Travel, Handloom, Golden Era Hindi Film Music, a working mother’s musings & more……
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I believe that there is trivia in every nook and corner. All you need is a discerning eye to spot it! And if you are trying to spot it then you are spot on as this is the blog to read. Enjoy the trivia that I shall be writing about!
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My Posts
The Adieu Solos (posted on 04/06/2023) This is a post devoted to such songs where a person is leaving, sometimes vowing never to return. I focus on solos as they singularly express the anguish of the person who is leaving or has left. Some of them are background songs but nonetheless solos which echo the feelings of the person who is getting uprooted……. Read More
Solo Songs with an unobtrusive listener (posted on 20/05/2023) This post is about solo songs where the singer is unaware of the fact that there is an unobtrusive listener who is hearing the song. The singer is usually facing the other direction or the listener is beyond the line of vision of the singer. Since there is usually only one listener, these are not party songs. They are sung more for self- assurance/self-pity or entertainment…. Read More
जब बालों ने इतिहास बदल दिया (posted on 07/05/2023) क्या आपको द्रौपदी और आचार्य चाणक्य में कोई समानता दिखाई देता हैं ? क्या ये दोनों ही प्रतिशोध की अग्नि में नहीं जले ? क्या इन दोनों के आत्म-सम्मान को तब ठेस नहीं पहुँची जब इनके बालों के साथ छेड़ – छाड़ की गई ? ….. और अधिक पढ़िए
Hindi Film Songs Featuring Tribal Dance & Music (posted on 22/04/2023) Songs featuring tribal music in films are somewhat stereotypical. These are generally dance songs. Unless the plot of the story revolves round a tribal clan and its chieftain (kabile ka sardaar), these songs are introduced in the film when the lead couple accidentally lands in a tribal hamlet….. Read More
The Fat is in the Fire (posted on 09/04/2023) The purpose of this post is only to suggest that we as consumers must make informed choices. We are entitled to know what we are actually eating. Disclosures by restaurants should be voluntary and complete. Also, the newly emerging market for cold pressed oils – which could be the healthier though costlier alternative – needs to be studied in depth and warrants regulation….. Read More
Songs of Spouses (posted on 02/04/2023) I felt that analysing songs featuring spouses in the films of the golden era would be interesting and hence this post. I sat and pondered over the different kinds of spouses that feature in film songs. There could be several categories and sub categories. I zeroed in on ten of them and then tried to find a representative song for each kind. I also felt that…. Read More
र and ल in Hindi Film Music (posted on 22/03/2023) This post explores how the consonants र and ल have been used interchangeably in various situations in the lyrics of film songs. As a result, concepts such as trilling and lallation have been explored……. Read More
The Only Song That….. (posted on 12/03/2023) The uniqueness of something should be established in as few adjectives as possible. At the same time, it should actually be special or distinctive. It is with this thought in mind that I am writing this post. It is possible that the data presented here could be contested. Also this is a post where readers can make their own contributions by highlighting the uniqueness of any song of their choice. The more, the merrier!!…. Read More
Bhabhi Songs Part 2: With the Nanad (posted on 05/03/2023) Here is my list of ten songs of the bhabhi and the nanad. Unfortunately, most of the songs are stereotypical, with a reference to marriage and how the new bhabhi would be or should be. Also, many a song is of the vintage era as this relationship does not figure very prominently in the movies of the later years…… Read More
The Gaali Songs (posted on 20/02/2023) Hindi film songs of the golden era are known for their meaningful lyrics. The acclaimed lyricists who penned these songs chose their words very carefully. Even in songs which required the use of expletives, the words used were not abusive or obscene…..Read More
Melodies with partly sung mukhdas (posted on 05/02/2023) There are songs where, when the song begins, a part of the mukhda is not sung. The part is either hummed or instrumental music is used for it. The BINGO effect (as I call it) adds a new dimension to the song. When you watch some of the BINGO style songs, they appear a little more realistic, as though the singer on screen is still searching for words to sing and is making up the song on the fly…… Read More
All about going up and down (posted on 29/01/2023) With increasing concretization of our urban agglomerates, the only scope for expansion is vertical. The logical fallout of that is sky scrapers with elevators to negotiate the ever increasing number of storeys. Elevators, thus, are now a part and parcel of our lives, especially in the cities. This is also the last queue, perhaps, which you have to stand in – in front of the elevator – before you finally reach your destination….. Read More
Songs of Anger (posted on 22/01/2023) This is a post that is dedicated to the emotion of anger (krodh) – which all of us display – as espoused in film songs. Anger is considered to be one of the 6 enemies of man (षड्रिपु). Blessed are those who have learnt to control or manage their anger. While the focus of many songs has been on ruthna – manaana (रूठना- मनाना), I decided I would focus on the words krodh (क्रोध)/ khafa (ख़फ़ा)/naaraaz(नाराज़)/gussa(ग़ुस्सा)….. Read More
The Tyagaraja Aaradhana – A Unique Musical Tribute (posted on 15/01/2023) Those who are familiar with Carnatic music are sure to know about the Tyagaraja Aaradhana – an annual commemoration of the poet saint Tyagaraja – which is usually held in the month of January. It is held on the banks of the River Kaveri at the place where the great composer Tyagaraja attained salvation on Pushya Bahula Panchami in 1847. This year (i.e. 2023), the Pushya Bahula Panchami (tithi) was on 11th January…..Read More
Bhabhi Songs Part 1: With the Devar (posted on 08/01/2023) This post is in two parts. I generally avoid writing posts in parts. However, with there being quite a few songs of the bhabhi with the devar and with the nanad, I felt that this post would do justice to both relations only if it were presented in two parts. Part 1 is dedicated to the bhabhi – devar songs… Read More
