Songs of Conversations

Posted on 25/06/2022 on Trivia – The Spice of Life

Courtesy : YouTube

The dictionary definition of conversation is an informal, usually private, talk in which two or more people exchange thoughts, feelings, or ideas, or in which news or information is given or discussed. Thus, by the very definition, to strike a conversation, the presence of a speaker and a listener is imperative. Conversations between people, especially those who share an emotional bond, are important to reinforce the bond. Many problems in relationships crop up because of the inability to talk to each other. When we stop talking to each other, we begin talking at each other; perhaps also indulging more in talking about each other.

Having said that, there are many situations where one speaks to one self – especially while doing some loud thinking. While self-talk could sometimes be a symptom of a deep seated mental malaise, we all do it when we are debating some issue; the self-talk could be quiet or spoken out. It also helps in introspection. I am reminded here of Gulzar’s sublime lines from the song Bas Ek Chup Si Lagi Hain:

Wo daastaan jo 
hum ne kahi bhi 
hum ne likhi
aaj wo khud se suni hain

However, since man is a social animal, speaking to someone is more common (and the norm) rather than speaking to oneself. There could be situations where one falls short of words or where words are not needed to express oneself. That perhaps happens only when we begin to read each others’ minds perfectly. This is particularly true in the case of your spouse. As the relationship grows, you begin to understand what your spouse wants to say even before it is spoken. And pop goes the question – how did you know that this is what I wanted to say, followed by joint laughter.

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. The song can be a solo as well. The emphasis is on the attempt to listen and/or say. The songs I have selected are largely of the golden era. I must say here that many of these songs are about declaring one’s love for the other. More variety would have helped but as the theme of a majority of the songs from film music is love, that is the flavour of this post.

1) Pyaar Ki Dastaan Tum Suno To Kahe (Faraar, 1965) Lyricist : Kaifi Azmi; Music Director : Hemant Kumar; Playback Singer : Lata Mangeshkar. This song featuring Shabnam and Anil Chatterjee is one of my favourites. Interestingly, the movie was produced by Hemant Kumar but it did not evoke the desired response. Picturised as a song in which the heroine sings in a studio and the hero hears her on the radio, the import of the song’s lyrics and its picturization are perhaps at divergence. The heroine sings on the radio but the lyrics are pyaar ki dastaan tum suno to kahe – meaning, I shall tell you my love story but if you are the sole listener; why should the whole world hear it? One would perhaps have to watch the movie to place the song in perspective.

Pyaar ki daastaan 
tum suno to kahe
kyaa karegaa sunke jahaan
 tum suno to kahe

2) Jo Ijaazat Ho To Ek Baat Kahun (Baat Ek Raat Ki, 1962) Lyricist : Majrooh Sultanpuri; Music Director : S.D.Burman; Playback Singers : Md. Rafi & Asha Bhosle. This is one of the lesser heard songs of this movie. The Hemant Kumar-Suman Kalyanpur duet – Na Tum Hume Jaano – is more popular. This song is indeed a masterpiece. Here both Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman are ready to pour their hearts out in the rain and asking for permission to say something is just a formality. The movie, which is a court room drama ensuing a murder, ends with this song.

Jo ijaazat ho to ek baat kahoon
suno suno jaaneman
kaho kaho jaaneman

3) Apni Kaho Kuchh Meri Suno (Parchhain, 1952) Lyricist : Noor Lucknavi; Music Director : C.Ramchandra; Playback Singers : Lata Mangeshkar & Talat Mahmood. This song featuring V.Shantaram and Sandhya is rather interesting. There are two viewpoints which run parallelly. The man is morose but the lady is in an upbeat mood. The conversation too therefore is between two people whose views are at variance. The lady has a lot to share but the man just does not respond.

Apni kaho
 kuchh meri suno
kya dil ka lagaana bhool gaye
rone ki aadat aisi padi
hansne ka taraana bhool gaye

4) Pyaar Ka Fasaana Bana Le Dil (Teesra Kaun, 1965) Lyricist : Anand Bakshi; Music Director : R.D.Burman; Playback Singers : Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh. This song shot on serpentine hilly roads with Feroze Khan’s focus (he is at the wheel) completely on his lady love and not on the road is a perfect example of how not to drive. The song could have been shot better, I feel. The heroine is Kalpana. This was one of the earlier movies of R.D.Burman as music director. Here is a couple that is completely lovestruck and is happily chirping away (Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahe). This song reminds one of the songs from Safar, again featuring Feroze Khan singing Jo tumko Ho Pasand Wahi Baat Kahenge.

Pyaar ka fasaana 
banaa le dil deewanaa
kuchh tum kaho 
kuchh hum kahe

5) Yeh Tune Kya Kaha Kaha Hoga (Insaaf, 1966) Lyricist : Akhtar Romani; Music Director : Usha Khanna; Playback Singers : Asha Bhosle & Mukesh. Starring Indira Kaur (a.k.a Indira Billi) and Azad, this is a nondescript film. The story of how Indira Kaur came to be called Indira Billi is worth mentioning. In order to distinguish her from another contemporary actress called Indira Bansal, she was called Indira Billi as she was blue-eyed.

