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..