Monday, September 6, 2010

Dil to Bachcha Hai Jee

After years, even a decade perhaps, found a song that feels like sunshine on a naughty river. It’s like that warm sunlight that makes me happy no matter where and how I meet it. Whether I am sitting on the terrace of my grandmother’s 18th-century house, amidst poppadums and pickles....or on a beach looking at happy lovers holding hands and sharing candy floss, sunlight always makes me happy.
So does this song.

When the rest of the world seems to be gushing about the latest in sound technology, digitally morphed voice tones that sound almost robotic, this song uses the most archaic of musical instruments...flutes and even a harmonium I think. Its utterly hummable melody reminds me of an abandoned tree trunk...untouched, raw, unpolished, yet majestic in its sheer strength of character.

It woos me with the innocence of a black and white Bollywood movie:
...when heroines were still coy and heroes were content writing pages of poetry on their beloved’s eyelash...
...when “sweet” was more attractive than “sexy” and “melody” reigned over “beat”...
...when songs were songs and not item numbers...
...and music was happy being just the “food of love”...not a political statement or a voice of the materialistic world...
It takes me to such a time....

But today, when the sky was dark and sunshine was on a holiday, the song did something that it hadn’t done the numerous other times I listened to it. It made me think...it made me sad.

Old age doesn’t scare me. But what if I am too young to understand it? What if I am naive in not being scared? As if aching joints and coughing all night weren’t bad enough...life in old age is like living in a courtroom. You wear red...the world will call you garish and unsophisticated. You enjoy food...the word will call you gluttonous. You fall in love...the world will prosecute you with the meanest of comments.
What if this isn’t a happy song at all?
Can someone please listen to it and tell me if it's supposed to be sad or happy?

Koi to rokey, koi to tokey
Is umra mein ab khao ge dhokey
Dar lagta hai ishq karne me jee
Dil to bachcha hai jee


5 comments:

Debanjana said...

Very nicely written, and yes, the simplicity of this song is haunting!

Wouldn't be able to tell if if it's a sad or a happy song...makes me melancholic, in a feel-good way...

manikarn said...

Being happy in spite of everything? That's how I felt. One of my favorites too :)

Madmax said...

One word. Splendid. Absolutely vintage Tuli. Darun hoyeche.

Scribbler :) said...

@Debanjana - Thanks! And yes "melancholic" is the word I was looking for.

@Manikarn - Perhaps. What if being sad wasn't an option at all? That would be pretty cool, no?

@Madmax - The song or the post? :)

Scribbler :) said...

@Madmax - In fact, I should be thanking you for pointing me to that link with all the radio channels. That's how I know more Hindi songs now than I did a few months back.