Phaili hui hai sapano ki baha aaja chalde kahi door…… my dreams have no boundaries, with open arms they can reach the sky, the mountains, the soaring high tree tops. This celestial song is from the 1955 film “House No. 44.” The song takes you for a quick look of the world over the rainbow. The lyrics are one of the finest of Sahir Ludhiyanvi. His style of emoting love in the surroundings of nature was simply awesome. The song shows Kalpana Kartik – the heroine of the film swinging and dancing around tall and picturesque trees surrounded with mist …..The scene is breathtaking. Every single line of the song is inspirational and stirring.

The music composed by SD Burman and song sung by Lata Mangeshkar; Burmanda has composed some of the gems for Lata Mangeshkar which were so unique. Their combination   established him as one of the greatest composers of the Golden Era regardless of whether he matched the commercial success of his peers or not. The song’s tone is identical to Bhoop Kalyan raga. Some refer Bhoop Kalyan as Shuddha Kalyan. The fact is that Shuddha Kalyan is used by very intelligent musicians as this raga is aesthetically challenging with melodic subtleties.

The team of S.D – Sahir – Lata has together given unforgettable songs. I think only S.D.Burman could give classic touch to Sahir Ludhiyanvi’s lyrics. Zoola zalkata, dhire dhire hum zhoole, amabar toh kya hai taronke bhi lab choole! How blissful the song is! Sahir Ludhiyanvi could create magical songs and Burmanda could suitably compose those songs. The song is sublime one feels like swinging in mountains and trees….just like Kalpana Kartik does. Close your eyes and this song takes you on a beautiful trip. Lata has sung the song very evocatively.

It seems Burmanda was sort of restless man; he would hardly sit down with harmonium to compose his songs. He had said in some of his interviews that his best tunes came to him in a flash of brilliance, invariably when he would visit seashores on a long walk or drive. He had soul of a poet. He had a very definite idea of what a song would eventually look like on screen and he’d set it to music accordingly. Often, he would get upset at the way certain songs of his were picturized.  Even though SD Burman was 23 years senior to Lata Mangeshkar, their debut in Hindi films was almost simultaneous. It is said that Dada Burman was so pleased with Lata’s amazing rendition of this song that he rewarded her with one of his precious paans, a gesture that was considered to be SD Burman’s ultimate sign of appreciation.

Listen to this timeless song.

The feel of this song is unmatched. It seems when this song was being recorded, R. D. Burman was crying profusely and beating his hand on the wall praising Kishore Kumar’s versatility for singing this song so soulfully. On screen, you see Jitendra simply dressed, with spectacles standing on the boat and rendering this great number; there is no romancing, no glamour, no heroine in the scene (except twice Sari-clad simply dressed Hema Malini is shown separately in different shots) the song is just shot on a boat, rowed by a boatman(mazi).

River has a magical beauty, and it lends itself to a variety of metaphors. Its timeless flow denotes jeevan ki dhara. The river plays an important role in the country side. The rivers mark boundaries of villages; and are usually meeting place of lovers. Rivers play a significant role in our life. We therefore see many songs with river themes. Also, river water can inspire, soothe, cuddle and calm a person. I think river water has a musical feel which great composers like S.D.Burman, Salil Chowdhary, Hemant Kumar, R.D.Burman, Kalyanji Anandaji and Bhupen Hazarika have captured in their songs.

This song is from film Kushboo, based on the Bengali novel “Panditmashai” by Sharat Chadra Chattopadhyay. The film was released in 1975, produced by Prasan Kapoor and directed by Gulzarsab. The film’s music was composed by the great R.D.Burman.

The genre of the song is “Bhatiyali folk song.” Bengal has a vast coastal land with long rivers and sea. Hence you will see many Bhatiyali songs sung by boatmen. S.D Burman used to say that Bhatiyali has its roots in earth, flowers, sky, and river. The notations of Bhatiyali songs, its words, and its pathos have an enchanting interpretation reminding the listeners of the river, and the journey by river. Bhatiyali’s mood and its passion are immersed in philosophies of life.

‘O mazi re’ song is written by Gulzar Sab. The song is about life’s unstoppable journey without a shore and an anchor. The river has eroded many shores which are now flowing with the river. Life is like a paper boat which flows directionless and it can’t reach any shore. The lyrics are awesome describing the solitude and yearning of the protagonist of the film Jitendra (Dr. Brindavan) who is separated from his childhood love Hema Malini (Kusum). He is married but loses his wife and is lonely.

The song is sung by Kishore Kumar and is has a magical hollow effect on the listeners.  It seems when this song was being recorded the people present for recording were so much moved by Kishore Kumar’s singing that most of them burst into tears like R.D.Burman did. Kishore Kumar’s voice full of twinge and pathos had that magic effect on them. R.D always said that though Kishore was an untrained singer, he was like a volcano of talent, who could improvise any song incredibly and he would provide vocal insights and expression beyond the composer’s imagination.

Watch this soulfully magical song and enjoy few stirring moments.