My Favourites: Ghostly Melodies

It is all dustedoff’s fault. (Of course it is; I need to have someone to blame for my inability to work.) She wrote a brilliant (and hilarious) review of Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi. Now, that is a film I have been wanting to watch for a long time, but I was in two minds about wasting time (which I don’t have) to watch a film that seemed to have plot holes larger than the Grand Canyon. I mean, I have an admittedly large tolerance threshold, and there is serious eye candy in that film, but Sharmila’s bouffant put me off (at the moment). Kya pata, I may yet watch the film one day.  In any case, it is not available on YouTube, so I didn’t have too much trouble not watching it. 

I found myself wanting to watch a ghost story however, and have been frightening myself quite deliciously these past few days with one beautiful ghost after another (Watch this blog for some ghostly reviews in the future). Before those reviews make an appearance, however, there are some more RK movies to write about so all anti-RK readers can be convinced to worship at the altar of the one and only Raj Kapoor. (Cue evil laughter.) 

But the bhoot has taken hold of me, and so, I decided to make a list of my favourite ‘ghostly’ songs.  I was going to write 'haunting' songs at first, but 'haunting melodies' means something completely different to me; they are songs that are so good (tune, lyrics or both) they imprint themselves on my consciousness, never to be forgotten. 

Sadly, there is a paucity of male ghosts (I found only two, and one of them only a pretend one).  We are made of sterner stuff, though, and shall endeavour to make do with the female of the species. Especially when they sing such lovely, lovely melodies.  Particularly when they sing such lovely, lovely melodies. One must admit that our Hindi film ghosts are most talented. They not only look beautiful, and sing well, but they also write the most meaningful lyrics, and compose the tunes too – all the while leading the poor haunted hero a merry chase around misty hills and vales.

Please note that not all these ‘ghosts’ are truly ghostly. Some of them are only pretending to have passed on to the astral sphere – perhaps because they get to walk around in white saris with their hair let loose, and have the men chase after them? Who can say? Besides, ours not to question why (Lalitha, this decree is particularly for you.); ours but to listen and (not) die. Without much ado, here are some of my favourite haunting songs.

1. Naina barse rhimjhim rhimjhim (Woh Kaun Thi) 

Poor, poor Sadhana. Can't say I blame her for weeping fit to cause a storm. She has to haunt Manoj Kumar, for heavens' sake! I would cry too! Besides, she is not even allowed to kill him, and he went on to inflict one patriotic piffle after another on us. I think I must protest to the ghostly union. (Harvey, is there one?) As an aside, I have also wondered why ghosts always seem to like walking around in stormy weather wearing saris that cling to them and make it impossible to walk? Must be dashed uncomfortable, not to mention cold and wet. 

2. Jhoom jhoom dhalti raat (Kohra)

Biswajeet must surely be the most haunted of men. He is continually following ghosts, each one lovelier than the other. I seriously wonder at ghostly tastes, however. I mean, Biswajeet?! I would happily turn into a ghost myself if I could get away from Biswajeet. But no. All these ghostly females insist on following him around singing songs. The only consolation I have is that this particular song does not have Biswajeet at all. The ghost is busy haunting Lalita Pawar and Waheeda instead. 

3. Kahin deep jale kahin dil (Bees Saal Baad)

What did I tell you? Biswajeet again. Honestly, what is up with these ghosts? Unless it is to find out the secret of his prettiness, I cannot understand why anyone would want to haunt him! I cannot blame him however for wanting to go after this particular 'ghost'. Anyone would. Such a sweet song, too. 

4. Saathi re (Poonam ki Raat)

Manoj Kumar again! Why is it never Shammi Kapoor or Dev Anand who get haunted? (Perhaps because there are enough earthly women haunting them?) This ghost comes accompanied by all the accoutrements that a respectable ghost needs to go haunting. A moonlit night, white garments (the better to see me, my dear), a full orchestra to accompany the singing, curved staircases - the better to glide down, and did I forget to mention the mist? Listen carefully, and you will hear the tune of Baag mein kali khili bagiya mehki between the antaras. (The original tune of the Chand aur Suraj song was Salilda's own composition for a Malayalam film called Chemmeen [Puthen valakkare]).

