A thought-provoking clip

 

I wanted to share a clip which was supposedly shared a lot online some weeks ago, that featured an adorable little child face-to-face with her birth mother, who is seen holding the child and waiting in wonder, joy, and sheer love as her child is finally able to glimpse her face (with the aid of small eyeglasses). 

The scene can be viewed at this clip: पहली बार साफ नजर आई मां बच्ची हुई भावुक,छोटी सी मासूम बच्ची का वीडियो वायरल

I also found another clip (with the same child) as well (although I am not sure if its AI or not): Heartwarming moment small baby clearly recognizes mother face after wearing glasses for first time

            The reason I am posting about these clips in particular is that for some reason I kept on getting reminded of something else when I watched these clips, and first of all the lines of Surah Qaf from the holy Quran flashed before me, here they are:

"You were completely heedless of this day. We have removed the veil from your eyes, and your vision will now be sharp and strong"- Surah Qaf (Verse (50:22)

So, just as in the clips, the child is finally able to clearly see (and recognize) his earthly mother (albeit with the aid of an external veil- or eyeglasses), I was noticing the sheer similarity of that moment of being face-to-face with the Creator-God, the one whose love is equivalent to the love of seventy mothers, and how after death, on the day of judgment, the soul shall be face-to-face with the loving God and finally the veil will be lifted and eyesight made sharp (similar to the idea of putting something externally to sharpen the eyesight on earth vs. removing the earthly veil in hereafter that was clouding the eyesight of the human in the Dunya). Moreover, I was filled with awe and wondered that similar to the earthly mother who can be seen filled with immense joy at seeing her child see her own face clearly for the first time, wouldn't God who has far more love (Al-Wadud) than that, must be truly filled with love at seeing his own child whom he created. And perhaps, only then shall the human realize how he was caught up in the illusion of the Dunya and was neglecting the love of the only true one- the Loving God......

Three beautiful Bollywood songs on "Zinda"/ living....an interesting connection...

 Sharing three Hindi Bollywood songs which are all so beautiful and melodious with very deep poetry (which are also some of my favorite songs I have listened to and listen in my life), together as I noted an interesting theme in all of them. All of them have the title of "Zinda" or alive in their titles and talk of the feeling of being alive from the point of the person singing it...(depending on the situation in the respective movie scenes)..The three songs also seems to have a spiritual cord throughout all of them for those on the path of Ishq-e-haqiqi....

        In the first song, the person is questioning that despite the blood flowing in the veins in the body and breathing, the person still feels disconnected from life as that is not truly living, and the lyrics talk of the burning fire and restlessness of the soul making the heart question its own beating, if its indeed really alive?

The second song talks of the person (the forlorn lover) for whom despite being alive (zinda), the life (zindagi) does not feel like a life, simply because of the separation from the Beloved. The eyes keep on searching for that face, and the lover also keeps on asking that lover (likening him to be a tormentor) to come for once and annihilate everything so that it's finished for once....

Finally, in the third song (which is actually from a very beautiful movie Lootera (2013) starring the handsome actor Ranveer Singh based on the story of the Last Leaf by O' Henry), the lover (the actor in the movie), is finally emptied of all desires/ regrets/ lost chance of love and all he wants to be left alone and just live, as he feels that its sufficient and enough for him....He just wants no rivals or outside forces/ persons to interfere or question and had finally accepted his state..

1.

Kya Main Zinda Hoon

Lyrics:

चल रही हैं साँसे क्यूँ
बह रहा हैं लहू क्यूँ
फिर भी क्यों नहीं लगता
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
चल रही हैं साँसे क्यूँ
बह रहा हैं लहू क्यूँ
फिर भी क्यों नहीं लगता
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ

सीने में हैं जलन क्यों
तड़पती रूह हैं क्यों
फिर भी क्यों नहीं लगता
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ

दिल धड़क के पूछता हैं
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ

ये सुनि अँधेरी बेक़रारी जाना
पेहचाना ढूंढती हैं क्यों
मिटा हुआ नामोनिशान
पूछती है क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ

मचलते आंखों से
छलक जाते हैं आँसू
चीखती हैं बेचैनी
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ

चल रही हैं साँसे क्यूँ
बह रहा हैं लहू क्यूँ
फिर भी क्यों नहीं लगता
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ

सीने में हैं जलन क्यों
तड़पती रूह हैं क्यों
फिर भी क्यों नहीं लगता
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ
क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ"

Kya Main Zinda Hoon Lyrics hindi | क्या मैं ज़िंदा हूँ ज़िंदा lyrics | hindi.lyricsgram.com

2.

Main Zinda hu lekin Full Song | Nisar Ali

(This song is a version of a song that was in a Bollywood movie that was in turn copied (read stolen) originally from a Pakistani song...Not surprisingly, the typical Indians won't love their neighbor but go ahead and steal their compositions without batting an eyelid :))

The lyrics of this song are:

""मुझे फिर तबाह कर

मुझे फिर रुला जा

सितम करने वाले

कहीं से तो आजा

कहीं से तो आजा 

आँखों में तेरी ही सूरत बसी है

तेरी ही तरह तेरा ग़म भी हसीं है

तू जो नहीं है तो कुछ भी नहीं है

ये माना कि महफ़िल जवाँ है, हसीं है

जिधर भी ये देखें,जिधर भी ये जाएँ

तुझे ढूंढती है,ये पागल निगाहें

मैं जिंदा हूँ लेकिन, कहाँ ज़िन्दगी है

मेरी ज़िन्दगी तू कहाँ खो गयी है

तू जो नहीं..."

3.

