Sansar Hai Ek Nadiya Dukh Sukh Do Kinare Hain - Raftaar (1975)

मेरे प्रिय गीत (6)

I am writing a piece on a favourite song after a long gap. I was playing the collection of Mukesh on my Saregama Caravan. Those who have the instrument would know that you do not have any control over the order and choice of songs. They are randomly lined up by a software. Suddenly this song “संसार है एक नदिया दुःख सुख दो किनारे हैं’ from the film Raftaar (1975) came up and I was impulsively compelled to write this.

Although I was listening to this song after a long gap, I got reminded that this has been one of my most favorite songs of Mukesh. I realised how fond I had been of this song ever since it was released in 1975, when I was a teenager. My admiration for the song grew manifold as I started to understand the meaning of the lyrics from the viewpoint of a student of literature.

It is a purely personal choice because, to me, this song should be right up there among the top 5 or 10 songs of Mukesh and among the songs of the year 1975. However, if I try to match my personal preference with the popular choice, there would be a mismatch. Those days Binaca Geetmala, the most popular ranking program on radio, was the standard parameter. This song was not among the top 32 songs of the year and, if I recall correctly, not even a Sartaj Geet. 

The reasons are not difficult to understand. Firstly, the factors driving the mass appeal are not always the ingredients of the song in aesthetic terms. Secondly, those days, barring exceptions, the success of a song/album was directly linked to the success of the film. This film did not have a great run on the box office and the song failed to shoot up on the charts. Let us look at the basic information about the film. The movie was directed by Dinesh-Ramanesh (I do not think many would have heard the names), starring   Vinod Mehra, Moushumi Chatterjee, Danny Denzongpa and Madan Puri. Vinod Mehra was not a big draw at the box office, and never graduated to the big league as a solo lead. The film was a mediocre melodrama and got branded as a B Grade film, having average run in theatres. 

The music was composed by Sonik-Omi and the lyricist was Abhilash. As regards Sonik-Omi, in spite of composing some great songs in films like Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, Mahua and Dharma they were mostly stuck in B-Grade films. To their credit they have one of the best qawwalis ever - Raaz ki baat kah doon to (Dharma). As regards Abhilash, the lyricist, apart from this song, he has to his credit Itni Shakti Hame Dena Data (Ankush), one of the best ever bhajans in films. But, the fact remains, Sonik-Omi were no RD Burman or Laxmi-Pyare and Abhilash was no Anand Bakshi, and their names could not push the sales of albums. As I say this, I do not want to show any disrespect to them. But commercial success is documented and tangible. 

Now, let me discuss my reasons for loving the song. Basically I go for a song for three key ingredients – the quality of poetry, the quality of composition and, of course, the quality of rendition. The quality of picturisation would be an icing on the cake but these three are the main deciders.

I will discuss these elements in the reverse order, singers first. This song has been sung by Mukesh and Asha Bhosle, with chorus in support. I do not think my readers can recall many great duets of Asha-Mukesh. There may not be more than a couple of dozen songs sung together by them. I can list some popular ones: Phir na keeje meri gustaakh nigaahi ka gila, Nain tumhaare mazedaar o janaabe aali , Teetar ke do aage teetar , Wo subsh kabhi to aayegi , Hum dono milke kaaghaz pe dil ke. The two had their unique styles. Mukesh was master of melancholy, and his reputation rests predominantly on that. Asha Bhosle has, in an illustrious career of several decades, sung songs of every genre with remarkable ease but her best came in peppy songs. In this song, melancholic-philosophical in tone, Mukesh is at his best in a familiar terrain and Ashaji has complemented him absolutely superbly. So, the effect is magical.

 

As regards the tune, Sonik-Omi have composed this song in Raag Shivranjani in Kaherva taal, which is ideal for its soothing pace. This is a pretty good example of Shivranjani, mostly sticking to the standard notes with only minor deviations. The most remarkable feature of the composition is brilliant use of violin in solo pieces, in the opening instrumentation as well as between the stanzas, giving it a space independent of the multi-piece orchestra which accompanies the chorus. Those who have seen the movie would know that Madan Puri is a musician in the film and he is seen with a violin on the screen in the song. The song is a bit long with four stanzas but the composers have managed to retain absolute control throughout the song, which was quite remarkable during those days without computers aiding the recording. 

