Murder, She Decreed - My Thoughts on Saat Khoon Maaf (2011)

Valentine's Day, 2011 was a new day for me .... a day that for the first time in the last 3 years had no meaning for me whatsoever..... the only thing that was worth my attention on this strange day was the premiere attendance request I had for a beautiful movie - 7 Khoon Maaf.... (7 Murders Forgiven) .... a movie by Vishal Bharadwaj ....

I was in no mood for movies but then Kolkata can be a trifle punishing for a lonely soul on Valentine's Day.... And sometimes, when you are in an alien city, and that too alone, it's better to be by your own self then to be at the mercy of your memories....

Based on Ruskin Bond's brilliant short story, "Susanna's Seven Husbands", the movie is a brilliant adaptation of an unbelievable story..... the mood is dark, the camera moves in dark spells, the ambiance is unbelievably gothic and the story dark... but trust me it's worth every minute and every penny ..... my personal advice, do watch it....

The Wife:

Priyanka Chopra has been recently in the news for trying her best to leave some sort of an artistic legacy behind her and this I daresay is the right vehicle for a mighty purpose.... First thing first, she gets the look and the language correct.... the role is author-backed and well-etched, it's complex and it's well-fleshed out and Priyanka does try her best to fit the role.... her eyes are expressive, her actions well-thought out, the movements subtle and the intensity well-documented .... to be fair to her, however, this is a role that requires immense maturity and understanding of the art of cinema and would have been a difficult preposition for any one in her shoes.... the characterization is complex, dark and pervades your conscience, in fact, it looms over every action, making it a tough act to perform and follow ... she does well, brilliantly well and there are times when she is the perfect peg for the perfect hole but then there are other times too..... I would have loved to see someone like Smita Patil or Shabana Azmi or maybe Neena Gupta try this role, the result would have been devastating, still Priyanka has her moments and they are well-utilized.... Indeed, none from the current generation could do it better....

And now let's look at the husbands: each one of them well nuanced and well prepared, such that they appear not only perfect in themselves but also the perfect complements of the characters, they are supposed to play....

Husband No. 1: (Major Edwin Rodrigues)

In Napoleon's times, there lived a soldier called Chauvin who could not hear anything wrong against Napoleon... from him comes the term Chauvinist and the most famous abbreviation of recent times: MCP (Male Chauvinist Pig)... there is of course an equivalent in gender terms ... FCB but it does not concern us here.... So what is a MCP? A classic example would be Major Edwin Rodrigues

A man given to every sort of insecurity can only make a woman insecure of her own position .... he's lame in a leg and lame in his mind, suspicious and insecure, an earnest soldier trying to secure a wild Arabian mare... the result would be obvious to anyone who has ever learnt horse-riding ..... Death!

Neil Nitin Mukesh is simply one of the best actors in the industry today who has been grossly neglected, unappreciated and under-worked.... right from the days of Johnny Gaddar to this beautiful movie, the man maintains his career profile with the same intensity and performance that makes him in my book someone to watch out for.... the contortion of the face to hide jealousy and rage, the deep stare that hides mountains of anger and self-pity, it requires an actor who has studied his own dark side to understand his own insecurities to pull off a role, as uncouth as this one and Neil is bang on target.... Reminds me of Danny Denzongpa in Dhoond.... excellent performance, on the spot

Husband No. 2 (Jimmy Stetson alias Jamshed Singh Rathod)

There is a beautiful story in the Greek mythology about a character called Narcissus ... a man who fell in love with himself to the utter oblivion of everything else.... a man as selfish and as self-absorbed as to be a Narcissus can at best be a leech, fit to be killed with salt than to be a husband... such a man cannot see beyond himself, he can only use all for his purpose....and such a parasite dare not try to cling around the oak... for what follows in the embrace of an oak is.... Death!

John Abraham is a revelation.... I have never thought of him as an actor except in a few movies here and there, which do not merit him as an actor outside of those films but it appears that a good director can indeed make an actor out of even wooden boards.... John plays the role of the self-obsessed, addict to perfection ... I do not think it could have been done any better....