Zinda Full Video | Lootera | Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha | Amit Trivedi | Amitabh Bhattacharya

Lyrics:

मुझे छोड़ दो मेरे हाल पे

मुझे छोड़ दो मेरे हाल पे

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

मुझे छोड़ दो मेरे हाल पे

मुझे छोड़ दो मेरे हाल पे

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

हवाओं से जो माँगा हिस्सा मेरा

तो बदले में हवा ने सांस दी

अकेलेपन से छेड़ी जब गुफ़्तगू

मेरे दिल ने आवाज़ दी

मेरे हाथों, हुआ जो किस्सा शुरु

उसे पुरा तो करना है मुझे

कब्र पर मेरे सर उठा के खड़ी हो ज़िन्दगी

ऐसे मरना है मुझे

कुछ माँगना बाक़ी नहीं

कुछ माँगना बाक़ी नहीं

जितना मिला काफी है

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

मुझे छोड़ दो मेरे हाल पे

मुझे छोड़ दो मेरे हाल पे

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

ज़िन्दा हूँ यार काफी है

मुझे छोड़ दो.

मुझे छोड़ दो.

मेरे हाल पे

An old Hindi song- Aapke Pehloo main aakar ro diye-Forgotten melody 3

 

Sharing a very melodious and beautiful song from a very old Hindi movie (Mera Saaya, 1966). The song is sung by the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi. The song is very special as it was also in my list of songs, I would listen to in my childhood recorded in cassette songs. A specific thing about this song is that I would literally write down its lyrics and try to memorize it as this song had such a deep impact on my soul. Anyways, the movie itself is very good as the plot is very interesting. The great actor (Sunil Dutt) is grieving the loss of his wife but does not realize that his wife is alive as the one who died was actually her twin sister (about whom nobody knew) and that's where the suspense is. His real wife tries hard to convince him and ultimately towards the end, his inner eyes open and he understands that she was there all along..

I don't' think anybody might even know about this song and so it's a forgotten melody in my view..

For some reason I also note a spiritual side in this song as if this song is about the person crying out and going to God (as there is reference of sar jhukakar) and mentioning about his/her sorrows to God and the pain of separation from God.....

The song can be heard here:

Mohammed Rafi : Aapke Pahlu Mein Aakar Ro Diye | Sunil Dutt, Sadhana | Bollywood Old Dard Bhare Song

The lyrics of this song are:

"आप के पहलू में आ कर रो दिए

दास्तान-ए-ग़म सुनाकर रो दिए

जिन्दगी ने कर दिया जब भी उदास

आ गए घबरा के हम मंजिल के पास

सर झुकाया, सर झुकाकर रो दिए

शाम जब आँसू बहाती आ गयी

हर तरफ ग़म की उदासी छा गयी

दीप यादों के जला कर रो दिए

ग़म जुदाई का सहा जाता नहीं 

आपके बिन अब रहा जाता नहीं 

प्यार में क्या क्या गँवाकर रो दिए"

Aap Ke Pahloo Mein Aakar Lyrics in Hindi, Zakhami Dil Aap Ke Pahloo Mein Aakar Song Lyrics

A very beautiful and nostalgic song- from a popular Hindi movie Disco Dancer (1982)

 

Sharing a hauntingly beautiful song that is from a very old but popular Bollywood movie Disco Dancer (1982). Before I mention about the song, I should mention about this movie and the lead actor Mithun Chakraborthy. All the songs and the dance steps of the actor in this movie are so famous that his unique moves are attributed to him (akin to the moonwalk or other specific dance steps attributed to Michael Jackson). Moreover, this movie had a massive popularity in the Soviet Union (Russia) apart from India, and in an old interview when the actor was asked about the movie's success and his success in Russia, he replied that the success of the movie is only because it was destiny and comes from God. He also replied that he thinks he had a strong past life connection to Russia that's why he became an icon in Russia :)

The particular song I am sharing is so nostalgic as I had this song especially recorded in my cassette player in my childhood and used to hear it a lot. I liked its melody and its deep lyrics which reverberate in my heart till today. The song is:Disco Dancer - Yaad Aa Raha Hai Tera Pyar Kahan Hum Kahan - Bappi Lahiri

I am also sharing the specific movie clip (actually the whole movie in available on YouTube freely), where the teacher/ Guru/ Murshid (played by Rajesh Khanna) speaks to the actor to sing, urging him to sing for the sake of his mother's soul. 

(167) Disco Dancer - Mithun Chakraborty - Part 13 Of 13 | Bollywood Movie Scenes - YouTube

One noticeable thing is that the actor (Mithun) has formed a deep phobia of even touching his electric guitar, let alone hold it and play and sing to its tunes, which is happening as in his last performance, he was about to hold his electric guitar, but his mother reaches the stage hurriedly in time (as she was informed of a secret plot to kill her son by having the guitar under live electric voltage) and before her son could touch, she picks up the guitar and is sadly, electrocuted and dies in front of her son. That traumatic memory and scream of his mother remained imprinted in his soul memory, and he cannot seem to get over his grief, especially since his mother had suffered a lot in her earlier life as well and she unconditionally loved him and wanted him to sing and follow his heart, almost a huge sacrifice. Moreover, after that the villains also physically attack the actor breaking his legs (so he cannot dance on stage). Even though his lover (played by some actress) helps him rehabilitate his physical injury, the wound in his soul remains unhealed. At the time of a critical upcoming dance show, she urges the actor to sing (and there is a full song on that which is a very famous song by the name Jimmy Aaja Disco Dancer - Jimmi Jimmi Jimmi Aaja Aaja Aaja Aaja Re Mere - Parvati Khan) but her attempts fail. Until we see the entry of the actor's murshid (a teacher who had been there with the actor since his childhood watching him and teaching him music and singing with him songs). He then sings another beautiful song and speaks to him to listen to his soul, his specific dialogues (see below) help him finally take the leap to overcome the fear. Interestingly, as the healing occurs, we see the actor (Mithun) breaks apart the old personal guitar (which caused his mother's death) and takes the electric guitar thrown by his murshid in the auditorium. And the song which the actor then sings is in fact devoted to his mother and is remembering her love...

The dialogues spoken by the guru in Hindi and English are here:

Hindi:

"Gaa, apni maa ki aatma ki cheekh se apne sur ko mila de

main kehta hoon gaa!

agar aaj tune nahi gaaya

to hamesha hamesha ke liye 

teri maa mar jayegi...."

 

English:

"Sing, unite your melody with the scream of your mother's soul

I say to you sing!

