One Song at a time: 48. Kuch Dil Ne Kaha
'hiranmayena paatrena satyasa apihitam mukham' says the Isavasya Upanishad. "A golden screen hides the face of the truth". As with all Vedic and Upanishad sayings, a pithy one which gives rise to multiple interpretations. I am reminded of this saying once in a while, especially when I see a Black and White photo of yesteryear actresses. You seem to realize their true beauty in these Black and White photographs. As if the golden screen were pushed away revealing the truth. Ofcourse that is a mushy romantic notion, because lot of people look very good in color photos as well but for some reason the Black and White photo holds our attention a bit longer.
Though I have seen many movies of her in color, it was when I first saw her in Black and White that I appreciated the beauty that was Sharmila Tagore. In our college auditorium, our Film Society had screened 'Apur Sansar', the last of the Apu Trilogy by the great Satyajit Ray. (The trilogy was based on Bibhuthibushan Banerji's novels) This was Sharmila Tagore's first movie and she is first shown looking out from a torn curtain. Ray's aesthetics combined with Black and White photography produced a captivating image.
The song we will play today features Sharmila Tagore. In Black and White looking absolutely gorgeous and dignified. There is charming simplicity and naturalness in the whole setup: Sharmila's dress, the camera angles, the black and white photography, the scenery, Sharmila's expressions. The tenderness is so well brought out that you are afraid to speak out loud when you seeing this song, lest you destroy the magic. (Unfortunately, when you are listening to the current Hindi music, even at your loudest you will not be heard.)
This song was composed by Hemant Kumar, popularly known as Hemanta Da. Lyrics by Kaifi Azmi. This is a typical Hemant Da song. Soft, slow and melodious. (Something people feel about all Bengali songs.) The best melodies of Hemant Da have a leisurely feel to them. It is as if the singer had finished her meal on a weekend, resting on a hammock and singing the song, not wanting to disturb anyone, including herself. A lazy elegance runs throughout many of his compositions. Ofcourse he has composed some racy songs but in those I don't see the trademark of Hemant Da. The Hemant Da I know and love is the composer of such melodies like this song: 'kuch dil ne kaha' or 'ya dil ke suno' or 'thum pukarulo'. The song of the day is from the movie, 'Anupama'. The more famous song from this movie was 'dheere dheere machal' but to me 'kuch dil ne kaha' showcases Hemanta Da's style better. I think the song is based on Raag Pahadi. Experts can verify.
A lovely song for a lazy weekend:
Comments
The song is treated so delicately.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee's aesthetics were impeccable, be it in the way he picturised this song or even in his choice of this composition. Sharmila looks lovely and actually, even Dharmendra looks good, with that shawl draped around.
Kaifi Azmi supplies the just right lyrics which complement the melody. And Lata - what can I say!
The way the string orchestra goes when Lata sings "Aisi bhi baatein hoti hai" - breezy! Kudos to the sound engineers as well!
And lastly, they dont/cant music like this anymore. Because we cant get Hemant Kumars just like that in every era!
What you say is very true. You need very less to capture the heart. I am reminded of one critic who after watching Ozu's 'Tokyo Story' said, "Ozu proves that to make great cinema, you don't need to move the camera. It is enough if you move hearts". Same applies to lot of our olden and golden melodies.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chaterjee, Bimal Roy. Those Bengalis did picturize the songs with great aesthetic appeal.
This is one song which needs the singer to live the lyrics and the music will flow... Thanks for this. It just jump-started my day :)
As you wonderfully put it, there is something in this song for everyone. Whether you love music, poetry or good picturization. And then you have a charming Sharmila and a handsome Dharmendra as well :)
If there is one thing I want in current music, it is to give importance to poetry. There are still poets around but they are either being asked to write junk lyrics or most of their lyrics are drowned out by loud music. So we must be extremely happy that the music directors of the past have left behind such a treasure for us to explore.
What a pleasing song!One of my all time favourites..Only few songs can give the completeness and leave you with a tranquil feeling and this song is suely one of them.
Music, lyrics,voice, picturisation ,Hero/Heroine.. Everything is great!!
Thanks a lot for sharing..
By the way, the song follows the Bhimpalasi scale.
Thanks for pointing out that the song follows the Bhimplasi scale. I didn't realize it. Will listen to it again now.