Chhaayaageet #3 - "You will go with him, and DO NOT come home unless he gives you the lyrics."
“You will go with him, and DO NOT come home unless he gives you the lyrics.”
The veteran music director, the producer and the director of the film are all angry and upset with the lyricist. He was to deliver the song, but had been making one feeble excuse after another. In reality, he was busy with other projects. So the veteran musician orders his son to go wherever the lyricist went and only come back with words on paper.
The lyricist and the son leave. You’ll get the song by the end of the day, says the lyricist. Both smile.
First stop is another musician duo’s recording room. Some unfinished work here. Take a number and stand in line, they tell the son. He needs to complete some work for us first.
It’s evening by now. They hop back into the car. Still no sign of a song.
Driver, let’s go to National Park...
At National Park, they smoke a few cigarettes in silence. No words between them. None on paper either. It’s night now.
Driver, let’s go to Juhu Beach.
The sea is quiet. Not a soul on the beach. A few more cigarettes are smoked in silence.
Give me the tune, the lyricist says to the son, who hums it for him, tapping the matchbox in accompaniment.
The lyricist keeps staring into the sea and takes a few long puffs, and turns to the son.
Come let’s go.
But, what about the song?
Tell your father he will have the whole song tomorrow morning.
He scribbles the opening lines on the wrapper inside the cigarette pack. The son reads them and knows instinctively the song is going to be a hit. He runs home.
Next morning, the maestro encounters the son. So, did you come back with the song? The son hands over the crumpled cigarette pack foil with the opening lines.
Khoya khoya chaand, khula aasmaan
Aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
Tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi
Ho...ho...
Lyricist: Shailendra
Music: S.D. Burman
Film: Kaala Bazaar
Credit for source: Mukund, Oregon