Pyaar Ke Mod Pe

Post Saveray Wali Gadi in 1986, Pancham created a few more compositions that brought Asha Bhosle & Suresh Wadkar together. Most of these were lacking that punch which Pancham was known for. This was also the time, where Pancham’s score seemed to be jaded – at least in a few movies including Dacait & Joshilaay. This changed however in Parinda - a movie by Vidhu Vindo Chopra - an unabashed Pancham fan.

Parinda was amongst one of the early noirs about Bombay's realistic gangland wars intermixed with a love-story of Karan & Paro that heads towards a brutal ending. In the course of their love story comes a time where Karan - wanting to vindicate his friend's murder - decides to get out of Paro's life and tries to break this to her; who in turn is trying to convince him not to do so. He seems lost, yet determined. She looks fragile & yet hopeful.

A situation full of dilemma indeed – made further so with the brilliant use of deep colours of a setting Sun’s sky – just watch out for that orange ball melting into mellow gold so beautifully captured by Binod Pradhan! Such dramatic visuals needed a composition that could bring out the hope-filled poignancy; and Pancham did precisely that. In the process he created a composition that remains amongst his best works.

To underscore the basic mood, he chose Flugelhorn  – perhaps for its darker & mellower sound –as compared to a Sax or a Trumpet; and juxtaposed it with the sounds of Indian instruments - Santoor, Tabla, Madal & Flute.

While the composition begins with Santoor & Tabla, the sound of Flugelhorn follows immediately, and works in tandem through-out the song.  However, it is the interludes – specially the second one that bring out the magic of this heady concoction of Flugelhorn & Santoor.

Though it is a duet, it is the out-of-world kind of rendition by Asha Bhosle - in her prime, then - as Madhuri Dixit (Paro – on screen) tries to hold back Anil Kapoor (using the words penned by Khurshid Hallauri – whose contribution to Hindi cinema was only this movie), and one cannot but get & remain under the spell of the magic forever:

Saath Main Tumhare Hoon

Ab Koi Gham Na Karo

Khud Ko Tanha Mere

Hote Humdam Na Karo

Ho Ke Maayus Na Dam Tod De

Chaahen Meri

Pyaar Ke Mod Pe Chhodoge Jo Baahen Meri

Tumko Dhundhegi Jamane Men Nigahen Meri

Dekho Yeh Kaun Aaya

The chemistry of Kishore Kumar & R D Burman is by now one of the most discussed phenomenon of Hindi movie music. If there were compostions that seemed to be tailor made for Kishore Kumar; there were also compositions which only Kishore Kumar could infuse life into. Even if a movie had other male singers, the song that Kishore sang always sounded more special. Perhaps Pancham had paraphrased the learning from Goerge Orwel's Animal Farm - For a music composer, all singers are equal but some are more equal than others.

Saveray Wali Gaadi was an exception to this rule. Despite there being a couple of solos reserved for Kishore, It was Suresh Wadkar, the other male singer for Sunny Deol who got better compositions - a solo and a duet with Asha Bhosle.

It is the duet specially that is really noteworthy. Beginning with plain vocals - too plain for a romantic song - the song takes off with the mix of Santoor, Tabla & Flute - all combined in a manner to create a lovely melody. Within each of the stanza, there are two different parts - the first part with Tabla while the second part seems to also have Bongo accompanying the beats - and both change seamlessly. Add to that the pause in between  - a clasp of a finger followed by what sounds like a temple bell - and the effect is beautiful as well as at some place very sensuous - matching the mood of an absolute romantic poetry penned by Majrooh.

Suresh Wadkar carrries out his part competently - suiting Sunny Deol's persona on screen. However the song actually belongs to the females - on screen as well as off screen. Poonam Dhillon portrays the playfullness sensuality of an innocent & vulnerable girl, and is aided by a perfect mellow gold rendition by Asha Bhosle - sepcially the way she carries off at the end. Between both of them, they manage to serve an audio-visual treat for the audience which keep you hooked on for a long time. 

Aa meri bahon me 
Baitha hoon kabse
Main teri raahon me
O main teri raahon me

Jalti hoon main bhi
Jabse pada hai
Dil pe tera saya

Dekho yeh kaun aaya
Dekho yeh kaun aaya
Meri sada pe bhul ke rasta
Ae dil yeh kaun aaya

Din Pyar Ke Aayenge Sajaniya

Bharathiraja, the director of Red Rose, has remained amongst one of the most prolific directors of Tamil Cinema - having won as many as six national awards for his films. Most of his movies were love stories entwined with social issues - largely of the South India. 

The times were differerent & hence not many of his movies were remade into Hindi. He himself also ventured into Hindi Cinema only a little. 

His first foray in Hindi movie was Solva Saawan - a remake of his own first movie as a director - which had introduced Sridevi. A few years after Red Rose, he directed another movies - Saveray Wali Gaadi - which was produced by Dharmendra & starred Sunny Deol, and Pancham again went on to create some stellar compositions.

Unfortunately, this movie, too, did not do well, and it was only a few years later that the music of Saveray Wali Gaadi got its due recognition. In fact, now, its rated as one of his finest works from the 80s.

Of all the songs this movie had, there is one which has also been ranked amongst the best that Pancham created with Lata Mangeshkar. With the name of the movie itself based on the morning train - used in the movie by Sunny & Poonam to exchange messages -  this composition had RD using the sound of a moving train as the constant rythmic refrain (Guitar, with perhaps, Madal) while its whistle - seems to be created through electronic synnthesizer - works as the harmonic pattern to combine vocals & interludes. The prelude itself, with the whistle like sound, makes one look forward to the romance. The composition that follows ensures that you remain hooked on.

Lata of course is at her best - portraying the hopes of a girl in love, while the song itself is picturised on an absolutely gorgeous & innocent villege belle - Poonam Dhillon - who makes this song - a lyrical treat anyways with Majrooh penning the verse -  a visual treat too.

Enjoy it.

Teri raah men, o Sajan, Teri dhun me chur
Khuli dhup me ithlati, phiri  door door
Mil ke sunaungi, kaise hans hans ke, 
Jhela maine dukh intezar ka
Din pyar ke aayenge sajaniya