Now that the dust has settled over Guru, the reviews have been written and read, and reviewed in turn [many bloggers in the entertainment space – and otherwise – seem to live by this simple adage – when in doubt, write about Maniratnam], I can say this aloud. Why did the movie need Gulzar? for ta ne na ne and moyya moyya and emo emo emole? And I listened to the tape again and again in the car….
Gulzar was not in the gimmicky hummable nonsense – he was in pheeki pheeki beswadi yeh ratiya… who else could write about flavorless nights with such ease and elegance? Surely, when it comes to things earthy and physical, there is no one to beat Gulzar. Geela man shayad bistar ke paas pada hai [Izaajat] – I cannot imagine anyone else using the word bistar in a song and making it sound oh, so romantic and soulful and not crude and item-numbery. And raat kat jaayegi toh kaise din bitayenge [Sitara]. Matter-of-fact acceptance of the ease with which nights get spent in the company of the loved one. And from the same song,
Mere ghar ke aangan me chhota sa jhoola ho
saundhi saundhi mitti hogi, lepa hua chulha ho
The simple pleasures of living close to the earth. Lepa hua chulha. The closest I have come in a movie to Bharati’s Kaani nilam vaendum…
Thandi safed chaadaron me jaagein daer tak [Mausam]. Anything to do with the senses…
From Humne dekhi hi un aankhon ki mehkti khushboo [Khamoshi] to (aankhein) personal se sawaal kartey hain [Bunty aur Babli]
Since I am anyway in a rambly mood, I may as well mention those phrases in tamil that have stuck to my mind the same way. Here I consider Vairamuthu to be Gulzar’s counterpart – smells, sounds, senses… pasi konda naeram thaalikkum osai sandosha sangeetham [Minsara Kanavu]
From his fist song in Nizahalgal and this memorable line – vaanam enakkoru bodi maram
and the metaphor in Payanangal Mudivadillai,
varum vazhiyil pani mazhaiyil paruva nilaa dhinam nanaiyum
mugileduththu mugam thudaiththu vidiyum varum nadai pazhagum
to the physical, sensual in AlaiPayuthey,
sonnadhellaam pagalilae purivaen
nee sollaadhadhum iravilae purivaen…kaadhil koondhal nuzhaippaen
I think Vairamuthu was there at the right time with the right people – Ilayaraja, Bharatiraja, and then A.R.Rahman and Maniratman. So, even as the debate goes on about whether there can be a great poet than Kannadasan… and what about Kavignar Vaali?, Vairamuthu remains the popular lyricist, so to say.
But as it happens, the most evocative line in Tamil film music remains for me one penned by Vaali (in the movie Nizhalgal where Vairamuthu and Gangai Amaran also wrote other songs) – pudu raagam padaippadaale naanum iraivane – create and you are god.
Go ahead, add to the list…
nice post …nice blog and some great pics ….
keep writing ..keep clicking and I think I will be quite a regular at this space now ….
-A
//this simple adage – when in doubt, write about Maniratnam//
in our pEttai, we call this nethi adi
oh glad you brought this up – have been listening to the songs of the movie obsessively. He makes everyday occurences seem so beautiful – and his comfort with languages and words just shows in his work. I am adding to your list of favourites
Meetha hai, Kosa hai, Baarish Ka Bosa hai – has words from three languages all complementing each other so beautifully (kosa – warm in punjabi, bosa – kiss in arabic / urdu, the rest of it is hindi)
I even like the way his words always reflect the lang of the characters – like in ai hairatein aashiqui – the man uses urdu words – probably to reflect the influence of his stay in turkey on his language – while the woman says – kyon urdu, farsi bolte ho – dus kehte ho do tolte ho, joothon ke shehenshah – she expresses her discomfort with those flowery language but says it in a manner that is so reflective of a woman from a trading family – she does not see the point in using lofty words to convey an idea that can be spoken in 2 or 3 simple words – very business like. Or even ek lo ek muft – a man who trades for a living – expresses his joy on the birth of his twins. The other thing that comes to mind is language from bunty and bubbly….well i could go on and on
Gulzar, Gulzar. My personal favourites … and how shall I begin? From that line in “Aandhi” – “jee mein aata hai tere daman mein sar chhupa ke hum rotey rahein” … can any woman NOT identify with that?
Through “Gharonda” and “In sooney andherey aankhon mein / aansoo ke jagah aata hai dhuaan” (which contradicts your assertion that he is best at describing simple pleasures)
To “Maachis” with “Tere kamar ke bal se / nadi murha karti thi” – descriptive and yet surprising.
(And I haven’t even mentioned “Masoom” and “Ijaazat”)
(Or “Parichay”)
(Or “Kinara” …)
Gulzar. Unmatched.
J.A.P.