11 Songs That Stir My Soul.

A R Rahman is my God of music.

I used to listen to melodies often but never bothered to look who the music director was. Many years after my playlist grew, I happened to notice that most of the songs I had were A R Rahman‘s. Slowly, as I fell in love with the creation, I fell for the creator too. 🙂 But, in the list below, you wouldn’t find many ARR songs. Because, most of us know his hits very well.

Following are the songs close to my soul, my precious gems. There are Malayalam, Tamil & mostly Hindi songs here. Also, for your convenience, I have attached bits of each song sung by me. You can read the reasons for my song-love, listen to the bits & decide whether you like them. 🙂

1. Teri Bandagi (Hindi):

Movie: Drona

This song has been rendered beautifully by Sunidhi Chauhan. If you have spent an entire night thinking aimlessly about a loved one, if you were torn between the joy of being loved & the desperation of knowing that your love is miles apart, you’d love the lyrics. And the music is mind-blowing. Just put off the lights, plug in the earphones, close your eyes and melt into this. 🙂

2. Mujhe Aaj Tune Jo Choo Liya (Hindi):

Album: “Tum Aaye”

This is another one of those soul stirring songs I mentioned. Like the icing on the top, like the rainbow in the sky, Hariharan’s voice just materializes here & there and as always, he has weaved his magic in here. The lyrics, it begins with;

Mein Kahoonga toh kaun manega
Aaj kya dekha, kya kiya meine
Phool ko aaj gaathe dekha hai
Chaand ko aaj choo liya meine.

(Meaning – Who would believe me if I say,
about what I saw today & about what I did.
Today, I saw the flower sing…
I touched the moon today…)

I must admit that there is a peculiar beauty about Hindi lyrics. And the Urdu words in some songs, simply enhance the feel. Do listen to this song for the enchanting voices of Hariharan & Alka Yagnik.

3. Piya Milenge (Hindi):

Movie: Raanjhana

Here comes A R Rahman. I consider this to be one of the classics he composed in a very long time. Firstly, he knows to choose the right singers. ARR’s ‘Chayya Chayya‘, ‘Ishq Bina’, ‘Des mere‘ etc are well known, powerful songs sung by Sukhwinder singh. And so, it was only natural for Sukhwinder to pull of Piya milenge with so much ease. The song is intricate with a  Sufi, devotional touch and the inspirational music & lyrics. One cannot miss the vibe that the tune creates.

The enchanting part, is its lyrics. It says,‘The one you’re searching for outside, is seated silently within you. When there is a sea inside you, why do you search outside? Draw back the curtains of your mind, open the veil and you’ll find your beloved.’

If you think, it talks about love, someone else thinks it talks about God. The word ‘Piya’ is used to refer to one’s Love and also to Lord Krishna. Whether it says about the Lord or Love, is left to our interpretation. And that is what allures me about this song. A unique piece of work indeed!

4. Pookkal Pookkum (Tamil):

Movie: Madrasapattinam

http://gettamillyrics.blogspot.in/

From the start, from the moment I heard this song, I was restless until I downloaded it. I have listened to this a hundred times and never got tired. Later, when I saw this movie, specially the scene just before the song, I fell for the music all the more. I have no idea what half the song means. But the tune & the feel is excellent. Here is the video of the scene & the song.

5. Manmarziyaan (Hindi):

Movie: Lootera

Again, the music is what lured me. I have no idea what the lyrics mean. The voice of the singers, the music and the entire effect it creates is all I wanted to instantly fall in Love with this piece of music.

6. Kaash Aisa Koi Manzar Hota (Hindi):

Album: Gazal.

Singer,Hariharan! What more should I say? Love the music, love the voice. There is no way one cannot fall into the abyss of this music. As I mentioned earlier, Urdu language has left its mark here. And Hariharan has weaved his magic here. You wouldn’t hear an extra bit of instrument. It is peace. It is all silent, except for occasional tinkers and how do I put it? My wonderland would sound like this.

7. Maula mere Maula mere (Hindi):

Movie- Anwar

No introductions here. If you listen to Hindi songs, you’d definitely know this. This song is the Tom & Jerry of all the cartoons, Harry Potter of all the books. I have rarely come across people who don’t know this song. Wondering why it is here? I don’t want a single person to miss this.To begin with, the lyrics brim with passion. The repeated chanting of ‘Maula mere’ gets me imagining a guy, so awestruck seeing his Love, that all he could say is ‘Oh God’ repeatedly. It depicts that deep, gripping kind of Love that you could only imagine, read in books or see in movies. These are my favorite lines.Rakh lu chupaki mein kahi tujhko Saaya bhi tera na mein duu (I’ll keep you hidden somewhere I wouldn’t give you away, not even your shadow. ) Love the emotion behind these lines.

