Chhaayaageet #87 - "Aisa kaun gaana likhta hai?"

Who writes a song like this?

The composer and lyricist are thick as thieves. They inspire each other. They contribute to each other's craft. They bring out the best in each other. But all that is good in good times. When one is going through a slump, the artistry of one can get on the other's nerves.

"Aisa kaun gaana likhta hai?" Who writes a song like this? The composer listens to the lyrics and can't hide his frustration. Why can't he use simple words?

He understands the situation again. Hero and heroine are on a honeymoon. And she's talking about fleeting moments of happiness that she knows are not to last? And the words don't even rhyme that well. It's more prose than poetry. Why can't it be proper poetry?

The composer has been going through a slump of late, a reversal of fortunes. The industry doesn't let one rest on one's laurels. One is only as good as one's recent film. And the composer's recent film had failed at the box office. While the music was universally liked, the film itself had not done well. As a result, the composer has found himself being written off. A film that was supposed to come to him had been taken away and given to other composers. That was when he had his first heart attack. He was keeping busy with whatever work came his way. The glory days were a thing of the past.

It is in this situation, that his friend, the eminent lyricist and filmmaker, approaches him with a project. The composer sees this as his shot at redemption, of showing the world that he is not finished. After all, together they have made magic in the past.

So we can understand his frustration when he sees the lyrics. Who writes a song like this?

The date of the recording is set. The lyricist, composer, and singer are all in the studio. Now it is the lyricist's turn to pull his hair.

The composer is recording the song using what seems like a very random and abrupt method. Why is he asking the singer to omit a few lines from the lyrics while singing? Why is he recording in one key and recording again in lower and higher key? Is he recording the song in bits and pieces? Or are his ears playing tricks? Who records a song like this?

The lyricist has no idea what is going on. His good friend, the composer, is butchering the song, taking it apart. It's all very confusing.

"Pancham ye tum kya kar rahe ho?" Pancham, what are you doing? Now it is the lyricist who cannot hide his frustration.

"Mere ko Times of India deta hai? Ab ye gaana shoot karke dikha." You give me the Times of India? Now let me see how you shoot this song.

https://dai.ly/x247zc0

RD Burman composed Qatra qatra milti hai for Ijaazat (1987), written and directed by Gulzar. He used the twin-track method of recording in a very creative manner. He recorded Asha Bhosle singing some parts of the song in one key, and again with other parts of the song in a higher and lower key. He then mixed the tracks together on different channels. This is what gives the effect where Asha sings one line, but before it is completed, she starts singing another line.

RD had experimented with this technique even back in Baharon Ke Sapne (1967) for the song Kya janu sajan where Lata Mangeshkar sings the antara and mukhda on one track with her alaap in the background on another track. However, in Ijaazat, RD took it a step further by breaking up the song itself on two different tracks. Listen to Kya janu sajan here.

The reference to "Times of India" is an iconic conversation between Pancham and Gulzar. When Gulzar narrated the lyrics of the song Mera kuch saaman, RD thought he was narrating a scene. He said "Achcha scene hai. Ab gaana suna." It is a nice scene. Now let's hear the song. When Gulzar said that it was not a scene, but that was the song, RD was exasperated. He said, "Kal tum Times of India leke aaoge aur bologe iske headline ki tune banao to mein kya bana doonga?" Tomorrow you will bring Times of India and ask me to compose a tune for the headline, and you think I will do it?

Gulzar as a lyricist challenged RD the composer and that resulted in the gem of Mera kuch saaman. RD the composer challenged Gulzar the filmmaker, which got us another gem in Qatra qatra milti hai. Gulzar shot the song but in the editing room he used the dissolve technique for scene transitions when Rekha lip syncs the song, creating a sense of flow visually to match RD's mixing of the vocals.

Before Ijaazat, RD went through a lean period. Saagar had failed at the box office. RD was being written off even though the music of Saagar was well received. When Ram Lakhan was taken away from RD and given to Laxmikant Pyarelal, he reached a low point. That is when he had his first heart attack. Ijaazat was critically acclaimed however it did not resuscitate his career. He plodded on with whatever came his way until 1942 A Love Story, which turned out to be his swan song.

Watch this video below from the album Gulzar Remembers Pancham. The tune of Qatra qatra sung by RD in his own voice, with Gulzar sharing how much he misses Pancham, followed by audio of Asha ji's rendition of the song.

Music: RD Burman
Lyrics: Gulzar
Singer: Asha Bhosle
Director: Gulzar
Producer: RK Gupta
*ing: Rekha, Naseeruddin Shah
Film: Ijaazat (1987)