Spooky Songs of Classic Bollywood: The 15 Most Haunting Melodies of Yesteryear

Posted on October 31, 2014 by mrandmrs55

Biswajeet Bees Saal Baad film noir kahin deep jale

Biswajeet is haunted by a mysterious voice singing of love and murder in Bees Saal Baad (1962).

Happy Halloween! What better way to give yourself the creeps than with a vintage Hindi film song! Mr. 55 and I once hosted a Spooky Song-themed study break on-campus during which we projected old Hindi film noirs on a large screen, drank rooh afza and jammed nerdily to Lata’s high notes. Was it any surprise the two of us were the only ones really having an awesome time? Join us in our countdown to the spookiest song of classic Bollywood! When I say scary, I’m not referring to Vinod Khanna’s lime green tuxedo in Aan Milo Sajna (although it might give you nightmares). I’m talking about the real deal here. These are songs that will keep you up at night, that will haunt your waking moments as you grapple with the symbolism. And if you see a mysterious woman in a white-sari floating around your house this evening…well, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

The Fifteen Scariest Songs from Old Hindi Films!

15. Tujhko Pukare Mera Pyar (Neel Kamal 1968)

Few things are scarier than being buried alive. Rajkumar haunts his Mughal-era lover through the ages even when she is reborn as a 1960s desperate housewife.

14. Gagan Jhanjhana Rah (Nastik 1954)

This song is a hidden gem. Hemant Kumar actually impersonates God in this song with a voice that booms from the heavens amidst a stormy apocalpyse. The chorus is so darn creepy in this song, you might feel real chills from the wind sound effects mixed into the song!

13. Waqt Ne Kiya (Kaaghaz Ke Phool 1957)

What makes this song so spooky and yet so beautiful? It’s all in the lighting and the spectres lingering in the room–read our translation for more!

12. Jayen To Jayen Kahan (Taxi Driver 1954)

In our translation of this all-time creeper, we discuss the emptiness of the song’s mis-en-scene to heighten a feeling of abandonment, leaving you nothing but Dev Anand’s perfect pompadour to ease the pain.

11. Akele Hain Chale Aao (Raaz 1967)

While the movie Raaz may be a clunk, “Akele Hain” (that is reprised in a male and female version!) will certainly leave you clawing after your security blanket. Insider hint: Rajesh Khanna takes his shirt off later on in the movie if you can sit through the rest of the film.

10. Raat Andheri (Aah 1953)

In this heartbreaking social drama, Raj Kapoor plays a handsome tuberculosis patient unable to marry the girl of his dreams because of his illness. In the throes of self-pity, the minor key music haunts him as his own life slips away. Tragic, yes, but mostly just creepy.

9. Sau Baar Janam Lenge (Ustadon Ke Ustad 1963)

Mohammed Rafi’s unearthly beautiful voice echoes through the mist in this song like a phantom from the other world. The woman in mourning seems ready to commit suicide at any moment during the song, keeping the audience on their toes!

8. Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari (Kaaghaz Ke Phool 1957)

This gentle song of disillusioned love beckons you in like a tantalizing dream, and then drags you to perdition as you scream over the ethereal chorus. Our earlier translation of Dekhi Zamane discusses the transitions of the song from fantasy to absolute nightmare!

7. Koi Duur Se Aawaz De Chale Aao (Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam 1962)

One of my favorite songs in this genre, Guru Dutt is awakened in the middle of the night by a tender lament floating through the halls of the large empty mansion in which he works. Who is this mysterious and sad woman with the enchanting song? You HAVE to watch this genius star-studded film and find out!

6. Jane Kahan Gaye Woh Din (Mera Naam Joker 1970)

Good thing I don’t have a fear of clowns or this song would have permanently wrecked my childhood. Raj Kapoor plays a circus performer who has lost all those he has ever loved. He enters a private Hell in which he is bound to perform in his clown garb to an unfeeling audience, always smiling on the outside and crying on the inside. Brace yourself for several attempts at artsy camera tricks to make him float that could not be more creepy.

