Lyrical Love - Part III

I cannot help but come back to the lyrical love posts. Each time a beautiful song about love plays on my ipod, I am tempted to write down its lyrics and capture my emotions in its lovely words… written out on my blog.

This time however, I have songs in four languages to the kitty… Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English :

1) Saathiya, Tune Kya Kiya (Love - Hindi)

This is an older song from the Bollywood 80’s (when Salman Khan was still thin and had lots of hair on his head ;-)). Some of us mallus were amazed at the (wierd?) combination of a popular Malayalee actress Revathi with Salman in a movie called “Love” (See the song in YouTube). But anyways, I bring up this movie now not to dron about its unusual pairing but for this timeless song…

The music (by Anand Milind) captures that era and leaves you feeling like you’re walking in the Bombay of the 80’s… on an evening as the sun is setting; your heart is filled with the joy of being alive, and love. The song is sung by two South Indian singers - the maestro SP Balasubramaniam and the woman with the voice of gold - KS Chitra. SPB is flawless as usual and Chitra’s accent for once doesn’t distract you from her beautiful voice. The lilts in their voices as they sing the “la-la-la” sweeps you off your feet, a rush of emotions capture you as you echo those words with the song that makes you want to run (Bollywood style) straight into the arms of a lover, who’s telling you “jaana kahaan? aa dil mein aa”…….*Sigh*.
Not surprising, since it is penned by the genius Majrooh Sultanpuri.

[Male]
Saathiya, tune kya kiya
Beliya, tune kya kiya…

[Female]
Maine kiya, tera intezaar…

[Male]
Itna karo na mujhe pyaar… (2)

[Female]
Saathiya, tune kya kaha
Beliya, tune kya kaha…

[Male]
Yoon na kabhi, karna intezaar…

[Female]
Maine kiya he tumse pyaar… (2)

[Paragraph]
[Male]
Itni mohabbat, seh na sakoonga
Sach maano zinda, reh na sakoonga…

[Female]
Tujhko sambhaaloon, yeh mera zimma
Main hoon tho kya hum, jaane tamanna…

[Male]
Ab jeena marna mera, jaanam tere haath he…

[Female]
Maine kaha na sanam, ab tu mere saath he…

[Male]
Tho phir sambhaal, ke main chala

[Female]
Jaana kahaan, aa dil mein aa (la-la-la…)

Saathiya….

[Paragraph]
[Female]
Dil ke chaman ka, hasna tho dekho
Jaage nazar ka, sapna tho dekho

[Male]
Aise hue hum, ek jaan ek dil
Tu he ke main hoon, kehna he mushkil

[Female]
Jhonka basanti he tu,
Than he gulaabi mera…

[Male]
Do rang milne ke baad,
hothe nahi he juda

[Female]
Tho phir sambhaal, ke main chala

[Male]
Jaana kahaan, aa dil mein aa (la-la-la…)

Saathiya…

2) Munbe Vaa (S(J)illinu oru kaadhal - Tamil)

It would be sacrilege if I don’t mention Munbe Vaa in a blog devoted to love and beautiful songs. (And yes, I know I have written about this before in my album review but I can still speak volumes about this song ;)) This has kept me company for many of my travel journeys, times when I would listen ardently to the lyrics, and wonder if there would be the perfect love in my life. And then, when I would listen to them again, and sing along… living my idea of the perfect love. Munbe Vaa is one of AR’s best melodies. The prelude piece brings visions of droplets of water falling, dancing rather, as they fall softly onto the earth - only to blend with other droplets and flow into an ocean as the main song emerges.

[Female]
Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
OoNe vaa uyire vaa

Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
Poo poovai poopom vaa

Naan, naana kEtEn ennai naane
Naan…. neeya, nenjam sonnathey

Munbe vaa…

[Chorus]
Rango rangoli
KOlangal nee pOttaal
KOlam pOttava kaigal vazhi…
Vallayal sattham

Jal jal….

Rango rangoli
KOlangal nee pOttaal
KOlam pOttava kaigal vaazhi
Sundara malligai sandhana malligai
Sinthiya punnagai vannam enna…

[Female]
Poovaithai poovaithai
Nee poovaikkor poovaithai
MaNa poovaithu poovaitha
Poovaikkul thee vaithai, oh…

[Male]
Theyney nee mazhayil aada
Naan maan naan nanainthen vaada
En naalathil un rattham naadikuL unn sattham
Uyire…ho…

[Female]
ThOzhi oru sila naazhi
Thaniyena aanaal tharayinil neendhum mmm.

Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
OoNe vaa uyire vaa…

[Male]
Naan, naana kEtEn ennai naane
Naan… neeya, nenjam sonnathey…

[Female]
Munbe vaa…

[Male]
Nilavidam vaadagai vaangi
Vizhi veettinil kudi vaikkalaama
Naan vazhum veettukul
Veraarum vanthaley
Thagumaa…

[Female]
Thenmalai thEykakku nee thaan
Unthan thoLgaLil idam tharalamaa
Naan saayum thOlmel verorum saaynthaley
Thagumaa…

[Male]
Neerum sengula cherum
Kalanthathu poley kalanthavar yaar…

Munbe vaa…

The song is written by Vaali, and sung by Naresh and Shreya. See the video here. And I have seen lots of people requesting it, and have been prey to it myself - the translation of this song. Couple of versions are available on the net, but the best one I liked is this.

3) Moovanthiyaay Pagalil (Pakshe - Malayalam)
This is not a song most people refer to often. But it is a phenomenal one, if ever there can be one. Music by Johnson, written by K Jayakumar, sung by the “gaana gandharvan” Dr. KJ Yesudas. The song embodies a more mature love and its inherent sadness, pain, angst. The music and words burn into your heart, its warm embers glowing through your eyes causing you to hold yourself close, lest those feelings burst out of your heart and lose you in their midst.

[Male]
Moovanthiyaay pakalil raavin viral sparshanam
TheerangaLil baashpa deepangaLil
POrithal naaLamaay nombaram…

Moovanthiyaay…

RavEReyaay piriyaanaruthathoru nOvin rapadikaL (2)
Choodathora poompeelikaLaal koodonnu koottiyallo,
Janmangalee veenayil meettum eenam
Moolunnu raakkattukal

Moovanthiyaay…

YaamangaLil kozhiyan madiyaayoru tharam thEngunnuvo (2)
InnOrmayil kilivaathilukal thaane thurannuvallo,
DoorangaLil enthino kannu chimmi
Veendum nishagandhikaL

Moovanthiyaay…

4) Is This Love (Whitesnake - English)
This is my most special song and it will remain so forever. I heard it for the first time (sent to me by my very special person ;)) at a time when I was just waltzing into love and to this day each time I hear it, it brings in those wave of emotions. The thrill, the magic and the feeling of floating in air :). It beats everything else in this world. (Btw, you can see the video here)

Should have known better
Than to let you go alone
(It’s) Times like these
Can’t make it on my own
Wasted days, and sleepless nights
An’ I can’t wait to see you again…

Find I spend my time
Waiting on your call
How can I tell you, babe
Back’s against the wall…

Need you by my side
To tell me it’s alright
Cos’ I don’t think I can take anymore…

Is this love, that I’m feeling
Is this the love, that I’ve been searching for
Is this love, or am I dreaming
This must be love
Cos’ it’s really got a hold on me…
Hold on me…

Can’t stop the feeling
Been this way before
But, with you I’ve found the key
To open any door

Can feel my love for you
Growin’ stronger day by day
An’ I can’t wait too see you again…

So I can hold you in my arms

Is this love that I’m feeling
Is this the love that I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This must be love
Cos’ it’s really got a hold on me…

Hold on me…

Is this love…

Hmmm. Yes, it is!

Make life count

*Sigh*. What a wonderful feeling it is table to observe silence in your ears, interrupted only by faint squeaks of far away squirrels, or the occasional chirp of a bird on a tree nearby. Luxuries beyond definition.

When your day begins with the sound of your mobile alarm rudely awakening you from a deep slumber, accompanied by your involuntary groan at facing a new day of work, you know that life isn’t all it is made out to be.

Ambition is overrated in today’s world. From childhood, you’re taught to battle with life’s forces, stomp out your competition, push yourself to the extreme and prove to be the ultimate survivor. Ride a wave of glamour, glitz, fame, money and power. Reduce your hours of sleep, make each moment count and let the world huff and puff to keep up with your steep rise.

Even if it means that your head is constantly cluttered with useless information, almost making you think you’ve become a schizophrenic. And making you forget all of that which really matters. You eat food so fast that you’ve forgotten what makes any meal distinct – the taste doesn’t count anymore, does it? – only time does. The bags under your eyes, your constant respiratory ill health or the digestive tablets you pop by the dozen are all hidden from the glare of your followers. Somewhere a secluded doctor is privy to the depressing problems of your body combating with your lifestyle.

Take it easy, buddy. Life can wait. Time can wait. People can wait.

YOU matter. Your happiness matters.