Sarodia Zarin Daruwala Sharma and Film Music (posted on 24/12/2022) Around 1964, when one doyenne of Hindustani classical music – Kishori Amonkar – dabbled with singing in films and hastily withdrew, began the journey of another – Zarin Daruwala Sharma – whose association with film music was continuous and quite fruitful even as she excelled in the classical rendition of the sarod…. Read More
Consecutive Melodies (posted on 11/12/2022) A film on an average has five to six songs spaced well throughout the length of the movie. However, there are exceptions where one song is immediately followed by another. It is these exceptions that this post is all about……Read More
Tempus Fugit Songs integral to the plot (posted on 03/12/2022) In this post, I have tried to highlight a category of songs that help the plot to thicken. I have strung together songs which show time passing and the attendant changes that occur with time. You could actually miss out details if you do not closely observe these songs. Many of them are background songs….. Read More
To Mollycoddle or To Let Go (posted on 26/11/2022) Since we have cosseted our children excessively, many may end up hiring life coaches to teach them how to walk on the street or cross the road. Gone are the days when life would itself be the coach. Today’s children of middle class parents have to actually be taken to a street and made to learn how to walk on one …. Read More
Songs of good and ill wishes (posted on 19/11/2022) We wish our dear ones the very best in life. These wishes mean a lot as they make a person feel wanted and cared for. But there are times when we feel a particular person has wronged us; this leads to a lot of bitterness in us and in those moments of anger and pain, sometimes, we subconsciously end up wishing the person ill luck. In this post I present both kinds of songs….. Read More
The Worldly Songs (posted on 08/11/2022) This post is devoted to songs which analyse the world as it is with no reference to the maker of the world – i.e. God or duniyabananewala. These are songs which suggest that the world is as we make it. The almighty must not be dragged into the scene. The ways of the world are discussed sometimes with a lot of satire. Hypocrisy, underhand dealings, moral depravity are all spoken about…… Read More
The Psychology of Numbers (posted on 29/10/2022) While there may not be much in a name, there is quite a bit in numbers. The beauty of numbers is that even a decimal point or the cipher could completely alter the scenario. Increasing or decreasing a number by 1 could herald a world of difference. This anecdote that I came across….. Read More
Songs with non-musical sound effects (posted on 24/10/2022) There are many songs where onscreen action is expressed through non -musical sounds that are not masked by the song but go alongside. When I say non-musical sounds, I mean sounds such as water filling, glass breaking, the oars striking the water creating ripples and so on. Adding sounds to the recorded track would obviously warrant more technical acumen, ingenuity and hard work. Therefore, such songs would need to have a master sound mixer and recordist….. Read More
Songs with echo and reverberation (posted on 08/10/2022) Some songs when heard intently sound a little different from the others because of a certain sound effect – that of the echo. This effect is usually there in a small segment of the song. If this effect were to be used through out the song, then it would be difficult to appreciate it. When used for the entire length of the song, it would perhaps be the reverberation effect, which is somewhat different from echo…. Read More
Konaseema Tourism – Waves, Weaves and Much More (posted on 25/09/2022) Surrounded by the distributaries of the River Godavari and the magnificent Bay of Bengal, Konaseema is a deltaic region of coastal Andhra Pradesh. While the Kerala coast and its backwaters are very well marketed and feature prominently on the tourist map of India, Konaseema which is no less beautiful, remains largely untraversed…..Read More
Book Review : P.K.Nair’s Yesterday’s Films For Tomorrow (posted on 18/09/2022) My curiosity about P.K.Nair was piqued after I read an interview of his about How the staircase played a starring role in Indian cinema which helped me in writing my post on Songs of Stairs some time ago. Ever since, I had wanted to read his book Yesterday’s Films For Tomorrow….. Read More
Songs of wishes, desires and expectations – fulfilled and unfulfilled (posted on 11/09/2022) This is a post on songs that talk of wishes, desires and expectations. Many of the songs of course are melancholic and thus speak of unfulfilled desires. There are some which also speak of fulfilment. The songs in my playlist do not merely mention the desire that a person harbours but the fate of the same also features in the song….. Read More
The World Behind the Mask (मास्क के पीछे की दुनिया का वर्णन) (posted on 29/08/2022)….जब महामारी की शुरुआत हुई, तब हम सब इस मास्क को पहनने से कतराते थे । इसे अपने मुँह और नाक पर लगाने से घुटन-सी होती थी । पर धीरे-धीरे जैसे यह हमारी दुनिया का एक हिस्सा बन गया। अब तो सब मास्क के मुरीद हो गए हैं। यह है भी तो बड़े काम की चीज़। महामारी में इसने संजीवनी बूटी का काम किया और अब भी किसी न किसी तरह हमारी दुनिया पर राज कर ही रहा है…..Read More
Canorous Eyesores (posted on 21/08/2022) This is a post about songs which are easy on the ears but by no means on the eyes; and mind you, these are all fairly popular songs. There are some actors who are difficult to tolerate no matter which song or movie it is. They are the object of universal criticism. But even the more affable and accomplished ones can falter at times. I must also say that this post may be quite subjective for what appeals to one may not to another…… Read More
Songs of Youth (posted on 14/08/2022) August 12th is celebrated as International Youth Day. I felt this was an apt time to make a list of songs that are dedicated to youth. More so because we are celebrating 75 years of freedom. India stands on the threshold of becoming a developed nation. This can only be achieved when the youth of India take a lead in this journey….. Read More
