Koi yeh kaise bataye ki woh tanha kyun hain?

Koi yeh kaise bataye ki woh tanha kyun hain?
Woh jo apna tha wohi aur kissi ka kyun hain?
Yehi duniya hain toh phir aissi yeh duniya kyun hain?
Yehi hota hain toh akhir yehi hota kyun hain?

Ikk zara haath bada de toh pakkad le daaman
Usske seene mein sama jaaye humari dhadkan
Itni qurbat hain toh phir faasla itna kyun hain?

Dil-e-barbaad se nikla nahin ab tak koi
Ikk lutey ghar pe diya karta hain dastak koi
Aas jo toot gayi phir se bandhaata kyun hain?

Tum masarrat ka kaho ya isse gham ka rishta
Kehte hain pyaar ka rishta hain janam ka rishta
Hai janam ka jo yeh rishta toh badalta kyun hain?

Movie: Arth (1982)
Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Singer: Jagjit Singh
Lyricist: Kaifi Azmi
Music Composers: Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh

Nope, I am not nursing a broken heart. My mood is again, I guess I’d call it a little literary, and wouldn’t you know it, I landed on another Kaifi Azmi number for the second week running.

This song is so simple but so evocative of the end of a cherished relationship. If love is indeed for a lifetime, why does it change? If there is so much intimacy, why is there so much distance? I am sitting here yet again enjoying someone’s pain or at least an artist’s encapsulation of it and feeling envy for the artist’s brilliance. That’s my mood today. 

And Jagjit Singh’s voice! Also, Smita Patil (who I hate to see cast as the villain of the piece) and Shabana Azmi both looking lovely! A beautiful song, in my opinion. I shall go hear it once again. ~ R