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