Chhaayaageet #10 - "Something is wrong with the first two lines."

ACT I

The director, music composer, and lyricist are discussing the situation of the song. The first two lines are written immediately. It's been three hours since. The next lines struggle to come out of the pen.

Ok, I'm going home now, says the lyricist. I don't think I can complete anything today beyond these two lines.

The implicit understanding is that he'll come back the next day with everything all done. That’s his forte. But he does not show up. Nor does he send a message.

Same thing the next day. And two more days after. It's been five days now and we only have two lines of the song.

The director is getting impatient. But this is unusual. Is there a genuine problem? Finally, on the sixth day, the director shows up at the lyricist's doorstep.

Is everything ok? Are you not well?
No, I am alright.
Have you finished the song?
No.
We are losing time. I want to start shooting at the earliest.

"No matter how much I think, I just can't come up with the lines. Something is wrong with the first two lines. That's why I cannot come up with the next lines."

Ok, lets do this. The first two lines have contradictory emotions. Why don't you explain that contradiction.

The moment the director says this, words start flowing again, and the first antara is written in a few minutes. Can you imagine being stuck on two lines for five days?!

ACT II

Fast forward. The entire unit has left for location to shoot the song. But the song has not been recorded yet. It needs to be put on tape and shipped so that it reaches location before the shoot starts. It's a tight schedule. The film is being made simultaneously in English by a team from Hollywood!

The music composer and playback singer do their part, get the song recorded and sent off to the filming unit.

The hero listens to it for the first time. He doesn't like it. What is it about this song? Something feels wrong. And he's not even thinking of the odd contradiction in the first two lines. What is it?

The director convinces the hero to go ahead with the shoot. After all they're all there on location anyway. Let's decide later if we should keep it or not. By the end of the shoot, the unit seems to love the song. The hero relents. The song lives another day to be heard.

It is a path breaker, the "first feminist song of Hindi cinema". A woman escaping the clutches of repressive bonds, breaking free and finding herself. The hero is confounded by her transformation. He wonders...

Kal tak aap lagti thi ek chaalis saal ki aurat, jo zindagi ki har khushi, har ummeed, har umang, peechey kahin raaste par chhod aayee hai, aur aaj lagti hai ek solah saal ki bachchi, bholi, naadaan, bachpan ki sharaarat se bharpoor

He talks too fast. Trying saying that in one breath.

The leading lady embraces her newfound sense of freedom, breaks pots and stereotypes, and dances to the tune with her buoyant heart's content. The incredible lyrics capture her liberated self. That's the beauty of the contradictory emotions in the first two lines.

The location is the Chittorgarh fort in Rajasthan, the erstwhile palace of the beautiful Queen Padmini. Legend has it, that Allauddin Khilji happened to see Queen Padmini's reflection in a mirror, and a fleeting glimpse of her beauty was enough to obsess him.

The director decides to shoot one scene in the song where the leading lady's movements are caught briefly in a mirror from the palace hall, a nod to the history of the old fort. The leading lady is no less beautiful.

So what's odd about the song?

It's a daring experiment. The music composer, the maestro that he is, has attempted something completely novel. The song starts with the antara, and not the mukhada.

ACT III

The film releases to much appreciation for its music and songs. It creates a bit of controversy. It is nominated for nine Filmfare awards. It wins seven - Best Film (Guide), Best Director (Vijay Anand), Best Actor (Dev Anand), Best Actress (Waheeda Rahman), Best Story (RK Narayan), Best Dialog (Vijay Anand), Best Cinematography (Fali Mistry).

The two awards it does not win?

Best Music - SD Burman's magnum opus music for Guide loses to Shankar Jaikishan's Suraj.
Best Singer - Lata Mangeshkar is nominated for Aaj phir jeeney ki tamanna hai, but the award goes to Mohammad Rafi for Baharon phool barsao.

After that year, Filmfare separates the award into Best Singer Male and Female categories. And thus, the song breaks from tradition to forge a new identity for the industry.

Ho...kaanton se kheench ke ye aanchal
Tod ke bandhan, baandhi paayal
Koi na roka dil ki udaan ko
Dil woh chala, aaa...aa..aaa
Aaj phir jeeney ki tamanna hai
Aaj phir marne ka iraada hai

That life and death contradiction is what makes the song a beautiful tribute to life itself!

Lyricist: Shailendra
Music: SD Burman
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
*ing: Waheeda Rahman, Dev Anand
Director: Vijay Anand
Film: Guide (1965)

References:
* Picture the song: 'Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai' from 'Guide' is an ode to life by Devarsi Ghosh (Oct 24, 2017 on scroll.in)
* Ten Classics by Aarati Paadhye