If today you did not sing

Then forever and forever

your mother will die..."

I personally felt that moment was beautiful and very deep, as it showed that the source of trauma (the guitar) was broken to give space to a new version of that same object which then turned into a symbol of healing (through music). For some reason I was getting reminded of the story of Surah Yusuf from the holy Quran where the same shirt of Prophet Yusuf (A.S.) that caused trauma to his father Prophet Yaqub also later became the source of his healing. Basically, the same shirt which was not torn but had sheep blood spots was brought by his other sons to make-believe that Yusuf was killed by wolves, but 40 years later, Yusuf sent another shirt (but his personal shirt) that actually healed the sight of his father. 

The lyrics of the song are:

"Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Kahaan hum kahaan tum

Hue tum kahaan gum

Aa bhi jaa aa bhi, jaa ek baar

O, Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Yaaron, main to yahaan jeeta raha

Saare gham dil ke bhula ke

De ke tumhein, saari khushi

Maine, maine yahaan kuchh bhi to paaya nahi

Sab kuchh paa ke

Mujh ko mili, kya zindagi

O, Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Kahaan hum kahaan tum

Hue tum kahaan gum

Aa bhi jaa aa bhi, jaa ek baar

Ho, Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Ae dil, main wohi tu wohi

Wohi hain yeh duniya ke mele

Bichhde woh din, jaane kahaan

Roothe, sab yahaan jaane kahaan

Reh gaye hum to akele

Aawaaz dein, kis ko yahaan

O, Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Kahaan hum kahaan tum

Hue tum kahaan gum

Aa bhi jaa aa bhi, jaa ek baar

Ho, Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Waada, waada raha saathi mere

Tere liye gaata chala jaaun

Tu mera dil, tu meri jaan

Jeena, jeena mera jeena yahin

Tere liye zindagi lutaoon

Tu jo nahi, kya hai yahaan

O, Yaad aa raha hai, tera pyaar

Kahaan hum kahaan tum

Hue tum kahaan gum

Aa bhi jaa aa bhi, jaa ek baar"

Yaad Aa Raha Hai Lyrics in Hindi, Indian Michel Jackson-Mithun Chakraborty Yaad Aa Raha Hai Song Lyrics

Farishta-e-Zeest: A recent Urdu poem penned by me

 

I thought of posting an Urdu poem (that I composed literally few days ago), and so it is one of my Urdu poems that is pretty recent which I have decided to share here, and as it stands, every poem I compose is indeed close to my heart. Interestingly, this poem draws inspiration from one of the verses of the holy Quran (the verse in English is after the poem). (I still consider myself a beginner in Urdu poetry as Urdu is not my native language).

"Wherever you may be, death will find you, even if you should be within towers built up strong and high." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:78)

One of my published poems: Bards Annual Poetry 2016

 Sharing one of my poems that was published in the Bards Annual Poetry Anthology 2016 (Bards Annual 2016: The Annual Publication of The Bards Initiative by Bards Initiative | Goodreads).

The poem is as follows:

An interesting insight of life hidden in two words (one Hindi and other Arabic)...

 

I thought of sharing something which I noticed visually and kept on thinking about the beauty of it especially when both are written in Arabic/ Urdu script.

The first word is actually a Hindi word "हत" which I wrote in Urdu script (see left on the picture), which means to be wounded or hurt, like sometimes it's said "वो इंसान हत हो गया" (means that person is hurt).

And the Arabic word for love (hub) when written (see the script on right side) are so similar except the dots or "nuqtas" placement, meaning there are two nuqtas on the word meaning wounded on the left, while there is only one nuqta on the word love but also below the cup shape...

For some reason I kept on feeling that spoke of the insight of asrar-e-hayat (lesson of life).

Why?

Because in order to move from the state of "wounded" to the state of "love" all it takes is two steps:

1. The first step is that the person embraces his/her own self (here dot/nuqta symbolizing the self) that was fragmented (hence wounded state) without the need of any external source (or a person) and when that is done there is only one dot remaining (as two dots cease and become one), and then

2.  the second step is to surrender, meaning to fall down in prayer/sajdah (that's when the dot falls and crosses below the line) and the transformation occurs.

What was wounded is now love....shining bright and keeping the warmth intact what was once wound...:)

And similarly, when love turns into hurt (backwards), the person withdraws (so it takes force to go against gravity and person withdraws and that's why dot crosses up and then persons' heart breaks in two thats why two dot form) :)

A lovely song-Sapno ke Saudagar- Forgotten melody -2

 

I thought of sharing a song from an old Hindi movie (Dil Hai ki Manta Nahin, 1991). This song is from a movie which has very melodic songs, sung by the singer Anuradha Poudwal, whose devotional songs of God were the ones I grew up listening to... Her voice is very unique and melodious. The reason I posted this particular song is that its comparatively lesser-known song from this movie, and I was always captivated by this song from my childhood....

First, the song, it can be heard here:

O Mere Sapnon Ke Saudagar (Full Song) | Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | Aamir Khan, Pooja Bhatt | T-Series

 The lyrics of the song are so simple and beautiful, and the song itself is very simple and beautiful. I wonder now how they created such cinematic masterpieces in that era as songs of this era or even some of their videos are replete with vulgarity or fakeness..

The song is actually a dream which the actress (played by Pooja Bhatt) has when she misses her bus (as she was running away from her house) and is resting by a tree and drifts off to sleep...The whole visuals of the song are one beautiful dream. What I found particularly fascinating was that she sees some man (but in a typical western outfit) on a white horse but we are not shown the face and she is confused and decides to follow and has to row her boat herself all the way in the lake, and when she finally reaches a cave, which is shown as some heavenly place with angels welcoming her and helping her to find her Prince she is dreaming of...And almost finally her patience is giving away, and she is saddened and sits on the edge in despair, and all of a sudden the magic happens and a beautifully dressed man appears (in an Arabic looking attire), radiating purity, and we are not shown his face (and this person is NOT the same person on the horse who led her to that long journey)...The specific shots from the song are here:

The lyrics of the song were what I found equally beautiful, as she asks this merchant of her dreams to take her to a place where there is only love. The lyrics are as follows:

O Mere Sapno Ke Saudagar Lyrics Translation | Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | Hindi Bollywood Songs

From the words of the song, it's clear that the actress asks this merchant of her dreams (the prince) to sing along with her, hinting that they both are singers or gifted with music...and then she talks of the moon and the stars reference which is very sweet...and it appears she desires heaven (or the Jannah) as that is the only place where there is nothing but love and angels sing/ or sing of praises...