Husband No. 3: Wasiullah Khan 'Musafir'

Sigmund Freud once stated that the most polite of the characters often hide a ruthless streak.... and isn't it true? Look at all the serial-killers that have been around in history ... their alter-egos were always pretty decent, church-going, mama's boy kind of individuals... the type of guys who fit the role of the typical guy-next-door, not someone you would think would be messing up with the lonely doggie on the street... but then appearances can be deceptive... and the gentlest of the souls can really hide a violent streak....

So what's the problem with Wasiullah? He seems to be a gentle poet who seems to be disturbed by the Kashmiri insurgency but hold on, he's actually a sado-masochist in bed... his sexuality needs the abject and total degradation of his partner... what he needs is not a partner but a slave girl.... well, this isn't exactly the 10th Century AD ... Slavery was banned in the 16th - 17th century ... Mr. Wasiullah got it wrong!

Why would a woman suffer violence? Why would any one suffer Violence? Have you ever tried to fight a cornered lioness ..... the result is only... Death!

Irrfan Khan is too good.... an alumnus of the National School of Drama, there is not a single step that's put wrong... the schizophrenic personality of Wasiullah is a challenge for even an accomplished actor but Irrfan makes it seem so simple... the softness of the speech, the harshness of the violence all makes it so believable....

Husband No. 4 (Nicholai Vronsky)

I am an ardent supporter of Polyamory, of course there was a time when I desperately wanted to be a monogamist but the time is past now and I am back to where I was.... the most important aspect of polyamory is the cause of no-cheating, and complete honesty between partners.... in a way, that makes it so very difficult... but then who said love was easy? I didn't!

Cheating someone who loves you, using someone who loves you, playing with the emotions of someone who loves you, is often easy whether it be physically, emotionally, psychologically, financially - in whatever way, it's standing with the one who loves you when the chips are down, that's difficult... and what often is the result of these misdeamenours.... Death!

The Russian actor. Aleksandr Dyachenko, has worked hard on the movie... he's earnest and his earnestness comes out very well; each and every scene of his shows his earnestness and his intensity... the guy has done a good job, especially in his last scene; he emotes well but remains within the confines of his role and characterization ... maybe because it's an alien language and his body language is not complementing him but his slight diffidence pays him good dividends....

Husband No. 5 (Keemat Lal)

Keemat Lal is a nymphomaniac and here it's lust that dictates love.... but any love that has a larger complement of lust will not have the two essential complements of love, commitment and attachment... lust is never about attachment, it's always about self-gratification and self-gratification often ends the day the other does not have the wherewithal to withstand the harsh times... so deficit of money, end of love; deficit of sex, end of love; deficit of security, end of love.... the truth of many girls and boys out there, sadly!

Keemat would have done well to have studied the mating habits of Black Widows.... he would have understood that after the sexual desire has been satiated, the female of the species, as a part of her orgasm often eats up the male of the species, who often meets his end while still in the throes of sexual passion.... it's the most beautiful way to meet... Death!

Annu Kapoor has always been one of the few actors I have respected and he has never let me down.... the lecher's role has been done to perfection by so many villains in the industry that I did not have any expectations from Annu but then I was stupid, Annu actually showed me how even a role that has been done to death by exceptionally brilliant performers can still be performed with an originality that's all it's own and that's commendable!

Husband No. 6 (Dr. Modhusudhon Tarafdaar)

Have you ever heard the Devil speaking? He never speaks harshly, he is never excited; he's calm, he composed, he's soft and he's patient... because he knows what he's talking about... the duty of the Devil to excite passions, not to get passionate itself.... remember, the Devil excited Eve to have the Apple of Knowledge but he himself, never ate it nor did he pluck it!

And why can the Devil be calm... because it doesn't care! The one who cares, is bound to lose patience, to get angry, to shout back but what about one who doesn't .... he can always be the patient one because it does not effect him.... but then they can be dangerous... Remember the most deadliest of the predators does not run you down or kill you will strong claws or fangs.... it weaves a soft web and then waits patiently for you to get stuck in it ... and once you are in, this one will ensure that only one things can take you out.... Death!

