The Sound of Music!

“Mayy (that’s what my niece calls me) , see Poa- Poa…Poaa Poaa Poa”…, and my 2 year old niece started dancing..  I was amazed to see her dancing as she was unaware of the lyrics but only thing she loved was the Music.

So I decided to scribe on something really close to my heart…Music and songs…

Songs and Music have been playing an indispensable role in my life , may be in everyone’s life, especially the one who adore and religiously follow music.

The musical journey started from childhood with a movie “Sound of Music”, a musical epic. Though I hardly knew or got the lyrics I used to murmur “do re mi” with whatever gathered words

I remember, once I had a heated argument with dad on the issue of “getting up early in the morning”, Still remember my dad made me listen one song, it was from teesri kasam “ sajan re jhooth mat bolo” …I was very naïve to understand the lyrics but now when I hear this verse I can understand what he wanted to tell it goes like this

“ ladakpan khel mein khoya, jawani neend bhar soya, budhapa dekh kar roya, yahi kissa purana hai, sajan re jhooth mat bolo, khuda ke pass jana hai”. He wanted to explain me this is a time u should change yourself else you will have a pre-written life phase.

Days passed on and songs were with me in all situations, be it when I was feeling lonely, be it giving me sex education..surprised??

One I was roaming with my sister @ dadar tt and suddenly I started singing Choli ke picche kya hai.. My sis slapped me right away; yelling this is a bad song, never sing it…that time one curious mind started searching for meaning of choli and choli mein dil J

One of my devdas uncle introduced me to a soothing music called Ghazals, pankaj udhas and Jagjit entered my musical world. If you really want to enjoy ghazal, listen it in a dark room with loud volume, a startling experience.

College days went by singing in college orchestra, canteen songs mehfils which brought all singers together be it kishore da to Mika.. from Musafir hu yaaron to Yaaron Dost..

 

Post college was the peer pressure phase “ Select your carrer, Settle ho jao jaldi,  start your job….then came to rescue songs like “lakshya hai tera”…or when you are bashed by all, and when u need someone to sympathise it started with “koi hota jisko apna, hum apna keh lete yaara”..

Most interesting of all “The love phase”, I believe there won’t be a single couple on this earth who wont have related their love, they’re bonding, situations of highs and low with any of the songs. I am sure even if they would have done this Flimigiri, they will never accept it. And suddenly out of the blue, when they hear their “special songs”, if they are alone they will hold their hands together, else in a group smile at each other and those cherished moments surge back. 

Budhapa over very last of the game, once sportingly in an antakshari, my old aaji started singing “mein ka karu ram mujhe Buddha mil gaya and he replied with “Aye meri joharajabeen”…So songs do lend a hand even at that age where at times world is not with you, even our close one’s. And when suddenly one of them leaves other “Nastes ghari tu jehva” ( A marathi non-filmy song , but it has brought tears in eyes of many who have lost their spouses)

So this is all about ZINDAGI, oh didn’t realised that while writing this I have almost cover all stages of our ZINDAGI.. Bachpan, youth and Budhapaa…and yes songs are all about “ZINDAGI”. “Zindagi ke safar mein gujar jaate hai jo makkam” , this songs truly describes what’s life all about!!!

And one day I met gods of Singing world….I  was alone in an auditorium, Kishore, Rafi, Manna dey, RD were on stage…

“Tanmay ji , kausa gaane sunenge”…. I pinched myself,

“kishore da, chingari koi bhadke, ho jaaye”, rafi saahab “ Teri aankhon ke siva”….Mannaji aapke toh sabhi gaane acche hai….

I was feeling like a king and suddenly….. “o womaniyaaa….oo womaniyaaaa”… my phone rang with the morning alarm.

What a dream… I got up singing “ Zindagi khwab hai, khwab mein jhhoth kya aur bhala sach hai kya, Zindagi khwab hai”..

Indian Songs you should listen before you die (though the list will go on, I am selecting very few):

1. Mein zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya- Just read the lyrics.

2. Abhi na jao chodkar- Romantic melody

3. Chitthi na koi sandesh- Can’t ignore it and listen it without a tear.

4. Tujhse naraj nahi zindagi- outstanding

5. Pyar mujhse jo kiya tumne/ Shyam se aankh mein – Jagjit

6. Mera sayya saath hoga- Not favourite but good lyrics.

7. Rooth ke humse kabhi- Close to my heart

8. Tere mere sapne/ Tumse milke – Guess every couple should follow these song.

9. Naino ki mat maniyo- Wonder from where Gulzar sahab get the words “ Naino ki jubaan pe bharosa nahi aata, Likhat, padhat na rasid na khata” you can never imagine…

10.  Aas pas hai khuda- Just hear it thrice

11. Lakshya/ Jag uthe hai rastein ( Luck by chance) - Brilliant singing and lyrics

Is Dis-parity?

