Satrangi Re - Dil Se

Dil Se... is my absolute favourite movie - read more on why I love it, here. As is well known, the movie Dil Se... depicts the seven shades of love, namely - attraction, infatuation, love, reverence, worship, obsession, and death. And the one song that brilliantly conveys it - as the title indicates - is Satrangi Re. So how do we see the seven shades of love? The lyrics and the picturization of the song is what goes hand-in-hand to do it. So presenting to you, the seven shades...

...but wait, I'm confused as to how I'll put the lyrics, its translation and the images so that you'll get what it's all about! Nevertheless, follow me!

Credits - 

Movie: Dil Se...

Song: Satrangi Re

Lyrics: Gulzar

Music: A R Rehman

Singers: Sonu Nigam, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu satrangi re 
You, it's you -  you are the seven-coloured one
Tu hi tu, tu hi tu mann-rangi re
You, it's you - you are the one with a colourful spirit

Notice how they both are in black - even as the song begins on a 'colourful' note

***Attraction***

Dil ka saaya hamsaaya, satrangi re... mann-rangi re
The shadow on my heart is your many colours

Koi noor hai tu, kyon door hai tu?

You are the light; but why are you so distant?

Jab paas hai tu, ehsaas hai tu... satrangi re 

When you are near, you are feeling itself (or he's continuing the comparison with light; and says when you are near, I can feel you - like I can feel the light)

Koi khwaab hai ya parchaai hai, satrangi re, satrangi re
Are you a dream, or a shadow? 

Is baar bata muh-zor hawa thehregi kahaan?

Tell me, where will this forceful wind come to a halt?

Ishq par zor nahin hai yeh woh aatish Ghalib 

Jo lagaye na lage, aur bujhaaye na bane

Ghalib was an Urdu poet. This is a shair, or verse, from one of his ghazals; a form of poetry in which the poet often finds a way to include his own name in the verse. The verse is brilliant because ghalib means 'overcoming', 'triumphant', 'dominant' or 'victorious'. And so the verse could literally reads:
"No one has control over love; it is a ghalib (triumphant) fire/firework;

It can neither be kindled on a whim, nor extinguished when you desire."

 Notice how he's in black (in the dark) and she's in white (the light) and he's yearning to cross over - to traverse from darkness to light, perhaps?

Aankhon ne kuch aise chua 

Her eyes, they touched me so...

Halka halka uns hua 

...Gently, and gently I was infatuated 

Dil ko ye mehsoos hua 

My heart felt it

***Infatuation***

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu  - jeene ki saari khushboo

You, it's you - you are the fragrance of living/life

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu aarzu aarzu 

You, it's you - you are my longing 

Teri jism ki aanch ko choote hi 

As soon as I touch the flame that is your body

Meri saans sulagne lagati hai 

My breath is ignited

Note the burning tree in the backdrop; a perfect prop to depict his fire

Mujhe ishq dilaase deta hai 

Love consoles/calms/comforts me

Mere dard bilakhne lagte hai 

 But my pain sobs noisily

 This is just to say that I love this 'twirling' technique! I've seen this in Alaipayuthey/Saathiya too - Mani Ratnam Trademark?
***Love***

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu  - jeene ki saari khushboo

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu aarzu aarzu 

Chooti hai mujhe sargoshi se 

You touch me like a whisper

Aankhon mein ghuli khaamoshi se 

My eyes, with silence dissolved in them...

Can't you see it too? The reverence in his eyes!
***Reverence***

Main farsh pe sajde karta hoon 

On the floor, I offer my prayers to you
Kuch hosh mein kuch behoshi se 

Some consciously, and some unconsciously

***Worship***

This bit is for the choreography - I am not sure, but to me, this appears like the 'two-bodies-one-soul' depiction. And this idea was (is?) pretty different.

 My interpretation - she's like the water; leaving him thirsty for more

Teri raahon mein uljha-uljha hoon

I am entangled in your ways

Teri baahon mein uljha-uljha 

I'm entangled in your embrace

The prop is (very aptly) the Rope. He's entangled by her.

Suljhaane de hosh mujhe 

Let me disentangle my senses

Teri chaah mein uljha hoon 

For, I'm so ensnared by your desires!

Mera jeena junoon, mera marna junoon

My life is submitted to your obsession; and so it'll be until death

Ab iske siwa nahi koi sukoon

Save this, there is no peace

A maddening frenzy and trance - the anticlimax

***Obsession***

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu satrangi re 

Tu hi tu, tu hi tu mann-rangi re 

Ishq par zor nahin hai yeh woh aatish Ghalib 

Jo lagaye na lage, aur bujhaaye na bane

Mujhe maut ki god mein sone de

Let me sleep in the lap of death!