And so is this doctor.... soft-spoken and calm, hiding his intent behind a show of culture and love, but in reality, hiding a deep and dangerous mind, one that only has it's own personal agendas always on the back of it's mind; Like any true double-gamer, he's calm and courteous, showers love and talks of till-death-do-us-part but actively and ruthlessly plans for keeping it's options open, once the other party has been financially compromised.....

Naseeruddin Shah has played this role with the aplomb expected of an actor of his calibre.... every gesture is perfect, every statement perfect, the actor shows himself in complete command of the medium ... simply awesome.... if there was an actor who ever deserved a perfect 10, here he is.... Naseeruddin Shah!

The Others: 

Vivaan Shah, on his debut scores a perfect 10 ..... the guy seems to have inherited all the right genes from his father, Naseer, as he makes an effortless and polished debut.... his is an assuring role, even the voice inflections of the role have kept pace with his screen age, which for a newcomer is commendable....

Konkana Sen Sharma, is wasted in a role that could have been done by anyone.... similarly Usha Uthup, though very expressive with her eyes does not have much to say.... Harish Khanna as the butler is impressive but does not have a lot to say for himself.... Benjamin Gilani is wasted.... Shashi Malviya does impress as a dumb jockey but then he does not have much to do in the movie...

Vishal Bharadwaj has proved to be one of the best directors and music composers in the current Indian scenario.... once again he does not disappoint you... .both the music and the direction is first-rate... the scenes well-crafted, well-constructed and well-shot.... the music topical, fresh and lovable....

I love specially the scene wherein Vivaan comes to meet Priyanka after completing his studies in Russia... the rocking chair, the seduction and the rejection are all so beautifully captured..... it shows a genius at work!Also, the final confrontation between Vivaan and Priyanka is also brilliant.... as are all the interactions between Priyanka and her husbands

But the one scene I can never forget it the last scene, after Priyanka becomes a nun and dances with Jesus Christ on the backdrop of the pain she went through in her life, looking for love.....

Vishal Saahab... Agar Aap Aisi Hi Filmein Banaate Rahe To Aapko Saat Kya Sau Khoon Maaf

(Vishal Saahab... if you keep making films like these, you would be forgiven murder not seven times, but a hundred times)

Life as a Teacher - My Thoughts on Do Dooni Chaar (2010)

Guru Vishnu, Guru Brahma, Guru Maheshwara,
Guru Saakshaat ParaBrahmaa, Tasmay Shri Gurevey Namaah .....

I once had a teacher .... a woman of iron with a heart of gold and a voice of velvet.... to be frank, she was not my teacher, she was my surrogate mother, my grandmother and elder sister, all rolled in one .... Years have passed, since I last saw her, Nineteen years to be precise but I don't think there has been a single day when I have not prayed for her well-being, and that's a strange thing to say, for I am an atheist and know no God.... Her name was Mrs. Poornima Sarkar and this post of mine is dedicated to the memory of the one woman who has never left my heart....

A nation is made of it's teachers.... a nation is made of it's professors.... a nation is made of it's lecturers.... for only they can be of the most use to the nation, who can mould the fiery spirit and innocence of childhood to a beautiful dream of a different tomorrow when the today is far from perfect... and they always end up among the poorest sections of society, except of course those teachers who have made teaching into a commercial enterprise and education a commodity to be sold at the highest price to the richest bidder.... but then, we are not discussing the snakes in the garden today, today our focus is on the gardener who creates the beautiful garden and gives it his blood, his sweat and his dreams...

Indeed, there have been many interesting movies on the educational system which have captured the imagination of the people and depicted the most beautiful relationship between a teacher and a student, notable names would mean Imtihaan starring Vinod Khanna and Taare Zameen Par starring Aamir Khan but very few films have focused on the life of the teacher himself.... a few have used it wonderfully as a support base to depict other parameters of the story but the life and times of a teacher have been rarely presented.... Do Dooni Chaar is a film that looks at this aspect of the teacher's life and does so wonderfully....