The funny part is that when the actress wakes up from her beautiful dream in the movie, she misses her bus, but bumps into the actor of the movie (Aamir Khan), although he is no way a comparison to the enigmatic and shrouded person shown in the song...:)

Anyways, the purity, beauty, simplicity, and the melody and lyric of this lesser-known song are worth posting about here...

Keep dreaming...

Is ibaadat ka yahi dastoor hai-- a beautiful song "Noor"

 

Sharing a song (titled Noor) from an old Hindi movie called Delhi-6 (2009), this song is lesser known (a forgotten melody, if I may say so), and I find it to be short yet summarizing the gist of the purpose of life...As this song is almost having Sufism at its core in meanings, I was not surprised it was composed by AR Rahman...

The song is barely few lines poetry and is one of the few songs that is sung without the use of any musical instrument.

The song can be heard at this link:

DELHI 6 - NOOR (FULL SONG) - LYRICS

And the beautiful lyrics (with English translation) are available at this link: Noor Lyrics Translation | Delhi-6 | Hindi Bollywood Songs

These are the lyrics:

Noor Lyrics Translation | Delhi-6 | Hindi Bollywood Songs

Leyla and Majnoo story: a beautiful dialogue from a Hindi movie..

 

Sharing a particular scene from an old Hindi Movie that is based on the tragic story of the Persian/Arabic folk tale of Leyla (or Laila or Layla) and Majnoo. I was particularly captivated by the beauty of the dialogues and what Majno was trying to convey...The scene is available to watch here at this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdcpY1EEV1A

The lines where Majnoo says: 

And its English translation:

The lines spoken are very sublime, and I was reminded of two different poetries of Allama Iqbal with similar thoughts:

 "tere sajde tujhe kaafir na kar de Iqbal,

      Tu jhukta kahin aur hai aur sochta kahin aur hai.."

 "Ragon Mein Woh Lahoo Baqi Nahin Hai

       Woh Dil, Woh Arzoo Baqi Nahin Hai.

       Namaz-o-Roza-o-Qurbani-o-Hajj

        Ye Sub Baqi Hain, Tu Baqi Nahin Hai"

As the folk story goes, the love which Majnoo had for Leyla was so profound that he lost himself in it completely (turned into a Deewana- which translates to a madman), and in that state, he did not have any awareness of any other worldly thing or the rituals of religious practices...His love has often been compared to the love which the Sufis seek for the one Beloved...so much so that even the regard of so many traditional practices lose their charm or importance...all the lover (the Sufi) knows is continuously longing for the one. And in that he is often regarded as mad by the world...

Pyar hota hai to hota hai ya hota hi nahi- Song and Speech of Osho- harmony

 

I heard a certain insightful speech of the legendary Osho and for some reason I was awed by its truth and suddenly got reminded of a song I first heard two decades ago in my undergraduate years. That song was sung and composed by the famous Indian singer Sukhwinder Singh with a very unique voice.

I noticed a sheer similarity in the words of what Osho was trying to convey and that of the lyrics of the song.  Osho's speech can be heard here (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPdaP39DuCy/?igsh=N3d3OGR3Y252bHVj). I have actually typed his speech so it can be read (in case post on the link gets removed which is not that uncommon): First of all, here is the speech of Osho:

"tumhare bheetar kuch aisa hai jo tumhara banaya hua nahi usse hi parmaatma ko khojo

tumhare bheetar prem hai jo tumhara banaya hua nahi hai

tumne ek baat dekhi,

aadmi sab bana le 

prem nahi bana paata

mandir bana lo

masjid bana lo

bade mandir banao

badi masjid banao

lekin agar koi tumse kahe ki prem banao

to tum kehte ho bada mushqil hai, 

ho to ho nai ho to nai ho

laakh koi kahe ki is addmi se prem karo

tum kaho magar kar kaise

ho to ho na ho to na ho

hota hai to hota hia

nahi hota 

jo aadmi ke haath me nahi hai

usi pe sawaari karo to parmaatma tak pahunch jaoge

mandir tumne bana liye, vo aadmi ke haath me hain

sundar mandir bana liye

pratimayaein tumne bana li

vo aadmi ke haath me hai

sundar pratimayein bana li

lekin jo bhi aadmi ke dwara nirmit hai

use parmatma ki koi pehchaan na ho sakegi..

tum apne bheetar usko khojo jo tumhare banana me nahi aata

usi sutra ko pakdo

dekho dard sikhaya ja sakta hai

prem sikhaya nahi ja sakta.."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the song which almost feels like resonates the same thought is below. The song is a lesser-known song by the singer but it's very divine.

Pyaar Hota Hai | Sukhwinder Singh | HD Song Video

The lyrics of this song are:

"koi jane ya na jane koi samjhe na sahi
pyar hota hai to hota hai ya hota hi nahi

koi mane ya naa mane par hakikat hai yahi
iske badle to kisi shay ka asar hota nahi
pyar hota hai to hota hai ya hota hi nahi

naa koi vaid na koi hi dawa kaam aaye
preet ka rog ho aisa hai ke jab ho jaye
ke jab ho jaye jab ho jaye ho jaye
uspe tauba ke alawa kuch hota nahi
koi mane ya naa mane par hakikat hai yahi
iske badle to kisi shay ka asar hota nahi

pyar har roop har riste mein ho jata hai
ye to aisa ke hota hai to ho jata hai

koi chahe ya na chahe aisa hota hi nahi
pyar hota hai to hota hai ya hota hi nahi
iske badle to kisi shay ka asar hota nahi"

"99 songs" movie....music is duniya ka ek aakhri bacha hua jadoo hai....

