ANKHON MEIN TUM HO

Song 60:

That way Kishore and Geeta Dutt did not get to sing too many songs together. The reason maybe that Geeta Dutt was a regular of S D Burman camp and he always favoured Rafi or Hemant Kumar with her. But it is amazing how Kishore, the buffoon that he was in terms of acting, brought out a very wild side of Geeta Dutt. This song is a case in point. In fact she sounds a lot like Asha Bhosle in this song. I had to listen to it almost thrice to ensure it was indeed Geeta. It is typically a madcap song. It's utter nonsense and gibberish. But it happens at times, when you've been through the whole gamut of emotions, you've dug so deep into your heart time and time again, sometimes you just draw a blank.

There is nothing much to say. It may be an emotional bankruptcy of sorts. You've been there, done that, said it all, quarrelled, made up a hundred times, been jealous, dealt with it, almost killed each other with anger and then cooled down. Then you can only turn to the comical in relationships. Everything is funny. Often in long term relationships the very qualities that attracted you in the other person in the first place start irritating you. Everything is ironical! Then love is expressed as a threat, a warning and almost as a sock across the face. The bond almost like a lasso around the neck! It's almost like where once you said, " Miss ya love!" now you say "Miss me Ok!"

But it's a song that you can't help laughing when you watch it. Kishore Kumar is going totally crazy and reminds me of a horse who's had some rum and is going a little out of control. But he was so spontaneous and natural in his comic timing and Madhubala more than matches up, nicely manoeuvring him with a noose around his neck. The secret behind that unmatchable control is that she was actually married to him when they shot this movie!  HA HA HA

The power of a controlling woman! Enjoy!! :)
 

MAUSAM PYAAR KA YUN HI CHALTA RAHE

Song 59:

An Asha Kishore song always had that rain kissed freshness. It was like going for a wild, long ride on the hills of Khandala and Lonavla on a meandering road to nowhere in particular. The journey was the destination. It was bound to be fun. They exemplified youthful songs that lingered way past insipid movies. Ok I am kinda really tired and all I can say about this song is that it has the very very cute Rishi Kapoor and sadde Chandigarh di soni kudi Poonam Dhillon. Rest the hills, the rain, the jeep, the pretty pretty dresses, two hearts madly in love and R D Burman's music. That's all there is to the charm of this song. Revisit your 20s today! :)
 

SAARA PYAAR TUMHARA MAINE BANDH

Song 58:

Well just finished watching a special 'Parenting Episode' of Indian Idol Junior and must say it was simply great. All the kids sang songs related to parents and parenting. Needless to say everyone had to cry (How would reality TV survive without tears!) But yes, parenting is a beautiful combination of blood, sweat, tears ,toil and pride.

Catch Kishore-Asha essay this beautiful mood of anticipating parents in this song from the 70s. There is a Hindi song for every conceivable situation or phase of life! The time when a couple plans and longs for their first child is such a beautiful phase. Suddenly this strong and powerful bond develops between the two. You have to think of each other for a lifetime now, you have to be responsible and serious about the relationship. You have to know what you're getting into. Suddenly your love multiplies as you plan for the beautiful days ahead, with the footprints of a little bundle of joy. There are many adjustments that one has to make, and be prepared for making some sacrifices and alterations in your lifestyle. But it is a choice you make with pleasure.

In days to come you realise that kids are often that wonder-glue that keep couples together. As far as possible, you put aside your little differences and want to give the best to the kid. At least that is the primary understanding on which the very foundation of a family is laid. It has become fashionable to be individualistic but parenting teaches you patience, endurance, tolerance and the spirit of giving without expecting anything in return. Every couple cherishes this time when they waited anxiously for their first baby, for life. It is a beautiful time of caring and sharing. It is also the last time when they are purely just man and wife. After that of course it is always being Mama and Papa first and foremost! So value God's blessings and wish that all adorable coochie woochie kids get abundant love from both the parents. The junior lights up a whole clan and one can only feel happy about it and wish he/she has a beautiful long life ahead. 