It is indeed an irony of nature and a travesty of our political system that our teachers earn less than what the peons earn in Municipal offices.... they travel in buses and scooters while the students they teach graduate to the the cars within no short time.... When did it become so difficult for a Teacher to buy himself the basic requirements of his life? Is it not a matter of great concern, if just to graduate from a two-wheeler to a four-wheeler, a teacher has to be forced to be ready to sell his soul? What kind of society is this when the one who gives us weapons for our dreams is often unarmed himself / herself?

The nation needs to think and think hard.....There is a gap here, a gap which can make the most idealist of teachers break down and sell his wares to a Duryodhana, the way Drona was forced to do for the sake of his child and his love of his child.... and this is the premise that the film beautifully captures....  Drona would have never taken Eklavya's thumb, had it not been for the fact, that despite being the best teacher in the country, his wares were for sale and had been sold to the Bharata clan... Time to stop and ponder...!

Rishi Kapoor as a middle-aged professor who loves to teach is a revelation ... as I have often noted in this blog, in his heyday, his branding as a romantic hero often failed to do justice to his immense talent and it's not strange then that once he has put down the yoke of an image, that often stopped him from proving his brilliance, the man has grown rapidly, whether it's the unmarried, still-deeply-in-love, middle-aged lover boy in Delhi-6, the mature and worldly-wise father figure in Love Aaj Kal or the increasingly assertive, used to see things in his way patriarch in Patiala House or a common middle class mathematics professor, trying desperately to indulge in his favourite passion - teaching and also trying simultaneously to juggle a highly-dissatisfied family in ever-increasing inflationary times.....

It's a beautiful role and it has been performed with a panache that comes from being secure... and security comes from trust in self, faith in one's abilities and belief in the premise of the story....  lack on even one parameter is enough to destroy one but Rishi has no such qualms... he is Santosh Duggal and we never can forget that, such is his command over the role....

Neetu Singh is unbelievable.... She left the industry when I was not even conscious of her as an actress and every time I say a film of her, it only made me think of her as this beautiful, young girl who lived only to have fun.... so it was a treat to see her perform.... what a performance... I will confess, I never knew that Neetu had such a brilliant knack of seeing through.... I mean, her performance in this film as Kusum Duggal, is the complete anti-thesis of the person she actually is but who can say that after seeing a performance as towering as this one ..... We missed you Neetu .... We really did

Aditi Vasudev and Archit Krishna as the teen-aged kids of the house are just picture-perfect... the girl's frustration at her father's social status is so very common that it points out a sorry picture for our education system... a system which makes people aware of their inadequacies but does not let them take pride in their background is a sure recipe for the making of a hypocritical nation... Indeed this is where nations are made and destroyed.... and this is where India lost it's story.... There is a lot of spontaneity in Aditi's performance making her an actress to watch out for....

The boy is also a victim of the same circumstances... the only difference being that in place of becoming a hypocrite, he has become a smooth operator of the system .... I am not very confident of whether this guy will make it big because in some of the other scenes, where a little subtlety is required, the face does get emotionless but then he does have a spark and it would be nice to see how this spark turns out to be...

Akhilendra Mishra turns in a brilliant performance as the next door neighbour, Farooqui. Supriya Shukla is also well-suited for the role of the sister but I really loved the woman who plays Mrs. Farooqui and the guy who plays the role of the Inspector....

Habib Faisal has proved to be a good addition to the director's fraternity.... at a time when making picture-postcards has become an obsession with the industry and the art of directing films is almost forgotten, the movie comes as a breath of fresh air... we hope he redeems himself by such beautiful movies and the times of the masters can at least be remembered fondly, if not re-assessed!

Lastly, I will end by stating that the Shlok I invoked in the beginning gives the Guru a place greater than even God.... they are not asking to be made Gods but at least let them live like Men so that they do not have to be forced to go to the Devil .... Think about it!

