Ek raasta hai zindagi... Tribute to Yash Chopra-Sahir Ludhianvi

I should start writing this obituary very honestly here- I have never been a great fan of Yash Chopra school of movie making. Not that I am against it or I do not watch them, in fact I have watched all his films except Faasle and Nakhuda, but my take home has been minimal. However, some of his works have spellbound me alright; Deewar, Doosra Aadmi and Silsila were all top class works and enlightened me.

25 Hidden Gems with 25 Hidden Composers- With youtube links

25 years have gone by since Kishore Kumar has left us. I dedicate this article to all his fans worldwide and explore 25 Hidden gems from his illustrious career which he sang under 25 not so popular MDs of his time, but they are all worth listening if you want to delve into Kishore's singing prowess. Thankfully, I have checked up and found that the youtube links of all these songs are very much available. So, I will post the links for your reference here as well.  Music director's name is mentioned alongwith the song. I must say, each and every song is a gem!

Gulzar and Kishore Kumar- Deep Poetry and Deep Voice

* The article was already published on www.yoodleeyoo.com on 04.08.2010. I am reproducing it here with some modifications*

Jhuki huyi nigaah mein kahi mera khayal tha….”
Those “Khayals” or “thoughts” of Gulzar sahab had always been depicted with a serene voice on screen by a person called Kishore Kumar. The impact of Kishore Kumar and Gulzar on the movies are everlasting and unforgettable. The deep voice of Kishore Kumar coupled with the words of Gulzar has always been special. Be it the music of Rahul Dev Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Hemant Kumar, Khayyam or Rajesh Roshan- the resultant output has been mesmerizing.
Their association can be traced back to 1968, with Bimal Roy’s “Do Dooni Char”. Gulzar sahab’s thoughtful lyrics of “Hawaon pe likh do hawaon ke naam, hum anjaane pardesiyon ka salaam” coupled with Hemant Kumar’s melodious tune and an open throated soulful Kishore Kumar’s voice leaves a memorable song dedicated to the nature. The breezy, wild lap of Mother Nature was never been depicted in such a detailed way- “Yahan subah se khela karti hai shaam…”- how true! Makes you travel through a village road, twisted and turned, to take you to the bank of a river with green grass and huge shadows of trees.
Sit alone on a boat at the dusk, and the first song which you would love to grasp on is “Woh shaam kuchh ajeeb thi, yeh shaam bhi ajeeb hai, who kal bhi paas paas thi who aaj bhi kareeb hai”… Feels like taking an aloof ride on a boat on a flowing river and thinking and getting immersed in the beauty of the twilight with bygone thoughts enveloping your mind. Who did a better job?,Gulzar with his pen, Hemant Kumar with his tune or Kishore with his vocal?? I would say, all of them. A symmetry amongst those three makes this song from “Khamoshi”(1969) one of the most beautiful soulful songs in Hindi films.

