Jeena to Hai, Par Ae Dil Kahan..

Sometimes, I really wonder what makes a movie song really hit – good lyrics, great composition, flawless rendition or the way it is presented on-screen?

I am sure there is no clear answer to it. Yes, verse, vocals & composition are a must, but somehow, I have observed that a movie being a visual medium, its picturisation, the actors involved & finally the success of the movie make a bigger difference. This held true at least for the movies produced till late 70s, where in the absence of a 24x7 television, and lack of easy availability of music other than radio (Record players were not so common then!), in case a movie did not fare well, there was hardly any scope for the music to survive. Of course, there were exceptions where the good music became popular, despite dismal performance of a movie, due to sheer star power of the performers; but as I said, these were exceptions.

What else could have been a reason for the song that I am presenting today not to be rated amongst the evergreen classics from Pancham-Kishore?

No, it is not an exaggeration. Since the time I have heard this song a couple of weeks ago, I have been absolutely mesmerised - reeling under its spell.

This one, as promised earlier, is from Paanch Dushman. Yes, the same one which was first released in 1973, and later as Daulat ke Dushman in 1983. 1973 was the same year where Kishore & Pancham combination was on an upswing – what with super-hits like Tera Mujhse Hai Pahle Ka Naata Koi, Kiska Rasta Dekhe, Diye Jalte Hain & Main Shayar Badnam – just to name a few. Yes, amongst their own repertoire, 1973 was a tough act to beat. I am sure, among those sterling releases, a movie like Paanch Dushman with only villains being the noteworthy performers, it would have been perfectly justified, had Pancham not bothered to be at his usual self. However, such was never the case with him.

He still gave his best and the result is this composition. It begins with the notes derived from “The Sound of Silence” of Simon & Garfunkel, and then charts a course which has Kishore Kumar giving a no-holds-barred rendition – changing scales & pitch so effortlessly - that coupled with the very subtle notes of flute & guitar, brings out the melancholic mood of the situation in the movie. Majrooh, of course one of the mentors of Pancham, ensures to add depth with his verse – bringing me back to the question – why is this song not amongst Kishore & Pancham’s all-time bests?

Perhaps Majrooh’s verse were also wondering about this:

Naaraaz koi, Na koi Meherbaan
Naa kahin koi Bijali, Naa koi Aashiaan
Are baithun to, Nahin milti hain Zameen
Main Udana chaahun to, Hai door Aasmaan
Jeena to hai, Par aye dil kahaan

Listen to this yourself, and I am sure you will agree with me.

Main Aur Meri Awargi..

In my last post, I had promised the other song, a Kishore Kumar solo, from that rare - twice released under different names movie. However, let me first take a detour and take you to a Kishore classic, but from a different movie -Duniya, a 1983 release. The movie was a typical pay-back revenge drama with Dilip Kumar & Rishi Kapoor in lead, and did fare quite well.

However, the reason for this detour is very simple. Today one of the most prolific poets of the recent times - Javed Akhtar, has turned 70. After having worked for a long on various movies together - but as the story writer & the composer, this was the first movie where Javed Akhtar & Pancham collaborated together for music. In fact this was the first movie where Javed Akhtar had penned the lyrics.

Though there is no original movie clip available on internet for the song featured here, the reason to choose it was very elementary - It showcases the simple play of words that Javed Akhtar always manage to bring out while detailing the emotions. Quite possibly that is why, once again, more than a decade later, the same lyrics were used by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for his Sufi music album – Sangam – in collaboration with Javed Akhtar.

Perhaps it is the lyrics itself, written as if emanating from the inner most emotions of a nomadic soul, that found resonance in Pancham & Kishore Kumar. As a result, though not sufi-ish in style, yet the composition & rendition they came up with is also very simple – almost zen-like when one really think about it.

Hum bhi kabhi aabad the
Aise kahan barbaad the
Befikar the, azad the
Mashhoor the, dilshad the
Woh chal aisi chal gaya
Hum bujh gaye, dil jal gaya
Nikle jalake apna ghar
Main or meri aawargi