GULZAR - The Garden of songs...

Well.. what can I say about the most legendary poet,lyricist,director,story teller and one of the most enigmatic personalities our times have ever witnessed "Padmabhushan", "Oscar" and "Grammy" award winner Mr. Gulzar Saab!! His works and collaboration with legendary music directors,talented singers and brilliant actors have created a plethora of magical moments on screen and off screen and with his contemporary,ageless and very unique style he keeps on creating wonderful poems and songs that can easily vow the minds of youth,elders as well as children equally.. Well, I am one of those ardent fans of  this wonderful poet who have got so much inspiration and positive energy from his songs which makes me think about life differently and carry on with the journey of life with the happy mind and soul!!!

With such a tremendous success and wonderful blessing from almighty, the man remains so ground to earth.. His simplicity and the way of handling success leaves me awestruck.. He doesn't  need heavy words to portray human emotions and situations. Its something that comes as easy to him as singing comes to Lata Mangeshkar, acting comes to Mr.Bachchan or Cricket comes to Sachin Tendulkar.He is one of those rare talents who is capable of weaving net of human emotions and life with the help of his very simple yet powerful and graceful words..

Young Gulzar penned his first film song "Mora gora ang laiy ley mohe shaam rang daiye dey..chhup jaoongi raat he mein mohe pee ka sang daiye dey." such wonderful translation of young girl's feeling when she can't go to meet her lover at night because she is fair and will get caught easily...so she is arguing with night to take away her fair skin and make her black. Then he came on with very beautiful and surprising lyrics in khamoshi - "Humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki mehakti khushboo..Haath sey chhoo ke ise rishtoon ka koi naam na do".  

A love song with the lover praising the eyes of his beloved had rarely sounded so evocative and resonant. Lovers in his world love each other so madly that they say

 "Tum jo keh do to aaj ki raat chand doobega nahi.. raat ko rok lo.. raat ki baat hai aur zindagi baki to nahi.."

 The pain of separation is the best represented emotions in his words... he easily depicts a girl's pain of separation and love when she argues with her ex-lover by writing him a letter saying 

"Mera kuch saaman tumhare paas pada hai.. 

saawan ke kuch bhige bhige din rakhe hain..

 Aur mere ik khat me lipti raat padi hai..

 wo raat buza do..mera wo saaman lauta do"

When a young orphan child is being exposed to harsh realities of life in "Massom", he wonderfully pens the innocence of that budding flower by saying :-

 "Tuzse naaraz nahi zindagi hairaan hoon mein..

Tere masoom sawaalon se pareshaan hoon mein"

He is capable of giving hope to estranged lovers with such simple words :

"Ik wo din bhi the.. Ik ye din bhi hain..

Ik wo raat thi.. Ik ye raat hai..

Raat ye bhi guzar jayegi"

 He asks to take it easy and live life to the fullest so simply :-

"Aanewala pal janewala hai..

 ho sake to isme zindagi bita do.. Pal jo ye jaanewala hai"
The budding romance of two starstruck lovers is told by him as:-
"Tum aa gaye ho... noor aa gaya hai.. nahi to charagon se lau ja rahi thi..
jeene ki tum se vajah mil gayi hai.. badi bevajah zindagi ja rahi thi.."
one of his most acclaimed works is "Anand" where he pens the ailing cancer patient's positive attitude towards life as :-
"Kahin door jab din dhal jaye.. saanz ki dulhan badan churaye.. chupkese aaye.. Mere khayalo ke aangan mein koi sapno ke deep jalaye.."
There can be very few songs which match the calibre of this song from "Sadma"... 

"Ae zindagi.. gale laga le..Humne Bhi, tere har ik gam ko, gale se lagaya hai...hai na !"

perfect song to listen to on a lazy afternoon with some one special nearby. Very romantic song indeed.
'Lab Hile To Mogre Ke Phool Khilte Haiin Kahin,
Aap Ke Aankhon Mein Kya, Saahil Bhi Milte Hain Kahin,
Aap Ki Khamoshiya Bhi Aap Ki Aawaz Hain.."

