Gulzar: Amidst dawn and dusk...

Teri aankhon ki namkeen mastiyaan,

Teri hansi ki beparwah gustaakhiyaan,

Nahin bhoolunga main

Jab tak hai jaan...

Jab tak hai jaan...

Tere haath se haath chodna,

Tera saayon ka rukh modna,

Tera palat ke phir na dekhna,

Nahin maaf karunga main,

Jab tak hai jaan...

Jab tak hai jaan...

Gulzar, a poet and a writer, is undoubtedly India’s greatest living poet since the birth of independent India. There are a few celebrated poets in India but in terms of charm and beauty, one often fells short.

Straight away from,

“Mora gora ang layle” – a girl’s unsung desire for her lover...

To, “Mera kuch samaan”- a heart-broken desire of recollecting memories of her love!!!

He has captured each and every nuance of one’s imagination and desires!!!!

He has been awarded with the prestigious Academy award and the Grammy for his epic “Jai ho!” None other Indian lyricist has even been closer to get a nomination there!!!!

“Aao na... Jhelum main beh lenge...

Waadi ke massom bhi..

Ek din to badalenge...”

This captures eternal love in the eternal abode of beauty and love- Kashmir!!

In this westernised Indian era, where “Bhaag DK Bose” and “Second hand jawaani” are the talk of the town, one man has stood still and etched to his poetry and prose is Gulzar saab!!

I have often wondered in my childhood about a poet’s vision, his ability of capturing human emotions and the kind of imagery one uses!!

“Unn aankhon ki mehakti khushboo” is a rare kind of imagery often used by Gulzar saab in his poems. He has always stuck to his kind of poetry and his poetry has been testified by the ages.

Straight away from kids, “ladki ki kaati” to adolescent love, “Humko maloom hai” to mature love, “Bol na halke halke” to dance numbers, “Kajraa re” to “Beedi jalaeile” to unrequited love, “Ae ajnabi!”, he has been the charming lyricist through all age groups!! He has words for every occasion, every emotion and every heart-break!!!!

With almost half a century years of active career, his poetry has been appreciated straight from the masses to the elite critics.

“Tere bina zindagi se shikwa” is every lovers’ delight even if it was recorded almost a few decades back.With each award in his collections, straight from the 'Filmfare' to the National Award, Sahitya Academy to the Academy and the Grammy, there is hardly anyone left who has not praised him!

I often wondered how “aap chaandni lapete the” and “surili ankhiyon waale” would mean. But since I have started understanding poetry and imagery, I have often illusions of such picturesque mystiques!!!

“Tere roop ki halki dhoop main..

Do hi pal hai jeene hain...”

It beautifies a relation beyond these worldly pleasures!!!

“Chood aayein hum wo galiyaan” and “musafir hoon yaaron” are two opposite depictions of a nomad’s journey- one symbolises a heart-broken tale of unrequited love while the other is a journey of hope!! One can only expect this from him!!! Truly majestic!!!

Recently, I read one of his books, “100 lyrics: Gulzar”. And since then, I have never stopped praising him!!! I never knew the depth of a lyric let alone of a song!!! It is straight from the heart and captures every possible emotion.

Urdu never seemed so beautiful until I acknowledged it in his words...

“Main uske roop ka shedaai,

Wo dhoop chaaoo sa harjaai..

Wo shoak hai rang badalta hain..

Main rang roop ka soodai!!!!”

I mean one would hardly understand such high notion of thoughts but who-so-ever understands it, knows that the beauty lies in its words!!!

“Wo yaar hai jo khushboo ki tarah,

Wo jiski zubaan urdu ki taraah..

Meri sham raat meri qayanaat..

Wo yaar mera saiyaan saiyaan!!!”

This sort of pleasure is only found in his poems!!!

“Ajnabi sehar” from one of his movies for which he had written lyrics, “Jaan-e-man”, is pictorially perfect imagination of a person in a new strange aura of love!!!

I can never stop humming his words or even praising him!!! He is something who inspires many dreamers and budding poets!!!

I wish I were a musician!

So that I could have made a few compositions for his words!!

Anyways, what would be a life without an impossible dream????

So, rounding up, I never wanted to end this article or even my poetic discussion, but as life says it all, every beginning has an end!!!

And we, all, are its mystics!

My all time favourite would always remain “Woh sham kuch ajeeb thi...”

Every time I hear this song, I, often, find myself lost in between love and fate!!!

He has a rare poetic sensibility which is very hard to find!!! And in the end, every poetic discussion, every imagery and every Gulzar praise is incomplete without his pinnacle poem:

“Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye..

Saanjh ki dulhaan,

Badan churaaye,

Chupke se aaye!!!!”

Straight from dawn and dusk...

Maaeri: An artist dreams...

Whole life we dream of being successful, being rich enough to fulfill our dreams...

Possessing every reason to smile,

Being ourselves, free from any ritual, any rite, any boundations...

Being a free bird...

Being ourselves!!

Being on top of the world!

Now, I have everything. But I don’t have any reason for happiness as I don’t have you.

I have fulfilled each dream of mine.

Dreams, desires and wishes are complete in each sense of mine. But I am not complete in myself as I don’t have you.

I am incomplete without you.

Oh Maa!! What should I do now! I have everything in this world that I had dreamt of but can’t find any reason to smile as I don’t have her...

Lost love!

