Movie : Hare Krishna Hare Ram. 

Singer : Kishore Kumar. 

Composer : R D Burman. 

Lyricist : Anand Bakshi.

On #Rakhi today. 

First glimpse, first bite, first word, first step, first birthday, first day of school/college/job, first crush, first talk, first date etc etc etc.. 

Firstever is the most special ever for all of us always. Now give me a one worded answer that who can be our first friend and first foe, our first confidant and first betrayer, first companion and first rival, first spy and first saviour, first sustainer and first dependant, first accusant and first lawyer, our equal and our sequel?!  List would be long and answer is same!! 

-  Sibling. 

And whenever I think to dedicate a song to this utterly cherished relation, the first ever song comes to mind is.. 

"Phoolon ka taron ka sabka kehna hai

Ek hazaron mein meri behna hai

Saaree umar humein sang rehna hai…”

No wizardry of words. Simple lyrics loaded with lots of love. Each of words drenched with sea-full of emotions. Signature Anand Bakshi! My eyes always well up while playing or listening the song as it appeals me to the core. 

Many of us loved and quoted.. 

"Dil ke aaine mein hai tasveer e yaar

jab zaraa gardan jhukaaee, dekh lee.."

But have we ever felt that it's not just one photo!. We all have multiple frames placed there. Very much alive! Throbbing with us, inside us, subconsciously, simultaneously.. When a surge of sentiments arises and your heart gives a call to all the faces it has saved with so much affection, how it feels when you find one frame stark dark?  

Hindi film music has a big treasure of such melodies depicting the piercing pain of parting. 

…Is that so?!

Well.. Not really.  

Tell me, how many songs you have listened earlier and even later wherein a brother is yearning for his younger sister to this much extent?!

‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ brought a lot to think and feel for the society in early 70s. Misled youths devastating themselves in drugs, woes of broken marriages and sliced families, increasing issue of smuggling of our heritage masterpieces and all that in a completely commercial movie! The film was a smashing hit. And the reasons behind that in my opinion were undoubtedly its music, flaunting presence of that debutant diva – Zeenat Aman and quite a touching storyline.

A misunderstood, lonesome lassie splitted from her loved ones flies far away from all fake relations and tries to alleviate her pain with the help of drugs and some unknown friends gravely detached from the society just like her! 

And there comes her angel – her brother who used to be one and only loving, caring, warming and blaming person in her life…

Whenever I watch this movie, the thing moves me the most is those pinning efforts of Prashant – Dev Anand to fetch back his sister to the life again. Climax and also the end of this movie is so much saddening. This song startles you and leaves an everlasting emotion in your heart.

Kishore Kumar starts humming and everytime something starts pulsating restlessly inside me with those gentle strums on guitar and very subtle sound of bongo. As Kishor Kumar repeats the same notes, I always feel that something in me too is melting with that rendition and I too feel a lump chocking my throat just as Janice  (Zeenat Aman) feels when she listens the most loved and cherished words and dhun of her life till that moment. 

फूलों का, तारों का, सबका कहना है

एक हजारों में मेरी बहना है

सारी उमर, हमें संग रहना है...

Gradually the song completely takes over you. 

In first interlude, haunting notes of guitar and violins forecast to happen something too bad and sad in coming moments but soon the flute brings you back where Bakshi Babu's pen leaves you struggling to hold all the water inside your eyes only. 

जबसे मेरी आँखों से हो गयी तू दूर

तबसे सारे जीवन के सपने हैं चूर

आँखों में नींद ना मन में चैना है

एक हजारों में मेरी बहना है

सारी उमर, हमें संग रहना है...

Tweeting notes of flute played along with hearty voice of Kishore Kumar sound as if someone splashes the drops of water to the fainted mindset of Janice (Zeenat) and those fondest memories of her childhood flash back to her! Her eyes restlessly search where the song is coming from and she finally gets a glimpse of her brother Prashant singing.. 

