on Songs...

Songs... specially, old hindi songs...

I don't think I can really define the kind of charm they have... I am a fan of all kinds of hindi film songs right from late 40's to late 90's... but I still don't know why, I don't much like the songs that Bollywood generates today.. with some exceptions, of course..

I get bored with new songs very easily.. I listen to them for some time if I like them, then I just get fed up with them soon..

it NEVER happens so with old songs.. I always feel a kind of charm, a freshness about them.. especially the songs sung by Kishore, Rafi, Geeta Dutt, Asha and Hemant Kumar.. I still don't know what attracts me to yaad kiya dilne kahan ho tum.. who knows Usha Kiran and Dev Anand these days? but I still like the song and the video both.. I have even set it as my caller tune.. it seemed so perfect for a caller tune..

yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum
jhoomati bahaar hai kahan ho tum
pyaar se pukar lo jahan ho tum
pyaar se pukar lo jahan ho tum

whenever anyone of my friends remembers me and calls me, I always feel like telling them "call me with love wherever you are, I am just a phone call away.."

there is this old-world innocence and charm associated with the romantic songs like maang ke saath tumhara from naya daur or udhar tum haseen ho idhar dil jawan hai yeh rangeen raaton ki ek daastan hai from Mr. and Mrs. 55 or aaja sanam madhur chandani mein hum tum mile to virane mein bhi aa jayegi bahar... wow!!! i just love those lyrics.. there's some shyness associated with the expression, and very subtle undercurrents of passion... it all seems attractive, and better than the nakedness of physical wants and needs that we come across in recent songs.

I think people and their expressions look more clear if the song is shot in black-and-white mode.. even the comedy, like Johny Walker does in various movies and songs.. the one i absolutely love is the office romance in jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji.. and another one is sar jo tera chakaraaye... and aye dil hai mushquil jeena yahan.. jara hatke jara bachke yeh hai bombay meri jaan.. I absolutely love looking at all those locations in Mumbai when it was still called as 'Bombay'..

Now what do I say about Kishore Kumar? He is the uncontested king of the old hindi songs, and GOD OF SINGING according to me.. the way he manages to make you smile with his yodling or laugh with the songs like paanch rupaiya baara aana or gaana na aaya bajaana na aaya, or makes u feel sad and emotional with some songs like zindagi ka safar hai yeh kaisa safar, mera jeevan kora kagaz.. or gives u all those subtle romantic vibes in o hansini and tum bin jaoon kahan.. or makes you dance to the tunes of om shanti om and saara zamana.. haseenon ka deewana... only one word for all that... AMAZING!!! I'm absolutely in awe of this person...

only one equally versatile female singer is Asha... when she sings.. oh god, she blows you away with her talented voice... this woman can sing songs of any genre.. be it romantic, discotheque, sad, passionate, ghazal, mujra.. you name it and she has sung it... Asha when sings to the tunes of R. D. Burman with Gulzar's words... a masterpiece like mera kuchh samaan tumhare paas pada hai is created... that one is my all time favourite..

I can very well go on and on like this about old hindi movie songs.. but I got to stop somewhere... so I will stop here, though I've once again returned to my shell where I live with my songs.. I will listen to some more songs now, and will write about the rest later on..

Let there be music!!!