Chhaayaageet #199 - "Aap jaise idli khate hain, aisa samjhiye dosa khana hai."
"Just like you eat idli, now imagine you have to eat dosa."
The composers have created a beautiful tune. They are very happy with it and how it fits the lyrics and the overall mood of the song. At one sitting they play it for the filmmaker, actor and others. The reaction from everyone is meh. "Unnees bees hai yaar, kuch maza nahin hai," is the consensus verdict. It's just about ok, it's not delightful.
The composers are in a quandary. It is really a very beautiful tune. What could be the problem? They decide to get the song sung by a bonafide singer and then bring it back to the team. They decide to get a young singer who is a long time follower of an eminent singer. After eight long hours in the studio dubbing it to perfection with the young singer, they cut a tape of the song in his voice.
Another sitting, another opportunity to put the song to test in front of the film team. They give it an earnest listen. "Yaar ye gaana hi badal do, ismein kuch dum nahin hai," comes the verdict. Buddy, just change this song. This one does not pack a punch.
The brothers are discouraged. What is the problem? They don't want to let go of this tune and this song. They realize that the character in the film on whom this song is to be shot is a mature person, and they got the song dubbed in a young singer's voice. The young singer does not have the gravitas and maturity in his voice.
They decide to put in a call to the eminent singer himself. The eminent singer at the very moment is on his way driving to Pune. He is very happy to hear the composers on the other end.
"Arre kaise ho? Kaise phone kiya? Koi date chahiye Western Outdoor ki?", the singer asks them. Hey, how are you? How did you call? Do you need any dates of Western Outdoor?
Western Outdoor. A iconic recording studio in Kala Ghoda, Fort in Bombay's banking district, a precinct dotted with Victorian-style buildings. The studio has hosted the who's who of India's best musicians. The composers and the singer both used to rent Western Outdoor for their music work. Sometimes when the composers were in the studio, the singer would have his time booked right after them. He would arrive early and sit in the waiting area outside while the composers would be in the midst of their recording work. The composers would tell him, "Arre sahab, aap kahan bahar baithe hain. Andar aa jaiye." Sir, why are you sitting outside? Please come inside the studio. The singer would reply, "Nahin yaar. Mein disturb nahin karna chahta. Mein idli khake aata hoon." No my friend. I don't want to disturb your work. I'll go have an idli and come. The Fort area is known for many small joints that serve the delectable South Indian delicacy. At times when the composers would arrive early at the studio while the singer would be finishing his work, they would tell him, "Aaj hum jaldi aa gaye. Aaj hum idli khake aate hain." Today we are early. We'll go have idli and come back.
So the singer thought the composers have called to ask for dates to resolve any scheduling conflicts at Western Outdoor.
"Nahin aisi baat nahin hai. Aap ki date chahiye," they tell him. No it's not like that. We need your date.
"Meri date chahiye? Arre nahin yaar. Meri date ka kya karoge? Mein to show-woh karta nahin," he responds. You need my date? No my friend. What will you do with my date? I don't do any shows any more.
"Show ke liye nahin. Ek gaana record karna hai," the composers present their pressing need. It's not for a show. We need to record a song.
"Accha? Dekh abhi ye tunnel aa raha hai. Gaadi ghusegi tunnel ke andar to awaz band ho jayegi," the singer informs them of the practical challenge of driving through a series of long tunnels on the Bombay-Pune highway. Is that so? See there is a tunnel coming up. Once the car enters the tunnel, our voices will get cut.
"Phir kya karein? Aap tunnel ke bahar aate hi humein phone kar dijiye," the brother suggest him to call them back once his car is out of the tunnel. Then what should we do? Once you are out of the tunnel, please call us back.
"Nahin, mein tunnel ke pehle hi rukta hoon," the composer informs them. No, I will stop before the tunnel itself. There is no space to stop and park the car, really. But the singer asks his driver to do so.
"Bolo kya gaana hai?", the singer asks the composers. Tell me what is the song?
"Ji ek ghazal hai, aur hum chahte hain ki aap woh gayein." Sir, it is a ghazal, and we would like for you to sing it.
"Yaar dekho meine bahar ke music director ke liye bahot kum gaya hai. Aur tum logon ka style maine dekha hai. Tum log mujhe ragad ke rakh doge. Mein nahin kar paunga," the composer rejects their proposal. Friends, see I have sung very little for other music directors. And I have seen your style. You guys will stretch me. I won't be able to do it.
"Aap bilkul befikar rahiye. Aap jaise idli khate hain, aaj samjhiye dosa khana hai, bas. Itna hi farak hoga," the composers don't give up. You have no reason to worry. Just like you eat idli, now imagine you have to eat dosa, that's all. There will be only little difference.
"Achha? To ek kaam kar, mujhe gaana bhej de," the singer confirms. Is that so? Then do one thing, send me the song.
The composers agree to send him a cassette tape. The singer's assistant picks it up from Western Outdoor.
After the singer listens to the tape, he calls the composers. "Bahot achha gaana hai, bahot achha." This is a very nice song, very nice.
"Ye rejected gaana hai, Jagjit ji. Aamir Khan sunega. Aur woh John Mathew aur sab log aayenge," the composers confess. This is a rejected song, Jagjit ji. Aamir Khan will listen to it. And John Mathew and everyone will come to listen.
"Arre ab to kisi ko bhi aane de. Yeh approve ho jayega," the singer assures them. Now let anybody come. This song will get approved.
On the day of the recording, the singer and the composers get together. The filmmaker and actor not present, by design of the composers. The singer asks to do a few rehearsals. After about five rehearsals, the singer suggests, "Chalo bahar chalte hain. Idli khake aate hain." Let's step out. Let's have some idli.
They step out, just below Western Outdoor to a small South Indian hole in the wall place. Steaming white idlis completely immersed in sambhar, and a hot cuppa chai. They come back up. The singer asks to listen to the entire track. They rehearse one more time.
The singer asks the composers to give him two analog tape tracks. They record the song on separate tracks. Then as they listen to it, they realize the pitch is a little different than what they need. So they switch to the other track, and think it is better, and they cut extract audio from the other track and merge with the previous track. The singer is intimately familiar with the technical recording and audio equipment set up at Western Outdoor, having recorded there multiple times himself. He would play the console and buttons himself. While listening to the two tracks, he himself decides when to turn one track off and turn the other track on, and mixes the audio appropriately to create the song himself. The sound recordist at Western Outdoor, whose job it is primarily to do this sound mixing, is now an able assistant to the maestro himself.
At the next music sitting, the composers call Aamir Khan and everyone to listen to the song. When Aamir Khan learns that the previously rejected song is now sung by Jagjit Singh, he is immediately half convinced. After listening to the song, he asks for a coconut to be broken, and asks for sweets to be distributed to everyone.
Jagjit Singh sang the ghazal Hosh waalon ko khabar kya in the film Sarfarosh (1999), written, directed and produced by John Mathew Matthan, music by Jatin-Lalit, lyrics by Nida Fazli. The song is filmed on Naseeruddin Shah. Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre play the lead hero and heroine roles.
Sarfarosh was critically acclaimed upon release, with a host of Filmfare Award nominations, winning the Best Film (Critics) award. John Mathew Matthan won the award for Best Screenplay.
Hear Jagjit Singh ji sing the ghazal live at a concert in Singapore.
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Singer: Jagjit Singh
Lyrics: Nida Fazli
*ing: Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre
Director: John Mathew Matthan
Film: Sarfarosh (1999)