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11 December 2012

My Favourites: Songs of Roothna-Manana

I sat on this list for a long time. Too long, I realised, when Dustedoff, a fellow blogger, wrote an excellent post on the topic. She not only made it more difficult for herself by writing only about heroines manao-fying their heroes, she also added a disclaimer saying she didn't want to stick to the conventional trope of the hero manao-fying the heroine. Ouch!

As it was, more than half the songs on my list were on hers as well, and if I was to continue with my list, I might as well just direct my readers to that post on her blog. :( I debated whether to scratch the list completely. I decided I wouldn't, though I glumly deleted all the songs on my list that were duplicates of hers. (That left a sum total of four songs from my original list. Grr!)

The question again arose - should I just give up the theme? I'm pig-headed (perhaps I should whitewash myself and say 'persevering'?), so I decided that since there were many flavours of roothna-manana, I should give it a try. (I suppose the title of the post should really be 'My second-favourite list of Roothna-Manana'.) Yet, there are so many lovely, lovely songs that would fit this theme, of feeling hurt and having to be coaxed out of the sulks, that second-favourite or not, a good time was had listening to a whole medley of songs.

Picking and choosing were more difficult than I had imagined given that most of the good songs were already on Dustedoff's list. Everybody in Hindi cinema (and their aunt) seems to be past master at the art of sulking. And there are always some poor souls having to coax them out of their sulks. Since perseverance is good for the soul, I found my new list. And so, here are the fruits of my labours. Phew!

1. Daadi amma daadi amma maan jao (Gharana/1961) Asha Bhosle-Kamal Barot/Ravi-Shakeel Badayuni
Lalita Pawar is the dominating matriarch (what else?) who is sulking because things have not gone her way for once. And so, she shuts herself in her room; little does she know that she is not safe there either. The grandchildren (Moppet Raju and Master Randeep) have decided that Daadi can't be allowed to get away with throwing tantrums, and so they make fun of her, coax, plead... whatever it takes to get her to smile. The kids have the right idea:
Chhoti chhoti baaton pe bigda na karo
Gussa ho toh thanda paani pii liya karo
Khaali-peeli apna kaleja na jalao
And Daadi is not as immune as she is pretending to be. It takes more effort to stop from smiling when you want to, than actually smiling.

2. Accha ji main haari gayi (Kala Pani/1958) Asha Bhosle-Mohammed Rafi / SD Burman-Majrooh Sultanpuri
I know, I know! (sheepish look) I had deleted this from my original list, only I love it so much I put it right back in! This truly is one of the best roothna-manana songs, especially because he is so sulky he is retorting to every single one of her statements. Considering that he does have a right to be upset (she accuses him of being unfaithful), and considering that her apology is half-baked (Well, she keeps saying 'maan jao na' but it seems more like a demand than a serious apology.), and she does seem to think he couldn't do much if they split (Char kadam bhi chal na sakoge, samjhe?) I can't really blame Dev for being huffy.

I mean, the least you can do after you have accused your beloved of infidelity is to apologise abjectly. Though I suppose, if the accuser is Madhubala, and she looked so, so... sparkly, she can be forgiven.

3. Tumne kisi ki jaan ko jaate hue dekha hai (Rajkumar/1964) Mohammed Rafi / Shankar-Jaikishen-Hasrat Jaipuri
How can I make a list and not have a Shammi Kapoor song in it? Of course the heroine is only pretend-angry. Of course she is going to melt soon; we know it, he knows it, she knows it... so what is the point of roothna anyway? Well, for one, we wouldn't have had Rafisaab singing this song, and any reason is a good reason to have Shammi traipsing behind. Right? 

His 'life' itself has turned its back on him... Dekho mujhse roothkar meri jaan jaa rahi hai. She can barely hold back a smile, at which he complains, Bejaan reh gaye hum, woh muskura rahi hain...