“ Tanmay, salet jayche, budvaychi nahi shala, chal bhigibhigi tayar ho. ( Tanmay,  you should never bunk school… chal quickly get ready”

These were the words of Ranjana tai, our maid in my early school days. Still remember her, she looked like... Being frank but not a single girl in this world would ever wish to look like her, she was our “Black beauty”.  But one thing, which stood out, was her “smile”, it was contagious. We hardly saw her crying or sobbing like our other maids used to crib and sobb. Devoted and determined to her work, she became our young time buddy. Be it advising, telling stories, cracking joke or even shouting at us, we had Ranjana with us.

Days passed away, age made us “Teen” time busy, and we forgot her. Sometimes I really fell sad that we were so rude that we never realised when our buddy left us for her family reasons.

Restlessness to meet her was creeping me day by day, I found out her address, “ Ambedkar Wadi, lower parel”.

With some packed sweets and saree, I started and as usual got stuck in the Mumbai traffic.

Reason: A big group of “Blue” India was marching towards Indu Mill “Indu mill konachi, Indu Mill Babasahebanchich” (Indu mill just belongs to Babasaheb).

Going little ahead, saw a fleet of Policemens, whispering something, which made me ask them “ Kay saheb kay locha?” ( Sir, What’s the problem?)

“Aho, Balasahebanche Asti jaga, hativtat BMC, ghari java lafda honar” ( BMC will be razing the makeshift funeral place made for Balasaheb)

Oh by now I got the point, Mumbai was witnessing the struggle for justice, fight for rights for “Deceased” stalwarts. We will never fight for “Human Rights” but are always ahead to fight for “DEAD Human Rights”, unfortunately this happens only in India.

Crossing the morchas and slogans I reached my destination, Ambedkar wadi, you can call it as mini Dharavi,

I asked- “Ranjana bai, kuthe rahatat?” (Where is Ranjan bai’s house)

I got a reply- tya tikde, foothpath chya palyad ( Next to the foothpath)

Pehli kholi vhati tichi, haklavun takle tila, are mard mela, samshanat nele pan paisa nay tar jalnar nayy, 1 dis hoti tikde…kay zale nahi , mag dile mayt hospitalat” jaa tikdye basil asel… (She was evacuated from her house, her husband is dead and she didn’t had any money to do his last rites, finally the body was sent to the morgue)

 

I had Goosebumps, I managed to cross the road, with fleets of people around me shouting:

“Indu mill konachi, indu mill babasahebanchi”…

“he jaga konachi, he jaga Thackrye sahebanchi”….

She lived in a typical zopadpatti hut, it was standing at the corner of foothpath, I took a step forward to enter, an old lady was cooking something…hut was full of small frames of many gods, from Babasaheb to a saffron bow and arrow of Shivsena with Balasaheb giving blessings…

Me: “ ranjana tai ?”

She: “Kon ahe”?

Me: “ tai me Tanmay, olakhle ?”

She: Tula kase visrin re, Tanmay, salet jayche, budvaychi nahi shala, chal bhigibhigi tayar ho…atta athavan ali ka mazi

I was not able to control my tears, she made me embarrassed and guilty, 2 decades passed but she remembered me. She told me that she was forced to leave her room due to builder pressure and the agony she went through her husband’s death and still she was smiling the same way she did 20 years back. We both had nice time, discussing the childhood stories.

Me: Chal tai, hi ghe saree and thode paise.

She: Paise nakot re, manuski havay.. (Don’t need money, need humanity)

I didn’t had any answer for her statement. I moved out and she waved me with her beautiful smile. I sat in my car, and suddenly someone tapped the window… and gave me one pedha…

“Sahebancha putla indu mill varach honar, sarkar ni manya kele” ( Statue of Ambedkar , will be built in Indu mill)

I had no words to express what I felt at that moment as at one corner there was lively ranjanatai who don’t have place to live and at the other it was Babasaheb the lifeless statue. With circle of thoughts going on from Babasaheb to balasaheb to Ranjana tai….I went home and switched on the TV, and got the news that BMC wont raze the makeshift funeral place at Shivaji park, it’s a win of Shiv Sainiks..

I just thought, is this a win?? Ranjana tai was forced out of her house and she was not able to perform her husbands last rites and here peaople are forcefully creating the rathis/maharathis.

While surfing the channels, I heard PM talking about Human Parity /Equality..

“We the Indians always aim for Human parity and have set examples for our fellow countries, we the Indians will always strive out that equal treatment will be given to all sections of society be it poor or rich class”

I smiled, so which class did Ranjana bai fall ? ? Is he talking about these Indians, who are fighting for Statues and for creating sacred place for the dead stalwart?

We don’t have any answers…I feel the only difference between Babasaheb & Balasaheb is of “L” and that’s what we need Love towards Humans not statues..and

Mr. PM I have just one question…

“ Is dis- Parity?”