Hindi film music
Bollywood songs as popular expression
The Bollywood songs (often termed "filmi songs") are heard far beyond the borders of India. The lines of Bollywood songs are some of the most memorized and repeated expressions in India. Yet, since Bollywood has not been considered formal literature, the lyrics of the Bollywood songs have not been studied in an academic setting.
The language of the filmi songs can be complex. It is termed Hindi in India and Urdu in Pakistan. Many songs are saturated with Farsi terms, others can be in shuddha Hindi. It is not uncommon now to see usage of English words. Several dialects have been used: Braj, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Rajasthani. Occasionally a few lines in another Indian language (for example in Jya Jale[1]), or even a foreign language are added for mystery ([2]).
The lyrics are both modern and traditional.
The Nine Rasas
A 'rasa' identifies the dominant emotion of a composition (a song or a text). In Sanskrit and Hindi literature, nine different types of Rasas are often enumerated.
- Shringar - love, sensuality and eroticism
- virah: separation
- milan: being together
- Raudra - anger, rage, and violence
- Hasya - laughter and happiness
- Vibhatsaya - disgust
- Veera - heroism
- Karuna - pathos and compassion
- Bhayanak - fear and anxiety
- Adabhuta- Wonder and curiosity
- Shanta - Contemplative and peaceful
This classification goes back to when the chief patrons of literature were kings and nobles. The filmi songs are however written for common people and thus there are some common themes that are often encountered -songs for children, songs of betrayal and dejection, marriage songs etc. that ordinary people can relate with.
Some popular representative songs
Segments of some representative songs are given here. Most of them are among the most popular ones, even the older ones would be immediately recognized by song lovers. The translations given are approximate. Many of the expressions used cannot be translated into English exactly, some of the translations are chosen to be literal.
jaane kyaa tuune kahii from Pyaasa (1957), by Sahir Ludhiyanavi
This classic song describes the onset of love.
जाने क्या तूने कही,
जाने क्या मैने सुनी
बात कुछ बन ही गयी
सनसनाहट सी हुई,
थरथराहट सी हुई
जाग उठे ख्वाब कई,
बात कुछ बन ही गयी
Translation:
- I don't know what you said, and don't know what I heard, but it happened.
- There was some stirring, I trembled, and many dreams arose.
The song hints at love and passion using simplest words, without using any equivalent of the term "love".
ai mere pyaare vatan from Kabuliwala (1961), by Prem Dhawan
The song expresses the yearning for the homeland by someone who has been away for a long time.
ऐ मेरे प्यारे वतन, ऐ मेरे बिछड़े चमन,
तुझ पे दिल क़ुरबान
तू ही मेरी आरज़ू, तू ही मेरी आबरू,
तू ही मेरी जान
तेरे दामन से जो आए उन हवाओं को सलाम, चूम लूँ मैं उस ज़ुबाँ को जिसपे आए तेरा नाम ...
Translation:
- O my beloved homeland, my distant paradise, I sacrifice my heart for you.
- You are my cherished desire, your are my honor, you are my life.
- I salute the breeze that has passed from your valleys, I will kiss anyone who will mention your name.
The language of this song has an Urdu flavor, the words vatan, chaman, qurban, arzu, abru are of Farsi/Arabic origin.
This is considered to be a song of "desh-bhakti" (patriotism, see List_of_patriotic_songs#India), the term vatan is taken to mean India. For overseas Indians, the song expresses their sentiments directly. For the original context of the song, please see the discussion about the movie Kabuliwala.
ab ke baras bhej bhaiya ko baabul from Bandini (1963), by Shailendra
This is popular song for the raksha-bandhan festival which falls in the month of Savan (Shravana). It is common for a married girl to visit her parent's family on this occasion, or at least send a rakhi for her brother.
अब के बरस भेज भैया को बाबुल,
सावन में लीजो बुलाय रे
लौटेंगी जब मेरे बचपन की सखीयाँ,
देजो संदेशा भैयाय रे
अब के बरस भेज भैया को बाबुल ...
अम्बुवा तले फिर से झूले पड़ेंगे,
रिमझिम पड़ेंगी फुहारें
लौटेंगी फिर तेरे आँगन में बाबुल,
सावन की ठंडी बहारें
छलके नयन मोरा कसके रे जियरा,
बचपन की जब याद आए रे
Translation:
- This year, Dad, send my brother to escort me home during Savan.
- All the girls I grew up with will also be back then.
- People will tie swings on the branches of the mango trees, and the rain showers will come
- In your courtyard , Dad, the cool breezes of Savan will return.
- I have tears in my eyes, and my heart pines,
- when I recall my childhood.
To convey the the early and folk emotions, the song uses local dialects (now sometimes used only in the villages). Much of it uses the Braj dialect, a western Hindi dialect, however ambua (mango, aam is standard Hindi) is eastern Hindi.
The word babul is now used only in songs. A marriage is a profundly sad occasion for a girl in India, that is when she leaves the shelter of her beloved babul to an unknown future.
chandan saa badan, chanchal chitavan from Saraswati Chandra (1968), by Indeevar
The song follows the classic milan theme of the shringar rasa.
चंदन सा बदन, चंचल चितवन,
धीरे से तेरा ये मुस्काना
मुझे दोष न देना जग वालों,
हो जाऊँ अगर मैं दीवाना
ये काम कमान भँवे तेरी,
पलकों के किनारे कजरारे,
माथे पर सिंदूरी सूरज,
होंठों पे दहकते अंगारे
Translation:
- Your body is like sandalwood, your naughly glances, your soft smile,
- People should not blame me if I become crazy,
- Your eye-brows like the bow of Kamadeva, dark edges of your eye-lids
- On your forehead, the sindur glows like the sun,your burning lips
The song is mostly in standard Hindi, although kajarare (dark with kohl, see [3]) is a folk term. The traditional nakh-shikh varnan theme is used. In Hindi poetry, the exchange of glances is considered to be among the most erotic part of flirting.
This song serves as the opening and close of the recent Hollywood movie Inside Man. The song is known for the A.R. Rahman's music, the words are somewhat mysterious.
जिनके सर हो इश्क़ की छांव
पावों के नीचे जन्नत होगी
चल छैयां छैयां, छैयां छैयां,
छैयां छैयां, छैयां छैयां
गुलपोश कभी इतरायें कहीं,
मह्के तो नज़र आ जाये कहीं
तावीज़ बनाके पहनूं उसे,
आयत की तरह मिल जाये कहीं
Translation:
- Whose head is in the shade of love, heaven is under his feet.
- Walk in the shade, remain in the shade,
- remain in the shade, remain in the shade.
- The flower-wearer walks around self-assured, I can spot him by the scent,
- I can wear him like an amulet, sometime I encounter him as a hymn.
Like the songs of Mirabai or works of several sufi poets, this song is dvayashraya kavya, it can be interpreted in two ways; as a worldly love song, or a song for the beloved lord.
Taviz is locket containg a paper with a sacred text as a charm. Ayat is a verse from the Koran.
Links
Also see
References
- The Indian Diaspora: Dynamics of Migration edited by Narayana Jayaram, p. 164 (Trinidad)
- Echoes from Dharamsala: Music in the Life of a Tibetan Refugee Community by Keila Diehl (Tibetan refugees)
- Music of Hindu Trinidad: Songs from the India Diaspora by Helen Myers
- Cassette Culture: Popular Music and Technology in North India by Peter Manuel
- World Music Volumn 2 Latin and North America Caribean India Asia and: Latin and North America,...by Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham (History)