Lurker Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 ..probably the most discussed line in Hindi cinema songs, and yet remains unanswered and intriguing as always. Ek sau solah ki chaand ki raatein ek tumhare kaandhe ka til... The first time I heard this song (Mera kuch Samaan) was when the elderly Bengali properitor of the music shop gave a set of free casettes along with the Phillips tape deck that we had purchased. Ijazat was one of the tapes (back then on HMV, these days it goes by Saregama). Ironically, or maybe not, back then the other song from the movie - Chotti ki Kahani se the more peppy number was what we kids loved but still this song touched a chord some place. To my knowledge ever since I can remember Mera Kuch samaan has been a legend. It was the legend the very year it came on, and remains many years later. It may or may not be Gulzar saab's best work but this very well may be the song with which he would be remembered by. It needs to be said that when Gulzar had brought his song to RD Burman, RDB had famously thrown back the song at him with a - Kal Times of India ka newspaper bhi le aaoge tum. But then he settled down brought his tabla and santoor and the rest is history. So what is Ek sau solah chaand ki raatein? Interpretations have ranged from 116 days of moon, close to 4 months of a passionate relationship that leaves a mark on you forever. The other interpretation is 116 full moon nights accounts to about 9 or so years. The same number, 9 years, also used by Gulzar saab in Aandhi (Sanjeev Kumar - Magar is baar Amavashya bahut lambi thi...Suchitra Sen - 9 saal lambhi thi na?) There is also the thought that it is not the number, but the thought that the person remembers you by the exact number of days he has known you by that shows her depth of feelings. Gulzaar's response has typically been that of not letting out much, every man has his own muse..and secrets. The movie itself is stellar. This would perhaps be considered Rekha's seminal work (alongside Umrao Jaan). She played a very possessive wife who is not willing to see his husband torn between her and his ex, and she played perfectly. She comes into her own more towards the end (you will have to see the movie to get what I mean). Nasseruddin Shah was great (when is he not)? The surprising package was Anuradha Patel who played the bohemian girl in love with Nasser but equally prone to go missing if she fancied. The ek sau solah part is her way of being so madly in love with Nasser that she puts a hole on his tshirt so she can look at til whenever she can! A word of mention also for Shashi Kapoor who shows up for a minute and runs aways with all your affection. His exchange of looks with Naseer is breathtaking. Ek akeli chatri mein jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the aadhe sookhe aadhe geele, sukha to main le aayi thi geela man shayad bistar ke paas pada ho..woh bhijwa do. 9mjFCidDpcY
CasualVisitor Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 The movie itself is stellar. +1000 to that and a song. Very few movies have made me cry like a baby and this is one of them. When my mom asked what happened, I couldn't utter a word. :hatsoff: to its makers.
DomainK Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 Good post Lurker. Amazing movies and amazing songs. That scene before the song summerizes the movie well. I saw the movie long back when I was a kid. Still remember that last scene where Rekha, now remarried, goes and touches Naseer's feet with Shahshi Kapoor watching from a distance. Anuradha Patel left a permanent mark in the my mind. The endless love, the sacrifices, the mix of bliss and restless pain, she was amazing. This song proves why Gulzaar is the most fascinating lyricist ever.
Nova Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 I didn't know about this song or movie. Will watch the movie now.
Nova Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 movie name is 'Mera Kuchh Saamaan'? Ijaazat tx35j27KFIo
nikred Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 Mere kuch samaan as in Some of my Stuff? :blink:
Clarke Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 The movie shines with its simplicity, feels very real and is a breath of fresh air.
veer Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 I have not watched this movie.. but just love this song. Seems like the movie is good as well. Bring back good ol' hindi music.. with meaningful lyrics instead of zhandu balms/fevicols
Lord Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 I have not watched this movie.. but just love this song. Seems like the movie is good as well. Bring back good ol' hindi music.. with meaningful lyrics instead of zhandu balms/fevicols bang on,I was listening to this song today and thought the same as how meaningful the songs used to be instead of today's pathetic excuse of songs yn4-gFQXDpk
coffee_rules Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 Loved the movie, songs of the movie. The best combination of Gulzar, RDB and Asha. Only to top that is with Lata. Only gripe I have is for the word Samaan, not being very poetic. Also, in my language (Kannada) slang, it means "junk". So, a lot of snickers, nudges were done when the song is mentioned. Replace it with Cheez, amulya, vastu etc.