To India With Love From Bharat - My Thoughts on Peepli [Live] (2010)

There are two different India that inhabit the bosom of my country, the one we call India where I reside, with it's 24 hour Internet Services, Credit Card Services, Anytime Banking, Malls and all other facilities - then there is the other India, also called as Bharat, whose limits start within India itself and go on deepening as we recede from the neon lights of the cities and move to the moonlight of the interior... This India has not even heard of the internet, does not know the meaning of the word 'Credit', has not seen a well-functioning bank and only knows malfunctioning tractors and has no idea of malls.... Strange as it seems to people living in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, such an India does exist ... but then we are so used to our own comforts, where do we have the time to observe an India that's so different from us!

Today is the 61th Anniversary of our Republic Day ... on 26 January 1950, we bequeathed to our selves a constitution that remains the pride of every Indian .... but there is a lot in India that needs to be looked at carefully if we intend this pride to remain constant forever.... today, on the occasion of the Republic Day, I would like to move beyond India and speak of a beautiful film from Bharat that made me think of the differences between the two...

Anusha Rizvi's Peepli Live is one of the few films that have taken a very interesting and satirical take on the problem of farmer suicides that has become endemic in Bharat..... Banks loan money to farmers for seeds and other implements at very high, exorbitant rates; the farmer (even after 64 years of independence) depends on the rains for a good crop that mostly fails, fails in re-payment of the loans, the loan-sharks start attaching properties and enforcing payments leading to more destitution among the farmers finally leading to a cycle of debts to pay up debts an often ends into Suicides..... the perfect example of Chakravyuh in today's world..... The nation has so far failed to alleviate the concerns of the farmers and have left them to die in their own misery.... Despite being a topical issue, no other filmmaker had dared take an interest in the subject and hence Peepli [Live] has a fresh look to it's recipe....

The film works brilliantly due to an excellent directorial effort by Anusha - the excellent performances by the ensemble cast - specifically Raghubir Yadav and Omkar Das Manikpuri who play the roles of the two debt-ridden brothers who have failed in their attempt to save their farms from the Loan Sharks....

Omkar Das (as Natha), a new find as the younger brother, is exceptional in his use of body language and eloquent use of Silence as he tries to find out his way from the melee created by the entire episode..... Raghubir Yadav, complements him fully as the elder brother, who can go to any extent to clear the debt but had not bargained to see the extent of uproar it could create.... The film primarily works on the brilliant and exceptional chemistry shared by the two brothers.... The pain of penury, the fear of loss and the expectations and hopes of a better future - a future that is dependent on the death of the dreamer is dark and requires a lot of effort on the part of the actors and the director... Needless to say, it comes out well....

The character of the nagging wife played by Shalini Vatsa is so true to form that I could remember a person I met when I used to visit villages for my Social Service Classes in College... And her interactions with her mother-in-law make for some interesting observations in the saas-bahu saga (Ekta Kapoor, are you listening?)

The 'tamasha' called the press has also been very-well depicted .... like Rann earlier in 2009 but in more deeper shades, the business of creating news has been laid threadbare for our inspection.... Nandita, the hoi-polloi big newscaster from ITVN is one of the best and most professional presentation of the breed on cinema. Nandita is from the big city and couldn't care less for the problems of Natha and his family - what she wants from the entire game is TRP ratings for her company and her career.... Malaika Shenoy brings a natural colour to the proceedings with her effortless performance... Pitted against her, as the Hindi Correspondent and Master Manipulator, is Deepak (Vishal O Sharma), a correspondent who is a reporter by profession but actually a propagandist by nature for the Ruling Party.... the divide between the regional and the English Channels is beautifully laid bare.... the fight for TRP and the fall from exalted standards to garner those TRP is so well depicted that beyond a limit, the crassness of the spectacle makes you revolt rather than laugh at them.....

And in between the two is Rakesh, a small-town reporter who dreams to make it big in the world of News, but who still seems to have some conscience - a man who actually senses the story before anyone else does and then tries to retain the human angle and the reporter's values as everything around him seems to crash down.... He is that rare breed of reporters that no longer exist; the last of those for whom reporting news was about the human aspect primarily and its fitting that he should die unknown and unsung while the paragons of what make news today live on to tell their story..... Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays the role with a real heart...

