Chhaayaageet #32 - “Aap ek kaam kariye. Aap humko out of Bombay bhej dijiye.”
The veteran filmmaker, his son, the lead actor, the music composer, and the veteran poet lyricist are at a sitting discussing filmi matters.
The filmmaker is at the helm of a successful production house. He is a recognized trendsetter from a few decades of writing, directing and producing many hit films.
The filmmaker's son is going to direct this film, his second film ever. His first film had become a blockbuster and sparked a nationwide craze. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, they say. Expectations are high.
As for the music team of two brothers, they are new to everyone. This is their first film ever. Naturally, they are under a lot of pressure. Nervous anxiety. Careers at stake.
It is a youth oriented film, targeted to the next generation. High school kids with their first crushes and first blushes. Romance in the air.
The film is to have seven songs, but only one romantic number. Isn’t that strange? A movie about young people falling in love, and only one romantic song?!
Everyone agrees that the song needs to be out of this world. It needs to be memorable. The tune needs to be fresh.
After a lot of hard work and late nights, the music composers have finally come up with a fresh tune. The son hears it and is overjoyed.
And this brings us to the sitting where they are discussing filmi matters.
They turn to the veteran poet. He is in his 70s. He has dominated the music scene right from the 1950s, having penned lyrics for popular songs with every music composer. Can he write something that appeals to the modern youth of India?
The veteran filmmaker advises:
"Naya zamana hai. Nayi generation hai. Nayi film hai. Iske hisaab se likhiye." It's a new era, a new generation, a new type of film. Please write something according to that.
The song’s words need to be fresh. They must feel fresh. As fresh as the blossoming of first love. They must transport the audience to a romantic past when they felt the rush of the first crush.
The poet hears everyone's opinions and then says:
"Aap ek kaam kariye. Aap humko out of Bombay bhej dijiye." Please send me out of Bombay.
It is decided. One of the music composers and the poet will spend a few nights at a resort in the north of Bombay, in Madh Island.
Bags are packed. Who knows how long it might take? Inspiration doesn’t follow a timetable.
They reach the resort in the evening. A nice dinner is enjoyed. And then the poet bades the composer good night.
The composer is perplexed. Good night? Didn't they come here to work on the song? When will they do that? There’s no time to waste. It’s a tight production schedule. But out of respect he goes along.
The next morning, the composer wakes up. He sees the poet in the balcony of his room, deep in thought. The poet realizes the composer's presence.
”Miyan uth gaye?” You are awake?
"Haan". The composer still negotiating the start of the day.
”Zara dekho ye bol jo hain tumhare meter mein sahi hain kya.” See how these words fit the meter of your tune.
The poet recites the first couple of lines. The composer immediately gets his guitar, singing the words as he plays. He plays it a few more times.
So beautiful. Fresh. This has the makings of a great song. He can feel it. Now he can’t wait for the poet to give the rest of the words.
The poet is satisfied. Mission accomplished.
”Chalo. Kaam ho gaya.” Let's go. The job is done.
The composer is once again perplexed. Kaam ho gaya? What does he mean kaam ho gaya? This is just the mukhda. What about the rest of the song? And he wants to go back? After only one day?
Bags are as good as packed. They get inside the elevator to come down to the lobby. As the elevator starts, the poet starts reciting the antara.
Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote the beautiful words of the timeless song Pehla Nasha for the Mansoor Khan directed, and Nasir Hussain produced 1992 film, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Jatin-Lalit composed the music. Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam gave the vocals.
It is said that Nasir saab asked RD Burman to listen to all the songs to get his opinion. RD Burman was very pleased with the music, and had special praise for Pehla Nasha.
Mansoor Khan wanted Jo Jeeta to be his first film and had started writing it. However, he struggled with the script. Nasir Hussain came to him and told him to put his script on the back burner. He said he already had a script and he wanted to launch Aamir. Nasir sahab had himself written the script and he wanted Mansoor to direct. They ended up making Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak first. Mansoor was a studious person, having attended IIT Bombay, Cornell and MIT. But the film world beckoned and he returned from USA back to his roots.
When this song was shot in Ooty, Saroj Khan who was the choreographer, had to leave the location and could not come back. Farah Khan was an assistant working with backup dancers. Mansoor Khan told Farah that she was now the choreographer. This song started Farah Khan’s journey as a top choreographer in the industry.
During the shoot, Farah could not get Pooja Bedi to dance, so instead she decided to make her stand on a car, with wind blowing up her skirt from below, a la Marilyn Monroe. A spot boy was made to sit below with a large fan to blow the wind up Pooja’s skirt. Farah tells the story that when the spot boy got a glimpse of Pooja’s thongs, he fainted!
Mansoor Khan had to shoot a majority of the film almost twice. Casting changed, people dropped out. Pooja Bedi was a late addition. So was Ayesha Julka and Deepak Tijori.
Pehla Nasha is shot in slow motion, one of the very few songs to be shot in this manner. Even though the action in the song is in slow motion, the lip sync is at regular speed. It was with some wizardry that they shot the song in high speed at 48 frames per second and slowed it down to the normal 24 frames per second to match the singing.
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar won Filmfares for Best Film (Nasir Hussain), Best Editing (Zafar Sultan, Dilip Katalgi). It was nominated in many categories: Best Director (Mansoor Khan), Best Actor (Aamir Khan), Best Supporting Actress (Pooja Bedi), Best Music (Jatin-Lalit), Best Lyrics (Majrooh Sultanpuri for Woh Sikandar Hi Doston), Best Male Playback (Udit Narayan for Pehla Nasha).
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Singers: Udit Narayan, Sadhana Sargam
*ing: Aamir Khan, Ayesha Julka
Director: Mansoor Khan
Producer: Nasir Hussain
Film: Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)