Waada karo nahi chhodogi tum – Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973)

Presenting a gem starring the inimitable RD Burman laced with impishness and superb word-play by Sahir Ludhianvi like jahaan tum ho wahaan main bhi hoon; jawaan tum ho jawaan main bhi hoon! Master vocalists Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar duet their cases playfully.

O thehro meri jaan

Wada karo nahi chhodogi tum mera sath
Jahan tum ho, wahan main bhi hoon
Chhuo nahi dekho zara peeche rakho hath
Jawaan tum ho, jawaan main bhi hoon

Suno meri jaan hanske mujhe yeh keh do
Bheege labon ki narmi mere liye hai
Ho jawan nazar ki masti mere liye hai
Haseen adaa ki shokhi mere liye hai
Mere liye leke aayi ho yeh saughat
Jahan tum ho, wahan main bhi hoon

Mere hi peeche aakhir pade ho tum kyun
Ek main jawan nahi hoon aur bhi to hain
O mujhe hi ghere aakhir khade ho tum kyun
Main hi yahan nahi hoon aur bhi to hain
Jao jaake le lo jo bhi dede tumhein hath
Jahan sab hai, wahan main bhi hoon

This racy duet is extremely catchy and melodious at the same time! RD Burman uses the guitar riffs and a beautiful combination of synthesizer and the saxophone to reach the crescendo before the dialogue-style vocals from the maestros and evergreen legends Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar take over. Kishore’s vibrato while opening the number and in his lines at the end of the mukhdas makes for wonderful listening while Lata’s alaap in the 2^nd antara and at the end of the number adds a beautiful feel to the overall package. Sahir Ludhianvi uses simple but wooing words for the male and defensive one for the female! Sample this – Kishore pleads ‘Jahaan tum ho, wahaan main bhi hoon’ to which Lata cautiously responds via ‘Jawaan tum ho, jawaan main bhi hoon’. A careful and repeat listen to the song will have one notice RD using a very different and endearing rhythm in the antaras. The other very popular number from the movie was Tera mujhse hai pehle ka naata koi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IF9o2crV84). Waada karo is an experience …of wooing, teasing, resistance, playfulness and anticipated togetherness! 🙂

Watch “Bekhayali (Kabir Singh) partial version” live in a concert on YouTube

Bekhayali (Kabir Singh)

Nok Jhok – Chhapaak (January 2020)

Chhapaak se appears an acoustic ballad that seems to be in familiar territory! Siddharth Mahadevan tries his best to lift up the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy composition comprising Gulzar’s lyrics.

Baat baat pe keh dete hain nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok

Baat baat pe sheh dete hain nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok

Hmm… pal pal chonche maarte rehna
Chubhti hai par hanste rehna
Taago mein koi girah nahi
Par baaton mein phanste rehna

Nok jhok, bas nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, Bas nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok

Sensitive subjects need acoustic ballads like this one! The intention seems great but Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy lose the plot somewhat and end up with sort of a mash-up. The refrain (Nok jhok bas nok jhok) sounds like Yeh laal ishq, yeh malaal ishq from Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela on steroids (2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1gepaUZms; 0.36 to 0.44). It will also remind you of the Delhii Heights (2007) Rabbi Shergill-composed and Sonu Nigam and Rabbi Shergill sung number Kitni der tak kitni der tak aaj sham ya saver tak (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJeivmpY6vU). However, Nok Jhok neither seems to have the soul of Yeh laal ishq nor the racy punch of Kitni der tak. The big question is – will it grow on you? Time will only tell. Siddharth Mahadevan, Shankar Mahadevan’s son, plays his part well and tries to lift up the composition. Gulzar’s words are appealing but I would have expected more! Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy get the guitar riffs perfectly right and are superb accompaniment to the words enhancing the feel of the number. In my mind though, there’s Nok jhok if I like it and if this is the first good number of 2020!

Hum hain raahi pyaar ke – Nau Do Gyarah (1957)

Hand-picked an inspirational ode to flexibility, peace and acceptance where Majrooh Sultanpuri is a guru! Set to tune by the timeless legend and stalwart – SD Burman – who makes Kishore Kumar and us ‘ride the tide’ quite literally. I can just say, ‘Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye’.

Hum hain raahi pyaar ke, humse kuchh naa boliye
Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye

Dard bhi hume qubool, chain bhi hume qubool
Humne har tarah ke phool, haar me piro liye
Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye
Hum usi ke ho liye, Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye

Dhoop thi naseeb mein, to dhup mein liya hain dum
Chandani mili toh hum, Chandani mein so liye
Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye
Hum usi ke ho liye, Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye

Dil pe aasaraa kiye, hum to bas yun hi jiye
Ik kadam pe hans liye, ik kadam pe ro liye
Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye
Hum usi ke ho liye, Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye

Raah mein pade hain hum, kab se aap ki kasam
Dekhiye to kam se kam, boliye na boliye
Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye
Hum usi ke ho liye, Hum hain raahi pyaar ke, humse kuchh na boliye