देखो हम तुम दोनों हैं इक डाली के फूल

मैं ना भूला, तू कैसे मुझको गई भूल

आ मेरे पास आ, कह जो कहना है 

एक हजारों में मेरी बहना है

सारी उमर, हमें संग रहना है..

It stuns her..! She stands still..! Tears are coming out relentlessly from here barren eyes. Sobbing notes of guitar, numbing bell sound, soaring violins take the pathos at its peak and ultimately she takes that anesthetic escape to calm down the poignant pang deafening her senses.

Janice (Zeenat) takes that last ‘dam’ of her life..

And here, Prashant.! His words come as if he is pampering and patting her little sister as adorably and persuasively as he used to do in their childhood. After each of stanzas he expresses his unparalleled love and repeats his commitment : 

How beautifully Anand Bakshi has put deepest philosophy of life in simplest words once again! 

जीवन के दुखों से यूँ डरते नहीं हैं

ऐसे बच के सच से गुज़रते नहीं हैं

सुख की है चाह तो, दुःख भी सहना है.. 

एक हजारों में मेरी बहना है

सारी उमर, हमें संग रहना है..

Finally, Jenice rushes there where her brother is, stops for a while and comes closer giving him a deadening gaze.. Drug overdose picks her from present and takes her back to the most blissful moments of her life where her loving little brother has held her on his back..

फूलों का, तारों का, सबका कहना है

एक हजारों में मेरी बहना है

सारी उमर, हमें संग रहना है..

I equally love the childhood version of this song. Lataji sounds immensely adorable and Pancham too gives his lovely little share singing two lines here. HFM has hundreds or even more kasme-vaade songs, but to me, this classic remains the most affectionable always..

Movie : Lekin.

Singer : Suresh Wadkar. 

Composer : Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Lyricist : Gulzar.

At the extreme west corner of India, there is a spoon shaped district situated on the upper part of Gujarat region. Virtually it's an island that also resembles the shape of tortoise - Kachchh (in Sanskrit) mentioned at many a places of Hindu mythology. Now it is mostly spelled as - Kutch and majorly known for its serene, surreal vast expanses of white salt dessert. 

In spite of being the largest district of India, Kutch has quite a low population density. 

Before the devastating earthquake of 2001, the population of its headquarter Bhuj was  lesser than one lakh.

In my childhood days, when I used to come to Bhuj at my Nanaji's home during vacations, it felt like a pretty and peaceful village to me. When I was in college, my father decided to shift from Ahmedabad to here at Bhuj permanently. I was least happy with the idea but didn't say anything as always. 

We came here, got settled. Gradually the beauty and serenity of this humble place grew upon me. And you know, what got me rooted here was a vast, lushly green landscape, a huge farm quite next to my home which is west open. It helped me to develop a deep connection with all Akash (Sky), Vayu (Air), Jal (Water), Agni (Fire) and Prithvi (Earth). I would have written pages for ages on the moods and moments spent sitting on terrace or balcony and doing just nothing but staring at the crops, the threes, the tractors, the cows, bullocks and birds and the most loved sight - the sunset. 

The sun, hiding behind the big coconut and  saffron mango trees is the only guy I know, who blushes, goes red daily when he meets the awaiting earth far somewhere at horizons since eternity. The feel is so infectious that everything in front of you, beside you and inside you get filled with the hues of lush, blush and love. Nature has so magnificent and matchless treasure of colours that no evening is same as far as the sky is concerned. 

The evening alights on the landscape with myriad tints, quietly enters inside my mindscape and puts the pin on the vinyl placed there. The first cut remains same everytime.. yes! Ethereal.. otherworldly.. mellifluous and moving... I feel the melody passing through my veins all over and pampering my senses.

As soft and mellow as touch of a green grass leaf. As tranquil and mystic as twilight sky. 

सुरमई शाम इस तरह आए

साॅंस लेते हैं जिस तरह साए...

While producing a film based on a timeless classic story - 'Khudito Pashan' written by  Rurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Lata Mangeshkar knew that it would take sheer sensitivity and sensibility of a legend like Gulzar sahab to justify this subject as the director of this film named 'Lekin' which also had quite an enthralling soundtrack.