Interestingly, in a movie of such an anti-establishment nature, leaders and politicians  are often lampooned to such an extent that they end up as caricatures of the community. However, Peepli [Live] treats them with the respect of position and at the same time does not stop from hitting out a few lusty blows to the fraternity..... However, I think this aspect of the movie is on the whole not-as-convincing as the others....

The music is rustic and carries the charm of a full-throated, deep-chested, uncaring attitude.... the song 'Maare Saaiyan To Khub Hi Kamaat Hain' is such a beautiful gem that I cannot stop humming the song ..... It's just too good and Raghuvir Yadav sings with the lusty overtones of an intrepid singer, making it more melodious and effervescent.... the magic of the song lies in it's melody - simple and straight.... Maybe that's what is lacking in all the Sheelas and Munnis of the day....

A brilliant movie, which needs to be seen to be believed and a question that needs to be asked... How long will this state continue? How long can the country allow such a schizophrenic attitude to something as dangerous as this?

It's time for answers.... or else Natha will keep on dying and we will, to save our faces, keep on lying.... but that won't help because the Truth is out there and Truth will forever remain out there....

The Final Song ...... Lo Aa Gayee....

One of the greatest lyricists of his time, Shailendra once remarked:

Hai Sabse Madhur Woh Geet Jisse Hum
Dard Ke Dhun Pe Gaatey Hain ......

The most melodious are those songs, that the heart sings in times of pain .... what a thought, what beautiful and simple but profound words.... And indeed it is this power of the sad elegy, the haunted memorium, the sorrowful marsiya that touches us more deeply than the songs of happiness and cheer....

After all, did not another great poet-lyricist Majrooh write:

Sukh Hai Ek Chhav Dhalti, Aati Hai Jaati Hai
Dukh To Apna Saathi Hai ......

The adornment of Happiness is life a Shadow, it comes and goes on the mercy and majesty of the Sun ... But Pain .... it always remains with us like a True Friend..... The songs which I discuss today have this beautiful quality of being loaded with the various shades of sorrow .... what can be more sorrowful than a person on his death-bed remembering a lost love and waiting only for a last glimpse on the one she loved? And to add to it the tragedy that you never get to meet him as he reaches by the time you are already dead and gone..... Imagine the irony, if you already knew that you would be dead and gone by the time, he arrives....

The movie was Do Badan... in my humble estimation, one of the best albums of all-time containing three brilliant Rafi numbers, some such that you would not forget them even today, each and every one a glimpse in the pain of the lover for the beloved, an Asha number that talks of the pining of a lover for her beloved and I intend to very soon discuss the entire album in entirety some day ... For today, I intend to focus on a beautiful Lata Mangeshkar number, one of the best numbers to be shot on the death-bed.....

Lo Aa Gayee Unn ki Yaad, Woh Naheen Aaye ..... 

(It comes back... his memory ... but Alas! he doesn't)

Dil Unn Ko Dhoondhtaa Hai, Ghum Ka Singaar Kar Ke

Aankhen Bhi Thak Gayee Hai, Ab Intezaar Kar Ke

Ek Aas Rahe Gayee Hai, Woh Bhi Naa Toot Jaaye ....... 

(My heart searches for my beloved, with adornments of pure sorrow
My eyes have tired of the long watch they have kept for him till now
Just a hope bleeds within me.... Which won't last till 'morrow)

Roti Hain Aaj Hum Par, Tanhaeeyaan Humaari

Woh Bhi Naa Paaye Shaayad, Parchhaeeyaan Humaari

Badhhte Hi Jaa Rahe Hain, Maayuseeyon Ke Saaye .......

