LATA MANGESHKAR’S TOP 10 SONGS IN MY LIFE

The country celebrated Lata Mangeshkar’s 80th birthday on 28th September. Her name has become synonymous not just with music but a look at her career is like looking at an encyclopaedia of the history of music in Hindi films. Through her songs one can relate the various trends that have inspired the musical world, the several leading actresses who charmed the audience across the decades, the many talented music composers and the creative lot of wordsmiths.

The list was humungous. It was difficult to pin down on few songs from such a vast collection. The problem with compiling a 10 or 20 songs collection is that there will always be something worth mentioning in the list which would have not made it. My list however, is based solely on the significance of the songs in my life and how they have shaped some of my best memories.

• Maine Kaha Phoolon Se… Mili 1975, S D Burman, Yogesh

This was one of the songs mom really liked. She would hum it and we’d just look at her. She would tell us about the first time she had seen the movie and how she loved the song. Then finally we one day we got to see the movie ourselves along with her. It was a treat to see the movie. It was fun as well as sad kind of movie. I guess that’s how one feels after watching a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film.

'Maine kaha phoolon se hason to woh khilkhila ke hasdiye... aur ye kaha jeevan hai, bhai mere bhai hasne ke liye..'

• Tujhse Naaraaz Nahi Zindagi… Masoom 1983, R D Burman, Gulzar

This movie makes me cry every time I see it. The emotions were so innocently portrayed and how real they seemed, even to a young child. I have no recollection of the first time when I saw this movie. But I remember watching it several times. Once with the whole family and I was crying then. Recently I saw it with my brother and sister, I was crying even then. They were catching up on a lot other things, chatting while watching the film. I was completely engrossed in the movie and was trying to hide it but could help sobbing audibly. They looked at me, then at each other and sister remarked mockingly to brother – we’ve become emotionless! We all had a good laugh after that.

Shabana pulls a blanket over Rahul, lying on his bed after the police bring him back. He had run off when he found out about Shah being his real father. He looks up at Shabana and says sorry. Unable to control her emotions, she rushes out of the room and weeps uncontrollably… the song playing in the background in Lata’s voice just grips you.

'zindagi tere gham ne hamein rishtein naye samjhaye... mile jo hamein dhoop mein mile, chhao ke thande saaye...'

• Tu Jaha Jaha Chalega… Mera Saaya 1966, Madan Mohan, Raja Mehndi Ali Khan

The song first struck a chord with me when it was used in a Rajiv Gandhi AV on Doordarshan. The song was played in the background with shots of Rajiv Gandhi and his mother Indira Gandhi. I found it interesting and emotional – the idea that even though she is not alive, she’s still there with him at every step. It might have been a great marketing strategy for Gandhi, but it didn’t strike me then.

The song has in the recent past become more personal. Every time I hear it I’d feel this voice of assurance that my mom is still here with me. And if through the course of the song I felt sad and lonely... the following lines of the song would comfort me…

‘Tu agar udaas hoga, to udaas hungi main bhi… nazar awung ya na awung tere paas hungi main bhi…’

• Tu Kitni Achchi Hai… Raja Aur Runk 1968, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Anand Bakshi

Papa used to buy cassettes, mostly old ones. But he was also tuned into the latest Hindi film songs as well. It was the time of Aashiqui and he would play it every morning to wake us up. He knew the songs by heart and would sing it in his own style, putting lots of expressions in the song as well as on his face. During those days he bought this new cassette with two films combo – Raja Aur Runk and Khilona. I still remember most of these songs and drive my friends crazy with songs like ‘Phirki Wale Tu Kal Phir Aana…’ and ‘Khush Rahe Tu Sada…’

Raja aur Runk had this particular song which was picturised on Nirupa Roy and a child artist. Lata was voicing for the little boy, singing praises of mother…

‘dookhan lagi hai maa teri ankhiyan... mere liye jaagi hai tu saari-saari ratiyan...
mere neendiyan pe apni neendiyan bhi tune vaari hai...

maa bachchon ki jaan hoti hai... woh hote hain kismet wale jinke maa hoti hai..
kitni sundar hai, kitni sheetal hai, nyaari-nyaari hai...

tu kitni achchi hai, tu kitni bholi hai… pyari, pyari hai, o maa…
ki yeh jo duniya hai, yeh ban hai kaaton ka, tu phoolwari hai…'

