Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Music, Memories, Melancholy

I have spent the better part of the last two hours online.
Not doing anything terribly useful.
But rather, YouTube has provided me
With songs and sights
From old Hindi movies.
"Classics" most of them get called.
I don't quite know what it is about hearing those old songs and seeing
the picturizations, that is making me so sad.
I definitely go through bouts of missing my homeland.
And frivolous as it sounds, my strongest ties seem to come to the surface via music.
Especially the songs from Bollywood movies of the 1950s and 1960s.
I am twenty eight years old-these songs are waaay before my time.
But they are the ones that reel me in.
Mukesh, Kishore, Rafi, Lata, Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begam...
Those are the voices that stay in my head..
Those songs are unbeatable and haunting.
Some happy and playful, others sad.
One and all bring tears to my eyes.
Seeing Dev Anand chasing Shakila or chastising Sadhana in a song,
Watching Nargis and Raj Kapoor.
Johnny Walker even.
Many others, unknown or forgotten now.
They all make me cry.
And I wonder why?
Is it because they are just that strong link to my childhood?
Songs heard in the background when my mother played them?
Or memories of movies she and I saw?
And we saw some really obscure ones, I'll admit!
Those times spent in movie watching and song listening/singing,
Are some of my fondest memories.
Maybe its just hearing those melodies and voices?
Those lyrics full of dard (hurt is the literal translation, but it does not come across in English) or of such intense romanticism (there is no way to explain it in English-they would just be corny).
Having gone through the songs from movies like CID, Asli Naqli, Aag.
One particular song, Chandan Sa Badan, from Saraswati Chandra has
particular meaning for me.
I do expect to feel a pang and maybe even cry when I hear it.
It has the most amazing lyrics, and is sexy and suggestive in a way
that should be admired for a song so old and in a time of strong censorship.
Things are merely alluded to, as with many other songs from that era.
But its the fact that someone once told me that was the song he thought of me with,
That makes me sad when I listen to it now.
"Tun bhi sundar, Mun bhi sundar,"
"Tu sundarita ki muurath hai."
Wow, that I was ever thus elevated!
I guess my love and emotionality regarding the oldies also has to do with my own (very hidden) romantic streak.
I know love is not like the movies, and definitely not like these old Hindi songs.
But those lyrics still get me.
If someone felt about me the way those songs say, I think I'd die happy.
But I know its unlikely and highly implausible.
And perhaps, that, is why I cry...

17 Comments:

At 1:12 AM, Blogger Da Ajami Bedouin said...

Wonderful piece. Very sweet! :)

 
At 1:14 AM, Blogger Da Ajami Bedouin said...

(Ps: try 'neela aasmaan so gaya' - U might lik it!)

 
At 11:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another one of those soporific posts! :P
*yawn*

All I hear is "blah, blah, blah... blah, blah, blah" :P

I am certain that the guy who posted before me is being too generous in his praise for this current post of yours! Hah!

Why don't you write something interesting for a change? Hain! :P

 
At 11:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

And that would be Orkut guy again!

 
At 11:34 PM, Blogger zebee said...

I don't know why, but I have a feeling that your target, wrt being annoying, is me. In which case, i'd suggest you check the author of the post before commenting :P

 
At 11:49 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, indeed, you are my target! :P My bad! But, in my defense, how was I supposed to know that the two authors weren't really the same?!

Sorry, NA, for the goof-up!

 
At 11:11 AM, Blogger zany said...

Guess if you were actually reading the posts with that intent rather than to target Z, you'd have noticed the difference!
Still, glad to be the buffer for her, and seriously, if we don't do it for you, I suggest you go seek your entertainment and reading pleasures elsewhere.

 
At 1:55 PM, Blogger zebee said...

thanks babes *hugs*

and orkut guy, at the very least be a man and use your id!

 
At 8:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

NA, once again, my sincere apologies! :)

Z, we are good friends at SNOBS! :P

 
At 12:10 AM, Blogger zebee said...

Z, we are good friends at SNOBS!

that is not helpful... does your name start with V by any chance?

 
At 11:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

V for Vendetta!

 
At 3:03 AM, Blogger Vc said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 3:04 AM, Blogger Vc said...

zebee, we are NOT good friends at SNOBS.
Never had friends, never made friends, that's a thing for TNN SLOBS ;)

In fact, we are not good, and we are not friends,
This whole thing just doesnt make any sense...

And while we are at it, spare a thought to this "good friend" term you used,
Same as the phrase "innocent bystander" - ever seen a bystander guilt-accused?

Nay, my friend, you bit more than you could chew,
V for Vendetta it is now indeed - or as the ad says, Do the Dew...

 
At 3:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

because at the back our minds we think that the good times are behind us ... ?

 
At 11:30 AM, Blogger zany said...

I hope not! If all the good times were behind us, what would be the point of life?

 
At 3:28 PM, Blogger zebee said...

To create better times to leave behind us :P

 
At 5:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

one of the songs I searched when I first installed Limewire was chandan sa badan..

 

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