The Tote Bag Story (posted on 09/08/2022) While the motto of life should be simple living and high thinking, when it comes to tote bags, I am somehow weak kneed. My love for the tote bag is limitless… Read More
The Multifaceted Bhupinder Singh (posted on 30/07/2022) This post is a tribute that I wanted to pay to a soulful and humble singer and a musician par excellence. His songs have meaningful lyrics and soothing music because of the greats that he had close associations with – be it Madan Mohan, Jaidev, Gulzar or R.D.Burman. If only his talent had been used by others, the quantity would have got added to quality….. Read More
The National Museum of Indian Cinema : A delight for the senses (posted on 24/07/2022) It is rather disheartening that even in the city where cinema has blossomed and flourished, there are not many who know about the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC). The mention of the museum leads many to think that it is the National Museum at Janpath, New Delhi that one is referring to. The COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps, has to be blamed for this…. Read More
The Mindful Songs (posted on 17/07/2022) A majority of the songs of films old or new deal with matters of the heart. There is little space for the mind. Sometimes the word मन or mind is used as a synonym for the heart or दिल (like in the song मेरा मन तेरा प्यासा). There are however a few songs where मन figures more in the sense of the mind. Many bhajans in fact refer to the mind…..Read More
Vintage era music relived in films (posted on 03/07/2022) This is a post that I wanted to write for a long time. Simply put, it is an attempt to chronicle those movies/songs in which the songs of the vintage era are remembered sometimes as a tribute and sometimes are very craftily woven into the situation of the film as a parody…… Read More
Songs of Conversations (posted on 25/06/2022) This post tries to explore all those songs which are about conversations. When I say conversations, I refer to real speech and not mere actions (ishaara). Thus, songs which refer to the eyes doing the talking or silence speaking have been excluded. The focus is on speaking and listening – सुनना और कहना….. Read More
Internet Suffering (posted on 18/06/2022) About a fortnight ago, I was interviewing candidates for filling the post of a clerk in office. I had imagined that the entire process would be rather monotonous and uneventful. That is what past experience had taught me. I was just hoping the drudgery would end fast. But little did I know that some comic relief was coming my way, along with some food for thought……Read More
Asad Bhopali – The Unsung Ghalib (posted on 12/06/2022) The depth of Asad Bhopali’s vocabulary and his way with words is amazing. He wrote songs of different kinds – happy, sad, tongue-in-cheek, philosophical and romantic. It is unfortunate that he could not scale the heights of success that he deserved to. Thus, he remained the unsung Ghalib of his times….. Read More
The Sea Side Songs (posted on 28/05/2022) There are several songs shot on the beach, which is a picturesque location that does not need further embellishment. The Mahabalipuram beach close to the Shore Temple seems to have been one of the preferred beaches in the movies made in South India. Mumbai too ….. Read More
The free wheeling two wheeler (posted on 22/05/2022) Given the bumper to bumper traffic on the roads in all major cities of India through out the day, the peak hour traffic concept, I believe, is passé. As vehicles are stuck in endless traffic jams, one notices that it is the two wheeler drivers who can negotiate the traffic better. They are the ones who have a field day…. Read More
Same Mukhda, Two Different Songs (posted on 11/05/2022) …There are so many film songs that have been penned over the last eighty years or so. However, the lyricists, it appears, have been wary of not repeating the words of the mukhda used by other fellow lyricists. This is why it is an arduous task to find two songs with the same opening words. I was shortlisting songs which have at least the first four words in common…. Read More
भला-बुरा (posted on 01/05/2022) ..कई बार यह समझ ही नहीं आता कि किसी निष्पाप व्यक्ति का समय से पहले निधन क्यों हो जाता है या फिर वह किसी लाइलाज बीमारी का शिकार क्यों हो जाता है ? जब ऐसी बातों पर चर्चा होती हैं तो इनका ये कहकर निदान कर दिया जाता है कि वे तो उन बुरे कर्मों का फल भुगत रहे है जो पिछले जनम में किये होंगे। कर्म का सिद्धांत मानो वह ब्रह्मास्त्र हैं जिसका कोई तोड़ नहीं। उसके सामने सारे तर्क धराशायी हो जाते हैं।…..और पढ़ेSame Mukhda, Two Different Songs
The Songs of Education (posted on 20/04/2022) There are diverse views on education in film songs – underlining its importance, sneering at the sheer uselessness of learning historical facts, mocking the lack of logic in grammar, criticizing the educational system for not imparting vocational education, and last but not the least redefining education. It is such songs that this posts enlists…. Read More
When we are pleasantly surprised (posted on 10/04/2022) ….Globalization coupled with a thrust on infrastructure development has indeed helped us Indians to pleasantly surprise ourselves more often than before. The only problem is of maintaining what we build. About five years ago, there was a newspaper article which spoke of how India’s first high-speed train – Tejas Express – running between…. Read More
The लेन – देन (give and take) Songs (posted on 03/04/2022) This post attempts to explore aspects of give and take in the context of human relationships through film songs. Essentially, in every relationship there are expectations, sometimes clearly spelt out and at other times unstated. All the songs seem to suggest this. I have dwelt on songs which talk of getting something in return or even returning….. Read More
When you want Value for Money (posted on 29/03/2022) This feeling of wanting to appreciate value for money was something that became more profound with frequent visits to the airport this month. After the security check and before boarding, for those who believe in reaching the airport somewhat in advance, there is quite a bit of time to shop/window shop at the airport…. Read More