• Ichak Daana Beechak Daana… Shri 420 1955, Shankar-Jaikishen, Shailendra

This song from the film Shri 420 had a life of its own independent of the film in my life. I thought it was just a random song earlier; only recently I got to know it was from this film. My paternal grandmother was quite a lady! She still mystifies me even though it has been years since she passed away. She would visit us in Shillong if and when her health permitted. It was during one of these visits that the three of us – sister, brother and me – told her to narrate tales of her youth. My sister is very persuasive without being intrusive in her questions. She asked her about her childhood, about how she met Grandfather who died a year or two prior to our meeting, about the actors she liked and other interesting tales. She loved Mithoon a lot and if he was on TV there’d be no way we could change the channel. She would ask father or any one of us to translate what was being said. She was a very expressive woman and she would react to the movie like guys do while watching a sports match.

My sister then told her to sing a song. She said she really liked this song and she sang it a lot in her youth. Then she started singing the song, her eyes lit up, moving her hands to the song in a typical Manipuri dance movement.

‘Ichak daana, beechak daana… daane upar daana… ichak daana…’

She was a very stern, strict and authoritative lady to most. But to us she was this endearing, almost child-like woman, happy in spirit and soul. The moment has stayed with us.

• Milti Hai Zindagi Mein Mohabbat… Aankhen 1968, Ravi, Sahir Ludhianvi

It was time for the afternoon movie on Doordarshan. We all gathered around the TV. For most part it would just be the three of us – mom, sister and me. The movie was ‘Aankhen’ starring Mala Sinha and Dharmendra. I knew and liked Dharmendra but wasn’t really fond of Mala Sinha. This film is one exception where I really liked her a lot.

The song is the declaration of love by Mala Sinha to Dharmendra. He says no to her proposal and it would be years before they encounter each other. I didn’t understand much about how love worked then, not that I do now. But I felt this strange sense of wrong being done by Dharmendra for not accepting her love. With time as I hear the song again I marvel at the lyrics, so true.

• Bada Natkhat Hai Re… Amar Prem 1971, R D Burman, Anand Bakshi

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KngOTfCR7s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUqDjX-nvLw)

Despite the fact that I am neither fond of Sharmila Tagore nor Rajesh Khanna, this is one of my favourite films. I like the relationship of Sharmila and the child, the way it has been portrayed. The song comes at two points, one when the boy is still young and the second time when he comes back to the city, all grown up, married with a child.

‘Aa tohe main gale se laga loong… lage na kisi ki nazar, man mein chhupa loong…
Dhoop jagat hai re… mamata hai chhaiya…’

• Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare… Rajnigandha 1974, Salil Choudhary, Yogesh

The interest in the song is pretty recent. I know about the film but have not seen it as yet. After watching the movie, my sister became really fond of the flower Rajnigandha (tuberose) and would often buy it. So, the fondness for the song and the flower developed. It really is a fragrant flower. I have heard the song before and I really like the following part of the song…

‘aadhikaar ye jab se saajan kaa har dhadakan par maanaa maine
main jab se un ke saath bandhee, ye bhed tabhee jaanaa maine
kitanaa sukh hain bandhan mein…’

Lyric was penned by one of the most under-rated lyricists, Yogesh.

• Dekho Maine Dekha Hai… Love Story 1981, R D Burman, Anand Bakshi

There are some songs I associate with my parents. Dad is more outspoken and expressive compared to mom who is more the silent type. Dad would often sing songs to mom when we were all around, and we would associate those songs as our parent’s song. This was one of those songs, including the title track of another film ‘Prem Kahahi’. The lyrics of the song I had already learned by heart without even knowing what they meant at an early age. It’s quite a cute track if you can view yourself as a dreamer who is dreaming of a dream house with one’s lover!