This heart-warming and inspiring number based on raag bhairavi opens with a high-pitched whistle accompanied by guitar-based rhythm that continues throughout the number. After a long-ish but super-soothing prelude, SD Burman makes Kishore Kumar sing the same opening lines (Hum hain raahi pyaar ke) in a different and higher-octave tune as well to impart the much-needed impact on the mukhda. Do note the leitmotif ‘hum usi ke ho liye’ being sung twice every other time with the next line starting with it. The happy-go-lucky Kishore seamlessly moves from one (middle) octave to the other …especially the higher one in the antara. For me though, Majrooh Sultanpuri is the real star here with couplets like Dard bhi hume qubool, chain bhi hume qubool, Humne har tarah ke phool, haar me piro liye, Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye. Such numbers inspire so much that they tend to re-appear in different avatars …like with Aamir Khan and Pooja Bhatt starrer Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi (1991; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8dnwrVczmc). Inspires, teaches and makes one learn to be happy irrespective of the situation and conditions. Dhoop thi naseeb mein, to dhup mein liya hain dum; Chandani mili toh hum, Chandani mein so liye; Jo bhi pyaar se mila, hum usi ke ho liye…

Baazigar O Baazigar – Baazigar (1993)

Before any more re-mixers get to it, wanted to get to you this immensely hummable and superbly-packaged *Kumar Sanu* and *Alka Yagnik* sung number from a score that sent *Anu Malik’s* career into a different orbit.

 Hoooo… Mera dil tha akela, tune khel aisa khela
Teri yaad mein jaagun raat bhar
Baazigar O Baazigar
Tu hai bada jaadugar
Baazigar O Baazigar
Tu hai bada jaadugar

Hooo…dil leke dil diya hai
Sauda pyaar ka kiya hai
Dil ki baazi jeeta dil haar kar
Baazigar main Baazigar

Chupke se aankhon ke raste, tu mere dil mein samaaya
Chaahat ka jaadu jagaake, mujhko dewaana banaaya

Pehli nazar mein bani hai tu mere sapnon ki raani
Yaad rakhegi yeh duniya apni wafaa ki kahaani

This song has all the Anu Malik idiosyncrasies one can think of – a grand opening orchestration, a lone violin riff, use of female chorus, percussion (especially tabla and dholak), use of multiple guitars and oodles of romance! What isn’t missing also is the ‘inspiration’ he got from Kaun hai jo sapnon mein aaya (Jhuk Gaya Aasman; Shankar-Jaikishan; 1968). Hum Baazigar O baazigar and Kaun hai jo…together and you will understand. Interestingly, both these opening pieces – Kaun hai jo…in particular – seem to be inspired by Elvis Presley’s Marguerita (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApjA9OfAUk4; 1963; Source: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106333/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2). Another piece of trivia (Source: IMDb again) – Nadeem-Shravan walked out of Baazigar leaving Jaadugar O Jaadugar behind and their loss was Anu’s gain! Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu sing their hearts out for newcomers Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan. Nawab Arzoo’s words are simple yet effective. Malik’s planning, enthusiasm, instrumentation and super-packaging makes this number much endearing and soothing to listen. Worth the gamble listening to it and humming along!

Aap yahaan aaye kisliye – Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971)

Presenting a super-fun song in question-answer, dialogue-laced pattern gleefully sung by *Asha Bhosle* and *Kishore Kumar* set to a lilting tune by the legendary *Shankar-Jaikishan*.

Aap yahaan aaye, Kisliye?
Aapne bulaayaa, Isliye
Aaye hain to kaam bhi bataayiye, Haa haa
Pahle zaraa aap muskuraayiye…

Tere binaa haay, Haan?
Neend nahin aati hai, Really!
Yaad teri aakar, Aahaa
Roz tadpaati hai, Sach much?
Apnaa banaa lo, haath zaraa thaam lo
Waah waah waah
Baar baar poochho naa, Kyaa?
Dil se bhi kaam lo, Kaam to bataao
Kaam seedhaa saadhaa hai, Bolo bolo
Aji lenaa ek waadaa hai, Kyaa?
Aajaa aajaa, Shaadi kaa iraadaa hai, Kyaa, Kyaa
Shaadi kaa iraadaa hai, Shaadi kaa iraadaa hai,

Shaadi? Aur tumse?
Shaadi kaa iraadaa hai, No no no…

The opening mandolin riffs beautifully introduce the voices with a soul-style rhythm and the question-answer style dialogues take over! Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar add their cute somethings as we move to the antara that has some lovely expressions and exclamations from the seasoned singers. As soon the shaadi question breaks, the female protagonist disappears and the number almost ends mid-way! Shankar-Jaikishan then demonstrate their orchestration prowess to re-start the dialogue the other way. The sweet number with the female protagonist putting conditions and making the male protagonist agree on the responsibilities and eventually ends up agreeing to the shaadi! Such a cute number and so much fun!! 🙂

Luka chhuppi bahut hui – Rang de Basanti (2006)

Immerse yourself in a free-flowing composition expressing mother-son separation magnificently put together by Prasoon Joshi and laced with superlative voices of Lata Mangeshkar and AR Rahman in a semi-classical mould.

