Memories of a musical childhood

Going through any stressful times bring me to my favorite stressbuster - Hindi Film songs. At the moment all one needs is comfort of beautiful memories and for me what better than the childhood and the years spent in City of Joy - Calcutta. This post is also for my brother and sister who have had a huge influence on my choice of music.

Growing up in a family with siblings who are around a decade older to you brings along many benefits and for me one of these was the love for Hindi films music. My brother used to get these wonderful songs recorded in cassettes that were my treasure for years. Binaca geetmala was a regular feature on radio and there started my musical journey followed by day dreaming.  

The first song I heard was 'Mana janaab ne pukara nahi'. The sound of the bicycle bell and ofcourse the song itself filled my days with melody and excitement. It was much later when I had started to recognize singers that I realized the playful and a bit flirtatious voice was none other than Kishore Kumar. Written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Dada Burman for movie Paying Guest in the year 1957, this song was one of the initial songs Kishore Kumar sang for Dev Anand. I still wonder what was it that made a little girl of 4 so happy on listening to especially this stanza:

माशाल्लाह कहना तो माना , बन गया बिगड़ा ज़माना 
तुमको हँसा दिया, प्यार सिखा दिया 
शुक्रिया तो शुक्रिया तो कीजिये साहब 
माना ज़नाब ने पुकारा नहीं, क्या मेरा साथ भी ग़वारा नहीं 
मुफ़्त में बन के, चल दिए ठन के 
वल्लाह जवाब तुम्हारा नहीं 

This song had me hooked when one day I heard Khoya Khoya Chaand, khula aasmaan and I was enchanted. The lines 'aankhon meri saari raat jaayegi' stands true till date and my fondness for this song too. The idea of moon being lost gave meaning to curiosity in my life - a habit that I still have not lost :)  I would sit up with excitement on just the 'oho ho ho' and till date it brings a smile when the song starts. The song has an echo and makes you feel as if you are standing in a valley at night. This song was written by Shailendra and composed by Dada Burman. While searching for information about this song, I got to know that the mukhda of this song was written on a cigarette pack foil while Shailendra was busy puffing away trying to think of the lyrics for the situation given to him. Although I do not endorse smoking, this is one situation where I think it was good that Shailendra was smoking and thus had the cigarette pack :) Released in 1960 Kala Bazaar, the movie that had some wonderful romantic songs, this song introduced me to day dreaming.  Music of this time period is so relevant till date that even those who believe in making remixes pickup these old Hindi songs. Khoya Khoya chand was remixed some 50 years later and is liked quite a bit by the younger generation; And I, I continue to believe in the age old adage -I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." - Oliver Goldsmith

खोया खोया चाँद, खुला आसमां 
आँखों में सारी रात जायेगी, तुमको भी कैसे नींद आएगी 
तारे चले, नज़ारे चले , संग संग मेरे वो सारे चले 
चारों तरफ इशारे चले, किसी के तो हो जाओ 

Around the time I was growing up, Pancham da was all over the music scene and on one Sunday, Ameen Sayani played the then very popular 'Kya hua tera vaada' from the equally popular movie Hum kisi se kum nahi released in the year 1977. The strumming of guitar, the voices of children that sang in chorus in this song, made me feel as if I had broken a promise and was losing a friend. A very powerful effect for a 4 year old. The meaning of commitment that I took to my heart that day has stayed fresh till now. The song is evergreen for me and with time I found myself becoming a Pancham da fan. The pain of loss is so well reflected in Rafi sahab's voice and Majrooh's lyrics and I have always felt sad that Pancham da and Mohammed Rafi's association was for a limited time span.