The Omnibus Tales (posted on 18/03/2022) This post on bus tales is different from my usual song posts. This post was one which could just not be limited to ten songs, as there were quite a few aspects that were beyond songs. City bus rides do feature in many a movie and song……Read More
When Fake outwits Original (posted on 12/03/2022) I am sure all of us have come across such ‘too good to be true’ deals. Some play with your beliefs, while others with your mental and physical well being, money and trust. Some of us would have fallen for them too and learnt lessons the hard way….. Read More
Metaphors for the Lover in Songs (posted on 05/03/2022) This post is dedicated to metaphors that are used for the lover in films songs, largely of the golden era. Several songs are duets; thus, there is the use of words main and tum (मैं /तुम) or hum and tum (हम/तुम). However, there is no tu tu main main at all in these songs…. Read More
When you like them Stiff (posted on 25/02/2022) There is not an iota of doubt that a handloom cotton saree makes one look extremely elegant and dignified and the best part is that the elegance is understated. That is the beauty of cotton. A look at the cotton handloom sarees that Sridevi……Read More
The Colossal and the Puny (posted on 15/02/2022) …..The best part of the visit to the Statue of Unity is outside the statue – as you stand alongside the toes of Sardar Patel, after climbing four flights of stairs / escalators. This is the time when you begin to understand the stature of Sardar Patel in the true sense….Read More
Dancing to her tunes (posted on 05/02/2022)….Those were the days when ring tones (other than the default ones that came with the mobile phone) had to be paid for. And there were many who were actually willing to pay for them. Ditto for caller tunes…… Read More
The Other Songs of Kavi Pradeep (posted on 29/01/2022) The inspiration to write this post can be attributed to the recently concluded Republic Day celebrations, where every radio and television channel played a number of songs written by Kavi Pradeep. It was then that I got curious about his other songs – essentially those which are neither patriotic nor inspirational….. Read More
The Dining Chair Critic (posted on 22/01/2022) The ‘dining chair critic‘ is a family member who takes great pride in mincing no words about what the food tastes like. What makes this critic more interesting to analyse is that he or she has never stepped into the kitchen even to boil water. Yet, when it comes to commenting on food, this person is always raring to go….. Read More
Songs Praising Male Beauty (posted on 15/01/2022) When it comes to describing beauty, it is always the fairer sex(!!) that is heaped with hyperbolic praise. The number of songs that are exclusively dedicated to the man’s looks are negligible. Even the few that are there are more in the category of mutual admiration….. Read More
Songs of Gratitude (posted on 31/12/2021) This is that time of the year when family, friends and acquaintances send messages expressing their gratitude. This is a relatively nascent trend – gaining traction with the advent of various social media platforms. This made me wonder about Hindi film songs of the golden era which express gratitude…… Read More
You have got mail! (posted on 26/12/2021) Your mailbox is always overflowing. One of the many sections of the inbox is the junk email section. It is this section which is the repository of all munificence as well as wizardry of the world…… Read More
Similar Tune, Two Different Songs (posted on 19/12/2021) In this post, I have tried to put together five pairs where one Hindi film song appears to have been inspired by another from a different movie. Also, if it is the same music director, it would perhaps be more appropriate to say rehashed or reused rather than inspired. In the pair, the first song is of the golden era…… Read More
The Up-down Market (posted on 11/12/2021) This post is not about the vagaries of the stock market. I have little competence to dwell on bullish and bearish trends. It is about something more tangible though not completely down to earth!!…. Read More
Shaayar-e-Aazam : S.H.Bihari (posted on 05/12/2021) This post traces S.H.Bihari’s career from 1949 to 1958 i.e. just before he joined O.P.Nayyar. He was an exemplary poet with complete command over the language and a rare ability to capture the different shades of love. However, he did not get enough opportunities to work under the big banners….Read More
Musings on Tea (posted on 27/11/2021) Anybody who is not working from home would at once appreciate the importance that a cup of tea or “chai” has in the larger scheme of things. It is this beverage that keeps many going. For some it is a diversion, for others an addiction. For still others…. Read More
The Mela Songs (posted on 20/11/2021) In this post, I have tried to collate the mela songs – some which are shot in a mela setting and others which refer to the mela, either literally or symbolically. Songs shot in a mela setting are largely dance numbers – some of them are rather loud, which is what they would be in a rustic setting…. Read More
Forty Winks (posted on 13/11/2021) Somewhat like Snowy in Tintin, the one conundrum that faces people like me – who go to work five days a week – on a Saturday afternoon is whether to have those forty winks or not after a sumptuous and leisurely lunch. While research seems to suggest…. Read More
Songs with Laughter (posted on 07/11/2021) Have you ever tried to sing and laugh at the same time? It is quite challenging as two aerobic exercises have to be performed at the same time. A person always inhales after laughing, as he had exhaled earlier. The art of breathing while laughing in a song is tough to master…. Read More
Weighty Deliberations (posted on 30/10/2021) Today, many have weighing scales at home to monitor body weight regularly. However, there was a time when these machines were not that ubiquitous. There was one place (other than the doctor’s clinic) where one could definitely find them….Read More
The Rendezvous Songs (posted on 23/10/2021) There are many songs that express the euphoria that the very prospect of going to meet the beloved sparks. They describe the state of mind. They talk of how the lady decks herself up to meet her beloved. Such songs describe courtship at length. But not many songs speak of the actual meeting place…..Read More