8. Madno (Hindi):

Movie: Lamhaa

Most of my friends in Kerala hadn’t listened to this song. I still wonder why. I was the local distributor of this song here. 😛 I shouted, flogged and fought with anyone who didn’t listen to this. My reasons are the same. Lovely music, lyrics and feel.In between, the male voice is replaced by Chinmayi Sripada‘s enchanting, husky, base voice. If your eyes are closed, you’d just open & say ‘wow’ right there.Mein hu shab tu subah dono judke judaa Mein hu lab tu dhua dono judke juda Madno… Mashuko… Dilbara… Madno re… I’m night & you’re morning, both join & then separate I’m lips & you’re prayer, both join & then separate The last words all mean beloved and I think Madno is Urdu, Mashuko is Kashmiri and Dilbara is Hindi. See that? How could one not fall for such details?

9. Mazhaye Thoomazhaye (Malayalam): Movie: Pattam Pole

http://hotnsourmoviechannel.com

So far I haven’t written a single Malayalam song in the list and many would ask ‘Why this?’. It has got a rainy touch to it. And no other song in Malayalam gave me this feel. The lyrics are pretty good. Again, romance is the theme. But as I said, when I listen to this, I could imagine the green interior parts of Kerala, the rain, its smell, and the love you find when it rains. It’s the music, the singer’s voice and the reference to rains that pulled me towards it.

10. Azhage Sugama (Tamil):

Movie: Parthale un paravasam

Must say, it is a sad song. But the wordplay is fantastic. After a break up, one is asking the other if he/she is fine. Whether their anger and sorrows are doing well, whether the loneliness seems fine, whether the house, the gardens, the bed & the single pillow atop is fine.Trust me! It sounds really beautiful in Tamil. 😥

Azhutha Neeril Karaigal Poividum Theriyaathaa?
Kuraigal Ullathu Manitha Uravugal Puriyaathaa?
Ithu Kaneer Nadathum Paechu Vaarthai,
Udaintha Manangal Ottathaaa?

(Meaning: Don’t you know that in the tears (I) shed, the shores would vanish? Don’t you know that it is human nature not to be perfect? This conversation is between tears. Will the broken hearts ever join back?)

The entire song has a lovely amount of wordplay. But I wouldn’t attempt to explain & spoil more of it here. You can find the lyrics HERE. And no doubt, A R Rahman swished his wand for the music. It is lovely.

11. Abhi Mujhme Kahin:

Movie: Agneepath

Sonu Nigam! Sonu Nigam! He has just pulled out his heart & that is what sang this song. When I listen to the lyrics, I imagine a phoenix sing it. The theme revolves around how someone was reborn from the ashes. It talks about the relief when a person burning in the scorching sun suddenly finds the tree’s shade. The feeling of an angry kid scolded & being cajoled. You can read the lyrics and meaning HERE. This one is more about life. Words that leaves us thinking. The words come alive with the apt kind of tune given. And when Sonu Nigam sings it, _/\_ speechless!

Image courtesy: http://storage9.gear3rd.com/

These are my all time favorites. There are many more lovely songs in my playlist. If I were to go on, the number would reach around 30 or 40. These aren’t my top eleven or anything. But, these were the ones that had to be mentioned. And so, I did. Please do listen to them and let me know if they make it to your playlist. I’d be too happy about it. 😀

PS – I’m really sorry for screwing up the translations.

Is Kissing A Crime?

This happened around a month and a half ago. A TV Channel -Jaihind- belonging to a political party, ran a news report showing footage of couples engaged in ‘immoral’ activities. The footage was nothing but that of a couple kissing in the cafe. The news also mentioned that the cafe was the ground for other illegal activities such as drugs. But there was nothing to substantiate its claims apart from the same footage of kissing couples being replayed.

Following this news, the youth wing of another political party, vandalized the cafe in the name of moral policing. They destroyed much of the cafe’s property saying that they were forced to react in response to such ‘immoral activities’. You can read more about it Here.

The next thing that happened was the Kiss Of Love (KOL) movement in Marine Drive, Cochin. A group announced that KOL movement would happen on Nov 2nd protesting against the moral policing drama at the cafe in Calicut. Facebook flooded with opinions, about how it was wrong and how it wasn’t wrong. On the said day, all the political parties and activists were present at Marine drive to flog anyone who dared to kiss in public. They outnumbered the KOL participants who were only about 50. Even before the protest began, they were taken to the police station. The arrest did not dampen their spirits. They continued their protest.

