Dejection: A Ghazal

 Samuel Taylor Coleridge! One of the finest poets when it comes to world literature. A great critic, his poem "Dejection : An Ode" lends us the title of our blog today, dedicated to  one of Madan Mohan's most moving and intense ghazals. The occasion is the birth anniversary of the master(ful) musician. 

Undoubtedly, Madan Mohan is the ultimate maestro when it comes to filmy ghazals. Each one of his masterpieces is the best example of the genre. Yet no song can match the unforgettable magic of "aaj socha to aansu bhar aaye." It captures the acute pangs of loss, the deep tragedy of a haunting personal ruin through words and notes that wring the most delicate strings of the soul.

"Aaj socha to" is a ghazal from the 1973 film "Hasante Jakhm." In fact, all the songs from this film, such as the feisty n yet full of deep emotions "tum jo mil gaye ho", are simply great. Yet the unmatched "Aaj socha to" would be one of the top five songs of Madan Mohan's entire oeuvre.

To begin with, it is a lovely lyric by Kaifi  Azmi who manages to capture the pathos of bereavement. True, I have not watched the movie. I would not hence know how the song reflects the feel in the film. Yet allow me to say that the  deep intensity of the song as a poem, as a ghazal overflows the film-y  frame. Its emotional timbre captures the lament of each emotional wound n every soul-wrenching hurt. 

Latadi's melodious notes portray this poignant anguish most meaningfully. She so sings each 'sur' that agony itself comes alive in every line. Each repetition unravels anew the pain pulsating in every word.

The allure of the song, however, is the unique magical touch of Madan Mohan's composition. He has used Rais Khan's sitar as the interlude most evocatively. It compliments the melancholy of Lataji's notes most lyrically. 

Madan Mohan implements Raag Shivranjani to reflect the profound pain. Apparently, the raag is a late evening raag. Yet Madan Mohan's Midas touch so embellishes it that it becomes an anthem of each woe any time everywhere. 

In brief, this unique song so gives a voice to acute pangs that each eye fills with unshed tears as its tragic mood envelops the mindscape of every listener. Hence this thankful tribute to Madan Mohan, the magician of mood music, on the occasion of his birth anniversary!

Pratima@ No wonder, Madan Mohan  continues to be a legend because his songs provide in abundance "the pleasure of being sad" as Victor Hugo would put it.

Quote of the day:                                                           "She smiles a lot,/too much,/and her eyes hold/a melancholy about them -/ kindness masking sadness. / I hope to live / with as much/ bravery one day."  Touché, Louis Innis.

Word of the day: poignant                                        Poignant refers to an experience/ memory that evokes a keen, piercing emotion, most commonly a feeling of deep sadness, regret, or tenderness that touches your heart  most profoundly.

'Single'!!!

 Being single and not ready to mingle? For the rest of the world, that is quite some tingle (in the Marathi sense of the word, too!) First and foremost, you are a terrible threat to almost all. There is no knowing how and why. 

You are efficiently managing your home, you are quite good at your work/profession, you are excellent at all your avocations, you do not bother even an ant as if you are following the white stripes meant for the 'muni's' in Mumbai, and yet for most all, you are a discomfort. 

In fact, most everyone keeps a close watch on you as if they are the gestapo guarding a particularly rebellious Jew, a tribe if there was any during the Holocaust. What you wear, which veggies/fruits you buy, where you go when n why, what did you say to the "ghanta gadi mavashi", these mock gurkha-guards are forever following your every move(ment). 

It is obvious, these poor devils, they do not have anything to do. Their own lives are such that even boredom would be tired of being bored. The single person hence is their target, and rather an easy one, they think, because in their stupid no-brainer mode, there is no one to stand up for/support the single(s), especially a woman. 

No, no, no, they cannot even imagine helping out even in any smallest way. When would they have time, poor souls, they are gossiping the whole day about someone or the other, prefarably, of course, about everyone, excluding hopefully their own selves. They might even be indulging in this activity last mentioned because such dim-wits think that any mention, whether good or bad, is publicity. Who cares, if it is cheap!?!

They think they know when you slept, at night, in the afternoon, why, when you woke up, and in such wrong details that at times, you feel like walking up to them, and saying, "Do take some rest. You must be tired after this strict watch over me, day in and night out! Go off to sleep, now that your drunken drawl drooled enough, okay?" 

Sure you choose to laugh off, despite your irritation, the creeps' 'single'-minded watch over you because you realise how precious you are to their worthless lives! Next, you also thank your stars that you are not a single woman in a village, a widow suddenly forced to take care of her entire world, now that her husband chose the escape of a suicide. Your heart 'single'-mindedly goes out to the plight of such a woman, and you start thinking of 'singularly' reaching out to her, and others suffering the same way. Single is this simple!

Pratima@ What most brainless booby-traps do not undrstand that there is a huge, a Himalayan difference between being lonely, and alone. Poor devils of all sexes, they are lonely in all their relationships, especially with their own selves! 

