We had thought we would try to forget 2020 as a bad dream. The pandemic last year for most of us was a piece of statistics, a news item. It would not affect us, we all thought. Suddenly in a span of the last few weeks its second wave has struck us as a mighty river in full fury after breaching a dam. Now it has reached our doorstep. Everyone knows of some close acquaintance whose dear one has gone through unimaginable medical crisis. Now clichés, such as ‘we would get over this’ sound like insensitive platitudes for those who have gone through personal tragedies.

I must mention some positives on the blog front. Dr Shetty has been sending me weekly best wishes without fail for the last few months. I value that. Then we were worried for Shalan Lal whose last appearance on the SOY was more than a year ago. She had kept me posted about her serious medical issues, and her last mail was sent on her behalf by her friend. Thereafter, complete silence. I had no means of accessing her. In this background, her appearance all of a sudden after a year is a matter of great happiness. Her last comment on 27 April was also through a friend’s mail id.

We don’t know when we would be able to breathe a little easy. But 2021 is the year it would be difficult to forget however we try it. The chaotic times have also affected the normal frequency of my posts. Some readers started noticing it, and enquired if everything was all right. Everything is indeed all right, if I see the horror all around me. The show must go on, and I am back with a theme which had been with me from the normal times.

What to forget and what to remember is the dilemma of the privileged. A common man struggles with something that is just on the tip of the tongue, but refuses to come out when most needed. And much later, it would come like a flash when it is of no use. Or, even more embarrassingly, you meet a familiar person but just cannot recall his name or place him. You fib to show that you have not forgotten him. Even though he realises, he plays along as a social courtesy. But some are not so kind; they rub it in and have fun at your expense – No you have forgotten me, tell me who I am . However, if it is any comfort, a shair says:

याददाश्त का कमज़ोर होना, बुरी बात नहीं है जनाब,
बड़े बेचैन रहते हैं वो लोग, जिन्हे हर बात याद रहती है.

(Falling memory is not such a bad thing.
Restless are those who remember everything.)

‘क्या भूलूँ क्या याद करूँ’ is the title of the first part of Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s 4-part autobiography. It is a gripping work of lyrical prose. A wit says the purpose of every autobiography, even the brutally honest ones, is to tell the story as the subject would like the world to believe. If that be so, every autobiography is a journey into what one wants to forget and what to remember.

Mukesh sang a Song with almost identical meaning, Kise yaad rakhun, kise bhool jaaun. That was the dilemma between two beloveds, one to which he had surrendered his heart and the other to which he owed duty:

उधर दिल मोहब्बत में उनको दिया है
इधर फर्ज़ का बोझ सर पे लिया है
अरी ज़िंदगी तूने ये क्या किया है
किसे याद रखूँ किसे भूल जाऊँ

This sounds like ‘selective memory’ – a sinister term these days, used as a political weapon. Depending on what you remember and what you forget, you are either a ‘Modi Bhakt’ or a ‘Left Liberal Sickular’. Someone said, in India there is no middle ground today. Fortunately, we on SOY are not into politics, and we have all been maintaining a middle ground. But on what to forget and what to remember, SOY is a memory trip into the past and readers cherish all the memories that flood them when we discuss old songs. We have deep nostalgia for the Radio Era, and then Doordarshan Era. Nostalgia is something that adds value to our life, and binds the SOY family together.

Wordsworth described poetry as “spontaneous overflow of feelings, emotions recollected in tranquillity”. Our keenest reader KS Bhatia’s wanderings into his past in his comments are pure poetry in the mould of “memories recollected in tranquillity”

What is at the heart of the cult film Casablanca (1942)? Intertwined with the backdrop of the World War II, Vichy France, Germans, Exit Visas and poignant love story of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is the eternal theme of getting away from the past painful memories, which really never go away. Can Rick (Bogart) ever push away ‘Paris’ though he has forbidden Sam never to play ‘As time goes by’ again at his café in Casablanca? But of all the gin joints, in all the towns in all the world, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) had to walk into Rick’s. Old embers start searing his heart. But in the end he forces Ilsa to escape to America with Vaszlo on the two exit visas Rick has got. When a surprised Ilsa asks him, “And what about us?”, with his moist eyes he replies, “We will always have Paris.”