• Zihaal-e-muskeen mukon ba-ranjish… Ghulami 1985, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Gulzar

I haven’t seen the film. But I clearly remember the song and its video. Mithoon and Anita Raj atop a bus, the vast expanse of sandy Rajasthan, the folk singers… the rustic feel of the song, the rhythm and vocals…

They all came together to make this lasting memory, I can’t seem to erase. Not that I’m complaining. I like the rhythm of the song, the beats, and the feel of the song – a bit nostalgic and on the edge of romanticism…

‘Kabhi-kabhi shaam aise dhalti hai jaise ghoonghat uttar raha hai...
tumhare sine se uthata dhuwa hamare dil se guzar raha hai..

yeh sharm hai ya hayaa hai kya hai, nazar uthaate hi jhuk gayi hai
tumhaari palakon se girke shabnam, hamaari aankhon mein ruk gayi hai…

Zihaal-e-muskeen mukon ba-ranjish, bahaal-e-hijra bechara dil hai
sunayi deti hai jiski dhadkan, tumhara dil ya hamara dil hai’

There are several other great songs, which I am missing out on but I would like to add a few more of those songs which I tend to sing or listen to very often.

‘Najana kyun…’ from Chhoti Si Baat 1975, Salil Choudhary, Pradeep
I sung the song in my introduction class in my institute. It is another story that a friend tricked me into singing it in front of some 20 odd people! Such simple poetry and so true to life. Yogesh's lyrics again.

‘Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh…’ from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayee 1960, Shankar-Jaikishen, Shailendra
Most of the times, this song would be sung at the antaksharis that I played since my childhood days. The emotion of happiness and sorrow and the expressions on Meena Kumari's face. She wasn't called a Tragedy Queen for nothing.

‘Ae dil-e-nadaan…’ from Razia Sultan 1983, Khayyam, Jan Nisar Akhtar
I had always liked the slow and rather stillness of the music and the melody since I heard it. But over the years, as I began to understand the words as well, I fell in love with this one. It's like the philosophical me speaking to myself about life, love and everything in between.

‘Rahe na rahe hum…’ from Mamta 1966, Roshan, Majrooh Sultanpuri
I never really paid much attention to the song, until in one of the reality shows a participant, a very talented one indeed was eliminated and she sung it without any music, just her voice. It was an experience. After that I am in love with this song. It's like one of those perfect goodbye, take care kind of song.

‘Naam gum jayega…’ from Kinara 1977, R D Burman, Gulzar
Gulzar's imagery in his poetry is something that I have been fascinated with since I began to understand what the songs' lyrics meant, not that I understand all of his songs. The thought in the song was something that intrigued me. Moreover I always had this outlook towards life, about how transitory it really is yet how some things remain the same throughout.

‘Dil dhoodhta hai…’ from Mausam 1975, Madan Mohan, Gulzar
What an imagery! One can just see those warm afternoon in winter with one's lover. What is interesting is that the two versions of the song - a happy and a sad one - both have the same lyrics.

‘Yeh galiyan, yeh chobara…’ from Prem Rog 1982, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Santosh Anand
Prem Rog is one of my favourite films. The point at which the song comes is the reason I like the song. The closeness of Padmini with Rishi… her sheer happiness over her marriage and Rishi’s broken heart owing to the same reason... unfortunately it would take a long time and a lot to have happened for her to realize her love for him.

‘Jaane kya baat hai…’ from Sunny 1984, R D Burman, Anand Bakshi
I started liking this song after I heard brother humming it. He lived in a boarding school in Imphal and had seen this movie and really liked the song. It’s a simple song, with minimal music and simple lyrics. And the result is pure magic. In one of her interviews, Lata mentioned that she had completely forgotten about this song and when she stumbled upon it after years she fell in love with the song (an R D Burman’s composition) all over again!

Songs from Aandhi, Ghar, Silsila and Abhimaan are too good as well. But as far as that emotional connect, a link to my life is concern, the 10 songs listed above have become a part of me, over the years…


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Have uploaded few of the videos since I had problem uploading all of them.

masterwordsmith-unplugged: TSUNAMI ALERT (updated)

I got this information from a friend who stays in Indonesia, via sms saying he was upset about what had happened... an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hit Padang, Indonesia on Wednesday... thankfully my friend stays in another place...so far according to reports 75 people have been killed....