 

Now let me discuss the most important of the three reasons, my biggest reason for loving this song, the lyrics. Hindi film industry presents such a wide spectrum of lyrics. At one end of the spectrum are songs penned by poets and lyricists like Sahir, Shakeel, Kavi Pradeep, Shailendra, Neeraj and many more, which can qualify for genuine poetry of high order. At the other end you would find a lot of meaningless garbage without substance. This song is, in my view, genuine and sublime poetry with philosophical flavour. Let us discuss and analyse the lyrics.

 संसार है इक नदिया, दुःख-सुख दो किनारे हैं
ना जाने कहाँ जाएँ, हम बहते धारे हैं

These lines make a statement about man being driven by the vagaries of destiny and reminds me of the following Rubai of Omar Khayyam:

Into this Universe, and Why not knowing,
Nor Whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing:
     And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not Whither, willy-nilly blowing.

चलते हुए जीवन की, रफ़्तार में इक लय है

इक राग में एक सुर में, सँसार की हर शय है 
इक तार पे गर्दिश में, ये चाँद सितारे हैं

This stanza conveys that behind the apparent randomness there is a harmonious design, a pattern about everything in the universe. Once, while reading a poem titled The Rhythm Of Life by George Krokos, a contemporary Australian poet, I felt how similar was the poem to this stanza:

The rhythm of life is like an endless melody
and goes on regardless of where we might be.
Throughout the day and all during the night
it never stops tho’ it’s not obvious to sight.

धरती पे अम्बर की, आँखों से बरसती है

इक रोज़ यही बूँदें, फिर बादल बनती हैं

इस बनने बिगड़ने के, दस्तूर में सारे हैं

This stanza takes the philosophy of life to the next level, talking about the cyclic nature of creation, evaporation and recreation, about the indestructibility of the “elements”. The natural process of rain is symbolic of the essential processes of life. Having been a student of literature I often think about similar pieces. And this stanza reminds me of Walt Whitman’s poem The Voice of the Rain:

 I am the Poém of Earth, said the voice of the rain,

Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,

Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely formed, altogether changed, and yet the same,

I descend to lave the drouths, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,

And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn,

And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin, and make pure

and beautify it: 

How much more can be compressed in one song? In the next two stanzas we witness a switch – from the cosmic whole to the individual components, from the universe to the central component of the universe, the individual human being.

कोई भी किसी के लिए, अपना न पराया है

रिश्तों के उजाले में, हर आदमी साया है

कुदरत की भी देखो तो, ये खेल निराले हैं

The philosophical content of these lines is not as lofty as the first two stanzas. However, those who have watched the film would realise that these lines represent a transition establishing a new phase of relationship between the characters played by Madan Puri and Moushumi Chatterjee, both trapped in the agonies of the past.

है कौन वो दुनिया में, ना पाप किया जिसने

बिन उलझे काँटों से, हैं फूल चुने किसने

बेदाग नहीं कोई, यहाँ पापी सारे हैं

These lines make a very strong statement that the journey of life presents both – thorny pains and rosy delights. The lines inspire for continuing the journey of life with equanimity towards pains and pleasures as they unfold. Let there be no guilt for the errors and life must keep moving on.

Lastly, though the movie was a mediocre, run of the mill, melodrama, this song's picturisation is absolutely fantastic and both the actors are extremely impressive on the screen.

So, that is all about the song and its appeal. I doubt if the song has ever captured so much attention of my readers. Here is the YouTube link of the song. Please listen to it again, with a fresh outlook:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvZop3HFgwc

(For the trivia lovers here is some additional information. Mukesh has another brilliant song in Shivranjani to his credit - Kai Sadiyon Se Kai Janmon Se from film Milaap, another one set in Kaherva taal. If you hear the two songs one after another, the two sound so similar.)

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for illustration of the points. This blog claims no copyright over these, which rests with the respective owners.