one dreaming for other is very innovative, and profound thought about what it's going to be, is mindboggling for me!
Hats off Gulzar sahib..)
njoy @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDl0V8e4MF0
Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin
Shikwa nahin, shikwa nahin, shikwa nahin
Tere bina zindagi bhi lekin zindagi to nahin
Zindagi nahin, zindagi nahin, zindagi nahin
Tere bina zindagi se shikwa to nahin
(We take things for granted, even Life (without a compromise).
But that is not ture, Life is a bliss and temporary.
Verywell said and he emphasize the fact that there is no life without a partner, and without a partner life is meaningless)
njoy@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBT04xdPQuI
Overall it was a very well composed blog. It got me going on searing for Gulzar songs on Youtube.
Before I signoff, here is my 2 cents.
I do not want to get into contraversies of 'Slugdog Millionaire' getting Oscar and for that song, I am happy that Indian film (remind you, British producer & director) got awards based on some Indian life at Slums of Mumbai India.
I have read blogs and reports about people writing about why they should/should not get an award. But believe me, when I heard about that story from a friend that a boy jumps into a mud to see Amitabh Bacchan to get an autograph. Then I gave up listening anymore, disturbed and argued that these people should not have shown Indian slum dwellers like that.
But I have a DVD from another friend, watched the movie with all my criticism and disbelief in my mind. But the movie kept me going on with utmost attention and I realized the fact that it could happen and there is nothing wrong in showing that scene. There are much poorer countries than India, which are not exposed for either lack of interest or lack of touch on drama. Sure it made the Producers rich and popular, but the fact that they agreed on that subject is appreciated.
I would have been happier for Rahman if he got an award for his other scores than this. There are plenty of them.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks a zillion millions for all the time and effort you'd taken to say what you'd thought abt my writings and also for sharing your own 2c which are worth a lot more than that in reality. It's people like you that keep me keep my passion for writing alive and kicking:-)
Aarti's mom.
I loved what anonymous wrote !!! :D
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