And the realization that your happiness may not be what the world defines as happiness also matters. In the long run, yes, it will matter that you have survived. But it will also matter HOW you have survived.

Making today’s time count is important. Making your life count is more important. Don’t drive yourself up a wall where you’ve finally nowhere to go but straight down.

Wake up in the morning - tomorrow morning – and take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself, “are you okay?” “Are you feeling good?”

Spend some moments to savour your feeling about yourself. Savour your realization that you want to make life easy and good for yourself. You want to make that effort. Only because you are the most important person in this world. To you.

And also because you will never be able to give to someone else, unless you have given to yourself. Your friends, your family, your spouse, your kids, your colleagues, your work, your boss – everyone is counting on you to keep yourself happy. Because if you are unhappy it will show up on all of them. If you have catered to your needs, you will be more willing to cater to theirs.

Ask yourself therefore: “what is my need?”

Do you yearn for time? Drop thoughts of your work and backlog – or maybe family pressures and commitments. Go, take a walk – somewhere where you can see and hear nature, possibly breath in fresh waves of air and feel your mind soar as your lungs expand. Don’t let thoughts clutter your mind. Occupy yourself with the present and your basic need to enjoy the moment.

Do you yearn for love? Go find it. Find it in the arms of a lover in your life, who’s ceased to occupy your formost thoughts - yes, there was love sometime in your life. Just that your drive for success has blocked that primal need too.

Or maybe you still don’t have a lover – if there is someone nearby who could fit the bill, go tell him or her how you feel. That takes quarter of the effort of having to keep your emotions bottled up within you.

And if you don’t have anyone at all, well, what the hell. Find friendship. Friendship eases even the most difficult of pains. Sob on the shoulder of a friend if you’re sad. Or better still, go get you and your friend large buckets of icecream. Crash on a sofa and watch your favourite comic movie. Healthy doses of laughter, and you’re left feeling fit and fine in a jiffy.

Connect with your emotional and physical selves. Hug your parents, and don’t say anything. Stop giving vent to the need the fill out verbal voids with nonsense. Ask your mother to rest her tired head on your lap, and gently let her know that you’re there for her. Place your hand on your father’s back, and soothe him silently - almost unconsciously.

Watch your little child play and let him/her/them use you like an amusement ride – climbing and running amok – nothing can gladden you like the pitter patter of tiny feet/hands – amidst of course, your groans of pleasurable pain. Take your teenage daughter/son out somewhere, where you both can connect – listen to him/her without judgement, and let them know that whatever goes wrong in their lives, you are there for them. Do you have a spouse who’s been with you for years, and you haven’t told them the magical three words lately? Say it now. And mean it. Marriage bonds two people in a way not even a blood relation can – it is the most precious of relationships. Make it count.

Make life count. Good day everybody

 

P.S. Want to know what I’m doing as I write all of this? I’m in a room, glittering with the light of the morning sun. The air is fresh, smelling of beautiful blossoms somewhere. Outside the window, squirrels hop along trees, and birds chirp their music. Occasionally, the sound of a train passing by, talks of people’s journeys. Journeys of life…

Kiddie Ads

Getting kids to feature in ads in one sure shot way of getting me to pay attention :). And I know I speak for a large majority of the crowd that gets swayed when teensy weensy children come on your screen and endorse so many of those brands out there. There have been very few adverts I haven’t liked featuring kids - and those would usually be the ones that make kids mouth unnatural or precocious lines.

In the recent past, there have been lots of ads that have grabbed attention, and have kids in central roles - such as the “Sorry Bol“, Hutch You and I ad, and Lead India. But my personal favorites are the following:

• One of the earliest kiddie ads that I can never forget - the Dhara ‘Jilebi?’ ad. This kid is yummier than the jilebis in the ad - SO adorable :).

• Awarded, and forwarded all across the internet - the Greenply “Savitri” ad. Simply superb!

• I never knew the name of this bank, till this kid stepped into an ad, and showed me what the right ad can do for brand recognition - the Bank of India ”Piggybank” ad:

• Finally, a childhood ad that I remember so well just because its theme song invokes such nostalgic memories… This is a Lebanese ad for Nido milk powder. This ad didn’t work because of a particular kid - it was just the pout of the child going to school for the first time, and the tears welling up in the mother’s eyes that was enough to tug at heart strings across the world :).

Mmmm. Wonderful, aren’t they all?

Update: Karthick has just posted the new Vodafone Customer Service ad featuring a little girl and yes, the Hutch puppypug! See it here Indian Vodafone Commercial - Happy to Help (Full).