"Bad-duā" or "Abhiśāp" Songs in Hindi Films From a "Wronged Lover" to the "Wrong-doer Lover"
Shrikant Talageri
Good music is perhaps the best palliative there is − even when the song is not a particularly "happy" one. After three very serious and political-issue articles (never a very happiness-inducing issue in India), I feel in the mood to write an article on a particular type of film songs which has long been on my mind − I am sorry if anyone finds the article frivolous.
My very first four articles on my blogspot in 2012 were about lists of Hindi film songs and Marathi songs in Jhap-taal and Roopak-taal respectively. The very first of these, "List of Hindi Film Songs in Jhap Taal of 10 beats 23/4/2012", which contained a list of 38 songs (including three from Pakistani films), was inspired by a statement from the organizer of a music-listeners'-group called "Sargam", who was a table-player himself, and who said in a program on different taals used in film-songs, that Jhap-taal was the rarest-used of the common taals in Hindi film songs and that a diligent search would probably not yield more than 15 songs. I found at least 28 songs and uploaded the article on my blogspot (the list later extended to 38 songs).
Likewise, this idea of a list of "bad-duā" songs was inspired by a comment from some-one in some program (many years ago) that the first song (in the short list of five songs given below) was not a romantic song as one would be disposed to think (without listening carefully to the words), but a song which was practically a bad-duā (abhiśāp, or curse). I always loved this song (and of course have always had it in my complete collection of audio and video music on my computer and heard it countless times), but had somehow never realized this aspect, and found it quite interesting. After hunting out other such songs, I managed to prepare a list of I think seven songs. However, the list cannot be located now on my computer, and I could only remember four of them. The discovery of another such favorite song a week or so ago (the last one in the short list of five songs below) renewed my desire to put up this list on a blog.
The characteristic feature of these songs is that they are bitter and vindictive songs (the third one on the list most so) where a "wronged" lover curses his/her ex-lover, call her/him the "wrong-doer lover", wishing pain and suffering on her/him. This is different from the countless songs where a wronged or jilted or abandoned lover merely bewails his/her fate.
The first song (which inspired my list) is different from the other four in many ways:
1. While the other four are by male singers, this is by a female singer.
2. It is short as compared to the other four, having only one verse.
3. While the other four songs are actually sung by the "wronged lover" cursing the "wrong-doer lover", and the predominant note is "may you suffer as I am suffering now", this song is inexplicably imagined by the "wronged lover" as being sung to him by the "wrong-doer lover"! And the "as I am suffering now" part is naturally missing.
4. In the case of the other four songs, the "wrong-doer lover" is not actually a wrong-doer, the whole situation being based on misunderstandings and unavoidable circumstances; and the films end on a happy note with the misunderstandings and circumstances cleared and the lovers re-united. In the case of this song, the "wrong-doer lover" is actually a wrong-doer, and the film ends (sorry for the spoiler) with the "wronged lover" pining away and dying and the "wrong-doer lover" suitably chastised for her perfidy.
The second
song differs from the following three in one respect. In the other three, the female
"wrong-doer lover" is actually present on the scene of the
song, and squirming and sobbing at the words. In this song, however, she is not
present, and the "wronged lover" sings to himself while
remembering past romantic moments and imagining her laughing mockingly at him.
The third song, as I said earlier, is the most viciously and obviously vindictive one, and is the only one from this list which features on many other lists (wrongly classed together with non-"bad-duā " songs).
The fourth song contains one of my favorite combinations of Rafi-Naushad-Shakeel, and the fifth one brings to my mind a recent long biography of Kishore Kumar after reading which (although I always liked him anyway) he has become a very great favorite.
The list of (at present) five songs:
1. Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Yoon.
Singer: Mubarak Begum. Film: Hamari Yaad Ayegi. Music Director: Snehal Bhatkar. Lyricist: Kedarnath Sharma.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCYRcwzurec
2. Tera Bhi Kisi Pe Dil Aye.
Singer: Mohd Rafi. Film: Ek Sapera Ek Lutera. Music Director: Usha Khanna. Lyricist: Asad Bhopali.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f6sMz6aNSc
3. Mere Dushman Tu Meri Dosti Ko Tarse.
Singer: Mohd Rafi. Film: Aye Din Bahar Ke. Music Director: Lakshmikant Pyarelal. Lyricist: Anand Bakshi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClOyNlOzBRQ
4. Guzare Hain Aaj Ishq Mein.
Singer: Mohd Rafi. Film: Dil Diya Dard Liya. Music Director: Naushad. Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf2iVFWUCQ0
5. Mere Meheboob Qayamat Hogi.
Singer: Kishore Kumari. Film: Mr. X in Bombay. Music Director: Lakshmikant Pyarelal. Lyricist: Anand Bakshi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIzCBU0_LyY
Namaste, sir🙏 I enjoy reading all your blogs and this one was also very nice to read. I am a die-hard fan of old film songs and have listened to so many of them. So I was actually surprised that I knew only the first and last songs that you had listed. The other 3 when I listened were also very beautiful, especially the 4th one.
ReplyDeleteIf I may, I wanted to add 2 more songs that I know that were part of this category.
1. https://youtu.be/ayGc5A6X9Go?feature=shared
2. https://youtu.be/EO8M-Tz69WA?feature=shared
In #2, he is actually addressing his friend who betrayed him more than the girl. So doesn't perfectly fit the category.
Thank you, sir. Appreciate your writing and looking forward to more blogs. Really appreciate your strong stance when you talk about real Hindu issues. Lot to learn from you, sir.
Yes, I have both songs in my computer collection of over 7000+ old video songs. But neither of them fits into a bad-dua song against an ex-lover: the first one in fact has no bad-dua, and in the second one (I actually considered it, but found that it did not fit in with the group) the bad-dua is against a treacherous friend, and there are many more songs like it in Hindi films.
DeleteOh yes, you are right. I listened to them fully this time. And I am not as good in Hindi as I would like to be.
Delete7000+ songs is impressive, sir! My collection has only about 1500.
Namaste sir, although I belong to the generation of zoomers (born after year 2000) but I really love old songs of Mohd. Rafi and Kishore Kumar. I love bhajans of Rafi sahab and semi-classical filmy songs of Kishore Kumar ji. My favourite are :- Man re tu (bhajan), Kiska rasta dekhe (by Kishore), Man Tadap (by Rafi), Jaane kya Sochkar nahi Guzra (by Kishore), Phir wahi Raat hai (Kishore), Khoya Khoya Chaand, Phoolon ke rang se, and many more.
ReplyDeleteNamaste. I am also born after 2000. I also love all the songs you mentioned. Although different from the more serious, scholarly blogs that Shri Talageri ji writes, these type of blogs are certainly enjoyable for old song lovers.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the best way to directly contact you Mr. Talageri ? Is there an email address where communications or questions or invitations to online discussions can be sent ?
ReplyDeleteNice songs.
ReplyDelete