I'm sharing this post from a fren's blog..

masterwordsmith-unplugged: TSUNAMI ALERT (updated)

A Complete Living Moment

Life is a continuous process of growth. From what we were to where we are now and what will be in our future. It’s continuous and always flowing. The past, the present and the future always walk in tandem with each other at every moment of our existence. Perhaps beyond as well. Whatever we do we are always a part of our past, our present and our future. We are nothing but a continuous flow of all three. We can never live at any point in time in just one part of it. Even when we are thinking of our part or pondering about our future, reflecting on our mistakes or planning our days ahead, we still are in our present moment. We are the past, the future and the present. But they hardly exist in equilibrium in a single moment. There is always one which takes control and overshadows the other two. The past sometimes becomes too strong an influence on our present that we are not able to deal with the way our live is going in the moment. Then there are those moments when our future, the fear and apprehension of the unknown grips us so much so that we tend to lose our balance in life and forget to live the present at all. There are times too when we just while away our life in the present moment, harbouring no thought about where we have come from or think about where we are going. Balance in life comes only when they all exist in complete peace with each other. It’s like being a parent to three children, nurturing them and moulding them together in such a way that all three of them feel loved. Likewise, when all three, the past, the future and the present come together in a harmonious manner, with none of them intruding into the other’s space, a complete living moment exists. Most of the times we are searching for this moment in life but rarely do we find it, if at all.

The Night We Parted

It wasn’t mine. It never was. But it still is precious to me. It still is special to me. The fate was defined, long before the journey. You had yours and I had mine to follow.

Victims of circumstances…. fortunate players with narrow luck and broad goodwill of others...

Differences absolved… boundaries smudged... judgements and prejudices fell through with time and the turn of events.


Invisible thread of emotion…. indescribable flow of affection…. generous concerns and instinctive cares…

Some things brought us together…. others led to our closeness…. unspoken, unuttered yet somehow emotions were heard and felt…


The moments we shared has a life of its own... distinct, independent and disconnected with the lives we live.

Unintended a memory was woven… to think not and sigh at ‘What if’ and ‘If only’… but to look back and smile at ‘What was’…



Just so you know I have been smiling ever since we parted ways and our memories met…

19th July, 2002
Mr. Iyer’s journal entry on the night he parted with Mrs. Iyer whom he had met on a journey that changed their lives forever.

Journalistic Conscience

Human mind - One can try to evaluate the complexity of it, the method and the ways in which it functions but never fully succeed. For all the thousand conformity there will always be one or two exceptions. The way we think and the way react or respond to certain situations and circumstances in life differs with each individual. That is why perhaps, one finds some making the most of a bad situation and rising above the average to succeed and triumph in life while others fail miserable in the same situation. Greatness thus lies not in where we live or who we live it lies in how we think and comprehend our lives.

There are people whose life may not seem so well-lived or of any significance to us but who have achieved and transformed the world around them for the better with what little resources they had in hand. Compared to them we have a lot. But how much of it have we actually utilized to its full capacity?

I sit and wonder at their strength and the sacrifices they made along the way. For them, what they do does not come under any sacrifice of any sort. It is their love and passion in what they do that gives them the courage to fulfill their aspirations.

The world we live in – the parties, the events, the social dos etc. etc. – is all so superficial. And like any other person, I too have become the torchbearer for the good things in life. The images on the television, the many series and the many channels – the fine printed pages of hundreds of magazines – the launch of a new restaurant, bar or pub every other day – all adds to the ‘fake’ world we live in.

We never say what we mean. And never mean what we say. Pretence and loathing – qualities we have adopted ever so effortlessly.

One does lose one’s sense of self amidst all the superficiality of the world around us. And it is in times like these that we need to ask ourselves if we can keep on ignoring the truth; the truth that real life is no party. There is so much more at stake in this world today. We need to evaluate our thoughts and start juggling them to find what exactly it is that we have to do in our lives. What is the use of living at all if we cannot contribute towards ‘life’ in any measure at all? And yet like everyone else the thoughts come and go. And the next day the same routine follows. The real world lie waiting like a mother waiting for her son to come home.

- Written in a very conscientious moment by a journalist.

The only difference being that the son does come home, however late at night.

The above line was added by him the next morning before the document was permanently deleted.

Family – The One We Are Born With & The Ones We Make Of Our Own

A family is one that stays together. How true is it in today’s world? Not very true. We all have to build our own lives and achieve and fulfill our own individual dreams. The pursuit of our aspirations and desires take us to places where we have never been before, meeting new people, facing new challenges and living miles away from the family which meant our world when we were younger. Each one of us take our own journey trying to build our own world. In this search, we end up being far from those we love.

