Perspective of a scientist and a poet- a beautiful conversation from the Hindi movie (Mili)

 

Sharing a beautiful and poetic scene, I stumbled upon, that is a clip from an old Hindi movie Mili (1975). I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity and beauty of the dialogues between the actors. The hero in the movie is engrossed in observing the stars via his telescope explaining the scientific facts and location of the stars and why they aren't visible at night. On the other hand, the heroine of the movie (Mili) seems to have a poetic and playful perspective on why the stars are not visible to the eye at night. As the conversation goes on, we can see the scientist (the hero of the movie, played by the legendary Amitabh Bacchan) smitten by the heroine's description and perspective and interestingly, the hidden poet in him is awakened and he responds to her (in a quite poetic and truly honest manner) acknowledging the limitation of science in expressing the beauty that is often a domain of poetry...

 The clip can be heard here:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSeX40bEqD0/?igsh=cjNuZDdsaHpzOHR2

Here is the written dialogues between them (with my English translations in parenthesis):

Heroine: "bataiye to din ko ye tare kahaan jaate hain? (Tell me, where do these stars go during the day?)

Hero: "jaate kahan hai wahi rehte hain, 

aur sooraj ki tez roshni ki wajah se dikhai nahi dete." (They don't go anywhere but remain at their place, due to the bright light of the sun, they are not visible")

Heroine: "hmm. ye to gyaan vigyaan ki baatein hui" (This is like a talk of knowledge and science)

Hero: "to?" (So?)

Heroine: "apko aisa nahi lagta ye tare sharir bacche hain

vo dekhiye wahan jhund banakar aapas main khusar-pusar kar rehe hain

aur wahan akela ek taara naaraaz hokar sabko ghoor raha hai

lekin subah hote hi jaise hi headmaster sooraj ji aate hain

sab gayab ho jate hain

maidaan bilkul khali..."

(Don't you think these stars are like naughty children, look there some are gossiping quietly in a cluster of their own, and elsewhere look one lonely star is staring at everybody out of melancholy. But as soon as the day arrives, because of the Headmaster Sun, all these disperse and disappear, leaving the arena completely empty...)

Hero: "theek keh rahi ho

vigyaan ke bade shabdon mein yeh ras kahan." (You are saying true, such essence is not to be found in talks of knowledge and science)

Heroine: "nahin aap mera mazaak uda rahe hain...". (No, you are making fun of me)

Hero: "main sach keh raha hu Mili, tum bhi ek sooraj ho

aati ho to mere chhote bade dukhon ki parchaiyan bhaag jati hain

aur main tumhari roshi main apne aap ko bilkul saaf dikhai dene lagta hoon..." (I am saying the truth Mili. You are also like a Sun; when you arrive, the shadows of all of my small and big sorrows flee away, and in your light, I can see myself clear and pure.."

(sharir is an Urdu word that means naughty)

    Interestingly, I remembered that this movie had one particular song (which I used to have especially recorded in cassette and listen in my childhood) sung by Kishore Kumar, and the song was so close to my heart...The melodious song can be heard here: Badi Sooni Sooni Hai with lyrics | बडी सोनी सोनी है के बोल | Kishore Kumar | Mili | HD Song

And its beautiful lyrics are as follows:

"बड़ी सूनी सूनी है ज़िंदगी ये ज़िंदगी - (२)

मैं खुद से हूँ यहाँ अजनबी अजनबी

बड़ी...

 

कभी एक पल भी, कहीं ये उदासी

दिल मेरा भूले

कभी मुस्कुराकर दबे पाँव आकर

दुख मुझे छूले

न कर मुझसे ग़म मेरे, दिल्लगी ये दिल्लगी

बड़ी...

 

कभी मैं न सोया, कहीं मुझसे खोया

सुख मेरा ऐसे

पता नाम लिखकर, कहीं यूँही रखकर

भूले कोई कैसे

अजब दुख भरी है ये, बेबसी बेबसी

बड़ी..."

LyricsIndia: बड़ी सूनी सूनी है, ज़िंदगी ये ज़िंदगी - ba.Dii suunii suunii hai, zi.ndagii ye zi.ndagii / मिली -(Mili)