That Bong rosogolla Uttam Kumar makes an adorable expectant father in this song and gosh! Have you ever seen Sharmila look more beautiful? She is glowing! Parenthood surely gives an added appeal to a personality. So here's happy parenting to all the yummilicious Dads and gorgeous Moms out there! Now this song always puts me in the mood to maybe think of another(although I know it is unthinkable right now). In an ideal world I would also like a naughty little son like Calvin! I'm kidding! Hahaha:) 

ANKHON ANKHON MEIN HUM TUM

Song 57:

Asha Bhosle started singing in the 1950s, her first film being Mangu in 1954. However her first big break was CID in which the music was composed by O P Nayyar. Then followed a number of good movies with O P Nayyar's music. But O P Nayyar's favourite male singer was Mohd Rafi. So most of Asha's initial duets were with Mohd Rafi. While Asha-Rafi had some great songs together, it was much later that Asha Kishore too became a force to reckon with. While with Rafi a formality was maintained, with Kishore, Asha's voice blossomed into a vibrant form, coming upto her full potential. There was such perfect unison, such harmony. Everything looked perfect, maybe too good to be true.

Taking this another mood from the 60s this time. An unusual Asha-Kishore song for it is not frivolous or funky, but very gentle and sublime, perfectly enacted by the oh so gentlemanly Dev Anand and the coquettish Asha Parekh. It has a fairy tale like quality. Love too slowly tip-toes into your life in the strangest of ways, like an unbelievable fairy tale.  You are caught unawares. The magical allure of that dream-like state is such that you drift along, putting all your sense and logic aside. You build castles in the air and float on clouds. Everything is picture perfect.

All you see all around is him and you imagine perhaps its the same for him too. You wake up and you think of him, you smile and his eyes smile back at you. You eat something nice and you feel like sharing with him. You wear some nice clothes and you want him to see you in those. Lilting violins play in the background even in the middle of a busy day at work. You look into your files and his voice resonates in your ears. You even start loving the words he uses often. You remember the colour of each and every shirt of his. You post long forgotten songs at odd hours and wake up in the middle of the night for unexplained water breaks. It's as if his eyes follow you all day. In all of this you do start loving yourself a little more too. Then one fine day you know it's silly. He has a complete life. And so do you. But yes, it's true. Yes, it's called a Twitter crush!
 

HAAL KAISA HAI JANAAB KA

Song 56:

Asha and Kishore singing together was always like a breezy evening on the beach, easy, chilled out and frolicking. There was a joy that emanated, there was good humour and camaraderie. They could pull each other's leg, make good natured jibes at each other. Nothing was taboo. The fact was that they had amazing chemistry and great friendship and it more than translated on screen, giving the pairing a great vibe. They were perfect to represent a love that was not suffocating or dictating terms. Love wasn't meant to smother or totally transform a person. If it demanded too many lifestyle and ideological changes, love would be just a noose around the neck.

It is important to give space and claim your own space too. Which is why when the singing dancing diva found her perfect partner, there was spring that bloomed, with the birds chirping merrily and a sunny day laying down a fun fiesta of enjoyment and sunshine. They would tease, prod, poke, have little tiffs too. But the bond was so strong and enduring that all would be forgotten the next morning. All they wanted to do was to share a laugh. They were backslapping buddies, partners in crime, well-wishers before they were lovers. He could be quite the comic when he wanted to be. And her laughter literally tinkled all over the countryside. Behind all the mock fights and temper tantrums, all she wanted was to see him happy and he could give anything, just about anything to see that dazzling smile of hers.    

MAINE TUJHE MANGA TUJHE PAYA HAI

Song 55:


When taking time off the singing /dancing diva was like an oasis in the harsh desert of life. She could provide succour and sense to the hero, calm his frayed nerves, get him to see the silver lining in every grey cloud.  When the guy faced challenges, she was there to let him know that no matter what went wrong, at least they always had each other.

Their moments together were like a shot of life-giving elixir. No trial no tribulation was big enough, or worth bothering about. Yes, life was tough and there were challenges galore. There were bad days, trying times, intrigues, back-stabbings, accusations, accessions. There were tough professional decisions one often had to take. There were great personal compromises one had to make juggling the various roles in life. But in the cosy cocoon of each other's arms they found answers to all the world's problems. At least they thought they could solve all the world's problems with their optimism and courage.

Refreshed, rejuvenated, they got up, dusted off the dirt and were ready to face a new day. One of those quintessentially nice Asha-Kishore duets. Now that was a singing match made in heaven. Together Asha & Kishore are my favourite singing couple with so many fun songs. Starting today with this sedate and solemn one. Lyrics are by that doyen Sahir and music by RD (yes RD could belt out a solemn tune when he wanted). But believe me the fun has just begun. Of course Shashi Kapoor is an absolute darling in this-worried, intense, guarded, brooding-someone you'd like to reach out to and console. He plays the conscientious police officer troubled with impediments to justice and Neetu provides just the perfect foil. Great love stories are made of these-casting your apprehensions aside, rising up to the occasion and supporting your partner no matter what!