It does not in any way mean our hearts are no longer fonder and our love no longer stronger. The world today has become so fast and quick-footed that in order to keep moving, to keep standing upright and not fall while hundreds and thousands are walking about around you, we have to keep our momentum going. As such a family today has come to exists only in its spirit and not in presence; the spirit of togetherness and closeness as strong as ever, but just too rarely possible to embody this spirit. Somehow we end up being alone for most part of our lives. Agreed that the family lives on but one has to agree that it does not fill up the emptiness of missing the moments of sharing few laughs, few bites of one’s favourite dishes, few hugs and few kisses.

How often and how long can one keep on talking over the phone and chatting on the internet? Though complete, we somehow always end up wishing things were different and we could be living together, knowing fully that it is but only a wishful thinking! Moreover, differences will always crop up and a little distance helps in avoiding the small, silly insignificant problems. With distance the trivial things tend to not matter that much or become totally irrelevant. Focus moves on to the more important aspects of the relationships; forging a deeper connection, comforting and encouraging each other, giving that bit of thrust and energy to keep walking on the journey. And though one does wish to be together, the new found level of togetherness and bonding makes up for the physical shortcomings. Ironically, family becomes a much more integral part of one’s life somehow.

It is not that we don’t get those emotional pangs every once in a while. We do and perhaps that’s the very reason why we seek to make friends and while interacting with people around us we tend to develop an emotional bonding with those we connect with at different level from others. With time we end up making a small world of our own, filling up those spaces that left a void in our lives. Agreed that some voids are not possible to fill up but that’s the reality of life. Not every question needs an answer. Not all emptiness needs to be filled. Some breathing space needs to be there so that the individual can grow.

So, we end up building a small world around us of people who we care for and who care for us as well. They help you sail through some trying times, glide through the sticky situations and fly through happy moments. There’s no denying the importance of family. One cannot describe how and why one needs it. It’s one’s family after all. Though one is always together in spirit as one unit… the group of people around us - our friends - make up for the absence of the family… for most part of it. And our world becomes… not exactly perfect… but almost complete. Almost.

Almost something is better than almost nothing, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you agree? Sometimes ‘almost good enough’ is good enough to inspire us to keep going.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

What is success? Can it be measured? If it can be, how does one measure it? How much of it does one need to have to be called a ‘success’? Who decides who is successful or not? Who decides what success is? Who lays down the parameters of success? Is success a uniform thing? Is there a set way or technique to understand and know for certain if a person, a project or anything for that matter is a success or not? And if the answer is yes to all these questions, can it all be the same every time? Will the measurement, the technique, the deciding person or factor remain the same in every circumstance? No, it can’t be. It stands true for success as well.

What or who is a success? How much is a success? These are but dependent upon many factors – circumstances, social opinion, bias or impartiality of the person who judges the parameter of success and the field or area in which the success is being measured. Out of these, social opinion or the opinion and thoughts of the masses – the public – plays a very significant role. No matter how successful a person or a thing may be in the eyes of their family and among their circle of friends or by those associated with it respectively, it is but the ‘mass opinion’ and the acceptance of the population at large which decides or puts a stamp of approval to the success. So what is accepted in the society as success will be the standard or the level that one has to measure up to in order to be termed a success. And people’s opinion depends on the circumstances – the environment prevalent at that point of time – which would influence and guide the thoughts of the people. As such, the definition of success changes with time.

So, the best way to thrive for success is not to base it on how the society looks at it or judges it. But to seek one’s own opinion and compare the final outcome with what one had set out to at the onset of the task. In other words be your own judge of how much you have achieved and how successful you are in doing what you had planned to do. It may or may depend on how the society at large reacts or responds to it. Or it may depend solely on the people’s judgement. Key is to set your own parameters. For someone who has a target of selling three paintings, to have sold two would be a fair enough achievement. But it would count as nothing for someone who wants to sell hundreds of them. Most of the times we see people fail because they actually ‘fail’ to see that their success is a matter of how they see it and not how the people around them does. One just needs to be very clear about one’s idea of success and what definition it holds for them. Then work towards it. There is no greater failure than failing from one’s own standard and there is no greater success than succeeding on one’s own terms.