Let us go on the nostalgia trip with some beautiful songs.

1. Kise yaad rakhun kise bhhol jaun by Mukesh from Anuraag (1956), lyrics Kaif Irfani. music Mukesh

Let us start with the Mukesh song I mentioned in the write up. This film produced by Mukesh, in which he was also the lead actor, bombed at the box office, but as Music director and singer he gave this immortal song. One of his very best.

2. Bhoolnewale yaad na aa, bhoolnewale yaad na aa by Mukesh from Anokhi Ada (1948), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, music Naushad

Mukesh’s voice was meant for nostalgia trip. Here is one which has both amnesia and remembrance. Naushad takes best out of Mukesh. It is not clear why he jettisoned him so cleanly after only one more year.

3. Teri yaad dil se bhulaane chala hun by Mukesh from Hariyali Aur Rasta (1962), lyrics Shailendra, music Shankar-Jaikishan

Here the hero endeavours to erase all memories of his beloved even though it would destroy him.

4. Jinhein hum bhoolna chaahein wo aksar yaad aate hain by Mukesh from Aabroo (1968), lyrics Prem Dhavan, music Sonik-Omi

But is forgetting really in one’s control? Mukesh now gives expression to this helplessness.

5. Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao, ab chain se rahne do mere pass na aao by Mukesh from Sanjog (1961), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music Madan Mohan

Finally, the hero is left pleading with the long-forgotten memories to leave him alone, and not torment him by coming back again. Mukesh again to give various shades of memories and forgetting.

6. Bhulaane mein jinko zamaane lage hain, wohi ab mujhe yaad aane lage hain by Shujaat Hussain Khan and Minu Bakshi

Same theme of trying to forget, but now the memories coming back do not torment, they give ‘लुत्फ’. Shujaat Hussain Khan is essentially a sitarist, but besides classical instrumental music he has also ventured into singing light classical songs, ghazals, while playing the sitar. The outcome is invariably superb. His father Ustad Vilayat Khan, would often break into singing the verse on the stage while playing the sitar in his famed gayaki-ang. The Junior Khan Saheb takes the vocalising to independent concert level.

7. Dil se bhula do tum humein hum na tumhein bhulayenge by Lata Mangeshkar from Patanga (1949), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music C Ramchandra

Finding that the hero Shyam’s love interest is someone else, Purnima here sings a sad song of acceptance with declaration of her selfless love, “Even if you forget me from your heart, I would never forget you.” Such declarations by lady happened often, such as ‘Tu pyar kare ya thukra de, hum to hain tere deewanon mein’.

8. More balapan ke sathi chhaila bhool jaiyo na by KL Saigal and Khursheed from Tansen (1943), lyrics Pt Indra, music Khemchand Prakash

Let us go back into the Vintage Era, and you have this immortal song of poignant parting. Saigal, Khursheed and Khemchand Prakash, all at their best.

9. Hamaari gali aana humse ankhiyan milana humein bhool na jana tumhein yaad rahe by Khursheed from Maharana Pratap (1946), lyrics Swami Ramanand, music Ram Ganguly

But all pleadings by the lady not to forget her were poignant. Khursheed’s tonal quality had a natural naughtiness.

10. Humein bhool mat jaiyo Rajaji by Munshi Aziz and Zohrabai Ambalewali from Shahenshah Babar (1944), lyrics Pt. Indra, music Khemchand Prakash

And another colour of pleading not to forget me. Here the man tries to allay the lady’s apprehensions. We have already met this song in the post on Raja-Rani Songs at the top. And I am sure you will find this song discussed prominently in the review of the songs of 1944. I find I am not the only one fascinated by this song. For me, discovering and highlighting such songs of the Vintage Era is one of the satisfactions of writing this blog.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
The song videos have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog does not claim any copyright over these songs which vests in the respective owners, such as Saregama India Limited and others.

The post ‘क्या भूलूँ क्या याद करूँ’ first appeared on Songs Of Yore.