Path: Lehigh.EDU!Lehigh.EDU!sm0e
From: sm0e@Lehigh.EDU (SAMIUDDIN MOHAMMED)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.misc
Subject: SHAKEEL BADAYUNI: Melody.txt
Date: 12 Jul 1995 08:45:58 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University
Lines: 202
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <3u0246$shj@fidoii.cc.lehigh.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: ihd117b.cc.lehigh.edu
Keywords: Shakeel Badayuni, Moghul-e-Azam


RMIM has seen many wonderful articles on Sahir Ludhianwi, Gulzar and Majrooh.
Kaifi Azmi and Rajendra Krishan have also been praised many a time on the net.
Shailendra, Hasrat and Indivar have atleast been discussed, if not praised :-)
However, as Abhay has repeatedly pointed out, one of the famous lyricists of
the singdom, Shakeel Badayuni has been almost completely ignored on RMIM. It's
been a while since I promised Abhay that I would amend that by posting an
article on Shakeel. Initially, I had planned to post a series of articles on
Shakeel, each dealing with one or two of his movies. But, due to the lack of
time :-( I'll be dividing this article into two parts. In part I, I'll be
discussing the lyrics of my fav. Shakeel film, Moghul-e-Azam. In part II,
I'll list some gems of Shakeel from different movies.

                     **** SHAKEEL BADAYUNI: Melody.txt [I] ****

The Shakeel/Naushad combo has given us countless memorable hits such as Shabaab,
Baiju Bawra, Amar, Mother India, Udan KhaTola, etc. Perhaps, it is due to the
sheer magic of Naushad Sahab's tunes which leaves the listener spellbound, the
contribution and the depth of Shakeel's lyrics have often gone unnoticed.
Whenever Shakeel came up with a GHazal, the maestro would come up with a
melodious tune, and sometimes a different tune for each sher of the GHazal!
Those who swooned to Naushad's tunes often overlooked the contribution of
Shakeel to those euphonic songs; the .txt files of those mellifluous immortal
melodies!

Abhay had posted a wonderful article on C. Ramachandra's magic in Anarkali.
(It can be accessed thro' my home page). In response, I had posted a piece on
Naushad's magic in Moghul-e-Azam. In this article, I'll be using the same
chronological sequence of songs to describe the genius of Shakeel Badayuni in
Moghul-e-Azam.

The first song in the movie "Mohe panghat pe nandlal chheR gayo re..." is a
Naushad wonder. The music completely dominates the lyrics. Moreover, the
situation in the movie, did not warrant any sort of deep lyrics.

The second song is a competition between Anarkali and her rival Bahaar. Here
is where Shakeel's lyrics shine through. As Neeraj pointed out recently, the
contrast between the voices of Lata (for Anarkali) and Shamshad Begum adds to
the beauty of the song. Shakeel has captured the different views regarding
love very well in this song:

  Teri mehfil me quismat aazmake hum bhi dekhenge
  GhaRi bhar ko tere nazdeek aake hum bhi dekhenge

  Teri mehfil me quismat aazmake hum bhi dekhenge
  Tere quadmon pe sar apna jhukakar hum bhi dekhenge

Anarkali's views reflect the joys of sacrifice and sorrow in love:

  Agar dil GHam se quaali ho to jeene ka maza kya hai
  Na ho KHoon-e-jigar to ashk peene ka maza kya hai
  Mohabbat me zara aansu bahaakar hum bhi dekhenge

(Notice the 3-line format which Abhay alluded to in his post recently. Shakeel
used this format with telling effect in his songs. The first two lines rhyme
with each other, while the third (the punchline) maintains the overall rhyming
scheme of the song)

In contrast to the above views, Bahaar's lines express the futility of the
labour of love:

   Mohabbat karnewaalon ka bas itna hi afsaana
   TaRapna chupke chupke aah bharna, ghuTke marjaana
   Kisi din ye tamaasha muskurakar hum bhi dekhenge

Anarkali's response has been described very well by Shakeel:

   Mohabbat humne maana zindagi barbaad karti hai
   Ye kya kam hai ke marjaane pe duniya yaad karti hai
   Kisike ishq me duniya luTaakar hum bhi dekhenge !!

(These lines serve as a perfect preamble for that classic Anarkali dialogue
when Prince (apna Kohli ?? Naah! :-) ) Salim rewards Bahaar with a rose and
says that Anarkali ke quismat me kaanTa (thorn) aaya hai. While accepting the
reward, Anarkali says, "Phool to murjhha jaate hain, lekin kaanTe daaman thham
lete hain" !! WOW!)

