Caution : As always, this is self indulgence at its best, and has turned out to be a bit long. Hope not to disappoint the readers. And the night shall be filled with music. And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And as silently steal away.
--
*Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
*As stated elsewhere, Khayyam Sa'ab is one of my favorite composers... and what an understatement that is! One of the few composers whose music has the power of transporting you from your dreary routine life. I often wonder about how he would have felt, composing music in late 70s and early 80s when Hindi film music was reaching its nadir. Would he have felt pain, would he have felt tortured, surrounded by mediocrities around him? For brilliance requires company, who else will praise you or admonish you?
Razia Sultana, a movie that took a long time in making, was one of Kamal Amrohi's ambitious ventures. Set to music by Khaiyyam and with immortal lyrics penned by Jaan Nisar Akhtar, the music fared much better than the film itself. The music and the lyrics have a royal, silken feel about them, not to forget the voices of Asha, Lata, Jagjeet Kaur and the unforgettable Kabban Mirza, which again made the songs immortal.The songs are all gems as individual entities, however I shall, as they say, leave the best for the last.
hariyaala banna aaya re, hariyaala banna aaya re
choti goondhe ghataa, paanv choome hina
maang moti bhari maathe jhoomar saja
banni ke jo man bhaaya re
hariyaala banna aaya re
A quintessential song which celebrates the marriage rites, the voices of Asha and Jagjeet Kaur have wrought their special magic here. The groom is at the door, and the bride, all decked up, is waiting to be united with him with the blessings of mortals as well as the Gods.
mil gayi raahatein
jaag uthi kismatein
chhod kar aasmaan a gayi jannatein
hooron ne shagan gaya re
hariyaala bannaa...
devataaon ke man hain khushi se magan
pi se milane chali saj ke razia dulhan
khushiyon ke chaman laaya re
hariyaala bannaa...
I find a special earthy quality in Jagjit Kaur's voice. Its raw, earhty, slow paced and entirely enticing. If you note carefully, Urdu and Hindi words have been carefully interspersed, showing the harmony between the two communities in a way which makes my heart glad.
Ae Khuda Shukra tera,
ki mera yaar chala baandh kar sar par sehra.
sung by Mahendra Kapur is again a marriage song, which is sung by the groom's friends, thanking the Gods for this beautiful occasion. Again, its a nice song, but pales in comparison to others.
jalta hai badan
pyaas bhadaki hai
pyaas bhadaki hai sare shaam se jalta hai badan
ishq se kah do ki le aaye kaheen se saavan
pyaas bhadaki hai sare shaam se jalta hai badan
jalta hai badan
Ah Lata!!! How does one escape the magic of your golden voice. An outright mujra song, this one had none of the gauchy attributes one normally associates with them. Rather it represents sensuality at its best. The lyrics have a velvety feel to them. In fact, having read about Lata's refusal to sing songs she deemed improper, I am amazed how she sung this song, suffusing it with an earthy desire and the pure physical feel which the lyrics impart.
jaane kab raat dhale, subah tak kaun jale
daur par daur chale, aao lag jaao gale
aao lag jaao gale kam ho seene ki jalan
pyaas bhadaki hai sare shaam se jalta hai badan
And the lyrics, provocative, yet elegant, set to music so so beautifully, its as if the desire is a tangible being, out to ensnare the beloved, the object of one's affections.
dekh jal jaayenge ham, is tabassum ki kasam
ab nikal jaayega dam, teri baahon mein sanam
dil pe rakh haath ki tham jaaye dil ki dhadakan
pyaas bhadaki hai sare shaam se jalta hai badan
choom kar raat sulaayegi to neend aayegi
khwaab ban kar koi aayega to neend aayegi
ab vahi aa ke sulaayega to neend aayegi
khwaab ban kar...
Love, sigh!!!!! Somehow, when you know you are about to meet the beloved, when the anticipation is at its peak, the sleep just goes away for a toss... the eyes refuse to close, the consciousness refuses to lose even one waking moment, which could be spent in thinking about the beloved, remembering him. Now only the lure of seeing him in the dreams shall let her sleep.....
The song is all about Lata's voice, mischevious while teasing the damsel who refuses to go to sleep, and there is a dreamy quality to the song which is further enhanced by the lack of musical instruments.... Listen to this one at night, all alone, and you will feel as if its being sung for you, designed to make you sleep, so you can meet your beloved in your dreams...
And now, my three favorites.....
Tera hijr mera naseeb hai, tera gham, tera gham hi meri hayaat hai
mujhe teri doori ka gham ho kyon, mujhe teri doori ka gham ho kyon,
tu kahin bhi ho mere saath hai,
Kabban Mirza, that wonderful singer (is the word sufficient for the pain, the pathos he brought out in the lyrics, the way he was able to imbibe the music?), was handpicked by Khayyam Sa'ab for this movie, and specially for the song which I shall talk about later. Again, an unconventional voice, his is an unhurried melody, which forces you to stop and take notice, and once you stop, you are hooked, unable to escape the snare, and to be honest, quite unwilling too.
mere vaaste tere naam par, koi harf aaye nahi nahi
mujhe khauf e duniya nahin, magar mere ruu-ba-ruu teri zaat hai
Your seperation is fated for me, the bittersweet pain you gave me is the reason for my exsitance. I dont feel apart from you, you are always with me. I shall never be a reason for a censure or reproach being cast on you, never... I am not worried about the world for myself, but I have your soul in front of my eyes.
tera wasl ai meri dilruba, nahin meri kismat to kya hua,
meri mahejabin, meri mahejabin,
meri mahejabin, yahi kam hai kyaa,
teri hasaraton kaa to saath hai
So what if I am not destined to meet you, my beloved, I have that desire, that wistfulness to accompany my journey into life. That is enough, and even if it is not, it will have to suffice me. The heart which is longing for the beloved, has become adept at accepting the pain, even rejoicing in it, the pain is its own glory. The yearning is there, yet the heart is stoic in its acceptance of its fate, its painful solitude.
If you listen to this song, when Kabban repeats the notes "meri mehjabeen", and when he goes into the higher notes, its like a birdsong, like a stab in your heart. The song brings a bittersweet longing to the listeners' hearts and soul and how.
Continued in comments..