Why I pick this particular song always from this beautiful bucket having eight songs total? 

The song floats on your senses just as the gentle breeze touches the turf with utmost affection or warm and fragrant breaths of a beloved felt on face. 

Every evening when I get even a glimpse of the setting sun from my window, balcony or terrace, the same song, the same hauntingly beautiful melody emerges from deep inside at least once. 

सुरमई शाम इस तरह आये 

साँस लेते हैं जिस तरह साये 

कोई आहट नहीं बदन की कहीं

फिर भी लगता हैं तू यहीं है कहीं..

वक़्त जाता सुनाई देता है

तेरा साया दिखाई देता है

जैसे खुशबू नज़र से छू जाये

साँस लेते हैं जिस तरह साये..

दिन का जो भी पहर गुज़रता है

कोई अहसान सा उतरता है

वक़्त के पाँव देखता हूँ मैं

रोज़ ये छाँव देखता हूँ मैं

आये जैसे कोई खयाल आये

साँस लेते हैं जिस तरह साये...

Who else in the world except Gulzar sahab could have worded this feel in such a holistic way ! Who else than Hridaynath Mangeshkar would have composed the same with such miscellaneous and mind blowing notes! 

And Suresh Wadkar.. one of the finest and flawless voice with all tints of feel, philosophy and fragrance that has mastered the art of adoring and handling fragile feelings. Who else except him could have rendered this serene yet intoxicating lilt with sheer delicacy! 

Now adding one more thing without which this share wouldn't be completed. 

Many a times you feel that the song starts playing in your mind while reading about the same. But with this song, every time while listening, the words written by my dear friend Deepa walks all along with me! Sharing here the link of my most favourite article written by her. Do read at your convenience. 

The song link  : 

Movie : Masoom. 

Singer : Aarti Mukherjee. 

Lyricist : Gulzar. 

Composer : R D Burman. 

Gulzar. 

This wizard of words so obviously believes that eyes not only have their own language but also have their own soul and singnificance. They don't care to carry all those instructions which your 'wiser' brain keeps giving. So, ultimately it is up to you that what language you would rely on. The one being spoken by mouth or the one being released by eyes. Or even different at different times.!! As sometimes it's feel like "Jhoothe naina bole saachi batiyaan" and sometimes​, "naino ki mat suniyo..naina thag lenge.!". As Gulzar says, also eyes can behave like anything -  as a pair or as individuals. It generally happens like  "do naino mein aansoo bhare hai". But it can also happen like "ek aankh roye kabhi dooji aakkh roye!!!". Eyes can hold anything or everything according to their own wish. Be it "Maheke huve se raaz" or as 'Masoom' depicts, "thoda sa baadal, thoda sa paani, aur ek kahaani..." 

Masoom is all about thoda sa baadal and thoda sa paani. Something held and something revealed or released. Be it DK's ( Nasiruddin Shah) past or their future. Be it Indu's ( Shabana Azmi) love or grief.. Or be it masoom Rahul's ( Jugal Hansraj) sobs or silence. Just like Pancham and Gulzar, Shekhar Kapur -  in his directorial debut - has done quite an incredible job. IMO he never needed any Bandit queen or Elizabeth to prove his magnificence after making 'Masoom'. Also, all the characters- right from little Mini to Saeed Jafri have contributed greatly with their exquisite performances to make this movie an ultimate classic. R D Burman himself used to say that he could hardly understand the depth of poetries. But whenever he composed for any Gulzar poetry, the song reached to an another level. And this song stands out as one of the best examples for the same. Even if at one moment you stop listening it, its pathos stay with you unfailingly wherever you go and whatever you do as your inner most core absorbs all those unsheded tears dripping from the lyrics and music and makes your heart feel heavy. 