Luka chhuppi bahut hui
Saamne aa ja na..
Kahaan kahaan dhoondha tujhe
Thak gai hai ab teri maa
Aaja saanjh hui mujhe teri fikar
Dhundhla gai dekh meri nazar aa ja na…

Teri raah take aankhiyan
Jaane kaisa kaisa hoye jiya…

The acoustic guitar-based rhythm meanders and flows into one of the tabla-laced antaras adding a new dimension! Lata Mangeshkar poignantly expresses the motherly emotion for her lost son. AR Rahman effectively reaches the high notes signifying the son’s heavenly presence. Somewhat better Hindi diction from ARR could have made it even more endearing. I couldn’t resist noting a minor similarity of the antara here (2:57 – 3:00) with Kunal Ganjawala’s Indipop 90s version of Channa ve ghar aaja re (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRsLGUK2FsM; 1:16 – 1:19). The sur-istic crescendo adds a new dimension to the composition. ARR shows his crooning prowess with the flute accompanying him note-by-note with the lovely tabla taal alongside. Prasoon Joshi strings the mother-son love and emotion in some lovely words. Has the ability to make eyes wet! Yahaan sab kuchh hai maa phir bhi lage bin tere mujhko akela …Teri raah take akhiyaan jaane kaisa kaisa hoye jiya…

Mere naam tu – Zero (December 2018)

Enjoy a breezy song from the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan magnum opus Zero that is definitely worth much more than the movie title suggests! Newcomer Abhay Jodhpurkar with Ajay-Atul and Irshad Kamil do the honours.

Jab tak jahaan mein subah sham hai
Tab tak mere naam tu
Jab tak jahaan mein mera naam hai
Tab tak mere naam tu

The stage is grand …and so is the set-up! With such grandeur surrounding things, the tunesmith duo Ajay-Atul try to make it grand too with their meticulous orchestration! Their romantic and hummable tune though has the old world charm and somewhat ‘hungover’ from their earlier compositions especially Dhadak (July 2018; also read: https://shailendra19.com/2018/06/28/dhadak-title-track-dhadak-july-2018/). Like most popular Ajay-Atul numbers, this one too loses pace but not steam as it meanders through the antaras! Newcomer Abhay Jodhpurkar sounds Arijit-ish but perfect and conveys feel elegantly. As always, Irshad Kamil’s words shine and are easy on the lips. The opening flute riffs accompanied with the piano initiate the number beautifully…as good as closing chorus-laden crescendo! Does not draw a blank for sure…and is not Zero!

Rangeela Re tere rang mein – Prem Pujari (1970)

An evergreen classic from Prem Pujari (1970) sung beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar, pieced together meticulously by SD Burman and nicely written by Neeraj.

SD Burman, being his usual self, creates a super catchy and extremely hummable tune and adorns the mukhda, antara with magical preludes and interludes and heart-warming instrumentation using the guitars, the violin and percussion. Lata Mangeshkar brings the pain out with some really heart-stealing couplets from Neeraj be it ‘Maine to seenchi re teri hi raahen, baahon mein teri kyon auron ki baahen,’ ‘Palkon ke jhhoole se, sapnon ki dori pyaar ne baandhi jo tune woh todi’ or ‘dukh mera dulha hai, birha hain doli aansu ki saadi hai, aahon ki choli, aag main piyoon re jaise ho pani na re diwani hoon, peeda ki rani’. Simply mesmerizing to say the least! There needs to be a special mention for some of the instrumental pieces like 4:26 through 4:56 beautifully played by the guitarists and violinists. The latter deserve a special mention for the solo piece between 4:44 to 4:53. This racy but sad masterpiece has the ability to colour you in its own colour.

Chaav Laaga – Sui Dhaaga: Made in India (September 2018)

This soothing number is from the upcoming Yash Raj film Sui Dhaaga: Made in India nicely rendered by Papon and newcomer Ronkini Gupta composed by Anu Malik and simplistically penned by Varun Grover

Kabhi sheet laaga, kabhi taap laaga
Tere saath ka hai, jo shaap laaga,
Manwaa ….bauraaya…
Tera chaav laaga jaise koi ghaav laaga!

There are bound to be comparisons with the hugely successful and popular Moh Moh ke Dhaage (Dum Laga ke Haisha; 2015) as Anu Malik composes once again for the same filmmakers! There are similarities like Papon, the flute riffs, the rhythm pattern and most importantly the soothing melody-focused feel. Nevertheless, this one’s also extremely hummable and Papon and Ronkini take it up one level. Anu meanders into the Vishal Bhardwaj territory with similarities especially from 0:20 – 0:25s with O saathi re (Omkara; 2006; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xthAVytCTPI; 0:24 – 0:29s). To top it up, Ronkini’s voice also sounds somewhat similar to Rekha Bhardwaj’s. The ace composer also starts the antara (1:34 – 1:38s) revisiting his own Aisa lagta hai (Refugee; 2000; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai8ycTID1bs; 1:13 – 1:18s). Varun Grover will make you fall in love with simple words, earthiness and cute expressions. The less you compare this one with Moh Moh the better even if you can’t ignore the similarities. Enjoy this one, sing along, hum it and you are bound to say ‘tera chaav laaga’!