4. Rootha hua chanda hai roothi hui chaandni (Araam/1951) Lata Mangeshkar/Anil Biswas-Prem Dhawan
What is it about Madhubala that caused Dev Anand to be so sulky? I also wonder how he can continue to sulk when she is so expressive, and at her coaxing best. He does manage to turn his back and puff smoke away into the night, but I think she has his measure when she says Dil to hai maan jaaye, Zid hai magar pyaar ki... It serves him right then, that when he finally unbends, she is sulking. 

5. Tumhari nazar kyun khafa ho gayi (Do Kaliyan/1968) Mohammed Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar / Ravi-Sahir Ludhianvi
Having spent all their time in college squabbling with each other, it all comes to a head during a picnic (long-time watchers of Hindi cinema should know what comes next!) - he is trying very hard to coax her out of her fit of sullens, but she is having none of it: Manaane ki aadat kahan pad gayi, Sataane ki taleem kya ho gayi,  she queries. He is honest, if nothing else: Sataate na hum toh manaate hi kaise, Tumhe apni nazdeek laate hi kaise...  (And 'a roll in the hay' takes on a new meaning.)

Confession time: I liked this song long before I knew which film it was, or who it was picturised on. For which I am extremely thankful, because if I had seen the picturisation first, I might never have liked the song at all.   Firstly, Biswajeet and Mala Sinha were far too old to be college students (which they supposedly are!); secondly, I dislike both of them. :( However, I like the song itself and it fits the theme so well... sigh!

6. Dil hai aapka huzoor (Jaali Note/1960) Mohammed Rafi-Asha Bhosle / OP Nayyar-Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
 
Finally! Madhubala gets a bit of her own back. After having to keep coaxing Devsaab out of his fit of sulks, it helps that he is the one who has to do the coaxing here. Dev being Dev, of course, even his coaxing is a sham - Dil hai aapka huzoor leejiye na leejiye, Itna husn par guroor tauba tauba keejiye... He makes it sound like he's doing her the honour of giving her his dil. Unlike the usual pretend-anger, she is seriously ruffled and doesn't think much of his gift. Sheesha dekhiye huzoor, she tells him, Dil na humko deejiye, Apni shakal dekhkar tauba tauba keejiye! Ouch! 

What is worse, she shows no sign of unbending even when the song winds down. She even accuses him of being drunk: Aap kya nashe mein hai, Kuch toh hosh keejiye. He is forced to leave her alone. Atta girl!

6. Dil ki awaaz bhi sun (Humsaya/1968) Mohammed Rafi / OP Nayyar-Shevan Rizvi
A very different kind of manana - he is accused of murder and she wants nothing to do with him. Disgraced before the world, alienated from his love, hounded by the enemy - whom does he turn to? If only she would believe him. He needs to convince her to listen to her heart, not what the world wants her to believe. 
Ik nazar dekh le jeene ki ijaazat de de
Roothnewaale woh pehli si muhobbat de de
Ishq masoom hai ilzaam lagaane pe na jaa
Meri nazron ki taraf dekh, zamaane pe na jaa 
Will she listen to the voice of her heart? Or will she trust what the world knows to be true?

7. Maana janab ne pukara nahin (Paying Guest/1957) Kishore Kumar / SD Burman-Majrooh Sultanpuri
What was it about Dev Anand that caused him to make so many of his heroines huffy? He seems to have spent an inordinate amount of time having to manao-fy them. Of course, being Dev Anand, he cannot stop being flirtatious, or even manhandling her. 

His idea of manao-fying is to offer his heart as if the girl should be honoured to be the recepient of his affections. (If she is not, then she'd better be, dash it!) Toota phoota dil hai hamara, he sings, jaisa bhi hai ab hai tumhara... It doesn't even occur to the man that she may not want it! Of course, by the time the song ends, she can't help but smile and the man doesn't bother to hide his complacence - Mashallah kehna toh  maana, Ban gaya bigda zamaana, Unko hasa diya pyaar sikha diya, Shukriya toh shukriya toh keejiye saaheb... Just for that, she should have broken her tennis racquet on his head! (Even if it was Dev. Uff!)

