Love at - sight

 I went for an RD Burman concert recently, and it was blah because of the songs they chose to present. If I had a 22 piece orchestra, I would choose differently. Anyway, which brought me to Ek Ladki ko dekha to aisa laga, because 1942 A Love Story was just such a unique album I felt - it was a very 90s album, modern, and soft, and hardly a saxophone anywhere. Even in the Pancham musical lexicon - 1942 truly stands out to me as an album where - the genius was even more evident for lack of the music maker's signature moves or instruments or what have you. To my untrained ears - It is entirely possible that anyone who knows anything about music may say he used the same 5 ragas or whatever. Anyway. But what I think is - its a very elegant album - musically. Heavy on romanticism ? Which brought me to Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga - which is such a lyrically wonderful piece of music - and which led me to think about Bollywood songs about how seeing someone you love changes life as we know it - or seeing someone and immediately falling in love is also a thing  :- 

1. Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga : -

Music : But who else, R.D. Burman, Lyrics - Javed Akhtar. Oof poetry. 

Ek Ladki ko dekha to aisa laga ...

Jaise khilta gulaab ..

Jaise shayar ka khwab ..

Jaise ujli kiran .. jaise vann mein hiran ..

Jaise chandni raat .. jaise narmi ki baat ..

Jaise .. mandir mein ho ek jalta diyaaa ..

2. Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam ..

Music : Jatin-Lalit, Lyrics  - Anand Bakshi 

Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam

pyaar hota hai diwana sanam

ab yahaan se kahaan jaaye hum

teri baahon mein mar jaayein hum ..

ye dil kahin lagta nahi .. kya kahu main kya karu ..

tu saamne baithi rahe .. main tujhe dekha karu .. 

I was talking about people who are willing to die on the hills of their convictions, and how rare they are. It was explained to me that they aren't so rare. My experiences suck.  Oh well. For me, DDLJ is about a hero - who I consider a hero because he doesn't give a shit about what the world thinks - all his fucks are about what he himself thinks - so while he fails college (because who cares, he's having a goof time), he doesn't elope with the girl(because he cares even though its not a good time). This is a stupidly naive approach to life that only works in movies and books - but when this kind of thing works in life, it leaves the world a better place. DDLJ makes it fashionable to have principles and stick by them so well, that the consequences take care of themselves. And so, while in the many thousands of beautiful songs with beautiful lyrics, many many choices are available to one - one goes back to Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam - not necessarily for this particular song, but for what it represents and celebrates. 

3. Tumko dekha to ye khayal aaya from Saath Saath

Music :Kuldeep Singh , Lyrics - Javed Akhtar 

Tumko dekha to ye khayaal aaya

Zindagi dhoop, tum ghanaa sayaa ..

Aaj phir dil ne ek tamanna ki .. 

Aaj phir dil ko humne samjhaya ..

Zindagi dhoop tum ghanaa sayaa ..

Now this song is more the speed of real life. Its ostensibly a love song, but the primary emotion it has always evoked in me is melancholy. It's about a time of yore - probably the bombay my mom loves from her childhood memories and which cannot be found again. Its like a too sweet gulaab jamun - you love it, but there is only so much one can take of it. Or maybe its just Farook Sheikh and Deepti Naval - so intellectual that one cannot but suspect them of knowing life is futile, and love is whatever - a distraction. I don't know. 

4. Dekh ke tumko dil dola hai ..

Amar Akbar Anthony, Music - Laxmikant-Pyarelal (I mean if there was Rahman before there was Rahman, uncle Laxmi and uncle Pyare were it) - lyrics - Anand Bakshi

 Dekh ke tumko dil dola hai ..

God promise hum sach bola hai ..

Bolo to ji ye bolo to mar jaayein .. 

Essentially, saying - I swear my heart skips whenever I see you. Can't say fairer than that.