5. Gumnaam Hai Koi (Gumnaam 1965)

Based on the Agatha Christie novel “And Then There Were None,” Gumnaam is a kitsch-lovers delight. Drop-dead gorgeous (literally) Lata Mangeshkar’s voice haunts a group of travelers as they meander through a nameless forest. Newsflash! The “ghost” of this song actually chimes in with a high-pitch thrill when the music goes quiet, so listen carefully!

4. Naina Barse (Woh Kaun Thi? 1964)

One of the best examples of a femme fatale in Hindi films, “Naina Barse” is sung by a ghostly woman haunting her lover from a former lifetime. Her flowing white sari against the endless, crisp white snow of a Simla winter set the perfect stage for a nightmare. The woman in a white sari is a classic cliche–read more about its meaning here!

3. Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil (Bees Saal Baad 1964)

This song hardly needs an introduction, so famous is its eerie tune. One of the most brilliant shots is the slow crane down from above the chandelier to Biswajeet’s horrified stare at the piano. But has anyone else ever noticed the film version has the interlude violins playing an entire octave lower than in the recorded version?? It totally blew my mind when watching the film–and both ways are equally horrifying!

2. Jhoom Jhoom Dhalti Raat (Kohra 1964)

Stylistic symbolism sets this creepster apart from its competitors. My favorite moment in this song is when the shadow figures do an interpretive dance in the sand, acting out the “choDo piyaa mera, choDo haath” line. I get chills every time I watch this–the cinematography is genuinely brilliant and haunting!

1. Aayega Aanewala (Mahal 1949)

Welcome to the spookiest song of Bollywood! Nothing will ever top the song that officially taught Bollywood everything it needed to know about horror. Don’t expect any corpses to pop out of the closet–this song is way to classy for that. See our translation of this unbeatable classic for more!

So…I know I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight. What are your favorite spooky songs from Bollywood films? Tell us the scenes that have haunted your waking hours for years (think Sadhana declaring “Mujhe khoon achha lagtaa hai” on a rainy night)! Mr. 55 and I both hope you have a very Happy Halloween!

– Mrs. 55

Mrs. 55 in her go-to gypsy girl costume. When all else fails…tie a chunni on your head.

Na Tum Humen Jano Lyrics and Translation: Let’s Learn Urdu-Hindi

Posted on January 28, 2014 by mrandmrs55

With glistening suavity dripping from his pomade, Dev Anand croons the love ballad “Na Tum Humen Jano” to a sleeping Waheeda Rehman in Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962).

Today we showcase the lyrics and English translation of the haunting melody “Na Tum Humen Jano” from Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962). Dapper Dev Anand plays a young lawyer whose enigmatic client, Waheeda Rehman, has been convicted of murdering her ex-lover in a fit of rage. Deemed clinically depressed and mentally unhinged, Waheeda’s only chance at redemption, in classic Bollywood tradition, is the stable love of a good man. Dev Anand rises quickly to the occasion, “pretending” to woo her for..ahem…medical reasons–and more importantly to extract the true events leading up to the murder for which she is convicted. I think it comes as no surprise that she ultimately proves innocent and Dev Anand actually falls in love with her while faking it. But that’s not what makes this film’s twist ending so fantastic–and trust me, it’s not what you’d expect!

Waheeda Rehman is awakened by the sound of a haunting melody in Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962). Did anyone mention that black is totally your color, Waheeda?

So how does this gem of a Hemant Kumar solo fit into the bizarre whoddunit? I’ve always found Hemant Kumar an intriguing rogue in the strict actor-singer pairings of classic films–the mysterious dark chocolate mousse of Bollywood playback. His tender yet overwhelmingly manly voice stood out among the Rafi wannabes of the age–the celestial way his voice resonates in the opening lines is a rich treat for the soul. Famed music director Salil Chowdhury said of the singer’s voice,

“If God could sing, he would have a voice like Hemanta.”