8. O mere sanam O mere sanam (Sangam/1964) Lata Mangeshkar-Mukesh / Shankar-Jaikishen-Shailendra
Like Dil ki awaaz bhi sun, this is a much more serious affair than pretend-anger. A man, besotted by his wife, comes across a love-letter from her past. She cannot confess who her past lover is without consequences in the present, and the resultant distrust has put a strain beyond anything on their marriage. His grief over her suspected infidelity, her anguish at not being to clear her name, things have come to a head at their anniversary party where she pleads for his understanding. Ye dharti hai insaanon ki, Kuch aur nahin insaan hai hum - but his own inner conflict doesn't allow him to accept her innocence. As he turns away in contempt, she is bereft.

9. Baat baat pe rootho na (Seema/1955) Lata Mangeshkar / Shankar-Jaikishen-Hasrat Jaipuri
And you thought only lovers could sulk? Gauri (Nutan) has had a hard row to hoe, and her life experiences hadn't given her a good opinion of the world. Now she is in a delinquent home and the black cloud is upon her. It is her hand against the world. Ironically, it is within the remand home that she meets with friendship and loyalty and even love. Even Putli (Shubha), whom she had fought with upon arrival, is bent on giving her a second chance. She even reiterates the old 'Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone' which strikes Gauri as sensible advice. Given with such good cheer, who can remain sullen? Gauri is forced to smile - perhaps the home will do her good after all? Even if it is not in quite the manner that her aunt wishes. 

10. Rooth na jaaye tumse kahoon toh (1942 A Love Story/1993) Kumar Sanu / RD Burman-Javed Akhtar
Okay, why am I including a song from the 90s? For two reasons. a) This was the Boss' last score. And what a score it was! Each and every song was a gem, and this was not in comparison to the lacklustre offerings of the 90s. This is a musical score that can stand comparison to some of RD's best. b) This is manana with a difference. In the stalking-that-masquerades-as-love-in-Hindi-films'-syndrome, this one is a kicker - he is manao-fying a heroine who doesn't even know his name, and to add insult to injury he insists that whether she knows it or not, whether she accepts it or not, she will never find someone as deewana as him. Or perhaps he means that quite literally? 

If I needed a third reason, it is because Kumar Sanu did sing very well for this film. His Kuch na kaho is a much better rendition, in my opinion than Lata's version. 

So there you have it - roothna manana in varying hues. (I tried to keep Dev from taking over this post as well, but the man is impossible!) Do you have any more to add?

18 comments:

  1. Anu, last evening, while cooking dinner, I was listening to songs - and came across a couple of roothna-manaana songs which made me think: "These aren't heroines manaaoing heroes. Should I do another post?"

    Heh. And here we are. Thank you - loved this list (and was thinking of Rooth na jaana tumse kahoon toh even as I was beginning to read). I loved your descriptions of the songs - and Madhubala is sparkly indeed! Such a cute adjective. :-)

    Okay, two paise from me too.

    Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh, from Jawan Mohabbat, in Na rootho rootho, na roothoAa lag jaa gale dilruba, from Dus Lakh:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOVAJah0SY4

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  2.  Should I do another post?
    *Grin*.

    Sanjay Khan looks so boyishly handsome, doesn't he? My only problem is having to watch Babita.

    Trust Shammi to make even manao-fying so, so... active! That man can't stand still for a moment. I like how the song ends with her manao-fying him!

