Karvaten Badalte Rahe Lyrics and Translation: Let’s Learn Urdu-Hindi

Posted on January 13, 2013 by mrandmrs55

Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz frolic in pre-marital bliss in the title track from Aap Ki Qasam (1974)

Today, we present the lyrics and English translation to the title track from Aap Ki Qasam (1974): karvate.n badalte rahe.n. Directed by J. Om Prakash, this film stars Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, and Sanjeev Kumar in a story that illustrates how suspicion can be the ultimate enemy to marital bliss.

As Mumtaz’s jealous husband, Rajesh Khanna begins to doubt his wife’s fidelity when his best friend Sanjeev Kumar comes into the picture. Although Mumtaz and Sanjeev Kumar share a platonic brother-sister friendship, Rajesh Khanna’s suspicion blinds him from reality until he destroys his own marriage. Refusing to dignify the false accusations of infidelity placed on her with a response, Mumtaz leaves him and returns to her father’s home. When she realizes that she is pregnant with Rajesh Khanna’s daughter, she enters a second marriage (with her father’s blessings!) so that her child can be raised in a loving home. In the mean time, Rajesh Khanna comes to his senses and realizes that his suspicion towards his wife was misguided. Unable to apologize properly to Mumtaz for his unacceptable behavior, guilt drives Rajesh Khanna to become a homeless wanderer. Several years later, Mumtaz invites him to his daughter’s wedding where all parties receive closure of sorts. However, a tragedy strikes to create an ending that seeps with melodrama in true Bollywood fashion.

Aap Ki Qasam is remarkable in its portrayal of marital suspicion for avoiding the chauvinistic bias present in similar films of this era. Typically, female characters accused of infidelity were vilified and forced to appease their husbands regardless of whether the accusations placed upon them were were valid or not. This film breaks the patii-parameshvar (husband is God) mold by supporting a woman’s right to leave an unhappy marriage in which she is treated disrespectfully by her husband. In particular, the support that Mumtaz receives from her father (played by Rehman) in divorcing her husband and entering a second marriage is unusually refreshing for this period of cinematic history. Although it can be argued that Mumtaz’s father makes much of the decisions for her, the fact that she is not compelled to beg for forgiveness at her husband’s feet is sufficiently progressive to merit attention. Indeed, valuing a woman’s dignity and self-worth over her duty to preserve a dysfunctional marriage is the ground-breaking message that makes Aap Ki Qasam stand out among other movies from this time.

In addition to being a cherished Rajesh Khanna-Mumtaz hit, this film is remembered today for its fantastic soundtrack composed by R.D. Burman. Aside from the Pahadi-based duet sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar presented here, this album contains the popular duets “suno, haa.n kaho,” “jai jai shiv sha.nkar,” “paas nahii.n aanaa,” the beautiful Lata solo “chorii chorii chup ke chup ke,” and the philosophical Kishore solo “zindagii ke safar me.n.” Anand Bakshi’s lyrics in “karvate.n badalte rahe.n” are marked by simplicity in their expression of the romance and trust shared between two lovers as they yearn in separation. Moreover, the beautiful snow-filled Himalayan landscape and the on-screen chemistry exhibited by Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz add to the appeal of this duet.

Finally, as an aside, the 1973 BBC documentary Bombay Superstar profiling Rajesh Khanna and his influence on Hindi cinema actually features a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Aap Ki Qasam through interviews with the superstar himself, director J. Om Prakash, and co-star Mumtaz. My favorite part of this documentary is the scene that depicts the amount of work that went into picturizing a playback song for a Bollywood film (the filming of “suno, haa.n kaho” is shown in the documentary). Check out the full documentary here on YouTube if you haven’t seen it yet! Until next time…

-Mr. 55

The on-screen chemistry between Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz allowed this pair to dominate the box office during the early 1970s.

Karvaten Badalte Rahe: Lyrics and Translation

karvate.n badalte rahe.n saarii raat ham
Tossing and turning in bed, I have been restless the entire night.
aap kii qasam, aap kii qasam
I swear by you.
gham na karo, din judaayii ke bahut hai.n kam
Do not be sad; the days of our separation are very limited.
aap kii qasam, aap kii qasam
I swear by you.

yaad tum aate rahe ek huuk sii uThtii rahii
As I remembered you, a sharp pain kept arising in my heart.
nii.nd mujhse, nii.nd se mai.n, bhaagtii chhuptii rahii
Sleep and I kept fleeing and hiding from each other.
raat bhar bairan nigoDii chaa.ndnii chubhtii rahii
The hostile, wretched moonlight continued to pierce through the entire night.
aag sii jaltii rahii, girtii rahii shabnam
A fire kept burning, as the dew continued to fall.
aap kii qasam, aap kii qasam
I swear by you.