Lurker Posted February 13, 2013 Author Posted February 13, 2013 +1000 to that and a song. Very few movies have made me cry like a baby and this is one of them. When my mom asked what happened' date=' I couldn't utter a word. :hatsoff: to its makers.[/quote'] Touching movie, isn't it Casual visitor? It is one of those movies that I have personally understood better as life passed by.
Lurker Posted February 13, 2013 Author Posted February 13, 2013 Good post Lurker. Amazing movies and amazing songs. That scene before the song summerizes the movie well. I saw the movie long back when I was a kid. Still remember that last scene where Rekha' date= now remarried, goes and touches Naseer's feet with Shahshi Kapoor watching from a distance. That is a very telling scene, specially because both female protagonist, Rekha and Anuradha Patel, are fiercly independent and in that shot Rekha does not do it for the whole traditional reasons, her reasons are very much her own. Anuradha Patel left a permanent mark in the my mind. The endless love, the sacrifices, the mix of bliss and restless pain, she was amazing. Anuradha Patel's character is perhaps one of the first bohemian feminist kind in Hindi movie. You can probably add Suchitra Sen in Aandhi but that was feminine yes but not so much bohemian. This is a special character really. She loves Mahendra (Nasseruddin Shah) faultlessly, treasures him and yet goes away when she needs to. Even during this song there is very little remorse/sadness, if anything it is a celebration of heartbreak in a way.
Lurker Posted February 13, 2013 Author Posted February 13, 2013 bang on,I was listening to this song today and thought the same as how meaningful the songs used to be instead of today's pathetic excuse of songs Anup Ghoshal's version is lot better than Lata Mangeshkar. Not sure why. There are moments when he drops his voice just a bit,like towards the end with Ek aansoo chupa ke rekha tha which just touches you..
Lord Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 Anup Ghoshal's version is lot better than Lata Mangeshkar. Not sure why. There are moments when he drops his voice just a bit' date='like towards the end with [i']Ek aansoo chupa ke rekha tha which just touches you.. yeah that is just awesome.I dont know why he didnt do many Hindi songs.maybe you can tell me. on another note,Naseer was fantastic in that movie too:hatsoff:
Lurker Posted February 13, 2013 Author Posted February 13, 2013 Loved the movie' date=' songs of the movie. The best combination of Gulzar, RDB and Asha. Only to top that is with Lata. [b']Only gripe I have is for the word Samaan, not being very poetic. Also, in my language (Kannada) slang, it means "junk". So, a lot of snickers, nudges were done when the song is mentioned. Replace it with Cheez, amulya, vastu etc. Samaan is perhaps used because it can encompass so many emotions/things. In the song it is lot less about any material loss but more emotions/memory. It is about splitting athanee which was given to the cops, about sound of falling leaves, endless nights spent writing letters etc. Samaan works well. Junk in Kannada :haha:
Lurker Posted February 13, 2013 Author Posted February 13, 2013 yeah that is just awesome.I dont know why he didnt do many Hindi songs.maybe you can tell me. on another note' date='Naseer was fantastic in that movie too[/quote'] Not really sure. He was pretty big in West Bengal so maybe did not want to give that up and start from the ground. He was also bit political in nature (he is a MLA now I beleive) so that may have made him stay back home.
The Outsider Posted February 13, 2013 Posted February 13, 2013 Thanks for the write up Lurker. Not sure if you know this already, but there is a wonderful anecdote regarding this song narrated by Gulzar. He said that once he had written the mukhda and one antra he went to RD Burman to start composing the music to it, and RD Burman was flabbergasted and indignant. He told Gulzar, "Kal ko Times of India ki headline le aaoge, aur bologe uspe music compose karne ko". "Mera Kuch Samaan Tumhare Paas Pada Hai Saawan Ke Kuch Bheege Bheege Din Rakhe Hain Aur mere is Khat mein lipti raat padi hai Woh raat bhujaa do Mera Kuch Samaan Lauta do" "Kuch lay nahin hai, kuch rhyme nahin hai", is what RD Burman said. The irony as Gulzar mentioned was that despite composing music to lyrics which have none of the traditional rhyme, it was Gulzar and Asha Bhosle who bagged the National Awards and RD Burman did not get anything.
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