Speaking Polite (Non)sense (posted on 16/10/2021) Starting a conversation, especially with someone you are not familiar with, can be quite daunting. In fact, the silence is sometimes deafening. Many of us are introverts and feel uncomfortable while speaking to strangers. There are some stock questions – which according to me, fall in the realm of polite nonsense – that come to one’s rescue…..Read More
Sanchari – Bengal’s invaluable contribution to Hindi Film Music (posted on 09/10/2021) When Bengali music directors started to compose music for Hindi films, it was but natural that the Bengali flavour was added to the melting pot in generous proportion. One particular innovation that the music directors of Bengal – largely Salil Chowdhury, S.D.Burman and Hemant Kumar – introduced into Hindi film music is called Sanchari (संचारी)…… Read More
The Bespectacled Trio (posted on 02/10/2021) I was rather nonplussed to see my optician sending me a ‘good morning‘ message on WhatsApp the other day. You would not expect the optician to send you such messages. When I scrolled up, I saw details of the last online payment made to him, which he had enthusiastically acknowledged; it was more than three months since I had last visited him……Read More
Songs of Age (posted on 25/09/2021) Many believe that age is just a number. Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.” Pondering over these thoughts, I felt there was potential to come up with a post about how age has been perceived in songs, especially, of the golden era…. Read More
The Substitution Effect (posted on 19/09/2021) Readers who have a knowledge of economics will be extremely disappointed when they read this post. Substitution effect in economics is defined as the effect on demand of a price change caused by a switch to, or away from, a cheaper or more expensive alternative. However, I am talking about more mundane things like the temporary ….. Read More
The Paper, Ink and Pen Songs (posted on 11/09/2021) It would be interesting to enlist the writing materials mentioned in songs. One must note here that there are bound to be flights of fancy in songs that refer to writing. Poetic license is used to the hilt. An analysis of the songs – up to the late eighties – throws up some interesting facts. The ink….. Read More
The Telia Rumal – A Handloom Lover’s Delight (posted on 04/09/2021) The other day, I was vegetating before the idiot box and flipping channels – a half an hour luxury I am wont to after dinner. It was then that I caught a few scenes of the critically acclaimed Shyam Benegal movie – Ankur (1974). However, my entire attention was focused on the head gear of Sheikh Chand (played by Aga Md. Hussain) – the overseer of the Zamindar’s property. I was thrilled to see him sport a Telia Rumal……. Read More
One Movie, Many Lyricists (posted on 28/08/2021) Usually, one lyricist pens all the songs for a film. Sometimes, there could be two. However, the quest was for movies where there were four or even more than four lyricists….. I have tried to ensure that the entire gamut of music directors – which used multiple lyricists – finds a mention. The movies are arranged chronologically. …. Read More
Texting, Writing or Typing ?? (posted on 21/08/2021) Those like me who grew up before the advent of the IT (information technology) revolution would cringe at the kind of acronyms teenagers use nowadays. I recently got a first hand experience of what generation gap is and also felt happy that there was one, in the first place……Something that I would prefer typed rather than handwritten is the doctor’s prescription!!……Read More
Songs that Measure (⚖) Love (posted on 14/08/2021) Emotions can only be felt, never measured. Thus, when some one asks you how much you love them, it is rather difficult to quantify it – in fact impossible. I was thus trying to fathom how songs that speak of how much someone loves the other, deal with this question. In some songs……..Read More
The Alarm(ing) Bell🔔(posted on 07/08/2021) Traditional wisdom has maintained that all eggs must not be put in one basket. However, we all are guilty of defying the adage. Our dependence on the smartphone has only been increasing. In fact, the first object we touch as we get up in the morning – especially on working days – is the smartphone; this is to put off the alarm that has been set on the phone. ….. Read More
Songs of the Sun🌞 (posted on 31/07/2021) Isn’t it strange that there are umpteen songs of the golden era that mention the moon? The moon has been a faithful companion of lovers. The moon is pampered no end. What would all the lyricists do without the moon? But the star that gives its light to the moon is seldom mentioned in songs. Yes, I refer to the sun. I have tried to make a list of ten songs which refer to the sun in the mukhda. I have steered clear of metaphorical songs….. Read More
The Jal Tarang Songs : Revisited (posted on 25/07/2021) I had written a post on the Jal Tarang on 04/07/2021 in which I had listed ten songs from golden era Hindi film music where the instrument was used. One of the songs that I had listed was – Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhaata Chala Gaya. One of my fellow bloggers rightly pointed out that the instrument was not the Jal Tarang. There was some confusion about other songs as well. I felt that Pandit Milind Tulankar, an accomplished Jal Tarang artist, would be the best person to consult for a final opinion…… Read More
The Tip of the Tongue Syndrome👅 and the Earworm👂🎶 (posted on 24/07/2021) Today’s post is about two syndromes which are diametrically opposite. In the case of the first, you are desperate to recall and in the second, you are trying your best to obliterate. The first syndrome, where we have trouble recalling (words) is called the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. The second syndrome is colloquially called earworm, sticky music or stuck song syndrome…. Read More
Static (!?) Solo Party Songs (posted on 17/07/2021) Party Songs in golden era movies would have the piano being played. If it is not the piano, there would be a live orchestra performing and the actor/actress would be singing and or dancing. But, there are some songs which are sung at a party which do not fall in line with the above. It is these that I wanted to compile…. Read More
