Appreciating Gulzar – Masoom

As I continue to listen to Gulzar’s songs, old and new, every time one hears a song, there is a new meaning that one discovers. Today I was listening to songs from Masoom, Shekhar Kapur’s first Hindi film as a director.

Each one of the songs is a delightful piece by itself, besides the music of the LoRD. Let’s have a few sample lines from the different songs.

One of my favourite songs, not just of this movie, but of all time is the one sung by Arati Mukherjee – Do Naina Aur Ek Kahani.  This song in the film is picturised as a lullaby sung by the mother Shabana Azmi for her two daughters. The lines are ostensibly a story for the kids. But there is something deeper in it. Have a look. There is antara which goes like this

chhotee see do jheelon mein wo
bahatee rahatee hai
o chhotee see do jheelon mein wo
bahatee rahatee hai
ko_ii sune yaa naa sune
kahatee rahatee hai
kuchh likh ke aur kuchh zubaani

Between two lakes (jheelon – tear drops? remember the song starts Do Naina aur Ek Kahani) flows the story (story of life?). Whether any one listens to it or not, the story goes on and on, sometimes in letters sometimes in voice.

The rest of the song you will see borders on distress and sadness.

Another favourite song, also with explicit nonsense lyrics, reminiscent of Sukumar Ray’s Aabol Taabol is Lakdi Ki Kathi. Song sung by kids having fun. Gulzar has done this many times. Earlier was one in Kitaab – remember VIP underwear banian?

ghodaa thaa ghamandee
pahunchaa sabjii mandee
sabjee mandee baraf padii thi
baraf mein lag gai thandee

The arrogant horse reaches the market, the market is covered with snow, in the snow the horse catches a cold. To what end was the arrogance? Only to catch a cold? Nice.

Finally I will end with Huzur Is Kadar.

koi manachalaa gar pakad legaa aanchal
zaraa sochiye aap kyaa kiijiyegaa
lagaa dein agar badhake zulfon mein kaliyaan
to kyaa apanii zulfein jhatak diijiyegaa

This song was one of those drinking songs when one is a little elevated from the ground.

(All lyrics taken from www.smriti.com and due credit to all respective contributors)

One Loner In The City

Ek Akela Is Shahar Mein
Raat Mein Aur Dopahar Mein
Aabodaana Dhoondta Hai Aashiyana Dhoondta Hai

Din Khali Khali Bartan Hai Aur Raat Hai Jaise Andha Kuan
In Sooni Andheri Aankhon Mein Aansoon Ki Jagah Aata Hain Dhuan
Jeene Ki Vajah To Koi Nahi Marne Ka Bahana Dhoondta Hai

In Umar Se Lambi Sadkon Ko Manzil Pe Pohonchte Dekha Nahin
Bas Daudti Phirti Rahti Hain Humne To Theherte Dekha Nahin
Is Ajnabi Se Shahar Mein Jaana Pehechana Dhoondta Hai

An old classic, so why we listen to it now? Simply. Also partly because of an interesting conversation with some friends on the “Khali Bartan” i.e. empty vessel metaphor. Some friends remarked at the funny side of the literal translation. However, the deeper meaning was merely in the eyes of the beholder, as one would say. Each one to his own interpretation.

I would read it as, “the day is loud but hollow (like an empty vessel) and the night is a bottomless abyss (andha kuan)” The melancholy continues with “In the blank dark eyes, even the tears are replaced by smoke / there is no reason to live, trying to find an excuse to die“

The movie was one of the classics from the 70’s. The other version of this song, the happier “Do Deewane Shaher Mein” starts with hope and happiness and now “Ek Akela Is Shahar Mein” reflects the change in the situation for protagonist.

This is one of the main points of the Golden Age. The story of the film can be discerned from the sound track.