JAAIYE AAP KAHAN JAAENGE

Song 54:


Sometimes the singing/dancing diva felt jealous and insecure too. Even if the hero had given her more than what she could ever imagine in the given situation, still the impossibility of it all, the distance, the invisible walls between them made her feel a little helpless. She wanted to be close to him at all times and share her thoughts, ideas, aspirations and dreams with him constantly. But when he acted pricey and guarded, she had to take a step back. She had to look within and reflect. He was a free bird, as wild as they came, independent, driven and purposeful. How long could she tag along? So she let go. With all her might she would hold her feelings still in her heart to evolve and mature. She knew he would come back to her some day. She knew she would wait. She knew that when he came back, her love would have grown manifold and she would have that much more to give him.

CHEHRE PE KHUSHI CHHA JAATI HAI

Song 53:

Sometimes the singing diva was tickled pink by the unique way in which that mysterious stranger expressed his love. She'd imagine she'd lost him owing to her over friendly, open nature. She was rather clear hearted and therefore, never felt the need to be overly secretive or guarded. Probably he did not approve of her openness. He doubted her intentions at times.

After days of despondency and uncertainty, he would throw her way a huge swathe of warmth and affection. He was so grand and beguiling in his manner that it took her breath away. He watched her silently from the sides, unsure if she was fooling around with many an eligible suitor. Little did he know that she was totally enamoured by him. And she was ready to tone down the exuberance if it made him happy, for she loved him to bits. All others could vanish into thin air, for all she cared. If anything the other guys were buddies, chat-brats and platonic pals.

He stood apart. Regal and manly, classy and confident, tough yet tender. When he gave her the slightest hint that he cared for her, a thousand pink roses bloomed instantly in the valley of her heart. Her face blushed under the maddening scrutiny of his gaze. The piano notes danced their wild tango. It took only two to tango after all. The rest did not matter. She had found her Adonis and she wasn't looking for anything or anyone else!

HUM AAP KI ANKHON MEIN

Song 52:


Yet when they finally came into each other's arms, all differences vanished, all fights forgotten. Friction was a waste of time. They were as if dancing on the clouds, gliding, blending, melting into each other. They had harmony and rhythm, grace and gravitas. They were drawn to each other by a strange magnetic pull. Soon all those little complaints and admonishings seemed like fun leg-pulling. They loved mocking each other that they could live without the other. They resisted and they desisted. But like the sunflower turns to the sun every morning, and like the nightingale looks for the moon every night, just a little sign, a little cat call, a little whistle from each other cheered them up. It gave them strength to go on with the mores of life.

The nightingale had to sing for her supper after all, and the sunflower had to be the proxy sunshine, an emblem of positivity in a hard terrain. Those heart-warming signals they got from each other were enough to sustain them. The whole world went by unawares, but they were floating in their dreams. Was it just an apparition? Was the magic make believe? A hallucination? Hope not, he thought. And she..........she would forget to smile if he ever forgot to smile at her.


 

UDHAR TUM HASEEN HO IDHAR DIL JAWAAN HAI

Song 51:

Love is often all about a continuous guessing game. There is conjecture, there is a lot of imagination, there are sleepless nights and speculation. But often the beating around the bush gets too much. It always helps to come to the point and be clear about your expectations. Communication is key. Otherwise there are misunderstandings galore. Life is stressful enough even otherwise. Last thing you want is your loved one too adding stress to it daily. But then who said love is easy or it's a cake walk.

If men are from Mars and women from Venus, it often takes light years to start speaking the same language. Many misplaced signals, many coded messages, many broken hearts later you realise you were both talking the same thing, but in different languages or different idiom. It's funny the number of people from the communications/media industry I have met who have communication issues in their relationships. Perhaps we spend hours and hours trying to reach out to our audiences, wider readership, more popularity, more numbers, that we often forget to reach out to our closest people in their hours of need. Stooped in front of the computer all day, we miss so many cues that our immediate family gives us or the desperation a loved one might be trying to express. All I have to say to that is love your work by all means but remember at the end of the day these words will remain mere words in the vast sands of time. In this regard love those lines from that Mukesh song written by Sahir - 'Kal aur ayenge nagmon ki khilti kaliyan chunane wale, mujh se behtar kehne wale, tumse behtar sunane wale, kal koi mujh ko yaad kare, kyun koi mujh ko yaad kare, masroof zamana mere liye, kyun waqt apna barbaad kare'......What will matter is the real connections we made, the people we genuinely reached out to and made a difference in their lives.