Today, there was another KOL in Calicut. I just read their press release from their Facebook page and it painted a very sad picture. Similar to the earlier protest, Hanuman sena, Shiv sena and the police joined hands, tore clothes, abused and beat up the activists. Anyone found kissing, holding hands or even passing by, were taken into custody as per this report.

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Really? Making a big scene out of people kissing and demolishing a cafe in its name!?

• When questioned, the moral policing supporters say PDA is against Indian culture. But these pillars of Indian culture struck unarmed lovers for their act of love. How ironic!

May I ask?
How many women are raped on a daily basis?
How many little children are violated, shredded and thrown by the vultures in our country?
How many politicians are corrupt?
How many poor are rendered homeless in the name of industrialization?
How many cases of murders do you hear on a daily basis?
How many children are used for prostitution?
And how many for child labour?

If kissing in public is against Indian culture, are the above our culture? If not, where are the activists when any of the above happen? When the accused is caught, why don’t they just go to him and thrust a knife at his heart? People’s priorities give me the chills. An act of love is considered more dangerous than an act of lust!

The protesters kiss with mutual consent while rape is a forceful act. Yet, people choose to butcher the former & ignore the latter.

• They said, “Bring your mothers and sisters too when you come for kiss of love. Well, you wont. That is what we are trying to say. It is wrong for our women to do all this.”

May I ask?
Are your women incapable of taking their own decisions?
Aren’t they individuals who have the right to decide whether or not to participate?
If you’re doing all the thinking for them, why don’t you do the same for your father and brothers too?
Certain parts of your body differs from that of women. But the brain does not differ. Women can think for themselves as much as you can.

• They ask, “What will our future generation learn?”

May I ask?
Our future generations need not wait in streets or cafe to watch couples kiss. You have given them everything to trigger their lust and learn things. Have you given them cell phones, television, internet? Are you sending them to schools and colleges? Influences can come from anywhere. A kissing couple wouldn’t be their first ‘bad influence’ I’m sure.

To those parents who are concerned, I totally understand you. I’d feel protective about my children too. All I’m saying is that, if they want to, they will go after such temptations. Nothing can stop them.

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Image courtesy: Imagesbuddy.com

I believe, no one has the right to prohibit anyone from kissing publicly. But No! I won’t participate in it. Seems ironic. Doesn’t it? Like many of you, I have been seasoned in such a manner that kissing in public makes me uncomfortable. Watching others do it ‘might’ make me uncomfortable too. I don’t know. But I’d just ignore them because I believe one has the right to express their love. What I don’t get is, why do people resort to violence when they see such acts? Are their instincts so damn animalistic that they can’t stand to watch a couple kiss before their eyes?

Imagine, we had no bodies, no gender bias, no rules, no moral policing. We are just the souls. You love another soul and that soul loves you in return. Now tell me, will you kiss your love in front of other souls?
A sensible person would say ‘Yes.’ If so, what is making you protest now? Your body, gender, rules, jealousy or ‘moral policing attitude’?

One thing I understand is that, majority of our population have been tamed to shun and despise PDA. We can’t blame them for it. Open mindedness or the will to view things with a different eye is a rare quality. Not everyone is born with it. When you have it, put yourself in the older generation’s position. After living in a conservative society, it would not be easy for them to accept such protests. There is some right on their part too.

As for those moral police who are merely jealous, I pity you!

The icing on the cake: all the religious heads and political parties in Kerala united in this name. They all fought together on one side, for the same cause. Sadly, the cause was to refrain people from kissing in public.

The bottom line is, there are many more important things you have to stop before you stop people kissing in public. There is so much of violence, people’re dying and rotting away. If you are turning a blind eye on them & stopping people from showing some love, you’re surely doing it wrong.

I wish the politicians had half this zest in serving justice to the innocents.

I wish people were asked not to piss in public rather than not to kiss on public.

Image courtesy: Imagesbuddy.com

The Touch of Love

Ved and Anwesha had been dating for a year. She remembered vividly all the lovely times they had spent together. The first time he held her fingers, looked at them and said,”Beautiful nail color”. The first time they just sat next to each other, saying nothing, but looking at each other and smiling occasionally. The first time they walked hand in hand, their fingers intertwined, the first time he put his hand around her shoulders and held her close.

Now things had changed. They couldn’t meet as often as before. Their relationship was still a secret and so they couldn’t risk being seen together always. Their college days were over and both of them were getting busy with their daily schedules. Ved had assignments outside the city and he had to travel to city after city for his job. This not only reduced the time that they spent together, but also the warmth in their relationship.