Have truer words ever been spoken? No better testament exists than the love song “Na Tum Humen Jano.” In Baat Ek Raat Ki, “Na Tum Humen Jano” plays on a gramophone record in the moments leading up to the murder. Waheeda Rehman is so traumatized afterwards, she cannot recall details of the event or her exact involvement. Naturally, Dev Anand believes that singing the song while she sleeps will subconsciously trigger her memory, thereby providing him the missing evidence of what transpired that fatal night. He croons to her hidden in the background, observing her reaction as the melody wafts through the air. What follows is one of the most nostalgic songs of yesteryear.

We hope you love the lyrics and English translation to “Na Tum Humen Jano” as much as us! Follow along with the video and try to keep your beating heart in check as you get swept away in the romance!

Na Tum Humen Jano Lyrics and Translation:

Na tum hame.N jaano, na hum tumhe.N jaane
You do not know me, I do not know you
Magar lagtaa hai kuch aisaa meraa humdum mil gayaaa
Yet somehow I feel as if I have found my soul mate

Yeh mausam yeh raat chhup hai
These surroundings and this night are quiet
Woh honTo.N kii baat chhup hai
Those words on our lips are quiet
Khamoshii sunaanii lagii hai dastaa.N
The silence has begun to tell a story
Nazar ban gayii hai dil kii zubaa.N
Our glances have become the language of our hearts

Mohabbat ke moD pe hum
At the crossing of love
Mile sab ko chhoDke hum
We met and left everything behind
DhaDakhte dilo.N ka leke yeh caravaa.N
We took our beating hearts with us on this caravan
Chale aaj dono.N jaane kahaa.N
Let us go together today, I know not where

Na tum hame.N jaano, na hum tumhe.N jaane.N
You do not know me, I do not know you
Magar lagtaa hai kuch aisaa meraa humdum mil gayaaa
Yet somehow I feel as if I have found my soul mate

Glossary:

humdum: soulmate; mausam: atmosphere, surroundings; raat: night: chhup: quiet; honT: lips; baat: words; khamoshii: silence; sunaanaa: to tell; daastaa.N: tale, story; nazar: glance; zubaa.N: language; mohabbat: love; moD: crossing, turn; sab: everything; dhaDakhnaa: to beat [heart]; aaj: today

Waheeda Rehman Baat ek raat ki na tum humen jano

Prior to murder charges, the lovely Waheeda Rehman sings merrily along to a record of “Na Tum Humen Jano” in Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962).

Now before anyone comments on how angelic Lata’s solo moment is halfway through the song, don’t be fooled! That voice of a goddess is none other than rival soprano Suman Kalyanpur! Her highest high note in the cameo moment is an E5, which doesn’t even come close to Asha and Lata’s famous trills. Composed by S.D. Burman, the song is fully picturized as a happy female solo earlier in the film here! Was Suman Kalyanpur’s solo able to compete with the magic of the famous Hemant counterpart? I think it was certainly a valiant effort, but…let’s not lie to ourselves.

Our English translation of “Na Tum Humen Jano” was requested by diehard fangirl Reena! Stay classy, Reena.

– Mrs. 55

Abhi Na Jao Chod Kar Lyrics and Translation: Let’s Learn Urdu-Hindi

Posted on September 28, 2013 by mrandmrs55

Dev Anand croons to Sadhana in a moonlit forest in Hum Dono (1961).

Next we present the enchanting lyrics and English translation to “Abhi Na Jao” from Hum Dono (1961). When I think of a Bollywood tree song, I think of this. This is where the magical tradition of hopping around a hidden forest and coyly shimmying behind the nearest tree to dodge your lover’s advances all began. Delightful Dev Anand and young Sadhana prance about gently in a quiet grove with slick back-and-forth lyrics that keep us grounded. The essence of the song comes down to this: Boy loves girl. Girl shyly expresses a desire to go home. Boy insists girl stays. Girl fears losing face. Boy takes opportunity to corner girl against a tree. You certainly don’t need anyone else to tell you how to think, but consider what it means that modern day Romeo Shah Rukh Khan voted this picturization as the most romantic song of Hindi cinema! “Abhi Na Jao” is eternal and the embodiment of sweetly innocent Bollywood courtship.