The song has very playful lyrics. The lyrics of the mukhda stem from those of the vocal prelude. The heroine is swimming in the pool and the hero sings :-

Lagi hai aag si har mauj ki rawaani mein
machal rahi hai koi naazneen paani mein

In response to this, the heroine asks and the hero responds :-

Yeh toone kyaa kahaa(Heroine)
kahaa hogaa (Hero)
ye maine kyaa sunaa
sunaa hogaa
are ye dil gayaa
gayaa hogaa

(What did you say, 
I must have said something
What did I hear
You must have heard something
O my heart is gone
It must have gone)

6) Jaane Kya Tune Kahi (Pyaasa, 1957) Lyricist : Sahir Ludhianvi ; Music Director : S.D.Burman ; Playback Singer : Geeta Dutt. Guru Dutt was a master at shooting songs. This is perhaps one of the best songs shot by him. This song is partly shot at Princep Ghat in Kolkata where Waheeda, playing the role of the prostitute Gulab, navigates through a labyrinth of majestic Corinthian columns. There is a game of peek-a-boo that she plays as she entices Guru Dutt. The latter half of the song is shot in the bylanes of Kolkata. The music, the lyrics and Geeta Dutt’s ethereal voice make this song immortal. The Chinese temple blocks used predominantly in the song make it very special.

The song actually begins in a park with Waheeda reciting a sher written by none other than Guru Dutt. The sher – phir na kijye meri gustakh nigahi ka gila – written by the lyricist Sahir was later used in one of the songs of Phir Subah Hogi. Guru Dutt who is sitting dejected in the same park is startled and says – suniye, maine kaha. And then Waheeda starts to sing – Jaane Kya Tune Kahi. The mukhda roughly translates as – I don’t know what you said and what I heard but the deal is struck. These are perfect (though enigmatic) lines sung by a prostitute who is just trying to get another customer to her quarter. The tune of the song is inspired by a non-film Bengali song that S.D.Burman sang and composed – Mon Dilo Na Bandhu.

Jaane kya toone kahi
jaane kya maine suni
baat kuchch ban hi gayee

7) Kucch Tum Jo Kaho Humse (Thokar, 1953) Lyricist : Harsh Tandon(?); Music Director : Sardar Malik ; Playback Singer : Asha Bhosle. This song seems to be a playful romantic solo. The video is not available. It speaks of how a conversation (declaration of love!) between the two could pave the way for the future – if you say something to me and I say something to you, the path of love will be ours.

Kucch tum jo kaho humse
to kuch tumse kahe hum
khul jaye sabhi rahe mohabbat ki isi dam

8) Tumse Kucch Kehna Hain (Guest House, 1959) Lyricist : Prem Dhawan ; Music Director : Chitragupt ; Playback Singers : Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh. This is a breezy duet featuring Ajit and Shakila. The hero says – I want to say something, do let me say it. The lady replies that she knows what he wants to say even without hearing what it is.

...Chalo jhooth sahi
 par baat meri
 ek baar bhi sun to lo
tumse kuchh kahnaa hai, 
gar tum kuchh kahane do
aji bole binaa hum jaane
 rahne do ji rahne do

9) Kashti Ka Khamosh Safar Hain (Girl Friend, 1960) Lyricist : Sahir Ludhianvi ; Music Director : Hemant Kumar ; Playback Singers : Kishore Kumar & Sudha Malhotra. It is a pity that the video of the song is not available. This is perhaps one of the best love songs of all time. Sahir’s lyrics completely floor you. From the lyrics, it appears to be a boat song with the couple riding on it. The imagery is so vivid. The man says – aaj mujhe kucch kehna hain (I want to say something today) but he is rather unsure of what the lady’s reaction would be. He is nervous and excited at the same time. The lady who is also in love with him is wondering whether he is actually going to say what she wants to hear. She wants to hear him declaring his love but then he develops cold feet and says – since you have already understood what I wanted to say, who do I need to mouth anything; we are partners for life and so I could say this some other time. The lady is still hopeful of hearing those magic words which he refuses to utter (chhodo ab kya kehna hain).

The soulful music, the matter of fact lyrics capturing the mood in the format of a conversation, Kishore Kumar and Sudha Malhotra’s canorous voices – all these make this song a masterpiece.

..Jo kuchh tumko kahnaa hai, wo mere hi dil ki baat na ho
jo hain mere khwaabon ki manzil us manzil ki baat na ho...
kabse tumhaare raste mein, main phool bichhaaye baithi hoon
kah bhi chuko jo kahnaa hai, main aas lagaaye baithi hoon
dil ne dil ki baat samajh li, ab munh se kyaa kahnaa hai
aaj nahin to kal kah lenge, ab to saath hi rahnaa hai
kah bhi chuko, kah bhi chuko jo kahnaa hai
(this seems grammatically incorrect) 
chhodo ab kyaa kahnaa hai

10) Suniye Kahiye Kahiye Suniye (Baaton Baaton Mein) Lyricist : Yogesh ; Music Director : Rajesh Roshan ; Playback Singers : Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle. In a post devoted to songs that speak of conversations, this is perhaps the best song to end with. Both the title of the movie and the lyrics of the song sync very well with the idea of conversing. This lovely duet from Basu Chatterjee’s slice of life movie Baaton Baaton Mein is so relatable. The lyrics completely match the on screen action. It is only when two people talk that they get to know each other better.

Suniye kahiye
kahiye suniye
suniye kahiye
kahiye na, suniye
kehte sunte baaton baaton mein
pyaar ho jaayegaa

With this ends my list of ten. While speech is silver and silence golden, there is no escaping the spoken word. For relationships to grow and deepen, both listening and speaking are important. This strengthens the base. I personally feel that It is only after speech is mastered that the language of silence can take over.

Disclaimer

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