Chhaayaageet #210 - "You change the situation, I'll change the tune."

The phone rings. It is 2 am. The composer's wife wakes him up saying, "Raj Kapoor is on the phone for you." The composer is deep in sleep. What does Raj Kapoor want at this ungodly hour? The wife adds that Raj Kapoor is saying this one filmmaker has been crying inconsolably and asking for the composer. What? The composer is too tired and sleepy. He tells her to just make up some excuse to Raj Kapoor. Whatever it is can wait till the morning.

The next morning at 10am the composer reaches the filmmaker's house, the same filmmaker about whom Raj Kapoor had called the night before. The composer sees the scriptwriter there. "He has gone," the scriptwriter informs him. "Where?" the composer asks in disbelief. They had an appointment. "He is dead. His dead body is inside," the scriptwriter informs.

The composer is shocked to hear it. He goes inside. He sees the filmmaker in repose, his wife nearby. He is angry, shocked, sad, disturbed. Not sure what comes over him, but he blasts the filmmaker's wife for ruining the filmmaker's life. Then at the funeral later in the day, he blasts another actress, the filmmaker's muse, for ruining the filmmaker's life. The composer and the filmmaker had their differences but the filmmaker used to confide his life troubles with him.

After the funeral, the composer returns home. He is exhausted. A long association with the filmmaker has come to an end. He is overcome with guilt for not responding to Raj Kapoor's call at 2am and going to the filmmaker's house and being there for him. Perhaps this could have been avoided. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps.

So many memories. So many films. So many songs. So many stubborn disagreements. His mind turns back to the early days of both their careers. It was the filmmaker's wife who had introduced him to the filmmaker. After their first film together had flopped the filmmaker was not sure he wanted the composer for his next film. But the filmmaker's wife had persisted.

His mind goes back to that one film that changed both of their fortunes for good.

For both of them it is their fourth film, and the second one working together.

The composer prides himself on creating songs that suit the situation of the film and has a good sense of rhythm and tune that are prelude to the song. The filmmaker prefers songs to have no preludes and jump straight into the lyrics in the singer's voice. This ensured that no time, and film, was wasted by going straight from script to song, with no instrumental music to bridge the transition.

The filmmaker also holds a fascination for Western pop songs and wants the composer to emulate them to ensure the film's music is a hit. The composer is of the general opinion that the filmmaker doesn't know much about music. It is an odd couple, this composer and this filmmaker. Egos loom large but at this moment they need each other.

Work on the film's songs and music is underway. One song is almost finished being composed. The filmmaker, composer and the team get together for a sitting to listen to it.

When the composer sings the tune playing along on his harmonium, the filmmaker remains pensive. After a while he speaks, "The mukhda is excellent, but the antara lacks something."

The composer doesn't take this feedback kindly. He asks, "What is that 'something'?"

The filmmaker shoots back, "I don't know. Just do something with it."

The composer is displeased and frustrated with this response. The sitting wraps up.

A few days go by. The filmmaker asks how the song's antara is coming along and if the composer has found something to make changes.

The composer retorts, "You change the situation, I'll change the tune."

But the filmmaker is adamant. He insists, "The antara needs to change. It needs something different."

Both have dug in their heels. The composer doesn't appreciate the filmmaker stepping on his toes and venturing into his domain.

After two weeks, a sitting is called for again. The composer begins, "I have made some changes to the antara and have added some things."

He plays the same original tune with the same antara virtually unchanged. After he finishes, he looks at the filmmaker with an inquiring look as if to say - What do you think now?

The filmmaker has been listening with his eyes closed. He opens his eyes and says, "It's perfect! Whatever you have done, it's perfect!" The composer thinks to himself, "Sometimes he can be so stupid."

The composer returns back to the present moment. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps.

OP Nayyar composed the song Babuji dheere chalna for Aar Paar (1954) produced and directed by Guru Dutt. Geeta Dutt provides the playback for Shakila who essays the part of the dancer in the club. Geeta Dutt beautifully mixes seductiveness, feistiness and vulnerability in the song while also sounding inebriated. Lyrics are written by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Guru Dutt's first two films as director were Baazi and Jaal with Dev Anand with music composed by SD Burman. It was Geeta Dutt who had introduced Nayyar to her then boyfriend Guru Dutt for his film Baaz (1953) in which Guru Dutt made his debut acting. After Baaz flopped, Guru Dutt didn't want to have Nayyar do the music for his next film, however Geeta Dutt insisted and prevailed that Nayyar do the music for Aar Paar. Dev Anand was supposed to star in Aar Paar, however, when he reported late on set, Guru Dutt decided to portray the lead role himself.

Aar Paar was a big hit and put both Guru Dutt and OP Nayyar on the map. The music of Aar Paar and all the songs became extremely popular.

In Babuji dheere chalna the accordion that plays in the prelude and the interludes of the song really gives the song its shape and texture. The accordion is played by Goody Seervai who was single handedly responsible for making the accordion an integral part of the songs of that era such as Aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum (Chori Chori, 1956) and Dheere dheere chal chaand gagan mein (Love Marriage, 1959).

OP Nayyar and Guru Dutt worked together to create magic in films such as Mr. & Mrs. 55 (1955), CID (1956). They stopped working with each other after that because their could not work together effectively. However, Guru Dutt asked Nayyar to compose music for his last film Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi (1966).

Babuji dheere chalna is inspired from Doris Day's Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps written by Joe Davis in 1948, which itself is inspired from Quizas, Quizas, Quizas written in 1947 by Osvaldo Farrés, a Cuban songwriter settled in New Jersey. Quizas also inspired the song Señorita from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011).

Listen to Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps below performed by Doris Day:

Listen to Quizas, Quizas, Quizas below performed by Nat King Cole:

Music: OP Nayyar
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Accordion: Goody Seervai
Singer: Geeta Dutt
*ing: Shakila
Director: Guru Dutt
Film: Aar Paar (1954)