Such a Soulful Song

  A song is never merely beautiful words set to a lovely tune. A song is always a memory, ma(r)king a mood. Yes, it is April 26 today, Aai's mensual death anniversary, and as usual, I would keep a fast today as I do every month, and on every twenty-first as that date marks Papa's death anniversary.

Today I would like to talk of a song she greatly loved. During her last stay in the Mangeshkar hospital, I played it once, and literally there was a unique feel then as if that song got played, as if in another world, with the ultimate sweetness accessible to Lataji's divine voice. That moment etched in  my very being gives me goosebumps even today.

Yes, the song I am referring to is "Aap ki nazron ne samza" from the film "Anapadh" (1961). It was her favourite. For many reasons! They were newly married, a little settled in life, blessed with toddlers, and, oh, yes, the simply exquisite words of this great ghazal capture that total, complete devotion, surrendering self, which the early phase of love pulsates with. 

Of course, every lyrical word by Raja Mahdi Ali Khan is set in this song to a literally hypnotic tune by the one and only Madan Mohan. The flute bar with which this song begins, I suppose, sets the magical mood of the intensity of a deeply felt love which permeates every line of each stanza of this great ghazal. 

One of the songs which make you fall in love with love itself! Each time I hear it, which is quite often, it floods my mindscape with an intense storm of most pleasantly painful feelings. No wonder, Shelley wrote, "music when soft voices die/lingers in the memory."

Pratima@Earlier once when she was hospitalised there, her gerontologist came for the usual morning round. As usual, my mobile was on the eternal music mode. Poor guy, he found it hard to concentrate while diagnosing his patient! 

Rather stiffly, and quite sternly,  he asked me to please switch the music off. While I did so immediately, within myself I burst with a huge laugh at the slight irony! Songs sure have souls which live on, long past any ''as it happened once upon a time"!