My Favourites: Songs of Remembrance

Over at bollyviewer's blog where she listed her favourite Geeta Dutt songs, she began the post with a very famous song Yaad karoge yaad karoge (Do Bhai 1947) and something went off with a click. Not so long ago, I posted a list of my favourite Songs of Waiting. I said it was a part of being in love - the waiting for the beloved, and I listed songs that were tinged with the various hues of intezaar. The counterpart to this emotion would be 'remembrance' or yaad. The memories of your beloved, whether joyful or heartbreaking, whether anticipating arrival or mourning the lack thereof. Whether it is the sepia-tinged snapshots of a lost love, or the colourful ones of anticipation, our songs have celebrated all kinds of remembrances.

Yaad seems like a perfect complement to raat.  For when do our memories assail us? When we relax awhile after the stress and confusion of our daily lives, when the last thing we actually want is to open the dusty treasure chests of our lost years. Paradoxically, the darkness of the night brings a clarity to those memories, the images becoming crisper, the colours more saturated, the thoughts more poignant. I know that for me, at least, I dread the coming of the night. I dread opening the floodgates of memories lest I drown in them. If ever anyone discovers an elixir that enables one to forget at will, I would pay a king's ransom to get my hands on it. 

In the absence of such a discovery, I lose myself in songs that celebrate memories, or mourn them. It's to the credit of our wonderful lyricists that the songs that celebrate our memories can take on so many meanings, so many different shades of emotion.

1. Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum (Patita 1953) Hemant Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar/Shankar-Jaikishen - Hasrat Jaipuri

This is one of the few 'happy' songs of remembrance. She has a past; he's man enough to accept her, past and all - they both have had a second chance. There is deep thankfulness at having found each other again. There is a quiet happiness as they remember their love and their past constraints, all the while pledging their love all over again. One of the finest Hemant Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar duets, it's a joy to finally see a clip that also includes the charming prelude. The film's story was rather ahead of its times, even though it had to resort to a bit of skulduggery to make the ending acceptable. Such trivial flaws are forgiven, however, when one sees the film as a whole. One of Dev Anand's best performances, comfortably bolstered by Usha Kiron, Agha and Lalita Pawar; SJ's score, one wonderful melody after another added the icing. 

2. Yaad aayi hai  (Nagina 1951) Lata Mangeshkar/Shankar-Jaikishen - Shailendra)

Do you recognise the girl in this photograph? No? She is Nutan. In one of her earliest films. Her mother, Shobhana Samarth, had produced and directed Hamari Beti for her 14-year-old daughter's 'adult' debut in 1950. The next year, the adolescent had two releases - Nagina and  Hum Log. The first named, from which this song is taken, was released with an adult certificate - its young heroine was barred from its premiere show by a diligent ticket checker. This is one of the more typical yaad songs - a song of separation, a song of longing for the beloved to come back, the anguish of not knowing what happened.
Aansoo bhi piye tere pyar mein hardam
Mar mar ke jiye ab kis-se kahe hum
Hai kya ho gaya, woh kahaan kho gaya
Mera dil so gaya
Zaalim zamane na itna sata
Woh hai kahaan tu bata de pata

For the actual clip from the film, please click here. (The audio quality is abysmal.) 

3. Tumhe yaad karte karte (Amrapali 1966) Lata Mangeshkar / Shankar-Jaikishen - Shailendra

This is a not a sad remembrance, but one that is full of anticipation. She (Vyjayanthimala) is Amrapali, the nagar vadhu of the kingdom of Vaishali, the capital of the Lichchavi republic. She falls in love with Ajatashatru (Sunil Dutt), the ruler of the mighty Magadha empire, and the sworn enemy of her people, when, wounded in battle, he takes refuge in her country as a common soldier. Based on classical ragas, the music of this film was a feather in SJ's cap. This particular song is passionate, yet restrained, the seductiveness of Lata's voice matching the intensity of the minimal instrumentation. Vyjayanthimala never looked as sensuous as she did.

Unfortunately for everyone concerned, this film was not a commercial success. Which is strange, considering that it had a wonderful script, hardhitting dialogues, excellent music, great attention to detail (Bhanu Athaiya, in charge of the costumes, went to the Ajanta Caves to seek inspiration from the Budhist frescoes to create the period costumes), Dwarka Divecha's cinematography brought the battle sequences to life (they were probably the best war scenes that were ever filmed), and Vyjayanthimala threw herself heart and soul into Gopi Krishna's dances. Its failure disheartened Vyjayanthimala so much, it hastened her retirement.

4. Aaye tum yaad mujhe (Mili 1975) Kishore Kumar / SD Burman - Yogesh

How could I not have an Amitabh song? Amitabh is not usually known for singing sad, soulful songs unfortunately, though he's had quite a few of them. Sung by Kishore Kumar, this song encompasses a range of emotions - Shekhar's solitude, his love for Mili and what she has come to mean to him, his memories of her, and finally, his yearning to do something for her.
Har pal man mera
mujhse kehta hai
Jis ki dhun mein tu
khoya rehta hai
Bhar de phoolon se
us kaa daaman
Only, he, and she, both know that there will be no way to do so.

The song in the movie is incomplete, as it should be (in context). For the full audio, click here.

5. Yaad aayi aadhi raat ko (Kanhaiya 1959) Mukesh/Shankar-Jaikishen - Shailendra

 

This is one of those films where the songs trumped the movie itself. Or in simple words, please watch the songs on YouTube, and forget the film. The slightly (?) implausible story of a young village maiden who, engrossed in her love for 'Kanhaiya' (Lord Krishna), is bound in marriage to the village ne'er-do-well drunkard, Kanhaiya. Both Raj Kapoor and Nutan did a wonderful job, but were let down by the script. Here, the singer is not remembering his beloved; his memories are of the incidents of the previous night. He expresses the hope that his memories aren't really true:
Chaahat mein wafa aur vo
Mar mitne ki kasmein
Kya khwaab tha bahke huye
Jazbaat ki tauba,
Yaad aayi aadhi raat ko
Kal raat ki tauba 
Dil poochhta hai jhoom ke,
Kis baat ki tauba?

