RAAT AKELI HAI

Song 29:

It's not that these oldies did not venture into risque terrains. They did express the gamut of emotions that all human beings possibly go through in a lifetime. This sizzling Asha Bhosle-SD song with lyrics by Majrooh is a case in point. While these songs did excite the senses and energised the imagination, they never left you reeling with shock and frowning in disgust. The sanctity of some experiences have to be left a mystery. There is a very thin line between 'sultry and sensuous' vis a vis 'crass and vulgar'. I am sure many people contend that each person has his own threshold of accepting or rejecting bold themes and ventures, so where does one draw the line? We slam lyricists but lyricists claim that they are literally forced to write to absurd situations by the makers of the movies. What these makers don't realise is that these songs stream into our day to day lives, blaring in cars, in houses, clubs, parties, weddings. Inadvertently we end up internalising the crap (yeah literally) these people are meting out. Not every one is discerning enough to differentiate between sass and trash. In the end we end up pretty much junking up our whole society by radiating these ludicrous lyrics. I mean we have enjoyed a Munni and a Sheila at a Birthday party. But then I am sure many of us have been to strange weddings where the song 'Tainu ghodi kinne chadaya Bhootni ke' blares down the groom's throat with pappus, their papas and patiala pegs having highjacked the DJ Console without even noticing what the song's all about!!! I recently went to a puja where a kid started crying. Pat her mom got her mobile out and started playing the 'Fevicol' song (much to the Panditji's dismay), saying " Yeh na buss issi se chupp hoti hai'! 2 year old baby hooked on to Fevicol song. Give me a break!!

NA JAO SAIYYAN

Song 28:

 

And who could compete with the poignantly drunk behaviour of the Chhoti Bahu who had everything, all comforts, all the riches in the world, people at her beck and call yet had nothing. Meena Kumari is simply reveting in this one. She glows, she mocks, she laments, she begs, she seduces all at once in the span of one song while her stoic better-half looks on stone-faced and yawns very well. Geeta Dutt too pumps life into this song. Perhaps she knew a thing or two about the emotions expressed in this song. The lyrics are by Shakeel Badayuni and music by Hemant Kumar.

Times have changed and while I do have objections to words such as 'Dasi' and' Charonon ki dhool' etc but I guess they depict a certain era and can be accepted as a form of abstract art. But come on wake up. This regressive thinking only makes some men think that their women are sole-mates and not soul mates. If faced today with such callous behaviour, women too are likely to put on their Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks and go look around the world a bit!

Still it is a classic and especially when I compare it to some regressive lyrics(Tandoori murgi anyone?) being churned out today, it is pretty palatable. More about those horror stories later.....

AAO HUZOOR TUMKO SITARON MEIN

Song 27:

When it comes to the dancing singing divas, this song is one sung brilliantly by Asha. The song is an irresistible invitation to heavens and beyond, an offer you couldn't refuse. Although after those subtle B&Ws this one may seem almost garish with Babita going rather OTT. She looked nice(Karishma and Kareena's mom after all!) but was a pathetic actress and is kinda overdressed here, overdoing the drunk bit. But those were times when anything to do with women and drinking had to be portrayed in a very negative light. Cliched stuff about how women couldn't handle drinks and would run amock at parties if they as much as sniffed wine and snifted some brandy. Then they would be difficult to control making rather pretty asses of themselves!!!

But even in an inebriated state they managed to spout some heavy shayari: "Hamaraaz hamkhayaal to ho hamnazar bano, tay hogaa zindagi kaa safar hamasafar bano." Heavy and so true!!! Infact one can omit watching the video and just listen to the song, and it has a totally different effect. That was the magic of radio after all. What I like is the way Asha has delivered some very Arabic sounding alaaps and not to miss the perfect hickups. Now tell me which music tutor teaches those??!!!

Music is by O P Nayyar and lyrics by either S H Bihari/ Noor Dewasi.

HUN ABHI MAIN JAWAN

Song 26:

Missing Geeta Dutt, aren't we? I deviated for a while into retro to cover more of Asha Bhosle who indeed is the more prolific of the two. But that does not mean quantity always overrules quality. If Asha entertained us decade after decade, reinventing herself, Geeta remains encapsulated for posterity in her few but unforgettable songs. For me Geeta would always be the more mysterious of the two, the more enigmatic, the inscrutable and undecipherable. Now isn't that a whole different charm? That je ne sais quoi quality about her is what gets me going back to her on a night like this. 