5. Janam janam ka saath hai (Tumse Achcha Kaun Hai)

Ha! You didn't think I was going to make a list and leave out Shammi Kapoor, did you? Of course he is not a ghost, only pretending to be one in the good ol' Shammi style of wooing (Well, no one haunted him, so he decided to do the 'haunting himself). You didn't know that was the perfect way into a girl's heart, did  you now? Of course she will fall in love with you even if she thinks you are a ghost. Well, if you looked like Shammi, that is, and sang in Mohammed Rafi's voice. Of course, being Shammi, the 'ghost' also dances. You must admit that Shammi Kapoor is a change from the female ghosts who just glide. He doesn't even have to wear white. (It is very sad that he could only find Babita to 'haunt', though.)

6. Aa jaa re pardesi (Madhumati)

The only 'true' ghost in this list. First, she sings the song when she is alive. Then, she sings the song when she is dead. Then, she sings the song and lures him to his death. This ghost is clearly very talented, however; she writes new antaras for the old song. Me, I like the song - both the 'real' and the 'ghostly' one.

7. Mere mehboob na jaa (Noor Mahal)

Okay, no laughing. It is Jagdeep who is being haunted here. Luckily, the ghost had a change of voice. This ghost is also heavily bejewelled and veiled. Just in case he gets close enough to see who she is. Or perhaps because she is not as beautiful as the other ghosts in this series. Contrarily, she also walks around with a candlestick. Perhaps she is also blind? She did get a lovely song to sing, however, so that must be her consolation.

8. Aaja tujhko pukaare mera pyaar (Neel Kamal)

This ghost has no sense of time. At all. At least the female ghosts only haunt their own generation. This one, however, seems to have been asleep! For a couple of generations at least. How else can one explain the fact that he appears centuries later to haunt the reincarnation of his lover from aeons ago? Poor Waheeda has no luck. Whether she is the hauntee or the haunted. When she is the 'hauntee', she is forced to haunt Biswajeet! Here, she is haunted by Raaj Kumar, and married to Manoj Kumar! (This is why you shouldn't bury anyone alive. Make sure they are dead, people, before you bury someone!) No wonder Waheeda looks so, well, haunted! She's to be pitied, even if the ghostly song is in Rafi's voice. 

9. Yehi woh jagah hai (Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi) 

What did I tell you? Mists? Check. White costume? Check. Hills and valleys? Check, check, check. Biswajeet? Of course! Beautiful ghost no.3 to haunt him, but this one actually decides to show him all the places where they 'met' aeons ago. She also excoriates him for forgetting the promises he made to her. Many, many centuries have passed but since the ghost is Sharmila Tagore, she ensured she had the services of a hairdresser, lots of hair gel, a beautician, and excellent costume jewellery at hand before she stepped out to do some haunting.

10. Sau baar janam lenge (Ustadon ke Ustad)

I don't know if that is a threat or a promise. Shakila doesn't either; but she definitely wants to find out. She is also probably miffed that she doesn't get to be the ghost. Which explains why she is dressed in the 'ghostly' costume - she must be consoling herself. Listen to the lyrics, though, and you will understand why Shakila is so drawn to find out whether Pradeep Kumar really means it. So much romance, so much, so much promise. (Why couldn't it have been Shammi? Sigh.)

Aayega aayega aanewala (Mahal)

The best for the last - the song that began all such ghostly wanderings. Our 'ghost' (Madhubala) swings, rows a boat, wanders around the haveli as blithely as you please, and is very sure that her hero will come to her. So sure indeed, that she has no ghostly props at all. Just her hauntingly beautiful face and even more haunting voice. Oh, and some badly fitted chandeliers that swing to and fro when she appears.

My choices are all from the decades where ghosts, real or otherwise, were beautiful (and didn’t look like stick insects). I must also apologise for the fact that a majority of the ghosts seemed to sing in the same voice. Perhaps it is one of the rules of the astral sphere:
Thou shalt sing in Lata Mangeshkar's voice (or, if male, in Mohammed Rafi's).   

I should have added 'filmi ghosts' to my list Kahan Gaye Woh Log? There has been a serious lack of ghosts in Hindi cinema lately. Considering the quality of today’s music, perhaps it is just as well. Do you have any favourite ghosts to share? Mind you, they have to be able to sing.