 I had watched a Hindi movie (99 songs) almost a year ago, that was released in 2021 and had been wanting to write my thoughts on it but kept on procrastinating. I heard the soundtrack of this movie and was in awe of it and was not surprised that it was composed by AR Rahman; however, what was intriguing was that AR Rahman also wrote the script and co-produced it. I am of the view that any person who is sensitive to music or is a musician should watch this movie and understand why its a masterpiece....

    The story of the movie is about a musician (played by the newcomer Ehan Bhat), compelled to create 100 songs prior to marrying the woman he loves (played by a foreign actress Edilsy Vargas), who embarks on a profound and emotional odyssey through his music. The father of the actress is a controlling and arrogant person and puts forth a condition to the actor (who is a struggling singer and musician) that he can only allow him to marry his daughter if he can compose 100 songs for her. This comes as a response when the actor claims that music has the power and even one song can change the world...The actress is depicted as mute girl in the movie who cannot communicate via words but is shown to communicate via her art and paintings. As the actor sets out on his journey to compose the 100 songs, he travels away and comes across difficult experiences which change the course of his life. 

One thing which is the highlight of the movie (and is shown in flashes) is that his own father is an abusive man who always prevented him to go anywhere near to music or play musical instruments or any kind or even buy them. But the actor in his childhood days just could not delete the intense attraction for music and sounds. So much so that he would often sneak away and try to rebel but only to be met with violent outbursts from his controlling father...Such was his pure desire for music, that in one scene of the movie (which particularly stays with me) he requested his father to buy a guitar for his birthday at a store but he instead gets him some kites to fly. Such is a purity of his longing for music, that he is shown flying six kites by the boat and then sits by the boat where all the six strings can be actually played like the string of a guitar due to the wind making them taut..The scene is both poignant and brilliant and leaves one to think from the eyes of a child who seems to find that bliss by himself (see scene shots below):

    Interestingly, the mother figure of both the actor and the actress are absent in the movie. We do not get to know about the mother of the actress, but the mother of the actor was shown to die just after childbirth. And in the early half of the movie, one assumes that his father's anger towards the child could stem from him holding the child as inauspicious and the cause of his wife's death. However, the reason for this is revealed later in the movie's plot, which is also the turning point of the movie. As the actor lands in prison due to the mistake of his best friend (who redeemed him in the end), with no fault of his own, he is seen to come to terms with his own soul and his own self. The scene where he draws the keys of the piano on the prison wall and plays them is very beautiful. A psychotherapist (played by actress Manisha Koirala) is shown to enter the prison and acts like a mentor and tries to help him heal and play music again and believe in the magic of music. Her words "Music is duniya ka ek aakhri bacha hua jadoo hai..."are indeed sublime...And then there is the moment of truth when someone from his deceased mother's family comes to the prison and reveals the hidden secret about his mother's life and her death.  It turns out that his mother was a gifted and famous singer (who would sing devotional songs of God) and it was her voice and singing that actually won the heart of his father who married her, but later due to the rising jealousy and his own insecurity, he turned violent towards her so much so that he asked all the musical instruments to be thrown out of the house or shut off. But the mother who was carrying her child (the actor) would secretly sing to the unborn son a melody and one fine day was caught by the abusive husband, who physically assaulted her which led to some medical complications, and we are revealed that she perhaps gave birth to the son and died due to trauma.  This revelation of the actor who had been missing the mother figure in his entire life and the realization of the origin of his passion for music leave him both broken yet healed in a way. The scenes where his mother's spirit visits him and urges to play music and sing are the soul of the movie. We are shown that the actor had composed 99 songs by them, and was short of 1 song (to fulfil his supposed promise to win the woman he loved), and he is then shown to almost hear the voice of his own soul and compose a song and a melody (which happens to be the same melody his mother would sing to him when he was in her womb)...He sings that song with no desire to go live or public with it or any attachments, he just sings it in the prison before being released on the last day, and we are shown his friend (who was guilty of ruining his friends' life by landing him in prison) secretly recording the song and sending it to Indian radio stations where it becomes live on radio. 

    And the turn of events is such that, we are shown that one influential political minister (who was actually very corrupt) is travelling in his car and hears the song and is almost captivated by it, when all of a sudden the car crashes (and we are shown a beautiful moment when all the bribe money in his briefcase is circling his face in that death experience), yet miraculously he escaped alive although his driver is dead...With scratches and wounds, he has a change of heart and understands that he was not being true to the country and his motherland (India)..Somehow, the words of the song by the actor (where he is calling to his mother's love) awakened the love he should have had for his motherland.. And we are shown that he atones for his past sins by revealing names of all corrupt nexus in power, almost a redemption...

        Towards the end, we see that the actor actually goes back to his mother's home after the 100th song (but one song for the world) and has no desire for the woman (actress) for whom he first set out on this journey, as he almost found his niche and contentment and was transformed and healed. However, we are shown the actress finding him and reconciling (as she was also under a misunderstanding about him earlier) and in the movie we are shown they both compose music together. Essentially, the actress is shown holding a wand like structure and waving it and the actor in the background plays the grand piano. Probably this could mean the actress is the one who gives words (via the wand symbolic of pen) to the musical compositions of the actor.

        So, it did turn out that his promise of one song that can change the world indeed came true but in an unusual way. But it took 99 songs (inspired by the love of a romantic nature) to get to that state of one song (inspired by the love of the missing mother figure) ...And one wonders why the title of the movie would be "99 songs" instead of "100 songs". Moreover, the idea of banning music completely and throwing off musical instruments in the house of the actor by his father can hint to rigidity that is often heard in the religion of Islam, where some believe that music is haram in the religion and any instrument should not be played...Well, the story was written by AR Rahman, who himself was born a Hindu, but adopted Sufism as his religion, and his music and songs are heavily inspired by it, it's almost that he channels divinity through his music in the world....My interpretation is that the character of the actor's father might be inspired by a similar character AR Rahman may have known or come across, hinting at the rigidity of some religions...Moreover, in the key song, the lines talk of "hooron ki chaahat mein amrit piya", which indeed refer to the Islamic idea where 72 hoors are promised to the momin (believer) after the death and judgment....Moreover, Islam has 99 names of Allah, and I think that the title of this movie seems to be inspired from that idea...After watching this movie, I had a feeling that I understood perhaps, why there are 99 but not 100 names of God in Islam...It is because, perhaps the 100th name is that for the mother who is on earth here- referring to the mother's love, and as we know someone said that "god could not be everywhere so he made mothers" seem to resonate...No wonder, the key song (100th song) is in fact calling out to the mother after God...That song literally feels like a Sufi poetry, and I could not stop listening to it for such a long time...