 And then there were dancing divas who claimed to be drunk without consuming any alcohol-not entirely true. They were drunk on youth and life, on love and music, on dance and mystique. They crooned langorously, inviting strange bypassers in the middle of the night, throwing caution to the winds. They found solace in intoxication because seen through the misty prism of red red wine, life and both its frivolities and failings seemed a little more bearable and endurable. Now this is what I call very balanced acting in a slightly tipsy but a rocking and rooted drunk number. I wonder noone really names Shakila as one of the memorable names of that era. She was quite attractive and a good actress but then she competed with the very best, such a sea of talent surrounded her-Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Nalini Jaiwant to name a few. But this song is subtle magic. And I think I don't even need to mention the brilliant Geeta Dutt, O P Nayyar, Guru Dutt and Majrooh who all make it happen. Yeah saying they were great is stating the obvious!!! So enjoy this one for the road....

MAIN TO BEGHAR HUN

Song 25:

 

Back home at a safe time after a lovely evening. This is Delhi baba! Whatever said and done, I like to be back home in Delhi at a safe hour. Club crooner though at times had to hitch-hike back home, and not in the best of states. This is a real fun Asha song picturised on Parveen Babi. Now Parveen did sexy dumb really well. Absolutely gorgeous, she was one of the first Indian actresses to be featured on International magazines such as Vogue and Time etc. I loved her looks as a kid and found this song particularly amusing. Also I am sure everyone remembers her 'making an omelette scene' where she breaks eggs on her head, one of the most hilarious scenes ever.

Now I am not in anyway endorsing drunk behaviour or advocating all that she does in this song. Just one of those harmless fun numbers to be enjoyed and not to be emulated. But also true that such behaviour often emerges from a state of homelessness of the mind and soul more than anything else. The soul is a restless being, shifting, searching, wandering. It takes a while before it finds its moorings. Not so easy to rein it in but worth making an effort. One way is to maintain proximity with those who put it at ease, who calm you, hear you out without being judgemental. We all need anchors and when we find that island of hope, warmth and wisdom, drop the anchors, take rest and enjoy some moments of peace.

Heavy gyaan late in the night. I guess having changed atleast 30 houses in my nomadic life-though some of them were clearly spectacular, from tents to bashaws to bamboo shacks to British style bungalows to barracks to spooky haunted houses- I am just happy to announce I am not beghar anymore. I have a sweet little house of my own that I am dying to do up nicely. Makes me a little philosophical and remember all the years gone by in a constant state of homelessness!!! ;-))

SANAM TUM JAHAN

Song 24:


Back from her vacation, Club crooner got back to her job with renewed vigour. There were many things to be done, plots to be planted and guests to be lured. The mysterious allure of tall dark strangers was to be thwarted with all her will power. Mesmerising as his hungry eyes were, soul drilling as his baritone was, he was a mysterious stranger at the end of the day. Club crooner knew how to entertain him and hold his attention. But the trick was not to get swayed by his charms. The trick was to get him drunk on whatever his poison was, and the promise of sublime elixir of her lips, her sultry voice. The challenge was in getting him so intoxicated and addicted to her sweet soul pampering, that he let go of his defences.

She could lead him onto the harness of her raven tresses, imprison him in her brandy eyes, she could leave a delicious trail of her lacquered blood red nails. Yeah, she was hard as nails inside. She knew back then how the hint of one beautiful shapely leg was so much more irresistible than a half naked body, something perhaps Angelina Jolie would be credited for 20 years later. But she was a diva back then, the fluffy boa in place, as was the sequinned red gown meant for red carpets.

Soon the hero was guided to hazy, lazy water beds, her hallucinating dance reaching a crescendo. Was she the proverbial black magic woman or an angel on psychedelic drugs? That time would tell. For now it was his diamond filled watch she was eyeing. Then maybe he wanted her to have that watch in the first place. Who was fooling whom? That time would tell.....


Another Asha Bhosle gem composed by R D Burman. Hey he gave her the best songs. They were married! Itna sa special privilege to valid hai! :-)

JAB SE TUMKO DEKHA

Song 23:


The club crooner too, like any other woman wanted to rush out for holidays to idyllic spots, and do fun, family things together. They could take off for Switzerland or in an ideal world, terrorism free Kashmir with Chunnu Munnu in tow. Full marks to this 80s director for showing a happy family with two daughters! The world through rose tinted glasses is what you see when you are in love. Each vista opens on to lush green valleys, gurgling waterfalls and gushing rivulets. Everything is picture perfect. Is it a fantasy or is it for real? Wouldn't we do anything, just anything in the world to see our loved ones always safe and happy like this? Then why don't we all work towards a safe world?

