From R D Fan: Songs of Life
Repeating this post from past: Why RD today ? Neither today is 27th June nor 4th January. But as they say RD was timeless like depicted in the song picturized below or ahead of his times as thought be some.
Lot has been said about genius of RD Burman. There are folklores amongst music lovers about his personality. But I have a different angle to pay tribute to RD. His songs make you reflect upon various situations about life and thus they appeal. Though some might technically and correctly credit major part of that to lyricists but I feel the haunting music facilitates that reflection. Here is my case.
Most of us have some complaints about life thus the most favourite song of mine is applicable universally: ‘Tuzse Naaraz Nahin Zindagi Hairan Hoon Main’. Note the difference between Naaraz (being dejected) and being ‘Hairan’ (bemused). It’s subtle and also note on stress in the music of “Main”. That ‘main’ is what magic of Panchamda does to lyrics. Also note the differentiating nuances of Naaraz and Hairan which go parallel. ‘ Main’ (meaning I) is universal. I am driver of my own life, ambition, my problems, my destiny. So I have all rights either to be naraaz but I am not pessimist so I am hairan (live human will). Isn’t it amazing? Most of us strive hard and get perplexed by life. Some situations add to misery so that you feel “muskurayen to muskurane ke karz utarane honge” ie even if you find small pleasures you have to pay big price for that figuratively.
Life moves on. Being in naraz state of mind leads to the resilience of human mind and this resilience reaches stage where you are content with what you have. Katra katra milti hain. Life is like that. I am enjoying my pain and let me stay where I am. The repetitive echo of asha sound creates magic as if this is an afterthought...
They say the darkest part of night is before the dawn. When something bad happens to our lives we feel dejected and song to capture this is helplessness of ‘Chingari koibhadke’
Then there is aredemption and a dawn where human mind which is a universal seeker of knowledge, happiness and destiny regroups and starts the new journey. The wanderlust, indomitable spirit of never ending journey is reflected in tune of ‘Musafir Hoon Yarron’
Then comes the moksha , destiny and happiness. Not necessarily at the end of journey but journey becomes destiny and there is eternal calm, euphoria. The spirit of having conquered everything slightly bordering on egotist feelings are reflected in ‘Aaj Kal paaon zameen par nahin padte ‘
That completes the spiritual cycle of life as canvassed musically by RD. RDs music have given love , romance a great meaning and style across all films but his music touches all physical stages of human journey.
Childhood is benign, innocent, vivacious and bubbly. The imagination of child can turn a stick into horse and they can take you to a horse ride journey. How many of us have played like those kids in the song ‘Lakdi ki kathi’?
Child grows in to a youth and he collects friends of his choice. As they say one cannot choose relatives but can choose friends. These friendship bonds turn into lifelong bonds. Very aptly said in “Diye jalte hain, phool khilte hain , badi mushkil duniyan me dost milte hain’ . Do you remember your childhood, college, work friends while listening to this song?
Then she comes into your life. There is heartburn. You idolize her to be a fairy from heaven. You are scared whether she will reciprocate. All that you can request is ‘Huzur is kadar bhi na iterate chaliyen’. You keep on waiting and waiting for her to show up in your life.
You can wait long. Sso what do you do is propose her. And what a way to do that in the song ‘O mere dil ke chain, chain aye mere dil ko duaan kijiye’
For few lucky people, it works for many it doesn’t. But they say there one mate for everyone in universe (unless female infanticide in India changes that ratio). Two minds meet, and their only wish is to meet. In that stage, all the roads have a specific destination. How beautiful is the song ‘Is mode pe jaaten hain’
Then there is a small tiff or a mischief and then comes repentance. How many guys would like their girl to sing ‘Oh mera sona re’ , and girls would like to hear ‘Meri soni, meri tammanna’
Some unlucky souls are betrayed not just in typical hindi film manner. But expectations are let down, reality sets in and one has a complaint against life (not against someone)’Kya Huan tera wada’
Some people take up vices to forget these small dejection. This sprit is captured beautifully in ‘Nadiya se darya’. Not to glorify the vices as pointed by Aamir Khan in satyamev jayate recently but then the human mind is weak and it is sucked into vices. Idea is to be strong and live life healthily living with all its deficiencies, problems. This spirit is captured in “Tere Bina Jindai se koi’
The family and career goes on. Some have success some not so. Nevertheless constant threat of living up to the public image is universal for family and career. This kills our originality, creativity and thus we have to follow advise of’ Kuch to log kahenge’
Beautiful emotions of parenting are reflected in “ Bada Natkhat hain yeh”
Life goes on to a stage when live more in past than in present. But you cannot do anything to correct and change past deeds and destiny which is sadly expressed in ‘ Zindagi ke safar mein gujar jaaten hain jo mukaam”
Finally one realizes that only solace is either spirituality or hedonism. Both are diametrically opposite but both give same effect as sung in ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ and ‘Aayo Kahan se Ghanshyam”
That completes both spiritual and actual life cycles as composed by RD a great composer. Somehow I cannot imagine that the mediocre decade of 80s, was so cruel to RD. Especially barring few producers like Vidhoo Vinod Chopra, no one gave work to RD . Somehow 80s were strange. 70s were brilliant. Amitabh was on decline in the 80s. Economy was strange under Rajeev Gandhi. Politics was dirty with likes of VP singh, Devilal. Cricket saw some success in 83 and 85. But we were waiting for khans to explode in 90s along with economic liberalization and Sachin. Ironically Sachin was named after father of RD.
Somehow one has to admit that RD was ahead of times as now we acknowledge that.....
Author Gautam Naik runs blog http://nayakgiri.blogspot.com
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