Motilal | Mr. & Mrs. 55 – Classic Bollywood Revisited!

What a classy soiree!

I just spent three hours of my life watching Waqt (1965) instead of studying for the MCAT. Therefore today we present the lyrics and English translation of “Aage Bhi Jane Na Tu.” Was it worth it? Totally.

This 1965 film directed by Yash Chopra features an all-star cast (Balraj Sahni, Achla Sachdev, Sadhana, Raaj Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Sharmila Tagore, Shashi Kapoor, Motilal, Rehman, Madan Puri, Leela Chitnis, and Shashikala, among others) along with a compelling storyline that defined the masala genre of Hindi cinema for years to come. The plot tells the story of a family of five who are tragically separated by a natural disaster. Years later, their lives become bizarrely connected through a series of complex entanglements involving romance, misunderstandings, illness, and of course–a murder. I don’t want to ruin the movie by giving away too many details, but its theme can be summarized by the powerful concluding statement made by Balraj Sahni’s character: “waqt hi banata hai aur waqt hi bigaDta hai” (Time creates all, and time destroys all).

Sadhana and Sunil Dutt have a moment in Waqt (1965)

The icing on the cake for this movie is its soundtrack composed by Ravi and penned by Sahir Ludhianvi. One popular song you may know from this film is Manna De’s “ai merii zohraa jabii.n,” but today, I have chosen to translate the soundtrack’s crown jewel: “aage bhii jaane na tu.” Unlike many songs in Bollywood movies that serve as fillers, this song is actually instrumental in advancing the plot. The song is played in the background at a soiree that is attended by many of the film’s major characters. During the course of the song, a lot of important things happen: Sadhana and Sunil Dutt get all romantic together, Rehman orders Raaj Kumar to steal Shashikala’s diamond necklace, Sharmila Tagore seeks Shashi Kapoor’s attention, and Shashi Kapoor is forced to leave the party early to take care of his sick mother. Most importantly, however, Raaj Kumar gets into a fight with a drunk Madan Puri because he makes a pass at Sadhana, and this fight is related to the murder that I eluded to above. I’ll leave it at that for now to keep things suspenseful…

Dashing Raaj Kumar attempts to steal Shashikala’s diamond necklace. Sneaky!

Sahir Ludhianvi is brilliant as always in his poetry, as he transforms a potentially mediocre party song into a beautifully expressed philosophical statement about life. Through his words, he urges listeners to adopt a carpe diem intellectual framework in which decisions should be based on the present instead of relying on the uncertainties of the future and the past. He illustrates that seizing the day is important by saying, “jo bhii hai, bas yahii ek pal hai” (What is here now is only this one moment), and these words are particularly apt for a movie whose title and theme revolve around time. Ravi’s exquisite tune and Asha Bhonsle’s passionate rendition do justice to the depth of Ludhianvi’s words, which all have contributed to making this gem one of Bollywood’s most treasured songs from the Golden Era.

Shashi Kapoor leaves the party to take care of his ailing mother 😦

Do you recognize the woman on whom this song is picturized in the film? Her name is Erica Lal, but I couldn’t find much biographical information about her except that she was an American woman who married an Indian living in Mumbai at this time. In any case, she looks stunning on screen during this song and captures the spirit and style of the sophisticated ’60s crooner.

–Mr. 55

Erica Lal is the epitome of the stylish ’60s crooner in Waqt (1965)

Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu Lyrics and Translation

aage bhii jaane na tu, piichhe bhii jaane na tu
You may not know what lies ahead of you, nor do you know what lies behind you.
jo bhii hai, bas yahii ek pal hai
What is here now is only this one moment.

anjaane saayo.n kaa raaho.n mein Deraa hai
Unknown shadows camp along the paths ahead,
andekhii baaho.n ne ham sab ko ghera hai
While unseen arms have embraced us all.
yeh pal ujaalaa hai, baaqii andhheraa hai
This moment is shining with light; everything else is darkness.
yeh pal gavaana na, yeh pal hii teraa hai
Do not waste this moment, as only this moment is yours.
jiinevaale, soch le yahii vaqt hai kar le purii aarzuu
Think fast, oh living soul: this is the time to fulfill all your desires.

is pal ke jalvo.n ne mahfil sa.nvaarii hai
The passion of this moment has graced this gathering,
is pal kii garmii ne dhaDkan ubhaarii hai
And the warmth of this moment has accelerated our heartbeats.
is pal ke hone se duniyaa hamaarii hai
The world is ours because of this moment’s existence.
yeh pal jo dekho to sadiyo.n pe bhaarii hai
Take a look at this moment, for its grandeur is to be remembered for centuries.
jiinevaale, soch le yahii vaqt hai kar le purii aarzuu
Think fast, oh living soul: this is the time to fulfill all your desires.

is pal ke saaye me.n apnaa Thikaanaa hai
One’s destination can be found in the shadows of this moment.
is pal ke aage hii har shay fasaanaa hai
Ahead of this moment, all objects become stories of fantasy.
kal kis ne dekhaa hai? kal kis ne jaanaa hai?
Who has seen tomorrow? Who has known tomorrow?
is pal se paayegaa jo tujh ko paanaa hai
From this moment, you shall receive all that you are due.
jiinevaale, soch le yahii vaqt hai kar le purii aarzuu
Think fast, oh living soul: this is the time to fulfill all your desires.

aage bhii jaane na tu, piichhe bhii jaane na tu
You may not know what lies ahead of you, nor do you know what lies behind you.
jo bhii hai, bas yahii ek pal hai
What is here now is only this one moment.