Teri rooh mein jism dubone de 

Let me dip my body in your soul

Satrangi re... mann-rangi re 

And note the end: both of them are in white (i.e. have found light; compare it to the initial scene). Death gave them salvation, perhaps?
***Death***

If you didn't still realise, the seven colours do appear in the song (almost- and in the reverse VIBGYOR order, at that!) 

For me the magnificence of the lyrics, the visuals, the choreography combined is an overwhelming revelation. Of course, I don't know if I'm reading too much between the lines, but I find this a perfect harmony - what was intended to convey has been beautifully interpreted and presented. The credits have to be given where it's due - Gulzar, Mani Ratnam, A R Rehman, Sonu Nigam - take a bow!

P.S. I do realise that it's a tad too long, and different in structure from my other posts. But I bet you agree that this song deserves this elaboration!

Gubbare - Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

It's not like I don't listen to any new songs. I do. But the old songs are everlasting and timeless; unlike very few songs of recent times - I doubt I'll recall them with as much fondness (if not more), say, five years down the line. You've got to admit it, they are like the new shiny toys you get - you are obsessed and engrossed for a couple of days. But then it's back to the old, tattered and bruised Teddy if you need some sleep. Okay, so maybe this metaphor is lame. But there's one I really liked. The post title says it all, doesn't it?

This song has a very Western and contemporary feel to it - which the movie obviously demands. And what I love is the metaphor - the lyricist likens 'moments' to 'balloons'. He maintains that metaphor throughout the song. Some balloons are filled a lot (indicative of abundance, perhaps), and some are flat (deflating moments in life) - but there's fun in each of it. What's more, take care - and hope that the 'pin' of sadness doesn't burst your 'balloon', 'coz you lose 'em balloons and they'll never come back again. There are so many colours, so why play with one? Take the whole bunch and have fun! Keep blowing the balloons and push the limit (make the most of each moment) and keep 'em all close to your heart.

Such a simple (yet different) thought put into simple words. 

And the video - here's two adults having simple, childlike, unadulterated fun (well, running an army tank over cars to destroy them isn't exactly childlike, and in the end they get back to drinking - but you get my point). That's in stark contrast to the title song of this movie, where they are completely sloshed and barely conscious. It really reminds one of how it were to be a child - walking into a carnival, all the joy rides, the games, the crowd, the fun, the prizes...

So here's the video and the lyrics. Enjoy!

Credits:

Movie: Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012)

Song: Gubbare

Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya

Music: Amit Trivedi

Singers: Nikhil D'Souza, Shilpa Rao, Amit Trivedi

Lyrics - 

Aasmaan se barse bhar-bhar ke

Neele, peele har colour ke

Tu khele jee bhar ke;

Aye dil tujhe pataa hai

Yeh lamhe aur kya hai

Jaan le; qism qism ke hai

Gubbare... Gubbare...

Koi thoda zyada bhara hai

Koi dheela phus padha hai, hawaa pe khada hai

Har ek mein mazaa hai

Aye dil tujhe pata hai

Yeh lamhe aur kya hai

Jaan le qism qism ke hai

Gubbare... Gubbare...

Dekho toh zara yeh, zara yeh kaise hai

Muskurahaton ke bahaane aise hai;

Janjhaton mein doobi doobi

Haan doobi duniya mein, duniya mein

Bulbule khushi ke, khushi ke

Khushi ke jaise hai

Zaraa sambhalke rehna, ghamo ka Pin chubhe na,

Kahin na phoot jaaye - dhatt teri!

Yeh pyaare se gubbare, na phir milenge saare

Bewakoofi hogi yaar yeh teri...

Ek se hi kaahe khele tu

Pura guchha lele tu

Sajaa le mele tu;

Bol kaisa lagta hai?

Aye dil tujhe pata hai

Yeh lamhe aur kya hai

Jaan le qism qism ke hai

Gubbare... Gubbare...

Ke chaahe jitne aur tu phulaa le

Gubbare...Gubbare...

Haan muskura ke seene se laga le...

****

By the way, did I tell you it can get pretty addictive? You'll keep humming it and it should help lift your mood. Works for me!

Chandan sa Badan - Saraswatichandra

There have been innumerable songs that describe love and how it feels to be smitten. In that enormous category, a sub-classification (if I could call it so) is describing your lady love. I would say it's an enormous avenue for drawing comparisons. And it's an endless opportunity - enough is never said, when you talk of your lady!