The fact is that God did make this beautiful world for us to explore and savour and enjoy. It is we who built agendas and divisions and prejudices. Ultimately it is only love for mankind that will rescue all of us. It will be the love of life, of inclusiveness, of equal opportunities and level playing fields. It is only when we see our mirror images in all cultures of the world, that we appreciate what an incredible gift life is. And the biggest example of this is that no matter what culture you pick up and read the literature of, the basic issues, the core stories everywhere revolve around more or less the same themes.  Find those similarities and celebrate them, savour the minor differences like exotica, like a new cuisine you try. That is the key to embracing one and all. The answer to most problems in this world is as simple as childsplay: L- O- V- E!

Ok for the timebeing I simply love the dresses Parveen Babi wears in this song and want to embrace them asap. What cool dresses and boots! So wearable even today. Now she was one natty dresser. This was Western but not something that was jarring or dying for attention. It was classy, cool and chic!

So enjoy this duet by Asha Bhosle with Kishore for it's child-like wonder, coz the club crooner's vacation may soon be over. Soon you may be back under the arc lights, with subtle interplays and sub texts. Today is a sunlit vale. Tomorrow is another day!

 

DO LAFZON KI HAI DIL KI KAHANI

Song 22: 



The club crooner too dreamt of peaceful moments of bliss with her man. Her job entailed entertaining a bunch of beer guzzling, boisterous, burping men every night. Did she truly enjoy it? Naah! All she wanted was to be with that one special man who had left an impact on her. She wanted to be somewhere far away, on a gondola in Venice maybe, singing songs of love and passion. Songs that spelt the magic of mysterious, mystifying love. She wanted to be serenaded in serenity. She wanted to coo sweet nothings into his ears. She wanted to be held captive by his smouldering gaze. They were not the first couple in the world, and they would not be the last. But songs like these, as if summed up all that there had been, all that is and all that ever would be, between two hearts who loved truly. It was all about youth and love. Youthful energy and amour galore.

And it was this that tormented her beyond measure. It was this helplessness that sometimes irked her no end and turned her cranky and crazy. She wanted to let him know that it was with him that she had truly experienced happiness, true calm and peace even if on a rocky boat! But for now she had to go on with her job and do well. As he had to focus on what he was doing, what with so many detractors lurking and challenges smirking. Dreamy getaways would be found and perhaps one day some semblance of 'Happily Ever After'!!:-)

This is one of my all time favourites sung by Asha Bhosle, composed by R D Burman and written by Anand Bakshi.

TUM KITNE DIN BAAD MILE

 Song 21: 

Yet the club crooner was not always sugar and spice and all things nice. She was incensed by callousness and once rubbed the wrong way, she was sure to be nasty and make people a little uncomfortable with her in-your-face innuendoes.

Her midnight raven tresses became carnal traps and her big brown eyes were avenging embers. The hero who had on previous occasions enjoyed some fun filled moments with her, was taken aback if reminded of them in the presence of others especially good ol' Betty(Neetu Singh always played Betty, didn't she to Zeenat's Veronica) in tow. Club crooner thrived on this power and enjoyed the nervous fit she sent him into, aided of course by an assortment of shady and conniving men with handle bar moustaches and dark glasses. Not to miss the flashy lockets, the overgrown hair, lurking revolvers and bellbottoms. Haha you get the drift, I am sure!

Lyrics are by Anand Bakshi and music by R D Burman

JAWAANI JAANEMAN HASEEN DILRUBA

Song 20: 8 April 2013


80s was the time when movie song sets were at their gaudiest, glitziest best. Directors loved playing around with space age like chambers with women in strange catsuits or in golden blinders that made you feel you had landed on the sun.  Club crooner too had to don new forms. Gone were the simplicity and girl next door charm of dancing divas of yonder. Big hair, captivating curls, golden eye shadow, dangler earrings, costumes as if dipped in golden paint. On top of that choreography that was erratic to say the least. There was always a sub text going on. A seemingly happy club song always had a dark, stark subterfuge. Villians with mismatched shoes somewhere in the background, intrigues and heists. Perhaps the hero's mom tied somewhere, suspended on top of a cauldron of boiling water.....or oil! Gosh our guts sure grew strong and impersonal looking at these horror stories carved in gold and glitzy disco lights. Perhaps it was the obvious fake-ness of it all that helped. Perhaps it were villians like Ajit who helped churn an entire industry of hilarious jokes, with his love for 3 things- Mona, sona aur Mona ke saath sona! That we digested the diatribe with a good old tablet of Digene and kept coming back for more.