(Tears have also cried profusely on my Loneliness
To my Shadows, My Beloved may not even be a Witness
All round me I feel, the increasing shadows of Darkness ..... )

Lau Thartharaa Rahi Hai, Ab Shamma-E-Zindagi Ki

Ujdee Huyee Mohabbat Mehmaan Hain Do Ghadi Ki

Mar Kar Hi Ab Milenge ...... Jee Kar To Mil Naa Paaye

(The Candle of my life, finally in wait ends
My destroyed Love a guest of a few last seconds
Alive we could not meet ....  but on after death , hope depends)


The music is the genius of Ravi, one of the most stylish music directors of his time..... the lyrics by Rajendra Kishen if I am not mistaken.... and the voice of Lata Mangeshkar... this is my all-time favourite song.... I hope I can remember the song, when I am dying.... especially the last lines.....

Mar Kar Hi Ab Milenge.... Jee Kar To Mil Naa Paaye..... 

What a beautiful blind unconditional love .... only Gods can love with such intensity and truth! Mankind is not capable of such pure emotions....

Ashwatthama's Anthem of Regret - A song of Love

Talat has a very beautiful voice... a voice that can not only touch your heart but also ring within you feelings that you never knew existed. A calm voice, a voice that has got depth but is at the same time soft, velvety, has the occasional tremble (kapish) as we call it and a sonorous quality that resonates directly with the pain in your heart.

Mohammed Rafi was the 'voice of God', a voice that could move everything on Earth, Manna De was the 'sur' personified - a mainstream singer who could sing classical with depth and ease, Kishore Kumar was the 'voice of Innocence', the voice that resonated with the hearts of men and reminded him of the inner person that he really was, not what he showed himself to be, Mukesh was sorrow in human form - no one could crunch within three minutes, the pain of a lifetime as well as Mukesh.... Hemant Kumar was romance, even the most stone-hearted of girls would fall in love with that voice .... so where among this galaxy of great singers was Talat?

Talat was the voice of conscience - he spoke directly to the heart - in the tone that the conscience understood and loved....

It's said you can run away from the world and everyone in this world, but can you run away from yourself? No! That was Talat, you could never run away from his songs .... they struck you deep within you and made your conscience question your self.... a quality used to brilliant effect by brilliant composers like Ravi in the song that I wish to discuss today....

This beautiful composition, scored by Ravi and written by Prem Dhawan was a part of a beautiful movie, Ek Saal, starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala. Look at the beautiful words, listen to the soul-rending tune and absorb the depths of the soulful rendition by Talat. This movie was released in 1957, a year that had such strong musical albums as Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and  Pyaasa by SD Burman(arguably the second-greatest album of all time after Guide), Mother India by Naushad, Naya Daur by OP Nayyar, Do Aankhen Barah Haath by SN Tripathi, Parvarish and Sharda by Shankar-Jaikishen and many other brilliant movies but still this song is still remembered for it's beauty.

Karte Rahe Khiza Se Hum Sauda Bahaar Ka
Badla Diya To Kya Ye Diya Unn Ke Pyaar Ka

With cruel Autumn did we bargain using the beauty of Spring
Oh! What a fitting response did we give for her love, her Caring!

Every person on Earth has to plead guilty to this charge at least once in his / her life for every person has at one time or another broken a heart - a precious heart for reasons best known to themselves.... The above couplet states that when we found love, we did not bother about it but played with it's feelings and the matter is conveyed in such a beautiful manner ....

It's here at this moment itself that Talat touches deep within our heart, asking us for answers that we cannot give, for regrets that we cannot speak, for Truth that we are desperately trying to hide.

Sab Kucch Luta Ke Hosh Me Aaye, To Kya Kiya!
Din Mein Agar Chiraag Jalaaye, To Kya Kiya!

If after losing everything we ever had, we awaken, what's the use?
If in broad daylight, to light candles, we hasten, what's the use?

What an apt metaphor for a loss of a lifetime! Talat cuts straight to the bone by chiding the feeling of regret that burns within .... the poet asks bluntly and heartlessly (and why not!) a question that one would not dare to answer...... what's the use of regretting, an event that has come to pass following your own actions.... what's the use of crying over spilt milk? .... what's the use of action that's late and useless? .... What is of paramount importance is not to regret but to be able to exorcise your demons, when you had the time and opportunity to do so....