Kaminey

In continuation of the exploration of the music of Kaminey (Dhan Ta Nan and Fatak) and specifically the lyrics written by Gulzar, here’s Gaurav Sabnis on the title track sung by Vishal Bharadwaj.

My favourite lines, which in true Gulzar style has as many interpretations as your imagination allows it, are as follows:

Jiska bhi chehra chheela (But whenever I peeled off anyone’s face))
Andar se aur nikla (Underneath it, there was more/something else (pun))
Masoom sa kabutar (What I thought was an innocent pigeon)
Naacha to mor nikla (When it danced, showed itself to be a peacock)
Kabhi hum kaminey nikley (Sometimes I was the crook)
Kabhi doosrey kaminey (And sometimes, the others were crooks)

(Note: Translations given by Gaurav)

Fataak

After Dhan Ta Naan, I will now take up another brilliant song from Kaminey, Fataak

There’s a clear message about AIDS and unsafe sex and all that. However, it is not preachy unlike most others. In fact, there is a subtle hint of sarcasm at Indian attitudes. I will focus more on the use of a few words or phrases.

“bhavra” – a bee, no doubt. What is a bee doing here?  I have two guesses a) the “sting” of the virus floating around human habitat and b) “bhavra” a better way to say “bhadva” i.e. a pimp – some one who tempts you in to lust. By a fair stretch of imagination, “bhavra” could mean your own death warrant in the form of a debilitating disease.

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re,
gun gun karta aaya re,
sun sun karta galiyon se
ab tak koi na bhaaya re

fatak, fatak..

sauda kare saheli ka
sar pe tel chameli ka
kaan mein ittar ka phaya re

fatak, fatak

ke bhavra bhavra aaya re,
gun gun karta aaya re

Trying a free verse translation

The bee flies in
Buzzing through the streets
Still looking for its prey

Fatak, Fatak

Lo, here he trades off a friend
Who has come with hair glistening with Jasmine oil
And ears doused with the scent of roses

The verses that follow describe the different consequences and manifestations post the sting.

Dhan Ta Nan

Sukhwinder Singh, Gulzar and the two Vishals – Dadlani and Bharadwaj combine to create “Dhan Ta Nan“. Powerpacked stuff. Just Mohit has posted the lyrics on his blog.

While the song has been around for some time, I really got to hear it properly last week as one was swamped with work. But maybe the overworked mind played a part to it – the song just blew my mind out and cleaned all the stress out.

So what does Dhan Ta Nan mean? Vishal Bharadwaj says in this interview that the phrase was a childhood one usually associated with games of cops and robbers. As kids one would come up from behind, point pistol like and say “Dhan Ta Nan”.

So he goes to Gulzar and says please write a song with this, reminiscent of how he got Gulzar to write Beedi. I am yet to see the film so I suppose there is a context of the lyrics with the film. So I do will an analysis of lyrics without the knowledge of what the film is about (and the specific context of the song).

Aaja Aaja Dil Nichode
Raat Ki Mataki Tode
Koi Good Luck Nikaale
Aaj Gullak Toh Phode

Dil Nichode will mean squeezing the heart out i.e. going full out; “raat ki matki” another Gulzar original metaphor – the unknown of the night, the black box so to speak; “Gullak” I think means treasure.

I would then proceed to translate the above lines as (forgive the break in rhyme)

Come, let’s put our full hearts out
To break the unknown of the night
Let’s find our own luck
And break the treasure chest.

Let’s move on

Hai Til Til Taara Dil Dildaara Mera Teli Ka Tel
Kaudi Kaudi Paisa Paisa Paise Ka Khel

Til = sesame, also a mole; Teli Ka Tel = ? Absolutely no idea (obviously something very oily but beyond that what?), one of Gulzar’s tantalising word plays. Kaudi Kaudi etc = obvious

My attempt at translating the above two lines falls here but for the second line re a game of extreme detail where every cowrie counts.