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  3. A small collection – not organized to a particular style of Roothana or Manana or Post-Roothana / Manana stages:
    Dekho Kasam Se Kahate Tum Se Haan – Tumsa Nahin Dekha – Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle - http://youtu.be/-0xaCSVEXOA
    Yun Rootha Na Haseena , Meri Jaan Pe Ban Aayegi  - Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare – Mohammad Rafi - http://youtu.be/SHSqusOnvTg
    Tum Sab Chhod Kar Aajao – Dil Ek Mandir – Mohammad Rafi - http://youtu.be/4ezOI_jATiU
    Tum Roothi Raho, Main Manata Rahoon – Aas Ka Panchhi – Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar  - http://youtu.be/JPCR4Ue2BlI
    To Bura Maan Gaye – Ayee Milan Ki Bela – Mohammad Raf- http://youtu.be/fY_wHeEnum8
    Samjo Jara Kahte Kya – Shatranj - Mohammad Rafi , Asha Bhosle - http://youtu.be/s-7XyMS760Q
    Roothe Roothe Piya Manaun Kaise – Kora Kagaz – Lata Mangeshkar - http://youtu.be/BY-Ztn-9SjI
    Piya Kaisa Tera Abhimaan – Raincoat  - Hariharan - http://youtu.be/4CtBGbt5z7A another version with Gulzar’s poetry - http://youtu.be/IIcG70WJkS4
    Kun Bole Mose Mohan – Ra One – Nadini Srikar http://youtu.be/Q12bplLfawY
    Roothe Ho Tum, Tum Kaise Manaoon – Nyara Noor –Aina (1997) - http://youtu.be/p7l8vUQiD9c   (live)  http://youtu.be/DIIR3Ty6tx0
    Aaj Jaane Ke Jid Na Karo – Faida Khanum - http://youtu.be/wqbbILfdw94

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  4.  You have made a post by yourself, Ashokji. :) Some songs that are new to me (Shatranj, Ra.One); thank you.

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  5. And here even more....
    Rooth Ke Humse Kabhi – Jo Jita Vahi Sikandar http://youtu.be/-CEjYCC1uec
    Gudiya Hum Se Roothi Rahogi – Dosti - Lata Mangeshkar - http://youtu.be/YxEPIDLm8_g
    Rootha Na Karo – Rootha Na Karo – Kishore Kumar - http://youtu.be/t4SG3LP_EuM
    Tumhare Rooth Jaane Se – Rootha Na Karo – Asha Bhosle - http://youtu.be/cj9dapPpGVQ
    Saiyan Rooth Gaye - Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki – Shobha Gurtu - http://youtu.be/RAQK9yoBsVY
    Dekho Rootha Na Karo – Tere Ghar Ke Samne – Mohammad Rafi Lata Mangeshkar http://youtu.be/dPgRlvzUXIM
    Na Jao Saiyan Chooda Ke Baiyan – Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam – Geeta Dutt - http://youtu.be/TCDbIT13MRY
    Rooth Ke Ham Se Jo Chal Diye – Jalti Nishani – Lata Mangeshkar - http://youtu.be/6ukL0-q86E8
    ---------
    This just goes on to show that Roothna, which is one the principal mainstay of any relationshi, has been more than adequately used by HFS. In fact heroes like Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor , and of course, Dev Ananad - so valled romantic genre - simply thrived on this phenomenon.
    So with a little more organised research and some creative subject, one can turn out a fairly intersting series on this subject.

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  6.  Yes, I've always loved Sanjay Khan's boyishly handsome looks from the 60s. But Babita... not one of my favourites.

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  7. I think I have reached the pinnacle of my incompetence on this subject. :) Your list is so exhaustive in itself that it's become two mini posts. I agree with you that roothna is a necessary part of the romantic genre. And yes, Dev, Shammi, and those who followed in their footsteps (Rajendra Kumar, Joy Mukherjee, Biswajeet...) all thrived on manao-fying their justifiably roothi heroines.

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  8.  SK was perfect eye-candy. Babita is not. :)

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  9. I like Song nos. 2,5,7 and 9. Some of my suggestions:
    From 'Aarzoo'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aFtMyHTMHg
    from 'Sawan ki ghata'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPUivFZnOB0
    from 'Aan milo sajna'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75iSW_8m4x0
    from 'Do chor'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAj1YJcdULo
    from 'Warrant'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PHMaCz4-CA

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  10. contd.
    from 'Phagun
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3lcRCwQxm0
    from 'Ram Balram'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwTXtFmyAlA
    from Parvarish
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpoYi63B734
    from 'Doosra Aadmi'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHpOg3-vm0w
    and this one from 'Dharam Veer'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znh6p22QN3c
    from 'toote khilone' (Shekhar Kapur is way better than Dev's other nephew (!) in Chalte Chalte. and this song..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjqRU69Xdiw
    From 'Dada'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvmNAvTyARY
    I know most of my suggestions are from 70s.
    btw, 'if I had seen the
    picturisation first, I might never have liked the song at all.  
    Firstly, Biswajeet and Mala Sinha were far too old to be college
    students'
    then you should be disliking Aamir Khan who has a sort of a record of playing college guys. I *don't* like his acting, cannot bring myself to like him.(similar to DO's dislike for RK).