Interestingly, the name of the actress in the movie is Sophie (that actually sounds like Sufi)...Plus, the idea of one song taking over the world by the protagonist who has an abusive father but who undertakes a journey to heal his soul in this movie is very reminiscent of the true story of MercyMe band whose song "I can only imagine" MercyMe - I Can Only Imagine (The Movie Session - Official Music Video took over the world in Gospel Music, and the story of that movie (by the same name and its melodious song is I Can Only Imagine Movie | Song Performance) bears some similarity to the movie 99 songs although there are different on many aspects otherwise. This song is also so beautiful, and the funny part is that I actually heard it in a car myself when I was being driven by a good woman (Julie), when she took me for Bible lessons back in Ohio., though the car did not need to crash for me to value the music and its words.

The 100th song (or the SONG that is the highlight of the movie) can be heard here and lyrics are after that:

O Aashiqa - (Film Version) 99 Songs|@A. R. Rahman|Ehan Bhat|Edilsy|Shashwat 

"O ashiqa tune kya dil diya
Dil lene ke liye hi dil diya
Hooron ki chaahat mein amrit piya
Toh kya piya, o pyaseya

O jiya, tu jiya, tu jiya
Agar aise toh yaara kya jiya
O jiya, tu jiya, tu jiya
Hisaabo mein yaara kya jiya

Ki sabke Khuda se bas apni duaa
Ye kaisi dua ki, o jogiya
Gira ke imaan banaya mahal
Toh kya banaya o karigara

O jiya, tu jiya, tu jiya
Agar aise toh yaara kya jiya
O jiya, tu jiya, tu jiya
Hisaabo mein yaara kya jiya

Khuda ki koi ishq ki kahe
Baat koi Maa ki keh na sake
Kya bole Kabira, kya Bullah kahe
Maa na mile toh Khuda naa mile

O jiya, tu jiya, tu jiya
Agar aise toh yaara kya jiya
O jiya, tu jiya, tu jiya
Hisaabo mein yaara kya jiya.

O Maa kaise pukaarun
Kaise karz chukaaun
Tera diya, kaha bhi na jaaye
Tere sadke, jaan bhi meri jaaye
Khwaab tere, mere dil mein dhadke
O Maa, Rab ki saari duaayein barse

Maa.."

Check out other songs of this movie, all are brilliant, especially these one too:

Jwalamukhi - Official Lyric Video|99 Songs|@A. R. Rahman|Ehan Bhat|Edilsy Vargas

(amazing tune with sounds of hangdrum)

Teri Nazar - Official Music Video | 99 Songs | A R Rahman | Shashwat Singh | Ehan B | Edilsy V

(very melodious)

 

Love Songs of longing: Beautiful similarities

 

I am sharing some of very beautiful melodies (all Hindi), particularly as there is a common chord in all of them as they all are songs based on longing and search for the one (Beloved) by the other one (who has not yet crossed paths with the other). The first two are from the eyes of the female (as in searching incessantly for the other half) while the remaining are from the eyes of the male. Interestingly, all songs are the ones I have always listened to and thought of putting them together as the lyrics illustrate the depth of emotions and are one of the finest poetries I have come across.

1. 

Nazren Dhoondhe Saajan Ko {HD} Video Song | Hameshaa | Saif Ali Khan, Kajol | Alka Yagnik, Ila Arun

This song is from an amazingly haunting movie (which has one of the most melodious soundtracks I have heard) and as per the storyline, it is based on the heroine's incessant longing for the beloved. The lyrics are simple and profound...

The lyrics are:

"nazre nazre dhunde dhunde sajan ko
hay hay ram dhunde dhunde sajan ko
ye bindiya bole aaja, ye kangna bole aaja
payaliya bole aaja aaja
na tarsa apni sajni ko

pawan ke jhoke goli mare
pee ki yaad dilaye
sajna se ye sawre badra
sawan me ghir aaye
holi aaye holi jaye
ab jali holi holi
rang baithi hu sajna ke rang me
apni chunariya choli
aayi diwali sabke bhawan me
lakho deep jalaye
nainan deep jalakar baithi
bina palak jhapkaye
rahi re dhunde dhunde sajan ko
hay hay ram dhunde dhunde sajan ko
ye nathni bole aaja, ye mehndi bole aaja
ye kajal bole aaja aaja
na tarsa apni sajni ko
nazre dhunde dhunde sajan ko
hay hay ram dhunde dhunde sajan ko.."

 2. 

Intezaar Anuradha Paudwal , Paap 2003

This song present at the very start of the captivating movie Paap (2003), is a poetry in motion, such a depth of words....The song is  illustrating the longing of the heroine (played by Udita Goswami) who is working in a monastery to train for a monk but deep down is a poet who values true love and wants to take the path of love instead of renouncing it (as per Buddhist traditions), and actually illustrates the purity of her emotions (contrary to the title of the movie which can be misleading). 