jhiil sii aa.nkho.n me.n aashiq Duub ke kho jaayegaa
Your beloved will get lost by drowning in the loch of your eyes.
zulf ke saaye me.n dil armaan bharaa so jayegaa
Under the shadows of your tresses, his hope-filled heart will fall into slumber.
tum chale jaao, nahii.n to kuchh na kuchh ho jaayegaa
Please go away, or else something will happen between us.
Dagmagaa jaaye.nge aise haal me.n qadam
Our steps will falter out of control under these circumstances.
aap kii qasam, aap kii qasam
I swear by you.

ruuTh jaaye.n ham to tum ham ko manaa lenaa sanam
Should I sulk, please console me, oh beloved.
duur ho.n to paas ham ko tum bulaa lenaa sanam
Should you be far away, please call me to your side, oh beloved.
kuchh gilaa ho to gale ham ko lagaa lenaa sanam
Should I make a mistake, please embrace me in forgiveness, oh beloved.
TuuT na jaaye kabhii yah pyaar kii qasam
May this vow of love never be broken by us.
aap kii qasam, aap kii qasam
I swear by you.

Female lines in red are sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Male lines in green are sung by Kishore Kumar. Lines in black are sung together by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar.

Glossary

karvate.n badalnaa: to toss and turn in bed (i.e. to be restless at night); qasam: a sworn oath or vow; gham karnaa: to be sad; judaayii: separation; huuk: a sharp pain; nii.nd: sleep; bhaagna: to flee; chhupnaa: to hide; bairan: hositle, cruel; nigoDii: wretched; chubhnaa: to pierce; aag: fire; shabnam: dew; jhiil: loch, lake; aashiq: beloved; zulf: tresses; saaye: shadows; armaan: hope; Dagmagaaanaa: to falter, stagger; haal: circumstances, state; qadam: steps, feet; ruuTh jaanaa: to sulk; manaa lenaa: to console; sanam: beloved; paas bulaa lenaa: to call to one’s side; gilaa: mistake; gale lagaa lenaa: to embrace; TuuT jaanaa: to be broken.

The snowy Himalayan foothills provide the ideal backdrop for this romantic duet from Aap Ki Qasam (1974).

Jis Gali Mein Tera Ghar Na Ho Balma Lyrics and Translation: Let’s Learn Urdu-Hindi

Posted on July 8, 2012 by mrandmrs55

Rajesh Khanna serenades Asha Parekh in one of Hindi cinema’s most treasured boat songs from Kati Patang (1970)

If you’ve been following the latest news about Bollywood stars (as you should be), you might be aware of the fact that Rajesh Khanna has been hospitalized recently for exhaustion and a stomach infection. In light of this news, I thought I’d share one of my favorite songs picturized on the Bombay superstar and send along our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Below, I’ve provided the lyrics and a translation for “jis galii me.n teraa ghar na ho baalma,” a beautiful number sung by Mukesh in Kati Patang (1970).

Mukesh singing for Rajesh Khanna? Blasphemy, you might say. As we all know, Kishore Kumar was officially the playback voice for India’s beloved ‘Kaka,’ and you might hear a pairing with Mohammed Rafi on occasion. But a Mukesh song picturized on Rajesh Khanna, let alone a popular one, is quite rare indeed.

In spite of the unconventional pairing, this song from Kati Patang is an all-time classic that has been cherished by fans of Hindi cinema over the years. The beauty in the simplicity of Anand Bakshi’s lyrics here is striking. Expressing the the theme of selflessness in love, these lyrics are unique when placed into context of the film. Rajesh Khanna’s character uses this song to profess his love for Asha Parekh, a woman pretending to be a widow after fleeing the altar. At a time when societal norms prevented such women from marrying again, using such romantic lyrics to describe the love between a man and an ostensible widow is a bold move. In his inimitable style, Mukesh gives one of his career’s best performances as he sings these lyrics with sincerity and a tinge of melancholy. To top it all off, R.D. Burman composes a simple, yet touching melody that does justice to the beauty of these lyrics. Enjoy this poignantly crafted declaration of love with our glossary and translation below!

-Mr. 55

Playing the role of a supposed widow, Asha Parekh wears a white sari throughout most of this film.