Gulzar’s expression on life has mostly been indirect.. Be it grief, be it happiness, be it loneliness or be it appreciation to beauty, he has often been indirect in expression. But a direct expression by Gulzar could create history with “Koi hota jisko apna hum apna keh lete yaaron, paas nahi to door hi hota lekin koi mera apna”.. Compare this with other poetries on loneliness by this poet, you can feel there is that direct expression which makes this song plain and simple and everlasting. Gulzar had earlier worked with Salil Chowdhury for quite a few films, but this song of “Mere Apne” was special.. Special to many.. For Kishore, it was a ladder to prove his mastery of singing a 12 matra composition from the rhythmic master Salil Chowdhury… How wrong was Salil 17 years back on Kishore! Spellbound by the rendition and capability of Kishore, Salil lost no time to admit “he had underrated Kishore earlier”.. Gulzar’s direct lamentation on loneliness with words “Koi to gham apna tha, koi to saathi hota”, coupled with deep and heavy voice and sensational tune, this song is a landmark..
Rahul Dev Burman’s association with Kishore and Gulzar has always been special.. Take the tune of a vagabond -“Musafir hoon yaaron na ghar hai na theekana, mujhe chalta jaana hai, bas chalte jaana”.. Gulzar is never systematic.. His beauty lies in his thoughts breaking shackles of constraint.. His views had that “dhundlapan” or fogginess which no other poet could express with such confidence. Coupled with rhythmic tune of Rahul Dev Burman and the vocal of Kishore, this number of “Parichay”(1972) stands out in uniqueness.
And what about the directionless beauty in “O Majhi re apna kinara”? A boatman has his understanding of the river, where to anchor and where to sail.. The person does not. A contradiction in approach if the river is the life and the person is the boatman.. He expresses it openly “Koi Kinara jo kinare se mile woh apna kinara hai”… This indirect approach of Gulzar on direction or the lack of it, is what he is known for and what was expressed earlier. This song of “Khushboo”(1974) is again a gem. Amit Kumar once said that RD Burman had broken down into tears after listening the final output on Kishore’s voice in the recording room.. Was it only for Kishore’s voice? Or was it because it was coupled with a poetry which could make people think that in all our lives , however systematic we may be, there comes a junction , where we feel “apna kinara nadiya ki dhara hai”..
“Jaane kya sochkar nahi guzra, ek pal raat bhar nahi guzra…” renders that isolation of Gulzar poetry, which he used to come back from time to time… The pain of the hours of aloofness again sewn in melodious notes by Rahul Dev Burman and vocal by Kishore, makes us feel, has there ever been a better narrator of aloofness than Gulzar?? A gentleman said once “Gulzar can never be imagined in a group photograph, Gulzar cladded in white, bespectacled, sporting a pair of brown chappals, standing and smiling alone”.. Perhaps, he is right. Kinara(1976) had other gems of Gulzar and Pancham and along with others, this special gift from Kishore’s voice is the most memorable.
How can you express the aspirations and requirements of people belonging to the middle-class better than “Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hai, zindagi fir bhi yahan khubsoorat hai”… ? Gulzar in simple words has just explained what the simplicity of middle-class is and what aspirations they have.. They dream but with constraint, they aspire but not detached from the ground… So when someone says “Main chhune zara aasmaan chali” , the other warns “Badal pe udna hoga…”. Khatta Meetha(1977). Composer:Rajesh Roshan.
Ghar (1978) is very speacial. I can’t pick any, between the nostalgic “Phir wohi raat hai” or romantic “Aap ki aankhon mein kuchh”.. Rahul Dev Burman again creates two masterpieces where Gulzar describes the beauty of a lady with “Aap se bhi khubsoorat aap ki andaaz hai” and then makes the man nostalgic with “Raat bhar khwab mein dekha karenge tumhe”…
The isolation depiction takes a new turn with “Hazaar rahein mud ke dekhi kahi se koi sada na aayi….” This time Kishore and Gulzar teams up with Khayyam- the ghazal master. Both isolated beings want to reunion again, but something, some ego or some hindrance is again creeping in their minds and they are unsure who should approach whom and finally says “Tumhe yeh zid thi ke hum bulaate, humein yeh umeed who pukaare../ Hai naam hothon pe ab bhi lekin, awaaz mein pad gayi dararein..” This indirect expression is a signature of Gulzar always.
The two songs with which one can further explore this wonderful journey of these two talented artists are:
1. Aanewala pal jaanewala hai..
2. Raahon pe rehte hai yaadon pe basar karte hai..
Both coming again from the tunes of Rahul Dev Burman, the first one makes you feel the importance of every passing moments in life and the other takes you to a ride of time where the person does not bother where the time is going, but only to bother how much road is traversed. Contradiction? But then, Gulzar is all about poetry which defies all norms and all shackles of tradition..

These are only a handful of songs which I have discussed.. I have left out many also, so a special mention to some gems:

1. Gulmohar gar tumhara naam hota(a verse on beauty)
2. Chand churaake laya hoon( a peppy track with touch of fun)
3. Kabhi kabhi sapna lagta hai( a melancholic depiction of a strange relationship)
4. Sa re ke saare ga ma ko lekar( a breezy children song)
5. Aankhon mein humne aap ke sapne sajaye hai( a lovely interpretation of love and lust)
6. Ladkhadane do mujhe( A rare drunken solo of this combo)

Three unreleased gems, all composed by R D:

1. Main thak gaya hoon ( A masterpiece solo on a tired, lonely person)
2. Kaise dekhoon meri aankhon ke ( A romantic duet with Lata with tender poetry)
3. Phoolon ki zubaan khubsoorat ho gayi (A rhythmic duet with Asha)

And then, those three eternal duets of Aandhi to conclude with:
1. Tum aa gaye ho.
2. Is mod se jaate hai
3. Tere Bina zindagi se koi shikwa nahi

The last three songs of “Aandhi” need a special mention here, as it is not only Gulzar-Kishore, but Lata Mangeshkar beautifully teaming up, and Pancham indeed! While “Tum aa gaye ho..” is a simple rendition of love, “Tere bina zindagi se shikwa..” is perhaps the most sensitive duet from the golden age of music. Lata carries off the first two stanza with soft and soothing touch and Kishore enters late with the heavy impact rendering “Tum jo keh do to aaj ki raat chand doobega nahi”- making one of the most memorable late entries in the duets ever!!. A complex relation, broken long back but united temporarily knowing very well it  would break again, how desirous the man sounds in that line where he wants to stop the time so that the momentary accompanying does not get lost.
Just as I had started with the thoughts of Gulzar, I end with a nostalgic feeling and that tenderness in poetry and rendition, which makes Gulzar and Kishore so special..