One such song that stands our for me is Chandan sa Badan. The language and the metaphors are rich -  sample some words: chitvan, kaam-kamaan, bhaune- does anyone use such good language any more? We are increasingly defiling love by calling it Kambhaqt Ishq and the likes; that's the sorry state of lyric writing today - the more crass and vulgar it is, the better (Actually that's fodder for another rant -so let me save it). The music itself is tasteful (based on Kalyani raga, apparently) and needless to say, it's highly romantic. It illustrates dignity while courting, which is rare to see these days. Often love is portrayed as 'sexy', lustful, sensuous - but the elements of purity, innocence or divinity is amiss now. And this song reminds me of how poetic and creative one can get. How he describes her is lovely - 

Her body - as if sculpted from sandalwood

Her mind - restless and playful

Her eyebrows - finely pencilled and bent like a bow

Her eyes - like a pond, lined with kohl (the eyes are like the pond, and the banks are lined with Kajra)

Her forehead - emblazed with the vermillion of the sun (referring to the Bindi)

Her lips - like the glowing embers

With such poetry, which lady wouldn't be bowled over? And I'd even liken this song to a great persuasive sales pitch. The man heaps praises on her - evoking her Attention, Interest and Desire. And ends up by saying, 'I've already suffered a lot without you, now please don't make me suffer any more!' - that's the Action she's supposed to take. Ergo, the AIDA model. See?

The picturization is interesting (and a bit naughty too). You can call it a bit clichéd also (but who hates clichés in romance?): we've the heroine going chori-chupe for a midnight rendezvous with her object of affection. I am impressed with Nutan; I haven't seen much of her movies, but how she acts in this song is lovely. Though I'm not convinced about Manish. He has this poker face (I feel) and he doesn't seem like he's madly in love with her. By the end of the video I went, 'She took the trouble of meeting him?' So yeah - he don't impress me much!

Here's the video (take a look - I've hyped it up so much already!)

Credits -

Movie: Saraswatichandra (1968) [Apparently the last Bollywood movie made in B'n'W]

Song: Chandan Sa Badan

Lyrics: Indeevar

Music: Kalyanji -Anandji

Singer: Mukesh

Lyrics- 

Chandan sa badan, chanchal chitvan,

Dheere se tera yeh muskana,

Mujhe dosh na dena jagwaalon,

Ho jaun agar main deewana.

Yeh kaam kamaan bhaune teri,

Palkon ke kinaare kajraare;

Mathe par sindoori suraj,

Honthon pe dehakhte angaare.

Saaya bhi jo tera pad jaaye,

Aabad ho dil ka veerana.

Tan bhi sundar, mann bhi sundar

Tu sundarta ki moorat hai;

Kisi aur ko shaayad kam hogi,

Mujhe teri bahut zaroorat hai.

Pehle bhi bahut mein tarsa hoon,

Tu aur na mujhko tarsaana. 

Perariyathoru Nombarathe - Sneham

This is probably a song which has not got its due. 

As simple as it may appear, the song conveys a strong sense of pathos - it's hard not to be moved by the undercurrent of pain that prevails. I just love the simplicity of the lyrics - have you noticed?

The entire poem that is this song follows a single pattern -

<Metaphor>-ne <Subject> ennu vilichu.

That's it - whether it's the Pallavi or Charanam. Actually, there's just six sentences - that's all of it! And in spite of the same structure, the tunes are different. And what metaphors! 

• A nameless (or indescribable) pain is Love.
• The pot of honey that breaks as it falls is a Tear (And just think it through - we'd say tear is saline, at best. And yet the lyricist calls it sweet - by comparing it to honey! And the imagery - a tear drop breaking is compared to a pot breaking - just superb!). 
• The golden, ephemeral sun's ray is Imagination (It probably hints at how attractive and yet fleeting imagination is - here before, gone now.)
• The injured bamboo that cries is called a Flute (here, I love how the lyricist compares the sound of the flute, i.e. the music that comes from it as a painful plea; possibly also indicating that the bamboo goes through pain as it transforms into a flute - and the music that comes out of it is indicative of that pain).
• The colours mixed into the tears of the clouds forms a Rainbow (I think this metaphor is sheer genius - it's like combining Science and Art! We know that light when refracted and dispersed by moisture droplets in the air causes a rainbow. He draws the metaphor in such a way that it looks poetic, and yet is logical in some ways).
• The unforgettable 'silent' song (note the oxymoron) is the Mind (I am not sure I've got the essence of this comparison - maybe the lyricist is trying to say that the mind remembers all - and yet it holds all of the memories, which remain in our hearts like an unforgettable song).

This song is indeed a case of less is more.

Credits -
Movie: Sneham (1998)
Song: Perariyathoru Nombarathe
Lyrics: Yousuf Ali Kechery
Music: Perumbavoor G Ravindranath
Singer: K J Yesudas

                                   

Lyrics -

Perariyathoru nombarathe Premam ennaro vilichu,

Mannil veenudayunna thenkudathe Kannuneer ennum vilichu.

Thankathin niramulla maayamareechiye Sankalppam ennu vilichu,

Murivettu kezhunna paazhmulam thandine Muralika ennum vilichu.

Manimegha bhaashpathil chaalicha varnathe Maarivil ennu vilichu,

Marakkuvanavatha mouna sangeethathe Maanasam ennum vilichu.