The Lyrical Beauty of Paheli -3 : Dheere Jalna

Its time for discussing the opening track of the album "dheere jalna".
"Dheere Jalna" is a fantastic composition by MM Kreem and rendered
beautifully by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. But its lyrics of the
song that captures the theme and mood of the film amazingly.



The song is woven around the theme of a dream and the song talks about
many dreams in the context of the film. As we have discussed the theme
of the film earlier, where "Shahrukh the ghost" disguise himself as
the husband of newly wed Raani Mukherjee when her husband "Shahrukh
the human" moves out for five long years on the night of the wedding
it self. Sapne jo toot chuke hain (with the exit of Shahrukh the
human") , aur naye sapne jo aakaar le rahe hain (with the entry of
"Shahrukh the ghost"). This is definately picturised on Shahrukh the
ghost and most possibly after Raani comes to know about the truth of
Shahrukh the ghost.

"kaanch ka sapna gal hi naa jaaye
soch samajh kar aanch rakh-na
dheere jalna dheere jalna, zindagi ki lau pe jal-na"

"kaanch ka sapna" conveys a few things. One thing is that the dream is
fragile in nature and would not last long. Second it would be more
painful when it breaks and third it depicts the Ghost itself is a
dream and Kaanch ka sapna could mean Ghost who is the mirror image of
her husband and may not live long with her.
"Gal hi naa jaaye" reflects coming to the terms, the truth That is why
Shahrukh the ghost ask to take precautions while making a relationship
as it might not last long (soch samajh kar aanch rakhana)

But then Shahrukh the ghost have an objective behind all his disguise act.

"Tere roop ki halki dhoop me, do hi pal hain jeene hain
Teri aankh me dekh chuka hoon, jo sapne hain, seene hain"

Halki dhoop depicts a pale face, ek udaas chehra despite being a newly
wed wife. Shahrukh the ghost also understands that his relationship
will not last long with her and he has just "Do hi pal". But he has
seen the broken dreams in her eyes, which the (dreamstailor) ghost
will repair (jo sapne hain, seene hain - sewing the broken dreams) by
giving her some good company.

"Aankhon me sapno ki kirachein hain, chubhti hain
dheere jalna.."

as the dream is broken in pieces, the pieces hurts a lot....

MM Kreem's use of instruments at this moment takes the song to another
height..

Raani seems to be undecisive till this point, but finally she finds
the ghost's company acceptable and she joins
"socha na tha, zindagi aise phir se milegi jeene ke liye
aankhon ko pyaas lagegi, apne hi aansoo peene ke liye"

She gets a life to live again and also gets her emotions back
(aankhein to aansoo nikaal kar sookh chuki hain, all emotions have
dried up, and this relationship will get back all the emotions for
her)

zindagi ki lau pe jalna...

enjoy!

The Lyrical Beauty of Paheli -2 : Kangna Re

This time we explore the lyrical beauty in "Kangana re" (कंगना रे). One reason I hate the album of Paheli, is that the music company didn't provided the lyrics book with the album. The words I can make out only thru listening session and its possible that I might goof up in quoting the exact word sometime.

As I said earlier that each song of Paheli is penned around a theme.. and gulzar saab has penned "Kangana re" on diiferent kind of jewellery, portraying a newly wed woman (who usually wears lots of zevars) and requesting her husband to bring her the best of jewellery.



The song starts with the sounds of kangan and choodis and even the lyrics of opening lines talks about the khan khan and chhan chhaan sounds of kangans and how the newly wed wife using her zevars to wakeup her husband.