The Signal Entrepreneurs (Posted on 11/07/2021) When you stop at a busy intersection after seeing the red light and care to observe the goings-on at the cross roads, there is a good chance that you will see many vendors with perfect business acumen moving around with great agility. A deal in struck by these vendors……Read More
The Jal Tarang Songs – Musical Ripples (Posted on 04/07/2021) When the free flowing chattering water is filled in bowls – of porcelain or metal – and gently struck with wooden sticks creating vibrations, what you have is the Jal Tarang (also called the Jal Tarangam)- jal meaning water and tarang/ tarangam meaning waves. Though the Jal Tarang has been used in film songs of the golden era, identifying and compiling a list of the songs, where this instrument has been used is a daunting task…… Read More
Home Favourites (Posted on 26/06/2021) Home is where the heart is, they say! And even in your home, there is scope for setting your heart at some specific places and in some defined objects. Don’t most of us have our own corner or chair which we feel, we have a monopoly over, in our homes?….. Read More
लफ़्ज़ों में फेर बदल – कुछ फ़िल्मी गीतों पर मेरा अभिप्राय (२०/०६/२०२१ को प्रकाशित) इस लेख में, मैं गुज़रे ज़माने के पाँच नायाब गीतों की चर्चा करुँगी I मेरा मानना हैं कि अगर इन गीतों के लफ़्ज़ों में थोड़ी सी तबदीली की जाती तो शायद गीत कुछ अलग लगते I यहाँ मैं स्पष्ट करना चाहूँगी कि मेरा उद्देश्य उन महान गीतकारों की आलोचना करना कतई नहीं है, जिन्होंने ये अमर गीत लिखे हैं …… और पढ़िए
Murphy versus Coelho (Posted on 13/06/2021) Have you ever wondered how there is space for diametrically opposite views on life? I guess that is because each day is different. One day could be Murphy’s and the very next Coelho’s. Let me just juxtapose the two schools of thought below for better impact and understating…….Read More
Songs of (skewed!?) Work-Life Balance (Posted on 05/06/2021) – Work-life balance is that (elusive!!) state of equilibrium where a person equally prioritizes the demands of one’s career and the demands of one’s personal life. Achieving that perfect balance between ‘work’ and ‘life’ is easier said than done. The reasons for the imbalance could be many. This post is an attempt to list all such songs which depict skewed work-life balance……Read More
Trivia – The spice of life turns one I started my blog – Trivia – The Spice of Life – during the lockdown last year (2020). The fact that I have been posting weekly pieces regularly since last May, gives me immense pleasure. Despite having a full-time job, I look forward to Friday evenings (TGIF) and the ensuing weekends to work on a song blog post or a non – song one. Read More
A year passes by …..The circumstances were pretty much the same. There is a strong sense of déjà vu, as 2021 is turning out to be no different. The last year was perhaps kinder….. Read More
Title Tracks of Old Doordarshan Serials : A Journey Down Memory Lane (Posted on 22/05/2021) In this post, I have tried to shortlist ten title songs of shows that were aired on DD in the late eighties and early nineties before the culture of daily soaps started. Those who have grown up watching DD will surely get nostalgic. The music directors, lyricists and singers of these songs were very talented artists in their own right….Read More
The Catch-22 Songs (posted on 15/05/2021) In this post, I have tried to showcase songs, largely of the golden era, which juxtapose options and thus, present dilemmas. Some are frivolous whereas the others are weighty. The words/phrases that suggest that there is a quandary are doraha (दोराहा), mushkil (मुश्किल) and uljhan(उलझन)…...Read More
The Slammed Door I am sure all of us have slammed doors once in a while. Isn’t the door the softest target of our anger? The harder you slam it, the more you feel you have vented your frustration, even though the reason for the anger/exasperation is not addressed. If you have teenagers at home….. Read More
Romantic Songs with a Third Person There are songs where apart from the couple in love, there is someone else in the frame – either obtrusively or unobtrusively. Sometimes, it may be difficult to understand which of the actors in the song is the third person. The ‘third person’ could also be more than one. Here is a playlist of ten songs – which are rather disparate. The rallying point is the presence of the third person. In some, it is a case of two’s company, three’s a crowd (kabaab mein haddi as is referred to colloquially)! …. Read More
बचपन की गुल्लक बचपन में मिट्टी के गुल्लक तो कई तोड़े हैं, पर यादों के इस गुल्लक को मैंने मन के किसी कोने में सहेजकर रखा है I कभी कभी बिना तोड़े ही उससे एकाधा याद निकाल लेती हूँ; उसपर जमी धूल को पोंछ देती हूँ और फिर से उसे उसी गुल्लक में बड़े ध्यान से वापस डाल देती हूँ । सच कहूँ तो यादों की यह गुल्लक ही जीवन की जमा पूँजी है !! …..और पढ़िए
Songs with a Regional Twist There are quite a few songs of golden era Hindi film music that have a phrase or two or even an entire line which is from a different Indian language; but, the rest of the song is in Hindi. This post is dedicated to such songs which have a smattering of other regional languages. And yes, there are some typical expressions that we associate with certain languages. Aiyayyo, Aiga, Ayya – do these strike a chord? ….. Read More
The Rag Story The rags to riches and the reverse has been talked about and discussed quite a bit. But does any one spare a thought for the poor, measly ‘rag‘? I felt it was high time we spotlighted the rag and discussed how important it is in our daily lives…..Read More
Songs of Betrayal Betrayal (or bewafaai) is a very common theme in songs of the golden era. Mistaken identity, amnesia, love triangles, family honour, the male lead going abroad at the critical moment – all these tropes only help to churn songs echoing this feeling, which then could lead to more serious consequences…. Read More
Vice – Wise Smoking and drinking – social or otherwise – are akin to treading a slippery slope. It is a path of self-destruction. Thus, there is no glamour or sophistication in indulging in spirits and puffs. Further, the gender construct is senseless in the context of smoking and drinking. Nicotine and alcohol destroy the person irrespective of gender!….Read More