I’ve talked before about my feelings for the Hum Dono recolourization. Frankly, it’s cute, but not worth eliminating the original black-and-white stock. By converting the film from academy ratio to widescreen, you lose a great deal of the movie in exchange for some glitzy editing tricks (watch the colorized version here to see what I mean!). The film, its characters, the music, and the plot are so strong, it does not require any remodeling for wider accessibility. This song comes early in the movie, setting a high key tone for the upcoming embroilment.

Dev Anand looks like a lost sheep as Sadhana coyly sneaks away in “Abhi Na Jao” from Hum Dono (1961).

The signature Dev Anand coiffure is at its puffiest in this song, a welcome reflection of his bursting emotions. So take a seat, grab a snuggle pillow, and enjoy the lyrics and our full English translation to the evergreen duet “Abhi Na Jao Chod Kar” from Hum Dono (1961)!

Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar Lyrics and Translation

MALE:
Abhi na jaao chhoD kar ki dil abhi bhara nahii.N
Do not go and leave me now, for my heart is not yet filled
Abhi abhi to aayii ho abhi abhi to
You have only just come
Abhi abhi to aayi ho bahaar banke chhaaii ho
You have only just come, you became the Spring as you arrived
Hawaa zaraa mahak to le nazar zara bahak to le
Let the wind spread your fragrance, let your gaze wander
Yeh shaam dhal to le zaraa
Let the night fall a little more
Yeh dil sambhal to le zaraa
Let my heart steady itself
Main thoDi der jii to luu.N nashe ke ghuunT pii to luu.N
Let me live a little longer, let me taste a sip of your intoxication
Nashe ke ghunT pii to luu.N, abhi to kuch kahaa nahii.N
Let me taste a sip of your intoxication, for I have said nothing yet
Abhii to kuch sunaa nahii.N
You have heard nothing yet
Abhii na jaao chod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahii.N
Do not go and leave me now, for my heart is not yet filled

FEMALE:
Sitaare.N jhil milaa uThe
The stars have begun to sparkle
Sitaare.N jhil milaa uThe, chiraag jagmagaa uThe
The stars have begun to sparkle, the lamps have been lit
Bas ab na mujhko Toknaa
Enough, do not scold me now
Bas ab na mujhko Toknaaa, na baDhke raah rokna
Enough, do not scold me now, do not come forward to block my path
Agar mai.N ruk gayii abhii to jaa na paauu.Ngii kabhii
If I stop now, I will never be able to leave
Yehii kahoge tum sadaa ke dil abhii nahii.N bharaa
For you will keep on saying that your heart is not yet filled
Jo khatm ho kisii jagah yeh aisaa silsila nahii.N
This is not the kind of affair that ends easily

MALE:
Abhii nahii.N abhii nahii.N!
Not yet, not yet!

FEMALE:
Nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N!
No, no, no, no!

MALE:
Abhi na jaao chod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahii.N
Do not go and leave me now, for my heart is not yet filled

MALE:
Adhuurii aas
Unfulfilled desire
Adhuurii aas chhoDke, adhuurii pyaas chhoD ke
Leaving me with unfulfilled desire, leaving me with unfulfilled thirst
Jo roz yuu.N hii jaaogii to kis tarhaa nibhaaogii
If you go every day like this, then how will you keep your promise?
Ki zindagii kii raah mei.N jawaa.N dilo.N kii chaah mei.N
For in the path of life, in the desire of two young hearts
Kaii maqaam aaye.Nge jo humko aazmaae.Nge
Many challenges will come to test us
Buraa na maano baat kaa, yeh pyaar hai, gilaa nahii.N
Do not be hurt by my words, for they are words of love, not a complaint

FEMALE:
Haa.N, yehii kahoge tum sadaa ki dil abhii bharaa nahii.N!
Yes, but you will keep on saying that your heart is not yet filled!

MALE:
Haa.N, dil abhi bharaa nahii.N
Yes, my heart is not yet filled!