Aaja ki one way hai
yeh zindagi ki gali
ek hi chance hai
aage hava hi hava hai
agar saans hai to
yeh romance hai

Nice, no need to translate. Lots of Hinglish in the lines, typical of Gulzar in recent times, e.g. “Personal se sawaal karte hain“

koi chaal aisi chalo yaar ab ke
samandar bhi pul pe chale
phir tu chale us pe ya mein chaloon
shehar ho apne pairon tale

kahin khabrein hain
kahin kabrein hain
jo bhi soye hain kabron mein
unko jagana nahi

This is, in my opinion, the most profound verse in the song.

Play the game of all games, Friend
So that we may bridge over the entire sea
Then whether you go or I go
Entire city will under us, under our feet.

There’s excitement (khabrein = news = gossip = scandal = excitement) on one side
There’s stillness (kabrein = graves = death = stillness) on the other
Those who lie asleep in the graves
Let sleeping dogs lie

That ends my study of Dhan Ta Nan. In the meantime, people have dug up some old video pertaining to VB-Gulzar doing one version of DTN back in the ’90s.

In sometime I will also write about another piece in the same soundtrack – “Fataak“

Jai Ho – Why Gulzar is nominated for the Oscars

Let’s start by posting the lyrics of Jai Ho (in poetry form)

Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho
Aaja Aaja Jinda Shamiyane Ke Tale
Aaja Zariwale Nile Aasman Tale
Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho

Ratti Ratti Sachi Maine Jaan Gavayi Hai
Nach Nach Koylo Pe Raat Bitayi Hai
Akhiyon Ki Neend Maine Phoonk Se Uda Di
Neele Neele Tare Maine Ungli Jalayi Hai

Chakh Le, Ha Chakh Le, Ye Raat Shahad Hai…  Chakh Le
Rakh Le, Ha Dil Hai, Dil Aakhri Had Hai…  Rakh Le
Kala Kala Kajal Tera Koi Kala Jadoo Hai Na
Kala Kala Kajal Tera Koi Kala Jadoo Hai Na

Kab Se, Ha Kab Se Jo Lab Pe Ruki Hai.. Kah De
Kah De, Ha Kah De Ab Aankh Jhuki Hai.. Kah De
Aisi Aisi Roshan Aankhe Roshan Dono Bhi Hai Hai Kya

Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale
Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Tale
Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho
Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho

So what’s the big deal about these lyrics? Right, let’s analyse. I am not much of a Hindi widhwan but I will give it a shot.

The slum boy spends his life without a roof over his head. All he has is the sky. The sky that is alive with stars and planets and galaxies and is his roof (zinda shamiana); the sky that looks like a gold threaded blanket (zariwale neele aakash)

The boy lives his life through bit by bit (ratti ratti); Spending his nights (raat bitayi) after surviving through all possible ordeals (nach nach koylo – dancing on coals) ; He has dismissed all sleep and rest (Ankhiyon Ke Neend Main Phoonk Se Uda Di – just like blowing out a candle); And burnt himself trying to catch his stars, his luck, his fortune (Neele Neele Tare Maine Ungli Jalayi Hai)

Now that victory is here, it is time to taste sweet success for the first time (Chakh Le… Ye Raat Shahad Hai); Finally, it is the heart (Dil Aakhri Had Hai) that keeps one going (Rakh Le)
- Danny Boyle’s view of the slum life – spirit of life that keeps people going

What you wanted to say for a long time, was on your tongue for ever (Jo Lab Pe Ruki Hai), let it out now that there is someone waiting for it in complete surrender (Aankhe jhuki hai)
- in these two lines, the entire romance of Jamal and Latika is described.

Gulzar is the master of the Hindi metaphor – No high sounding Urdu or big words – simple common street language but used as metaphors for describing a world beyond. And this song is an excellent example of his craft. My favourite is of course the main two lines with the zinda shamiana and zariwale neele asmaan.

The Oscar might well be his. And deservedly so.