Ek door se aati hai, paas aake palat ti hai..

Ek raah akeli si, rukti hai na chalti hai…


They move on but always it seems in their movements, the time has come to a standstill.

Dont Worry, Barfi!

So, the bubble has burst! After all, Barfi is not an entirely genuine movie. Now, that is a true disappointment to many after all the hype built around it on release. By the way, on a brighter note, it should not take away any credit from this well made movie at all, since, many of the blockbusters/classics of the past, which now enjoy cult status, were, ahem, either inspirations or remakes or copies.

“Original in Oblivion, Remake a Rage”

The movie which made Humphrey Bogart, “The Maltese Falcon”(1941) – considered a classic now, by Warner Brothers, was in fact the third attempt on the same story, with the same title. The earlier two versions went into oblivion, with one of them even featuring Bette Davis as the leading lady notwithstanding!

When Hitchcock was going great guns in the Hollywood in the fifties, with consecutive hits like “Strangers on a train”(1951), “Dial M for Murder”(1953) and “ Rear Window”(1954), he decided to remake one of his earlier movies, “ The man who knew too much”(1932)- which he made in England- in Hollywood. While the British version was not very successful, the Hollywood version made after 25 years, was a runaway hit.

There have been some other Hollywood remake ventures like this, significant mentions include Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde(1941) and Gaslight(1944)- two critically acclaimed movies, both featuring Ingrid Bergman, already having an earlier forgettable counterparts. There was a Titanic made in 1955 also, however with entirely different story than that of the iconic Titanic of 1998.

In our desi Bollywood, the movie which defined Indian woman to the world, Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India” was basically the remake of the director’s own earlier venture- “Aurat”, with some script changes here and there. However, Aurat was also a successful movie in its time, but Mother India attained a classic fame.

“ A Classic Copy”?

Movie of the Millennium “Sholay”, can be called an improvisation and sophisticated version of an earlier Hindi movie “Mera Gaon Mera Desh”(1971) by Raj Khosla. The concept, an old man hiring a criminal to tame a dacoit who creates nuisance in his village, was further modified in Sholay, with two criminals, the old man being handicapped and the Dacoit more ferocious! And of course, the names of the Dacoits also sound strikingly similar- Jabbar Singh and Gabbar Singh!

Gumnaam was a superhit Hindi movie of 1965, taken straight out of Agatha Christie’s play version of her classic “ And then there were none”(There was a movie made also with that script with the same name in 1944), with prem kahani of Nanda-Manoj Kumar and song and dance added as Indian ornamentation.  Christie was later again copied in Hindi cinema unaccredited (as usual) in B R Chopra’s “Dhund”(1974), a poor adaptation of “An unexpected Guest”, which we have duly forgotten. In Bengali, Premendra Mitra had once made a movie “Chupi chupi aashe” taken from the plot of Christie’s “Mousetrap”.

While there have been quite a few unsuccessful Hindi movies copied from English ones- Benaam from The man who knew too much, Chakravyuha from The Thirty Nine Steps, Ek ruka hua faisla from Twelve Angry Men, Armaan from Casablanca, Kohra from Rebecca and so on and on; two popular, successful and good copies I remember right now are Satte pe Satta from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Parichay from The Sound of Music. Of late, Raaz(2002) seemed to be highly inspired of What lies beneath and Koi Mil Gaya of E.T.

And once you watch Raj Kapoor-Nargis starrer "Chori Chori"(1956), or much later "Dil hai ke maanta nahi"(1991) of the Bhatts, you know where the inspiration came from! Roman Holiday(1953) is still un matched. Chori Chori and DHKMN were successful, but some other copies like Manpasand(1981) from My Fair Lady(1962), Mann(1999) from An Afair to Remember or Yeh Dillagi(1994) from Sabrina(1954) were not fortunate enough! However, the Bengali copy of My Fair Lady, Ogo Badhu Sundari, released in 1981 was a commercial success and the Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar's final venture as an actor and released after his death.

Inspirations? You must be kidding!