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  11.  Thanks, Chris. Aji roothkar ab does not count, no, since she is not manaofying him? (I don't remember much, but wasn't that just a party song?)

    I usually try to avoid DARB (Dev Anand rang birangi) but this is a nice song.

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  12.  Phagun is not technically a roothana-manana song, even though he is begging her not to be angry with him - at least in context, it is more of a forced separation song, where roothna is used more as a synonym for having left him without explanation.

    Hum se bhool ho gayi from Ram Balram *is* a great song - in the context of the film. And I love AB, so what's not to like?

    In Parvarish, they seem to be less interested in manao-fying than in exhorting the girls to commit suicide.

    I always did like the Rishi Neetu pairing. :) And Doosra Aadmi was a good film.

    In Dharam Veer, they are not yet in a relationship, are they? The song is more of the 'continue stalking the woman and she will eventually fall in love with you' song.

    I had never seen the Toote Khilone song, even though I have heard it many a time. Thanks for the links, Chris. Same is the case with the Vinod Mehra-Bindiya Goswami song.

    As for Aamir being too old to play college kids, he did a reasonably good job in 3 Idiots; and in RDB, where he did look haggard, he was supposed to be an aging student who does not want to deal with life outside the campus.  In those scenarios, I think it worked well enough. Unlike Biswajeet, who was balding, paunchy and *looked* over 40. It helps that Aamir has a boyish look.

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  13. Hey! No whacking Dev over the head with a tennis racket! Simply 'cause he IS Dev! :P And besides, his style is so, so, cute that you just can't help but falling for him... wait till the song ends! Come on, if anyone, anyone ever sings a song to me, a romantic one, I'll at least smile. (I'm not asking for too much - well, at least not someone just like Rajesh riding a motorbike and singing a song.)

    But yeah, Dustedoff had all the good songs. I can't think of any more! By the way, Anu, go take a peek at my blog. That video is absolutely... -sigh-

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  14.  Sigh. I suppose I wouldn't whack him on the head, either. His gap-toothed grin is rather endearing. And he looks so impossibly pleased with himself - like a little kid who has gotten away with stealing candy from a candy jar.

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  15. Another fun category of songs!  Anu, I think you've been having way too much fun these last couple of weeks.:-)  Wonderful picks as always and I like how you've included other examples of roothna-manana songs other than the typical boy-girl lovers' quarrels.

    Here's one that I find cute despite myself:

    rootha hai to mana lenge - Jawar Bhata
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgQIc7v8kz8

    And from Solva Saal, the lovely Waheeda
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZnqu70eIgw

    And finally something that only the 70s could produce - Rootho na from Ahsaas
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5KwgLtf7Cg

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  16. Hahahahaha! I do that look all the time and it only leads to more giggles on my part. No wonder everyone thinks I'm nutty. Oh, Dev. (: -dreamy sigh-

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  17.  I think I echo your emotions while watching the Jwar Bhata song. :) The lovely Waheeda is always watchable, though I cannot say the same about the person she is manao-fying.

    Ahsaas - brings back memories. It was Kiran Vairale's debut, if I'm not mistaken, and AB is there in a special appearance only for the dance. My elder sister was in her first year JC, and they had gone from college to watch the film. She came back with tales of how the theatre erupted in laughter when Amitabh, kneeling, was shown to be as tall as Kiran, standing. :)) I haven't seen the film. Going by the song, I'm not too interested, either.

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  18.  Kid, no thinking about it. You are nutty! Sigh.

    ReplyDelete

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