Song: “Rimzim Gire Saawan…”

Film: Manzil (1979)  

Producer : Raj Prakash, Jay Pawar, Rajiv suri

Director : Basu Chatterjee

Lyrics : Yogesh

Singers:  Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

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The song has two versions to it but not in the same mould of happy and sad as in case of most of them that have two versions. Here, though their mukhda is the same, they relate to two distinct situations or shall we say, stages of the story.

The Kishore Kumar version is more popular. It has lesser instruments than the other, which can be explained quite easily.

The film almost starts with the song. Amitabh is walking as if he has to reach some where in time, there is also a lady, Mousami, ahead of him. She feels that he is chasing her. She is going for a small party at her friend’s place. Interestingly, to her surprise she finds Amitabh to be the singer of the same mehfil.

The situation is of a small gathering or mehfil and as such not many instruments or orchestra is used. Instruments like sitar, tabla give it the character of the mehfil song. 

The first antara starts with poetic expression of rain and its facets like jab ghungroo-o-nsi bajati hai boonde… Watch out for the way he sings the words like, boon de and moo o nde e e. The variation in sulag s o o lag jaaye man is also quite fascinating.

Kishore sings like an exponent of light music. The pace of the tune is complimenting the words, which say that the hero is smitten by the charms of some stranger. He is feeling the bond being taking shape and hesitates as how to express it in front of the people around.

All this comes in front of you even if you don’t see the visuals. Half the work is done by the melody, the tune which is ever so flowing. Kishore Kumar as usual excels with his stamp of clean, romantic voice. And the words tell the rest.


The second version is also very interesting.

The heroine has undergone the most important change of her life. She is in love and everything around her seems to have transformed. Though she had witnessed various things previously, now the experience is totally new.

And this transformation is suitably presented with a little variation in the pace of the song. The orchestration also has a unique touch. Very upbeat to relate to the mood. The arrangement weaves pieces on guitar, violins and saxophone. A romantic stroll down the sea face, stretch of the road on one side and the stormy waves of the sea on the other. Rains and the breeze..

But it is not a normal rain song. No running around the trees in chiffons. This song is unique in a way that it has been rendered to give an urban feel. Yes, ye Mumbai ki bearish hai…

And the transformation is accentuated through the alaap, la la la la la la la which separates the then and now feeling.

Pehle bhi yun to bar se the baadal, pehle bhi yun hi to bheega tha aanchal...
la la la la la la la (followed by subtle notes on sax/flute) abke baras kyoon sajan sulag sulag jaaye man….

Lata quite effortlessly expresses the bliss of being on cloud nine and being drenched in the bliss of togetherness. Very little left to Amitabh and Mousami to emote on screen.

Both of the versions score fully on this account, one can get the complete canvass in front of him even without actual visuals.

And here is the tricky one…
Listen to both of them and decide which appeals to you more. I am sure, it is going to be a hell of a job. 
     

Mahesh Ketkar