6. Yaad aa gayi woh nasheeli nigahein (Manzil 1960) Hemant Kumar/SD Burman-Majrooh Sultanpuri

If I were to make a list of Devsaab's 'drunken' songs, I'm sure that would be a post in itself. He truly seemed to spend his time singing sad & bitter songs, happy songs, maudlin songs, resigned, & philosophical songs, et al, with a drink in his hand. (See? Including the one I've posted here, that's five songs right there.)  But oh, what songs! Manzil sees him as a disillusioned, embittered music composer, who, having gained success, loses his lady love through an unfortunate twist of circumstances. Hemant Kumar is an interesting choice for Dev's 'voice', and he does a stellar job in pouring out the pain of lost love, slurring his words (in sur, of course) beautifully. The lyrics are as intoxicating as Hemantda's voice.
Main in zakhmon ko sii-ke
Kya karoon hosh mein jeeke 
Yaaron thaam lena, 
Thaam lena meri baahein

Beautiful.

(My favourite song from this film is the Mohammed Rafi-Geeta Dutt duet, with the latter reciting a poem that Rafisaab sings.)

7. Yaad na aaye beete dinon ka (Dil Ek Mandir 1963) Mohammed Rafi / Shankar-Jaikishen - Shailendra

Another one of those films whose songs are better heard than the film seen. If that makes any sense at all. A melancholy melodrama involving a love triangle, with the life of one man at the mercy of the other, the makers made sure that they wrung every last tear from the audience. When Dr Dharmesh (Rajendra Kumar) and Sita (Meena Kumari) pledge their troth to each other 'forever and ever', they don't realise that Fate is waiting just around the corner. He goes abroad for higher studies, and comes back to find her married off. Heartbroken, he throws himself into his work at the cancer clinic, while Sita tries to make the best of what life has given her. With excellent performances from its leads (despite the melancholia), and a great score by SJ, it was no wonder that the film was a super success. No prizes for guessing where the song comes in.

8. Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke hum (Mere Mehboob 1963) Mohammed Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar/Naushad - Shakeel Badayuni

Another Rajendra Kumar blockbuster, a Muslim social this time, with the gorgeous Sadhana, and Naushad's music - is it any wonder that this film became a hit? Anwar and Husna meet, fall in love, and are now separated by barriers of class and status. Not wanting family honour to be besmirched, they mutually decide to part ways. Only, it is not as easy as it seems.

Jabse tune nigaah pheri hain
Din hai soona raat andheri hain
Chaand bhi ab nazar nahin aata
Ab sitaarein bhi kam nikalte hain...

...she mourns, while he is agonised. Does she know what his constraints are?

Kya kahein tujhse kyun huyi doori
Hum samajhte hain apni majboori
Tujhko maloom kya ke tere liye
Dil ke gham aansuon mein dhalte hain 

9. Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saaya 1966) Lata Mangeshkar / Madan Mohan-Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

What is interesting about this melody is that it is not the singer who is remembering, but the listener. She consoles the grieving husband she's left behind in the land of the living -  she will always be there with him (and for him), wherever he may go. This song is played in bits and pieces through out the film; but there are two versions which are 'complete' in themselves. In the first, (Sunil Dutt), immersed in the grief of his wife's death, remembers her singing this song; in the other, he is listening to Woh bhooli dastan lo phir aa gayi on the radio, and one haunting melody merges into another as the second version of Tu jahan jahan chalega becomes the dominant tune. 

Click here for the audio clip of the full song.

10. Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai (Jahan Ara 1964)Talat Mahmood / Madan Mohan - Rajinder Krishan

Another wonderful Madan Mohan composition, with Talat Mahmood's silken voice almost caressing the notes, Jahan Ara fared almost as well at the box-office as most of the composer's other films - which is to say, quite badly. If it could be said of anybody, it is probably of Madan Mohan that it can be rightly said:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert air

Here was a composer who brought out one delightful composition after the other, for movies that either never saw the light of day, or tanked miserably at the box office. Out of the 100-odd films that he composed for, only 25 or so achieved great commercial success. He himself felt that he had never been given his due as a composer. Rajinder Krishan's lyrics could as well denote Madan Mohan's plight as they did Mirza Changezi's - the man who had the temerity to fall in love with a Mughal princess, the daughter of Emperor Shah Jehan. Like all great men who are are doomed to anonymity in their time, it took later generations to understand Madan Mohan's music for the classics they were.  His quote: "...the foremost requirement of a song is only one thing; it should be capable of capturing the interest of the listeners in a short period and sustaining it in the years to follow", was true of most of his songs, wasn't it?

There were two other songs that I wanted to add for their sheer rarity; never having even heard of the films, or the songs, before researching this post, I reluctantly left them out. There was nothing I could write about them. One was Yaad jab aaye  from Mohar (1959); the music director was Madan Mohan, the lyrics were by Rajinder Krishan, and it was picturised on Shammi Kapoor. Despite the fact that the film was released in 1959, there's not a single video available. The other is a rather decent song from a film called Banarasi Thug  featuring Manoj Kumar and a very pretty actress called Vijaya Choudhary. The music was composed by Iqbal Quereshi, and I have no idea who wrote the lyrics. 

I have listed my favourites; what about yours?

p.s.: The significance of the flowers? Forget-Me-Not, Pansy, Rosemary and Gladiolus - they all symbolise remembrance.