While there can be no doubt about the greatness of Pyasa, its poetry, its music, it directional excellence, the obvious inspiration cannot be overlooked from Charles Chaplin’s “Limelight”. However, Guru Dutt had taken Pyasa to a different spectra altogether after a shade of resemblance of his character with Calvero in Limelight. Years later, Mahesh Bhatt’s “Daddy”, also seemed have taken a good leaf out of Chaplin’s masterpiece, but the movie could not level up to the classic mark.

I wont go into the inspirations of Chopras and Johars here, as they only know what hotchpotch they create by taking each other’s ideas..! J

Some good inspirations, which could qualify to be classics on their right, coming out of the “copy” shadow were “Bees Saal Baad”(1962) with the story taking faint inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle’s book “The Hound of the Baskervilles” featuring Sherlock Homes.

And finally, Mani Ratnam’s Guru(2006), can there be a better execution of the Citizen Kane as an inspiration, than this?

So, Barfi, don’t worry, you can still be a classic!!

Give it up, Shahrukh!!!!- 4FTTFJF67TVG

As the whole media is trying its level best to create the best possible hype for King Khan’s “ Jab tak hai jaan”, I wholeheartedly feel that Shahrukh Khan should now retire from these romantic hero roles. I had been a SRK fan, and my college days were filled with this dreamy eyed man’s love stories. I was quite surprised to watch his “Swadesh” in which he truly proved himself to be a versatile actor. But then, things started deteriorating. His productions, business acumen, IPL all seemed to have taken over the actor Shahrukh and presently I feel by doing or rather trying to do the same old typecast lover boy roles, he is spoiling his legacy and spoiling my sweet nostalgia of him as well!



What you were



What you are

Shahrukh, here are the five reasons why you should quit movies:

Reason 1: You are a superstar first, actor second now.

Try to understand those poor directors- they cant even ask a retake from SRK now!! Lest you get hurt!! You are a superstar but acting like an amateur! Have you seen your own expressions in that Ra-One song “Dildara”?Man, you are not “involved” in acting now also! You are perhaps totally occupied in the back of your mind with the anticipated opening day collection of your movie or the endorsements of your IPL team when giving a romantic shot.  Come on, Shah rukh, your eyes were so expressive and innocent and now, they have lost that raw innocence altogether. That is because, you are a superstar now and more concerned to maintain your superstar image than to doing justice to the characters which you are playing as an actor.

Reason2: You Cant Handle too many things at a time.

This is not your problem, this is a human problem. We cant handle too many things at one time. Either you concentrate on IPL or your business or your acting!! You are ambitious everywhere and expert nowhere. You have lost your acting shine like a blunt axe which has not been sharpened since ages. You know your business well, but you are impatient!! You cant tolerate failure or cant compromise profits. So, even more than making a good movie, you are more interested in marketing the merchandizes of that movie and only achieving an opening day collection figure of Rs 100 Crore. How would future remember you SRK? As a great actor turned reckless businessman?

Reason 3: Your heroines are all gone!!

Your successful movies were not your own credit definitely! There were significant contributions from your heroines- mainly, Kajol, Juhi, Madhuri and Aishwarya. All of them are happily married and hardly doing any mainstream cinema now. Only Rani Mukherjee is remaining from your era and she is also seldom seen on the screen nowadays. You have to be paired with girls who were diaper-worn toddlers when your first TV serial “Fauji” was aired on Doordarshan. I think, enough is enough!

Reason 4: You have become too competitive with others

Definitely you are neither the first one nor the only one to start groupism in film industry. But you have definitely given it a new dimension. See your limitations- out of Johar and Chopra camp, you are very alone! You are less concentrating on your own work and more interested in Salman Khan’s new releases. Grow up, dude! Do something substantial like Swadesh and make us- your old fans, proud.

Reason 5: You have lost your look

You used to stammer, excessively overact in your nineties movies, but you had a charm. You were young, so all your nonsense could still be received with wide applause from the youth. You have grown old, but you could not find a different segment of audience for you. You still have to rely on the youth, and they have already found Hrithik or even younger, Ranbir- who is clearly a megastar in the making! You are trying to keep media in your hold, but isn’t this stunt exposing your insecurities more? When you made six pack abs, you looked like a roadside daily wage earner more, than a hunk which you wanted to look like. You did a stupid double role in that Chopra banner; still the specs and moustache avatar was better, but that spike haired, goggled look? Yaak…!

Give it up, Shah rukh! Concentrate on your business. You have that business acumen, only add some

 patience and you can leave a great business empire for your children.

4FTTFJF67TVG