Glossary

pal: moment; anjaane: unknown; Deraa: stop, camp; andekhii: unseen; baahe.n: arms; ghernaa: to encircle, embrace; ujaalaa: light; andhheraa: darkness; jiinevaale: living soul; aarzuu: desire; jalvaa: passion; mahfil: gathering; sa.nvaaranaa: to grace, adorn; ubhaarnaa: to intensify, accelerate; sadii: century; Thikaanaa: destination, address; shay: object; fasaanaa: tale, story

Raaj Kumar beats up a salacious drunkard to protect Sadhana’s honor. With the right combination of handsome looks, sophisticated personality, and masculine brawn, he is a model example of the classic Bollywood stud.

Sadhana wistfully enjoys the rain in "o sajna barkhaa bahaar aayii" from Parakh (1960). Because she plays the role of a village girl here, she was instructed to get rid of the characteristic "fringe" hairstyle seen in her later movies in order to avoid looking too glamorous!

Rain songs have always held a special place in Bollywood cinema. From “pyaar hua iqraar hua” in Shree 420 (1955) to “ghanan ghanan ghir aayii badra” in Lagaan (2001), fans of Hindi cinema have been treated to a number of beautiful gems about the rain over the years. Today, I’ve translated an all-time classic rain song from the film Parakh (1960) directed by Bimal Roy (he won his third Filmfare Award for Best Director for this film!): “o sajna barkhaa bahaar aayii”. Parakh satirizes Indian democracy using a plot in which the postmaster (Nasir Hussain) of a village mysteriously receives a check for five lakh rupees to be given to an individual who is most well-equipped to benefit the village. When it is decided that an election will be held, influential characters in the village begin campaigning to persuade the village that they are the most deserving candidate to receive the check: namely, the impious postman (Motilal), the pious piest (Kanhaiyya Lal), the creepy rich man (Asit Sen), the greedy doctor (Rashid Khan) , the landlord (Jayant), and the well-respected schoolmaster (Vasant Chowdhury). Meanwhile, the postmaster’s daughter (Sadhana) begins to fall in love with the schoolmaster, and she sings “o sajna” as she pines for him in the rain.

A musically timeless duo: playback singer Lata Mangeshkar and music director Salil Chowdhury

This song is considered to be one of the finest compositions of the music director Salil Chowdhury (who also wrote the story for Parakh). Although Salil Chowdhury did not receive his due during his lifetime, he is undeniably one of the most talented and revolutionary composers from the Golden Era. His compositions are often remembered for their unusual melodies, rich orchestration, and integration of Western and Indian classical themes. Those of you familiar with Salil Chowdhury’s work in Bollywood may be surprised to know that he also composed songs for a wide variety of Indian languages, including Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telegu. Among these languages, Salil’s most prolific work was in his native tongue Bengali–he revolutionized the genre of the Bengali adhunik (modern) song with his musical compositions and self-written lyrics (what a multi-talent!). In fact, as is the case with many of his Hindi songs, the tune for “o sajna” was released in Bengali first in 1959 as “na jeo na.” This song was one of Lata Mangeshkar’s earliest hits in the Bengali music industry, and Bengalis have cherished the collaboration between Lata and Salil ever since this major musical milestone.

–Mr. 55

P.S: As an extra tidbit of trivia, it has been said that the only non-classical record found in the collection of renowned Hindustani vocalist Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan after his death was an LP of “na jeo na.” What an honor!

O Sajna Barkha Bahar Aayi Lyrics and Translation

o sajnaa barkhaa bahaar aayii
Oh, my beloved, the rain-filled season of spring has arrived.
ras kii puhaar laayii, a.nkhiyo.n me.n pyaar laayii
It has brought sprinkling droplets of nectar, it has brought love to these eyes.

tum ko pukaare mere man kaa papiiharaa
The cuckoo bird in my heart calls out to you,
miThii miThii aganii me.n jale moraa jiiyaraa
as my heart burns in a sweet fire.

aisii rimjhim me.n, o sajan, pyaase pyaase mere nayan
My eyes long for you, my beloved, in this light shower of rain;
tere hii khvaab me.n kho gaye
they have become lost in a dream of you.

saa.nvalii salonii ghaTaa jab jab chhaayii
When the beautiful dark clouds spread throughout the sky,
a.nkhiyo.n me.n rainaa gayii, nindiyaa na aayii
the night passed in my eyes, and I could not fall asleep.

o sajna barkhaa bahaar aayii
Oh beloved, the rain-filled season of spring has arrived.

Glossary

barkhaa: rain; ras: nectar; puhaar: sprinkles, droplets; papiiharaa: pied-crusted cuckoo bird (associated with the monsoons in Indian mythology); jiyaraa: heart; rimjhim: light rain; saa.nvalii: beautiful; salonii: dark; ghaTaa: clouds; rainaa: night; nindiyaa: sleep.