Songs of the Unsure/Insecure Lover I have often tried to thematically explore love songs of golden era Hindi films. This post is a playlist of yet another shade of love – that of the unsure/insecure lover. There are a few songs where there is a declaration of love but the same is accompanied by a niggling doubt that the lover may not be true to his/her commitment….. Read More
What’s the Good (Pass)Word? Aired on Doordarshan was India’s first English-language game show, a word-guessing game called What’s The Good Word? It was about guessing the key word with a list of related clues.Today we still play this game in our daily lives but the game has emerged in a new avtaar! You must be wondering what the present day version is. It is passwords, of course!!…. Read More
Songs that Shun Love (और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा) There are a handful of songs which question love and even swear to stay away from it. There are also some songs where love is not viewed as the top most priority. There is a reference to various sufferings of the world which need to be attended to first. Here is a post that tries to list ten songs – largely of the golden era – that capture this sentiment….. Read More
The Perfect Present It is often said in the context of presents that one’s presence matters more than presents. This is particularly true in the case of close family and friends. But the COVID-19 pandemic has turned this entire notion on its head……. Read More
Songs of Stairs Some time ago I had written posts on Terrace songs in two parts. These were songs that were substantially picturized on a terrace. It then struck me that stairs also have featured prominently in many movies and songs. Stairs have a symbolic role to play. The calibrated ascent/descent, the landing, the handrail sometimes with elaborate ornamentation – all these convey so much in a song…. Read More
The Follow-up Saga Have you ever wondered how much of your waking time is devoted to following up? The dictionary meaning of follow-up is “pursue or investigate something further“. In this post, I shall dwell on the former meaning i.e. pursuing something further…….Read More
The lesser heard romantic duets of Manna Dey (Part 2) – This is the second and final part of the post which features lesser known light hearted romantic duets sung by Manna Dey with Suman Kalyanpur, Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum and Sudha Malhotra. I have excluded qawwalis and classical raga based duets – largely to make a point that Manna Dey was equally adept at singing light hearted romantic numbers…..Read More
The Winged Ogress (!) There is no human being on earth who has not been the victim of the winged ogress. Do not go by her size. Her damage potential is immense despite her miniscule size. This ogress can wreck your sleep, suck your blood – like the Dracula – and even make you a long term visitor at the doctor’s clinic. I am sure there couldn’t be a better eulogy for this winged ogress!……. Read More
The lesser heard romantic duets of Manna Dey (Part 1) – The Mangeshkar Sisters special Manna Dey was par excellence in rendering classical raga based songs. Unfortunately, he got typecast and several of his songs, at least in the early 1950s were for classical music based movies This makes one (falsely) infer that this was his forte. This made me explore other renditions of Manna Dey – the light hearted romantic duets – especially the lesser heard ones… Read More
The Dual Purpose Vehicle It is said that one must hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. This is what the combination or the dual purpose vehicle – which is how I refer to it – is all about. You must be wondering which vehicle I am alluding to. Please do read on and you will fathom. This is a vehicle which only the stoic can drive……..Read More
Songs of Music (!) When I mean songs of music, I mean those songs which deal with the many dimensions of music or where music plays a very important role in the song and / or the movie. It is songs that espouse the cause of music or are music centric that I am alluding to…Read More
Organized Mess – The Golden Mean Oxymorons that would best describe our daily life would be minor crisis, working holiday or only choice. But according to me, organized mess is the best oxymoron… Read More
Songs of the Charmer – Jaadugar Special This post explores those songs of the golden era that are dedicated to the lover, who is a charmer par excellence – almost like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. He is a jaadugar – a magician of sorts – who can cast a spell and mesmerize his beloved. Read More
The Perfect Potboiler Just like looks can be deceptive, so can captions. From the caption, you must have inferred that this post is a review of some run-of-the-mill movie. Well, this is not a film review. In order to understand the post you would have to take the title at its face value……Read More
Songs of Defiance The songs I list here are those where there is defiance, where there is cocking a snook at the world and not caring about what it feels. These songs are about living in the same world, but on one’s own terms. The message is that…….Read More
Bursting the Bubble Be it children or adults, all of us fancy (our own!) bubbles. Here is my multidimensional take on bubbles and the different connotations associated with bursting them. …. Read More
Songs of Reminiscence – Flashback Special There are umpteen Hindi film songs – both old and new – which speak of reminiscence (yaad). In this post, I am trying to explore this genre of songs but with a rider – there has to be a flashback sequence in the song. ……Read More
‘Sporting’ Songs A welcome change in Hindi cinema in recent years has been sport-centric films. Unfortunately, there are very few movies of the golden era which even peripherally touched upon any sport. The depiction of any sport/game being played either in the movie or in its songs was only incidental….Read More
Changing Coordinates – Shifting Woes Ever heard of compounded woes? Well, shifting your residence in a pandemic is exactly that! This whole week has been devoted to relocating, albeit in the same city….. Read More
Songs of the ‘Earthen Lamp’ Diwali is round the corner. Yet another festival that the Corona virus shall devour. The festivities will have to be low key this time round with all norms of social distancing in place. For me, the best part of Diwali has always been lighting earthen lamps (दीया in Hindi) with ghee or oil and cotton wicks; thankfully, COVID-19 will not put a dampener on this…. Read More