 The soulful lyrics are as follows:

"Meri subahon ko teri shaamon ka

Meri shaamon ko tere vaadon ka

Meri raaton ko tere khwaabon ka

Meri neendon ko teri baahon ka

Mere jazbon ko teri chahon ka

Behki behki si kuch khataon ka

Khoobsurat se kuch gunaahon ka

Intezaar, intezaar, intezaar, intezaar



Apne dilbar ka, apne humdum ka,

apne jaanam ka intezaar

Surkh phoolon se mehka rasta hai

Dil toh mera magar zard patta hai

Paas aankhon ke sabz manzar hai

Dil ka mausam toh phir bhi banjar hai

Mehki mehki si kuch hawaon ka

Bheegi bheegi si kuch ghataon ka

Intezaar, intezaar, intezaar, intezaar

Apne baadal ka, apni baarish ka, apne saawan ka intezaar

Apni dhadkan ka, apni saanson ka, apne jeene ka intezaar



Koi badli kabhi is tarah aayegi

Pyaas sadiyon ki pal mein bujh jayegi

Tujhko lauta ke meri aagosh mein

Dekhna waqt ki nabz tham jayegi

Aisa hone ki kuch duaon ka

Umr bhar joh mile un panahon ka

Intezaar, intezaar, intezaar, intezaar

Tere aane ka, tujhko paane ka, phir na jaane ka intezaar

Tere aane ka, tujhko paane ka, phir na jaane ka

Intezaar………"

 The lyrics with English translation can be found here: Intezaar Lyrics Translation | Paap | Hindi Bollywood Songs

Khamoshi ya awaaz-- which one do you hear...

I had to blog this particular post since a long time and finally I found the time to post this. I had listened to some songs and noticed intriguing similarities in some of their lyrics.  Moreover, I stumbled upon the poetry of Allama Iqbal whose poetry also resonated with a similar idea and found this very fascinating. 

        In the first song (Tanha Tanha) the lyrics urge one to not be silent as everything in nature is communicating with each other hence for the sake of love, the person should not remain silent, yet in another song (Humein jabse mohabbat), the lyrics express that when a person is in love, everything falls silent in nature including the river and its bank, and in that silence the lovers find solace of each other's company... In the third song (Khamoshiyan), it again reinforces that everything in nature is silent, yet the lyricist reiterates that silence is in fact the voice which can be heard with the ears of love...

        While in the fourth song (Voice without words), the lyrics urge the human to listen as in nature everything is communicating and speaking out of the burning desire of love...

And then the poetry I stumbled upon, talks of the silence of nature and its creations, and thus asks the heart to also turn silent (as its overflowing with grief) ...

So, what I interpret from these expressions is that nature is always communicating to us despite appearing silent on the surface, we need to still our heart and listen deeper and perhaps when love is found, the creations of the nature (river, trees, etc.) all fall silent as if to honor the lovers as there is no need any more as the lover then can hear the sounds of the Beloved and communicate. And yet, when the heart is grieving, silence may be the best response, yet even in silence, the lover should be able to decipher the silence and hear what was never spoken....

1. The first song (Tanha Tanha Yahan Pe Jeena - Lyrical | Rangeela | AR Rahman | Urmila, Jackie Shroff | Asha Bhosle  ) is from an old Hindi movie (Rangeela, 1995), its specific lyrics (see below) 

"Zameen Aasmaan Se To Kuchh Keh Rahi Hai

Lehrein Bhi Saahil Se Kuchh Keh Rahi Hain

Chaandni Bhi Chaand Se Kuchh Keh Rahi Hai

Chaandni Bhi Chaand Se Kuchh Keh Rahi Hai

Kisi Na Kisi Se Koi Kuchh To Keh Raha Hai

Tu Dil Ki Baat Keh De Kehne Mein Kya Hai

Tanha Tanha Yahan Pe Jeena Ye Koi Baat Hai

Koi Saathi Nahin Tera Yahaan To Ye Koi Baat Hai

Kisi Ko Pyaar Dede

Kisi Ka Pyaar Lele

Is Saare Zamaane Mein Yehi Pyaari Baat Hai"

2. The second song (a very melodious and beautifully penned song) (Hamen Jab Se Mohabbat - Lyrical | Border | Akshaye Khanna & Pooja Bhatt | 90's Hindi Romantic Songs ) from the Hindi movie Border (1997); part of lyrics is as follows:

"Hai lipti dhund mein dilkash nazaare

Nadi khaamosh hai chup hain kinaare

Hai ek chhoti si kashti aur hum hain

Chale jaate hain lehron ke sahaare

Suhaani ab lo sangat ho gayi hai

Ye duniya khoobsoorat ho gayi hai

Humein jabse mohabbat ho gayi hai"

3. Song Khamoshiyan (Khamoshiyan (Title Song) Lyrics | Arijit Singh | Rashmi S , Jeet G | Ali Fazal , Sapna P & Gurmeet C) 

Read this particular part of lyrics:

"नदियां का पानी भी खामोश बहता यहां

खिली चांदनी में छिपी लाख खामोशियाँ

बारिश की बूंदों की होती कहाँ हैं जुबां

सुलगते दिलों में है खामोश उठता धुंआ

खामोशियाँ आकाश है

तुम उड़ने तो आओ ज़रा

खामोशियाँ एहसास है

तुम्हें महसूस होती है क्या

बेकरार है बात करने को

कहने दो इनको ज़रा

खामोशियाँ

तेरी मेरी खामोशियाँ

खामोशियाँ

लिपटी हुई खामोशियाँ"

4. This song (in English) a soft composition by AR Rahman (The Voice Without Words) from the beautiful movie (99 Songs) that asks to listen to the voices in nature, describing how everything is sentient and speaks, almost the idea that music is present everywhere in the universe...

The lyrics:

"Do you hear it

The earth calls to the sky

Do you hear it

The ocean sings to the moon

Do you hear it

There are voices that speak without words

Listen

Listen

Listen

Listen

There are fires that flame without a flame

Such a burning

Such a burning

Listen

Listen

Such a burning is 

love..."

5. The poetry lines (by Allama Iqbal) on the other hand talks about the khamoshi of the nature, its creations, and the human heart, and asks one to be silent and withdraw in silence

"Taron Ka Khamosh Karwan Hai

Ye Qafla Be-Dra Rawan Hai

Khamosh Hain Koh-o-Dasht-o-Darya

Qudrat Hai Muraqbe Mein Goya

Ae Dil! Tu Bhi Khamosh Ho Ja

Aghosh Mein Gam Ko Le Ke So Ja."

