Chhaayaageet #244 - "Do lineon ke beech mein se ye music hataa do."
Remove the music between two lines.
The mood in the recording studio is sombre. The musicians, singers, composer and lyricist are rehearsing a sad song that is to be recorded later. The words penned by the lyricist are very touching. Every word screams pain to such an extent that every person who hears the lyrics is taken back to a personal moment of anguish and sorrow. As the rehearsals start, everyone is certain that the singers will ensure the words reach the hearts of millions of listeners.
During one rehearsal, the male singer raises his hand and stops everyone in their tracks. “Ruko,” he says. Stop. “Yeh har line ke baad ek gap aur music kuch theek nahin hai,” he adds. This big gap and music after each line is not right.
Everyone is surprised. The composer is taken aback. He asks the singer, “Dada, aakhir dikkat kya hai?” Dada, what seems to be the issue?
The singer, very respectfully, shares, “Sahab, yeh har line ke baad interlude aa raha hai ismein dard ki woh rooh nahin hai jo is gaane ki demand hai.” Sir, the interlude (music) coming after every line does not have the pain that this song demands.
“Yeh sunne mein bada atpataa bhi lag raha hai. Yahan sirf khamoshi chahiye,” he adds further. Moreover, it also sounds a little random. There needs to be silence here.
The male singer is not done. He continues, “Aur yeh gaana aapne bada slow bhi banaya hai. Aaj kal thoda fast gaane hi chal rahe hain.” And you have also composed a very slow tune for this song. Nowadays fast songs are preferred.
The singer throws the final curve ball. “Mein ye gaana nahin gaa sakta. Aap kisi aur se gawa lijiye.” I cannot sing this song. Please find someone else to sing it.
There is a pin drop silence in the studio. The composer listens to everything without reacting to the male singer’s opinions. The rest of the crew does not know how to react.
The composer mulls over this feedback from the male singer. The male singer is not merely a singer. He is well versed in film music and is a composer himself.
The composer looks at the female singer. Does she have an opinion? She has a smile on her lips. What does the smile hint? There is no way to tell.
The composer calls his assistant and tells him, “Dada ki baat maante hain. Do lineon ke beech mein se yeh music hataa do.” Let’s agree to Dada’s point. Remove the music between two lines.
He looks at the male singer, “Aap ke alawa yeh gaana aur koi nahin gaa sakta. Yeh gaana aap ke liye hi banaa hai. Yakin maniye yeh gaana itihas rach dega.” No one else can sing this song. This song is tailor-made for you. Believe me, this song will make history.
It takes a few hours to prepare the song and music in this new format, removing the interlude music that alternates with each line of the lyrics. Now there are only words, pain, and silence.
After the rehearsals, the final take is recorded. Everyone listens to the recorded take. The male singer is the first one to speak up, again very respectfully. “Sahab, mujhe lagta hai pehle waala music jyada kamaal ka thaa.” Sir, I feel the previous music was so much better.
Everyone in the studio bursts out a laugh. The composer looks at the female singer. Her previous smile has now turned into a wide grin.
They prepare the music according to the original composition, with the interlude music interleaved between each line, to accentuate the depth of pain and sorrow in each word.
Khayyam composed the song, Hazaar Rahen Mud Ke Dekhi, and music for Thodisi Bewafai (1980), written and directed by Esmayeel Shroff, with Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Azmi in lead roles. The lyrics for all songs are written by Gulzar, and playback for this song by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.
The film is a romantic drama and is noted for impressive performances, music and songs. The other songs - Ankhon Mein Humne Aapke Sapne Sajaye Hain (Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar), Aaj Bichhde Hain Kal Ka Dar Bhi Nahin (Bhupinder Singh) - also became very popular. The film was a commercial success at the box office despite many blockbuster releases such as Qurbani, Aasha, Ram Balram, Dostana, Shaan, Karz, Khoobsurat, and others.
Kishore Kumar won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer, and Gulzar won for Best Lyricist, both for the song Hazaar Rahen Mud Ke Dekhi. The film was also nominated for: Best Film (winner: Khoobsurat), Best Director (Esmayeel Shroff, winner: Govind Nihalani for Aakrosh), Best Actor (Rajesh Khanna, winner: Naseeruddin Shah for Aakrosh), Best Actress (Shabana Azmi, winner: Rekha for Khoobsurat), Best Comedian (Deven Verma), Best Music Director (Khayyam, winner: Laxmikant-Pyarelal for Karz), Best Story (Esmayeel Shroff, winner: Vijay Tendulkar for Aakrosh).
Music: Khayyam
Lyrics: Gulzar
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar
*ing: Rajesh Khanna, Shabana Azmi
Director: Esmayeel Shroff
Film: Thodisi Bewafai (1980)