Madurai Sungudi – Six Yards of Knots and Dots I have been meaning to write a post on the Madurai Sungudi for quite some time now (even as I continue to write posts on old Hindi film music). Finally, I have found the time to put my thoughts in words. The impetus to write this post has been my recent purchase of a lovely black and red Madurai Sungudi (online of course), from Co-optex……Read More
Musings on Mahal(1949) The fact that Mahal is a celebrated movie need not be overemphasized. Reams have been written about the movie and its greatness. Thus, I do not intend to write another review of the movie. Let me tell you…….Read More
Solo Songs of Lata – Vocal Preludes Special There is a genre of songs which is unique and uncommon – where there is a prelude, which has both instrumental as well as vocal music. This genre of poetry is perhaps called Qat’a in Urdu and vilambit laya (introductory slow tempo) in Hindustani classical music….Read More
True Colours Colours have always fascinated me, more so if they are true colours. You would perhaps be puzzled as to what I mean by that. Please do read on to fathom what I am hinting at………Read More
Duets of Subir Sen Subir Sen (1934-2015), who hailed from Bengal and whose voice was very similar to Hemant Kumar’s (1920-1989) sang quite a few memorable songs in Hindi films, some of which were duets. Whether this similarity of their voices was preordained or not, the fact remains that Subir Sen’s prowess as a singer is unquestionable………Read More
Fairy Tale Week This week has been ‘Fairy Tale Week’ for me. Please do not draw conclusions just yet. I say this not because something magical or unbelievable happened. I call it ‘Fairy Tale Week’ because both my daughters kept me busy with Fairy Tales……Read More
Songs ‘Spoken and Sung’ This post tries to show that there is no end to experimentation in music and each time something unique emerges out of such trials. Speaking and singing the same spoken words, though rare, is surely a category of songs to reckon with….. Read More
Online Schooling – Limitations and Challenges Though learning has shifted to the virtual world, it is not all hunky dory out there. There are many challenges here as well. If online learning has to be developed as a holistic and workable alternative to formal school education, we still have a long way to go. …… Read More
Songs of ‘Teachers’ On the occasion of ‘Teachers’ day, I thought it would be a good idea to list out songs of teachers and school children or children of school going age in a group. However, these songs are different in that I have ensured that the song is picturized outside the four walls of a classroom in order to relive the gurukul experience…… Read More
The ‘Terrace’ Songs – Part 2 Here I present songs where there is a reference to the terrace in the lyrics. The reference is not necessarily in the mukhda of the song. Also these have not necessarily been shot on a terrace. The virtues of the terrace have already been dwelt upon in part 1 of my post and so I shall straightaway come to the playlist. Read More
The Krishna – Sudama Story Dramatized in Hindi Even as I thought I would work on the second part of ‘Terrace’ songs, my daughter’s school kept me busy. My daughter along with her classmates, had to stage a play live on Zoom, on the story of Krishna and Sudama in Hindi. The script had to be written in Hindi. I decided to give it a shot. If long posts can be written in English on songs which are in Hindi, why not write something in Hindi? Here is the script that I wrote …. Read More
The ‘Terrace’ Songs – Part 1 The terrace is a place where one can inhale some fresh air, view sights from a vantage point, enjoy some me-time (also nirmal anand!), shed tears in privacy and of course last but not the least – find true love. So here are some songs which echo …….Read More
Life – thy name is uncertainty ! Have you ever wondered what is most certain in life? Its uncertainty, silly! Yes, contradictory though it may sound, that is the greatest truth; it is akin to the adage of Heraclitus the Greek philosopher, who maintained that…… Read More
Tongue-in-cheek Songs While writing my post on Songs of ‘Surrender’, which speak of self-deprecation and subjugation, I felt I must also enlist songs which are antithetical to these songs and thus this post on tongue-in-cheek songs. The flavour of these songs …..Read More
Sense(less!) Technology The virtual world can only invigorate two of our senses – that of sight and hearing. There is nothing in it for the other three senses…. Read More
Songs of ‘Surrender’ The songs of ‘surrender’ are those where there is both inordinate faith and praise for the beloved – sometimes bordering on self-deprecation and subjugation…. Read More
Modern day Cinderella Whenever I hear or read the fairy-tale, I cannot help but feel that all working mothers are in some way like Cinderella. I am sure, you would have raised your eyebrows after reading this sweeping statement ……Read More
The Anchored Feeling Today’s world is characterized by increased mobility with the great technological leaps that mankind is taking……..Read More
Birthday Goosebumps I sincerely hope some of you, especially those belonging to my generation, must have experienced what I call birthday goose bumps. Let me explain…… Read More
The Kandangi – Chettinad’s (chequered!) pride The first time I bought a Kandangi was almost 15 years ago. That was the time when I did not even know how special it was. I casually…. Read more
Songs of S.Mohinder and Md.Rafi I have always been intrigued by compositions of some unsung music directors who worked with top notch playback singers; their music is as sublime as that of the front runners….. Read More
Songs of ‘another world’ The songs of ‘another world’ convey myriad emotions – of hope, of playfulness, of escapism, of disenchantment, of inquisitiveness or of a never-ending search for the idyllic world. …..Read More
In search of sculpted serenity There is trivia tucked away in every nook and corner. One just needs to have a discerning eye…….Read More
Tress induced Stress Behind every beautiful braid is a mother toiling away to make it look its best. No one can explain this ……Read More
Trivia 