Allama Iqbal Poetry کلام علامہ محمد اقبال: (Bang-e-Dra-081) Aik Sham

Chahat na hoti kuch bhi na hota----poetry of Nida Fazli

 

I came across a poignant poetry by the Indian Urdu poet Nida Fazli, and I was listening to an old Hindi song the other day that is so simple yet so profound in its simplicity of explanation of what love is, and I realized that its lyrics were penned by the same poet. 

I am sharing a lovely poetry and a different song (Chahat) both written by Nida Fazli. 

1. 

"देखा हुआ सा कुछ है तो सोचा हुआ सा कुछ

हर वक़्त मेरे साथ है उलझा हुआ सा कुछ

होता है यूँ भी रास्ता खुलता नहीं कहीं

जंगल सा फैल जाता है खोया हुआ सा कुछ

साहिल की गीली रेत पर बच्चों के खेल सा

हर लम्हा मुझ में बनता बिखरता हुआ सा कुछ

फ़ुर्सत ने आज घर को सजाया कुछ इस तरह

हर शय से मुस्कुराता है रोता हुआ सा कुछ"--Nida Fazli

2.  The song can be heard here:

And lyrics of the song (simple yet profound poetry) are as follows: (the ones I highlighted in different color are so deep lines)....

(87) Chaahat Na Hoti | Alka Yagnik, Vinod Rathod | Chaahat | Shah Rukh Khan, Pooja Bhatt - YouTube 

"Chahat nadiya chahat saagar

Chahat dharti chahat ambar

Chahat radha chahat girdhar

Dil kaa dhadkna yahi chahat hai
Neend na aanaa yahi chahat hai
Chahat naa hoti kuch bhi naa hota
Chahat naa hoti kuch bhi naa hota
Main bhee naa hotee, tu bhee naa hota
Main bhee naa hotee, tu bhee naa hota

Tum mujse alag kab ho
Main tumse juda kab hoon
Pani mein kanval jaise
Rahete ho mujhi mein tum
Dekhun to tumhen dekhun
Sochoon to tumhen sochoon
Saagar mein nadi jaise
Behate ho mujhi mein tum

Chaahat khushboo, chaahat rangath
Chahat murat chahat kudarat
Chaahat ganga, chaahat jamunaa
Hosh ganvaana yahi chaahat hai
Jaan se jaanaa yahi chaahat hai
Chahat naa hoti kuch bhi naa hota
Chahat naa hoti kuch bhi naa hota
Main bhee naa hotee, too bhee naa hota
Too bhee naa hotee, main bhee naa hota

Jab tu nahin hota hai
Us waqt bhee har shay mein
Har geet mein, har lay mein
Tu hi nazar aata he
Bikharaa ke kabhi zulfen
Chamakaa ke kabhi cheharaa
Tum hee meri duniyaa ke
Din raat sajaate ho

Chaahat ghunghat, chaahat darpan
Chaahat sajani, chaahat saajan
Chaahat puja, chaahat darshan
Aankh bhar aanaa yahi chaahat hai
Jee ghabraanaa yahi chaahat hai
Chahat naa hoti kuch bhi naa hota
Chahat naa hoti kuch bhi naa hota
Main bhee naa hotee, too bhee naa hota
Too bhee naa hotee, main bhee naa hota..."

 

 

 

Ek vairaagi ek sansaari -devotional poem by Indian actor

 

I recently heard a poem (that also has been enacted in Indian traditional dance forms online) and was mesmerized by it. Later, I found that it was actually composed by the Indian actor (Saurabh Raj Jain) while he spent time in Vrindavan. Interestingly, he is well-known for playing the role of Lord Krishna in TV serial Mahabharata and hearing and watching him does make one believe that he is channeling the spirit of Krishna... The recitation of the poem by the amazing actor can be heard here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxe-wdKoUBm/?igsh=a2VoaWRibHVudGZh

The words of the poem are as follows:

"ek vairaagi, 

dooja sansaari

ek damroo se hosh udaave

dooja bansuri ke sur se lubhave

ek kar tandav ahankaar mitave

dooja ungliyon par naach nachave

ek lagake bhasm ramjave

dooja morpankh mathey sajave

ek teesri aankh darave

dooja apni muskaan chalave

ek jataa ganga bahave

dooja yamuna shaant karave

ek maya ke haath na aave

dooja maya ko aap ghumave

ek yog mein dhyan lagave

dooja bhog ke ladoo khave

ek dhyaan main dooje ko sumire

dooja ek main khud khojave

ek vairagi

ek sansaari"

   --Saurabh Raj Jain

Two melodious songs...

 

Sharing two songs, (both from the 90s pop music era).. What I found so strikingly beautiful about these two songs are the common themes.

1. The first song :MERE MEHBOOB-RAAGESHWARI sung by Raageshwari (who also acted in it), is such a beautiful poetry and music, (especially the violin tune at 0.53 is the heart of the song) 

2. The second song: Teri Yaad Jab Aati Hai Full Video Song Kabhi Aisa Lagta Hai | Lucky Ali by Lucky Ali, is a lesser-known song, yet so deeply beautiful...especially the tune at the start which is also the heart of this song in particular. I remember, I used to even have that tune as my ringtone long time ago...

    I blogged about both songs together because both have a male lover in uniform, thus connected to the military. While the female lover in both cases ends up losing them in different ways, yet the pathos of loss is so similar.

    In the first song, the man dies while fighting in the war, and in the second song, the man goes missing in the war for several years, leading the lover to give up on him and move forward with her life, only to find him miraculously come back, but only too late, as she had already married by then with a child.

    In both instances, love preceded the agony of loss. But in the first case, it appears that the lover is so deeply in love that she reminisces about her days and love and perhaps would be endlessly devoted to him. In the second case, however, we do see that the lover perhaps gives up and chooses to let go, a choice made and regretted later, as is obvious in the video. Sometimes, I wonder how difficult the path of patience is, to continue to believe in one love and keep that alive in the heart like a shrine. After all, it's just a song, but it does reflect the vagaries of life...