But as far as club songs of the 80s go, and as far as Asha Bhosle songs go, this is still one helluva number. Parveen Babi! What a stunning beauty, what a figure, what a sad end though. I remember her fondly, one of my teen girl crushes for sure. Here she plays a cross between Diana Ross and Gold Souk! This song by Bappi Da (Oh now got the gold inspiration behind it! Finally!!!) and lyrics by Anjaan is as retro as it can get. For it is a theme scheme for a crazy fancy dress party. Amitabh and Shashi Kapoor are the bonus!

DISCO DEEWANE

Song 18: 4 April 2013


It's been a season of remakes. This song was recently replicated in the movie 'Student of the Year' and it was surreal to watch my daughter go completely crazy dancing on it almost 30 years after I did! Himmatwala 2 tested our patience while Chashme Baddoor 2 is ready for release tomorrow, interestingly being released alongside the original Chashme Buddoor on the same day! Zanjeer, Aashiqui, Satte Pe Satta and Satyakaam are some remakes being awaited! We've already had a decade of song remixes doing the rounds. Maybe in a creatively challenged environment, a remake is a subtle form of flattery. 

But nothing to beat the original. Which is why this video shot at some event is still so refreshing to watch. Nazia Hassan accompanied by her brother Zohaib Hassan were household names in India owing to the fresh vibe their music brought in. They provided a breath of fresh air and vitality to the particular sound of that era. True talent and star appeal know no boundaries. One can also relate to the very sub-continental tradition of sending the brother along just to chaperone a pretty young girl to a performance, even if he had to sing and dance for effect to please sister dearest! Even otherwise the sub-continent has a history of shared musical roots in Hindustani classical music. The artistes of Pakistan have always been loved immensely in India and to quite an extent have been better cultural ambassadors than the state heads. Stars from across the border-Aatif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Zafar to name a few-at times help us challenge our own limits in healthy competition. That sis of mine, Bitty Didi I spoke about in previous blog, is today an accomplished ghazal/thumri singer, Dr. Radhika Chopra, who has travelled to many countries for her concerts, but she admits that the warmth that she always encounters in Pakistan is something else!


Whatever be our political conflicts and tugs of war, it brings some relief that our language, clothing, music, food and now literature too bind us together. At times of sudden conflicts I have tried my best to hate some of these visitors from the core of my heart. I have been nasty on social media forums, venting anger and trolling some. I even sniggered as to why does Ali Zafar use so much make-up or that why he over-acts, to try and be a detractor and have told him (on Twitter) to 'go back' on some tense occasions. But one had to see him in 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' and then 'London Paris NewYork' to see how utterly entertaining he is on screen. I am sure he will spring some surprises in Chashme Baddoor though I cannot still get over the original Farooque Sheikh. And replicating Deepti Naval's Miss Chamko?! Well that would be sacrilege for sure. But probably my daughter's generation could not even sit through the original version today. And come to think of it, neither could I sit through original versions of Devdas and Parineeta but thanks to recent interpretations, I love both these stories/movies. So if at the end of the day peace wins, culture wins, the arts win, our literature wins, I would say these remakes and exchanges are a win-win.

Which brings me to a heart-warming story yesterday where a young girl of 7 in Rajasthan drifted into Pakistani territory and how the Pakistani Rangers took great care of her, assigning a lady officer to look after her, and finally let her come back to India safe and sound, with a new dress, shoes, candy and few other gifts! To me such stories are little beacons of hope. Also Twitter has made me aware of some amazing people, writers, journalists in Pakistan today who relentlessly keep up the good work of saying the right things, standing up for difficult stances courageously in what can be called rather dangerous, chaotic and perilous circumstances there. Let's hold on to these little harbingers of peace. Let's give them all our support. Beyond the boundaries, today I believe that if you are not supporting the positive forces, you are indirectly contributing to the negative forces. The math is as simple as that. Hopefully the bad guys will fade into the twilight soon enough.

