Seven Pearls of Wisdom with Raj Kapoor songs

 

Raj Kapoor films have always had a strong core of philosophy. From the story to the dialogues to the lyrics, every aspect of his films tells us something about life, each film is an eye opener in some way. Here’s looking at some of his ‘pate ki baat’ from seven songs selected from his films.

1. Mud mud ke na dekh  (Shree 420)     1955

Singer: Manna Dey and Asha Bhosale

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

A village simpleton in the grasp of a conniving city. To his dismay, he realises that honesty is a burden that is holding him back. The metaphor of Vidya (Nargis) and Maya (Nadira) is played with finesse as we watch Raj’s struggle to choose a path. Mud mud ke na dekh gives voice to any temptation that we have faced in life. The urge to move on and achieve success is a powerful one and the lyrics play on every emotion that answers to that pull.

Duniyaa ke saath jo badaltaa jaaye
Jo iske dhaanche me hi dhaltaa jaaye
Duniyaa usiki hai jo chaltaa jaaye

Mud mud ke na dekh, mud mud ke
Mud mud ke na dekh, mud mud ke

 

2.  Dil ka haal sune dilwala  (Shree 420)    1955

Singer: Manna Dey

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

A quintessential Raj Kapoor song where he plays the common man, has a dafli in his hands and is singing life truths penned by his Kaviraj Shailendra. These are cinema magic moments, and they live on.

Sun lo magar yeh kisise na kehna,

Tinke ka leke sahara na behna

Bin mausam malhar na gaana

Aadhi raat ko matt chillana

Warna pakad lega policewala…..

 

3. Kisi ki muskaharoton pe      (Anari)       1959

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

If we are asked to think of a song that teaches us the best way to live life in a positive way, this song will probably be the first to come to mind for many of us. The straightforward and clear tone of the lyrics drives the point home clearly. This is the only song selected in this list which is not from a film made by Raj Kapoor but no list of philosophy of life by Raj Kapoor could be complete without this song. Mukesh lends a sincerity to this SJ tune and Raj Kapoor brings it alive on screen as only he can. A magical combination and a joy for us to hear and see for all time.

Mitte jo pyaar ke liye woh zindagi,
Jale bahaar ke liye woh zindagi
Kisi ko ho na ho hamein to aitbaar
Jeena isi ka naam hai…

 

4. Pyaar kar le nahin toh phaansi chadh jaayega (Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai)   1960

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

 

Very hard hitting lyrics as Raju tells dacoit Raka (Pran) to choose nonviolence and peace, by surrendering to police and choosing to give up a violent way of life.

jeet har saikdo teer se talwar se
jeet har saikdo teer se talwar se
mere sath muskura dil ko jeet pyar se
mere sath muskura dil ko jeet pyar se
vichar kar le, vichar kar le nahi to piche pachtayega….

 

5. Sajan re jhooth matt bolo        1966

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

 

Every song of this film is deeply embedded with life lessons. It was difficult to select just one song from this film. Be it Duniya banana waale or be it Sajanwa bairi ho gaye hamaar, all songs from this film are a textbook lesson on life.

Ladakpan khel mein khoya,
Jawaani neend bhar soyaa,
Budhaapa dekh kar royaa
Wahi kissaa puraanaa hai…..
Sajan re jhooth mat bolo

 

6. Pate ki baat kahega (Diwana) 1967

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

Pate ki baat are the pearls of wisdom about the philosophy of life that the Diwana states to people in this song. Another gem from the team of Raj Kapoor, Shankar Jaikishan, Shailendra and Mukesh. A very uplifting song that makes one realise the true value of things around us.

Char ke aath tu kar le,

Aath se saath tu kar le

Rahega phir bhi ye khali,

Pet ko lakh tu bhar le

Seekh le mann ko manana,

Sabar se kaam chalana,

Meri surat pe na jaana,

Meri surat pe na jaana

Pate ki baat kahega,

Kahega jab bhi deewana….

Pate ki baat

7. Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo  (Mera Naam Joker)   1970

Singer: Manna Dey

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Neeraj

 

This song is an eye opener for people who make the mistake of looking at life with rose tinted glasses and then wish they hadn’t done that. Raju, the joker, in Mera Naam Joker has seen life in its true colours, and he tells us that traversing the paths of life can be tricky at the best of times, and treacherous at the most. And yet, he tells us that such is life and we should live it with the courage needed to make a go of it.

A song deeply laden with philosophy, it tells us something new every time we hear it.