This is a classic song from the combination of Gulzar and Madan Mohan. Listening to this song one is immediately transported to those lovely mountains and vales -

"Dil dhoondhta hai.. fir wahi.. fursat ke raat din

Barfili Sardiyon Mein, Kisi Bhi Pahad Par,
Vaadi Mein Gunjti Hui, Khaamoshiyan Soone
Aankhon Mein Bheege Bheege Se ,Lamhe Liye Hue.."

A wife who loves her husband knowing that he loves someone else.She just wishes to live and enjoy each moment as it comes, even if it is not hers alone. This is her song:-

 "Qatra-qatra milti hai, qatra-qatra jeene do

Zindagi hai.., bahne do..Pyaasi hoon main, pyaasi rahne do.."

 

two starstruck lover's passion is penned by him as :-

"Chupkese.. lag ja gale.. raat ki chadar tale..

Chaand ki bhi aahat na ho.. baadal ke peeche chalein.." 

or

"O Saathi re.. din doobe na.. Kabhi kahi yun karna.. mein datu aur tum darna.. ubal pade aankhon se meethe pani ka zarna.." 

or

"Umr lagi kehte hue.. do labz the.. ik baat thi..

Wo ek din sau saal ka.. sau saal ki wo raat thi..

Kaisa lage jo.. cupchap dono.. pal pal mein poori sadi"

"Mera yaar mila de saaiyaan.. ik baar mila de saiyaan beeta de..."

 Pain of separation is explained as :-

"Ae ajnabi.. tu bhi kabhi aawaz de kahin se..

Mein yaha tukdo me jee raha hoon.. tu kahin tukdo mein jee rahi hai..."

or 

"doobta hai din to shaam ko.. saaye udate hain.. teri yaade liye..

Laakh din hue hai ke raat ko.. aadhe chaand se.. teri baate kiye"

or

"lakad jalke koyla hoi jaye.. koyla hoi jaye khaak..

Jiya jale to kuch na hoi re.. naa dhuaan.. na raakh.. jiya na jalaiyo re.."

or 

"Paani paani re.. khaare paani re...

 Naino mein bhar ja.. neende khali kar ja" 

When lovers finally meet after longing for long :-

"Tum ko dekh ke yun lagta hai.. koi bichhda khwaab aaya hai..

Barso lambi raat se guzare subah ka zonka laut aaya hai" 

or

"Socha na tha.. zindagi aise fir se milegi jeene ke liye..

aankhon ko pyaas lagegi.. apnehi aansu peene ke liye"

or

"Ek purana mausam lauta.. yaadbhari purwai bhi..

Aisa to kam hi hota hai.. wo bhi ho.. tanhai bhi

Yaadon ki bauchharon se jab palkein bheegne lagti hain..

Kitni saundhi lagti hai tab.. mazi ki ruswai bhi

"

He also pens wonderful item songs "Kajara re", "Beedi jalay le" ,"Maiya maiya" or "Namak ishq ka" with equal ease. Also get into children's shoes with 'O papadwale' or "Jungle jungle baat chali hai.. pata chala hai'' or writes contemporary lyrics such as "Dil to baccha hai ji" from ishqiya "Hum cheez hain bade kaam ki yaaram.." from ek thi daayan..

Truely the man of many colours and many seasons!!! :)

Gulzar laments that the films do not excite him any more. But still at a time when film lyrics and music have reached a point of no return, Gulzar retains his integrity as a lyricist and wrote the song of hope:

 "Aaja aaja zinde aasmane ke taley.. aaja zariwale neele aasmaan ke tale... jai ho!!" 

 for Slumdog Millionaire winning Oscars for the original lyrics. I can go on and on about him.. When Gulzar saw the sea of bouquets that arrived at his doorstep in Pali Hill on Monday morning soon after the Oscar announcement, he told an old friend, poet Arun Shevate, "Bhai, why don't you remove the cellophane wrapping so that the flowers can breathe.''..Thats Gulzar for you.. :) I wish his jouney continues forever like one of his songs :-

"Musaafir hoon yaaro.. na ghar hai.. na thikana..

Muze chalte jaana hai.. bas chalte jaana.."