याद है मुझको तूने कहा था, तुमसे नहीं रूठेंगे कभी 
दिल की तरह से हाथ मिले हैं, कैसे भला छूटेंगे कभी 
तेरी बाँहों में बीती हर शाम, बेवफ़ा ये भी क्या याद नहीं 
क्या हुआ तेरा वादा, वो क़सम , वो इरादा 
भूलेगा दिल जिस दिन तुम्हें , वो दिन ज़िन्दगी का आख़िरी दिन होगा 

I doubt that there is any 1970's kid who didn't fall in love with Amitabh Bachchan after listening to the tale of his encounter with a lion in a jungle in the very popular 1979 movie Mr.Natwarlal. The lyrics by Anand Bakshi were like a story that engrossed children and adults alike and Rajesh Roshan's music further enhanced the feel of these words. One is transported to a Jungle at night as soon as the song starts. Amitabh Bachchan's baritone voice warms up the kids to him with:

मेरे  पास आओ मेरे दोस्तों एक किस्सा सुनो

कई साल पहले की ये बात है 

भयानक अँधेरी सियाह रात में, लिए अपनी बन्दूक हाथ में 

घने जंगलों से गुज़रता हुआ कहीं जा रहा था जा रहा था, नहीं आ रहा था 

चला जा रहा था मैं डरता हुआ, हनुमान चालीसा पड़ता हुआ 

And at this point in the song, I till date shout with excitement: 

के बोलो हनुमान की जय, की जय जय बजरंग बलि की जय 

The song ends with a very grim sounding Amitabh who by now is supposedly dead as he tells the kids:

खुदा की कसम मज़ा आ गया,

मुझे मार कर बेसरम खा गया 

This made many tiny tots laugh and smile at this tall man being gobbled up by a lion. A fantastic way to keep the kids engrossed in something other than Mobiles/tablets.

And for me, this last song marks the end of our stay in Calcutta. The forever popular, salaam-e-ishq meri jaan released in Muqaddar Ka Sikander in the year 1978. The melodious song sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar, speaks volumes of enchantment as well as loss in love. As a mere 4 year old, I definitely had no idea of these emotions but I could sense of hope when Rekha who played a courtesan sings:

मैं सुनाऊँ तुम्हें बात इक रात की, चाँद भी अपनी पूरी जवानी पे था 

दिल में तूफ़ान था, एक अरमान था

दिल का तूफ़ान अपनी रवानी पे था 

एक बादल उधर से चला झूम के, देखते देखते चाँद पर छा गया 

चाँद भी खो गया उसके आग़ोश में, उफ़ ये क्या हो गया जोश ही जोश में 

मेरा दिल धड़का, मेरा दिल तड़पा किसी की नज़र के लिए  

सलाम-ए-इश्क़ मेरी जां, ज़रा क़ुबूल कर लो 

तुम हमसे प्यार करने की ज़रा सी भूल कर लो 

मेरा दिल बेचैन है हमसफ़र के लिए 

And the melancholy too when Amitabh sings :

इसके आगे की अब दास्ताँ मुझसे सुन 

सुन के तेरी नज़र डबडबा जायेगी 

बात अब तो जो तेरे दिल में थी 

मेरा दावा है होठों पे आ जायेगी 

तू मसीहा मोहब्बत के मारों का है 

हम तेरा नाम सुन के चले आये हैं 

अब तू दे दे दवा या तू दे दे ज़हर 

तेरी महफ़िल में यह दिलजले आये हैं 

एक एहसान कर, अपने मेहमान पर 

अपने मेहमान पर एक एहसान कर 

दे दुआएं तुझे उम्र भर के लिए 

The music by Kalyanji- Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan prsented a very strong visual in the listener's mind. A brilliant composition and if there is any truth to Rekha- Amitabh stories, I won't be surprised if this song was a catalyst. No other pairing worked wonders as their pair did:

Even now whenever I listen to any of these songs, they bring back some amazing memories of Calcutta, the radio that was beyond my reach,  the smells and the sounds, the blue coloured windows, the rains and basically everything Calcutta. Do these or any other songs bring back any precious moments for you - please do leave your comments.