iseries
i hear
Ever Green Melodies Revisit some of India’s most famous music that pays rich tribute to love and Nature…
Indian film music of yore was usually accompanied on screen by a 'lover' and his beloved running around trees; some films in the 1960s even carried taglines, such as “Yeh haryali aur yeh rasta” (These green pastures and ways – will witness the bonding of our love). There is no dearth of slogans such as this in Indian films, and oftentimes film music is replete with references to Mother Nature. One example is readily found in the classic song titled, ‘Yeh chaand hoga tare rahenge, magar ham hameshan tumhaare rahenge,’ meaning these stars and moon will remain and I will remain yours forever. Another famous song by playback sinnger Geeta Dutt, 'Aaj ki kaali ghatta mast matwali ghatta mujh se kehti hai ke pyasa hai koi, kaun pyaasa hai mujhe kya maloom,' suggests that clouds serenade the lover with promises of fulfillment. Where would the dark clouds beckon the lovers to if environmental equilibrium were to be endangered? Old time Bolluwood actor Dilip Kumar, in playback singer Mukesh’s voice brings forth the vision of a dream – 'Suhana safar aur yeh mausam hasin, hamen dar hai hum khon jayen kabhi,' (The journey is beautiful on this magnificent trip let me not forget myself completely). There is also the memorable song, 'Yeh ratein yeh mausam nadi ka kinara, yeh chanchal hawa.' (These nights, these climes, these river banks and this gentle breeze). The film Pakeezah, one of Bollywood’s best creations, features two haunting melodies: “Mausam hai aashikana,” and “Chalo dildar chalo chaan ke paar chalo,” (The weather is romantic, and come my beloved lets go beyond the moon). There are also Hindustani classical pieces that extol the virtues of nature. In the raga Chayanat, Munna Shaokath Ali rendered a traditional bandish of his guru Ustad Mohd Baki: “Chayanat guniyan gaoo to manwa chun chun kaliyan laye hai malinwa. Rut sawan ki jab jab aaye yaad piya ki harpal lahraye,” – Let us render raga Chayanat while the gardener woman plucks flowers, and each time it’s the rainy season, I am reminded of my beloved. And in Kirwani: “Piya ke sang
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culturama | june 2011
man mora dole re, piyu piyu papiha bole re.” My heart beats with my lover as love birds sing. The alliterative words are poetic and awaken pastoral splendours. Perhaps the point these songs make is that when man is in harmony with nature, all is well with the world. He brings upon much of the havoc, when he is obsessed with his own self, destroying the rhythm of nature, disrupting harmony. — By Jyoth Nair