Chhaayaageet #55 - "Yehi chahiye. Bilkul yehi chahiye mujhe."
"This is what I want. This is exactly what I want."
A recording session is scheduled. A few rehearsals, and then straight to recording. It is a simple song, a straightforward song. Guitar strums providing the beautiful melody. The pitch doesn't go up and down too much. One might say it is an easy song.
The music composers, lyricist, singer, and the orchestra of musicians have assembled in the studio.
The rehearsals begin. The singer renders the song as directed by the composers. He looks at the composer duo.
One of the composers has a thoughtful expression on his face. He looks at his composing partner.
"Jo mood aana chahiye, woh baat nahi aa rahi." The mood that needs to be evoked, we are not getting that. The other composer agrees. They ask the singer to sing one more time.
"Aapne bahut achha nibhaya hai gaana, lekin phir bhi woh baat nahin ban rahi hai." You sang it very well, but something is not coming together.
"Phirse gaiye", the composer requests the singer. Please sing again.
The singer wonders. Woh baat nahin ban rahi? Something is not coming together? What thing? What does that mean?
The singer resets and sings it again. He reads the composer's face for approval.
"Woh jo feel hai gaane mein, nahin ban rahi hai. Phirse gaiye." The feeling in the song that we are looking for is not there. Please sing again.
Sing again? Ok. The singer is one of the most versatile singers, a master at pouring emotion into his songs. He reads the lyrics one more time, looking for places where he can sing with more feeling.
One more time. How did it go this time?
"Aap isse aur softly gaiye", the composer is still not happy. He hasn't gotten exactly what he is looking for. You have to sing more softly.
How much more softly? How much more feeling?
A few more rehearsals take place, not one, not two, but about ten more. Still it's not clicking. Finally they decide to take a break. Tea is ordered. At this rate, they could be in the studio for a while.
The singer pulls up a chair. He is surprised, almost in a state of wonderment. How should he sing this song? He has sung much more difficult songs than this one, which got recorded in one take. And this seemingly simple straightforward song has required so many takes!
He rests his elbow on the arm of the chair. With his palm on his cheek, he is lost in thought about how to sing this song. A sip of tea in between. In that same pose, he starts singing the song to himself.
The composer leaps from his chair.
"Yehi chahiye. Bilkul yehi chahiye mujhe." This is what I want. This is exactly what I want.
"Ye chahiye?" This is what you want?
"Bilkul yehi chahiye." Yes, exactly this.
The singer presses his other palm to the other cheek, and sings the song in the softest voice possible, almost as if he is letting someone in on a secret. The composers are very happy.
"To ek kam kariye. Mujhe aise hi kursi ke saath recording room mein le jaiye", the singer puts forward an eccentric request, so that he doesn't lose the pose of his palms on his cheeks! Then do one thing, lift me on this chair and have me taken to the recording room.
In that pose, with both hands on his face, the singer records the final take. The musicians clap their hearts out. They know they just recorded one of the great songs.
Kishore Kumar sang Ye jeevan hai for the film Piya Ka Ghar (1972), music by Laxmikant Pyarelal, lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The song is filmed on Jaya Bhaduri and Anil Dhawan who were classmates at FTII. Basu Chatterjee directed the film, about a middle class family's struggles and sacrifices in a big city. The film is a remake of a Marathi film, Mumbaicha Jawai.
The simple, yet beautiful melody of Laxmikant Pyarelal, the philosophical lyrics of Anand Bakshi, and the soft, soulful rendition by Kishore da have made this song a classic and a favorite even after almost 50 years!
Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Kishore Kumar
*ing: Jaya Bhaduri, Anil Dhawan
Director: Basu Chatterjee
Film: Piya Ka Ghar (1972)