BOOM BOOM

Song 18: 3 April 2013


This song too brings on so many memories. I was in my teens or maybe younger and most of our summer vacations were spent at my maternal grandfather's house in Jalandhar. It was a beautiful sprawling house with a fragrant lawn with mango trees that we loved climbing and the sweet fragrance of frangipani and 'Raat ki Rani' that scented our dreams. There would be almost 20 cousins in all, ranging from 4 to 18 and the whole day would be spent planning the next prank or fun thing to do. My mom's family was a very musical family with a harmonium, tanpura, sitar and tabla pretty handy for whenever the sudden mood to sing would set in! Often there would be an impromptu mehfil in place with great showing-off of vocal chords or lung power depending on which side of the talent scale you happened to have inherited your singing capabilities from.

I used to of course, worship my cousin Bitty Didi who was in college while we were in school still! She was the queen and we her humble followers. We would run errands for her and wait on her, hand and foot for the promised treat of being allowed to accompany her to 'college' some day in a rickshaw where she was a student of classical Indian music! There probably she would let us have a coke in the canteen and we would get to meet her myriad handsome, male admirers in class. We would follow her doggedly all day and come back very triumphant. Bitty Didi's room that summer had been transformed slightly. Slowly the typical classical notes and inspiring pictures of ghazal maestros were off, to be replaced by huge posters of this stunning beauty with sparkling eyes and a thick mane of lustrous black hair called Nazia Hassan. She was a superstar at 15. One evening Bitty Didi even let us listen to her LP in full blast while we tripped on lemonade and danced the evening away. I guess that was our first rave party that I can remember. Life was good. Youthful music has no play-by date! RIP Nazia Hassan! For us you will be 15 forever!:-)

 

AAP JAISA KOI MERI ZINDAGI MEIN AAYE

Song 17: 03 April 2013


So when one looks back at all the great club crooner numbers, Asha and Geeta laid the foundation of this genre with their sultry vocals. Asha's inherent coquettish charm and Geeta's sensuous lilt took on myriad forms in the ensuing years. If one had to identify what exactly made great club crooner numbers, I guess it was always a fair combination of vivaciousness and innocence that worked best. Nothing too in your face, nothing over the top. These songs had to be bold, grab your eyeballs, yet hint at things playfully rather than the very overtly blatant lyrics one gets to hear today.

The voice too, often conveyed that girlish enthusiasm and wide-eyed wonder, unlike the very forced guttural and moaning sounds one gets to hear in the name of so called 'item' numbers.

Gimme a club crooner number, fresh and mildly mischievous any day! One such lovely singer who made a mark even if in her brief but scintillating career was Nazia Hassan, that charming guest star we had hailing from Pakistan. At a young age she simply charmed her way into our hearts. Feroz Khan of course made this song a cult classic with some rather bold depiction for those times. Yes, it's very Boney M in terms of those typical Disco songs we grew up dancing to in Army Messes. Zeenat too, what a woman! I guess the hottest woman to ever grace Hindi screen, here seen calming and charming the debonair Feroz Khan with elan and oomph.

Nazia Hassan of course went away too soon. God Bless wherever you are. You were the biggest little superstar of our teens. And this is one helluva club crooner number no matter what age you watch it in!

 

UNSE MILI NAZAR KE MERE HOSH

Song 16: 02 April 2013


Its not that Lata did not attempt fun songs. Although her forte were songs that were pure, virginal, pristine in nature, she did let her hair down once in a while. During my research of her songs two years ago, I did come across some startlingly peppy and risque songs, that if you heard not paying much attention, could almost pass off as Asha Bhosle songs. Yet her pitch and voice quality stand apart even in those songs and kind of overpower the sensuality per se.

Here's one such adorable number featuring the Shankar Jaikishan-Hasrat Jaipuri hit combo of ace composer-lyricist.  Saira Banu was a beauty, with a perfect 10 figure back when Hindi movie heroines were not really required to have one. Though never in the league of great actresses, she knew how to strut her stuff as is evident in this song, coming as she did from a long line of professional courtesans. Though she had a privileged and protected childhood with schooling in London and a stint at a Swiss finishing school, she like her mother Naseem and that other beauty Nargis capitalised on an era when girls from so called 'good families' were still not allowed or encouraged to join movies.

They made the right move shifting to movies, in the bargain courting name, fame and adulation. Both Saira and Nargis went on to marry two of the most respectable men in the industry, Dilip Kumar and Sunil Dutt respectively. So theirs was a real life happy story emphasising the fact that everybody deserves a second chance. So when you get one, grab it!

That's why found it a bit ironic last month when in an interview aired on International Women's Day, Sanjay Dutt went on and on about how he would never let his daughters join the industry. That how it was against family honour and blah blah blah, when one would have liked to remind him that any dis-repute to his family in recent times has been mostly because of him!