"जब चूड़ियाँ खनके, कंगना छनके
जग जा वे सजना रे छन छनन"
"jab choodiyan khan-ke, kangana chhan-ke, jag-ja ve sajna re
chhan chhanan"

(once the husband shahrukh gets up and joins raani on the dance
floor), Raani complains

थारो कौनो रंग ना भावे
मने थारो ढंग ना भावे
"thaaro kauno rang na bhaave
mane tharo dhang na bhaave"
[I dont like your style, the kind of jewellery and the colors you bring for me]

काँच हो तो टूटे, लाख हो तो छूटे
धनक तोड़ लाओ तो हम कंगन पहनेंगे
सात रंग की चूड़ी पहनेंगे
"Kaanch ho to toote, laakh ho to chhoote
Dhanak tod laao to hum kangan pahanange
saat rang ki choodi pahanange"

[the glass choodi breaks and laakh chhodi doesn't last long
get me a piece of rainbow on sky, I will then wear the choodi of seven colors. ]

the husband's reply is beautifully constructed by gulzar saab. He makes the rainbow a jhoola (the way it is shaped)

मैं एक सिरा बांधूं, तुम दूजा सिरा बांधो
तब सात रंग का झूला डाल के
रंग रंग रंग रंग गगन को रंगना रे
"main ek siraa baandhu, tum doojaa siraa baandho
tab saat rang ka jhoola daal ke
rang rang rang rang gagan ko rangana re"

[I will hold one end and you hold the another
We'll swing this rainbow together and color the sky..]

gulzar saab beautifully captures this in words and also full marks to Sonu Nigam and MM Kreem as they have executed this stanza beautifully..

Next stanza features a virahani (a seperated lover) is singing virah ka song...

ढोला रे ढोला
घोर अमावस जाए ना ढोला
बिरहा को रंग गूढ़ा
ढोला रे ढोला

चंदा की चूड़ी, दिखे तो पहनूं
हाथीदांत का चूढ़ा
बिरहा को रंग गूढ़ा
"dhola re dhola
ghor amaavas jaaye na dhola
birahaa ko rang goodhaa
dhola re dhola
chanda ki choodi, dikhe to pahanu
haathidaant ka chooda
biraha ko rang goodha"

She is trying to convey the pain of seperation (biraha), She says "biraha" is dark as she compares it with "ghor amaavas" and she says the biraha is getting longer and seems not ending "ghor amaavas jaaye na dhola"

Chanda ki choodi dikhe to pahanu
haathidaant ka chhoda

She says, The moment I see the moon (means amaavas gone, and biraha period ends) , she will wore a chooda of Haathidaant (Ivory), but for now the amaavas of seperation seems unending.. She is not talking of wearing the moon's bangle, but using moon as a bangle.

[I will wear the moon as a choodi or a chhoda of ivory but this amaavas of seperation is not ending and the color of seperation in very dark and painful]

The next stanza features another beautiful construction by gulzar saab, as the wife wants natural jewellery the husband offers her two alternatives

मारुथल में घूमे भंवर बगूलों के
ले लो बाहों में भर लो ना
बोलो तो सिलवा दूं सब जेवर फूलों के
खुशबू गहने भर लो ना
"maaruthal me ghoome bhanvar bagoolon ke
le lo baahon me bhar lo na
bolo to silava doon sab zevar phoolon ke
khushboo gahane (me) bhar lo na"

[In the desert there are lots of bhanwars (tornado shapes) of duststorm, you can wear them..]

beautiful thought considering the fact that females in rural and tribal areas do wear such shaped jewelery which covers the hand completely. He has another alternative of having zevars of flowers and comes out with the idea of scented zevars. But wife replies

धूल फूल के जेवर तन पे कांटे लागे
अंसुवन मोती चुन चुन के जो माला बने हम साजे"
"dhool phool ke zevar tan pe kaante laage
ansuvan moti chun chun ke jo maalaa bane hum saaje"

she replies "the best jewellery for me is my emotional connect, the thread made by drop of tears, the most natural zevars. " and you can find a hint of Meera here..

beautiful climax for a beautiful song.. MM Kreem and singrs too contribute to make it a pretty good listening.

enjoy...

just another gulzar fan
Pavan Jha

[Original Posting from Gulzarfans group]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gulzarfans/message/2949