Chhaayaageet #49 - "Only she can sing it. I have made up my mind."
The music composer and the lyricist have a disagreement.
Is this a song that a man is singing for a woman, or a woman singing for a woman, or a woman singing for a man?
It's an important question. The words and the situation do not match.
"I have written it from a man's point of view, a man describing a woman's beauty and his love for her", the lyricist clarifies.
The composer is still confused. This point of view does not fit in with the story.
The music composer is also the filmmaker. One of those rare instances for a person to do both jobs in one film. He is a heavy weight in the industry, a composer and singer of repute. At the age of 15, he had sung his first song on All India Radio. At 17 he had cut his first gramophone disc under the Columbia label. His fourth movie as composer won him the Filmfare for Best Music Director.
The lyricist is not a pushover either. He is also writing the screenplay and dialogues of the film. So he knows exactly what he wants to convey and how to express it. He is a man of gravitas and nuance.
"I want you to sing this song", the lyricist requests the composer.
"No, I don't think so", the composer has made up his mind. "I want her to sing it", he continues, referring to the leading woman playback singer.
The film is a remake of an earlier Bengali film. The composer had done the music for that film, so he knows the story very well.
"How can she sing it?", the lyricist protests. Of course he knows she can sing it. But a girl typically does not sing praises about a man's features.
"Only she can sing it. I have made up my mind. No one can sing it like her", the composer is adamant.
The lyricist tries to explain it, but to no avail. The composer is insistent that he is not going to sing this song.
"I am not going to change the words for a woman to sing it", the lyricist digs in.
"I will never ask you to change the words", the composer-filmmaker is self assured.
The lyricist is aware he will receive a lot of criticism for this song. It does not fit into the traditional idea of poetry because of this new imagery, a woman singing a song written from a man's perspective.
A few days go by. The lyricist comes up with a potential solution. Will the composer accept it as a reasonable compromise?
"Dada, I have an idea. You don't want to sing this song, and you want her to sing it, right?"
"What's the idea?"
"Let's record the song as if another woman is singing this in a recording studio. And we will show as if the heroine hears the song playing on the radio."
Gulzar wrote the songs, screenplay and dialogues of Khamoshi (1969), music by Hemant Kumar. Hemant Kumar also produced this film. Asit Sen, not to be confused with the comedian of the same name, was the director.
This was the next song that Lata ji sang for Gulzar saab, the first being Mora Gora Ang from Bandini.
The song Humne Dekhi Hai became a very popular hit song. It is said that Gulzar used these lyrics to win the heart of Rakhee, whom he married later. Khamoshi was an important film for Gulzar. Besides writing lyrics, he had started writing scripts, screenplays and dialogues. In this film, he learnt to use the camera from Asit Sen, a master lensman who had moved from photography to films. The lyrics are poignant description of the feeling of love.
Gulzar was right. He received a lot of criticism for this song. The criticism leveled at him by poets and others was about the very premise of the words - a song talking about the fragrance of the eyes. How can eyes have fragrance? How can we call this poetry?
Khamoshi is one of Waheeda Rehman's seminal films. Asit Sen and Hemant Kumar wanted Dev Anand for the role of Arun Choudhary, which was played by Rajesh Khanna. Waheeda ji recommended Rajesh Khanna for this role, because she felt Dev Anand had become too stylized and image conscious. Rajesh Khanna was new and Waheeda ji was impressed with his performance in Aakhri Khat. Rajesh Khanna excelled in the serious role. Khamoshi released in April 1969, and Aradhana released later that year in September. Khamoshi is one of Rajesh Khanna's highly acclaimed performances.
Khamoshi is a remake of Asit Sen's own Bengali film Deep Jwele Jaai starring Suchitra Sen in the lead role. Asit Sen played the role that Dharmendra essayed in Khamoshi. Interestingly, Hemant Kumar did the voiceover for Asit Sen in the Bengali film. Asit Sen had a great sense of the script. Only when the script was finalized did he lay his hands on the camera, and then only made subtle changes as needed.
In this song, Waheeda ji is required to give a lot of close up shots. Asit Sen directed these scenes beautifully with Waheeda ji using her eyes very effectively.
Waheeda ji also recommended that the film be shot in black and white instead of color. The dark shades enhanced the mood of the film. Kamal Bose won the Filmfare for Best Cinematographer. The film also won a nomination for Waheeda Rehman (Best Actress).
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Hemant Kumar
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
*ing: Waheeda Rehman (Nominated for Best Actress)
Director: Asit Sen
Cinematographer: Kamal Bose (Filmfare for Best Cinematographer)
Producer: Hemant Kumar
Film: Khamoshi (1969)
Sources:
In the Company of a Poet, Gulzar in conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir
Asit-da was a rare talent, The Times of India Nov 2013
Wikipedia
IMDb