If you would notice, the song starts with some fainted sounds of grasshoppers besides Aarti Mukherjee's intense voice. No rain is to show but how brillently it portrays a rainy night! The season in Malhotras' house is monsoon nowadays​. Aarti Mukherjee's voice is piercing straight in first five words as if she is crying her heart out on behalf of Shabana. Right from there, guitar enters and stays till the end to keep the cords of your senses vibrated with each of its chords. This is after all a Lori sung by a hurt and pained mother for her innocent daughters. May be for this reason, Pancham has avoided using percussions much. It actually lets lyrics and strings flourish at their best. Guitar here builds rhythm so beautifully that you never miss them either. Everything is so soft and low including those violins swaying behind Aarti Mukherjee's voice.

In first interlude​,  flute sounds both calming and then haunting. At the same time, Shekhar Kapur has made that poor boy open the door and see a mother showering all her love on her daughters. It startles you till deep to see that little boy staring it silently who has lost her mother and who is seeking motherly warmth like anything. His eyes so cravingly tries to search her extremely loving mother in this quite unfriendly 'auntie' too! (Where is says to Shabana : Meri maa bhi aisi phoolonwaali saari pahenti thi.)  Vibraphone sound comes like an intuition which makes DK to turn where this boy is standing alone. It is followed by 12 string guitar then violins and again 3 guitar strums. And with first stanza tabla enters for the first time in the song. But they stay only in first two lines of each of stanzas. When lyrics gets back to kahaani, it floats on strings only. 

छोटी सी दो झीलों में वो बहती रहती है..

कोई सुने या ना सुने कहती रहती है..

कुछ लिख के और कुछ ज़ुबानी..

This words not only depict the situation of Shabana who is bearing a pulsatile pang silently right since she comes to know about her husband's​ betrayal but also those lake-sum green watery eyes of this boy which speak more than his words. They have a lot to say to whomsoever​ reads them. And those eyes which can read them seem damn helpless here.. For a moment, Nasiruddin Shah's numbed expressions shake your concepts of right and wrong, flaw and fault, mistake (though shattering) and betrayal. Dark clouds of a deadening guilt in his eyes seem to hold all the water inside themselves.

Guitar and flute have never created such a gloomy effect which they bring in second interlude. Mystically magical. Again, violins enter with dusky notes and then create rippling effect as if to take you inside that boy's mindscape where his fondest and saddest memories are flashing. 

थोड़ी सी है जानी हुई थोड़ी सी नई..

जहाँ रुके आँसू वहीं पुरी हो गई..

है तो नई फिर भी है पुरानी.

Visuals and words bring images of that loveliest time this boy has spent with his mother. Also by showing the same temple, woods and their boating, director gives the hints of the period which this boy's parents had spent together. All those cherishable moments mother relives with his son and now the son rewinds it all alone in his welling eyes. "Jahan ruke aansoo wahin poori go gai.". But tears are still falling down from all four eyes here!!  And perhaps by this, Gulzar wants to say, picture abhi baaki hai..

Third interlude starts with soaring taar shehnai and flows with guitar and violins. The visuals are hugely disturbing to leave your heart torn apart completely​. Those flames burn you too just as that little boy standing aghast, wordless, watching her mother's funeral. His silent tears choke your throat with a lump. He is not screaming, not crying and that makes you cry. 

एक ख़त्म हो तो दूसरी रात आ जाती है..

होंठों पे फिर भूली हुई बात आ जाती है..

दो नैनों की है ये कहानी.

And this reveals shabana's sinking condition. Pain seems neverending and devastating. In Gulzar poetry, night is synonym of darkness and hopelessness. (Remenmber, Subah n aayi kain baar neend se jaage..thi ek raat ki yeh zindagi guzaar chale). She is unable to forget and also ignore her husband's flaw which personifies itself in that little boy who is utterly lovable and awfully innocent to her too!!

Aarti Mukherjee's voice, Gulzar's words, Shekhar Kapur's camera, each character's performance and Pancham's stupifying composition numb your senses everytime. The song never easily leaves you..

The same article was previously hosted by very popular page Thesongpedia. 

#Masoom #RDBurman #Gulzar #AartiMukherjee #ShekharKapoor #ShabanaAzmi #NaseeruddinShah #JugalHansraj