How beautifully the progression of songs is made in this film! Bimal Roy - the biggest school of film making here teaches the whole brigade of directors to come that this is how the songs should be woven in the storyline. 

A homely and comely damsel expresses a winsome wish to the dark, dence, drizzling sky, dampening her clothes and her mind as well : 

हूँ मैं कितनी अकेली वो ये जानके

मेरे बेरंग जीवन को पहचानके

मेरे हाथों को थामें हँसे और हँसाये, 

मेरा दुख भुलाये, किसी का क्या जाये...  

God of rains somehow smiles at her a grants her what she desires in no time. And here Dada Burman not only composes but also renders one of the most soothing and sublime love-lilt of all the time. Kamal Bose's camera one more time creates some immortal frames here : 

होता तू पीपल, मैं होती अमर लता तेरी

तेरे गले माला बन के, पड़ी मुसकाती रे

सुन मेरे साथी रे... 

And then comes the time to get clear confession of love from the one she is deeply in love with. Sachin Dev Burman was one of those genius composers who always knew whose voice would be more befitting for what character and which situation. His selection of Talat Mahmood's voice for this song feels quite custom made wherein Adhir expresses his feelings to Sujata on phone. Talat Mahmood carries this song with ultimate grace and delicacy just as the situation needed. If not considering the stage song of Patanga - mere piya gaye rangoon -  this one is perhaps the first ever song wherein a long love talk happens on phone on screen. A mellifluous, affectionate and adoring voice flows from the phone to aghast Sujata who has yet to get over the trauma she has just gone through when she comes to know for the first time in her life that she belongs to an absolute untouchable caste and is just NONE to the people who have brought her up as her family. 

Talat's velvety voice oozes out and out ardour.. 

जब तलक ना ये तेरे रस के भरे होंठों से मिले

यूँ ही आवारा फिरेगा ये तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ों के तले

गाये जाऊंगा यही गीत मैं तेरे लिये.. 

...and on the other side, Sujata's heart  breaks, melts and moves at the same time. Those words, that voice..whatever is being poured in her ears is as romantic as it could be. She would be on her cloud nine. But poor girl.., standing flummoxed, holding the phone reciever sheds slint tears of consequential despair.

Bimal Roy was the creator whose each of the frames, every single movement by characters used to have a story to tell individually. One of those ethereal and kind of his signature frames depicts the laden eyes of the lady on screen holding the ocean of emotions as much and as long before it makes its way to flood out. 

Remembering one similar frame from Parakh - 

Aag ke phool aanchal mein daale hue

Kab se jalta hai yeh aasman dekh le...

Adhir's words, his gaze, all drenched in love and affection and Sujata's forlorn eyes outpouring agony create a painful contrast for the viewers here :   

दर्द बनके जो मेरे दिल में रहा ढल ना सका

जादू बनके तेरी आँखों में रुका चल ना सका

आज लाया हूँ वही गीत मैं तेरे लिये.. 

Even the way both of them holds receiver of phone speak volumes. Adheer so affectionately holds it, sometimes with both his hands, sometimes close to his chest. 

And the girl.. 

Phone's reciver gets a weak hold..

slips.. 

nah...!

It lingers around her neck.. 

strives for the grasp again.. 

..gets it.. 

slips again but rests near her chest... 

Again she takes it near to ears and again she drops it... 

Could it be any effective way to show the  plight, perplexity and pain she is being through? That's the height of depiction by director and actor. 

Majrooh's poetry is at its daintily best perfecting the mindset of lovelorn hero. S D Burman's composition here defines the word - ethereal. Minimalist music arrangement lets the feel of Majrooh's delicate words and Talat's satiny voice  flourish immensely, while Interludes are juxtaposed with soaring violins depicting the arising pang in Sujata's sinking heart.

दिल में रख लेना इसे हाथों से ये छूटे न कहीं

गीत नाज़ुक है मेरा शीशे से भी टूटे न कहीं.. 

How intricately just everyone has carried out the same feel with ultimate delicacy including Bimal Roy, Sunil Dutt, Nutan, S D Burman and of course, Talat Mahmood.💕

सामने दीवार थी खुद्दारियों की 

वर्ना रस्ते प्यार के पुरख़म नहीं थे...

Suddenly recalled these lines written by late Sudarshan Fakir while reading an interesting post written on similar subject before a couple of days. And somehow since then some clumsy thoughts keep popping up in mind time and again. 

What selfless love means? 

Well.. there can't be any fixed definition of love even. And still, one of the most cherished exegeses is of course, "ek aag ka dariya hai... " by Jigar Moradabadi.

One more similar verse comes to mind  from classic Gujarati literature also!

Kavi Preetam Das had written in one of his  Bhajans in 17th century  - 

प्रेम ग्रंथ पावक नी ज्वाळा, भाळी पाछा भागे जो ने... 

मांही पड्या ते महासुख पामे देखणहारा दाझे जो ने.. ! 

