A Brilliant Duo

Have you ever found your favorite song not listenable at times? I have many in that category, but timeless Gulzar- RD Burman songs almost never fail to deliver. Every time, I cannot help thinking about how remarkably these songs have been created.

Gulzar-RD Burman is a combo much spoken about. And Asha’s voice is the icing on the cake. Chhoti si kahani from Ijaazat is effervescent sounding with an underlying tinge of nostalgia, just like the effect of rainfall on your mind. The use of Asha’s own voice as a background vocal has been well unified. This is one of the examples of the many RD songs in which music did justice to Gulzar’s delightful lyrics.

“Katra katra milti hai “is another absolute favorite. Like Chhoti si kahani, dual vocal of a single singer has been used, but not only as a background vocal this time. I believe this has a greater impact –almost like feeling of talking to oneself.

Right from the starting line “Katra katra milti hai” to the three stanzas of the song, every line is an exemplar of “subtle expression”. Subtlety is his forte and Gulzar is a master of this art truly.

Kabhi to kuch aisa hi aisa hi huwa tha
Neend mein phir tumne jab chhuwa tha
Girte girte bahon mein bachee mein
Sapney pe paun pad gaya tha

Tumne to aakash bichhaaya
Mere nangain pairon mein zameen hai
Paake bhi tumhaare aarzoon ho
Shayad aise zindagi haseen hai

Halke halke kohre ki dhuwein mein
Shayad aasman tak aagayi hoon
Teri do nigahon ke sahaare
Dekho to kahaan tak aagayi hoon

I can’t even imagine how he comes up with lines like “Sapney pe paun pad gaya tha” – a beautiful simple sounding phrase but not ordinarily used.

One of my favourite RD-Gulzar songs with Lata, is “Tuhjse naaraz zindagi” from Masoom, which aptly fits the storyline of the movie. Otherwise also, it is befitting most people’s life. Nobody plans for sad things to unfold in life. But when unfortunate things happen, we tend to question life/fate. Gulzar has beautifully depicted this in word, particularly in these lines.

Jeene ke liye socha hi nahin, dard sambhaalne honge
Mushkuraye to mushkuraanein ke karz utaarne honge
Mushkuraayein to lagta hai, jaise honthon pe karz rakha hai

And we can’t undermine the RD’s music which, without even sounding typically melancholic, is perfect for the lyrics.

Aajkal paon zameen pe from Ghar is closest to my heart. This song describes what is to be on cloud nine!!

Neend si rehti hai, halka sa nasha rehta hai
Raat din aankhon mein ek chehraa basaa rahtaa hai
Parr lagi aankhon ko dekhaa hai kabhi udte huye

Jaane kya hota hai har baat pe kuchh hota hai
Din mein kuchh hota hai aur raat mein kuchh hota hai
thaam lena jo kabhi dekho hamein udte huye

If you pay attention to the lyrics, you will experience the pure bliss of falling in love. I didn’t find a song as beautifully narrating the feeling to be madly in love, so much that I end up feeling sad recounting the happy memories associated with the song in sadder times.

There are many precious gems from this duo like Tere bina jaaye na from Ghar, Do naina aur ek kahani from Masoom, Piya baawari from Khoobsurat, Roz roz ankhon tale from Jeeva , Naam gum jayega and ek hi khwaab kai baar, Aane wala pal from Golmaal  from Kinara  and all songs of Ijaazat, Masoom and Aandhi.

My list is of course not exhaustive and I am no expert to judge which of their songs is the best but these are just the honest emotions evoked by these songs.

Do let me know if you come across a less-popular but beautiful song from the duo.