Three Songs
The last two posts attracted some frighteningly erudite comments and I now feel daunted so as an exercise in balance restoration here are a few Bollywood songs (yay!) that I really like. The first is an example of the genre of "jeep songs," which used to be ubiquitous in Hindi movies once but which are sadly nowhere to be seen in movies these days. I have such fascinating childhood memories associated with this vehicle. Anyway, here is the song:
For those who don't know Hindi, it is an example of "song of anticipation," a standard segment of any romantic narrative. The hero is asking out on his way if he can find some relief under the shadow of someone's hair or get a look filled with love from someone or a look on which his name his inscribed. I know, crazy translation, but I hope the meaning is conveyed...
The same song of anticipation from a feminine perspective here. Those sensitive to gender representation will note the contrast with the earlier song. How she prefers to passively wait for her "prince" rather than go out and ask for it. Also notice the way she looks at the camera and demolishes the fourth wall!
Okay so what about real romance? Sadly there are not enough good songs in Hindi movies that I like. These guys often start jumping around trees and the whole thing gets boring and cliched. Here is one exception which I like. Surprisingly this song is not very well known. Note how they move quietly and how overall unexcited they are. The whole thing is even tinged with a slight melancholy as if they are aware of the transience of what they are going through, as if they know that loss, separation and loneliness are just around the corner. Okay, I will stop blabbering now. Hope you like the songs!
6 comments:
Alok
Lovely! Thanks a lot.
Your post forced me to do a search, and I came up with :
Piya Aiso Jiya Mein
Hum Aap Ki Aankhon Mein
Absolutely magical!
Wow, I LOVE that Meena Kumari song. Thank You :)
Alok
nice observation. when lifestyles are getting more hectic moment by moment, man does not have much energy left to search for his woman. while the lady does have the least interest in pedalling her way to his heart!{giggles}
Now I would like to fine-tune a few things :
It's not "song of anticipation, but "song of search, langurously layered fervent search", that ceaseless search for one's sweetheart
@I could recall Joy Mukherji's
song searching dreary eyed for his sweetheart...forgot the song! but the visuals stayed with me
@but for me the one set the benchmark for "Jeep led" songs was "Mere Sapno ke rani jab ...."..indeed, I wanted to be romanticised by some man thus...
@Now I resist : you cant compare two different songs clips and attempt to bring forth "man's" and "woman's perspectve" situations are different, intensity of pining is different....
Man by instinct is a hunter n woman desires to be hunted....
the one aspect that always tickled me is the hero n heroine claspin their hands around the trunk of the tree and they quiver..haha!
n down south the rendition is more garrulous..both their faces hidden behind large flowers and then the flown kiss is shown as "flowery caress"...
I really like the first and the third song. The second one is ok. I like songs of other actresses, Nutan, Meena Kumari and especially Sadhana, all in their B&W avatars.
I am of those old types, who love movies for their songs only. I have seen certain films multiple time just for few songs. Today also I go to hindi movie mainly for songs (do I sound stupid?).
Alok, what do you give more weightage in a film song- its picturization or the song (tune, lyrics etc). The easy answer is both, but whats your preferance between the two.I am not sure of the answer myself. I sometimes like to see songs, even if the actors just sit and sing !
Man by instinct is a hunter n woman desires to be hunted....
that was what I was trying to point out by contrasting the songs...this hunter-hunted gender dialectic... shouldn't we try to transcend our instincts and break away from this cliched dialectic :))
and search and aniticipation are almost the same thing... people search and then they anticipate. thats how all stories start...
I actually love watching songs. I generally get irritated when suddenly lots of dancers appear and they start jumping all around and start making all kinds of weird movements (think Jeetendra and Sridevi). I prefer those old sixties and of earlier songs when they just used to walk on the streets and sing.
Now that you have mentioned Sadhana (our tastes match hehe), here's another song which I love...
yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke hum
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