Means the path of love is covered with the flames of fire. There are ones who run away by just catching a sight of it. Who have already jumped inside are getting sheer bliss and solace and the ones watching it from outside are burning! 

Hundreds, or perhaps thousands of lines are written by Hindi films lyricists confirming the same thought. Burning is inevitable at some or other point. But just as Shailendra writes, even if your 'right' brain keeps stoping.. 

मत खेल..

मत खेल...

मत खेल जल जाएगी... 

कहती है आग मेरे मन की.. 

a lovelorn heart still jumps inside saying..

मैं बंदिनी पिया की मैं संगिनी हूं साजन की..

or as Anand Bakshi writes, 

शमा कहे परवाने से अरे चला जा

मेरी तरह जल जाएगा यहां नहीं आ..

still ultimately...

वो नहीं सुनता उसको जल जाना होता है..! 

What makes one to take this bull by horns? What makes one to merge all the dreams and desires into someone else's? What makes one surrender every thought or feel that can be written by using 'self' as prefix? And the most important question - to what extent? Is it actually possible to dissolve 'self' absolutely in this process? Well.. the answers would be as subjective as the definition of love that varies from person to person. Sometimes, it's - No. 

So! does that means there wasn't any love there? Well..  It could be like..  

है नाम होंठों में अब भी लेकिन

आवाज़ में पड़ गई दरारें.. 

And what if it is other way around? Means that person is having no  self-respect (khuddariyan) at all? No! Sometimes love makes a person so vulnerable. I think it's not always about the person. It's sometimes about the situation. Sometimes we don't value a person who's with us. It's not someone's love or efforts but loosing them and then longing makes one realise the value of any relationship. Yes! खो जाए तो सोना है.. 

Like Sahir writes for a moment full of devil-may-care attitude 

जो मिल गया उसी को मुकद्दर समझ लिया

जो खो गया मैं उसको भूलाता चला गया.. 

And for the same film, for very next song, Sahir says on behalf of the same person..

हम तो समझे थे कि हम भूल गए हैं उनको

क्या हुआ आज ये किस बात पे रोना आया.. ! 

Majrooh also confirms it by writing... 

हमें तो यही था ग़ुरुर..  ग़म ए यार हैं हमसे दूर.. 

वही ग़म जिसे हमने किस किस जतन से 

निकाला था इस दिल से दूर..  

वो चलके क़यामत की चाल आ गया

हुई शाम उनका ख़याल आ गया.. 

And those two songs written by Rajinder Krishan, that inginted the whole chain of thoughts today, after reading Deepa 's post. A huge favourite duet from Bharosa.  

When it is proposed, 

कभी कभी ऐसे भी आया करो

चाँद निकले तो घर जाया करो.. ,

you actually love to listen the reply from a simple village girl from 60s.. 

आयेंगे जायेंगे मरज़ी से हम 

प्यार है तो नाज़ भी उठाया करो.. 😁👌🏼

And then.. at a moment of longing... 

her lonely heart cries saying.. 

रहने दे मुझ को अपने क़दमों की ख़ाक बनकर

जो नहीं तुझे गवारा मुझे ख़ाक में मिला दे... 

So! One should offer everything including self-worth as an oblation to the holy fire of love? Or should keep everything intact by sparing self from this burning? 

An answer from Gulzar's pen has remained so comforting to me at all stages of life. 

मैं छाँव छाँव चला था अपना बदन बचा कर

के रूह को एक खूबसूरत जिस्म दे दूँ

न कोई सिलवट न दाग़ कोई

न धुप झुलसे, न चोट खाये

न ज़ख्म छुए , न दर्द पहुंचे

बस एक कोरी कुंवारी सुबह का जिस्म पहना दूँ रूह को मैं

मगर तपी जब दोपहर दर्दों की ,दर्द की धुप से जो गुज़रा

तो रूह को छाँव मिल गयी है

अजीब है दर्द और तस्कीं का साँझा रिश्ता

मिलेगी छाँव तो बस कहीं धुप मैं मिलेगी....!!

October is quite a special month for hindi film lovers as it brings birthdays/anniversaries of so many big stras like Ashok Kumar, Asha Parekh, Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Hema Malini, Smita Patil, Om Puri, Vinod Khanna and many others.

 But at the same time, we have lost some of our brightest stars in October only. Guru Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Sachin Dev Burman and of course, Sahir Ludhianvi whose death anniversary falls today only. While going through their entire career span, one can notice that these legends got to reap their share of success and stardom during 50s mostly. During 50s only most of them carved and cultivated their very much own style that was significantly different from their other contemporaries. Whenever they worked together they have formulated different dimensions of classics. 

While talking to DD Urdu, Gulzar sahab once said about Sahir : “If you look at his film career, then it has to be said, that Sahir sahab never took to the film medium, in fact it was the medium that embraced him. Jo unka andaaz tha wo medium ne apna liya, ye unki sabse badi khoobi hai."

For instance, songs of Pyasa. 