How beautiful love was and how painful it had to end!

What is the use of winning or losing now mother; I have already forgotten about it as I have lost love.

I have forgotten yours and mine,

I have forgotten winning and losing,

Oh maa! What should I do after winning?

When I don’t have her???

She was a simply a girl-next-door. But don’t know, whether it was her innocence, her charm or her beauty that made her mine!

I remember her laughs...
her tears that broke me into pieces.

Her innocence,

Her warmth...

Her notorious ways of disturbing me,

Her silent ways of holding me...

Disturb me once!

Hold me once!

I beg you...

I even remember those longing for each other.

I still long for our togetherness...

But I don’t have you.

She used to wear “bindi”.

Her eyelashes used to flutter then...

Adjusting her scarf,

She used to promise me to meet again then...

Maa...

I had her hands with mine.

Her words were like honey-drops.

She used to laugh on her own,

Cry on her own!

Maa..  

I remember her...

I miss her badly...

She chatters.

Her angry looks from those beautiful eyes...

Oh! I miss her badly!!

Oh maa!

She used to sneak away from her home silently just to be together with me.

Even in those beautiful showers, wrapped up in notorious monsoons, she used to come.

If got late, she cried silently.

I wish I cry again and she sings...

May those witnessing breeze springs again!

She sings ballads!! She dances on her own tunes!

I still remember her...
She crosses heavens...

She asks for blessings...

Maa.. I miss her badly!!

What should I do now?

To whom I should speak out my heart to?

O maa!

I just have you with me.

I am a part of you.

Only you can understand my silence, my deepest feelings and my eternal love for her!

Only you can feel my tears, my memories and my remembrance...

Maa.. Only you!

O girl!

Leave this materialistic world,

Come back to me...

Break all those false vows,

Come back to me...

Swear to God,

Come back once...

If we meet this once, we will never part.

Never ever!!

Oh!! She should come now...

Can someone bring her back?

Maa. Can you??

I miss her badly...

I still remember her...

She used to chatter...

Those angry eyeballs!

Missing her...

She forgot my love...

Just took her four months!

I remember her...

Her memories come...

She comes in my memories...

Those silent promises,

Those tearful longing!

Those moments together...

Now,

Far apart!

What must I do now?

Who must I talk to?

Ae Maaeri!

Oh maa!

Just come once...

I won’t let you depart ever...

I am fulfilling each promise of ours...

Now, it’s yours turn.

Just come back...

 

“This is basically my own interpretation of the song “Maaeri” from Euphoria. It has always been a pleasure to hear them sing and this is, undoubtedly, their best song.

I don’t know why but I feel very much connected with this song. This is how I speak my heart out to my mother. I am very close to her as every child is to her mother but there is still a different connectivity with her. I don’t know how but I have a different chemistry that sets apart me from every negativity coming my way. I know everyone in this world has an end. I fear of losing her then and now.

But, then, I know its life!

I feel blessed on having such a wonderful mother and a wonderful life!

And a few weeks ago, I saw Euphoria performing at a concert. I was there!

I saw them perform and truly, hats off to them!

They are amazing, they are energetic and they are wonderful!

And they are rocking too!

Their zeal and zest along with their classical passion instilled a faith in me to render my own interpretation of the song Maaeri and the band Euphoria!

May God shower His passionate musicals on them!!"

Truly,

Lost in translation!!

"INDIA: Today "

India is a nation of a billion people. With a quarter of it under the poverty line, And, still many enriching the list of richest persons around the globe! India is a land of festivity, celebrations! But still we have scams and blasts every next month! India- Her name is derived from the river INDUS which had one of the foremost civilizations in human mankind! INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION! The land of the river Indus! That's was India! Now, not a one-tenth portion of the river Indus flows within her! Has the river lost her way or do the Indians! Why have we been discriminating or cutting ourselves on the name of religion, caste, sex n creed?? Is it really India? Is it still similar to the one during the "MUGHALS" who ruled over more than a million Hindus, still being themselves Muslims! Was that period golden or is it now? Every person is equal irrespective of caste, religion and gender! That's what has been written in our Premable of the Constitution of the Republic of India! But we still have reservations everywhere! Aren't we getting biased now? Are we getting deprived of our fundamental right? India, as they said, was a golden bird .. The British thrashed her and looted her .. They drained it from our Ganges to their Thames! But isn't India still rich enough today? Almost 1 lakh crore rupees in a few temples and almost a tenth times of it in Swiss Banks! Thanks to our politicians! CORRUPTION! INDIA- Known for her splendid charm and beauty and depicted by the great artists on the silver-screen! What does it stand for now? Bollywood- It had Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay, DDLJ, Hum aapke hai kaun n many more which depicted larger than life melo-dramas and romance! What does it stand now? Delhi belly, Murder2, LSD, Shaitan n many more where they have a smooching scene every next frame! Do they still glorify our culture or is witnessing a change? India- We held a super splendid COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2010 in the capital which was praised by the whole world! Should we thank Mr. Suresh Kalmadi for giving us such an amazing festivity or for the scams that followed them ?? What does India stand now? We don't have any Mughals, Chanakya, The Guptas, the Nehrus or even The Gandhis! What does India today stand for? We have built enough temples and mosques. Let's build the nation now. Aaj ka india! Let us together make ourselves worthy for INDIA :) Let's make India- a nation of billion smiles :) :)