So gaya yeh jahaan so gaya aasmaan – Tezaab (1988)

Without caring what’s happening around, do lend an ear to a soothing original Laxmikant-Pyarelal classic! Drive down in your head as the opening guitar riffs, mellifluous male chorus and the whistle, violin, saxophone and flute pieces with no fixed mukhda-antara pattern coupled with situational and conditional lyrics will make it beautiful for you.

So gaya yeh jahaan so gaya aasmaan
So gaya yeh jahaan so gaya aasmaan
So gayi hain saari manzilen
O saari manzilen so gaya hai rasta

Raat aayi toh woh jinke ghar the
Woh ghar ko gaye so gaye
Raat aayi to ham jaise aawaara
Phir nikale raaho mein aur kho gaye
Is gali uss gali is nagar us nagar
Jaayen bhi tho kahaan jaana chaahen agar

Kuchh meri suno kuchh apni kaho
Ho paas toh aise chup naa raho
Hum paas bhi hai aur dur bhi hain
Aazaad bhi hai majboor bhi hain

Musical scores for action films like this one, especially in the 80s, typically had a cacophonic concoction of item numbers interspersed with sparks of romantic duets. This number though, stood out in terms of its theme, melody and most importantly the situation! Deep into the night, awaara group of friends going for long drives humming along with 2 other friends in love with each other. So gaya captures the essence like no one else. The 2 legendary stalwarts – Laxmikant-Pyarelal – keep the number primarily melody-based with superb accompaniments in the form of haunting male chorus that plays a key part across the number. The finger snaps then come in quietly leading into Nitin Mukesh crooning the low-pitched mukhda beginning going into a higher octave and coming back to the lower scale. Methinks this is the most noteworthy song of his career. Coming back to the number, the whistle solo then follows allowing one to believe its way past ‘prime time’. The saxophone play reverbs to provide a late-night solo feel. Javed Akhtar uses simple words to convey heart-touching emotions especially on the pieces sung by a seemingly hurt and tired Alka Yagnik (whose career turbo-charged with this album) and Shabbir Kumar (3rd of the Rafi clones who surfaced after his untimely death; other 2 being Mohammed Aziz and Anwar). To me, this is the best long-drive song for a lonely night so much so one can play it on loop in such a situation! I also love the other 2 numbers from this film – the ever popular and Alka Yagnik sung Ek do teen and the immensely romantic Amit Kumar and Anuradha Paudwal crooned Keh do ke tum ho meri warna. So gaya also covers what I and many of you may be feeling right now – Hum paas bhi hain aur door bhi hain, azaad bhi hain majboor bhi hain; Kyun pyaar ka mausam beet gaya, kyun humse zamaana jeet gaya! Nevertheless, chin up, be positive, listen to the number and I also suggest you sleep off too if tired or play this number when going for a long drive (post the lockdown!). Immensely immensely hummable and hats off to LP! 🙂