Quote of the day:                                                         "If you make friends with yourself, you will never be lonely"."Learning how to be alone is a powerful skill. The only dates I never ever cancel are the ones with myself." Author anonymous.

Word of the day: solitude                                          Solitude is the state of being alone, often associated with a peaceful, calm, and positive environment. Unlike loneliness (which implies a painful feeling of being isolated), solitude is a deliberate, constructive choice to step away from social engagement in order to focus, reflect, and recharge.

Humanist, hey!?!

 June 21 is celebrated the World over as the Humanist Day. As June 21 this year was crowded, nay, jam-packed with all sorts of 'days', I had decided to address each one by one. 

Believe me though, I just could not bring myself to write about 'humanism'. Want to know why? Well, just look about and see what is happening around us. Pune is being tarnished the second time the world over, and this time, the issue involved is inhuman. 

Yes, Pune, once known as the "Oxford of the East", as the maternal home of knowledge itself, got besmirched as the city of money-minded and influence-obsessed (paper) leak "masters''! Apparently, many more teachers (how to call them so, is indeed a moot question) from famous colleges are involved, too. 

As if that infamy was not enough, here comes Sonam Junior! In fact, this woman has the gall to admit that she was 'inspired' by the Sonam-Raja Raghuvanshi sordid saga!! Yes, indeed, I am referring to the diabolical plan hatched by Siya Goyal!!! 

How can anyone be just twenty, and yet so harshly horribly inhuman? At twenty, one is supposedly brimming over with idea(l)s, aspirations, principles, with the intense enthusiasm to take on the world in search of justice, equality, fraternity, for instance! 

And here is this virago (how to call her a young girl?) deliberately in detail planning, with the able assistance of her paramour, the murder of the poor fiancé! Where/What was the need? If she could plot n kill, why could not she stand up to the parental pressure not to marry the lover boy!?! Why ruin lives who meant well by her, the would-be who humoured her every wish despite doubts, his entire family, in fact! What has society indeed descended down to!

Yes, even in my generation, there have been diabolical daughters-in-law who subtly but most viciously and absolutely wickedly made the lives of the unfortunate in-laws in to sheer hell. Yet even these shrewd shrews, mostly married in their mid-twenties, hardly had the infinite audacity to thus plan n kill!

 Sure, those toughies tried their level best to ruin reputations!! Yet even they might not match up to Sia's n Sonam's, the 'blue drum' types of today! Moreover, they thus managed complete control over the 'hubby', whom they could treat like a puppet whose strings were attached to the finger tips of those wily wifey's and their maternal families! They lorded it, every which way! What has Sia accomplished? A life term, if not a death sentence, for self and hood(ed)y-wallah?

In such contexts, how to extol humanism? A distant parallel would be writing  pretty little stories of love n piety n types to glorify the Nazis! Let me instead repeat Macduff's response in "Macbeth" when he sees the assassinated body of King Duncan, "horror, horror, horror!"                                                                  "HORROR!" And all is thus said! 

Pratima@ Anyways, World Humanist Day,  celebrated annually on June 21, is "a global holiday dedicated to raising awareness of humanism as a philosophical life stance and promoting rational thinking, human rights, and ethical values." 

Quote of the day:                                                         "To insult someone we call him 'bestial.' For deliberate cruelty and (wicked) nature, 'human' might be the greater insult." Isaac Asimov IS indeed a creative thinker!

Word of the day:  fiend/she-devil                           Fiend/she-devil is a diabolical or wickedly cruel person, a particularly fierce, evil, or shrewish woman.                                                                     In brief, she may simper and smile, and yet be a vamp!

'International' Yoga

June 21 this year was special. Nature-wise, it was the Summer Solstice Day. Family-wise, it was the Father's Day. Community-wise, it was the Yoga Day. Arts-wise, it was the Music Day. Nations-wise, it was the Humanist day. For me personally, it was Papa's death anniversary.

Hence our blog on Saturday was about music. Yesterday, it was dedicated to Papa, and hence to fatherhood. Today, let us talk about yoga, and tomorrow about humanism.

The very air breathed yoga yesterday, what with the P.M's grand show at Kolkata, not to mention very many "world record" types online and offline. There were news after news inputs about the huge celebrations all over the world, not to forget in each college and every colony. Nice to see that health and wellness matter so much in our era of tensions and troubles.

What exactly does the word, and the involved practice therein realy mean? "Yoga" is a Sanskrit noun which comes from the verb "yuj" which means to join. Actually, hence, "yoga", of which there are many types, means joining of the body and soul. It is a forever practice. 

Honestly hence I am a little wary of the "world record" types. May be, it is my problem that I am never ever comfortable with mere quantity. Quality should matter more, right? Happier I am with my small little but effective regimen! Long live the committed yoga practice, right? 

Pratima@ Sure, the online experts do provide practice, suggestions, models for the less action-oriented version of yoga. Even then it is a one way track. The trainer can never see your errors of posture, et al! In the process, all good intentions might result in some sprain, not to forget some major injury/ hurt/harm, right? 

Quote of the day:                                                           "Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” says the Bhagavad Gita. 