FEMALE:
Nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N!
No, no, no, no!

Glossary:

bhara: filled; bahaar: Spring; hawaa: wind; mahak: fragrance; nazar: gaze, bahak: wander; shaam: evening; sambhalnaa: to steady oneself; thoDi der: a little while longer; nashe: intoxication; ghuunT: sip; jhilmilnaa: to sparkle; chiraag: lamp; Toknaa: to scold; raah: path; khatm: finish; jagaah: place; silsilaa: affair; adhuurii: unfulfilled; aas: desire; pyaas: thirst; roz: every day; nibhaanaa: to fulfill [a promise], zindagii: life; jawaa.N: young; chaah: desire, love; maqaam: challenge; aazmaanaa: to test, to try; buraa: hurt; gilaa: complaint

Sadhana worries on a late evening out with her lover in Hum Dono (1961).

Yes, like many a great Hindi song, this one comes with a tragic reprise. A tender Asha Bhonsle solo, “Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai” is a song of steadfast devotion in the face of impending wartime separation. Sadhana beautifully demonstrates her love to be more than a worthy match for the original duet’s playful warning of a perilous future. We have included the full lyrics and translation of Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai as well below for your edification!

Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai Lyrics and Translation:

Dukh aur sukh ke raaste bane hai sab ke vaaste
The paths of sadness and happiness are made for everyone
Jo gham se haar jaaoge to kis tarah nibhaaoge?
If you lose to sadness and leave, then how will you keep your promise?
Khushii mile hame.N ki gham jo hoga baat le.Nge hum
Whether we are met with happiness or sorrow, let us accept it
Mujhe tum aazmaao to zara nazar milaao to
Test me and meet my eyes
Ye jism do sahii magar dilo.N mei.N faaslaa nahii.N
We may have two bodies, but there is no distance between our hearts

Jahaan mei.N aisaa kaun hai ki jisko gham milaa nahii.N?
Is there anyone in the world who has not had sadness?

Tumhaare pyaar kii qasam tumharaa gham hai meraa gham
I swear by your love that your sorrow is my sorrow
Na yuu.N bhujhe bhujhe raho jo dil ki baat hai kaho
Do not fade away like this, tell me what is in your heart
Jo mujhse bhi chhupaaoge to phir kisse bataaoge?
If you hide those words from me, then whom will you tell?
Mai.N koi ghair to nahii.N dilaaoo.N kis tarah yakeen?
I am no stranger, how can I make you believe me?

Ki tum se mai.N judaa nahii.N, mujhse tum judaa nahii.N
For you are not separated from me, and I am not separated from you

Glossary:

dukh: sorrow; sukh: happiness; raastaa: path; [kisii ke] vaaste: for the sake of; haarnaa: to lose; tarah: type, manner; khushii: joy, happiness; aazmaanaa: to test, to try; nazar milaanaa: to make eye contact; jism: body, faaslaa: distance; qasam: swear; chhupaanaa: to hide; ghair: stranger; yakeen: belief

Can’t get enough? Check out our other translations from the same film like “Main Zindagi Ka Saath” and “Allah Tero Naam” for more!

-Mrs. 55

A Beginner’s Guide to Bollywood Tree Courtship: The Best Tree Songs of Classic Films

Posted on July 1, 2013 by mrandmrs55

Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz engage in a playful treeside encounter in Aap Ki Kasam (1974).

A tree is the ideal wingman. It’s an insider trick Bollywood heroes and heroines learned early on that rarely fails to end in matrimonial bliss. Many of the best songs of Bollywood occur in a forest, taking full advantage of that lovable prop whose stability is matched only by its generosity. In honor of Van Mahotsav, the annual Indian tree-planting festival taking place this week, we too would like to honor the cultural importance of the all-mighty tree in the greatest reflection of our society: film. Why a tree? Newcomers to classic Bollywood may ask with due naivite. The archetypal significance of entering the forest–delving deep into the mysteries of the mind and soul–do have some place in the escapism of romantic fantasy, but the logic of singing and dancing around a tree is actually quite simple.

