"Pacific Duets - VII"

 #428

         Song:   mat chhed zindagi ke khamosh taar sojaa
                 dil-e-beqaraar sojaa

         Film:   Raag Rang (1952)
         Singer: Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar
         Music:  Roshan
         Lyrics: Kaif Irfani
         *ing:   ?

 Arunabha's recent query on Talat-Roshan triggered off a hunt for songs from
 this pair, and a host of beauties suddenly made their presence felt. This
 gorgeous duet from an equally gorgeous soundtrack ranks way up there among a
 hypothetical "pacific-duets-to-die-for" list. HMV has to be thanked for their
 magnanimous brainwave that led to the release of this pair of Roshan
 soundtracks (RaagRang/Aji Bas Shukriya) recently. Raag Rang, in fact,
 together with CR's "Parchhain" constitutes a veritable "jannat" for
 Lata/Talat devotees... often leads to asinine acts like recording the same
 soundtrack on both sides of a TDK C-60.

 A physical reflex reaction to this beautiful musical caress: close your eyes,
 throw your eyes back and drink in every note and strain - right from the
 faintly entreating violin piece that heralds the song, with the soft, softly
 belted prelude..    har nayi raat nayaa dard liye aati hai  niind aankhon se
 bahot duur hui jaati hai and onwards till the final note.

 Towards the end of the first antaraa in Talat's voice, Lata's arresting
 "alaapi"  comes waltzing in :
         o~oo~oo...o~o...
         nazren churaane waale nazren zaraa uThaana
         siikhaa kahaan se tuune ulfat mein dil jalaana
         o dil jalaane waale kehta hai pyaar sojaa
         dil-e-beqaraar sojaa...

 A number of duets used this technique - starting off the song in one voice and
 then introducing the other one, artfully superimposed over the first one -
 through soulful hummming or "alaapi". Another one that floats promptly into
 memory is the gentle lament from "Barsaat" - 'chhod gaye baalam'.

 And then, if you add this lesser known vault to this duet, not owning this
 soundtrack actually starts assuming criminal dimensions :-) :
         yahiin bahaar hai duniya ko bhuul jaane ki (Lata)
         kis nazar ka mast ishaara hai zindagi (Lata- my favorite)
         aur hai dil ki lagii (Talat)
         yeh kaisi adaayen (Lata)
 and the unequivocally magnificent Yaman piece from Lata -
         aeri aali piya bina...
 

 Hail be to thee, "King" Roshan..