Yesterday was Kaifi Azmi’s birthday. I am picking up one of my favorite songs written by him to play the MySwar recommendations for Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar:
Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho – The song on the top of the list is hardly surprising. It is similar to Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar in many respects but still so unique. Lovely!
Dil Cheez Kya Hai – If we had to pick one album and one song that helped Asha Bhosle get out of the rut of non-serious songs, she found herself getting stuck in, in the late 70s, it would be Umrao Jaan and Dil Cheez Kya Hai. No frills, flourish, just simple, solid singing to a melodious composition.
Qubool Kijiye – I didn’t enjoy this song that much because it’s such an in-the-face tawaif-mujra song. It’s like Khayyam took Dil Cheez Kya Hai and re-made it for the front-benchers.
Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya – Really lovely song that came out when the popularity of ghazals in films had waned. Great composition by Jatin – Lalit and lovely, light lyrics by Nida Fazli.
Aayee Zanjeer Ki Jhankar – A nice, mellow song with pretty santoor sounds decorating it but I wish Khayyam (a lot of him on this list!) had picked a more accomplished singer. Kabban Mirza sounds off-beat, if not off-key at certain points.
Huzur Is Kadar – I love Gulzar’s serious stuff but I absolutely adore his light-hearted lyrics. And what composition by Pancham! A breath of fresh air in a serious album.
Tera Hijr Mera Naseeb Hai – A song in the same mould as Aayee Zanjeer Ki Jhankar but doesn’t do it for me because of the singer. Who is Kabban Mirza, by the way? Looks like the Razia Sultan (1983) songs are the only two he has ever sung in Hindi films.
Pyar Mujh Se Jo Kiya – People in HMV knew what they were doing when they packaged Arth/Saath Saath as a combination cassette. OK, so Jagjit Singh (and Chitra Sigh) was the obvious, common element across the two albums but it was more than that. The two complemented each other in ways I cannot find words for. Even to this day, if I start listening to Arth, I HAVE to listen to Saath Saath and vice versa.
Tumko Dekha To Yeh Khayal Aaya – Another happy, mellow song from Saath Saath. Chitra Singh is credited but only sings an alaap at the beginning of the song….thankfully!
Ye Zuban Humse Si Nahin Jati – Probably the most obscure song on this list. I guess, the two Kabban Mirza songs were equally obscure but Razia Sultan, at least had other well-known songs and was composed by Khayyam. By contrast, this song is from a relatively unknown movie, Shaayad (1978) and composed by a relatively unknown composer, Manas Mukherjee. Very well sung by Usha Mangeshkar. Nice!