Keep Journeying O Traveller!

 The music of 'Swades' (Homeland, Hindi film, 2004) is celebrated as a deeply soulful and introspective The music of 'Swades' (Homeland, Hindi film, 2004) is celebrated as a deeply soulful and introspective masterpiece. Rather than relying on booming dance tracks, A.R. Rahman crafted a melodic, roots-driven soundscape that mirrors protagonist Mohan Bhargava's inner transformation from a detached NASA expatriate to a man reclaiming his homeland. The film received universal critical acclaim and is considered one of the best acted by Shah Rukh Khan who is the protagonist. 'Yun Hi Chala Chal Raahi' (Keep Journeying, O Traveller!) is a buoyant song from the movie sung by Udit Narayan, Hariharan, and Kailash Kher that captures the journey through the expansive Indian countryside. (Ref: Wikipedia) Lyricist Javed Akhtar's theme is a mosaic of the journey of life, forgetting worries, guidance by a heart aflame with Love and gratitude for the natural beauty of the world. This video is a 4-minute version of the original 7-minute song, both published by the T-Series music label company. The lyrics have been translated from Hindi into English and displayed on the video so that the wider audience can understand and appreciate the song better. For non-monetary, non-profit, cultural and educational purposes.

Click the link to watch the music video: https://youtu.be/YnBkKX772Js?si=HLjK1_kBaGZlM5Vs

Kun Faya Kun Dance Cover by Krithi Nathan, film Rockstar

'Kun Faya Kun', an Arabic phrase in Islamic theology, refers to the process of creation wherein God does not require tools or time; He simply wills a thing to exist by saying "Be". Sufis often interpret it as the power of divine love to transform a human heart or bring a soul back to its purpose. 

The phrase gained wider popularity in India through the song 'Kun Faya Kun' in the film Rockstar (Hindi, 2011). When the idea of using it for a song was suggested to composer A.R. Rahman, by Imtiaz Ali, writer and director of the film,  the former was initially reluctant as it is “the most sacred word in the holy book" but agreed when the latter assured him to be careful. Penned by Irshad Kamil, and sung by Rahman himself along with Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan, the song turned out to be a success. 

It's in the Qawwali genre, a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing that originated in the Indian subcontinent in late 13th century CE. The Delhi Sultanate's Sufi saint Amir Khusrow of the Chisti order of Sufis is credited with fusing the Persian, Arabic, Turkic, and Indian traditions to create Qawwali. Originally, musical instrument use in Qawwali was prohibited. Eventually, however, it found its way into Qawwali.

Ref: Wikipedia & Google

A.R. Rahman, who composed music for the film's songs and also did its background score, said in a video interview published on YouTube in May 2021, "O my God, everybody talks about this. Somebody from the West who doesn’t understand a word of it is responding to it. And in India, every faith, whether they are Muslims, Christians or... Hindus... And this is beyond politics”. 

This Saturday's music video on 'Timeless Music and Talks' is a stunningly beautiful dance cover for the essential parts of 'Kun Faya Kun' expressing its communion with the Divine by Krithi Nathan, trained in Indian classical dances, from Boston, USA. 

From her website danceinkritz.com: "Krithi is an active, passionate dancer from the Boston area who always endeavors to tell a personal narrative through her choreography and performance. Trained in Bharatnatyam from the age of 5 and Kathak since 2021, she credits classical dance to be the foundation of her skill". 

The Hindi and Arabic lines of the song have been traslated into English by referring to online translations and Google AI and displayed on the video for a wider audience to understand and appreciate them better.   

For non-monetary, non-profit, cultural and educational purposes.

Click the link to watch the music video: https://youtu.be/JxdxsCQOuMM

'Ruk Jana Nahin' with alternate visuals, film Imtihan & cover by Jaya

Ruk Jana Nahin is from Imtihan (Trial, Hindi movie, 1974) directed by Madan Sinha. Vinod Khanna, Tanuja and Bindu played the lead roles in the movie . The lyrics of the song were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri, the music was composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, and Kishore Kumar did the playback singing.

In the movie, the song plays in the background of the opening titles of the film as Pramod (Vindo Khanna) – an idealist son of a wealthy businessman who doesn’t want to live under the shadow of his father – appointed as a lecturer, journeys to join the college. The song introduces Pramod's philosophy of not being attached to wealth attained by birth and portrays him as a noble and happy soul whom even the sun doesn't scorch and bows to. 

Song situation/Movie synopsis: While working as a new lecturer in a college, the protagonist is falsely accused by a jealous female student who is the daughter of the chairman of the college. Added to that are troubles from a gang of students led by a rowdy and hostile faculty members. Pramod decides to quit, but Madhu, the Principal's daughter who loves him, tells she believes in him and stands by him. She advises him to prove the charges against him as false, so they don't have to leave but continue to live, together, in the same city. Pramod thanks her for showing the right path, gathers necessary evidence and proves to the college management that the allegations were fabricated. However, admitting that he failed in his attempts to reform the students, he resigns from the college and leaves. Madhu joins him in his onwards journey.   