Girne se darta hai kyon,

Marne se darta hai kyon,

Thokar tu jab tak na khayega.

 Paas kisi gham ko na jab tak bulayega,

 Zindagi hai cheez kya nahin jaan paayegaa,

Rotaa huaa aaya hai, rotaa chalaa jaaegaa .

Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo

…

Seven hairstyles rocked by Hindi film actresses

From the early years,  the hairstyles we see on the screen on our Hindi film actresses are mostly what women in real life would be comfortable with in their daily lives. And yet, there have been actresses who have stepped out of their comfort zone in order to make a mark.

1. The soft short waves of Madhubala, Nargis, Geeta Bali

The reigning queens on the screen of that time had these short haircuts with soft, wavy hair, ideally suited for those moonlit songs with the hair backlit in those scenes. Nargis’ Koi mere dil mein (Andaz), Madhubala’s Aaiye meherbaan (Howrah bridge) and Geeta Balis’s Chandni raatein pyaar ki baatein (Jaal) come to mind.

The beauty of these hairstyles was enhanced a hundred-fold by the fact that the films were in black and white.

 

2. The Sadhana Cut

Although the Sadhana Cut owed its origin to the Audrey Hepburn haircut, Sadhana made this hairstyle famous in India as she made a glorious debut as Sonia in Love in Simla.  Sadhana was the fashion icon of the screen in those days with her churidars and her Audrey fringe. The film shows the progression of this haircut with a studied assurance, where her grandmother (played with aplomb by Durga Khote) decides to cut her granddaughter’s fringe while urging her to embrace her beauty and not hide it from the world. Love in Simla is a delightful film because of these slice of life moments. 

3. The Bedazzling Bouffant

This was one hairstyle that rocked the screen in the 60s and it was one that was admittedly very difficult to recreate for the young ladies in that decade. Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz and Asha Parekh were the trail blazers for the bouffant, with hair piled on the head and (I imagine) held there with generous whiffs of hair spray.  This helped them add a delicate rose, a pretty buckle or a beautiful bow. It must have been a bit of a nightmare with the amount of backcombing it would have needed but then , beauty always comes with a price and our Bollywood damsels stepped up to the challenge in full glory.

4. The Beauteous Beehive

For the uninitiated, the beehive may seem similar to the bouffant and it very nearly is. The big difference is that it leaves no scope for long hair to touch your shoulders as all is piled on top with the fervent hope that it stays there. This hairstyle owed its origin to Audrey Hepburn as well when she made it famous with Breakfast at Tiffanys but our stars gave it a glamour all its own. From Sharmila Tagore to Helen to Rakhee Gulzar, we saw the beehive buzz on the screen all through the 70s.

5. Two khubsoorat plaits of Rekha

Rekha reigned on the silver screen and her two plaits of Sun sun sun didi tere liye in Khubsoorat suddenly made an ordinary home hairstyle feel acceptable in public.

Sharmila Tagore further enhanced it in Mausam with Chhadi re chhadi kaisi gale mein padi. This hairstyle made a short comeback with Bhagyashree sporting two plaits in Maine Pyar Kiya. Although, by then, the days were probably gone when one could actually venture out with hair tightly tied in two plaits.

 

6. The straight silky locks of Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman

This was a wave of its own with all waves banished from the hair. Backcombing was booted out of the studio doors as the straight hair look with side bangs seeped into the screen.

Zeenat Aman in Chura liya (Yaadon Ki baarat) and Parveen Babi in Main to beghar hoon (Suhaag) made curls and waves a thing of the past. This trend carried on right upto Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure who kept the natural straight hair with side bangs look blazing.

7. The layers of Madhuri Dixit

The straight-haired look was beginning to rankle to many women who did not have ramrod straight locks. The straightener wasn’t so common then and it had reached a stage where there were women who believed that they were not beautiful if they didn’t have straight hair. In breezed Madhuri Dixit hair with steps or layers blow-dried to within an inch of their lives. These brought back the soft waves of the 50s. In a way, we were coming full circle. Black and white photos softly backlit make Madhubala and Madhuri Dixit seem to be from a similar decade, although they were not.

The decades of trending haircuts really ended here unless we count the perm of Pooja Bhatt in Dil Hai ke manta Nahin and Preity Zinta in Dil Chahta Hai. We have now come to an interesting phase where every actress has her own style and the character they play dictates their hair. Maybe this is a better time for all of us as each woman is now free to find her own comfort zone for her tresses, and thus reduce the stresses!

Do write in with your favourite Bollywood hairstyles in the comments!