The third song is IMHO the most melodious in the movie, but seldom found on
audio (and sometimes even video) cassettes :-( This is sung by Anarkali's
sister. It is a wonderful combination of music, lyrics and a beautiful
rendition by Lata. The humming esp. is breathtaking. It's a beautiful GHazal:

   Ai ishq ye sab duniyawaale bekaar ke baaten karte hain
   Paayal ke GHamon ka ilm nahin, jhankaar ki baaten karte hain

One of the ashaar (my fav.) captures the optimism of "ulfat ke nae diwaane"
who dream about a rendezvous despite the many restrictions:

   Ulfat ke nae diwaanon ko kis tarah se koi samjhaae
   Nazron pe lagi hai paabandi, deedar ki baaten karte hain

Anarkali realizes that falling in love with the prince is not the ideal thing
to do for a palace maid. The fourth song depicts her feelings.

   Hume kaash tumse mohabbat na hoti
   Kahaani humaari haqeequat na hoti

Shakeel now switches to his 3-line format:

   Humhi baRgae ishq me hadh se aage
   Zamaane ne THokar lagaai to jaage
   Agar mar bhi jaate to hairat na hoti

   Tumhi phoonk dete nasheman humara
   Mohabbat pe ehsaan hota tumhara
   Zamaane se koi shikayat na hoti
(Hume kaash tumse mohabbat na hoti...)

Anarkali is now imprisoned and the following song is sung in the prison:

   Mohabbat ki jhooTHi kahaani pe roe
   BaRi choT khaai jawaani pe roe

Shakeel again uses the 3-line format. The situation is captured in the first
two lines, and then the third lines comes in to deliver the punch:

   Na soncha na samjha na dekha na bhaala
   Teri aarzoo ne, hume maar Daala

   Tere pyaar ki meherbaani pe roe !!
   (Notice the contrast bet. maar Daala and meherbaani)

The next stanza is my fav.:

   KHabar kya thhi honTon ko seena paRega
   Mohabbat chhupaake bhi jeena paRega
(Now, here comes the punchline)
   Jie to magar zindagaani pe roe !!!

Next comes the most popular song of the movie:

   Pyaar kiya to Darna kya jab pyaar kiya to Darna kya
   Pyaar kiya koi chori nahin ki, chhup chhup aahen bharna kya

Shakeel again describes Anarkali's challenge to the emperor very well:

   Aaj kahenge dil ka fasana, jaan bhi lele chaahe zamana
   Maut wohi jo duniya dekhe, ghuT-ghuTke yun marna kya
   Jab pyaar kiya to Darna kya

Anarkali is again imprisoned and the following song is a supplication. The
lyrics aren't extraordinary. Although the tune is very good, I feel that this
is and out-and-out Lata song. The sheer sharafat in Lata's voices makes this
an immortal melody. Lata herself ranks this in her top 10 songs:

   Bekas pe karam kijie Sarkar-e-Madina
   Gardish me hai taqdir, bhanwar me hai safina (safina = boat)

After a forgettable Rafi song, come the two songs with the best lyrics.
Salim's life is pardoned on the condition that Anarkali would lose hers. She
is granted her last wish to be the "Malaika" for a day. She is asked to drug
Salim at night so that she could be taken away without his knowledge. Bahaar
sings the foll. song on the night before Anarkali is to be executed. Note the
pertinent lyrics:

   Ye dil ki lagi kam kya hogi, ye ishq bhala kam kya hoga
   Jab raat hai aisi matwaali, phir subah ka aalam kya hoga !!

   NaGHmon se barasti hai masti, chhalke hain KHushi ke paimaane
   Jaise bahaaren aai hain, kal jinke banenge afsaane
   Ab isse zyaada aur hasin ye pyaar ka mausam kya hoga
   Jab raat hai aisi matwaali, phir subah ka aalam kya hoga

The next stanza is the best, considering the fact that Anarkali is to die the
next day:

   Ye aaj ka rang aur ye mehfil, dil bhi hai yahaan dildaar bhi hai
   Aankhon me quayamat ke jalwe, seene me taRapta pyaar bhi hai
(The next line is amazing!)
   Is rang me koi jeele agar, marne ka use GHam kya hoga !!
   Jab raat hai aisi matwaali, phir subah ka aalam kya hoga

The final song plays in the background while Anarkali drugs Salim. This is the
BEST song in the movie from the lyrics point of view. Shakeel has outdone
himself in this beautiful song. Salim is unconscious while Anarkali knows that
she is going to die the next day. A really touching song in which she bids
adieu one final time:

   KHuda nigehbaan ho tumhaara, dhaRakte dil ka payaam lelo
   Tumhaari duniya se jaa rahe hain, uTHo humara salaam lelo

So much emotion expressed so beautifully in just 2 lines!!

   Hai waqt-e-ruqsat gale lagalo, quataaen bhi aaj baqsh Daalo
   BichhaRnewaale ka dil na toRo, zara mohabbat se kaam lelo

And finally, my favourite lines from this movie:

   UTHe janaaza jo kal humaara, qasam hai tumko na dena kaandha
   Na ho mohabbat humari ruswa, ye aansuon ka payaam lelo !!

Sami Mohammed (A Naushad fan)

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Sleep is a photocatalytic reaction; it requires sunlight!

(The graveyard shift Chemical Engineers Handbook)
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