Sharmila Tagore hugs a tree for emotional stability in Kashmir Ki Kali (1964).

In most romantic-dramas of the Golden Age, emotions are just brimming over with adorable intensity. With a tree as a wingman, you can simultaneously practice your moves with a literal tree hug while catching your breath from a potentially close encounter with the real object of your desire. See, the tree doesn’t judge. The tree doesn’t ask for a return favor next Friday. The tree is neutral ground–a seemingly innocent bystander in the forest of love to which both parties have full claim. Sometimes the woman peeks behind the tree, sometimes the man. As a friendly chaperone, the tree legitimizes everyone’s behavior in that bashful innocence of bygone romance. Yes, censorship laws may prevent you from making real moves on your loved one, but they won’t stop you from snuggling a tree.

Dilip Kumar Vijayantimala dil tadap tadap ke tree

Although Vijayantimala tightly embraces a forgiving tree trunk, it’s clear who she really wants to be hugging in Madhumati (1958).

Bollywood has been perfecting the tree ritual since time immemorial. It’s a cinematic institution, particularly for the benefits of discreet pans to the sunlit treetops or a calming mountainside when a love scene threatens to quickly advance from G to PG. We even emulated basic tree positioning in a photograph on our “About Us” page!

Enjoy our list of classic Bollywood’s best tree songs below. Study them thoroughly and know your part well before embarking on your next trip to the forest. While this list could honestly go on forever, we’ve chosen our top 15 tree songs based on creativity of tree choreography. Which of YOUR favorite tree numbers would you add? Share your thoughts in the comments!

1. Dekho Kasam Se (Tumsa Nahin Dekha 1957)

2. Dil Tadap Tadap (Madhumati 1958)

3. Deewana Mastana Hua Dil (Bombai Ka Babu 1960)

4. Do Sitaron Ka Zameen (Kohinoor 1960)

5. Abhi Na Jao Chod Kar (Hum Dono 1961)

6. Isharon Isharon Mein (Kashmir Ki Kali 1964)

7. Jaiye Aap Kahan Jaayenge (Mere Sanam 1965)

8. Baharon Phool Barsao (Suraj 1966)

9. In Baharon Mei.N Akeli (Mamta 1966)

10. Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe (Kanyadaan 1968)

11. Bekhudi Mein Sanam (Haseena Maan Jayegi 1968)

12. Jaane Jaan DhoonDta (Jawani Diwani 1972)

13. Suno Kaho Suna (Aap Ki Kasam 1974)

14. Is Mod Se Jaate Hain (Aandhi 1975)

15. Tune O Rangile (Kudrat 1981)

Shammi Kapoor coyly assesses the romantic situation from the comfort of his engraved tree in Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957).

Feeling like a pro already? Perhaps you’re ready for the big time: spitting game around a tree in the rain! Check out our compilation of Bollywood’s best monsoon songs, and you’ll be walking down the aisle in no time.

-Mrs. 55

Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukare Lyrics and Translation: Let’s Learn Urdu-Hindi

Posted on June 21, 2013 by mrandmrs55

Dev Anand entrances the audience with “Hum Bekhudi Mein” in Kala Pani (1958).

We now present our complete translation to “Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukare,” one of Mohammed Rafi’s finest solos. The song, and in fact the film Kala Pani (1958), is a considerable break from Dev Anand’s previous work, transforming him from the debonair urbanite to a meditative, black kurta pajama-clad member of the traditional intelligentsia. “Hum Bekhudi Mein” bears the unmistakable hallmark of S.D. Burman’s finest compositions—a hauntingly powerful melody that is so captivating, instrumental ornamentation is close to entirely abandoned. There is something reminiscent of his earlier composition, “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari“–with an emphasis on reflection, the purity of Mohammed Rafi’s voice engulfs the listener in the qawwal-like trance of his yearning, the feeling of entering a dream where time loses its meaning. Indeed, the “bekhudi” or loss of self as described by the singer is precisely what lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri aims to induce in the listener.