Jis Gali Mein Tera Ghar Na Ho Balma: Lyrics and Translation

jis galii me.n teraa ghar na ho baalma
Any street on which your house does not reside
us galii se hame.n to guzarnaa nahii.n
is not a street that I shall traverse.
jo Dagar tere dvaare pe jaatii na ho
Any path that does not lead to your door
us Dagar pe hame.n paa.nv rakhnaa nahii.n
is not a path on which I shall set foot.

zindagii me.n kaii rangraliyaa.n sahii
In my life, there have been many colorful celebrations.
har taraf muskuratii ye kaliyaa.n sahii
In every direction, there are smiling flowerbuds
khuubsurat bahaaro.n kii galiyaa.n sahi
and many beautiful views of springtime.
jis chaman mei.n tere pag me.n kaa.nTe chubhe.n
Yet, the garden in which thorns pierce your feet
us chaman se hame.n phuul chunnaa nahii.n
is not a garden from which I shall pick flowers.

haa.n ye rasme, ye qasame.n sabhii toD ke
Yes, after having broken these rituals and vows,
tu chalii aa chunar pyaar kii oDh ke
please come to me, flying your scarf of love in the air.
yaa chalaa jaauu.nga mai.n yah jag chhoD ke
Or else, I shall go away and leave this world.
jis jagah yaad terii sataane lage
The place where your memories begin to torture me
us jagah ek pal bhii Thaharana nahii.n
is not a place where I shall spend a single moment.

jis galii me.n teraa ghar na ho baalma
Any street on which your house does not reside…

Glossary

galii: street, alley; baalma: beloved; Dagar: path; dvaaraa: door; rangraliyaa.n: colorful celebrations; kaliyaa.n: flower buds; chaman: garden; pag: foot; chubhnaa: to pierce; rasm: ritual, ceremony; qasam: vow; chunar: scarf; jag: world; sataanaa: to torture.

Rajesh Khanna charms the audience with his characteristic smile.

This song was filmed on site at Lake Nainital in Uttarakhand, India.

How To Wink Like Bombay Superstar Rajesh Khanna

Posted on March 11, 2012 by mrandmrs55

You know you’ve tried it. In the 1970s, few Indian men hitting the discotheques hadn’t. The moves of Rajesh Khanna were so powerful, so devastating that the BBC actually made a documentary on his lifestyle entitled “Bombay Superstar” to introduce him to the West. Rajesh Khanna’s signature wink was and remains the final word in Bollywood seduction. If executed correctly, the wink has a 100% success rate. You can see the wink in almost any of Rajesh Khanna songs, including the evergreen Yeh Shaam Mastani from Kati Patang (1970). For everyone who’s still having trouble, I’ve broken down how to pull off this infallible move in 5 easy-to-master steps.

Step 1: Eyes on the prize. Make full, deliberate eye-contact with the chosen target. Make sure she sees you and can sense something’s approaching. Notice the arched brow and the pursed lips–Rajesh Khanna knows how to concentrate when it counts.

Rajesh Khanna locks gazes with Asha Parekh, and both parties mentally prepare themselves for the upcoming wink.

Step 2: Shut your eyelids. The key here is simultaneously tilting your head posterolaterally with the chin leading the way. This takes some very dedicated practice and coordination, so please don’t attempt this in public before you’ve put in the time. Subtle, right? Rajesh Khanna was as talented as he was beautiful.

In the devastating second step of his all-purpose wink, Rajesh Khanna coyly tilts his head and bats his eyelids. A palpable shudder is felt across the mountainside.

Step 3: Act natural. Return immediately to starting position, maintaining eye contact with a sly smile as if what just occurred was normal. You’ll have plenty of time to gauge audience response after.

Rajesh Khanna smiles slyly. He knows the wink just happened. He also knows you know the wink just happened. But the song isn’t done yet, and neither is he.

Step 4: Finish the song. Above all, keep singing. You gotta finish what you started. The violins are still playing and Kishore Kumar’s only on the first antra so hold that gameface until the last note.

Rajesh Khanna resists the urge to assess his wink’s immediate success and instead brings the song to a steady finish, thus heightening the wink’s effect.

Step 5: Watch and weep. This should not really qualify as a step. Observe the target’s resulting awe and proceed to take the win by a. proposing to her, b. holding her hand or c. reprising the film’s theme song.

Asha Parekh is moved literally to tears by the awesome power of Rajesh Khanna’s wink. Another one bites the dust.

That’s it folks–5 simple steps to becoming a Bombay Superstar. No Rajesh Khanna song is really complete with out it! For your viewing pleasure and further studies, check out Rajesh Khanna’s “Yeh Jo Chilman Hai” from Mehboob Ki Mehndi (1971). Then find some hair gel, a colorful ascot, and get winking.

-Mrs. 55