It's an inspiring and educative film in which the hero,  – like Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who left behind his royal life in pursuit of truth, – leaves his prosperous family. But unlike the prince who became Buddha and preached of the illusion of the world, Pramod lives in the world by his ideals of truth and love and is not attached to the conventional position or security the society gives. 

Kishore Kumar’s rendering has a philosophical tone, and among the covers of the song, Jaya's cover conveys better the fighting spirit in the lyrics. This video of Timeless Music and Talks has parts from Jaya’s cover and, for the lines omitted by her, alterrnate visuals have been provided (movie footage can't be used as the titles roll throughout the song). YouTuber Amir’s cinematic visuals of his trek in the Himalayas [Amir Explores, July 2024] has been found apt and used as the alternate visuals, with gratitude. 

The Hindi lyrics of the song have been translated into English and displayed on the video to enable the wider audience to understand and appreciate it better. 

For non-profit cultural and educational purposes. 

Click to watch the video: https://youtu.be/OWtuz5_RTQQ

O Majhi Re, film Khushboo

 O Majhi Re! (O Boatman!) is a song from the movie Khushboo (Fragrance, Hindi, 1975). The film is based on a story by Bengali writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay from the early 20th century. This song by Gulzar is a renaissance poetry, as it evokes the ancient Indian view of life that prevailed prior to the illusionism of Buddha and Shankara of the recent millennia. 

The film's protagonist, Vrindavan, was married in his childhood to a girl child, Kusum. Child marriage was a practice resorted to by families in late mediaeval India. The justifications might be to protect the girl child from abduction by men from other castes or religions or powerful but aged men, invaders or bandits, or to prevent the girl from escaping family-arranged marriages by eloping with someone of her choice. The practice took away conscious consent of the women in her marriage and denied them education by confining them to domestic work. The practice was made illegal by the British Indian government due to a campaign against it by Bengali reformer Ram Mohan Roy.) But the family of Kusum left the boy's house, taking her to another village because they were accused by the boy's family of a crime they didn't commit. Vrindavan grew up, became a doctor and married a woman who was a child marriage victim and widow, and they had a boy child. As his wife died due to an illness, he was living alone with his son. While attending a patient in Kusum's village, Vrindavan and Kusum happened to meet. Kusum had become a beautiful woman but refused to marry anybody. The possibility of Vrindavan and Kusum's reunion arises but is still prevented by the memories of the old conflict between their families. A plague then strikes the village, and the people are falling dead or leaving. Kusum takes care of Vrindavan’s son, who had fallen sick, while he takes a boat to attend to patients somewhere, promising to return by nightfall. 

The song "O Majhi Re!" is Vrindavan's vision of life while sailing on the boat. It evokes the true ancient Indian view of life that prevailed prior to the illusionism of Buddha and Shankara of the recent millennia. The singer advises any boatman coasting by the shore that the real shore is the stream of the river itself and describes the confluence of the river streams as the true shore. The song is also indicative of the river of his life flowing towards a union with that of Kusum. 

Jeetendra and Hemamalini did the lead roles in the movie. Direction, screenplay, dialogues and songs of the movie were done by Gulzar. “O Majhi Re” is sung in the majestic voice of Kishore Kumar to the music set by R.D. Burman. 

The Hindi lyrics have been translated into English and displayed on the video to enable viewers not knowing Hindi to understand and appreciate the song better.

Copyrights belong to the original owners.

Click this link to watch (3 min : 25 sec) : https://youtu.be/ke540O-hbVc

The ‘Chitchor’ song

The song 'Gori tera gaon bada pyara' (Your village is so lovely, O fair one!) is from the film Chitchor (Thief of Heart, Hindi, 1976). It was the debut Hindi film for Malayalam playback singer K J Yesudas and he won the national best male playback singer award for the song. Ravindra Jain, who was born blind and yet became a professional musician, wrote lyrics of rich imagery and also composed the music for the song. The cinematography in widescreen—which was still new to Indian cinema those years and perhaps the first for a romantic musical film—by K.K. Mahajan presented better the natural surroundings and expressions of the actors. The film was directed by Basu Chatterjee. Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab, who were in the early phase of their careers, played the lead roles in the film outstandingly. Amol is an engineer visiting Zarina's village in connection with the construction of a new bridge and is enchanted by its beauty. Master Raju won the National Award for the Best Child Artist for his role. The movie Chitchor, produced by Rajshri Productions, opens with The Mother's picture and a dedication to her. I have translated the Hindi lyrics into English, incorporating knowledgeable corrections and suggestions to my draft kindly provided by Ashesh Joshi (Auroville), and displayed them as subtitles to enable the wider audience to understand and appreciate the song better. 

For non-profit cultural and educaitonal purposes

Click to view the video: https://youtu.be/JOmB1E7NNpw