Word of the day: yoga definition                                Yoga is an ancient discipline from India that unifies the mind, body, and spirit. It blends physical postures (asanas), controlled breathing (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana) to build strength, enhance flexibility, and promote relaxation

Soupçon continues ... anew!

                       Soupçon III                                                      In Memoriam Series                                                            III.i

Now that the MCQ Series, meant as a help for those preparing for the NET exam, is through, let us resume Soupçon in its original form, that is, as a forum to discuss, analyse, understand literary issues. 

Let us henceforth begin the "In Memoriam" series. We would thus meet the literary greats, be it authors, texts, mo(ve)ments, whose respective anniversaries announce a welcome chance to get to know them better. Each week, Monday through Friday, the discussion would continue. It has no weekly barrier though. That is to say, the analysis could spill over in to weeks, nay, even in months, if necessary.

 Let us begin the series with "Gulliver's Travels", a text that was published in 1726, exactly three hundred years ago, and still has us all in thrall. 

For Papa!

 At the Kedarnath! Some 11,755 feet above the sea level. Clouds are afloat, all around me. Enveloping everything! Yet as visible as the divine mandir is the Bhim Sheela. Like Papa! Come any deluge, he would be there. Rushing in to protect, to preserve, to safeguard. THE fortifying bastion, and forever! 

Yes, throughout the Chardham Yatra, I remembered Papa constantly. I marvelled at  his tolerance, his physical endurance, his patience in undertaking such a difficult journey all alone. Of course, I felt furious, too, that he had gone there without much precise preparation. 

But that was Papa! Forever self-effacing, eternally selfless, always concerned only about our welfare. And, sure, he had his profound faith, though he was in no way superstitious. I suppose, such a deep belief sustains. No wonder, when he lost his way a little near the Kedarnath temple, the Shiva principle incarnate guided him back to safety. 

Honestly, it was for his sake that I went to Gangasagar. Yet again, there, too, I admired his fortitude. He was brave indeed, never allowed any difficulty to discourage  him. 

Basically, however, he was very kind, gentle and considerate. He never ever even once slapped any one of us, forget beating up, et al. Sure, there was discipline, with D capital. It was, however, administered in a way that was gracious, generous and warm. Not only as a father, as a family man, but also as an officer, he was integrity, straightforwardness and commitment personified. 

Sure, he was never ever superficial, flippant, shallow. Yet he had a sharp sense of humour. He loved music, writing, social service, and in a disciplined way. On June 21, which is his death anniversary, and this year, the Father's Day, too, here is stating in font size seventy two, and bolded, moreover, that I am extremely proud that I am R. M.'s daughter! 

Pratima@ It is one of my utmost blessed n happiest moments that my first publications, both in Marathi (Maharashtra Times) and in English (The New Indian Express), appeared in print on Papa's birthday. 

Quote of the day:                                                        "When my father didn't hold my hand, he had my back," writes Linda Poindexter. I could not agree more with her. 

Word of the day:                                                           Jayu, R.M's daughter, that is, I, Pratima Ramchandra Agnihotri! 

On the eve of June 21

 June 21 is indeed unique. Yes, it is on June 21 that the summer solstice takes place. In other words, it is the biggest, largest, longest day of the year. Like the heart of a father! 

Yes, this year, on June 21, falls the Father's Day. For me personally, June 21 is always special because June 21 is Papa's death anniversary. Hence tomorrow I shall write about Papa.

Today, on the eve of June 21, because June 21 is also the World Music Day, let me talk about 'natya sangeet', which Papa loved hugely.

Papa had heard Bal Gandharva himself  sing, perform on stage his famous lead lady roles. As he was very young, when Deenanath passed away, he never witnessed Deenanath perform. Yet he liked a lot the Deenanath mode of singing. In brief, Papa loved 'natya sangeet'.

'Natya sangeet', the gift of Maharashtra to the music world, is indeed unique. These songs are an inextricable and apt part of the dialogue of that particular play. Yet they are great music by themselves, too. Most often based on some raagdari cheez, the natya geet is a unique combination of the deep meaning of the dramatic dialogues, 'sur' or musical notes n rhythm.

Actually, these excellent musical pieces were in their immediate context a critique  of the colonial India. "Parwashta: pash", which Papa liked a lot, was in fact suspiciously  banned by the British who were wary of those night-long performances with any number of encores.  Entertainment, in those days charged with national fervour, was education, too! Happy world music day!

Pratima@ Rahul Deshpande has revived the great natya sangeet, nay, the traditional Marathi theatre itself. He deserves our heart felt thanks!

Quote of the day:                                                          Says Diane Paulus, "Opera is the ultimate art form. It has singing and music and dance and drama and emotions and story." Replace 'opera' with 'Marathi sangeet natak ', add 'humour', and you have a ready definition of the great Marathi tradition.

Word of the day: sonorous                                      Sonorous is an adjective used to describe sounds that are rich, deep, resonant, and full. It can also describe speech or writing that has an imposing, grand, or impressive style.