Recherché Poetry on Display. Review on Aandhi Songs

A poet who can write poetry out of a goose-egg and a composer who can induce music into poetry written out of a goose-egg. The point is, how many of us could write poetry out of goose-eggs and how many of them music directors out there are capable of making wonders with such poetry. For most of us here, its easier to kudize Gulzar's numbers than to actually latch onto his poetry. But there is a subtle difference between acknowledging a work than to comprehend with. Those who acknowledge Gulzar's oeuvre see poetry out of goose-eggs and those who perceive, they see a whole different gamut of expressions.

My realization of Andhi's soundtrack can substantially be divided into 3 junctures.

Phase 1: Age 15-16: Judgement: Aandhi is Kishore and Lata all the way.

Phase 2: Age 20-21: Judgement: Its RD's baby.

Phase 3: Age 26Yrs (and a few insignificant months): Judgement: If not for Gulzar, this album would have been notched.

Most of us remember this movie as a biography on Indira Gandhi. I personally thought Aandhi was more about aspirations and objectives over relationships with a political backdrop rather than just a political saga. Ditto manifests the soundtrack. ''Salaam Kijiye'' by Rafi, Bhupinder and Amit Kumar is the only song in the album which talks about political issues. This song was deliberately directed towards Indira Gandhi. The song starts off with a studied circumspection..Salaam kijiye aali janaab aaye hain, yeh paanch saalon ka dene hisaab aaye hain. Though the message did get across despite the caution and Aandhi did get banned for a while.

Is Mod Se Jaate Hain: I prefer to call this song a colloquy between a woman and her counterpart. The woman is trying to identify the right path to her man's heart. The man lips her dilemma by showing her the right way...

''Patthar ki haveli ko (the body), Seeshe ke gharoundo mein (heart), tinke ke nasheman(nest) tak (soul).... is mod se jaate hain''.

Gulzar doesn't talk straight in this number. The entire song is based on metaphors. The more you listen to this number, the more encyclopedic it gets. I personally think, if someone who can out-and-out explain this is song, it has to be Gulzar himself.

Tum Aa Gaye Ho, Noor Aa Gaya Hai: Gulzar works with metaphors in ''Tum aa gaye ho'' but its slightly more straight forward than the other songs of this album. He talks about love making a difference in one's life.

''Tum aa gaye ho, noor(glow) aagaya hai, nahin toh charaghon(lamp) se lau(flame) jaa rahi thi, jeene ki tumse wajah mil gayi hai, badi be wajah zindagi jaa rahi thi.

Anyone in love can identify with this song, it gives you every reason to be in love.

Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi: Saving the best for the last was slightly premeditated. Gulzar illustrates the perplexities running in the minds of a couple who have met after a 9 year separation.

''Tere bina zindagi se koi shiqwa toh nahin, shiqwa nahin, shiqwa nahin.

Tere bina zindagi bhi lekin zindagi toh nahin, zindagi nahin, zindagi nahin.

The two lines say it all. On one hand she says her man has been the only grievance of her life and then her life is still incomplete without him.

''Jee main aata hai tere daaman mein sar chupa ke hum, rote rahein, rote rahein.

Teri bhi aankhon mein aansuon ki nami toh nahin''

It gives me jitters.

Can a soundtrack get any better? Gulzar hasen't written anything as good as this in years. His last was Ijaazat. What Gulzar writes today is not even half as good as Aandhi or Mausam or Masoom or Ijaazat. RD's contribution to this album can't be underrated. Its hard to imagine someone else giving music to these numbers. Maybe a forced option would be Madan Mohan. RD's choice of Lata and Kishore was conclusive. Asha would have lacked the veracity and acme that Lata's voice carried.

Masterpieces are occasional, even geniuses like RD and Gulzar have rarely made such exquisite showpieces. Aandhi rocks...