Mom's visiting these days and it's not been a week and I have already received my first reprimand, " You're just sitting in your room on your laptop all day! Give time to your daughter. Talk to her more!" Phew!! And I thought I freaked out when my MIL said the same thing last time she visited. Just when I had thought it was an in-law thing, seems it's a generational thing. Our parents never got hooked on to technology the way we have. Our kids are thankfully still untouched (at least I have kept my daughter away from computers still). It is us who are messed up. So switch off that laptop and call, speak, connect to a real person. A life lived virtually is a virtual mirage, tantalising, promising but also surreal. Get real.

ANKHON HII ANKHON MEIN ISHAARA HO GAYA

Song 50:


But a duet is ultimately about expressing your love and not fighting and irritating each other. Well most of the times. When it comes to Rafi-Geeta Dutt duets, I am pretty much starting with one of the best, one of my all time favourites. I used to love singing this for the longest time in picnics, sitting on top of trees, in school music class (yeah I was that sort of a kid!) This song also has an inbuilt tempo that does not require much of musical accompaniments. Dev Anand was my favourite actor of the older lot, for obvious reasons! Till he passed away a year and a half ago, he would often tweet at night about his favourite song picturisations, narrating interesting anecdotes connected to each song. Most Dev Anand movies had exceptional music as he always took personal interest in each and every recording. Once I had replied to him about some song and that information was factually incorrect, and he like a gentleman DMed me the correct information immediately rather than letting the whole world know. Such was the genteel style of those actors.  I have saved that DM for good of course!  And I have always liked Shakila a lot. So delicate and dainty and underestimated. Love the styling of her saree and blouse. The costumes of this movie were after all done by Bhanu Athaiya who went on to win an Oscar for her costumes in 'Gandhi'.

So the song is all about lazing langorously next to a pretty lake or some such waterbody. It has an easy, natural choreography, very easy to fall in love with. The choreography is credited to Zohra Sehgal who even in her 90s has such amazing grace, that is quite reflected in this song. O P Nayyar's music and Jan Nisar Akhtar's lyrics. A soft, lemon soufflé of a song, a tantalizing Tiramisu of a song, light, fluffy and weightless. No wonder Tiramisu is called the 'Pick me up' of desserts! Bon Apetit! 

YE LO MAIN HAARI PIYA

Now starting with some Geeta Dutt and Rafi duets.But first one Geeta solo to kinda recapitulate her magic. I know there are loads and loads of Asha Rafi duets still left but as I said earlier in the case of Geeta Dutt it is not the quantity or numbers that matter but the richness she imbued each song of hers with. Most of her few Hindi songs are still very entertaining and fresh. I am sure her repertoire of Bengali songs must be incredible but that is something I have not explored.

So this is a typical tiff and make up song. What's life without a minor altercation here and there? These little differences of opinion help bring to the fore what's bothering you, what's often bottled up inside so that you can be your true self. Once you have vented and expressed yourself, it is much easier to understand each other. There is no saccharine sweetness and no false pretences. Makes things a lot easier if you know what annoys your significant other than to keep guessing it. Once you have addressed the issue and remedied it, you come a lot closer. So fake breaking up and making up is a part of life. Except for when you've had your sixth or seventh break up before even anything has started!

Anyway, the song is a delight. A grumpy Guru Dutt and a pleading Shyama, who did overact a bit but that was kind of normal for those times. I find her very wickedly attractive. She had a sparkling screen presence that somehow the Sati Savitris of that era such as Meena Kumari and Co lacked. Given the spice in her persona I can almost see her in the mould of a Bipasha or Priyanka today. Her real name was Khurshid Akhtar and she was born in Lahore in 1935. As was the trend those days most Muslim actors took on Hindu screen names to gel with a larger audience. Meena Kumari was Mahjabeen Bano, Madhubala was Mumtaz Jahan Dehlavi, Dilip Kumar was Yusuf Khan.

There were many actors who even took new names for the silver screen that were just more easy to pronounce, or had a certain star quality and they proved to be lucky for them. The ultimate superstar of Tamil films Rajnikanth was Shivajirao Gaikwad originally, Rajesh Khanna was Jatin Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar was Haribhai Jariwala, even Guru Dutt for that matter was Vasanthakumar Shiva Shankar Padukone! Wonder how much their savvy screen names contributed to their ultimate success. :-)