Nalini Jaywant believes she has found love at last in the mysterious stranger with a haunting voice in Kala Pani (1958).

The nuance of the lyrics is an exceptional example of the multi-faceted levels of interpretation of Urdu poetry. Each line returns to the refrain’s lingering “chale gaye”—a verb tense indicating continuity of the hero’s past actions, and his current obsession with reliving them. However, Mohammed Rafi’s very deliberate pause before singing “chale gaye” with each line allows for an additional dimension to the song’s interpretation, as if a forlorn reference to the woman herself who has left him (“woh jo chale gaye”). I love this song for every person that hears it will understand it in a slightly different way. If you can’t get enough of this melody, lovers of trivia will be delighted to discover that S.D. Burman actually recorded the original Bengali version of this song in his own voice, “Ghum Bhulechi Nijhum”!

In the Hindi version, hero Dev Anand elaborates on two forms of intoxication—first, the spell cast by his former lover, and second, alcohol to which he has resigned himself. In the evocative final line of the song, “Sheeshe mei.N aap ko bhi utaare chale gaye,” the hero reconciles their duality and his escape from reality. With the oblivion granted by alcohol, he regains the very woman who has left him in a state of bekhudi—a philosophical wanderer in fugue-like search of a connection.

Despite biting his fingernails throughout the song, Dev Anand is simply too attractive to handle in a black kurta and matching traditional hat.

We hope you enjoy our English translation to the lyrics of this beautiful poem “Hum Bekhudi Mein” from Kala Pani (1958). Check out the video in which Dev Anand woos the lovely courtesan Nalini Jaywant with his artistic depth! Did you know that after this song was released, Dev Anand was actually told not to wear black anymore in public because Indian women would swoon and jump from buildings upon seeing him dressed in that devastatingly attractive shade? I mean…I can see where they’re coming from!

Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukare Lyrics and Translation:

Hum bekhudii mei.N tum ko pukaare chale gaye
Unaware of my own self, I kept calling to you
Saaghar mei.N zindagii ko utaare chale gaye
And so I kept drowning my life in a glass of wine
Hum…

Dekhaa kiye tumhe hum banke deewaanaa
When I used to see you, I was madly love
Utaraa jo nashaa to hum ne yeh jaana
Once that intoxication wore off, I knew this
Saare woh zindagii ke sahaare chale gaye
That all the support I had in life had gone

Hum bekhudii mei.N tum ko pukaare chale gaye
Unaware of my own self, I kept calling to you

Tum to na kaho hum khud hi se khele
At least do not say that I played this game by myself.
Doobe nahii.N humii yuu.N nashe mei.N akele
For I did not drown in this intoxication alone
Sheeshe mei.N aap ko bhi utaare chale gaye
You were what I kept pouring into my glass

Hum bekhudii mei.N tum ko pukaare chale gaye
Unaware of my own self, I kept calling to you
Saaghar mei.N zindagii ko utaare chale gaye
And so I kept drowning my life in a glass of wine
Hum…

Glossary:

bekhudi: loss of self-awareness; pukaarnaa: to call out; saaghar: wine goblet; zindagii: life; deewaanaa: madly in love; nashaa: intoxication; sahaaraa: support; khud: self; khelnaa: to play; Doobnaa: to drown; akelaa: alone; sheeshaa: glass, mirror

Interestingly, this gently hypnotic song is used to trap Nalini Jaywant into falling in love with Dev Anand and confess her past crimes. Yes, it’s all a pretense–Dev Anand is actually in love with Madhubala, the cheeky journalist who is helping him absolve his wrongfully imprisoned father. Nalini Jaywant played a role in the original crime and must now the price of unrequited love for his son. The film was actually based on A.J. Cronin’s Scottish novel “Beyond This Place” published in 1953. Dev Anand loved Cronin’s work so much, he also later turned one of Cronin’s most famous novels, “The Citadel” into the 1971 Bollywood film Tere Mere Sapne.

– Mrs. 55