A Song That 'Touches'

Not many are aware of this song from 'Black'(2005). The film had none, but the makers had composed this anyway. Not many modern Hindi songs are going to affect you as deeply as this. But again, this is not an easy one to appreciate either. It is almost outrageous, in the first hearing, lacking any conceivable rhythm, and blending styles from Western Classical to Hindi popular music, using Hindustani classical instruments with Western strings in a difficult-to-comprehend fashion. It also appears, like other Bhansali songs, that the poetry was written before setting it into tune. In the terms of medicine, we would call the rhythm of this song as 'irregularly irregular.' But then, it all makes sense. This song represents the soul of a girl who has never experienced sound, who has never had a glimpse of this beautiful world. A song with a regular rhythm and rhyme would have been unimaginative, and more importantly, unjust. The way this song flows, you can almost feel its voice, its poetry, and its tune in sync with its soul. You need a Sanjay Leela Bhansali for a song like this. Even a Rahman, I daresay, won't do.

For now, here is its poetry. I could almost feel Prasoon Joshi's bliss while writing this:

Mausam ki adla-badli mein pawan gulabi ho jati hai,
Haan maine chhoo kar dekha hai...
Raat sarak kar chalte-chalte bilkul aadhi ho jati hai,
Haan maine chhoo kar dekha hai...

Garam gunguni dhoop se baat ki hai maine,
Paani ke behne mein hansi suni hai maine,
Sab kehte hain deep bujha hai, lekin baati so jati hai,
Haan maine chhoo kar dekha hai...

Bin dastak ke aaye jo wo pyar suna hai,
Bin bole mann khole - wo adhikar suna hai,
Lamhon ki ungali tham ke yaadein aangan mein aa jati hain,
Haan maine chhoo kar dekha hai...

Thanda-thanda, boond-boond ka, mulayam rang hai phoolon ka...
Chubhne wale rang pehen kar dulhan saj-dhaj ke jati hai,
Haan maine chhoo kar...
Haan, haan maine dekha hai...