Hum Bud-Naseeb Pyaar Ki Ruswaayee Ban Gaye
Khud Hi Laga Ke Aag Tamaashaai Ban Gaye
Daaman Se Ab Ye Shole Bujhaaye To Kya Kiya.....!

We are the unfortunate who have today became a shame to Love's lofty name 
We, the audience to the roaring flames, are the ones who put our house aflame
If now, to douse the inferno, we run... what's the use?

Can you feel the pain of someone who has strangled his love with his own bare hands, someone who loved with truth and purity and still killed his own love with his own hands.... can you feel the tears of that action or the demons that haunt him, as he keeps pondering, moving ahead, running to escape the past, but unable to do so! Like a modern Ashwathhama, cursed to forever pain and regret by Lord Krishna, this behemoth survives but is that survival worth even being called a survival.... Listen to Talat as he puts forth the pain in his soft and subtle manner across and you will find, why this 'king of ghazals' ruled the early days of Independent India - a time when pain and hurt lined the psyche of our collective conscience....

Le Le Ke Haar Phool Ki, Aayee To Thi Bahaar
Nazren Uttha Ke Humne, Dekha Na Ek Baar
Aankhon Se Ab Ye Parde Hattaye, To Kya Kiya?

With flowers and blossoms for me, had come the Innocent Spring
In my Arrogance and Pride, I did not bother to look at it's Longing
If these blinds from my eyes, I now shun .....what's the use?

In every love story, there are two characters, the one who loves (the lover) and the one who's loved (the beloved) .... the lover goes beyond every extent for the sake of the lover and the beloved keeps demanding yet more from the lover... till the final day when, the bond itself cannot handle more and breaks down.. and then there's nothing left to salvage...

Nero can play fiddle while the city of Rome burns but mind you, once the city is burnt, there is nothing that remains to play fiddle to Nero's dreams of sovereignty and kingship. This is what every beloved has to face, if it doesn't understand the depth of the Lover's emotions. .... Now look at a person's conscience who did care but was forced to forever act unconcerned, whose heart burned with the city but was forced to play fiddle as the city burnt.... where will this son of Satan find peace? There is no place on Earth or beyond for him... no redemption.... only a pain that can be understood by this song and nothing more....

This is the song, that I think speaks more lovingly about the pain of a loser more than any other song. The song was recorded in two versions, Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Mehmood. Lata as expected is brilliant in her rendition of the song, but though it touches the heart, Lata's pain does not stir your conscience.... maybe because it's not the lover's lament, but the beloved's pangs that matter in this song.... Plus, Lata was never comfortable in the higher notes and that is quite evident in her rendition - still, it's a very beautiful rendition .. that proves the versatility and greatness of the 'Nightangle of India'

One other parameter that has often escaped the gaze of the regular listener is the brilliance of Ashok Kumar... his sense of frustration, his regret, his pain, his sorrow, his hurt that oozes forth like the pus that keeps oozing forth from Ashwatthama's forehead, reminding one and all of his crime..... Ashok in his silence takes the role to another realm altogether... added to it is the second Ashok in the song ... the conscience, that with a smirk and smile conveys the shattering pain and frustration in a neutral and intense way..... this use of conscience was something very well used in the 50s and 60s to show duality of emotions (remember Raj Kapoor in Shree 420 and Dilip Kumar in Aadmi .. it was used by Dilip Kumar as a merciless voice in Bairaag in 1976... the last time, this prop was used?) .... Ashok is an added asset to the song.... one that not only adds allure but makes it possible to connect with the singer and the song and the lyricist, who could write such a beautiful piece of moving poetry.

To end, I would say, sometimes it's good to be silent and let life take it's course but sometimes, it's important not to be so.... Love is something very precious, one gets it only once in life.... it would be foolish to strangle it with one's own hands....

As for the song, for the first time ever, I am adding the song, for those who wish to listen to it..... And as for Love... it will survive, in some hearts as deep despicable hatred, in some as an innocent folly, in some as an inevitable pain and in some as the pure Love it always was, is, and shall always remain!