Once in a while, very rarely they did meet. But half of what they wanted to say was left unsaid. Not because they didn’t want to say it, but how can you say months worth of stories in an hour?

Anwesha began to break down every now and then. She missed him, missed him badly. So did he. But his work kept him busy and somehow he drowned his feelings in his work. She messaged him her feelings. She said she missed him on a daily basis. She knew it wasn’t his fault, yet she couldn’t help but get angry with him.

They hoped things would get better. Another year passed, but things just remained the same. This brought more rift in their relationship. By now, Ved had retaliated a couple of times for Anwesha’s messages. And it was becoming a never ending fight.

Finally, he called her up. She had set a different ringtone for his number. The moment she heard it, she was delighted and ran to her room. She stopped before picking up the call. She was still angry with him for not finding time for her. Yet, she wanted to talk to him like those good old days. She picked up the call.

“Hello”, she said dully

“Hi doll!”, he sounded his same old self.

“Hm?”

“Looks like my doll is still angry. Listen, before you say anything, let us meet. Today. My place. I’ll come and pick you.”

She was at a loss for words, “Eh? Umm Okay.”

*****

 It took around an hour for her to pick the right dress. She thought of wearing the salwar. But he loved it when she wore salwar. No, thaty would look too desperate. The pink dress? No, that was too showy. That would look desperate too. Finally, she picked up an old tee shirt and her jeans. That would look casual. Perfect!

She hadn’t spoken a word since he had gone to pick her up. On the way he said, “I thought you’ll wear the green salwar.”

She didn’t reply.

They reached his house. He went to get a glass of water for her. She was sitting on the couch in his house. The same couch they had sat and watched cricket two years back. He came in with water. She took it from him and sipped, without looking at him.

“Anwesha”

“Hm?”, she looked up.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked away. He told her the stories of how he kept going to cities after cities and how his boss kept giving him more assignments. He told her how much he missed her. she felt sorry for him. Yet, she didn’t feel like talking to him. Finally, he sat next to her and looked at her. She was looking down and from the corner of her eyes she could see him. He was looking down at her fingers.

He slowly extended his hands, took her palms in his and kissed. She looked up at him and suddenly she could hold it no more. She burst into tears and they hugged. Slowly, he whispered in her ears.

“Normally, you would have worn the green salwar, because you knew I loved it. Or you would have worn the pink dress because, you love it and I can’t take my eyes off you. But today, you purposely wore this tee to show that you did not care anymore. Guess what my love? You cared enough to wear that nail polish I love.”

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. They hugged again. They hugged for all the hugs they couldn’t have. He held her as she cried, wiping her tears every time her eyes filled. And said, “No matter what you wear, no matter how hard you try to hide your feelings, I know you love me & trust me. I love you.”

Every relationship needs just a smile, a memory, a few words from the heart or sometimes just a touch to bring back the love. 🙂

This post is a part of Indiblogger’s Happy hours contest #BringBackTheTouch in connection with http://www.pblskin.com/

At the dawn of love, did they part.

She- a wanderer, from moor to meadows,
ocean to land, and woods to willows,
-sat by the woods, thinking of those faces,
that have walked past her & left no traces.

A handful of faces, stayed forever in her heart.
Some came, left & came again for their part.
Some left to never look back,
others stayed & played the sly jack.

A fellow wanderer walked in & sat beside her.
Not a glimpse she took, at that stranger.
They sat there watching the day turn black.
He got up & walked into the dark.

He walked in again at the break of dawn.
She peeked at his mask that resembled a fawn.
She wondered what lay behind his mask,
the truth or a lie!? – It’s a tough task!

They sat silent all day, fearing each other’s masks.
At the brink of dusk he left for his tasks.
As it dawned he would walk in,
he’d half smile and she’d yield in.

A week of Smile & silence ensued
& soon, an unspoken friendship bloomed.
She wondered why daily he reappeared
was it for her company or was his path so weird?

She got up to leave, & their eyes met,
‘Leaving?’, ‘I’m a wanderer & my time is set’.
She willed him to stop her, and he willed her not to leave.
Not a word they said, parting was meant to be.

Many a faces had she seen,
faces with masks, smiles & deceitful means.
As she walked away, she thought of his face.
His respect for her, had won him the highest place.

Another smile or word, may form a bond,
of friendship which’d either end or go beyond.
She preferred parting, knowing him hence,
to admire his face forever at this distance.

For flowers are beautiful when seen far-off.
A closer look at them, & your eyes may scoff.
A tender touch, the petals may wither,
And soon you’ll wish to see them from afar.