ये कूचे, ये नीलाम घर दिलकशी के

ये लुटते हुए कारवां ज़िंदगी के

कहाँ हैं, कहाँ हैं मुहाफ़िज़ खुदी के

जिन्हें नाज़ है हिन्द पर वो कहाँ हैं

Pretty heavy dosage of chaste Urdu was delivered by Sahir and Bade Burman Dada had composed that so exquisitely keeping the grandeur of the poetry intact. S.D.Burman, Sahir and Guru Datt together defined a class to hindi cinema and songs through their unparalleled work. 

But parallelly, one more combo was equally excelled during 50s. 

"Dan dar dan dar 

dan dar dan dar 

dan dar dan dar 

dan dar daaan......" 

Yeah! 

This too by Sahir! 

In 50s only! 

If we are talking about 50s, we can't miss to have even a single song having fantabulous combination of Dada Burman, Dev, Sahir and Kishore Kumar. 

There were several absolute riotious renditions where those "talkhiyaan" were evaporated from Sahir's ink for a quite a pleasant change. Or may be that ever mischievous naughty child in Kishore Kumar's persona might have dragged everyone to play their craziest and breathe at their lightest for a while. 

Taxi Driver was the soundtrack where bade Burman Dada have used three different playback singers for Dev Anand. Perhaps that "मायूसियों का, मजमा है जी में.." type of subtle lyrics would have made Dada choosing Talat Mahmood. But could never understand the logic behind choosing Jagmohan Bakshi!! 

IMO, IMHO, the best suitable voice for Mangal's (Dev Anand as taxi driver) character was actually the third one selected by Dada who also got the best suitable lyrics (language) too for that character from Sahir. 

हर फिक्र को धुएं में उड़ाता चला गया.. came later in 60s from Sahir for that ever-likable debonair soldier. But in 50s also Sahir arranged it all for Dev Sahab only to get over his ”आखरी फिक्र - पांच का नोट" in a khataara car's dhuan. Mode of transport - De Mello sahab ki gaadi.

The format of the song was gazal which I came to know many years later as who can even think of this?! 

Do you really think the way Kishore Kumar starts the song would have been 'composed' that way? If yes, then it would be amusing to know whose brain would have conceived the idea of that reverse mode of "Sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa.. !! The old monk?? Wow!! 😆

चाहे कोई खुश हो चाहे गालियाँ हज़ार दे

मस्त राम बन के ज़िंदगी के दिन गुज़ार दे... 

And what are the "lyrics" just after this mukhda.!?? 

I hope you are getting what part I mean. Remember, not just Kishore Kumar is singing alone there. Chorus too is singing that gibberish all along. So it must have been written. Who?! Sahir??? 

Mind boggling..!! 😁

Now antara. 

पी के धाँधली करुं तो मुझको जेल भेज दो

सूँघने में क्या है ये जवाब थानेदार दे .. 

Now this is quintessentially Sahir. Five people in a khataara car have five rupees total to enjoy with. How much liquor they would have got to get drunk with? 

Then? 

Jaane bhi do yaaron, 

thoda piyo, thoda sungho.. 

And what if still not satisfied? 

Simple.. ! 

भाव अगर बढ़ा भी डाले सेठिया तो ग़म न कर

खाये जा मज़े के साथ जब तलक़ उधार दे

Devil-may-care.. 😁

Just look at Dev sahab while lip-syncing these lines ! I hardly remember him wearing such a 'classy' attire where he considered his 4th button of shirt as first one! Fantastic!! 😁

Leave these people, even violins here are at their craziest mode! In fact all the instruments.. And those shouts, whistles, and that masht masht masht masht masht masht masht raam ended to "arey teri ki phir hawa nikal gai..." 

Hatts off... Just as Johnny walker says in the beginning - Kya phitkari maari hai imaan se..😄👌👍

We all have been reading about Sahir's unfavorable or say, devastating and dreadful childhood. This one is one of those songs wherein a little boy jumps out from the streets of Ludhiana to pen down all that 'mast mast mashti' he was perhaps deprived of. Or perhaps this was the attitude that people's poet with paradoxical nature wanted to show always ! Yes, 

चाहे कोई खुश हो चाहे गालियाँ हज़ार दे

मस्त राम बन के ज़िंदगी के दिन गुज़ार दे... 

But could he live so? 

Well.. the answer was given by Javed Akhtar during one Jashn-e-Rekhta festival. “Do you think a man who led a relaxed life, the one with money and comfort would name his book ‘talkhiyan' ? It is not possible. His life was full of bitterness and sadness and it remained with him till his last days.”

So? Was it like ... 

खुशियों की मंज़िल ढूँढी तो ग़म की गर्द मिली

चाहत के नग़मे चाहे तो आहें सर्द मिली

दिल के बोझ को दूना कर गया जो ग़मखार मिला

हमने तो जब कलियाँ माँगी काँटों का हार मिला...

Perhaps, it was not that way either. To me, Sahir led his life like one of my most favourite couplets from his writings : 

मेरे शौक़-ए-खाना ख़राब को, 

तेरी रहगुज़र की तलाश है...